“Again. I love watching you come. The way your back arches as your mouth drops open . . .” He made a noise and it was quite possibly the most erotic sound I’d ever heard. Unsure how much I could handle before my body became too sensitive, I braced, my core quivering in anticipation.

On and on it went.

I begged Ashton for relief, but I didn’t mean it. The combination of pleasure and pain was utterly overwhelming—and I loved every minute.

After my third or fourth orgasm—I’d lost count—my ankles were freed, followed by my wrists. Ashton took the slightly chafed skin in his hands, rubbing some of the feeling back into them.

“You did so well, babe, but now I need you.”

Somewhere in the midst of everything, Ashton had removed his clothes and glasses. He placed me over his lap, and I sank down, his swollen shaft sliding into me easily. The tiredness that had begun to claim me left hurriedly the minute he started to move inside me; my body and mind lost to the passion. Soon, I pushed everything aside and took over, riding him like I’d never get enough of being with him that way.

“Fuck, Elena, please tell me you’re close,” he pleaded, and I could feel his cock hardening, stretching my walls.

I dropped my head to his shoulder. “I can’t come again.”

“You can and you will.” The demand in his tone and his thumb on my clit forced my body into action, my body tightening around his, pulsing over and over again.

“Oh God!”

Ashton grabbed my hips, thrusting himself up into me until he shouted out his release. Exhausted, we both dropped to the bed and curled up in each other’s arms.

“I love you, Elena,” he whispered softly into my hair. “Welcome home.”

The three words were so poignant, they brought tears to my eyes. After many years, I’d finally found my place.

A place I could call home.

CHAPTER 26

Ashton

“I told you she was ready,” Miller said laughing, his ass on the couch on the other side of my office. “Did you two even leave the house this weekend?”

It was my turn to smirk at him. “Yes. She had a matinee yesterday. Then we went home and ate in.”

“Lucky bastard,” he muttered.

I finished scrolling through the email on my computer and leaned back in my chair. “I’m still not sure how she’ll deal with everything, after the last time we were there. She was scared. Things got a little violent.”

“Have you taken her since then like Dad suggested? She needs to see that’s not what happens every time.”

Rubbing the muscles in the back of my neck, I took my glasses off and dropped them on the desk. “No, I didn’t want to freak her out.”

“You need to take her.”

Everyone had the grand idea that I should take Elena with me to collect another debt. That it would show her what she needed to know and suddenly she’d understand what we did and why, and be able to accept it. Like it was the best thing for her.

But what if it wasn’t the best thing—for either of us?

“Ever considered not doing it?”

“Not doing what?”

“You know I never wanted this.”

Miller leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “It’s part of who we are,” he said simply.

Was it though? Maybe Miller and Dad were right. It might be in our blood—without it, I never would have been able to open one restaurant much less three—but there was this small part of me that just wished . . .

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I am. Embrace it. No one will ever fuck with Elena now. She’s yours, which means everyone will leave her alone so they don’t have to deal with us.”

He had a point. Elena would be safe from all of the bullshit she’d dealt with in the past. “You’re right. I have a drop on Tuesday. I’ll take her with me.”

Miller shrugged. “There’s got to be something to the theory. Mom’s kept Dad all these years without kicking his ass to the curb.”

My phone buzzed on the desk. “Speaking of Dad.”

“His ears must be ringing. I’ve got a meeting with Max Taran. Fucker better have his shit together. I’m not helping his ass this time.”

It always amazed me how different Miller became when dealing with clients. He was cold, calculating. There were no second chances with Miller. Either you paid him the money or left with at least one broken bone, if not more. You’d never though that side existed when you spoke with him, but it was there, lingering just under the surface.

“We’ll talk later,” I said, picking up the phone.

Miller waved and closed the door behind him.

I swiped my finger across the screen. “Hello?”

“Ashton, have you seen your brother. He’s not answering his phone.”

I chuckled. “Idiot probably has it on silent again. He just left to deal with Max Taran.”

“Good. I wasn’t sure if he’d remember.” I heard yelling in the background. “Your mother wants me to tell you she can’t wait to see Elena again.”

“I saw the show again on Sunday. I had no idea she was that good.”

“You two looked awful cozy together on Saturday night,” he accused.

The thought of how she’d stayed by my side brought a smile to my face. “She’s moving in with me.”

Dad didn’t pull any punches. “Have you taken her on a collection or loan yet?”

“Dad, she’s already seen it. Hell, she’s been in the middle of it.”

“As a client—not from the other side of the fence.”

I sighed. “Miller said the same thing. That she needs to know because it’s part of who we are.”

“And he’s right. You can’t expect her to understand your life if you don’t show it to her.”

The question from earlier came smashing back into me.

Is this really my life?

“Why did you want me to do this?”

Silence.

I could picture him staring at the phone. His brows would be drawn down and a frown on his face. “Because I knew you could. Miller never wanted anything but to be part of the business and, call me selfish, but I wanted you to be there too. I knew you could do both. Now you have the restaurants on top of what you do for the family. Besides, you wouldn’t have met Elena if it weren’t for all of this.”

He had a point. Without any of this, Elena wouldn’t be sleeping in my bed every night, so I had something to be thankful for, besides the financial aspect.

Dad and I talked a little longer before he hung up. Our conversation gave me a lot to think about as I sat at my desk, going over the books.

How in the hell had I managed to get this far behind? Oh right—I’d been wining and dining Elena in the hope that if and when she left her husband she might want to stay with me. The books were up to date, and so were the orders. Mainly, it was a lot of calls to return for catering and the dreaded filling. Not to mention meeting with the new distributor. Damn, Joanne needed to come back from vacation before the paperwork got worse. Then I could go back to what I loved.

The last two nights I’d watched Elena up on that stage, a part of me was a little jealous. She was getting to be everything she always wanted to be. Not that I wasn’t successful, but over the years I’d found myself moving further and further from what I loved about running a restaurant. Spending all of my time collecting debts for my dad had got me to where I was, and now so much of the money loaned was my own that I knew I couldn’t really step away until I figured out a way to bring my dad back in to take over. Either way, I was going to start making being a chef and the other things I wanted to do in the restaurant a priority.

Picking up the phone, I began to dial the first number when a knock sounded on my door. Pierre opened it, followed by another man.

“Ben is here to meet with you about liquor distribution.”

I stood and reached out a hand, which he took in a polite handshake. “Nice to meet you, would you like to take a seat?”