The Ceo's Angel

Chapter 6 Ashlynn

Ashlynn

Having so much time before eight, I decided to make some sugar cookies in the shapes of ornaments, Christmas trees, gingerbread men and stars. I made homemade frosting and divided it into five different bowls. I then dyed the frosting different colors. I had sprinkles, red hots, crushed candy canes, little colored edible chocolate balls and chocolate chips for decoration. For the next two hours, I decorated two hundred sugar cookies. I made another pan of lasagna and garlic knots and then made crème brûlée. I had Doordash get me a small fake Christmas tree with small ornaments and tinsel.

I put the cookies in containers and put them in a cardboard box to make things easier to carry for tomorrow. I made three gallons of my father’s homemade apple cider and poured it into three one-gallon jugs. I was probably going to have to find someone to help me carry everything to the top floor tomorrow.

I took an hour nap, got up, showered and shaved. I got ready for my dinner with Mr. Knight and then I called an Uber to take me to the Lemonde Hotel. I was excited to step into the grand place after being away for three years.

I walked into the lobby and smiled. There was a beautiful fully decorated Christmas tree in the center of the lobby. Giant nutcrackers and toy soldiers were scattered about. Mr. Knight was standing next to the tree when I walked in. He smiled at me as I walked up to him. Grabbing my hand, he kissed it. I couldn’t help smiling wider. He was such a gentleman.

“You look gorgeous,” he said, looking me up and down.

I was dressed in a green velvet long-sleeved dress that was slightly off the shoulder and ended just above the knee. I had black stockings on and black thigh-high, high-heeled laced boots on. My black hair was piled on top of my head in a loose curled bun. I have silver dangling earrings in my ears and a black choker with a metal hollowed out silver heart in the center. My lips were a bold red, and I only had black eyeliner and mascara on.

“Thank you, you look very handsome. I was expecting another suit, but I really like the black satin dress shirt with the two buttons unbuttoned at the top, and the fitted black slacks with black dress shoes. You look very Italian Mafia.”

He threw back his head and laughed.

“Beautiful and funny, a dangerous combination. So my beautiful Ashlynn, what restaurant do you recommend we eat at?”

“Well, Mr. Knight, I am in the mood for some steak smothered in Parmesan sauce and shrimp. So, how about we go to The Brand Steakhouse? It’s down the hall and to the left.”

“Please Ashlynn, call me Gray and I love steak, let’s go.”

He held his elbow out to me and I slipped my hand into the crook of his arm. We walked over, and the hostess sat us immediately. We gave our orders to the waiter and I sipped on a pink lemonade as we waited for our food.

“So, Ashlynn, tell me a little about yourself.”

“I’m a military brat. My father used to be a top chef for this hotel, but he is now a personal chef for the Mayor. I am twenty-five, single, and as you know, the PA to Jace Williams.”

He narrowed his eyes and studied me.

“That was very practiced. You said just enough to sound interesting, but there was nothing really too personal. I am the CEO of Knight Security. Any time I do business with someone, I look into the company. You being new, I had no information on you, so I did a little digging when I got back here after my meeting earlier. I know you were married to Ben Newsome. He was a complete and utter a*shole for what he did to you. I find you strong and courageous. And the cheery personality you have after everything you have been through proves that. You are very special. Now the little personal things are what I’d like to know. What do you like to do for fun?”

I stared at him. He had caught me off guard with his background check. My marriage wasn’t something I hid, it was just something I’d rather forget. I took a sip of my lemonade.

“I love to cook and bake and craft. It calms me, keeps me focused from intrusive thoughts. I normally don’t talk about myself, but I am a little miffed, so my sassy side is about to come out. So, you better brace yourself. Did your little research into me show you that I go to therapy three times a week because I suffer from PTSD and I have horrible nightmares, or that I am constantly trying to talk myself out of self harm. I don’t appreciate you digging into my past. What knowledge did you hope to gain by doing that?”

He stared at me for a long time. The longer he stared, the more pissed I was getting. I was about to get up and walk out, but then he spoke.

“I am sorry, Ashlynn. I have a dirty habit of doing background checks on everyone I meet. I am constantly looking for potential threats. It’s a product of my horrid upbringing. I’ll give you tit-for-tat. My father was an abusive son of a b*tch. Every time my mother gave birth to a girl, he beat my mother. My father gave every girl up for adoption. I have two older sisters and three younger ones out in this world. I have only found two. My youngest sister Brittney is skittish around me. I met her four years ago. I don’t know much about her upbringing, she doesn’t tell me much. She has a partner that she loves very much, and he treats her like a queen, so I am happy for her. The other sister I met is only two years younger than I am. She has a teenaged boy and a little girl that I adore. They are the lights of my life. I got to meet them a year ago. She’s currently pregnant with twins, and is due next month. She is marrying a biker that I wanted to hate, but he’s a really good man, and my sister is utterly in love with him. The adoptions my father did weren’t legal. He sold them to couples who wanted children desperately. I was the only boy my mother gave him. She finally killed herself after Brittney was born. I was ten, that was twenty-six years ago. So every girl I meet I do a background check on. Thankfully, you are not my sister.”

“Thankfully?”

“I am very attracted to you.”

I could feel the blush that engulfed my face. He chuckled.

“I’m flattered, Gray, but I don’t do hookups. I am a relationship type of woman and I don’t do long distance.”

“You devastate me. I could fall in love with you.”

“You couldn’t possibly. You don’t even know me.”

“You don’t believe in love at first sight?”

“No,” I said, scoffing.

He chuckled again, “Well, how about friends then?”

“I would love that.”

Our food came and I enjoyed myself. The food was delicious, Gray was funny. And smart. I could tell he cares deeply for his employees. He told me about each and every one of them. I was fascinated by two of them.

“Wait, you’re telling me that two of your employees have multiple partners. One has two wives, and one has a wife that he shares with his adoptive brothers. Do he and his brothers,” I wiggled my eyebrows. He laughed.

“No, they just share Nicole. They have a little girl named Aspen and twins, a girl named Illyanna and a boy DJ, and a newborn named Morris. Darius and his wives have a little boy named Nico and a baby girl named Josie. ”

“Fascinating. I could never share like that. I am extremely jealous. Why aren’t you married with children? You’re thirty-six, I’ve read your profile. Is it something you are interested in?”

“Deeply. I just haven’t met the right person yet. I like both men and women. I had a partner for ten years, but he died in a car accident. I just haven’t met anyone else I would consider to be with long term, but I like to flirt.” he said with a wicked grin. I grinned back. He was really harmless.

We finished our dinner and decided on coffee for dessert.

After we were done, we walked out to the lobby area to wait for Jace. We weren’t waiting long. He walked into the lobby in a charcoal gray dress shirt with the top two buttons undone. His sleeves were rolled up showing off his muscular forearms, his shirt was tucked into black dress slacks and he wore black dress shoes. His black hair was styled with the top slicked back, his sides short with a fade. His face was clean cut, and I was trying my hardest not to f*cking drool when his ocean blue eyes landed on me. I could feel myself becoming aroused just at the sight of him.

A deep chuckle sounded from beside me.

“I see now,” Gray said.

“I’m sorry what?”

He just shook his head, picked up my hand and kissed it.

“Did you two have a good dinner?” Jace’s cold voice whipped out.

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He was looking at me and not Gray.

“I definitely did, the food was wonderful as I remembered it and the company was delightful,” I said, smiling over at Gray.

“Yes, both the food and the company were to my liking.” He flashed me a flirty smile and I giggled and shook my head. He’d make a great best friend.

Jace growled low in his throat and my head snapped to him.

“Let’s get going, shall we?” he asked.

I was shocked when he grabbed me by the hand and tugged me behind him. Gray let out another chuckle. What is so funny?

When we got outside. The driver had the car door opened for us. Jace let me go first, and then he came in after me. That left the front passenger seat for Gray.

“Oh, I can sit upfront,” I said.

“No,” Jace snapped out. He picked up my hand and examined my wrist. He ran his finger over the skin. Shivers went up my arm.

“Good, no burn. You look very beautiful,” he said, quietly to me.

“Thank you,” I whispered. He was still caressing the skin at my wrist, I felt like I was going to combust.

Thirty minutes later, we pulled up to a building with blacked out windows and concrete brick walls. There was a line around the building but Jace, with my hand still in his, walked us straight to the bouncer.

“Jace, nice to see you tonight. Table for three?”

“Yes, Tyson, and a bottle of peach champagne with one glass and two whiskeys.”

Tyson nodded, “They heard everything.”

“Excellent.” Tyson let us through the door to the groans of the people in line.

The club was unique. People danced, it wasn’t extremely crowded. The music wasn’t overly loud. The lighting was dim and flattering. There were no harsh white lights, or colorful strobes. I looked at the dancers. Everything looked sensual. A woman met us as we walked in, and she escorted us to a rounded booth. There was a stage in front of the dance floor.

“Wait, is this a burlesque club?” I asked.

“It is.” Jace said.

Just then the music changed, the dance floor cleared, and the curtain on the stage started to clear. Seven scantily clad women were on stage in fishnet, lace and silk. Their hair and makeup were overly done, and they were in various poses. I squealed.

“I’ve always wanted to come to a burlesque show. I tried to see one in France when I snuck out once with a bunch of friends. We couldn’t get into the club because we were too young. But I saw some of the dancers behind the building having a smoke, and I was in awe. I wanted to be one of those dancers.”

“Well, I’m glad I am able to pop your burlesque cherry,” Jace whispered into my ear.

I turned to him wide-eyed and he chuckled. Did he just make a dirty joke?

The beat of the music started, and the girls sang and danced. The smile on my face felt like it was permanently glued there. Tonight something on my bucket list was crossed off, and it was all thanks to my grumpy boss.