Page 109 of Twisted Truth

“This dripping pussy wants me,” he growls against my lips. He pulls away slightly, and his other hand grips my chin. His eyes blaze into mine. “You can try to talk your way around it, but you’re fucking lying to yourself. And I’m done denying myself of you. This pussy ismine,and I will have it. The when is up to you. But make no mistake, Ella, I will have you. I plan to fucking live inside you. And I will ruin you for anyone else, I promise you that.”

The loss of Asher’s touch is like a slap as he lets go of my chin and pulls his hand out from between my legs. He walks past me without another word and heads out of the office. I’m stunned and dumbfounded for a moment before my brain kicks in and I follow suit.

Asher reaches out and takes my hand, and we follow Robert and Jenkins through the club toward the back entrance.

As we walk, my mind is a swirling mess. I’m tipsy. Blinded by lust, and so fucking turned on that all I want to do is give in to every word, every demand, every fantasy of Asher’s. But that stupid, rational bitch inside me still warns me that taking this step with Asher is a bad idea.

Shut up, stupid rational bitch.

We exit the back of the club, but there are still paps out, and their cameras start to flash before we’re even out the doors. Two town cars are waiting, and as we step between them, Asher pulls me into his arms. He leans down to speak into my ear.

“Don’t you dare return this dress if it was borrowed. I have plans for you that involve this dress.”

Shivers race up my spine.

Asher pulls me in tighter and kisses me. The paps go crazy, cheering and whistling, and the cameras flash faster and faster. We keep it mostly PG, but the heat between us is still scorching. I’m too far gone to wonder what this will look like in the press. I don’t care right now. All I care about is getting one more moment with him before he’s gone, and all I can think about is this new, loaded proposition between us and what the fuck to do with it.

Asher breaks the kiss. “Think everything over while I’m in London. I expect your answer when I return.” He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip. “I’ll call you when I land.”

He lets go, and the distance between us is almost painful as he gets into his car and I get into mine.

As I watch the lights of New York City pass by on the drive back to Asher’s penthouse, I’m already missing and craving his touch. Already missinghim. A thought hits me out of nowhere, and I realize that Asher is both right and wrong about one thing: he won’t ruin me for anyone else.

He already has.

31

ELLA

“Last night was a home run,” Emily says, scrolling through various articles on her laptop. We’re gathered at a small table in the corner of our conference room for our morning meeting. “Well done, Ella. The dress is winning the internet right now.”

I smile, despite the pounding headache from my hangover.

“And that goodnight kiss?” Heather says. She fans her face. “Like, wow. How did you guys turn things around so quickly? You went from the freezing cold to steamy heat in a matter of days. It was very convincing.”

Damn the blush I know is creeping up my face. This is so awkward to speak about at work, especially since it’s work related. I don’t even know what to say or how to answer her question. Because the answer is wedidn’ttry. That kiss wasn’t staged. That was raw emotion bleeding over from me getting finger fucked in a back office, and Asher proposing we give in to our mutual attraction and sleep together.

But I’m not about to tell my coworkers that.

“We are just more comfortable around each other now,” I mumble.

“You’re so lucky,” Daphne says with a swoon. “Kissing Asher like you’re in a fairytale.”

“It’s Mr. Langford to you,” Emily says with a raised brow.

“Ella calls him Asher,” Daphne says, defensive.

“Ella is for all intents and purposes dating him. Are you?”

Daphne huffs. “No.”

“The lines of professional and personal may blur for Ella because of her role, but let me make it very clear that for the rest of us: they will stay rigid and in place. He is our boss, the CEO of this company, and Mr. Langford to everyone on this team except Ella.”

“Of course, excuse my slip,” Daphne says, but she doesn’t fully hide the heat in her tone, and I don’t miss the look of resentment she gives me before she goes back to her notes. Great. I don’t know what to do with that. Hopefully it will pass with time.

We finish up our morning meetings, and I take a breath. Asher will be gone for at least a week, and my charity work was pushed back a week, so I can hopefully just work and lie low for the next few days. After the insanity of everything, some peace and quiet are exactly what the doctor ordered.

“I’m sorry, mom,”I groan over video chat. I adjust myself in my bed, propping my pillows so I can sit up more comfortably. “It happened quickly, and there’s no stopping it now.”