“No!” he says sternly. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re staying right here, with me,” he growls, his eyes moving to the doorway. “But… her… your mom… she has to go.”
I should be offended, but there’s something in his tone that thrills me. Thrills me even more than his hand over mine, which is like a jolt of pure sexual energy.
“I’ll get rid of her,” I promise instantly, suddenly sounding like I have a full grasp on the situation, but it’s really just the strength I feel flowing from him.
I know what I’d rather be grasping.
Jesus! Listen to me. I’ve never so much as held a boy’s hand, let alone anything else. What this man does to me… the things I want him to do to me.
The things I want to do to him.
We’re standing so close now, hands touching, Tony’s shirt and underwear still in my hands, when my mom finally reappears in the doorway.
She clears her throat, looking flushed with embarrassment now, any anger she had has long since disappeared.
“C’mon, Ashlee, we’re leaving. We’re very sorry to have disturbed you Mr. Fontana.”
I look from her to Tony, then back to my mom.
“Ashlee, c’mon,” she says firmly.
Tony’s hand grips mine a little harder, squeezing a signal for me to stay.
“Thank you, Stacy. But Ashlee is mine… for the rest of the afternoon, at least. I’d like her to stay and help me with my… laundry,” he says firmly, dismissing my mom with a casual wave of his hand which has the pair of his underwear in it I’d been holding for so long.
“I think we’ll both be going now, if it’s all the same,” mom starts to say, giving me an insistent look.
But Tony turns his back on her and motions me towards his laundry basket and closet, murmuring something about most of these clothes having never been worn, only needing sorting for charity.
“I’ll get an Uber home, mom,” I tell her, craning my neck past Tony’s huge shoulders.
Tony turns swiftly, giving my mom a ‘still here’ look. The idea of me leaving makes him swell up and stand in front of me, guarding me from my mom.
Guarding me from the whole world, it feels like.
“That will be all, Stacy,” he says firmly, almost snarling. Tony only starts to relax once my mom backs out of the room and once he hears the front door slam does he seems to change into a totally different person.
He spins around, his mane of dark hair flecked with silver glossy in the light, and his perfect pearly whites flash me a show I know is especially for me.
“I thought she’d never leave,” he sighs. “Sorry to be such a grouch, I know she’s your mom and all…” he starts to say.
I open my mouth to say something, but think better of it.
Being this close to Tony Fontana, having him want to be alone with me, it’s enough to make me want to pinch myself and like my mom said, I don’t want to fuck this up.
Not now.
Not ever.
“It’s just…” he starts to say, moving in closer than ever, so close I can feel the heat from his body and the blood pounding in my ears starts to ring.
I’m in the doorway of his dressing room, a huge walk-in closet that feels as big as our whole apartment. I take a tiny step back, but he moves closer, clutching my hand again, pulling it and me closer to him.
I’m staring up at him, breathless again. “It’s just…” I say, wanting only one thing from him right now, forgetting all about my mom, the shitty cleaning job, everything.
“Just tell me you’ll stay,” he says firmly. Not asking, not telling. Recommending.
I feel my head pumping so hard I get dizzy from the blood rushing to it and black spots dance before my eyes.
I feel giddy and gasp out loud before the room tilts sideways.
I feel his huge hands catching me, drawing me up into his arms as if I weigh nothing.
The only thing I hear is the single word from his lips.
“Mine.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Tony
There’s that old saying… About things not really falling apart, but falling together… falling into place.
I should be making calls, saving my movie contract and boosting my career, kissing the right asses to make sure I keep the Paris shoot. Keep all that money…
But my usual motivations have escaped me. I only want one thing right now, and although I still can’t figure out how such a goddess could have a mother like that, I feel like I can finally breathe now that the witch is gone.
But I might’ve pushed her too soon, overwhelmed Ashlee with my size, with my need for her to stay.
I’ve seen another kind of look before too, the eyes rolling back right before they faint.
Mostly from my younger days, I’ll admit. Not many fainters these days, but women have been known to swoon over Tony Fontana.
But Ashlee?
Would she really go for an older guy like me? She must be half my age.
I should feel bad about her fainting too, but it’s my one chance to do what I’ve wanted to since laying eyes on her, take her into my arms, and carrying her to where she belongs.
Onto my bed.
Our bed.
Only until she recovers herself, of course.
I can’t help but say what I’m thinking. She’s mine… she has to be.
Nothing this good has happened to me in a long time, and I just know she’s the one.
Feeling her soft, thick body against mine makes me moan softly and I bend down to sniff her hair as I try to lay her down but I can’t let her go.
Not yet.
I stand by the bed, cradling her in my arms until I can’t feel them anymore. Until I can’t feel anything but her warmth against mine.
Her eyes soon flutter open and she dreamily nuzzles against my chest, drawing another low and
