His Pretty Toy by Shanna Handel

Chapter 9

Ashe

France. I’ve never been to France. Hell, I’ve never been out of the country.

Thank god I grabbed my purse and my phone before we left. I’ve got a few calls to make.

I glance up at the smoky glass divider. It must go both ways, right? If I can’t hear them, surely they can’t hear me.

I don’t know why I want to keep this part of my life a secret from him but I just do. I find myself enjoying spending time with him, wanting more of him. But I’m not going to let him into the most precious, personal part of my life.

I release the breath I’m holding as the phone rings.

My mom picks up on the fourth ring. “Hey, babe.” She sounds tired.

“Hey, Mom. How’s it going? How’s your hip?” My mother struggles with arthritis so bad, it’s debilitating. She has good days and bad days but working is out of the question. I want her to rest as much as possible.

“Oh, fine, fine. You know—it just gets a little stiff from time to time but keeping up with Charlotte seems to loosen it up.”

“And how’s the…” my voice wavers, my throat feeling tight, “baby?”

“Adorable.” Her voice fills with the sadness I feel. “Just a sweetheart. Don’t you worry about us. Just keep kicking butt at that job of yours and we’ll all be just fine.”

Brightness fills me, thinking about my good news. Wait till she sees this money in her account. She’s going to flip. “Mom, I have to tell you something.”

“What is it, honey—oh, dear. Charlotte!”

There’s a crash and a bang from her end of the phone. A high tinkling voice calls out, “Oopsie daisy!”

“You okay, princess?” My mom laughs. “She’s gotten her little plastic heels tangled in her princess dress. I told you they were a bad idea.”

I defend myself. “You have no idea how much she begged me for them. How could I say no?”

I hear the stomping of plastic heels on my mom’s linoleum kitchen floor. Charlotte’s little voice cries out with excitement. “Is that her? Is that her?”

I laugh. “Put me on speaker phone, Mom.”

“Hiiiiii! When are you coming to visit? Grandma said the TV broke and we have to wait for you to fix it.” She huffs with impatience. “I’m behind on my shows.”

Her shows. That’s funny. “Well, the TV wasn’t broke, exactly. We were just a little bit behind on the internet bills, but guess what, Charlotte? We have plenty of money now and I’m going to fix the TV.”

“Money?” she asks.

“Yes, Money.” I laugh.

My mom’s voice wavers. “What’s going on, Ashe?”

“Take me off speakerphone?” A little seed of guilt settles in my stomach, but I squash it before it can grow anymore. I did what I had to do. And I enjoyed it. And now, I can care for my family. My mother desperately needs this money. “It’s good news, Mom. I came into some money.”

She sounds suspicious. “Came into?”

I don’t like to lie. So I don’t. “Yes. It’s legit. I promise. And it’s more than we need to get by.”

Her voice brightens with hope. “If you have money, use it for college. It might not be too late to re-enroll for next semester. You could finish your art classes! You could get your degree.”

As wonderful as that sounds, I can’t. She needs me more. “I want to be there for you and for Charlotte… and…” That tightness comes back to my throat, traveling down to my chest. “And for the baby.”

She’s quiet a moment.

I fill the silence with more words. “I’m still going to keep working because we all know how fast money can run out, but I won’t take the extra shifts anymore. I’ll keep it to forty hours per week and I can be there weekends and even some nights and I can help out—”

She sounds defeated. “We’ll still be here, sweetheart. College won’t.”

“I can go back later? Take night classes?” I offer.

I almost hear her shaking her head. “No, you won’t. It’s now or never. Please, honey, reconsider. It’s only one year you have left. It’ll go by fast and Charlotte and the baby and I will be just fine.”

We’re at an impasse. We’ll have to put a pin in this conversation for now. “Mom, I’m going to be out of town for the next four days but if you need anything, anything at all, just leave me a voicemail and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. And I’m wiring some money into your account right now. It should clear by tomorrow. Do me a favor?”

“Yes?” She sighs into the phone.

“Get a babysitter. Go to bingo or bunco or just go sit in a movie theater for the night. You deserve it.”

“I might just do that.” She’s not going to do that. She blows a kiss through the phone. “Take care, honey.”

“Love you, Mom.” I hang up just in time as the glass rolls down.

Trent gives me a curious look. “You okay?”

I smile brightly to cover up my heavy emotions. “Of course. We’re going to France!”

He stares at me like he’s waiting for me to say more.

Did he hear my conversation? No way. I couldn’t hear a word they were saying.

Still, something about the way he’s looking at me…

I break his gaze, staring out the window. We’re pulling up to a cream-colored jet. Its exterior is spotless. “We’re going on this?”

His brow knits. “Why would you travel any other way?”

My mouth gapes as I stare. A pilot dressed in a dark suit makes his way down the rolling staircase. He stops at the bottom to greet us.

Finch opens my door. Trent waits with his arm extended to lead me. “Ready?”

“What about my stuff?” I look down at my jeans and my purse. “I only have what I’m wearing.”

“Gretchen’s assistant will be here soon with a few bags and a passport.” He gives a shrug. “Anything you don’t have, we can buy.”

A passport? What kind of strings has he pulled? I’m impressed by his power, the efficiency of his staff. I look up at him. “Money moves the world, doesn’t it?”

He cuts his eyes to my breasts. “I’ve heard it’s sex.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve not had much luck with either lately.” I suddenly feel shy, admitting I’m broke and have no life.

“So, there’s no special man in your life?” He takes my hand leading me to the jet.

I freeze, tugging my hand away. “You think I’d be here if there was? Yes, I took money for sex but that doesn’t mean I have no morals.”

“I respect that.” He grabs my hand back in his. “And just so we’re clear, I see no shame in an exchanging of goods. You had something I wanted, I had something you need.”

The feeling of my hand in his makes me bold. “Why did you want me?”

He’s quiet a moment. “I really don’t know.”

My heart sinks and I feel worthless. But then his gaze catches mine. There’s confusion in his eyes but another emotion hides behind it.

“I think,” the pad of his thumb runs over the back of my hand, “it was your smile.”

“My smile?” I’m surprised. My mother couldn’t afford braces for me and I’ve only used the over the counter whitening stuff. “It’s really nothing special.”

His eyes hold mine. “It lights up the room.”

He says it plainly, like it’s just a fact he’s observed, like the sun is out, or it’s hot today, but his words make my heart bang against my ribs. I don’t know how to respond, so I don’t. A warm flush rises in my face.

We reach the bottom of the stairs. “You think you can make it up these stairs without tripping, or am I going to have to carry you?”

“If someone hadn’t sent me ridiculous four-inch heels, I never would have fallen.” I go before him. I can feel his gaze heavy on my ass as I rise.

“Is that so?” A hand slides between the tops of my thighs as I move, grabbing my flesh and giving a squeeze. “Then tonight, you’ll be barefoot when I fuck you.”

I pause, my hand wrapping around the railing. “Is that so?”

“Decidedly so.” His hand slips up further between my legs. He cups my sex, his fingers pressing my clit through my jeans.

A shudder runs through me. I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into, but I want to see where it’s going.