“What I’m worried about is the men seeing that video and then looking at you and letting their imaginations run wild. That is for my eyes only.”
“But it’s now immortalized on the internet.”
“We’ll try to scrub it as best we can.”
I eye him suspiciously. “You’re taking this remarkably well. I fully expected a raging, jealous, possessive caveman reaction. What’s going on in that head of yours, Mr. Langford?”
“Oh, I’m having that reaction, believe me. But this is the internet, and there’s only so much we can do. We didn’t learnabout the video early enough to fully bury it, so at this point it is what it is.” He gives me a cocky smile. “And while I’m a jealous bastard, I’m also a smug as fuck one, and this may or may not give me more reason to be called the luckiest man on earth. I have the money, the career, the family, the prestige, and now the fucking hottest woman on the planet. Isn’t that what all men want? A lady in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom?”
I burst out laughing. “I’m no lady in the kitchen.”
“Oh, I know. I got an earful from Pierre after the cookie incident. You’re not allowed back in the kitchen, per his orders.”
I snort.
“But you’re everything else, Ella. You have a successful career in your own right, you’re now a brand ambassador, you volunteer with charitable efforts, you manage the chaos and fame of being with me with strength and grace. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman, which includes my perfect, dirty little whore in the bedroom.” He kisses at my jaw. “Maybe I’m not entirely put out that the world knows it.”
“You’re something else.”
He skims his lips along my neck. “I’m a man with needs at the moment.”
“As much as I would love to be your little whore right now, we have to get ready for the Daltons’ party.”
Asher groans. “Fuck my life.”
“But, since you’ve done such a good job at cheering me up, maybe we can revisit this after the party.”
“I definitely want to revisit the lap dance part.”
I turn in his arms and lightly slap a hand on his chest. “Go change, you horny heathen.”
“Whatever you say, vixen.”
22
ELLA
“Mr. Langford, it’s so nice to have you here,” Mrs. Dalton greets as we make our way into the ballroom of her mansion. She gives Asher a peck on both cheeks before turning her assessing gaze to me. Her eyes roam up and down my figure dismissively, but she gives me a brief, and very fake smile before turning back to Asher. “Eugene is here somewhere. I know he’s looking forward to speaking to you.”
Asher barely nods and pushes past her, tugging me along behind him.
“Like that’s fucking happening,” Asher mutters under his breath.
“Who is Eugene?”
“Her husband, and if she thinks I’ll give him one second of my time when she dismissed you like that, she’s delusional.”
“Asher, we’ve already been through this. You don’t need to burn bridges because of me.”
He scoffs. “Anyone who insults you is insulting me, and I won’t accept that for a moment. If someone wants my time or my business, they’ll learn quickly to treat you with respect.”
I sigh, not really knowing where to go with this. On the one hand, I get it. Asher is protective and possessive, so I’m not at all surprised by his reaction. But on the other hand, he has a life outside of me, he has a gigantic business to run, and he can’t be making enemies left and right. With the way people are staring at me, it’s clear the article and the video have made their rounds, and the people here have cast their judgement. I want to scream out loud to the room that I’m not a freaking stripper, but a lot of good that will do me. Now I not only have to worry about the board and what their reaction will be to the story, but I have to try and ignore the current of disdain and disgust being directed at me from everyone in the room that’s so strong it’s palpable.
I lower my eyes to avoid the haughty, judgmental stares and let Asher lead me through the room. I feel like a bit of a coward, shrinking in on myself, but it’s intimidating as hell to keep my chin up with an entire ballroom of people judging me. Luckily, we come to stand next to Asher’s parents and brothers, and I let out a sigh of relief. At least I have a safe space in this little corner of the room.
A few minutes later, a woman who looks to be in her fifties waltzes up to Asher with three younger women in tow.
“Asher, it’s been too long,” she says in a saccharine voice. She nods and casts her toothy smile to the others. “Declan, Sterling. It’s so nice to see you all.”
