7. Ashby

Chapter 7

Ashby

I twist my fingers in my lap, the skin growing red and tender. I track Storm's heavy footsteps back and forth across my living room, my come wetting his pants. I can practically see the steam coming from his ears, his anger obvious to all in the room. Vince sent all but two of his men home. Elio, his number two and Garth, head of security, stayed back. Garth is guarding the door, and Elio is standing at the floor-to-ceiling windows with his back to us, though I know he is listening to every word.

I'd already run through every detail of my day down to the times I left the house, how long I was at the coffee shop, and if I noticed anyone out of place. I told them about the strange feeling of being watched but that I never saw anyone. I pull up some pictures of Atlas on my phone and show everyone. Elio finally turns from the window, his eyes flaring wide when he sees the pictures, some emotion I can't decipher crossing his face before he shuts it down.

"Send me those," he demands roughly, earning a furious glare from Storm. Elio ignores him and stares at me until I nod. I send the pictures and watch as Elio opens the text and stares at his phone for a moment before turning away from us again, his phone still held in front of his face.

"I think you need to come back home for now. It's clear someone is after you, and they either thought Atlas was you or they'll try to use him to get to you. Either way, you aren't safe here," Vince says, and my heart falls, my stomach twisting.

"But this is my home! I don't want these men to chase me from my own home. I love it here. I feel safe, and all of my things are here. I'll just be more careful about who I let up and inform the security that my floor is off-limits to anyone," I argue weakly. It's always been hard for me to go against what Vince asks of me, but this is my home, the first place that was ever truly mine.

"You don't have to leave, Sunshine. I'll stay here with you," Storm says, earning his own angry glare from his father. "I'll call in a few of my men to boost security on the building and have one of them guard you at all times when I'm unable to be there." I open my mouth to fight, but he cuts me off with a single look. "It's that, or you move back to Dad's house. I'm not arguing with you about this."

I grumble, falling back against the couch and crossing my arms. Storm just laughs and leans over me, nipping my lower lip that's sticking out.

"Don't pout, Sunshine," he whispers against my lips. "Think of all the fun we'll have here, all alone without parents or guards around every corner and lurking behind every door." I whimper and squirm, trying to hide my growing erection. I see Vince roll his eyes to the ceiling from the corner of my eye, and for a moment, I worry about what he will say to my mom, but I shake it off. I'm a fucking adult. They already tried to take Storm from me once. They need to learn that I want and need what he gives me. That the bruising, obsessive, possessive love between us is mutual.

I nod, and Storm smirks. He straightens and looks at his dad.

"I think you've heard everything you need to for today. It's been a long day for Ashby, and he needs to rest," Storm says, and they all get the hint that it's time to get out. "I have men out tracking down the leads we have on the van, and I gave them the footage I was able to gather so they could break it down and try to find anything I may have missed." He walks them to the door and hands Garth a slip of paper. "This will give you access to the building's security, and you and your team can go over it and look for any possible clues or leaks. They were able to cut the video feeds somehow, but maybe they left a trace."

"Marry will be happy to hear you're home. The two of you will need to come by for dinner on Sunday," Vince says to me, and I nod.

"You need to make it clear to her I'm here to stay," Storm says, and his dad stiffens at his tone. "I'll not leave Ashby again. The two of you forced me out once, but it won't happen again. I promise you that. I will do whatever I must to keep him by my side." I can hear the threat in his voice, and judging by the pinched look on his dad's face and the way Elio is sizing him up, they did as well.

Instead of arguing like I expected, Vince just nods once and turns to me.

"I'll let her know you're okay, but you know how she gets. She won't feel better until you call her yourself," he says, and I nod. "I'm glad you're okay, Ashby. I love you." He leans down and pulls me into a tight hug. I feel tears prickle my eyes and hurry to blink them away. Vince has always been a tough man, hardened by his way of life, so each time he tells me he loves me or shows me he cares, my heart swells. He's only been my stepdad for a few years, but from day one, he's been a better dad to me and husband to Mom than my sperm donor ever was.

"I love you too, and I'll call her soon. I'm tired and will crash once you all leave, and I can finally take a shower."

Vince squeezes my shoulder once, turns to Storm and slaps him on the back before leaving, Elio and Garth following closely behind him. While Vince has softened towards me and my mom, he and Storm still don't have a very huggy, lovey relationship, so the weird man-pat is as close to a hug as they will ever get.

"Well, now that we're alone," Storm says the second the door clicks shut, "we have business to finish."

"But what about Atlas?" I ask, unable to relax. I know I told Vince I would crash once they left, but I don't think I'll be able to sleep until I know Atlas is okay.

"The men are on it. There's nothing we can do right now. You need to relax and rest so that you can help when they find something." He prowls toward me and I stumble back, the predatory look in his eyes setting my nerves on edge. But instead of fear coursing through my veins, lust fuels me.

Storm grabs his erection, the bulge in his pants obvious and my mouth waters. "You got to come already. So desperate for me you couldn't even wait, but I didn't get my turn. Your skin doesn't look right without my come covering it." My cock aches, and my legs shake as I fight the urge to run. "You have two choices. You can drop your pants right here and bend over the couch so I can cover that perfect little ass with my come, then I will spend the rest of the night reminding you who you belong to. Or you can shower and take a moment to relax, and then I will spend the night reminding you. Either way, you will spend the night covered in me, screaming my name. You won't sleep until I think I've squeezed every drop of pleasure from your body. I have so much time to make up for."

I shiver, excitement and need thundering through my veins. The urge to drop my pants and bend over for him right away is strong, but I know I'll regret it if I don't take a second to gather my thoughts. I know now why he left, but I've had two years to be angry and hurt by his actions.

"I'm going to shower. You can look around the place if you want. I'll try and be quick," I say, and he laughs.

"Sunshine, you forget that I know you. There is no such thing as a quick shower when it comes to you. But I'll give you," he pauses as if thinking, "twenty minutes. That should be enough time to get clean properly and relax. If you aren't out here by then, I'm coming in there to get you myself." Pleasure rolls down my spine, and I feel my dick twitch with need. Again, the urge to forget the shower and bend over right here pulls at me, but I push it down with all my might. "Hurry baby, before I change my mind."

Storm's face is full of need, the carnal hunger clear and hot, I swear my skin singes beneath his gaze. Fuck, I forgot how strong this pull to him was. I turn on my heels and practically sprint down the hallway, Storm's dirty chuckle chasing me the whole way. Once I'm in my room, I tear my clothes off quickly, leaving them in a heap on the floor with all the rest of my clothes. The house is kept tidy and put together in the communal areas, but I tend to be a bit more relaxed in my personal space. Clothes end up on the floor after they are worn. Clean laundry stays in the basket for days or until I do the next load of wash and need the basket. Half-drunk cups of water litter my dresser and nightstand, and piles of random books are scattered through the room, just waiting for me to finally sit down and read them.

The water in my large shower warms almost immediately, and thick clouds of steam fill the bathroom. I nearly cry as the water eases the tension in my muscles and as I scrub over my skin, cleaning away the dried come and stress from the past day. Finally, the tears start to fall. Over and over, images of Atlas being taken play through my head. He must have been so scared and confused. I never told him what Vince was involved in, the danger that came with being his stepson and accountant. I thought I was safe in my home. I had security, and the front desk should have kept anyone from coming up.

Matthew.

I scream, my tears flowing faster as I slide down the wall and settle on the wet tiles. Water trickles over my head as my cries turn to sobs. I'm so fucking stupid. Matthew knows no one's ever allowed to come to my floor. He knew they were to call me first if there was a delivery or visitor. Even if the delivery person claimed to have a note, the protocol is still to call up and check with me first. He had to be involved; he knew what was going to happen. He let them up.

The bathroom door slams open, wood splintering, and I turn with a shriek, convinced the men have returned to finish the job. I stare down the barrel of a gun. Thankfully, I'm sitting, or I would have surely fallen at the sudden arrival.

"God damn it, Storm!" I shout, standing from the floor and quickly wiping the tears from my cheeks. "You fucking scared me! What if I'd been shaving and cut myself? What if I slipped and fell?"

Storm's crazed eyes sweep over the bathroom before landing on me. The panic and fury fade, replaced quickly by lust as he takes in my naked body.

"Are you going to put that thing away, or are you going to shoot me?" I snap, my heart racing from the rush of adrenaline he caused.

Storm blinks and lowers his gun as if he forgot he even held it. "I heard you scream. I thought something was wrong."

"I'm fine. Sorry for scaring you," I say, hiding my smile when Storm stiffens.

"I wasn't scared," he snips, and I bite my lip at the slight pout in his voice. "I was just excited that I might get to kill someone and get a peek at you naked at the same time."

I lose the fight and laugh so hard my stomach hurts. Leaning against the wall, I gasp for breath, my laughter growing as Storm frowns at me. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I say, wiping away a tear and turning off the shower water. I reach for the towel when I step out, but Storm snatches it away from me.

"Why did you scream?"

"Oh," I say, the light feelings leaving as I'm reminded about the dark thoughts plaguing me moments before. "I was just thinking about Atlas, and I realized something." Storm steps forward, towel in hand and my heart nearly stops when he rubs the fluffy material over my damp skin with gentle strokes. "The security on the building is state of the art. You have to get permission to get on the elevators, and the guards and front desk know they aren't to let anyone up to my floor without calling and getting my permission first," I explain before remembering Storm owns the building and set up the security himself. "But this time, they didn't. I didn't think anything of it at the time since it was just a pizza delivery, and Matthew claimed the driver had a note, but now, I can't help but wonder if he knew what was going to happen. Either he was in on it, or he was bribed to allow them up. They didn't expect me to come down for the pizza because no one notified me it was here, but the delivery app alerted me it was arriving, and I went down. Matthew has to be involved."

As I talk, Storm finishes drying me and leads me out to my room. He pulls down the covers on my bed and settles me against the pillows. I watch as he strips to his boxers and settles on the side of the bed, listening to my every word with the intense focus I love most about him. No one has ever listened to me the way he does. He makes me feel like I am the center of his world, and every word out of my mouth is important to him.

"Okay, Sunshine. Let me go make some calls, and I'll be right back," he says, grabbing his phone from his pants on the floor.

"But if he was involved, we need to do something!" I say almost frantically as I fight to get out from under the mound of blankets.

"And we will. But not tonight. You are too exhausted, and I've been traveling all day," Storm says, pushing my shoulder so I lay back down. "Plus, it's been too long since I've had you. I won't be able to focus on anything until I get to taste you and remind you how fully you are mine." I open my mouth to argue, but he grips my throat in a tight hold, cutting off my words. "Do you trust me?" I nod. "Then trust that we will take care of this. We will find out what happened, and we will rescue your friend. I will have my men take the desk clerk for questioning and hold him for us until we can see him in the morning. If anything happens before, they will call us, and I promise we will go. Okay?"

Again, I nod, not daring to speak with his hand around my throat. I've never worried he would hurt me beyond what I'd ask for or could handle, but I know disobeying him results in punishment. Usually, a hot spanking or edging me for an hour without letting me come, which is not what I want at the moment. I can't wait that long to get the release he promised me.

"Rest here while I call. When I get back, we are going to do what I promised you on your nineteenth birthday," he says, leaning forward to place a dirty, possessive kiss against my lips. I whimper, my hands grasping his shoulders as I fight to pull him closer.

"You're… you're going to fuck me? Finally?" I pant when he pulls back. I'm not sure why we never did it before he left, but something always held me back. Storm, as usual, was perfect and never put pressure on me. When I told him I was finally ready, he said he wanted to make it special for our first time, but then he left.

"Yeah, Sunshine, I'm going to own that ass. Fill you with so much come that you'll feel it leaking out of you for days. I'm going to cover you in so many of my marks you won't question who you belong to."

"Oh god," I moan, my eyes rolling back. "Please, Storm. I need you." Storm grabs my wrists in one hand and pulls a pair of cuffs from somewhere, and I gape at him. "Where the fuck were you hiding those?"

He smirks at me. "Don't you worry about that. Now, I can't have you getting started without me." He pulls my wrists over my head to the headboard, and I feel the cold metal surrounding my wrists. The click as they secure me in place makes my dick leak, and I give them a tug. "You won't get out of those without this." Storm holds up a small key, dangling it in front of my face. "Now be a good boy for me and wait here while I call my men. Don't worry, I'll be fast."

With that, he disappears from the room. I huff, frustrated that he locked me up and then left me here and didn't make his call where I could hear him. He's only gone for a few minutes, but when he returns, I can feel the frown twisting my features and the frustration building inside me.

"Why did you leave? You didn't trust me to hear your conversation?" I snap at him, and he scoffs.

"Now Sunshine, you know that isn't true. I trust you with my life. I trust you more than anyone else in the world," he says, and a tiny bit of the frustration flows away.

"Then why couldn't I listen to your call?"

"I wanted to grab something while I was on the phone," he says, setting a water bottle, a bowl of ice cubes, and a tall white candle on the nightstand.

My eyes go wide as I take in the ice and candle. "What are those for?"

"You'll see," is all he says, a mischievous smirk on his face. "Now, do you know about safe words? We never did anything too crazy before I left, but I did a lot of… research while we were apart. I found so many different things I want to try with you. This is just the start. Having you bound and at my mercy, fuck, it has my cock leaking, Sunshine. I could do anything I wanted to you right now." A spark flashes in his eyes, dark and dangerous. If I were anyone else, I would be afraid, but because something is twisted and broken inside me, instead it has lust flowing through my body. My dick bounces, and I feel a wet drip hit my belly. "God, you're perfect. But before we get distracted, I need you to answer my question."

I frown, trying to think back to what he asked but my mind is fogged with need.

"I can't... I can't remember," I pant, a keening cry slipping free when Strom trails an ice cube over my chest and settles it on my nipple. My skin burns from the cold, and I shiver, trying to shake the ice off.

Storm tsks. "I asked if you know what safe words are?" He grabs another ice cube as he talks and starts tracing down my stomach. My heart races as he nears my cock. "Answer me, Sunshine, or your pretty little cock is going to pay the price." He hovers the ice over my erection, and frigid water drips onto my heated flesh.

"Ye… yes, I know what they are." I gasp, my hips wiggling to avoid the water droplets. "I watched some… some videos while you were gone. I also have a list of things I want to try."

"Oh, my perfect little slut. I can just picture you lying in bed, hand wrapped around your cock, moaning as you watched those dirty videos."

I whimper, unable to contain the desperate sounds filling my lungs. "Please, Storm. I know what safe words are. Mine is bananas because they are disgusting and mushy, and I cringe even thinking about them," I explain in a rush.

Storm laughs, setting the ice aside. He picks up the candle and lights the wick, holding it over my belly. "What was your favorite thing to watch?" My eyes are drawn to the flickering flame, the color so beautiful as it sways. After a moment, Strom tips the candle, and I moan so loudly I fear the neighbors below will hear. My back arches off the bed. Unlike the numbing feeling of the ice, the wax makes my skin burn and ignites my nerves, shooting pleasure straight to my cock.

"Oh fuck, please Storm, more!" I beg. White wax trails over my skin, from one hip to the other then up the center of my chest. He circles my nipples, avoiding hitting them straight on, and I whine. "Storm!"

With a dirty smirk, he shifts his hand slightly, and I scream, my cock spurting ropes of come as the hot wax hits my nipple.

"Ah, ah, ah," Storm says. "I didn't say you could come yet, Sunshine." He moves the candle down my body, and I whimper weakly as he closes in on my half-hard cock. The wax burns perfectly as he drips it over my thighs and lower belly, careful to not drip on my cock. I grunt, my mouth no longer able to form words and shake my hips.

"Do you want something, Sunshine?" he asks, and I nod, bucking my hips into the air. "No, I want to hear it. I want to hear you beg for what you want, like the dirty little slut you are. You look so sweet and innocent, but I know what you really are." I moan and nod, my heart racing. "But I'm the only one you're this free with, aren't I?"

"Yes, yes, yes," I chant. "Just you. Only you. Always you. Ahhhhh," I moan long and loud as he finally drips the wax over my balls. My cock swells in an instant despite having just come. My need builds to heights I've never felt, and I swear I'm going to explode from all of the pleasure coursing through my veins.

"God damn, you're so fucking perfect," Storm growls, setting the candle on my nightstand and crawling onto the bed. He moves towards me, the animalistic, near-feral look back in his eyes.

"I need you, please, Storm. I need to see you. It's not fair that I'm naked and spread out for you, and you're still hiding your body from me." I can hear the whine in my voice, but I don't care; the desperation to see his beautiful body on display for me is too overwhelming.

He smiles down at me and rises to his knees, his fingers teasing along the waistband of the dark, expensive fabric. My mouth waters, and my tongue darts out to wet my bottom lip as he slowly pulls the material down. My breathing goes ragged, and a whimper slips free when his cock finally comes into view. It's just as perfect as I remember, long and thick, the head swollen and slick with precome. I remember exactly what he felt like in my hand, the way my fingers stretched to fit around him. I always wondered what he would taste like, but I was too afraid to ever try, convinced I would gag or choke and disappoint Storm, so he never wanted to play with me again. But that fear evaporates now as I follow a bead of precome as it trails down his length.

"I need it," I whisper. "I need to taste you, to feel your fat cock on my tongue, to feel you fill my belly with come. Please, Storm, can I suck your cock?"