Page 31 of Ashley
Chapter 8
Ashley shifted and did her best to not let on that she was staring at James. He was cooking for her, honest to goodness cooking for her. Pancakes, at that, at the ungodly hour of 5:00 am. When she'd tried to protest, he'd brushed off her comments with a wave of his hand.
"You have a big day ahead of you," he'd told her, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "You need proper fuel for the day. I know Natasha always complains about the fare offered by the company."
He wasn't wrong. She'd also complained about the lack of nutrition in the food catered during the especially long days, and today was scheduled to be one such day. After a slow start, Ashley was finally doing major fits for the production principals, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing since that meant she got to spend more time with Natasha, at some point, but it did mean that she was in for a marathon of a day.
She leaned forward on her elbows and watched James cook. He had a kitchen towel thrown over one shoulder as he flipped a pancake onto a plate and dished up a serving of the eggs that he'd just finished. He was the picture of domestic bliss. Well, if you ignored the scar that ran the length of his face, the scars that littered his knuckles, and the grace he moved with that screamed predator.
"Eat up," James murmured, giving her a soft smile and tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Or else."
"Bossy," she sighed at him, but she was smiling as she reached for her fork.
James snorted and turned back to the stove, preparing his own breakfast. "You like it."
She nodded at him, tipping her fork in imaginary salute. "True."
"When do you think you'll be done?" James asked when he took a seat beside her.
Ashley shrugged and thought it over. Today would be longer than normal, and it was tradition to go out after the major fits were done for principals. At least that was what one of the production benefactors, Tony Wright, swore up and down, that it was a tradition on any production he was backing. Ashley suspected it was just an excuse for the man to be surrounded by the beautiful dancers, but she wasn't going to begrudge a night of fun, especially one that didn't ask her to open her pockets. The entire thing was going to be footed by Tony and was just the boost to morale the crew needed to feed the excitement of settling into what was entering the most grueling stage of production, to get ready for their opening night.
She smiled when she felt James' hand tangle in her hair as they sat eating breakfast. Things had changed so drastically and she had her roommates to thank for it, which blew her mind. Ashley should be riding the subway and grabbing whatever was quick for breakfast so that she wasn't late starting her day, not sitting with this beautiful man eating a homemade breakfast he'd made for her. He would be driving her to the Soho Hall the production team was calling home. She was safe, taken care of, and most all, she felt at peace with how everything was falling into place around her. Men like James weren't supposed to pay attention to a woman like her, or at least they had never done so in the past. Ashley had been fine with that, not taking issue with her place in the background. She didn't attract the eye, never had, and never thought she would. From the beginning, as a dancer, she'd always been one of the ones just out of view, filling out the stage with essential choreography but not the star. It was fine. Ashley had never much liked dancing anyway. Costuming was where her heart had always been, and it was there, and only there, that she had shone brighter than any of her colleagues. Now, at twenty-two, she was the lead costumer and in line for big things if this went well for her. Her talent and vision were singular in the world of theatrics and aesthetics. Ashley was special, but she had never anticipated being able to find that same sort of special with a man who set her ablaze like James.
She glanced sideways at him and blushed when she caught him staring at her. "What?" she asked.
"Eat your food, little one. You're daydreaming over there."
He shot her a look, and she huffed out an indignant sigh but picked up her fork again and did as he asked. Exploring how much she could push back was exhilarating, and Ashley was hungry to understand her boundaries with James. Breaking rules was a healthy part of learning after all, wasn't it?
After a quick breakfast, the pair left the apartment and headed down to the garage where Ashley was shocked to see a top of the line Audi sedan waiting. She balked when he hit the clicker for it and it beeped once as it unlocked.
"Thisis your car?" she whispered, unable to hide her shock.
James chuckled and nudged her forward with a soft touch at the small of her back. "It is, honey. Now get in, so I can get you to work."
She nodded and couldn't stop the sigh that came out of her at the soft buttery feel of leather beneath her fingertips as she sank into the seat.
"Like the car, I take it?" James asked, starting the engine.
Ashley blushed. "It's a very nice car," she told him, ducking her head.
"It makes me happy you like it," he said, a hand landing on her knee and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'll be picking you up and taking you to work, so it's good you like it."
She blinked owlishly at him, surprised by his words. "You will be?"
He nodded, eyes on the road but fingers still warm on her knee. "I will. I want you safe."
"Does that mean I'll be staying with you at your apartment?"
He glanced at her then, gray eyes gentle on her, and said, "Yes, honey. You can stay as long as you want. I don't want you near that filth again." His eyes were warm and heavy on her.
She could tell he meant what he said, and she shifted under the weight of his gaze. It was earnest, honest, and offering her more than she knew what to do with.
Ashley bit her lip and looked out of the window. "Thank you," she whispered and swallowed hard. It was a good look from James, even if she didn't know how to return it. "I'm, ah, happy to stay with you."
His hand left her knee to brush against her cheek. "That makes me real happy, Ash."
She glanced at him then, surprised to hear a nickname fall from his lips but said nothing of it and, instead, only inclined her head in acknowledgement. Before long, they were pulling up in front of the theater, and Ashley was leaning across the console to press a quick kiss to his mouth. Though the kiss didn't stay quick for long as James' hand snaked out and caught her behind the head, pulling her close. She felt the brush of his tongue against her bottom lip and eagerly opened her mouth to him. He slanted his mouth to hers, and Ashley's breath caught in her throat as she was thoroughly and slowly kissed within an inch of her life. She sucked in a breath when they pulled apart, and James smirked at the dazed expression on her face.
