Chapter 3

“Are you going to keep making out with the door? Are you going to face me? You've been running long enough”, Asher demanded.

I turned around, he sat comfortably in my chair as he played with the name plaque on my table, running his hands through my new identity.

“How did you get here?” I asked as sternly as possible, fully knowing my voice is failing me.

“It is of no importance.”

“It is to me,” I scoffed.

“You went so far… so far, you know that, right?”

“Oh please…” I started. But he cuts me off

“I looked for you like a madman, I looked for you, I thought you had died or something. You just vanished. You and your mom. Like you never existed”

“Stop” I snapped, but his eyes narrowed with anger.

“What the heck happened?! We had plans!”

“Did we? I don't think so… Asher don't bull sh*t me right now” I answered, rage filled me as I recalled the day I ran away, everything I knew that he didn't know that I knew. Everything I had been told.

He stood up now and walked over to me, stalking me as I moved back, his colon engulfing me and his presence was just too much on its own. I wanted to run, but there was no way. He was stalking me to a dead end, just like old times, leaving me no room until his hands would connect to my skin, and I'd be weak, defenseless. He’d take the words and arguments from me with one toe-curling kiss, it was the one way he could convince me that everything would be okay but not anymore. I won't be that girl anymore. I've come so far as to turn back now, and besides, this isn't just about me. It's about Melody too.

“STOP! JUST STAY RIGHT THERE AND DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! Please”

He steeled, his eyes filled with understanding.

“Sam…”

“No, this is how it's going to go. We are just business partners. You are Mr Asher Stone, the CEO of MIX Fashion Wear, and I am Kimberly Norman, the CEO of Canary Fashion Line. The only relationship between us is this business idea which you are going to go over without bias and decide…”

“You can't be serious…”

“You, you are going to leave and when we meet in a week we are going to act like this never happened” I said, my voice stern.

“WHAT IS GOING ON???”

“Good day Mr Stone'' I finalized as I walked over to the door and opened it for him to leave. I make sure to look anywhere but him as he paces around the office for a bit, then walks over to the door but stops in front of me. I look at him and the look in his eyes almost breaks me. I could feel the tears stinging hard behind my eyes.

“I told myself the moment I found you I wouldn't let you go, and I WILL NOT LET YOU GO Samantha Gonzalez. Whatever this is, I'm going to get to the bottom of it, and I'm going to fix it no matter what. I don't care if you kick and fight or run again… I'll come after you” he says, taking hold of my chin, but I keep my expression as unemotional as possible as I move my face from his hands.

“See you in a week” he added.

I slump against the door, my knees weak. I'm a heaving, crying mess and all I can think about is how everything is going to go down the moment Asher finds out about Melody and how his father would react to it. Will he treat her with open arms, or will he treat her like trash as he did me and will Asher just stand there watching like he used to?

******

If someone told me that I, Samantha Gonzalez, would be standing in front of Asher Stone’s penthouse I would have bet a billion dollars that it would never happen in this lifetime, but here I was, in front of his Penthouse in freaking Williamsburg, which was such a long drive for no reason. The worst part was the fact that I was dressed in a baby blue suit and blue had always been his favorite color. It wasn't until I was halfway into the drive that I noticed… now he was going to think I was passing some kind of information which I didn't want to.

Right now I'm contemplating turning back. I should never have agreed to meet up in his penthouse. I should have insisted he come to the office or that we meet in some coffee shop or something, but it's too late for that because I'm here waiting for the gate to open as I pace back and forth.

It's okay Sam, just get the contract signed and out we go. Nothing more, nothing less.

The gate swung open, I walked back to my car and walked in. It's a no-brainer that Asher made the meeting place his penthouse to make me intimidated, to make me fall for his charms, but I'm going to show him I'm capable of handling anything he throws at me, professionally.

The penthouse is beautiful. I had to give him that at least, the gray and black accents… classic Asher. Too scared to play around with colors. A butler walked me into the penthouse and up to a sitting area where he informed me that Mr. Stone will join me shortly. I took the liberty of admiring the area. There was a glass door that revealed an outdoor pool. It looked so tempting with the sun shining down on it. When was the last time I swam? Six months or a year ago, I believe.

“Beautiful, isn't it? You should go for a swim”. The sound of his sultry voice filled the room. I quickly turned around to see him dressed in white sweats with a hoodie, and I was immediately taken back to those times when I'd go under his hoodie to just cuddle and take naps while he played with my hair. I shake my head.

Concentrate Samantha… come on

“No, thank you. Besides, the weather seems a bit gloomy”

His eyes ran through my body, causing me to shift in my seat.

“You loved swimming in the rain”

“People change”

“Of course… Kimberly, am I even allowed to call you Samantha at this point?”

“Call me whatever, Asher, I don't care. Let's get down to business”. I finalized

It's raining cats and dogs, it's seven pm, it's pitch dark outside, and it's looking like I can't go home tonight. I'm in front of the glass door looking outside and contemplating my life choices. Asher had earlier tried to convince me to stay in the penthouse, but I had immediately turned it down. No way. I know he just sat on the sofa, looking at me with that gleam in his eyes.

“I need to make a call”

“Go ahead” he chuckles.

I rolled my eyes at him and walked over to one of the corridors.

“Hey Mom,” I said immediately. She picked

“Hey honey, where are you? It's pouring out”

“I don't think I can make it back home today. Is Melody asleep?” I asked.

“Yes, she is. Oh… um, are you…”

“I'm still with him, yes” I answered immediately, answering her question.

“You don't want to stay, do you?” Mom asked .

“I can't”

“He won't let you go, Sammie,” she said.

“I know”

“Good luck”, mom sighs.

“bye”

I can't trust him and I don't trust myself enough to stay either, I think, as I walked back to the sitting area.

“If you are leaving, then I will drive you wherever you need to go,” Asher says, leaving no room for argument.

I scrunch my nose

“Too close for comfort. I want a room on the first floor.”

“But… of course” he replied,

I stepped out of the bathroom to see Asher in my room. Thank goodness I ended up putting on a towel after contemplating for a while, or else this night would have gone south real quick.

“What are you doing here?” I exclaimed, about to run back into the bathroom when he turned away from me to give me privacy… I stopped in my tracks.

“It’s not what it looks like… I just… I got you some clothes… I figured you'd need them for the night. They are Steph’s so… yeah. Dinner is ready, I'll be waiting outside”. He tosses them on the bed and hurriedly leaves the room. I picked up the nighties, and they just had to be a silk top and shorts… classic Stephanie.

Dinner went so. He stared at me for a while, I caught him staring and he looked away. I stare at him, he catches me staring, and I look away. We caught each other staring, and we'd blush and look away. Just what on earth am I doing here? This was a mistake, but I can't bring myself to think about it now, not today.

The moment he took the dishes to the sink, I felt weird and followed him.

“I'll wash mine,” I said as I stood beside him.

“No, you don't have to”, he inches away, but I still followed.

“Neither do you.”

“Can you just stop being stubborn for one minute?” he asked.

“It's just dishes, damn. I'll wash mine, and you'll be yours, it's that simple.”

Asher’s eyes darkened as he came closer, looming over me. His hands were placed on the counter at either side of my on.

“I just don’t get you. You don't want me close to you, touching you, feeling you, but it doesn’t help that this is all I had for you to wear for the night, and right now, all I want to do is pull you close and kiss you breathless and spread you out on this remember until I can rememorize every inch of your body all over again. You are making it very hard to keep my distance.”

His eyes ran along the span of my body, making me feel a sudden wave of heat and shiver at the same time. My eyes widened, I was stuck in my spot and my heart skipped a beat. He smirked and moved away.

“But fine, you want to wash the dishes, wash them… or not” he finalized as he rinsed the soap lather off his hands and dried them off, he walked back to me and kissed me on the forehead.

“Goodnight Sam.”

He walked away… after saying all that?