RUSH (Montgomery Men Book 1) (16 page)

“We’ll work on that, because I don’t plan on hiding what I feel for you,” I assured her. I thought I saw a glimpse of sadness in her eyes, but it was gone before I could acknowledge it.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“For what?”

“For just being you,” she replied before turning back toward the rest of the table, and the conversation between us died.

I wondered why some man hadn’t swept her off her feet long ago and spent every day thereafter cherishing every moment he’d been gifted with her.

We spent the meal chatting with the people at our table, most of who I knew well. All of them, women included, were completely awed by Kiera and her personality. I was in a state of bliss just watching her laugh and carry on as if she’d known them all for years.

She had no idea of the effect she had on those around her; how with one simple conversation she’d been able to capture their attention and show them her kindness. My chest tightened with a longing to wrap her in my arms and just breathe her in as I held her body against mine.

When dinner had ended and we moved back to the ballroom, I took her by the waist and led her toward the dance floor. When I twisted around to face her, she smiled up at me, and I fell just a little more. With just one look she made me feel like I was the best part of her day.

But even that look couldn’t tame my curiosity or the nagging doubt in the back of my mind. I wanted to know more about her. I could sense that she was hiding something in the way she avoided conversations regarding her past or offered vague details. She never discussed her family or any friends she had back home and changed the subject whenever I brought them up. Over the years, I’d gotten very good at reading people’s body language. That was one of the reasons I was so successful. Kiera’s body language often showed she was keeping something back. She’d tuck her head against her chest, toy with her hands, shift on her feet, and worry her lip. But it didn’t make me nervous. I knew whatever she was hiding couldn’t be as bad as her behavior suggested.

Could it?

KINSLEY

OUT OF ALL THE EVENTS
I’d ever attended, this had to be the most peaceful, relaxed one. Everyone was so kind and welcoming. Not once had I felt out of place or as if I was just arm candy. Instead I was treated as an equal and talked to as one of the appreciated guests that came to support such an amazing charity.

But I still walked around with a lingering knot in my stomach. How could I have been so stupid as to forget the damn contacts? They should have gone in first. I’d done that from day one before I did my hair and makeup.

I hoped I gave Ash a good reason for wearing them, and now I guess it was just one less thing I had to worry about when I was around him. I was still concerned he would notice my blond roots, so I dyed my hair more often than I should. I missed my real hair color, but it was safer this way.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, gaining my attention.

My thoughts often wandered to my worries. It was so easy to get lost in the dark memories of my past.

“Baby, you’ve got that lost look in your eyes,” Ash said, lightly rubbing my lower back as he held me close.

I smiled reassuringly up at him. “I was just thinking about tonight. It’s been amazing. Everyone is so kind, and you . . . ,” I whispered, looking into his questioning eyes as I took a few seconds to plan what to say next. “You have been so sweet and attentive. You’ve made me feel perfectly at peace by your side tonight. Thank you for that.”

He stared back at me without speaking, and for a moment I could tell he was searching my eyes for more.

I wanted to tell him more, I truly did. I wanted to tell him about everything that had led me to this moment. I wanted to tell him that every event I’d gone to prior to this one involved me being trotted around like an expensive set of jewelry to be used as a distraction. Remembering it made me feel dirty and pointed out how Ashton gave me so much more than Jase ever had.

But I had to remain hidden behind this damn fake identity.

“Not to mention that you look incredibly handsome in this tux.” I had to do something to lighten the seriousness that had begun to develop between us, so I tugged on his jacket.

He chuckled, and his gaze became heated when I slipped my other had beneath the jacket and gently rubbed along his lower back. “I’ve never seen a man that wore one so well,” I said with a grin. “It makes me want to do dirty things to you.”

“Oh,” he whispered as he pulled me closer, “is that so?”

I nodded.

It was time to use sex as a distraction, which I’d found to be quite effective on Ashton.

“I’ve had a difficult time keeping my hands off you tonight.” I pressed my body closer and could feel him growing hard as he flexed his hips, showing me just how excited he too was becoming.

“Don’t keep your hands off me, sweetheart,” he said with a smirk. “Feel free to touch me any way you’d like.”

“How much longer do we need to stay here?” I asked, suddenly feeling the need to get him alone. The way his eyes narrowed as he once again moved his hips assured me he was feeling it too.

“Meet me in the small bathroom just outside the ballroom, to the left, down the long, narrow hall,” he whispered so close to my ear his heated breath gave me chills. “It’s private. Not many people know about it.”

If that was true, I wondered how he knew it was there, but I wasn’t naive enough to believe Ashton had never used that very location to do exactly what he was suggesting now.

I would just have to make sure he quickly forgot those other times.

“Okay,” I replied as I slowly stood and stepped back from him before turning in that direction.

I didn’t look behind me; I knew he would wait before following.

With each step I took, my heart raced faster. I’d grown more adventurous because of Ash and found myself doing and saying things I’d never even thought of in the past. The freedom was addicting.

I was in the bathroom for just a few seconds before the door came open. I looked up at the small mirror over the sink and saw Ashton enter. He turned the lock on the handle while he brought his other hand to rest on the button of his pants. He didn’t speak as he closed the distance between us.

My hands remained braced on the sink before me as I continued to look at him in the mirror. There was something erotic about watching him approach as he worked himself free.

He leaned over just enough to slip his hand beneath the hem of my long gown before standing again, bringing the silk material up my body, exposing my legs. The cloth bunched up as he continued to lift higher and finally brought it to rest on my hips. The cool air chilled my exposed backside, and I closed my eyes for just a moment when he glided a palm over my thigh.

“You’re so perfect,” he said appraisingly.

I wanted to argue, but the thoughts were long forgotten when he slipped his finger beneath the hem of my panties. I leaned over the counter, arching my ass higher, opening myself up more.

The growl that escaped him when he found I was already wet sent a rush of excitement through me. “You wanted this,” he said.

Biting my lip, I looked up at his reflection in the mirror. I didn’t need to agree with him; he already knew it was true. I couldn’t hide my desire for him even if I tried. Anticipation had my legs shaking as I gripped the edge of the sink while he lowered his boxers enough to free himself.

The moment the head of his cock nudged against me, I closed my eyes, waiting for him to fill me.

“Open your eyes.” His demanding tone didn’t frightened me; it only excited me more. “Don’t look away, baby. Look at me.”

I locked my eyes on him through our reflections in the mirror.

His jaw tensed with the intensity of the moment as he ever so slowly slipped inside me. The way his eyes drooped lazily showed that he too was lost in pleasure as he pulled back only to push into me once again.

I remained frozen in a trance from his thrusting. The way he gripped my hips to control his movements as he continued to move against me was mesmerizing. He slipped his strong hand farther beneath the material of my dress and brought it to rest on my lower back, sending chills over my sensitive skin. I was so fucking insanely turned on that nothing could penetrate the haze I had fallen into.

I pushed back against him with each thrust of his hips, allowing him that extra depth. At this angle he was hitting that sweet spot within me over and over, causing the knot in my stomach to tighten even more.

“Let go,” he cooed. “Come with me, sweetheart.”

I was thankful he didn’t call me Kiera. I didn’t want that ugliness of those lies to taint this moment.

I wanted to remember it forever.

I woke to the feeling of something tickling the space just above my left eyebrow.

I opened my eyes and found Ashton only a few inches away, staring at me as he stroked my forehead with a finger.

“What happened here?” he asked.

I realized he was referring to the small scar above my left eyebrow. I tried to hide my body’s reaction to the memory of the night I gained that particular mark, but it was hard. Jase was so angry that night, and the memories still haunted me.

“When I was a senior in college, I thought I could jump off the diving board and do a flip, like my friend’s brother,” I said, thinking of a story quickly. The lie left a bitter taste in my mouth. “I face-planted on the edge of the board, and this was the result.” I shrugged, touching the small indentation as my throat tightened.

“And this one?” he asked as he traced the half-moon scar along my jaw. Apparently Mr. Montgomery was taking this morning to analyze each imperfection of my past.

I tucked my chin and brought my hand to rest on the second scar. When he brushed my hand away, I laughed nervously to hide the uncomfortable feeling rising in my chest.

“Something tells me this one has an equally amusing story behind it,” he said, and I was thankful he hadn’t picked up on my nervousness.

If being hit by an angry, drunk man wearing a ring was amusing, then yeah, I guess you could call the story behind this scar humorous.

“I will never try roller-skating drunk again,” I said with a fake smile. “As if it isn’t hard enough without alcohol involved, I decided to take it a step further.”

“It would appear my girl is a real live daredevil,” he said with a chuckle. “Just another college mishap?” he asked, still giving me an amused smile.

“Yes, I have many,” I assured him. Only that too wasn’t the case. I only had “mishaps” like these after I met Jase.

I felt like I was driving another wedge between us with each lie I told. And that thought saddened me more than anything else.

ASHTON

IT’D BEEN ONE MONTH SINCE
I convinced Kiera to give in to my advances and seven weeks since she first walked into my office and knocked me on my ass without warning.

I’d tried to wait for her to be ready to tell me fully about her past, and I’d remained silent throughout each lie. The stories she told about herself sounded so fake and forced that I knew they were a far stretch from the truth.

Maybe she’d come from a broken family that was nothing like my own.