Chapter 7
Ashanti
She stepped out of the limo, ready to use her own two legs to walk again, but Troy swept her up into his big, muscular arms again. “Hey!” She laughed. “I can walk, you know!”
“You're not walking until we're through that door. A man always carries his new wife through the door. That's just how this stuff works.” He was grinning ear to ear.
Her thoughts went erratic every time he looked at her. She wasn't quite sure when her ambivalence had turned to need, but she needed him, then. “Take me inside.”
Holding her body easily, he brings her into his house and locked the door behind them. “Where to now?”
“Up the stairs,” she said, batting her eyelashes. “To my bedroom.”
“Really?” He asked, surprised.
She nodded. “This isn't going to be a regular thing, so don't get any ideas, but you're my hero tonight. And I think it would do us some good to, you know. Get it over with.”
“Right,” he said. “Duty.”
She took his face between her hands and kissed his lips. “This isn't just about duty. I do want to sleep with you. Please, take me. If anyone's going to be my first, I would rather it be you.”
His tongue skimmed her trembling lips as they kissed again. Needing him was making her incredibly uncomfortable, but she had to admit that she did need him. Desperately. Not just as a protector, but she needed him beside her in bed. She needed inside her, too. Her stomach was starting to flutter with butterflies as he carried her up the steps. Roman's tail thumped on the couch as they passed by, but he remained there, not following them up the stairs.
His hands pressed against her hip, feeling her curves. His very touch made her panties moisten. The sound of his breath enthralled her.
Once they reached the bedroom, he looked at her curiously. "Set me down," she said. He left her on the bed, then stepped away. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not going to do anything you aren't ready for me to do."
"Well, I'm ready for you to touch me," she said, grabbing his hand and pressing it to her breast. "Here."
He slowly grabbed her breasts, probing delicately at her soft flesh. Rubbing lightly, he made her wriggle beneath his attention.
Her most primal needs were stirring with rapid, shallow breaths. Troy seemed to perceive her desire, pushing on her chest to force her to lay down.
Taking her dress, ruined though it was, he pushed the skirt up to her knees, then to her hips. She pressed her feet against the bed so that he could slip it beneath her ass, letting the bottom rest on her stomach.
Grasping her knees, he eased them apart then slipped her ankles over his shoulders. Hot lips pressed to her calves, kissing up to her knees then her thighs, alternating back and forth from her left leg to her right until he found his prize.
Pushing her silky, cream colored panties to the side, his tongue immediately dipped and swirled into her folds.
She felt dazed and mellowed as he licked the hard nub that held so many pleasant nerves inside. "Oh, Troy," she gasped, gripping her sheets. "That feels soooo good. Please don't stop."
He chuckled into her mound, kissing the lips and pushing his tongue into the hole. Her legs clamped around his head in the fervor of her response.
Her hot honey started to pour onto his tongue, her eyes slid shut in ecstasy. She was going to have her first orgasm given by someone else.
With quivering thighs and a cry of release, she shuddered an orgasm.
“We can stop now, if you want,” he said.
“No! Keep going! Keep touching me, please!” She begged. She didn't want him to leave her alone. His touch was everything she wanted, her only desire and need then.
He looked up into her eyes, and she saw the heart rending tenderness that was held in them. If her parents had learned to love one another, couldn't she do the same with Troy?
“Stand up, let me help you get that dress off,” he said. The underlying sensuality of his words made the breath catch in her throat. The release from her orgasm was gone, and her body was tensing up with desire once again.
She stood and his hand brushed against her shoulder. He cupped her face, touched his lips to hers again, then to her neck. His hands gripped her dress and pulled it up, quickly, over her head.
“That was easier to take off than it was to get on,” she muttered. A grin flashed across his face, then he pulled her in for a hug. His fingers fiddled with the metal clasps of her bra until they finally came free. She kept her head against his chest, breathing in his scent.
Using her hands, she popped the buttons of his coat, then his shirt. He slid both off of his shoulders, revealing his strong, powerful torso once again. Her mouth found his skin, kissing his pecks and down to his abs.
A groan came from his mouth as she unbuckled his belt, then undid his pants. They slid down easily, and he stepped out of them, leaving only his boxer briefs to be removed.
She pressed her hand against the beast beneath that thin fabric, but he slipped a finger beneath his chin. “Stand up. Let me finish undressing you. I want to see you.”
She blushed and stood, allowing his eyes to find her breasts for the first time. The tips of his fingers brushed against her nipples, making them stiffen with a sigh. Then he fell to his knees, catching her panties with his fingers and slowly, achingly pulling them down her long thighs and to the floor. Her shoes came off last, with a kiss to each toe.
He kissed up her calf again, then her thigh, and pressed his lips to her pelvis, burying them in the black pubic hair. His brazen hands gripped her bare ass, squeezing it and eliciting a squeal from her.
Something intense flared within her as he guided her to the bed once again. She was about to be taken by him, and there was no turning back from that. Once he had her, she was his. She knew that, then, and it unsettled her. Her unwanted devotion, bubbling up from deep within her psyche, scared her.
Pressing his hands against her thighs, he opened them to him again. Standing between them, he pulled down his boxer briefs and unleashed the monster that rested within. It was already hard and the hood glistened with precum.
She gasped. “It's bigger than I remember!” She said, sitting up. Or, trying to. He pressed her back down.
“Stay there. This is going to hurt, but I'll go slow. After a few strokes, it will probably feel just fine.”
She nodded. “I've used a toy, before, so it might not,” she said.
She was wrong.
It was the size of his cock, not the fact that she was a virgin, that caused the pain. As he pressed the tip into her, it stretched her to the point of discomfort. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed his arms and dug her nails in.
“You look scared. Do you want me to stop?” His voice was tender, gentle, and patient.
She shook her head. “Keep going. You just have to – Oh!” The head popped in, then, and as she was about to say, everything became much easier after that. Slowly, slowly, he pushed into her until his testicles rested against her.
She squirmed under him, the discomfort slowly fading away. He pulled out a little, then thrust back in. The shallow thrusts helped to replace the pain with pleasure. Soon, she was gliding her own hips against his, moving in time with him.
Taking her left ankle, he put it over his shoulder and repositioned her. “Fuck, you're tight,” he groaned. Giving her a controlled thrust, he moved within her more easily while his clever hands kneaded her breasts. Her nipples were pinched before his pointer fingers and his middle fingers.
Abruptly, she was gathered up. He held her so that their bodies touched in almost every spot while he pounded into her. “Oh, oh,” she cried, wrapping her arms around his masculine neck. “This feels so incredible!”
“Better than one of your toys, I hope,” he smirked, kissing her collar bone.
“Soooo much better!” She said. Being with him felt amazing, and she wanted it to never end.
He pushed slowly in, then slowly out, their hips meeting together at the apex, their mouths tasting and sucking on skin and lips. She groaned with her eyes tightly shut as another orgasm rolled through her. Troy's loud grunt signaled his own orgasm, as he spilled his milky white cum deep inside of her.
His strong arms cradled her to the bed, where he gently set her down with a kiss to the nose. She clung to his neck, but he chuckled and pulled free, tugging his cock from her. “Nooo, come back,” she whined as he stepped away.
“I will. I just wanted to get a good look at you. God, you're beautiful.”
She smiled, sighing. “Shut up and get over here.”
Crawling onto the bed, he laid next to her. I still won't sleep with him more than just this once, but for now, I want to enjoy it. I want to enjoy his arms.
So she did, falling asleep in his embrace for the first time since their failed attempt to get to know each other.
Troy
The yellow light of dawn was filtering in through the window above Ashanti's bed when Troy woke up. The golden hour light made her look even more angelic than normal. Beautiful and radiant with peace, he brushed a piece of her dark hair from her face and lightly brushed his fingers along her cheekbones.
She was a deep sleeper, not even stirring from the touch. Sitting up in the bed, he took in his surroundings. Roman had come upstairs at some point and curled up around Ashanti's feet. He was awake now, watching with a curious look to see what Troy's next move would be.
The pup followed Troy out of the bedroom and stood guard outside the bathroom while Troy took care of business. Troy then took the dog downstairs and let him outside.
Smiling to himself, he leaned against the door. I could certainly get used to Arizona. It's warm, and beautiful all year. The heat will probably be hell in the summer, but at least I'll stop tearing up my motorcycle on the roads, with salt and ice. Plus, I get to be around Ashanti.
He still wasn't fully sure what it was he felt for Ashanti, but he liked her. That much was clear. He liked her enough to stay in Arizona. Oh, note to myself: call and let my landlady know I'm not coming back. I'm sure she won't mind packing up my stuff and sending it here, as long as I pay her. She'll be happy I'm gone, that's for sure.
Grinning, he let his dog back inside and took out some ground beef. Troy wasn't particularly hungry, but he knew Roman was. “Let's get you fed, what do you say?”
Roman gave a quiet woof. That was a trick Ashanti had taught him since they'd been staying in her house: an inside voice. It was adorable. “Good boy.” He fed Roman and watched him eat.
I should get rid of that jackass's bags, and then clean up the guest room for Ashanti. I'll be sleeping in her room, so I shouldn't leave mine a mess.
Just thinking about Jack left Troy's blood boiling. He was in no mood to see him, or text him to come pick up his shit. He went to the guest bedroom, stuffed everything Jack had brought into his bag, and then threw it onto the front porch.
It was briefly considered that he might leave a note berating Jack, but he decided against it. There was no reason to invite a possible fist fight. Better to just get the sorry excuse for a man out of his life and away from his wife.
Once the bag was settled, he went back to the guest room and began to tidy up. He would have to buy more clothes soon. It wouldn't be right to keep wearing the same three shirts and two pairs of pants. It made sense when he thought his stay in Arizona would be a short one, but now that he was here for at least a year, and hopefully for good, he had to start taking better care of his appearance.
He didn't want to embarrass his wife, after all.
Ashanti took his last name. He didn't expect her to, considering how unhappy she was about the whole arrangement, but she took it anyway. Ashanti Whitemarsh. The last name suited her first.
He had a grin on his face when she came into the guest bedroom. It only grew once he saw her. She had a sleepy look to her eyes, and her hair was a great mess. “Good morning,” he said, folding the blanket that was on the guest bed. “Just tidying up.”
“Good. I'm actually glad to see you in here,” she answered with a yawn. “I was worried we might have a fight.”
Puzzled, he turned to her. “Fight about what?”
“About you staying in here? It's good that you just knew. It's the best for both of us. We got that whole sex thing out of our system, so now we can just get through this year without anymore problems.” She leaned against the door frame, her demeanor easygoing.
“Having sex with me was a problem, was it?” He put the blanket back down on the bed, crossing his arms. He was not liking how this conversation was going at all.
“No, the sex was great. But like I said, it's not going to be a regular thing. I was grateful to you for saving me, and I have to admit that there was some sexual tension between us, but that's taken care of now.”
“Not for me it isn't,” he said. “And I don't think it's taken care of for you, either.”
She gave a sharp sigh, her sleepy looks changing to anger and apathy. “Why do you have to be so damn difficult?”
“I just thought things might change between us, that you might cool it with this attitude of yours. We talked about this yesterday.”
“Yeah, well, nothing's changed. This marriage is a farce, and you know it. Stop trying to make it something more than it really is.”
His mouth dropped open. A farce? “Get out,” he said coldly. “Now.”
Throwing up her hands, she stepped back. “I don't have time to fight with you. I have work in an hour.”
“You don't even have to keep working. You're wealthy now.” It was becoming so tiring, this game she was playing with him. He had no idea why she wanted to keep working herself to the bone when she had the house and the money.
Unless, of course, she intended to end their marriage, their farce, early. He fumed at her.
She laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh. “Yes, I do. Who knows what Grandma will do next to rip this house from me. Or what your grandmother will do.” Shaking her head, she took a step back. “No, I'll keep working and saving up until she's done with this bullshit and you and I are divorced, thank you. Better to be safe than sorry.”
Then she left him, her coldness still tangible in the room. He was so sick and tired of being treated like dirt by her. Whatever her goddamn problem was, he was going to find a way to fix it. He couldn't spend a year with such a cold bitch, that was for damn sure. There had to be a reason behind it.
Maybe he was the problem? He spent a long time thinking about how he could have contributed to the problem. “What do you think, Roman? I feel like I've been nothing but a gentleman ever since I found out I was stuck with her.”
The word stuck bothered him. He didn't feel stuck with her, and that was probably what hurt him the most. He liked having Ashanti around, when she was being nice. Sometimes even when she wasn't. She was at least interesting, a challenge, and she still didn't terrify him though she was hardly a calming force.