CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ash collapsed onto his bed and fell back into its billowy softness. His hand dropped against his stomach as he stared up at the ceiling. The day had been long, full of highs and lows.
Grunting low, he ran his hands over his eyes and brought himself up to a sitting position. He felt Phoebe's presence more than he heard her. He trained his eyes on his bedroom doorway and found her lurking in the dark hallway. He motioned for her to come in, then waited as she emerged through the doorway.
"Ash," she said quietly. She'd changed out of her wedding clothes hours ago and now wore a woven cotton nightgown. She'd uncoiled the coronet, letting the long braid hang over her shoulder. Her arms were bare, and she wore no socks or slippers. Her toes curled into the lush carpet while she waited for him to speak.
He didn't know what to say, so he extended his hand. She stepped forward and placed her cool hand into his, then he guided her to the spot beside him on the bed. Sitting close to him, her cotton-covered thigh brushed against his dark blue trousers. Unlike her, he hadn't yet removed his uniform. It would've required a lot of energy, energy that had been zapped by Reggie, who'd unleashed her pent-up rage the moment he'd escorted her to her bedroom.
"Is she asleep?" he asked, liking the feel of Phoebe beside him. She was close enough that he could feel her warmth, yet with the exception of their still-clasped hands, none of their skin touched.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed her lick her lips. He closed his eyes, then drew in a heavy breath and wiggled his hand free from hers. He could feel her eyes searching his face. He was drained, and he didn't think he had the strength to control his growing desire for her. Choosing to put some much needed distance between them, he sprung from the bed and walked to his dresser.
"What upset her?" asked Phoebe.
Unclasping his watch, he turned to look at her and immediately regretted it. He wanted to push her further onto the bed, hike the dress up around her waist, and bury himself deep inside of her. Instead, he dropped his watch onto the dresser, placed his foot on the bed, and began to unlace his shiny black oxfords.
"It's our wedding bands," he said, sliding the shoe from his foot. He repeated the same action with the other foot, then walked to the closet and placed the shoes on his shoe rack. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it from his shoulders. He was about to unbuckle his belt when Phoebe appeared at his side.
Her brow was furrowed, and her dark eyes narrowed. "Is something wrong?"
His hands fell away from the belt. He lifted his hand, grabbed hold of his grandfather's wedding band, and slid it from his finger. He held it high, then walked from the closet, forcing Phoebe to retreat a step. He walked to the dresser and dropped the band beside his watch.
"The wedding bands belonged to my mother's parents."
"Reggie's sister, right?"
Ash nodded. "When my grandparents first married, my grandfather couldn't afford to buy them a proper wedding set. So for five years, he worked the coal mines and did odd jobs on the side so that he could buy my grandmother a proper ring." He nodded towards Phoebe's hand. "It was probably the most lavish thing he ever purchased. Unfortunately, my grandfather worked himself into an early grave, and my grandmother gave my mother the rings, hoping she would wear them some day. Instead, my father bought them brand new rings, and my mother gave her parents' rings to Reggie."
"And she gave them to you," said Phoebe.
He smiled and grabbed at his belt. "You should probably leave now unless you want to see me naked."
Phoebe brushed aside his comment and sat back down on his bed. "You don't have anything I haven't seen before."
"Well, that's encouraging."
She grinned. "I've cared for both male and female clients. That includes helping them dress and undress, take baths, and apply medicated creams all over their bodies." Shaking her head, she laughed loudly. "It's at a point where nakedness really doesn't bother me."
Ash felt a corner of his mouth curl in challenge. With a cocky tilt of his head, he unbuckled his belt, hooked his thumb around the waistband of his boxer shorts and trousers, and pushed them down his legs. Standing at his full height, he kicked the clothing from his legs then stood in full naked glory.
He smiled at the dazed look on her face. It was obvious from her expression that his nakedness bothered her. "Just another naked body, right?"
Her nostrils flared, and her skin darkened to a lovely dusky blush. In spite of that, she managed to make eye contact with him. "You're proud of that, aren't you?"
He placed his hands on his hips and rocked his pelvis forward. Her eyes followed the swaying motion of his thickening penis, then she shook her head and looked away.
"It's one of my best assets." He flexed for good measure.
But instead of the transfixed expression he'd anticipated, she dropped her eyes, covered her mouth with her hand, and hid a smile. She lurched from the bed with her eyes downcast and darted to the door.
He took a step to the side, blocking her exit. Sniffing loudly, he tossed his head and tried to look offended. "Where you going?"
She dropped her hand, revealing a grin. "To bed, before you get one of us in trouble."
Ash stepped towards her, but Phoebe lifted her hand and maneuvered around him. He then grabbed onto her upper arms and halted her departure. She, in turn, threw back her head and laughed.
"This is totally not going how I imagined it would." Ash grunted, then dropped his hands. "I think I'm..." He paused to find the right word. "Embarrassed."
She cocked her head to the side and placed her hands on her hips. "I wouldn't think that was possible."
"It rarely happens." Screwing up his lips, he nodded for emphasis. "But when it does, Jesus, watch out."
She simply stared at him with a silly smile curving her lips. He found himself responding to her guileless expression. His hand rose, then halted near her face. Her lips parted, yet she gave a slight nod. Encouraged, Ash traced the curve of her bottom lip with his thumb.
"You owe me a proper kiss," he murmured. He waited for her to utter a quip, but she didn't.
Placing her hand on his shoulder, she rose onto her toes and brushed her lips across his. Then she fell back onto the balls of her feet and smiled again. "There."
Rolling his eyes, he wrapped the long coil of her braid around his hand and reeled her in. "That's not a proper kiss." He lowered his head and placed his mouth across hers, feeling the warmth of her breath against his cheek. He felt the whimper emit from her throat, encouraging him to deepen the kiss.
He released her braid in order to grip her buttocks, lifting her against him. Her mouth opened with a loud gasp as his cock pressed against the juncture of her thighs. He darted his tongue in and out of her mouth, mimicking the type of dance he wanted with her.
He wanted to get closer, but she seemed to have another idea. She grabbed his wrists and shoved his arms away. "Five years is a long time."
Ash stepped away and rubbed the back of his neck. It was the only thing that kept him from picking her up and tossing her onto his bed. "I agree. It's a really long time."
"Which is why," she said as she placed her palms against his naked chest and stared into his eyes, "I can't expect you to be celibate the whole time. If you find yourself needing companionship, I won't make a fuss. All I ask is that you don't bring it home." She smiled. "Please."
Her request was reasonable. He'd had the same thought before he'd met her. "Is that your way of saying our marriage won't be a real one?"
"That was your plan, wasn't it?"
"Technically, yeah, but I was hoping we could pursue a separate agreement." He grinned.
Her hands slid away from his chest, and he immediately felt their loss. Regret lurked in her eyes as she stepped away from him. "I think that would just complicate things. What if one of us developed feelings for the other, but it wasn't reciprocated? It'd make our time together quite painful."
"I wouldn't break your heart. Not intentionally."
She laughed. "It's the unintentionally that worries me more." She brought her fingertips to her lips, then blew him a farewell kiss. As she walked from his bedroom, she tossed a final thought over her shoulder. "Just imagine if I became pregnant? That would certainly complicate things."
He stood alone--bare ass naked--in his bedroom, continuing to stare at the bedroom door where Phoebe had just exited. Just a few months back, he'd been living an uncomplicated life. A life he’d thought he always wanted.
No wife. No kids. No responsibility.
And now he was responsible for caring for his elderly aunt, plus he had a pretty wife who he was expected to keep at a distance. Things were well beyond complicated at this point. So what would one more complication matter?