Chapter 23
ASHLEY
I stopped breathing.
I couldn’t feel the air in my lungs anymore, and it was like that for several seconds. My head pounded with a terrible headache that threatened to split my head into two, my eyes stinging with hot tears, and my throat clogged with sobs.
I was looking him right in the eye. The same man that stripped me of my innocence. The same man who was the first man to go in between my legs. The same man to whom my body reacted to his touch like I had known him for years. The same man that plagued my dreams and nearly ran me mad. The same man I thought I had escaped from, and would never cross paths with him.
The headlines in the newspaper flashed in my head and I groaned.
Jaxon Arden Gray. The Leader of the Vixen Mafia.
All his presence did was bring back unwanted thoughts that had tossed me into one of the darkest periods in my life. The guilt, the hate, the self-loath, and disgust, alongside utter regret. It didn’t help that I couldn’t even stop staring at him. I couldn’t bring myself to stop.
He was dressed in a crisp black shirt, whose upper buttons were left undone, and tucked into matching black slacks. He had a diamond wristwatch strapped around his wrists, alongside knuckle rings that glowed under the sunlight. The sunlight filtered rays of light that shone on his lush black curls that fell over his face, messily. His green eyes were blank, yet so stunning that it was enough to rob me of the breath I had left in me. His salmon-pink lips were pursed in a smirk as he took me in, unabashedly.
He strode forward, every step he took commanding so much unnerving respect that sent chills crawling down my spine. His steps spoke a lot about the domineering aura that oozed off him. He stopped right in front of me and stared down at me, his seductive smell slapping me so softly across the face and assaulting my nostrils. I felt myself letting out a harsh breath.
“Peach,” he breathed, his voice low.
All it did was fuel my rage.
“Take a fucking step back!” I growled at him. He stared at me, unfazed, not batting an eyelid at the way I yelled at him. He chuckled, and walked over to the seat I didn’t even realize was there earlier.
“Come sit, Peach.” He urged, slouching against his chair, and I scoffed, teary-eyed.
“Stupid of you to think I will move an inch from where I am!” I yelled, fury engulfing me.
“Peach, please…” He trailed off, his green eyes fixated on me.
“I just want to talk.” He added, and I snorted, biting down on my quivering lips. I looked at the chair opposite him, hesitating a little. I crouched and picked up my bag, walking over to the seat. I pushed it back and sat down.
“Now, what?!” I fired harshly at him. I couldn’t stand the sight of this man. I hated him and he disgusted me to the core. He repulsed me so badly.
“I couldn’t think of any other way to get you here. I had to do it the way I did.” He spoke up.
“How did you even know where I work? How did you know Genevieve? Have you been following me? You fucking creep! I’m going to kill you!” I bellowed, hauling my handbag at him.
“Peach, listen to me.”
“My name’s Ashley and not Peach!” I retorted back in anger.
“EVALINE!” He voiced out, audaciously. His voice reeked of utter coldness that had raw chills settling into me. I could feel the hair on my nape erecting one by one, almost shrinking into a ball under the intensity of his gaze.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
“What do you even want from me?” I croaked, my eyes filled with tears and my throat clogged with sobs. His eyes softened and he reached for my hands on the table, to squeeze them, but I reeled back, flinching at his touch. I watched his face fall.
He sighed, pushing a file toward me. I stared down at it and looked up to meet his gaze, only to find him staring at me. I couldn’t hold his unwavering gaze, so I looked away.
“I want to marry you, Peach.” He deadpanned, keeping a straight face. I stared at him for a very long time and burst into laughter that had tears falling off my face. I was clutching my tummy so hard. I could barely breathe. I wheezed, struggling to catch my breath and then, I looked up to see him still keeping that straight face.
My laughter seized.
“Are you kidding?” I asked him, sending him one of my death glares that didn’t earn the tiniest reaction from him.
“I’m not. I want to marry you, Peach.” He repeated himself, enunciating every word to my hearing as though he wanted it to stick. I stared at him like he had gone out of his mind and scoffed loudly.
“You must be mad if you think I’m going to fall for that, Mr. Mafia boss. You don’t scare me, Jaxon. You don’t. You just strike me as a mentally deranged man that needs to get himself checked in a psychiatric hospital.” I voiced out, monotonously.
“I can assure you, Peach. I’m quite sane and still at my most reasonable self. I mean every word. I want to get married to you, Peach.” He said, again, and I shot up from my seat.
“You can go fuck yourself. I don’t give an actual damn. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to get to. Go find something to do if you don’t have one!” I snapped at him.
“Sit down, Peach.” He said softly, and I let out a mirthless chuckle.
“Make me, Jaxon.” I dared him and turned around to leave.
“GET BACK HERE, AND SIT YOUR PRETTY ASS DOWN, EVALINE.” He ordered me, his cold, loud voice echoing in my ears and reverberating through the four walls of this mansion, in an attempt to bring the building down.
I froze.
Fear creeping into me.
“You heard me the first time, Peach. Get back here. Right now. I’m not done talking to you. You only leave when I tell you to.” He added, audaciously. And like I was hypnotized, I found myself spinning on my heels and walking back to where I sat.
“Good girl.” He commended, falling back onto his chair.
“Now, sign the papers.” He ordered, and I felt the corner of my eyes prick me. I scoffed, biting down on my lips.
“What makes you think I want to marry you? Is it about the other night? It was just sex!” I yelled at him. He shifted backwards in his seat, and the chair screeched. Then, he got up and approached me, where I sat, frozen.
He came around, stopping behind me. His hands moved to my sides and settled on the table as he squatted to my level, breathing on my neck in the process. My knees wobbled where I sat, rendering me dizzy. Tingles shot up across my spine, and goosebumps sprouted all over my skin.
He dropped his lips to my neck, and I let out an involuntary moan that had me tilting my head to the side to give him access to my neck. He swept my hair off my neck and spread gentle, soft kisses around the skin of my neck, back and forth. An action that had me holding onto the edge of the table, soft moans leaving my lips. I was dizzy with pleasure and my legs had turned to jelly.
“God, the sounds you make drive me crazy.” He whispered in my ears, and I moaned at the words that left his mouth. I could feel heat pooling between my legs, leaving my panties soaked.
“You see that?”
He chuckled.
“Right there. That’s enough to assure me that you would marry me.” He spoke so confidently with a conviction that scared the hell out of me.
“Why don’t you look me in the eye and lie to me that whenever you close your eyes, you don’t see me hovering above you, my fingers moving so daintily on the curves of your skin? My fingers working wonders on your body, and extracting those soft sounds you make from your mouth,” He didn’t stop kissing me, and I wouldn’t stop moaning shamelessly.
“Have you forgotten how you moaned so hard when I was buried deep inside you? Huh, Peach? You have forgotten how you stared at me with your eyes clouded with so much lust, telling me how badly you wanted me? How you threw your head backwards when my lips met your soft mounds and aching buds.” He chuckled, and it sounded so erotic to my ears. I released a shaky breath.
“You have no idea how hard I am right now.” He sounded so breathless and I got off my chair, abruptly, with tears pooling in my eyes.
“You are sick,” I whispered, my breath quivering. I grabbed my bag with shaky hands, and my legs wobbled as I made my way out of the rooftop.
“You have a week, Peach,” he began, causing me to halt.
“And you should know, I never take no for an answer. I want you, Peach and I will stop at nothing until I get you. I’m not a very patient man, so please, don’t get me mad by wasting my time.” His tone was soft, but the threats they held were so glaring, staring right back at me in the face. I breathed harshly, and staggered out the door, my eyes brimming with tears.
What the fuck have you done, Ashley Evaline Miller?