“Me neither,” she breathes.
I let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank fuck for that.”
She kisses me hard and rides me harder until I’m seconds away from falling over the ledge.
“Come for me, baby.”
And she does. She cries out seconds before release tears through me and I spill inside her. My orgasm is so powerful I yell into my fist again, and my body locks up, practically paralyzed from overwhelming sensation.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
This woman.
Our chests press and release against one another through our panting breaths as we both come back down to earth. I can’t say how that felt for her, but if it was a fraction of how it felt for me, then it was fucking mind blowing. And by the slight trembling of her fingers and her quaking thighs, I’d say she’s overcome as well.
“I have one last thing to check off before we go,” I say, my breaths still stuttered.
“And what’s that?”
I hesitate, suddenly nervous. I’m never nervous. “Come with me and I’ll show you.”
I stand and pull my briefs back on as Ella wraps herself in her little white robe. I take her by the hand and lead her into our closet, once again opening the safe that holds the Langford jewelry I inherited. There’s one box I haven’t touched yet. One that my mother always said would be a nice touch when I found the woman I wanted to spend my life with. I can’t deny that Ella is that woman, so this is fitting for tonight. And yet I find myself nervous at the prospect. The gravity of it.
I open the box and take out three smaller boxes and open each of them. One holds a necklace with a massive rectangular-shaped emerald surrounded by dozens of small white diamonds, one holds matching earrings, and one holds a diamond and emerald bracelet.
“I want you to wear these tonight,” I say, fighting back my nerves.
“Is this why you insisted my dress should be emerald green?”
I nod. When I found out Ella’s plan, I knew I had to add to it. And if there’s a way to make a statement tonight at our first public appearance with my mother, this is it. I let Ella, Matthew, and Katya know that her dress needed to be emerald green, though I didn’t tell them why.
“This set of jewelry was my great-grandmother’s favorite. And the first time my mom was photographed officially with my dad, she wore these. These jewels are famous in the Langford family, and my dad wanted to show his family and the world that he was serious about her. She was always meant to marry a royal, that’s what she was raised to aspire to, but she turned everything upside down when she met my dad and they fell in love. My dad wanted to prove to the world that while he wasn’t an official royal, he was American royalty and was just as rich and powerful. He wanted to show that he could give her as much, if not more, than any of the royals of Europe. Call it American arrogance, or just a marking of territory, but my dad draped my mom in Langford family jewels and showed her off to the world.
“So that’s where you get your possessive side from, huh?” she asks with a wink.
“Absolutely.”
“This is big, Asher.”
“I know.”
She gnaws on her lip. “But I’m not famous like your mother.I’m just a woman who works for your company. You don’t have to mark your territory and prove yourself like your dad did.”
I can practically see her insecurities flashing across her face, and it makes my possessive side rage. She doesn’t see herself clearly.
“You’re notjustanything, Ella. I won’t lie; you’ll always be compared to my mother. I wish it wasn’t the truth, but it is. You need to remember that her fame wasn’t earned, either. She was born into a noble family, and she was born beautiful. I’m not trying to take away from her other qualities and accomplishments, I think my mom is amazing, but her initial fame camebeforethose accomplishments. She garnered attention because she was noble and beautiful, and therefore a prized potential bride for the royals and nobles of Europe. She proved that she was more than a pretty face and a title with time and with her work, and I know it will be the same for you. You may not have been born into fame like she was, but you’ve proven time and again that you belong in our world and that you can handle it. Don’t be ashamed of being a woman who works for my company. You’re brilliant and successful in your own right because of what you’ve achieved on your own. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. You should be damn proud. I know I am.”
Tears shimmer in her eyes.
“You’re pretty perfect sometimes,” she whispers.
“I’m not. But for you, I try.”
I lift the necklace from its case and clasp it around her neck. Then I follow with the bracelet, and Ella puts the earrings in place.
“Beautiful,” I say, taking in the sight. “You’re perfect. And now, you get to write your own story—our story—when you’re photographed wearing these tonight.”
And because I can’t stop myself when it comes to this woman, I tug at the tie on her robe, and open it up, baring her perfect, naked body to me. Before she can protest, I grip her bythe waist and set her atop the counter at the center of the closet.
