Submerged by confusion, I broke free of his embrace, blinking back tears. His palms snapped around my upper arms. My heart skipped and nearly skidded to a stop. Heat rushed my cheeks. I tried to break free, but his hands held me firm. He didn’t say a word, just stared me down, causing a quiver of the unknown to drip through my center.
In a swift move, he had me by the wrist and he tore through the dancing couples on the floor, making our way to the front entrance.
I kept my head low, sure every attendee could see that I didn’t belong there. Carlos opened the door for us, and the icy air burned my hot skin when it made contact.
I tried to keep up with Colin’s long stride, but barely kept at his heels in a near jog. Disgrace started to boil in my gut. I yanked my arm, but he whipped around, pulled me to his chest. His eyes fired.
The line of waiting, chatting patrons went silent. Whispers and whistles filled the air. Colin’s steely frown shot to those in line. The daggers of warning in his eyes left them quiet.
My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I couldn’t move. I barely dared to breathe. Colin finished staring at those waiting in line and, my wrist still captive in his hand, dragged me to the curb where a beefy bouncer waved a cab to the curb for us.
Colin yanked open the door and firmly urged me inside. The door slammed behind me. I was so angry, I opened my mouth to tell the driver to drive, but Colin’s door blew open and he got in, the door banging shut after him. His eyes sparkled like black fire.
“Twenty-Twenty Nine Park,” Colin told the driver without taking his gaze from mine.
Sticky moments choked by. His leg jittered like he was ready to bolt. Tear someone apart. I bit my lower lip, panic sending a chill over my skin. His eyes slit, and lowered to my mouth for a blink I might have missed if we hadn’t been in a glare-down.
“Are you going to tell him?” I demanded.
I could barely endure his puncturing stare. “You ran off. Again. I have no choice.”
My stomach plunged. I wanted to beg him not to. I didn’t want to face what I knew would come, if Daddy found out I’d broken the rules. The look in Colin’s eyes troubled me. He had no idea what telling Daddy really meant.
I couldn’t sleep. I waited in my bedroom for Mother and Daddy to come home so I could talk to them. I wasn’t looking forward to the fireworks that would inevitably follow, and as the hours wore on my courage started to waver. I hadn’t heard any sound overhead, and I wondered where Colin was.
I crept out into the hall and peered over the winding stairwell, about to take the steps down to search for him when I saw his long legs extending from a chair Mother kept next to the entryway table.
He was waiting for them?
My heart sunk. I’d behaved like a diva, and had probably lost any thread of respect that might have been woven between us up until this point. My behavior tonight was the excuse he’d been waiting for to be free of this job.
Finally, I heard voices echo off the marble floor.
“Colin, darling, you didn’t need to stay up. Whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait until morning.” Mother’s voice was amazingly chipper for the hour.
“Charles, we need to talk,” Colin said.
A short pause followed. Maybe Daddy was too tired. If they put off the discussion I could try to talk Colin out of telling them what happened.
“Of course. In my office.”
Mother bid them goodnight, and I closed my bedroom door and turned off the light so she’d think I was asleep. After I knew she was in her suite, I took the stairs down, crossed to Daddy’s closed office doors and stood as close as I could.
“Ashlyn and I went to a party tonight.” Colin’s voice started strong, but had a crumbling edge to it.
My stomach lurched in fear. Silence followed.
“What kind of party?”
“A club party. One of her friends was hosting it.”
“A club party? Where?”
“Ninety-Nine.”
“Ninety-Nine?” Daddy boomed. “Who invited her to such a trashy establishment?” His lion’s roar vibrated with the power of a volcano before eruption. “I can’t fathom Ashlyn in that filthy place.”
“I’m sor—”
“You say a friend of hers invited her? What friend? The only friend we allow her to associate with is Felicity. Was it her?”
“No. Another—”
“Who?”
“Danicka Fiore.”
A pause followed. My stomach tore in two.
“Charles, we didn’t start out going to the party. We went to the bookstore.”
“I see.” Daddy’s tone changed. Colder. The sweat coating my skin iced over.
“So you accompanied Ashlyn to the bookstore, and then what?
The two of you decided you needed to go to a seedy nightclub?”
“No, that’s not—”
“What, damn it?”
“We… started off at the bookstore and she left from there.”
“
Left? Alone
?”
“Yes sir.”
“Ashlyn took a cab to Ninety-Nine. Alone. Where were you when this happened?”
“She was in one section of the bookstore and I was in—”
“That was your first mistake, leaving her by herself. I thought I made myself clear when I hired you that I didn’t want her unprotected out in public. Ever. What part of that don’t you understand?”
“I’m sorry, you’re right. I take full responsibility.”
“You’re damned right you’ll take full responsibility. Do not leave her side. She’s not allowed to attend such functions.”
“She’s… not? Ever?”
My heart pounded. A choking silence seeped through the closed doors.
“What distresses me most about this is that she’d sneak away from you. She never told you that she intended to go to Ninety-Nine?”
Oh no. The truth would punish us both. “No, sir. Again, I apologize.”
Silence followed, and my nerves bunched tight wondering what was happening. I wanted to open the door, but fear paralyzed me.
“After you discovered she was gone, how did you know where to find her?”
“Danicka had invited me to the party. I declined. But she’d mentioned that she’d also invited Ashlyn.”
I covered my mouth with my fingers.
“How long had she been there when you arrived?” Daddy asked.
“I got there just as she was escorted into the building.”
“I see.” Daddy’s voice sounded calmer now. I took a deep breath.
Maybe this wouldn’t be a big deal after all.
“So.” Daddy’s steady courtroom tone returned. “Ashlyn had just entered the establishment when you found her?”
“Yes.”
“Thank god for that. One of my partners handles the owners.
Ninety-Nine might be decent enough for the average idiot in New York City, but the place is far too vile for Ashlyn.”
Colin didn’t respond.
“I don’t want anything like this happening again,” Daddy commanded. “Frankly, I’m surprised at your lack of professionalism.”
“I understand. Again, I apologize.”
“Her behavior—sneaking off —is inexcusable to say the least. I’m going to talk to her.”
A lump choked my throat. It wouldn’t be long before I’d see Daddy. I quickly took the stairs up, closed my bedroom door and locked it. Though locking was futile.
Whenever Daddy knocked on my door, I opened it.
After turning off the light I got into bed. My heart raced in my chest. Fear ran side-by-side with panic. Moments later, the knock came. Faking that I’d been asleep wasn’t something I could do. Daddy could see through my performance.
I flicked on the lamp next to my bed, got up and crossed to the door. Daddy’s stony expression sent a shiver through my bones. He didn’t ask to come in, he stepped over the threshold and closed the door. “What happened tonight?”
I remained silent.
“Ashlyn?”
“I went to a friend’s party.”
Daddy’s eyes widened for a millisecond—almost as if he couldn’t believe I’d told him the truth. Or that I’d had the nerve to defy him and go to a party.
“Where was it?”
“At Ninety-Nine. It’s a club.”
“I know damned well what it is,” Daddy ground out. His skin began to redden at the base of his collar. “Give me your phone.”
I lifted my chin, turned, retrieved my cell phone from the stand at the side of my bed and plopped it into his open palm.
His eyes flared. “Apparently Felicity is not the friend we thought she was, if she invited you to such an event.”
He knew Felicity hadn’t invited me. Anger and hurt burned the back of my neck. Was he determined to strip me of every friend I had?
“Felicity didn’t invite me.”
“Oh? Then who?”
I didn’t respond, too furious.
“You’re angry?” he asked. “Were you running away from Colin? I know how much you hate him.”
Is that what he wanted? I glared at him.
“Did you fire him?” I asked.
“Is that what you want?”
“I want you to let me do things everyone else my age is doing.”
“You have the best this world has to offer.”
“Not freedom.”
His expression remained unchanged. So controlled. Another round of anger raced through my blood but I mirrored his controlled demeanor. He seemed to ponder my words for a few uncomfortable, quiet seconds, then he tucked my cell phone into his pocket. “We’ll finish this discussion in the morning.”
He left.
CHAPTER NINE
I wanted to stay buried beneath my covers the next morning.
Gray light streamed through the tiny slits of the large shutters covering my windows. Instinctively, I reached next to my bed for my phone, but the spot on the side table was empty. I hoped Felicity was smart enough not to send me any Mother and Daddy bashing texts. For sure Daddy would read whatever came into my phone.
Soft sounds overhead lured my thoughts to Colin. In spite of the fact that I knew I’d face some sort of retribution for last night’s outing, dancing with Colin… his nearness… the music…
his attention so riveted to me… a warmth flurried and spread throughout my body. I closed my eyes, reaching for the feel of him next to mine. Of his arms around me.
A smile lit my lips.
Upstairs, a thud. Another.
I threw back the covers, stood and wrapped my robe around me. The clock by my bedside glowed eight AM. Mother and Daddy wouldn’t be awake for hours. Cracking open the door, I crossed to the stairs and peered up. Colin’s bedroom door was shut, but I heard another thud.
What is he doing?
I took the stairs up, arrived at the landing and thought better of sticking around, curious or not. I was the last person he wanted to see after last night. If he caught me spying on him, he’d really think I was weird. I turned, ready to head back down the stairs and to the piano when his door opened. I froze.
“Ashlyn?”
Oh no.
This can’t be happening
. I turned before realizing I hadn’t even washed my face yet. Ugh. He was dressed in grey sweats and a soaking-wet tee shirt. The moist tips of his hair hung in a muss around his face like, a dark halo. He held a sweat shirt in his hands, poised to pull the garment over his head.
“Um. Hi.”
“Everything okay?” he whispered, glancing down the stairs. He stepped out into the hall, and I caught his musky scent.
“Yes, of course.”
“I’m going for a run.” He paused a second, and I thought a scant wariness—maybe from my behavior last night—flickered in his eyes.
“Want to come?”
The last thing I wanted was for him to ask me because he felt obligated, or because he didn’t trust me. I shook my head. He lifted the sweatshirt over his head and his tee shirt lifted, baring ripped lower abs. I bit my lip. The sweatshirt fell into place, his dark hair popping out, his eyes sparkling in a smile that sent my pulse skipping.
“So, you work out?”
Duh. Didn’t he just say that?
“Yeah, here and there. Hey, about last night.” His scent swamped me: damp and male. He inched closer, to keep our conversation from traveling.
“Yeah, I—I’m sorry if you… got in trouble,” I said.
“Ash.” His tone cut through me like a hot spoon through cream.
“I’m here to protect you. That’s what your father wants. You taking off like that last night—”
“I really am sorry you got caught in the middle of Daddy and me. He doesn’t understand how I feel.”
Helpless. Caged.
I looked away.
“He’s concerned about your safety.”
“He’s more than concerned,” I muttered.
He eyed me. He seemed to hem a moment, like he wanted to say something more. “Clubs have the 21 age limit for a reason.”
“I know.” My gaze fell to my feet, afraid of what I’d see in his eyes.
When the silence between us thickened, I looked at him. Curiosity veiled his face. He stuffed his hands into the front pocket of the hoodie.
“Do you know any self defense?”
“A little. They had a class in PE once.”
He nodded. “When I get back, I’m going to teach you a few moves. You cool with that?”
I swallowed.
He’s talking about self defense
,
get a grip.
“Sure.”
“You positive you don’t want to run?”
Did he think my life was sad and pathetic now? Is that why he offered an opportunity for freedom again?
“No thanks.”
“You’re going to stay here, right?” His dimples flashed in a teasing grin. But the scant wary trust I’d seen in his expression seconds ago resurfaced. I felt guilty about the whole incident. His dark eyes penetrated me. I could barely tolerate his scrutiny—deserving as I was of it.
He jogged down the stairs. I blew out a breath when he went outside, the stairwell echoing with his absence.
What had I done? I’d made myself into this complete idiot, running to that stupid party. I sunk to the stair and buried my face in my hands. Now, Colin didn’t trust me. Who knew what I had coming from Mother and Daddy. I wanted freedom, yes, but now that Colin was here, I wanted him to see me as… what?
Not a baby.
Not a girl.
Not a self absorbed teenager.
I don’t know what I’d expected from Danicka’s party, but seeing her and her model minions high, surrounded by drugs and drinks, and being accosted by gyrating older guys was not what I’d pictured when I’d envisioned myself at a club. My fantasy was more like me being the in the spotlight, dancing and flirting.