What the fuck was that?That conversation seemed a lot more charged than it should be for two near strangers. Not to mention that it was eerily similar to several conversations Asher and I had back at the beginning of our arrangement. I peek at Asher, and he looks back at me, surprise and intrigue written on his face just as I’m sure it’s written on mine. I’m going to have to get Maya alone and ask what the hell is going on there.
“Maybe it’s for the best, love,” my mother says to Maya. “The paparazzi are terrifying. I for one would feel better knowing you’re living somewhere safe.”
Maya glares at our mother while Sterling gives her another glowing smile. “I couldn’t agree more.”
I take a drink of my mimosa, not sure if I want to laugh or jump to Maya’s defense. Because hell, I know exactly how she feels right now. It’s completely overwhelming when a Langford man steamrolls over your life and just changes it at the snap ofhis fingers. It’s also absurd, and it should be wrong—but then the logic behind the steamrolling is sound. I thought Asher was being dramatic when he insisted that I move in with him, but now, after seeing the lengths the paparazzi go to access me, I know he was right. I’m fully out of their reach in Asher’s penthouse.
But they can get to Maya, and it seems like they have been. I want to stand up for her and tell Sterling to back the fuck off, but I selfishly agree with him. Maya’s safety matters to me more than her autonomy. I don’t know what that says about me, but the thought of her being in danger because of her association with me wracks me with guilt. If anything happened to her, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.
“I know it’s hard, Maya,” I say, choosing my words carefully. “It was very overwhelming when I moved into Asher’s apartment so quickly into our relationship. It felt far too soon.” I clear my throat. “And as much as I fought it and was uncomfortable with it, it was necessary. With how aggressive the paparazzi can be, I know it was the right decision. Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else. It would be terrifying.”
“You could handle the situation with more delicacy, dear,” Catherine says to Sterling.
Now I snort. Everyone’s eyes flash to me. “Sorry,” I say. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Asher, and Sterling and Declan as well, it’s that they do what they want, and they ask questions later.”
Harrington gives a dry laugh. “They got that from my father, I’m afraid. And their mother.” He turns and gives Catherine a wink.
“Yes, but I don’t bulldoze through these matters like a raging bull. You’d think I taught them no subtlety.”
“You tried, Mom,” Asher says. “We simply don’t possess your patience. When we want something, we go after it, and we don’t let anything get in our way.”
Asher’s hand snakes up my thigh as he speaks, dipping beneath my dress. He gives my inner thigh a squeeze, then his fingers trace their way higher. I clamp my legs together, trapping his hand there, and shoot him a“what are you doing?”look. He smirks.
He squeezes my thigh again, and I let go of my grip on his hand. It resumes its upward exploration. His finger brushes over my panties. I wriggle in my chair slightly and give the elbow of his roaming arm a pinch.
“You’re receiving this attention because you’re Ella’s sister,” Sterling says to Maya. “And Ella receivesherattention because she’s Asher’s girlfriend. None of this would have fallen on your head if not for our family’s name and wealth, therefore it’s our responsibility to keep you safe from it. End of story.”
Asher’s finger slips under my panties and gives my slit a brush. I squirm again and kick his leg under the table. He finally removes his hand, giving me a sly smile that’s definitely a promise.
A thought occurs to me when I can think without Asher distracting me. I turn to my mom.
“Have you had any paparazzi or press hounding you?”
She sighs and nods her head. “They’ve been parked in front of my house for weeks.”
“Why didn’t you call me or tell me what was going on?”
“I didn’t want to worry you. Like Maya said, what can you do from New York? You’re dealing with enough of it on your own. I didn’t want to burden you with more.”
“We’ll look into it and see what we can do,” Catherine says. “If there’s nothing to be done, you’re more than welcome to stay in one of our homes as long as you need. They are all gated and very safe. Sterling is right, all this fire comes from Ella’s connection with Asher. Our family will take care of this.”
“That won’t be?—”
“I insist,” Catherine says, cutting Mom off.
I hold in a laugh, seeing for myself what Harrington was referring to. Asher and his brothers definitely get their assertiveness from their mother. But I also see a pattern with my mother. She was just scolding Maya for not accepting the Langfords’ offer of help, and one minute later she’s doing the same thing. And in the beginning, I tried pushing away Asher’s help. It seems our family quirks are at odds with one another.
“Now, as for the ball tonight,” Catherine continues before my mother can argue more. “We have something very special planned, an old family tradition, which is why we wanted to make sure the two of you could join us here in the Hamptons. There will be press tonight, though. I apologize. I didn’t know that you have both been having a hard time with them, so if you’d prefer, you can stay back in the shadows a bit and forgo the pictures. Or, if you don’t mind, we’d love for you to be pictured as well. But know that these pictures are likely to gain much attention, on an international scale, so think it over and let me know by the beginning of the ball what you decide.”
“What is going on tonight?” I ask Asher.
“It’s a surprise.”
“Another one?”
“Yes.”
“And it’s going to get international attention?”
