“Before I have to share you with the world, I need you one more time, just to myself.”
She spreads her legs without a word, and I nearly come undone at the sight of her perfect pussy on display for me. I slam into her, and she gasps, grabbing onto my shoulders for support. I fuck her hard and fast. Claiming her. Reminding her that whatever comes of tonight, we’ll always have this. Just the two of us. And in our little bubble, there is no fame. No comparisons. No rules to uphold. We can just be us.
I come seconds after she does, biting down on my fist to keep from screaming her name loud enough for everyone in the penthouse to hear.
And only now am I ready to face what tonight has in store.
A loud knock sounds on the bedroom door.
“We need to leave in five minutes!” Matthew calls out.
Ella laughs. “Shit.”
“It was worth it.”
Ella swats at me. “Go get in the shower, Mr. Langford, or I’ll make you explain to your mother why we’re late.”
I wink at her. “You know she wouldn’t be surprised. I am my father’s son after all.”
She scrunches her face. “I forgot about how your parents are.”
“Well, get used to it. If my brothers and I have to deal with our parents’ horny ways, you do too. Welcome to the Langford clan.”
“I’m coming in in five seconds!” Matthew calls out again.
We both rush out of the closet, and I race to the bathroom as Ella grabs her bra and panties, frantically pulling them on right as Matthew saunters into the bedroom with Ella’s dress slung over his arm.
“I just love how you two couldn’t wait until after thesymphony tonight,” he says in a snarky tone. “I’ve created two monsters. Come on, Ella. Katya and I have five minutes to get you dressed and then Andre and Trenton need to fix what Asher did to your hair and makeup.”
I chuckle darkly to myself as I take the fastest shower of my life.
19
ELLA
“Are you both ready for this?” Catherine asks as the car approaches the curb.
“Yes,” Asher bites out, his jaw clenched.
Tonight is a lot. It’s more than a lot. Any appearance Catherine makes is a big deal. But Catherine appearing with her son and his girlfriend? Huge. Worldwide headline huge. And I can see the enormity of it weighing on Asher. It’s weighing on me as well.
“I think so,” I say through a shaky breath.
“You’ll be wonderful, Ella dear,” Catherine says to me, her voice warm and reassuring. Her eyes roam over the necklace and earrings I’m wearing, and I swear I see a glimmer of tears gather in her eyes. “You look very beautiful, and the jewelry suits you. I’m not sure if I told you that or not.”
I flush under her praise, and the deeper meaning behind her words. “Thank you, Mrs. Langford. You look incredible, yourself.”
“No more Mrs. Langford. Call me Catherine.”
I nod, doing my best to swallow my nerves.
Flashes from cameras flicker so quickly it feels like we’repulling up inside a club. But this is no club. This is a veritable onslaught of paparazzi. Once I let it slip to a “source” that Asher’s parents, specifically his mother, would be accompanying Asher and me to the symphony, the news spread like wildfire.
Catherine looks at me, her expression serious. “Your life has already been altered quite a lot in these past few weeks, but this will add another layer of insanity. I’m not trying to scare you, dear girl, I just want to give you one last chance to change your mind. If you need to, we can drive away.”
My throat bobs on a swallow. “Thank you, Catherine. But I’m okay. I know this comes with the territory, and if this is what is required to be with Asher, then I accept it.”
Asher’s hand on my thigh squeezes at my words. I turn and catch his gaze, and his eyes are full of fire. I know he’s fighting his anxiety, but I can also see the hope and determination in his eyes. If we want to be together, truly be together, this is a necessary step. We have to show the world that Catherine Rothschild Langford approves of me since we can’t escape the fascination the world has with her.
