Angel of Ash (14 page)

The blush was fierce as she dropped her eyes, wanting to fan herself, how had he known such a personal thing? She could only guess, standing in her dressing gown, but feeling oddly naked as his eyes perused her figure, her hands were still upon her sides as she finally got the nerve to lift her eyes and meet his, gentle, smiling, observing her. “The bath helped,” she finally was able to say as he nodded.

“
Will you stay while I bathe?” he asked.

He thought her cheeks would go aflame and smiled. “People do that?” She asked in wonder.

“
Oh, yes, my Angel, that and much more,” he said, walking towards her, a predator, stalking his pray as her breathing came out in jerky little gasps. Finally reaching her, he touched her hot face with one hand, smiling into her eyes. “Your face shall catch a fire if you blush any harder,” he teased, smiling.

She smiled back because she knew he was right, catching his scent. He smelled so wonderful, of the outside, horses, and the sun but beneath him was the incredible scent of all man, what made Asher Asher. “I shall stay,” she said, meeting his eyes fully. “The maids showed me how to fill the tub, shall you wait while I fill it,” she asked, and watched as he nodded, before placing a small kiss, sweet upon her lips.

He allowed her the space to move away, barely, his cat eyes taking in her every step, as she knelt beside the tub, scouring it clean before filling it once more. He settled in the chair in the corner of the bathing room, removing his boots and socks, once gone, he stood, removing the rest of his clothing, her back still turned towards him, her fingers swirling in the water as he walked towards her, already hard.

He lifted her with one hand, turning her towards him, kissing her thoroughly. “Join me,” he said.

“
I am here,” Angel returned, smiling and wrapping her hands around his broad neck.

He shook his head at her innocence. “No, I mean in the tub, bathe with me.” He commanded gently.

“
Oh, oh,” she said. The thought raced across her mind briefly. “But I have already had a bath.”

“
Help me with mine, I promise, it will be worth your while,” he said, laughing at her innocence when she blushed, smiling widely.

“
As you wish, sir,” she finally agreed, as he untied her dressing gown, stepping into the large tub first before pulling her in next to him. Instead of sitting on opposite ends, he made her sit spread eagled upon his lap, her legs on either side of his waist as the water rose high.

Asher groaned, laying his head against the tub. “Perfect,” he said, watching her from hooded eyes as she sat still upon him, still he was sure, in some slight state of shock at the position she was in now. “Will you wash me, now?” He asked gently and watched as she nodded her head, gently biting one lip before soaping a sponge and hesitantly bringing it to his chest. “You cannot miss any spots,” he started.

“
What will you do to me if I do?” She teasingly asked, scrubbing his neck.

He thought about it. “Are you ticklish?”

She shook her head.

“
Well, there goes my punishment, out the door; I have no other vile forms of heinous chastisement to torture you with.”

He made her laugh, it seemed impossible that she should be sitting in a tub, on top of a very nude male, laughing, while washing his body. “And I thank you ever so much sir, for sparing me untold pain,” she said.

He began tickling her nevertheless, unsuccessfully, until he reached the smooth, sensitive skin behind her hip, achingly near her bottom. “I thought you said you weren’t ticklish?” He laughed as she squirmed on top of him, still trying to wash his body.

“
I-I’m not,” she gasped, trying to twist away from his touch, “Stop!” she cried in surrender, laughing. “I am, I’m sensitive….please, Asher! I plead truce,” she cried, laughing but he would not slack his hands, grinning in pleasure.

“
Never, my Angel,” he said, suds and water flying everywhere as the two groped in the tub, laughing before Angel was finally able to capture his wrists in her hands and lift them above his head, well away from her body.

“
There, now, no more,” she said and he nodded smiling.

“
Alright, alright, my lady, you win this round, however, there will come a dark, stormy night when I shall tickle you to my heart’s desire.”

Still laughing slightly, Angel stared at him dubiously. “No more, you promise?” She asked, refusing to let his wrists go.

She should have known that her puny strength was no match for Asher’s superior strength as he twisted out of her clasp and imprisoned her wrists, holding them over her head while she gasped in shock. “Asher,” she nearly squealed. “I thought I had you,” she uttered in surprise.

“
Never.” He returned, one large hand easily clasping her two smaller wrists. “No more tickles, I promise, however, there is this,” he said, his legs lifting her up so that her breasts were in direct view of his eyes. “Perfect,” he whispered.

They lost track of time of meaning of space, so enraptured by the other, life outside the bathing room ceased to exist for the two new lovers, delighting their selves in each other’s body, Angel twisting to meet his mouth, as he paused his wonderful abuse upon her body, returning her kiss, fisting his hand in her long hair, where they twisted back down in the tub, falling into each other.

They didn’t speak afterwards; strangely quiet, as he washed her off and then himself, drying her upon the seat which he had vacated a little more than an hour ago and wrapping her back in her dressing gown.

They separated, each walking towards their own door, it was Angel who looked back first, as Asher, hand hesitating at his door, turned, smiling. She smiled back, lifted her hand in farewell before slipping into her room.

It was late; close to two in the afternoon by the time Angel had finished dressing and slipped out of her room. She felt like a child with a secret, feeling giddy on the inside, her stomach containing enough butterflies to fill a small pasture. It was with little wonder that she walked towards Hunter’s room, hoping the new mother was alone, so that the two women could talk. Angel already knowing that she would not tell Hunter what had occurred between her and Asher, but needing to let some of what she was feeling out, or otherwise she just knew she would burst.

Knocking on her doors, Hunter’s voice drifted towards her, and Angel peeked inside, seeing Hunter alone, with the young Ethan, who was sleeping upon her lap, in bed.

“
Angel,” Hunter said, smiling in delight upon seeing her friend. “Finally up, I see. The maids tell me you slept late and did not awaken until well into the afternoon hours. Not that I blame you, in the least, you must have been exhausted after your long ship ride and then the trip here.”

Angel nodded. “Dreadfully, so,” she began as Hunter patted a space on the edge of her bed for Angel to sit, close to her and the baby.

Angel accommodated her, settling her skirts around her and smiling at the little cherub of baby lying so peacefully upon his mother’s lap. “When did he fall asleep?” She asked, caressing his silken black curls lightly and smiling.

“
Less than an hour ago, I believe, I have been sitting here watching him and wandering how anything so beautiful could possibly come from me,” she said.

“
Oh, Hunter, how you misjudge yourself, your child is beautiful because you are beautiful, on the inside and out, he is blessed to have you as his mother.”

The words calmed the insecurities in Hunter’s heart, how she wanted to be such a wonderful mother, give her son the world lay it at his feet if at all possible. “Thank you, Angel, but tell me, have you rested enough. You seem positively aglow.”

Angel nodded, blushing slightly, a blush which Hunter did not miss, she knew that twinkle in Angel’s eye, only because she had such a twinkle herself. “Angel!” She exclaimed, jumping slightly where the baby jumped also and she quickly quieted down, shushing Ethan. “Who is he?”

“
Who is who?” Angel replied, her hands clasping her hot cheeks. “Oh…Hunter,” she cried out.

“
Who is he who put such heat in your cheeks, I should ask, my friend?”

And then Angel smiled, because she could not contain her secret anymore. “It is…your brother…Asher.”

But instead of happiness, Hunter frowned, mightily, shaking her head, she pursed her lips. “Angel, I warned you about, Asher. Not him, please. Of all my brothers I wished you with, he is the absolutely last one I would ever want you to fall for.”
“But why ever not?” Angel asked.

“
Because, he is such…Asher is…he can be very hurtful...cold, uncaring.” Before Angel could interrupt Hunter lifted her hand. “No, do, please hear me out, for your own good. I will tell you Asher’s history, not to defame his character and lessen him before you, but to protect your heart. Asher had a very hard life, harder perhaps than mine. He will not give you any part of him, he is cold, calculating, I am sure he had plans of seducing you upon first sight. He will not promise you love or marriage. It is not within him to do so. Angel, please, whatever thoughts you have upon him, upon a future, see them to rest immediately, it will bode ill of you.”

Hunter’s words caused Angel paused. But that did not stop her heart beating with wonderment at the love affair that she already was partaking of. “These words of yours, I truly do hear, my friend, truly I do. However, I cannot live with myself if I simply walk away from where this might lead. Please, Hunter, be happy for me. For the first time in my life, I feel fulfilled, happy, I feel at peace, something I thought I’d never feel. There is something about Asher, Hunter that makes me feel whole and completed. And I cannot speak for him, I do not know what he feels, but if he feels even a small smidgen of what I feel, then how could you expect me to walk away from him?”

“
But Angel, he will break your heart, I know it with every ounce of my being. There is this part of him that grows cold, that does not care, a part of him which he allows no one entrance. He is a bitter man; he knew exactly what to do to say to seduce you. You will be another conquest to him, no more.”

Angel paused. “Would you rather me take a chance, take a chance that my heart will be broken than no chance at all. I can’t live like that, Hunter. I would rather, years from now, regret trying than not trying at all. No one knows the paths which we will take, but on this, I travel this path with my eyes wide open.”

Hunter stared at her; she knew Angel’s mind was already more than made up. Angel was stubborn like that, tenacious, something Hunter had always admired about her. “Alright, Angel, I will no longer speak of what I fear. If this is what you want, than I will stand beside you, because you are my friend and I love you. But God help Asher if he breaks your heart.”

Angel smiled, laughing, holding her friends hand. “You do not know how much your words mean to me, Hunter, thank you. And I do take them to heart. If it ends badly I will have no one to blame but myself. I will remember that. But I am near twenty five, I am ready, I believe, finally, for this.” She said.

The two spoke on other subjects, more than an hour later after Ethan awoke to be fed, Hunter regretfully said good bye to Hunter, leaving her rooms and wandering the great castle which she shared with Gabriel.

The home, no castle, Angel thought, was large, exceedingly so, renovated time and time again as the years went on, made modern each and every passing year, and now even though a castle still warm and loving. It was with great pleasure that Angel found her way outside, servants busy, the family, none of which she’d yet to see, surely also busy, as Angel walked the estate before finding herself less than a mile away from the estates, a secluded glen with a small pond, alone for the taking.

She smiled delightfully, the day warm and only slightly cloudy, easing her shoes off and sitting upon a log, trailing her toes in the water and watching the fish dart away, the small lake fed by a freshwater spring. It was so peaceful here, so tranquil it was with little wonder that she did not hear Caleb until he was within three feet of her.

“
Good afternoon,” he said, startling Angel out of her daydream as she glanced up in surprise.

“
Oh, sir, I did not here, good day to you,” she returned, feeling somewhat guilty at having him find her with her shoes off, her dress around her knees, which she dropped a few inches.

“
Ah, and here, I knew, you are really a water nymph, because there cannot be any human female as beautiful as you,” he flirtatiously said, still standing beside her log.

Angel shook her head, smiling. “No, sir, I am but a human, a lowly female here to keep the fishes company,” she said.

“
You are anything but a lowly female,” he returned. “May I join you?”

She nodded, slightly hesitant, looking around, hoping that Asher would perhaps be in attendance with him. “Your brothers are not with you?” She asked.

Caleb shook his head, sitting within a respectable distance from her, one knee bent, where he laid his elbow upon. “No, they are all about, doing what not, more than likely stepping over each other.”

“
Oh, but you do love them sir, I know,” she returned.

Caleb laughed, squinting at the sun. “Yes, of course,” he said, sounding unconvincing while Angel laughed.

“
Of course you do, they are your family, what I wouldn’t give to have brothers and sisters, no matter how annoying.”