Ash's POV

  I could feel how my blood boiled in my veins, now with every second that passed.. I could feel the rage rushing throughout me when I witnessed that picture.. Of that bastard stepping in Anya's way and daring to stop her by her arm.. Daring to lean close to her and say something.. Something I couldn't hear, but still felt the need to rush over there and punch a few teeth out of him.. Perhaps he would learn not to talk to her again.

But it was my mother's lunch party.. One that she had organized for the very purpose of business partners coming together for rather making peace and perhaps break the business barriers.. Everyone wished a more personal relationship with their partners, while all I wanted was to kill that one that just dared me to my very core..

  It seemed like he was either that dumb not to understand what I could do to him, or just chose to dare each and every one of my urges to simply kill him if not.. That's just how irritated he had me.. If anything, it was my rage that was out of control, and he was seriously determined to have me lose my temper..

  And I did put my glass away.. I did excuse myself from the group of people that were supposedly discussing something with me.. Taking a few steps away from them like I was left senseless, without any orientation seeing black in front of me.. At first I thought my eyes were lying to me.. I thought that he wouldn't be dumb enough to dare come close to Anya.. But when he did, I was left by fury and with very little sanity inside me, I seemed determined to leave him to a bloody pulp.

  My mind was blank at that point.. I had my fists clenched because my hands were definitely itching to feel his nose crack underneath a simple punch.. No, I don't think that was it.. I don't think I really knew what I wanted to do at that point.. My vision was simply blackened, red dots around, and my only instinct was to walk closer to that damned bastard and simply have him away from her..

  Hell, it seemed like there wasn't a force that could stop me at that point.. And it wasn't me that controlled my own body.. My senses were simply mastered by rage and a simple urge to end that bastard right fucking then.

  But it was the sight of her.. The simple movement in her legs, the way she pulled away and passed by him that very moment when I was certain I would go over there and kill him even.. It was what had me reconsider this for a second.. That had me stop and watch her march away..

Still, that same anger was still stuck in my throat.. It still burned inside me and thrived even harsher because hell, it was that very moment I saw the somewhat reality of the situation. She never should've- No, she shouldn't have even started whatever situation that bastard wished to have with her.. She should've never stopped to talk to him. Hell, she knew what he wanted.. She knew why he was there. You would have to be blind not to see it..

It was simple. He wanted her. That was the only reason he was there. And I couldn't understand why she wished to hear it from him.. Why she couldn't realize that herself. And damn, I knew I would end up doing something I wasn't supposed to.. I had to- I had to simply turn away, find my way for a second, find my damn sanity because I had lost my senses for whatever reason there was..

No, there were many reasons why that fury burned at my very core.. I was frustrated that she even allowed herself to wind up in such a situation.. And him.. Him I wanted out of my sight because otherwise I would lose every bit patience and temper I had..

I was walking.. I was walking away.. Somewhere towards the rest of the gardens, towards the trees and the green maze.. With my mind a blur and cusses escaping, I pulled on my tie and tried finding relief in the slight wind that blue.. But fuckíng hell, there was no such relief washing over.. No, only the voices slightly faded yet that picture in my head repeated more and more frequently.

I had to keep walking.. Get as far as possible, to at least delay making anything that would end up not so damn good. There were certain things I knew I would end up blabbing out in front of Anya, and then regret.. So I had to stay away from her as well. For a moment at least, to gather myself.

The sound of the large fountain somewhere in the middle of the maze was now clear; the water rushing and spraying around.. I ran a hand down my face to somewhat ease the pressure that rose in my head, but it was damn worthless.. Those black dots still appeared in my vision, and my whole body pulsed with the need to break that bastard's nose and have him keep his hands to himself once and for all..

But a scandal was not what I wanted to cause that day.. I couldn't. It was no place or time for me to lose my tolerance for that bastard. And Anya was.. Hell, she was impossible to understand sometimes.. I had to gather myself before I did something stupid. It was what kept swirling through my head..

  It was when I rose my head that I realized I wasn't alone.. I had reached the large fountain, just to see a small figure near it.. And my first instinct was Anya, but I could never mistake her hair.. Her hair was long and thick; a dark gold and a black chocolate.. It shone underneath the daylight and waved in ways that showed just the true softness to it.. 

  This one.. She had shorter hair. A darker tone to it. And when she turned her head just a bit, I realized it was Sophie. To her awareness of my presence, she immediately found herself on her feet, standing up from the fountain while she still held her phone in her hand.. What I couldn't understand nor process was, what in the world she was going there?

  "Sophie?" She kept her distance and parted her lips to say something, but kept quiet. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to make a call." She rose her phone and the faint smile on her face seemed to be somewhat forced.. During the lunch, she didn't seem so serious nor lost as she was at that point.. Hell, Sophie was never lost. That girl knew everything that was happening everywhere.

"Everything alright?" I asked even though the last conversation we had was discussing her behavior with Anya, and the words she said that day in Paris.. But of course knowing Sophie my whole life, I knew she had no cruel intentions. Women just seemed to be fond of such arguments.

She cleared her throat now and once again glanced down at her phone. "Yes. I have it all under control. I just need some rest. I have an early flight tomorrow, so.."

And then it occurred to me.. Of course it wasn't alright.. I was a fool to even ask that. I've heard the news, I knew what was going on with her family.. After so many years of a public life and an ideal marriage, the whole of media was buzzing about her parents' divorce. And being the only child that she was, it must had been the harshest for her..

"You weren't supposed to leave for another few days.." I told her as she walked towards me, just to hear if there was more to the story than what I had heard from others.

"Papa is not the best.. He's having trouble dealing with uh-" She exhaled heavily and closed her eyes, walking to past by me.. "everything that's been going on. I never should've left for America."

But I didn't let her pass by me. Despite the things that happened, I knew Sophie my whole life. She had no cruelty in her heart. She didn't deserve my rage or the coldness I spoke with when we last talked.. Especially with everything going on with her family.

So I stopped her by her arm, and saw those familiar blue eyes look back. She did seem surprised, and I too was when I saw the exhaustion on her face.. She was still perfectly presentable as always, with all the makeup on the right places and not even a hair falling out of her short hair.. But it wasn't natural not to hear her arrogant comments or ironic laughs, even now after everything that had happened..

"If there is anything I could do, just tell me," And I meant it. It was mine to offer. Her family had had a great deal of friendship with mine. Even despite my disapproval of her behavior and my anger towards her for the way she treated Anya, I did respect her for old times' sake.

Her faint smile seemed to show understanding of that. "Yes, thank you." She glanced on the side, somewhere behind me, and I noticed how something caught her gaze for a second, before she turned to look at me again. "I'll go tell Miranda that I'm leaving soon.. Ethan was angry when I left without a word."

I nodded my head and it was that moment I turned to glance where she was looking.. Just to see the familiar long locks of dark gold fly around with the wind; around the familiar face of all the perfect lines and the wide eyes that I tried avoiding so much.. My Anya, simply taking a few last steps, slow and careful, before she stopped and looked back at me..

I didn't realize Sophie had started walking again, until I noticed her passing by Anya, glancing at her, while she simply kept her silence and stared back at me.. She was holding her handbag, twirling the little chain around her fingers, when she looked down..

And it was that moment I realized that I had forgotten about my frustration and anger once I focused on someone else's problems.. Perhaps if Sophie wasn't there, I wouldn't had found that sympathy that would take my mind off the rage that thrived inside me, off the simple need to do things that wouldn't all end so well, for any of us..

But the sight of Anya did remind me of what it was that frustrated me so harshly before.. I repeated to myself that no, I couldn't blame her either, but I still wished she stood by my side to avoid such situation.. David was not to be trusted, and she was naive to think it would be just fine to talk to him.. Even after I warned her not to.

The warm breeze blew and glued the thin material of that summer dress against her, lining her legs, the curves of her hips.. I turned away, pressing my fingers against my eyes for a second.. Hell, I was frustrated with her choices, I was determined to tell her so, yet my mind couldn't seem to find resistance when I came to her..

"What's going on?" Her voice was faint, blending with the sounds of nature almost in symphonically.. A wave of tremors went down my body and I cursed myself for every weakness this woman brought upon me. I was the one angry yet I was ready to fall on my damn knees in front of her, and do whatever she pleased.

"I had to get away for a moment." Was all I managed, walking closer to the fountain and hearing her steps as well.

"Why is Sophie leaving?" I heard her voice again, and every muscle in my body tensed at that soft tone, the way she spoke with only a tint of an accent.. Oh how it played with me, she had no clue..

It seemed as if only her simple voice could do things to me that I knew if I allowed to control me, I would be taking her in the middle of the garden, underneath the opened sky.. But damn not even those animalistic urges inside me could have me take her against some tree. She deserved better than that.

And I was not so pleased with her at the moment either.. My body's reaction to her presence was a familiarity, something I was almost used to, but my mind was still frustrated with her previous choices.

"She has problems with her family, apparently," I answered rather coldly, finding her now beside me, near the fountain, observing at the water the same way I was..

"That makes sense.. She certainly wouldn't had passed by me without a comment if she was feeling herself."

And it was clear she didn't really notice my displeasure with her. No, I was definitely not okay with her allowing even a start of any kind of conversation with that bastard, let alone staying long enough to talk to him so that he would dare give himself the right to touch her..

Did she even know the things that urged me to do? Not only was he her ex-fiancé, but he was one disgusting fool that acted like he held all the power in the world when he dared to threaten her the last time they saw one another.. And then on this lunch party my mother hosted, he even dared to come close to her, knowing she was with me, knowing she was—

My eyes closed in frustration. She was mine, dammit. And I didn't feel the need to repeat that to myself because I trusted her enough not to fear losing her, but what I did fear was the things I was capable of doing when it came to this woman..

"What did he say?" Was all that came out of me.. The demand in my voice, the growl behind it, should've scared her perhaps.. But when I looked at her, I saw her brows slightly furrowed and clear confusion on her face..

"What?"

"David. He seemed determined to have you listen.. What did he say to you?" To my question, silence fell over..

The songs of the birds filled the air, the rushing water of he fountain.. Even though I focused on marble statue of it, on the water rather her, I could feel her eyes on me from the side.. I could feel how much my harsh tone had effected her. Anya did hate jealousy. She was the kind that could not be tamed in such ways.. Only could get provoked.

When I glanced back at her, she turned her back on me and took a few steps away, walking beside the fountain and creating some distance.. She stopped again and looked back at the water..

"When I asked him what he wanted and why he was here, he said," She crossed her arms over her chest.. Her chest filling with air she released through her words, almost in boredom. "He said he would get back what was his." Yet those words were clearly meant yo dare the best of me.. And it damn worked.

"He-" The rush of anger through my veins seemed to have me stutter my words a bit. "He told you this?"

"Mhm." Her voice sweet and high, humorous even.. Another sigh, loud and obvious.. It was that moment I realized she was playing me.. "He told me that it would be best if I went home.. There is no place like home, anyway," Those dark locks flew on the side as she glanced at me, for only a second, and then back at the fountain.

I knew it was a game she was playing.. A dangerous one because she already noticed how much it bothered me seeing her near him.. Or rather him near her. He was the shameless bastard that I wished away from her..

But Anya was smart. I didn't even have to tell her what my coldness was about. She felt my frustration perhaps before she even found me near the fountain with Sophie.. But to my surprise, instead of attacking me for being shallow for feeling jealousy, she decided to go further, to dare further.. And hell, it worked, because I was walking towards her..

"Are you testing my tolerance?" I stopped next to her, facing her while she slowly turned to look at me as well..

My heart skipped a shallow beat that very moment. Her eyes.. They held an unreadable color.. One of blue and green, azure and jade, perhaps yellow too.. Shining against the daylight like diamonds in a flesh, yet still with a color far more complicated than a simple ocean blue..

"Am I?" Her lips moved sensually, and I realized just how ripe they were.. Full and cherry red almost, against a skin so fair, it created a contrast to her hair as well.. She glanced towards the fountain again. "I didn't realize I was.."

  "Do you have lipstick on?" To my sudden question, my inability to take my eyes off this beauty of hers, I earned a quick look back and a slight frown. She simply shook her head slightly.. "That's a shame.. I would've smeared it just so everyone would know who kissed you."

She seemed surprised from my response.. I was too, dammit. Her frown then turned into a soft relief and even a slight smile curled the side of her lip. But she kept herself together.. She kept herself perfectly together in fact. Because she kept urging my jealousy, and I kept falling for it like a mouse in traps.

"How would they know it was you? You're obviously doubting my intentions with David.. Maybe others do too." She pulled away a thin strand of hair that the wind blew in her face as she looked back towards the waterfalls of the fountain.. And that simply gesture caused wicked waves of heat to rush to my loins..

"I certainly hope not." She glanced at me and I continued. "Everyone on that lunch party knows the things I'm capable of doing when it comes to someone wishing to steal what's mine." My hand moved on it's own, over the side of her face and a few strands of her hair.. Something inside me wished to cause her the same frustration I felt.

Whatever lightness her face held, whatever softness there was.. It all disappeared that very moment.. Something seemed to have stroke her.. And that something wasn't such a mystery because it was really my words that played her.. Definitely working the way I wished.. Frustrating her enough to look me with even hurt behind her eyes..

I noticed how she gulped.. How she gave up in that game of words. She hated jealousy I knew of that.. But it would take a madman to ignore when men fell on their knees before such a beauty as herself.. That only I had the right to worship and adore. She did hate being objectified even more. And I had put that all together, like my intention was to actually hurt her, when it was to simply dare her..

My hand was pushed away.. She shoo her head slightly, almost in disbelief. "You're not fair, Ashton. You're not fair to even assume things like that.. To even doubt my love for you.." She frowned and her eyes were even crystally.. The vulnerability she showed at such moments had my body pulsing.. "I know of no other ways to prove-" My whole being was throbbing in ways that seemed impossible not to search her face; focus on how perfect those raw red lips were.. "To-"

And lose my senses all together not from only her words but from the thoughts, the urges that pumped through my limbs and down my groin.. With itching hands for the feel of her, I pulled her towards myself, like feeling the finest silk underneath my fingers when I felt her skin.. Delicate lines of a narrow waist and warmth of those hips, of her delicate body, radiating from even underneath that thin dress..

Within seconds I had her against myself.. Tasting those lips like I was willing to die with the feel of them against mine.. Desperate for a taste and stealing it from her before she even had the chance to respond. But hell, I had no control over myself when it came to her.. My mind was angry at her, but my body responded in different ways around her.. It seemed like that frustration only made me want her more..

Yes, there were moments when jealousy overwhelmed me, but my anger seemed to had lasted not quite that long.. See, the line between anger and lust seemed thin. Instead of scolding for allowed that fool to even approach her, instead of wishing some time away from her gather myself from that frustration, I felt the need to simply have her, all of her, possess every inch of her with every bit of my being..

To ravish those lips and cover her body in kisses.. To have her limp and desperate in my arms, lost in the same desire.. Because it seemed like the only way to prove to myself just how much I really owned her.. To somewhat calm myself like that, because damn, she controlled me like a puppet on strings, and she wasn't even aware of it..

"I'm not okay with your behavior." She spoke against my lips, but I couldn't seem to spare her my kisses. "I'm not- I don't tolerate jealousy." She stuttered, interrupted by a faint moan escaping her throat, interrupted by my own lips against hers, and the eagerness I couldn't seem to push back at that point..

Good God, what she did to me.. What she did to me was insanity. It was not tamable.. No, it was out of my control. One taste of her, and I was lost.. One feel of her, and it was enough for me to find not even a bit of resistance.. The way she kissed me back almost seemed fierce, like it was her anger that lead her as well..

She even seemed a bit tipsy when she stuttered words like that, but it wasn't the champagne that made her that way, but rather her obvious loss of senses at that point, somewhat close to what I was feeling as well.. It seemed almost effortless to push her back a bit, until there was at least something solid behind her.. A tree, it was.

And to think that only a few minutes ago, I had promised myself I wouldn't take her against a damned tree was absurd, because now I was ready to strip her, to worship her and lose myself right there.. To wrap her legs around myself and bury myself so deep inside her, it would have to be only my kisses that would mute her moans..

"Then don't call it jealousy." To find words against that silky skin of hers, leaving one trail of kisses down her jaw and neck.. It seemed impossible.. But I did find my voice again.. "Call it an obsession, Anya, that's been going on for far too damn long, don't you know already? I wanted you, I got you, I had you, and I-"

  Her hair tingled me when I spoke against her ear.. When I ran my hand up the delicateness of her leg, lifting that thin dress so very slightly yet hearing that satisfying sweet little sound escape her throat..

  Her fingers were in my hair, I was losing myself.. "Damn me, but I keep wishing for more of you, every second of every day.." I found myself running my fingers over her thigh, the silkiness of her skin and the lace of her panties..

  I looked her in the eye and found those emeralds looking back at mine.. A sharp gasp left her lips when I ran my fingers over her softness.. "So yes, I am jealous.. I'm jealous of everyone and everything that has your attention for a second longer than I can really last.."

  I spoke like a madman, because around her, I was that.. But not enough to lose all my senses snd take her against a tree.. I seemed to had found some spark of sanity.. I couldn't- No, not there. However, it was her senselessness I wished to see.. Her eyes with desire that looked back at mine and that I was more than willing to fulfill.

  "Jealousy is.." She seemed to had started, but with my hand over those most delicate parts, feeling her softness, I felt her body quiver just a bit..

  Those eyes looked back at mine in not that big of a shock as it was despair.. I ran a finger over her slit and felt just how warm and ready and soft she was for me, and I seemed unaware of the groan that left my chest. She was close, just from a single touch of mine, she could come into millions of pieces in my arms..

  So I played her, lifted her leg and moved my finger.. Her eyes closed and I almost exploded in my damn pants when she leaned her head back against that tree.. But I found control. I kissed her jaw and heard her faint moan, but I found control.

"You sit in your office and draw in that sketchbook of yours after you're finished with work, and I cannot help but envy those papers," My words were a simple distraction from my own pleasure.. The kind I was getting by seeing her won. "Because I wish you in my office, in my arms, stripped and naked on my desk.."

  And it didn't help because my mind kept swirling back to her.. To her body, to her face when she was in pleasure.. I looked at her.. And her eyes were closed, cheeks rosy and lips ripe red.. Parted when I moved my fingers.. When I felt her so slightly, like she was made out of the thinnest glass and I feared she could break.. But my faint touches and rubs seemed to take her somewhere else..

"I think of the things I'm willing to do for you, and hell, there isn't a thing I wouldn't because," And I was only speaking my own thoughts out loud.. I pressed my fingers harsher against her softness and she gasped.. "I love you so fucking much, I'm willing to do give you the damn world, Anya.. And that-" Those greens peeked, looking back at mine through her lashes and having me almost lose every bit of resistance.. "That, I'm afraid, comes with jealousy I cannot control."

  And it was the most erotic thing how she breathed, almost matching the rhythm of my fingers that touched her.. I thought it would be he very breaking point of me, but when she moaned once, twice, I simply kissed those lips and continued with those careful caresses with a plain wish to have her melt in my arms, have her limp and lost against me..

  For not the first time I found control over myself just so that I could witness her.. In a state opposite of that.. In a state of lost senses and breathless pants.. Her voice sweet and promising when she moaned, but I knew her better than to leave her like that.. Hell, my Anya was always loud when I pushed her to that point, so I kissed her so deeply, she forgot to breathe..

  But I moved away, because damn me I wanted to hear her voice.. Her pants and little moans, her pleads and words of no sense at all. I continued feeling her, touching her, rubbing her with my fingers and I only wished to see her lose herself.. When she bit down on her lip, looking back at me and tightening her fingers in my hair, I knew she was close..

"It makes," Yet it was her that seemed to find confusion in my words.. "little sense to me," She said, through a pant, then another, and I knew she was there.. "Ohh, Ashton,"

Her tone was faint and sweet, her moans dragged and helpless.. And hell, my name never sounded damn better.. I almost— I was almost there myself and it was shameful to say that I had such weakness.. A woman almost bringing me to my knees..

But with one last circling of my fingers, she came in pieces, melting against me.. Her in that state of ecstasy was a drug to me.. That picture of her head swinging back and her eyes closing.. Her lips parting and such sounds escaping that I damn well thought I'd lose myself to.. So I kissed her, to distract myself perhaps, or to keep her quiet.. I wasn't sure. If she didn't say my name like that, I wouldn't have known it.

She was a promiscuous kind, this Anya of mine.. All it took was a touch and she was lost in my arms, senseless against me.. And even though that state of hers brought me fo my own weakness, almost, I still seemed very much addicted to her like that.. I could give her pleasure for a day and a night, and it wouldn't be enough.. No, not for me.

Because the simple sight of her could have me hard as a rock, like a damned teenager without control over myself.. And I knew that even if I found release, it wouldn't change the situation my body seemed to be in, because I would still be near her..

I managed to pull away from her lips, managed to find some senses and some control.. The way her chest was rising, her full cleavage.. It had me wishing to rip that dress in pieces.. My hands itched to.. But I stopped myself, braced myself with my hands against the tree behind her, still looking back at her and finding her eyes still closed.. Those cheeks rosy and lips swollen from my kisses, cherry red and parted.. The sight played with my head in the most wicked ways..

  "I know," I heard her mumble, her brows furrowing and her eyes slowly flattering opened.. "I know what he's here for," And just like that, she had me lost in what she was saying.. Completely confused from her words.. Apparently conclusions..

"What?" I stared at her, waiting to see what it was that had suddenly came to her mind.. And how she could think after she.. Well, she wasn't exactly herself yet, because she was still finding her way to her feet and bracing herself against my chest.. Her eyes focused somewhere on the side for a second, clearly thinking.

"He must have some benefit from it," She continued, looking at me like she had just remembered something.. Whatever it was that caused that spark in her eyes.. "The journal, it-" And it was now those eyes that smiled. "It's the journal. That's what he's after."

And it was laughter that climbed up my throat.. I couldn't seem to help it, because she changed the concept in my mind so quickly.. It was simply the way Anya was.. Not losing a second to solve a problem..

"I cannot believe I just made you come in the middle of my family gardens and that's what you're thinking of."

***

Well looks like we found exactly what David intends.. Or is it really the journal he's after? Comment your thoughts babes!

Also, I wanna apologize for taking so long.. I started this chapter almost five days ago, but I've had finals and so so many things to handle lately.. I'll be honest, I started going to bed at like 10, when usually I stay up so late writing.. That kind of dragged everything these days.

Thanks for you patience, y'all are just the best! I'll be updating Bound soon, for those of you wondering and the new book will be out soon as well! Stay tuned!

Kisses, 😘