☼ Sasha  ☼

My eyes tracked Ellis walking into my bathroom through the mirror's reflection. My heart skipped as his beautiful half-naked form moved to stand directly behind me.

My blood heated and a fire kindled between my legs.

Edible

He was deliciously edible in the fuckable sense.

"Nu toothbrus therrre," I garbled the words and then spat out.

"Huh?"

"I said, you can find a new toothbrush under there." Pointing down to the cupboard under the vanity sink where I was brushing my teeth.

"Nah," he answered with a half grin. "It can wait."

I rinsed and spat out again and then reached for the towel and dried my mouth "You have to brush your teeth, Ellis."

"What if I don't want to? I can still taste you on my tongue, I like it," he said matter of factly.

That was hot and slightly disturbing and I laughed as his slightly crooked smile beamed in the reflection.

I flipped around. 

Damp skin. Slightly crumpled slacks and blond hair plastered to his handsome face...If only I didn't have to sneak him out of the house before my Dad got up.

I pulled a face. "Ewe, clean your teeth or you can forget me ever kissing you again!"

He laughed and then before I could protest his mouth landed on mine with his tongue wasting no time sweeping inside.

Oh. Ooh. 

He tasted minty... I pulled my head back and my thumb swiped across his bottom lip. "You're lying. You brushed already."

His fingers teased the edge of the towel I had wrapped around me. "Yeah," he hitched a shoulder. "I used yours whilst you showered for the second time." He wiggled my thick brows at me.  

It was his fault I needed another shower.

But the toothbrush thing—sharing. Ewe, that was a big no-no. "Don't. In future use a new one or fetch one from your place."

He smiled. "Future—as in I'll be staying over often?"

Yeah. As soon as my Dad had fixed whatever this stupid thing with Jarrod and my mother was. "Uh-huh."

"I like that."

I pressed both hands onto his bare chest letting my fingers enjoy the feel of him. I liked touching him. Twice more during the night, he had woken me, taking me with opposing gentleness and urgency. By the time the sun was rising—I woke with an ache between my legs and every muscle in my body reminding me of the sexual marathon during the night, coupled with a feeling of contentment that left me peaceful for the first time in weeks.

"Are you done feeling me up, Duchess?" he smirked.

Asshole.  

And about to roll my eyes I was stopped with a knock at my bedroom door. "Shit." That could only be one person.  "Stay here. Don't move and don't come out whatever you do. Got it?"

His eyebrows shot up.

"Promise me, Ellis."

I was insistent.

"Fine. Whatever. I promise."

Good.

I dropped a kiss on his lips and hurried to the door.

Another knock landed just as I reached the door. "Hold—" I swung it open and froze.

Zack.

I blinked. Once. Twice.

And he was still standing there.

"Wh—what are you doing here?" I whisper hissed.

I stepped out of my room and shut my door forgetting I was standing there with a white towel wrapped around my head and another around my body.

Then all my faculties vanished. 

Poof. 

Just like that, when I noticed his black eye and bruising to his cheek and a cut to his bottom lip.

On autopilot, I stepped up. "Oh god. What happened? Who did this to you?"

And about to touch him, it was then I had a reality check and was reminded of what he had done and the swift mental slap had me yanking my hand back.

I changed up my expression fixing him with a lethal stare.

But it was too late, he'd seen my concern.

Thick, inky black eyebrows drew upward. "It's nice to see you still feel... something  for me, Sasha."

Oh, I felt something alright. 

I shifted back, more like a jolt as I puffed out a breath. To compose myself I pushed from my forehead a fly-away strand of hair that had escaped from the towel. "No. I'd be just as upset if I saw a homeless person looking like they'd been beaten on," I huffed.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

I folded my arms across my chest. "Why are you here anyway? And where's my father? Does he know you're here?"

I looked to my left half expecting my dad to walk out of his room.

"I guess he's still sleeping. We got in late last night and I crashed here."

I could see that.

"So you're here to see my father?"

"I've spoken to your Dad, yes. But I'm here for you."

My arms dropped and my lips parted and then I asked suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"Your Dad knows about London. Me and You."

He what now!?

On that bombshell I had to scrape my jaw off the floor. "Are you serious?" I screeched, "You told him!?" And slamming a hand over my mouth I looked toward my father's room again. 

Shifting my hand I drew in a breath and moved my gaze back to Zack and looked over his facial injuries again. "Did my Dad do that?"

His lack of expression gave me my answer. "You're lucky he didn't put a bullet in your head. Or castrate you!" I threw my hand up. "Are you insane!?"

"No. Quite to opposite," he said. "I have wrongs to right and it starts with you. You and me. But for me, us, however that looks, it can't be anything if you're hiding it from your Dad."

I disagreed with him. He was insane.  And...the nerve of the man.

"Don't you think you're a little late? And what? You think you can show up at my door and apologise and I'm going to accept it and drop to my knees like a good little sub?"

He cut me a weird glance and then I realised none of this mattered. I didn't care.

Liar.

"Y'know what? It doesn't matter." I made a little humph sound. "You don't mean anything at all to me. I don't care."

"I think you're lying."

How dare he. Grinding my teeth, I stepped forward and stabbed my finger into his chest. "I don't care what you think."

With my hand on his chest, he moved closer forcing me to take a backward step. And another.

My back hit the door.

Suddenly, stupidly, I was reminded who he was and he was in my personal space. He was pressed against me. I could smell him. Oh god, he smelled delicious. I swallowed, and my mouth went dry as the dirt outside, desperate for rainfall.

The heat from his body spread to mine and started to muddle my thoughts. And now instead of jabbing his chest I was spreading my fingers and laying them flat. I couldn't stop myself, my fingers spreading wider to curve around the contour of his pecs, remembering what he looked like naked beneath his shirt.

"Be careful, Sasha," he warned. "I might think you like touching me."

I looked up, having to tip my head up to see him better.

A crackling, sizzling, living thing that sparked every place on my body that touched his heat— hot, suffocating, swirled in my chest causing the air in my lungs to burn.

His dark eyes studied me intently. And I noted his face and neck were covered with stubble. Unusual for him and his hair looked unruly too. He looked almost brutal and wild, yet still as startling good looking as ever.

Ugh. Curse him.

I tried to push him back but he stood firm. "Move!" I finally said once I found my voice again.

"I'm sorry, Sasha, for what I did." I felt his voice. The words seem to travel to my fingers still spread across his chest.  "I know sorry isn't enough—"

"—Sorry for what?" Cutting in  I huffed and tried to sound flippant but it only intensified the beat of my heart. Faster, faster, faster.

"For that night."

That night. 

Anger burned my throat as I stood precariously close to the edge. I was always one step away from plummeting off. "As I've said it's too late for sorry."

"That may be true, but I'm still going to say it and keep saying it."

He finally stepped back and then I watched his hand slide into his pocket and pull out his phone. "I can't stay, but I want you to see this."

My eyes narrowed, but I was curious. "See what?"

"I've sent it to your phone."

He slipped his phone back into his pocket.

He removed the space between us again and pushed the hair from my face and I didn't move but said, "I'm with Ellis now. It's me and him. We're a couple. There's no room for anyone else." I hiked up my chin in defiance.

"I know."

He knew?

"I owe Ellis an apology too."

He didn't seem the slightest bit put out or upset by what I'd said.

"Watch the video, Sasha and we will talk later."

He stepped away and for a second he frowned as if annoyed at something but then he grinned. A grin as indulgent as a moonlit masquerade... full of secrets and sin. "Say hi to Ellis for me." He flicked his head toward my door. "I'm sure he's listening and tell him from me, I'll see him soon."

My lips parted and just before our eyes unlocked, he freakin' winked.

Winked.

Zack didn't wink.

And then he turned and walked away with my eyes dropping to his ass for a brief moment before I mentally slapped myself again.

Did that just happen?

I gave my head a little wobble and went back inside my room to find Ellis standing there, waiting.

"Zack, huh?"

I nodded, pulling the towel free from my head and running my hands through the damp strands of hair.

"What's he doing here?"

Walking past him into my bathroom, with Ellis right behind me, I asked. "Did you hear what he said?"

"Some of it."

Shrugging. "I'm not sure why he's here, yet. Said he'd be back later." I grabbed my comb.

Strangely, Ellis wasn't ranting or as freaked out as I thought he would be... in fact... I flipped around and drew a finger around his face. "Why are you so smiley?"

His bare feet brought him closer as his hands went around my hips and over my ass "I heard what you said." A cocky grin hijacked his mouth. "Telling him it's me and you and we don't need a third."

"I meant it."

He shook his head. "No. I don't think you do, Duchess." I opened my mouth to protest but the pressing of his fingers over my lips stopped me. "But it's okay. I finally feel on an equal footing with him. That if it came to a choice I would be in the running this time."

I put my comb down and pressed both hands flat on his chest. I could feel his heart racing. "It was never a choice between you and Zack. You know I want you, right?"

He pressed his lips to mine and his kiss was sweet and soft. "I do now, Duchess."

Oh,  I remembered. My phone. The video.

I shifted my head to scan the countertop. "Zack said he sent me something to watch." I picked up my phone and swiped it. I could see the thumbnail as Ellis moved to stand beside me. Just that tiny image told a story and had my stomach knotting with a mix of dread and curiosity.

My finger hovered.

"Are you gonna press play?" Ellis asked, his voice gentle but with a hint of concern.

Taking a deep breath, I tapped the screen. The video started playing, and I saw myself restrained and blindfolded, and just like that night, my heart pounded in my chest.

"Fuck. Is that?" asked Ellis.

"Yes." I swallowed and confirmed. "It's that night."

My focus was all over the small video clip. I couldn't hear what he was saying in the video, but I didn't need to—I remembered that man and his words, his voice, as if they were burned into my memory.

Then the man moved to stand to the side of me, still close. Another man came into the frame... Zack.

As the video continued, my eyes widened in shock. It wasn't the stranger wielding the cane or touching me. It was Zack. The realisation knocked the breath out of me.

All this time, I thought it was someone else, someone worse.

Ellis leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he watched. "This was a setup. That's why he blindfolded you. So you would think it was someone else."

The relief was instant, but it was quickly followed by a flood of confusion. Yes, it wasn't him, but the fear I felt that night had been real.

I didn't know how to process this.

On one hand, knowing it was Zack brought some comfort, but on the other hand, it didn't erase the fear, the violation I felt. I had been scared out of my mind.

Ellis put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"

"I don't know," I whispered. "I thought it was worse, but... I was still scared. That fear was real. It doesn't just go away."

I looked at the screen again, my emotions a tangled mess. Relief, confusion, and anger vied for attention, leaving me unsure of how to feel.

I turned off the video and stared at the blank screen, trying to make sense of it all. Maybe I never would.

Ellis shifted again to stand in front of me. "Talk to me, Sasha."

"I'm still processing," I said shaking my head.

"I can still kick his ass if you want me to."

I smiled and lifted my head. "You can't sort everything with your fists, Ellis."

He shrugged. "Maybe, but if it goes a little way to making you feel better..." he left the offer hanging.

The silence settled between us again before his next question caught me off guard.

"Does this change anything?"

I knew where he was going with this and... did it?  "I don't know. Does it change anything for you?" I batted back.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I'm still trying to figure out my shit, why I feel this attraction to him, and what the fuck that means. You get me?"

I softened my voice not wanting to sound accusing when I asked him. "Do you want to explore this thing with Zack, Ellis?" I knew it would be difficult for Ellis to admit wanting a man.

"I don't know that either," he said, and I believed him. "But I know I want you. If you asked me to choose, it would always be you. No question." He nodded once to make his point.

"He said he's coming back later."

"Well, talking never hurt anyone."

That was true.  "What do you think I should do?"

"I can't answer that, Duchess, but if it helps, I want to make you happy, so I'm on board with however this plays out—okay?"

Well, that was surprising. 

He pulled me closer and wrapped me in his arms.

Who would have ever thought I would feel safe in the arms of Ellis Jenson?

"Okay. I'll listen to what he has to say." I pressed the side of my face into his hard chest and listened to his heart.

"What are the chances I can talk you into a quick fuck before you kick me out? I promise it'll be the best three minutes of your day."

I couldn't help but laugh, the tension breaking just a bit. "Three minutes, huh? You're really setting the bar high, Ellis." I pretended to consider his offer, humming whilst thinking. "Well, I suppose I could... But only if you make it the best three minutes of my life."

Ellis grinned, and I yelped when he hoisted me up shifting his hands to cup my bare ass. "Challenge accepted, Duchess."

I wrapped my legs around him and crossed my ankles holding on tight as he walked us back to my bed hoping my dad was in no rush to get up this morning.