Page 18 of Don’t Fall for the Billionaire
Chapter Eighteen
Ashton
I heard Charlotte calling my name from the top of the stairs.
“Eloise wants you, Ashton.”
“I’m coming.” I walked up the stairs and into Eloise’s bedroom, where she was tucked in for the night. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I placed my hand on her forehead.
“Charlotte told me you’re not feeling good.”
“I’m not. My throat hurts badly, Dad.”
“Charlotte gave you some Tylenol?”
She nodded.
“Okay.” I leaned over and pressed my lips against her warm head. “Get some rest, and we’ll see how you feel in the morning. Goodnight, sweetheart.”
“Night, Daddy.”
I walked out of the bedroom and pulled the door halfway shut. Walking down the stairs, the smell of freshly baked peach pie infiltrated the entire house. Just as I entered the kitchen and saw Charlotte bending over, taking the pie out of the oven, my phone rang, and it was my father.
“Hello, Dad.”
“Hello, son. I wanted to let you know that Margo and I are coming to New York for a while.”
Great.
“That’s great, Dad. Is there a specific reason?”
“No, not really. It’s been a while since we saw each other, and I miss my granddaughter.”
“When are you coming?”
“We’ll be arriving in New York late tonight. How about we get together for brunch tomorrow at the club?”
“Eloise isn’t feeling well. So, I might need a raincheck.”
“Poor kid. Well, anyway, we can come over for dinner. Have Sylvia cook us something special.”
“Sylvia doesn’t work weekends.”
“Why not?”
“Because she has a family too, Dad.”
“That is why I’ve always told you to hire the help without families.”
“We can order in or go to a restaurant if Eloise is feeling better.”
“Okay. We’ll see how things play out tomorrow. I’ll see you later, son.”
“Bye, Dad.” I sighed and set down my phone.
“Everything okay?” Charlotte asked.
“Yeah. My father and his child girlfriend are coming to New York for a couple of weeks.”
“Child girlfriend?” Her brows furrowed.
“Margo is twenty-eight. My father is fifty-nine.”
“Oh. I see. And what does Margo do for a living besides prey on rich older men?” A smirk crossed her lips.
“Who the hell knows. I only met her once. She calls herself a wellness influencer, is constantly on her phone, and posts every waking moment to Instagram. The last time I saw her, she asked my dad if caviar had gluten.”
Charlotte laughed. “Is she at least nice?”
“She’s flaky. She’s the type of girl who would forget her own birthday unless her followers reminded her. The one night I was in Los Angeles, she couldn’t go to dinner with us because Mercury was going into retrograde and she needed to prepare.”
Charlotte pressed her hand over her mouth to stifle another laugh.
“So what does that make you? The disapproving son or the secretly amused one?”
“Probably a mix of both. Mostly because I know this is going to crash and burn spectacularly.” I grinned. “But if she starts calling herself my future stepmother, I’m ditching the company and moving to Switzerland.”
Charlotte’s laughter made me smile. “How long has your dad and Margo been dating?”
“Almost a year. I don’t want to talk about them anymore.”
“Okay.” She made the motion of zipping her lip.
“Can I try a piece of your pie?”
“Not yet. It has to cool still.”
I wouldn’t lie. The pie looked perfect—golden brown perfection with those little ridges where she pressed the fork around the edges.
Steam rose from the slits on top, carrying a sweet, warm aroma that made my mouth water.
The slice of pie I had earlier certainly didn’t look like hers, and I couldn’t wait to try a piece.
But a piece of homemade peach pie wasn’t the only thing I was eyeing.
Spending the day with her and Eloise at the farm, apple and pumpkin picking was better than I thought it would be.
I’d almost say it was fun. I went with her to help her out. Now, it was her turn to help me out.
“Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have something on me?”
I walked over to where she stood by the stove and ran my thumb down the corner of her mouth, pretending she had something there. Our eyes locked, and she knew exactly what I wanted.
“You had a little crumb or something there.” I smiled, leaning in and brushing my lips against hers.
Our kiss turned passionate as my hand roamed up her shirt. She stopped me and pulled back.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re willing to make another mistake?” Her brow arched.
Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair.
“Charlotte, I?—”
“No.” She held up her finger. “You said it could never happen again. So, I’m going to walk away.”
She began to walk away, and I gripped her arm.
“I know what I said, but—” The words hung between us like a challenge I wasn’t sure I was brave enough to accept.
“You can’t just say things like that and expect me to pretend everything’s normal, Ashton.”
“I shouldn’t have said it was a mistake. I’m sorry.”
“You’re only saying that because you want sex.” Her eye narrowed in a way that turned me on even more.
“That is not—okay, Charlotte.” I sighed.
“You’re right. I do want to have sex with you again.
The other night was amazing. And, if I’m being honest, it was a mistake because you’re my employee.
But it’s not a mistake I regret.” I reached up and placed my hand on the side of her face.
“I just freaked out after the fact because I was worried you were going to quit on me because we crossed a line.”
Before I knew it, she threw herself at me and smashed her lips against mine.
Our kiss was feral, and my cock rose with excitement.
Swooping her in my arms, I carried her upstairs to my bedroom and sat her on the bed.
She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the side while I undressed.
Taking a condom from my wallet, I tossed it on the bed.
She removed her jeans and then her bra. Lying back on the bed, a smile graced her beautiful face as I spread her legs and buried my face between her thighs, tasting the sweetness I’d been craving since the previous night.
A moan escaped her as I dipped a finger inside while my tongue worked her clit.
A beautiful orgasm fell over her, and her body shook.
Moving up, I took each of her perky breasts inside my mouth, lightly nipping at her hardened peaks, while my cock spasmed.
Tearing the wrapper from the condom, I rolled it over my cock, and it ripped.
“What the fuck?” I spoke.
Charlotte laughed.
“It’s not funny. This was my last one. Fuck!”
“Come here, big guy.” She smiled, placing her hands on my chest. “I’m on the pill, so don’t worry. I take it every single day at the same time because getting pregnant is my worst fear.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
My mouth smashed into hers as my cock stood hard between her legs.
Slowly thrusting, I buried myself deep inside her, gasping at the warmth that enveloped me.
My heart raced and my senses heightened, while adrenaline coursed through my veins.
I didn’t want this magical moment to end.
It felt too good. Another orgasm took over her, and I could feel the trembling of her skin against mine.
She pushed me on my back and climbed on top, my hands gripping her hips as she wasted no time riding me like the stunning woman she was.
Our quiet, but pleasurable moans synced together as I held her hips down and exploded inside her, straining to deliver every last drop.
Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around my neck as mine wrapped around her delicious body, holding her in place, while regret swirled through my head. Something happened tonight. I couldn’t explain it, nor did I want to.
“That was fun.” She grinned, climbing off me and covering herself with the sheet.
“It was.” I smiled as I climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom.
When I was finished, I pulled on my boxer briefs, went downstairs, and poured each of us a glass of white wine.
“Here you go.” I handed her a glass.
“Thanks.”
She sat up against the headboard, the sheet still covering her, while I lay sideways at the end of the bed, propped up on one elbow, holding a glass of wine in the other hand.
“Are you looking forward to your dad’s visit tomorrow?” she asked.
I breathed out a laugh. “It’ll be nice to see him. It’s been about eight months since I saw him last in Los Angeles. Margo, not so much.”
“Oh, come on. I’m sure she’s not that bad.” A smile crossed her lips.
“Okay. You can see for yourself.” I smirked.
“How long have your parents been divorced?” She sipped from her glass.
“I was sixteen when it finally blew up. Not that there was much left to save by then. They didn’t even try to hide it.
The affairs. The screaming matches at two in the morning when one of them stumbled through the door.
And the silent treatment that went on for days after one of their fights.
That was normal. Their getting divorced wasn’t the shocking part.
I’d pray every night that one of them would file.
What was shocking was that they lasted that long.
Every day felt like I was walking on a minefield, waiting for the next explosion.
They did that shit ever since I could remember.
As I grew, I kept thinking that if I was good enough, smart enough, and successful in school, I could’ve fixed them.
However, the truth is that I was just a kid trying to survive in a house that never felt like home. ”
“Are they the reason you avoid relationships?” she asked.
“How do you know I avoid relationships?”
“I can tell that about you. You’re carefully guarded, Ashton. You don’t let people in. In fact, I’m shocked right now that you told me what you did.” A smirk crossed her lips.
Looking down, I traced the rim of the glass with my finger. “Maybe because you’re easy to talk to.” I looked up only to see her beautiful smile. “And you’re right. I don’t do relationships because I sure as hell don’t want to end up like my parents.”
“I don’t think you will. You know why?”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because I think they taught you a lesson on how not to act when you’re in love with someone.”
“I don’t believe in love, at least, when it comes to another adult.
My parents claimed they once loved each other.
It goes to show that love can fade over time, causing nothing but heartache and pain.
Two things I don’t have the time for.” I sat up and set my glass on the nightstand.
Taking her glass from her hand, I set it next to mine.
“How about another round before you go back to your room?”
“Sounds good to me.” She smiled, wrapping her arms around my neck.