“Ashton.”

He shushed me. I felt the heat of his breath against my hair.

“It’s been a long night for you, Elena. Sleep.”

So I did.

CHAPTER 13

Ashton

Elena’s body relaxed against me and her breathing evened out. But I was too consumed to sleep, my mind racing with thoughts of the enigma that lay in my arms. She was a paradox. Confident enough to demand my bed, yet submissive enough to relinquish control.

She was perfect.

I hadn’t been sure if asking her to submit would be too much. She’d come so far in the last month—asserting herself, making her feelings known. It dawned upon me that I might have set her back. But I wouldn’t know for sure until she woke up.

I’d started to lose control the moment she suggested leaving the restaurant. The curve of her hips, the fullness of her breasts . . . they had called to me for weeks. I wanted her more than I could ever remember wanting another woman. Most who claimed they could submit in bed lied. They either tried to dominate both inside and outside the bedroom, or they were submissive all the time. Elena was turning out to be the perfect mix.

Too bad she’s married.

Things were changing for Elena, but making the decision to end her marriage had to be her choice. There was always the chance that this was a fluke. That would be disappointing. She could be magnificent.

But would she be?

The buzz coming from the floor pulled me from my thoughts. I knew it wasn’t Elena’s phone. That was still in her purse, and none of the people who had that number would be calling her now.

Gently moving my arm from underneath her, I climbed out of bed and waited a moment, conscious that she needed her rest. When I was satisfied she wouldn’t wake, I searched the floor for my pants, the buzzing continuing somewhere left of the bed. I found them and pulled my phone from the front pocket. It was a text message. Seeing the name on the screen, I groaned.

Elena grunted and turned over in her sleep. Moving quickly, I tugged on my boxers, stepping out the door and quietly shutting it behind me to head downstairs to my office. Before I opened the message I poured myself a drink, taking a large swig that burned going down, bringing a sense of calm with it.

My back hit the couch and I pulled up the text. The quicker I answered, the sooner I could be back in bed.

Dominic: I have tickets for the game tomorrow night. Wanna go?

Of course the bastard would have some kind of super power; some radar that told him I’d slept with his wife. Remembering the way he’d told her to let me practically rape her anytime I wanted made my blood rush in my ears. My jaw worked itself back and forth as I answered his text with the standard response.

Me: I have the club box that night if you want to give away your tickets and meet me there.

Obviously the fucker had money, but there was no way in hell he was getting anywhere near Elena until my three months were up. She at least deserved that much time. I was tempted to ask how much he had, but I’d find out soon enough. His reply came almost instantly.

Dominic: Perfect. I’ll meet you there.

Whatever he wanted could wait until the meeting. I sent a text to Brock letting him know he’d be working the next night and then my thoughts drifted back to Elena. I had a feeling the woman had never experienced an orgasm in her entire life. The way she lit up for me almost immediately . . .

The thought had my cock twitching. But she hadn’t been the only one affected. My name crossing her lips almost made me come before I got inside of her. Whether or not she’d still be the same feisty woman when she woke up in the morning remained to be seen. If so, the question was: how far could I push her? I could show her a whole new world, open her eyes to sensations the likes of which she’d never seen. But I could only show her and wait for her reaction. I wouldn’t force her to do anything. How much she wanted to participate, I didn’t know.

A million questions swirling through my head, I tossed back the rest of my drink and left the tumbler on the table. I’d get it in the morning if Julia didn’t find it first. Climbing the stairs, I found myself becoming drowsy. Sleep didn’t come easy to me. Having to juggle so many aspects of business—both legitimate and otherwise—meant that my mind was almost constantly occupied, making it hard to switch off. Most nights, I couldn’t wait for the morning.

I opened the door, hoping not to startle her. I could just make out her shape in the darkness. She was curled on her side, her soft brown hair fanning the pillow. Shedding the boxers, I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up over us, excited and nervous about the prospect of spending the entire night with a warm body against me. While not unusual for me to have a woman in my bed, a sleepover was out of the question, the arrangement being purely sexual.

“Ashton.”

I froze, worried I’d woken her, but her eyes remained firmly closed, her words nothing but a murmur—the product of a dream-filled slumber. My heart raced, but as alien a feeling as that was, I was too tired to examine what it meant. Unknowingly, she slid closer, wrapping herself around me until she was contained in my arms again, our limbs a tangled mess, her cheek resting against the left side of my chest. Closing my eyes, I hoped Elena played a starring role in my dreams that night. Thoughts of all the things I planned on doing with her over the next few weeks, floated through my mind and I smiled, gradually drifting off into a deep sleep.

CHAPTER 14

Elena

When I woke, something was off. I moved my legs. The sheets weren’t the same as those I’d slept on for the last month. The mattress felt different too—softer.

Ashton’s room.

Memories of the night before filtered through my head. I’d let Ashton touch me, and I now understood what every other woman in the world talked about in regards to sex.

Stretching, I glanced around from the bed, looking for my clothes from the night before, muscles I didn’t know I had were sore, but in the most delicious way. I looked around the room, seeing Ashton’s bedroom properly for the first time. In the days since I arrived, I’d been exploring so I’d known where it was, but never ventured in—not even for a peek while he was out. The room was what could only be described as overtly masculine, the dark color of the woods fitting him perfectly. The chair in the corner had a high back and wide arms, which could easily be used to hold clothes but there was no trace of clutter. The room was immaculate. Not a thing was out of place. He had a housekeeper, but neatness and order were part of who Ashton was so I knew this penchant for tidiness was all him.

Try as I might, I couldn’t find my dress or underwear. They were gone. Casting another glance around, something on the end of the bed caught my attention: a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt.

The room was quiet. No body next to mine in the large bed. No running water coming from the bathroom. Ashton must have collected the clothes for me then gone downstairs. The thoughtful nature of his gesture left me with a warm feeling in my stomach; one that I relished.

I leaned back against the intricately carved headboard, pulling the sheets up and over my body, catching sight of the faintly reddened skin at my wrists, the memories of the silk tie sliding up my skin, connecting me to the bars, rushing forward. Clenching my thighs against the onslaught of need, I grabbed my clothes and went into the bathroom to shower. The bathroom was bigger than the one attached to my room—twice the size of a normal bathroom. With a huge tub in the corner and a glass stall shower next to it, I was torn between which to use, knowing the shower would be quicker and easier, but a nice soak would ease the ache in my tired muscles. My thoughts returned to the man downstairs.