Chapter 353 Silent Apology
Ashton pulled a stunning blue crystal from his pocket and dropped it into my palm.
‘It’s a powerful anaesthetic. If you’re ever in trouble, use this. One drop will put most people on the floor.’
I looked at the small blue vial. It was clear and glittering, looking more like a piece of fancy jewellery than anything else.
‘The case is pliable. When it’s empty, you can take it apart and put it back together as a blade.’ He pulled another empty blue bottle from his pocket.
He pried the empty one apart and slotted the pieces together into a thin, transparent dagger. It was so beautiful my hand moved to touch it on instinct. But his fingers closed around my wrist before I could.
‘It’s razor sharp. You’ll cut yourself.’
He dragged the tip lightly across the glass coffee table, and it left a deep scratch.
A cold shock went through me. Hell, that could have been my finger. I stared at my hand, almost feeling the cut even though my skin was untouched.
Ashton took the dagger apart, fitting the pieces back into a bottle. Then he found a red cord, threaded the crystal onto it, and tied it around my wrist like a bracelet.
I looked at it. It was delicate and pretty, completely innocent. No one would ever guess it was a weapon.
But still...
He’d go to all this effort to arm me, but he wouldn’t say a damn word about punishing Genevieve. Was this bottle his way of making it up to me? Was this her sorry?
I wanted to ask him, but the question clogged in my throat.
He’d had Rhys tied up and dealt with. He had people hunting Frank. He did all that for me.
So why did he turn into a blind, stupid fool when it came to Genevieve? Why did his guards let her waltz into my room? Why did he see the hate on her face and do nothing?
I knew Ashton didn’t have feelings for her. I was sure of it. If anything, he couldn’t stand her. So his patience had to be about what she’d said: he thought he owed her.
What the hell had her brother done to make Ashton put up with all this?
I snapped back to the present and found myself flat on the hospital bed. Ashton’s mouth came down on mine, a hard, claiming kiss that stole my air and my thoughts until all I could taste was him.
I kissed him back, my arms locking around his neck as I pressed my body against his. He was just as gone as I was, and my response was like throwing petrol on a fire. It exploded, hot and wild.
Ashton tore his mouth away, breathing rough, my lips left stinging. He shifted over me, caging me in with his arms.
I put my hands on his chest and shoved, flipping our positions. Now he was under me.
I drew a slow circle on his shirt. ‘This is a hospital. It’s a bit public, don’t you think?’
Ashton’s eyes went dark. His voice was gravel. ‘It’s a private room. No one’s coming in. The guards are right outside.’
I knew how much he wanted me. I wanted him too. Those few days I’d been gone felt like a lifetime.
But...
I leaned in, licked the edge of his lip, then bit down—hard. I launched myself off the bed and bolted into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.
‘Doctor’s orders!’ I yelled through the door. ‘No sex in the first trimester!’
***
Two weeks later, I was finally discharged from hospital, with strict instructions from the doctor to take it easy for the next couple of months.
Carmen and Geoffrey were thrilled about the news. Carmen immediately started browsing online for recipes suitable for pregnant women.
I called Yvaine and Naomi. They’d both visited me in hospital and, just as I’d expected, they hit it off instantly. This was especially true after Yvaine supplied all the gossip about Rhys and his history with me. She and Naomi bonded quickly over their shared criticism of him, and of Ashton too, whenever he left the room. They had some very choice words about his protection of Genevieve.
Naomi was out of the country, so I made plans to have dinner with Yvaine before hanging up.
After a long meal, Ashton and I headed back to the bedroom.
The moment the door closed, his eyes locked onto me with a deep, intense focus that spoke volumes.
I sensed danger immediately. ‘I’m just going to take a shower,’ I said quickly. ‘You can... wait here.’
I made a dash for the bathroom, hoping to hide from the man I’d left standing in the room.
Ashton didn’t try to stop me.
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief, shoved the bathroom door open, slipped inside, and moved to shut it firmly behind me. Safety, at last.
But just as the door was about to click shut, a large hand shot out and gripped the frame.
Before I could process it, a tall, powerful figure shouldered his way inside, his gaze pinning me in place.
I took a step back, my eyes wide. ‘What are you doing in here?’
‘Showering.’ The word was final. He began unbuttoning his shirt, making it clear this wasn’t a suggestion.
I swallowed hard and decided to try a different tactic. ‘Okay, you go first. I’ll wait outside.’
I tried to slip past him, but Ashton was blocking the doorway. He hadn’t fought his way in here just to let me leave so easily.