Pix (inspiteofcages) wrote in _fracture_, @ 2014-02-16 04:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | ash, chapter 1, mai, the regent hotel |
Mergers and Acquisitions
Who: Mai and Ash
Where: Courtyard, his room
When: Late afternoon
Warning - NSFW
There was no doubt in her mind, Mai had Ash in mind the entire time she got ready. Yes, she’d considered her sister and Ronin and what that might mean and hoping that things were fine there and she wouldn’t be putting up with a heartbroken Kai. There was no need for Kai to be heartbroken. Ronin wouldn’t let her down. But that was nothing compared to the way Ash had dominated her thoughts. In the morning, she was thinking more of what he was, who he was. If everything he’d told her was true, he was a big deal. A real one. And one that liked her. It had her nervous, and going through most of her suitcase before finding the right dress, something short and flirty in a light floral, flattering on her frame and perfect with a looser hairstyle. Her makeup was done, her hair curled all of it, and she draped a loose cardigan over it, giving the whole thing sort of a dreamy look or so she hoped.
She started heading towards his room, but he didn’t answer when she knocked. Mai was confused about where to go from there, but she wound up heading down towards the lobby, exploring the hotel slowly until she found the courtyard, surprised by the room as a whole. She wondered if Kai had seen this place yet. This would be right up her alley.
After escaping the unwanted seductions of an angry starlet, Ash had taken himself into the courtyard, hoping the girl wouldn't follow. He waited, his laptop on a wrought iron table facing the door. When enough time had passed that he figured he was safely free of her attention and anger, Ash had set about to working. Or at least he'd tried to. His mind kept wandering to Mai and how soft and solid she'd felt in his arms, beneath his lips. Each time he almost brought his mind back to figures, facts, and plans, somewhere in the back of his mind he could hear her whimper and he was lost all over again in thoughts about her. It was a little frustrating to be so preoccupied but each time that occurred to him he reminded himself that life wasn't pressing in at all sides right now. He could breathe, he could simply sit and think if he wanted to. He was staring off into space with a partial grin on his face, the dimple in his right cheek faintly showing when Mai arrived. He was far too focused on daydreaming to notice her though.
Mai was lost in her own little world, turning in circles as she studied the flowers. She had a feeling that her sister would like this place and have an idea for shoots and things. Mai was getting better at spotting not spots like Kai was, but knowing what appealed to Kai when it came to photoshoots. She wouldn’t have a her sister’s talent, but knowing her sister was a different thing. She turned another full loop, watching a vine of roses and almost stopped short when he came into view. It would figure. She headed towards him, smiling a little. “Thinking of important things?” she asked, raising an eyebrow since he seemed distracted.
Ash heard a voice coming toward him and immediately thought Bianca had finally decided to come for round two. He was shaking himself out of the daydream, murmuring, "Oh not again," when his eyes focused and he saw Mai. He stood immediately, both out of politeness and because he was happy to see her. He smiled a little sheepishly at having been caught having "impure" thoughts about her. Then he cleared his throat and looked slightly serious. "Yes, very important things. Mergers and acquisitions." There was a double entendre in there somewhere but it had happened organically thanks to where his mind had been moments ago.
She thought heard him murmur something, but she was just out of range and him standing the moment he realized it was her was distracting enough to not worry about what he was murmuring. “Oh? What are you merging and acquiring?” she asked, drifting closer to him wondering what the sheepish smile meant.
Ash tilted his head, giving that a thought as his hair shifted halfway into his face. He brushed it back with a shake of his head. "Companies, funds, mouths," he said feeling momentarily brash. He flashed her a lopsided grin and took a few steps toward her. "Have a good morning?" he asked, hoping that she'd been coming to find him and that he hadn't just happened to be there so she'd felt the need to say hello.
Mai’s mouth opened in a little surprised ‘oh’, before she raised her eyebrow at him again. “Mouths?” she asked, liking that grin on his features. “Minus the run in with Ronin after you left, yes, decent morning.”
Ash breathed a laugh at the face she made and nodded solemnly. "Yes, mouths. There are a few that are fairly hot commodities right now. I'd like to acquire the best of them and merge with it." He lifted a brow. "Ronin?" he asked succinctly. He didn't like the sound of her having a run-in with someone who was on the opposite side of her having a good morning.
“So it’s all business with you isn’t it?” Mai asked, feeling like he was definitely flirting, but going about it in an interesting way. Though it had her wondering if he was going to kiss her again. “Friend of my sister’s. And mine I guess, but I don’t like him nearly as much as she does. He sometimes gets all big brother when he feels like he has something to prove.” Of course Ronin’s idea of an acceptable follow up to his big brother bravado was play hitting on her to prove a point so the man hardly made sense on a whole.
"Sometimes, yes," he admitted, dropping the metaphor which had gotten awkward. At least in his mind. Ash didn't really do flirting. He'd watched enough people attempt to direct it at him but he'd never had a taste for it really. Or the sense of timing it took. Too much of it was bullshit anyway. Still, something about Mai made him feel a bit playful. He listened, his brow still raised, about Ronin. "I gather he saw me leaving, hm? He didn't give you too hard of a time about it. I'd hate to think you got hassled over an innocent night."
“He did and he would give me a hard time about anything. Thankfully I caught him leaving somewhere he didn’t quite belong either so we were on even ground.” She smiled at Ash and shook her head. “You don’t have to worry about that. He’s mostly harmless.”
Ash's mind backtracked through what she'd said about Ronin and came to a quick conclusion that made him chuckle. "He was coming out of Kai's room. I hope you gave him as much hell as he gave you," he said, amused affection in his tone. His look turned a little more serious and he closed the gap between them, standing close enough to touch her. "I hope that if he does do something worth worrying about you'll make sure to tell someone."
Mai nodded as Ash made the right conclusion. “And I tried but he’s slippery. Turns out their night was almost as interesting as ours.” She liked that he was close enough to touch and dared to let her fingers graze his arm. “About Ronin? I can take him, but yes. I’ll tell you. Or Kai considering she could probably do more damage.”
"I find it hard to believe anyone had as interesting a night as we did. It was definitely a first for me," he admitted. He nodded when she said she'd tell someone then brightened, half laughing. "Kai? Really? I remember her being rather tiny. How is your sister, by the way?" he asked politely.
“First how so?” Mai asked, fingers still on his arm because he hadn’t pulled away. If you listened to her sister, it was a first for Mai as well considering it was more of a real date than anything else Mai had been on, but she pushed that away. “She is tiny, but it’s Ronin. She’s his kryptonite.” She smiled a little then his shifted. “She’s fine. She wants to meet you.”
"Kissing and sleeping in bed with a woman I don't know very well? Can very definitely say I've never done that before." He shifted slightly, unconsciously under her touch, which brought him closer to her. It was a natural movement, happening as he spoke as though that was just what happened. "She's his kryptonite. Sounds serious. So why was he not supposed to be coming out of her room? Oh, don't answer that. It's not my business," he said though he was laughing a little again. "Does she? Well, I suppose we have all the time in the world. Why not?"
“Not the one night stand type?” Mai asked, though she desperately hoped that wasn’t what the night before had been. Him moving closer was a good sign yes, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to be just a one night stand in his book. “Just because they’re supposed to be friends not more.” And yet Kai and Ronin always toed the line of more. “You’re sure? She might be all...sisterly.”
Ash pressed his lips together and shook his head. "Nope. Never had the time or the inclination," he said honestly. His hand found hers then, simply covering it without explanation or real acknowledgment either. He smiled amusedly at her explanation about Ronin and then her question about meeting Kai. "Of course she will. That's what sisters do, right? Or do you think she'll try to take me down?" he asked, teasing her gently.
“So then...what do you have time for?” Mai asked, eyes dropping to her hand in his, but she didn’t pull away. Instead she just curled her fingers around his, looking back up at him and silently hoping for the best. “No. I think she’ll interrogate you about your intentions.”
"I always have the time I want to have," he said because he could always clear his schedule if he chose to do that. "And here? Like I said, we have all the time in the world." When she looked up at him, Ash almost kissed her but they were in the middle of a conversation so he decided to wait. All the time in the world and all that. "I don't think I have intentions. Am I supposed to? I'm kind of going with wherever this takes us in the moment. I don't think she can get too much of a bad vibe from that. Can she?" he asked.
Mai nodded, still feeling her stomach churn from nerves. Or maybe from not eating enough at breakfast. “Inclinations then,” she prompted, not sure what she wanted him to say, but feeling like something needed to be said. “Probably not. I think she just...knows how I feel and might be protective that maybe this...you...are too good to be true.” And maybe that was what Mai was thinking as well, but it was easier to put the blame on Kai and make it seem less like she was already doubting him.
Ash had an immediate answer for her. "Too many people aren't actually present in their own interactions with others. I don't want that," he said because he wanted meaning behind the things he did. He always had. Regardless of what they were. He half raised a brow but nodded, understanding - or at least imagining - why a sister might feel that way about him. "I'm not perfect, Mai. You haven't had an occasion to see much of it yet, but I'm definitely not too good to be true. I'm more like mediocre with a really great game face." Which was exactly how he saw himself. No pretense, just fact. He wasn't all that. He was just rich and perhaps powerful. But he was also just a guy and he had his faults.
She watched him, trying to determine just what he was going for. So he wanted to be there, maybe to have it mean something, but in general she wasn’t sure what he wanted. Or if he wanted her. “I think you might be,” she said finally putting a little space between them, though she kept hold of his hand. “Or it’s one of hell of a game face. And I’m not sure what you’d need with me.”
Ash frowned a touch and shook his head. "No, Mai. It's not about need. I don't need anything. I can buy everything I need. It's the things that I want that can be the most elusive. They're also the most important and require the most care." She'd moved away a little so he moved closer himself. He pulled her hand up, maintaining eye contact as he kissed it.
She watched him, taking all of him in as he kissed her hand held her eye contact. “I guess then...what is it you want with me?”
Ash rested her hand back where it had been on his arm and answered her. "I want whatever happens. I like you. I like spending time with you. Watching you eat salad and talking to you." Or just looking at her, feeling her in his arms, enjoying her kiss. Though all of the physical stuff, on its own, wouldn't make for a good relationship. He could buy the physical stuff if he was inclined.
It felt like such a bizarre answer. It shouldn’t be, Mai realized that, but Kai had been right in pointing out that she didn’t really date real people. They were all models or men who wanted to date models and fake as hell. They didn’t want what Ash wanted and she was left at a loss for words with what he said. “I like you too,” she wound up whispering, as if her voice wouldn’t cooperate.
Ash wasn't sure what to make of how she responded. He tried not to think she was choking on her words, trying to force them out. He was the one to put some distance between them then. He gave her a bit of a smile. "I should probably go take my stuff back to my room. But maybe we could have dinner together again? My room this time?"
He was pulling away. That was bad right? “Dinner sounds good,” Mai said, following after him, not letting him get away from her. “And so does your room.”
Ash paused. More like froze. A thousand things went through his mind before he decided to gamble. "Dinner. My room then," he said quietly. His hands caught her face gently and he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her as though it would seal the deal.
That was what she was waiting on, something that confirmed that the night before hadn’t been a dream. She leaned into the kiss, mouth slipping open a little to deepen it and her hand tightened on his arm, holding on to him for dear life.
It wasn't what he'd been expecting but there was something in the way she held to him that made him smile. His mouth opened with hers, the tip of his tongue teasing against hers.
Mai was very aware of the soft noise she let out or the way that she broke free of the grip he had on her to wind one arm around his neck and pull herself even closer. It wasn’t lost on her that they were somewhere public, that anyone could interrupt the kiss, but she didn’t care. Not right now.
There was only Mai in that moment. The sound she made tossing him partially into daydream again. He was aware they weren't in private though, his hands kept to chaste areas. Shoulders, neck, chin, jaw, hair.
Mai kept kissing him until she had to breathe, pulling back enough to see his face and watch his eyes. “Dinner?”
Ash, for once, wasn't the one to break the kiss and he grinned, his chest rising and falling as he attempted to catch his breath. "Are you hungry? We can go to my room and write on the card. You can choose the wine."
“I don’t need to be hungry,” Mai said, pulling away enough to get his things for him off the table. “But I’m fine with wine and maybe just being with you for the moment.”
Ash pulled back enough to look at her, almost ask her something practical, but then realized he didn't want that right now. "Okay," he said picking up things from the table he'd been at but then returning his mouth to hers.
Mai made a soft noise into the kiss again, trying hard not to get lost in it this time and doing a little bit better, but her response was still heated. Her fingers curled around his arm, ready to pull him back towards the elevator the moment he stopped kissing her.
Ash had his notebooks and his laptop in his arms. He heard Mai and he was kind of melting in some strange way. He pulled back, responding to her touch. "I'm going to ask you up to my room. If you're not okay with that, let me know now, okay?"
“I’m very okay with that,” Mai insisted, not wanting to go anywhere else and if she had her way, never leave.
"We go this way then," he said, slowly taking her in the direction that led out of the courtyard. He smiled as he headed her along the way to the elevator and stepped inside, pleased it was right there for them. Once in the privacy of the car he looked at her.
Mai let him guide her where he wanted, actually kind of enjoy that, the way he just made the decision and took her there until they were both alone in the elevator car. “Should I be asking you about your intentions again?” she teased lightly, hand finding his and using it to pull herself closer to him.
Ash smiled mischievously at her question and asked, "What do you want my intentions to be?" Because she must have some idea of what she wanted if she was willing to go with him.
She smiled and pulled him closer. “Did you think about me today?” she asked instead.
Ash didn't miss her evasion. It bothered him she wasn't giving him a direct answer to the question he'd asked. But maybe it was okay. She'd pulled him close. "I did. You caught me at it," he said and half laughed.
Mai was smiling again before nodding. “Then that’s what I want your intentions to be. Whatever you were thinking about.” She understood them going slow, it made sense, but she knew what she wanted and she didn’t want to hold back any more.
Ash didn't really need to be asked twice. He wanted to kiss Mai, touch her. He wasn't entirely sure if she meant that she wanted his intentions to be where his mind had gone mid-daydream though because she had no idea what that meant. "No, you don't, Mai," he murmured against her lips, kissing her, giving her a little taste of what she'd asked for without being too permanent or overwhelming.
That left Mai frowning, pulling back to look at him. “I don’t? Why wouldn’t I?” What had he been thinking of that was awful enough to say as much?
Ash gave her a small smile. “Because you don’t even know what you’re asking. That’s an open invitation.” She didn’t even know him. Could she really mean she wanted him to do whatever struck his fancy with her? It struck a protective chord inside him that she’d be so free with herself.
“I’m not sure I wouldn’t mind giving you an open invitation,” Mai said. Sure there were things that would be completely out of the question but there were also several things that she was interested in doing with hm. “Unless you have something completely ridiculous in mind, but you don’t really strike me as the ridiculous type.”
Ash thought about asking her what she would do if he'd been daydreaming about hurting her or worse but he didn't want to plant that kind of idea in her mind because that was so far from what he wanted to do with her. It was no wonder her sister worried about her though. "No, nothing ridiculous," he assured her. The elevator doors opened to his floor and he needed to get rid of the things in his hands so he could touch her again. He glanced toward the hall, allowing her to exit first.
Mai nodded. “That’s what I thought,” She said with a soft smile before heading out of the elevator and towards his room. Yes, she probably should be more concerned about what if he wasn’t what he said he was, but he didn’t seem like a threat and everything in her wanted to be closer to him. She’d deal with the fallout, if there was one, later.
Ash followed her out, quiet on the short walk to his room. He fished the key out of his pocket and began to unlock his door, wondering if he was taking advantage of her or something. It wasn't like she was much younger or like she couldn't think for herself. He needed to get out of his head. He pushed his door open, holding one arm up to invite her in first. "Not exactly the Four Seasons but what can I say?" he said with a hint of whimsy. Not that he needed to apologize for the room. Hers wasn't much different.
“I didn’t realize the Four Seasons was on the table as an option,” Mai said, though with the way he seemed to effortlessly rich, she probably should have assumed as much. “It’s fine,” she told him, reaching for his things once she was in the room and pulling him with her. She might be a little selfish and immature, and yes money was appealing, but Mai wasn’t that shallow. That wasn’t why she was here.
Ash surrendered his notebooks and laptop, shutting the door behind him as he entered. He made a face slightly and said, "It's not really. If I had a choice, I would never take you to a hotel unless we were on vacation. And definitely never one like this." Hands free, he stood still sort of taking her in with a small smile.
Mai set his things down gently on the desk, looking back at him. “So if you’re not taking me to a hotel…” she ventured. “Too sordid for you?” Though he was probably right. It was just asking for unwanted attention. “Sadly I spent a lot of time in hotels, going from shoot to shoot.”
Ash realized that he had been talking like they already had some sort of relationship. It amused him how far ahead of himself he'd gotten so quickly. She really was something. "I'd have no qualms about inviting you into my home. There's no reason to sneak around. We're not doing anything wrong." That was better than most reasons for spending a lot of time in hotels. "So you're probably up for a change of scenery but we're stuck here of all places." He shook his head at the way some things worked out.
She shook her head. “We’re not. I’m glad you see that.” He seemed hesitant sometimes and she worried if maybe he doubted her. “I’d invite you to my place, but...well you’d have to put up with my parents and I’m fine with delaying that.” She smiled a little, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes before she turned a slow circle in the room, taking it in. “Honestly, it’s not all that bad. Weird, out of date, but sort of like being in an old movie. If it was like getting stuck in a Holiday Inn then I’d be going nuts.”
Ash's brows flickered upward slightly but he nodded, he did see. And he was pretty sure that meeting her parents wasn't high on his to-do list just now. "We can save that for just before the wedding," he teased lightly. When she talked about the Holiday Inn, he chuckled and nodded, impulsively choosing to share a little of himself that wasn't about his current wealth. "I squatted in a Holiday Inn at one point years ago. A friendly maid let me into empty rooms and I ate from the vending machine and the 7/11 across the street. They aren't the nicest places to stay. Someone's always shouting in the next room or having loud sex upstairs at 3am." At least this place didn't appear the sort that charged by the hour which would have been even worse than a Holiday Inn.
“Or after it,” Mai said, though the sheer mention of a wedding made her stomach flip for a multitude of reasons. Some tied in with the fact that he would even tease about it, but others with her career and the end goal, as with most models, of maybe one day having a proper spread in a wedding magazine, or a chance to model a designer wedding line. What model didn’t want to be draped in a cream colored Vera Wang? She felt her cheeks warm up just slightly before she nodded, moving to sit on the bed. “I have heard both, the loud sex and the yelling. Once the yelling, loud sex and then more yelling.” She tilted her head, looking at him. “Squatted as in...you didn’t have anywhere else to go?” How could that be? How had he had nothing and now seemed to have everything?
Ash looked faintly amused, continuing the line of gentle teasing. "You wouldn't want them at the ceremony?" He settled in a chair, comfortably and not regally, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, hands folded in front of him. "Make yourself at home, by the way." What was his here was hers as far as he was concerned since it wasn't actually his at all. And because he wanted her to feel comfortable. He laughed turning his jaw into his palm briefly to look away, shaking his head before looking back and folding his hands again. "Yeah I probably heard some of that myself. Try really hard not to remember it much." He thought for a moment at her question. "Yes, though only for a short time after leaving home. I'd managed to maintain the mortgage for years but there was a period when my employer took a hit with the economy and I had to take a pay cut. I lost the house but it didn't take me too long to recover and find an apartment. Lean times though."
“Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on if my father wants to add in all the old ways into the ceremony. If that’s the case I want to get married on a beach with only two other people there.” Her thoughts went to her sister, but she wasn’t about to admit that just yet. Maybe if it was a real thing and not just a tease. She slipped out of her sweater when he suggested she get comfortable, revealing bare shoulders and the hint that there was very little under the dress. “There’s a reason why I moved back home, so I understand. And it’s not like you’re still homeless.”
Ash was going to ask a question about what old ways she was referring to, knowing they sort of shared a heritage, but he was distracted when she took off her sweater. He felt himself smiling and didn't avert his eyes in spite of the little part of him that said he probably should. He told himself to close his mouth then nodded at what she said next. "No, but I make sure to visit my teens periodically to remind myself of my humble beginnings." He hopped to his feet, suddenly remembering they were supposed to be having wine. "Wine," he said by way of explanation for his sudden movement. He grabbed the room service card, wrote a note for a red and a white, forgoing the Cristal he'd threatened before. "Food?" he asked her as he opened the door to put the card in the box outside, waiting for her answer before he dropped it in.
She liked that though, the way his eyes stayed on her. That was the goal. Sure, it worked in modeling, but there was something different in it being Ash that was staring and not someone else. “I’m stuck in them I think.” At home her parents treated her like one, still asking about chores and work and making sure she didn’t sleep all day. The real reason they’d insisted she moved home was because she couldn’t handle paying her expenses at the apartment and after bailing her out for the millionth time her father pulled the plug on her lease and packed her things up to move her back into her bedroom. If he was going to pay her rent, he’d said, he might as well pay it to himself. She shook her head about food, trying to be casual about it, but she really didn’t need to eat. She’d had breakfast. She’d be good for a couple more hours.
Ash smiled, dropped the card in the box, and shut the door. He wandered back to where he'd been sitting and settled again, eyes on her. "You don't look like you're stuck in your teens," he said, knowing full well that hadn't been what she'd meant. Sure, she was small and youthful looking but she had an air about her that said she was older than perhaps she appeared. "You certainly don't kiss like a teenager."
Mai chuckled softly and shook her head. “No I don’t. I’m not supposed to. But living at home makes you feel that way. My bedroom looks almost exactly the same as it did when I was a teenager.” The same posters adorned her walls, never one for rockstars or movie stars, but prints of artwork and photographs were the same as they’d been then. Her stuffed animals from her youth were still piled in one corner. “I would hope not,” she said about how she kissed. “I like to think I grew up when it comes to that.”
"So change it? Or are you not home often enough for it to matter?" he asked, wondering why she'd leave things the same if it made her feel like a teenager. He nodded about her having grown up with respect to kissing. It was, in fact, addicting kissing Mai. But then everything about her was addicting as far as he could tell. "I think you're too far away for content, by the way," he said with a small, impish grin.
Mai blushed. “I keep hoping I’ll move out sometime soon,” she said with a little shrug. She kept hoping it was temporary, but it never was. She did smile at his comment though, getting up from the bed and starting towards him. “Where would be close enough?” she asked once she was within reach.
Ash smiled to see her blush. "I'm sure you'll be able to. From the photos you showed me, it's only a matter of time." Which he fully believed. With or without his help, which he was fully willing to give her, he felt she was nearly within sight of her goal. He watched her come closer, his eyes straying to the bottom edge of her skirt. He couldn't help it and he was probably asking for trouble but he didn't care. "Wherever you'd be most comfortable," he said, sitting back. "Just close."
Maybe it was something she should be ashamed of, but she liked the way his eyes drifted and she let herself focus on that instead of the same thing she kept telling herself day in and day out. It was only a matter of time. It would all happen sooner or later. She knew that. Moving a little closer she reached for his shoulder. “What if I’m comfortable with being really close?” she asked, curious if he’d want her that close. He’d invited her, but was that really his intention?
Ash had sat back for the express purpose of making himself available for her to be as close as she wanted to be. He ran a hand along her arm, looking up at her. He lifted a brow as if to say, "What if?" He smiled a bit rakishly then. "Entirely up to you," he said.
That got a smile out of Mai and she stopped trying to check her impulses. Instead she just went with it, moving to sit in his lap, straddling his legs so she was right next to him, not completely pressed against him, but close. It had her dress riding up her thighs not all the way to indecent, but definitely showing more skin.
The way in which she moved onto his lap was unexpected but by no means unwanted. "Perfect," he said, eyes on hers. His hands came to rest against her waist. "You've made it impossible for me to think seriously about anything today. I suppose I should simply confess that this is exactly where I've wanted you ever since waking up beside you this morning."
Mai let her arms drape lazily over his shoulders with a soft smile. “Is it now? You could have just asked,” she told him. “What other thoughts of me have ruined your train of thought?” She was curious what had been on his mind if this much had been. He was like a puzzle in a way, one she kept finding new pieces to the further into him she deleved.
"I'll make a note of that future reference," he said, fingers idly moving a little against the soft fabric of her dress. "Oh, the usual sort of thing," he replied, glancing down to her legs briefly, enjoying how warm she was against him. "Remembering last night." He realized he wasn't giving her much to go on but he was sure she could imagine well enough.
“You know the usual is different for everyone right?” she asked. She’d dated men who all thought what they liked was the ‘usual’ but it was always different from others once they got past the wanting to see her naked part. She shifted her hips to bring her closer, nuzzling his jaw lightly. “Which parts of last night?”
"Of course it is," he said with a cheeky smile. "But all the details of fantasies seems a bit much this early on in the game." In spite of the fact he definitely wanted her on his lap, he still felt reserved in some respects with regard to moving beyond where they'd already been. "The parts where you were sleeping," he said and his shoulders shook with silent laughter before giving her a serious answer. "The parts where you were close enough I could kiss you."
Mai nodded. “Something to look forward to I guess then.” Because she was curious what his fantasies were, what a great mind like his wanted when he didn’t want to be thinking about work. “I’m close enough now.”
Ash liked that she didn't push. It added a layer of trust with her for him. He nodded slowly because she was close enough he feel her breathing. He caught her mouth softly with his, his fingers pressing gently against her lower back as he kissed her.
If she hadn’t been sitting where she was, she might have pushed. But in that moment, he was close enough to just act on things and not wonder or ask questions. Later she could find out what he fantasized about and consider being them. She wasn’t really the type to change herself but adjusting for a night or so? That was thrilling sometimes wasn’t it? When he kissed her she hummed happily, back arching at his touch ever so slightly, obviously appreciating it.
He smiled to hear her. That was most definitely part of his fantasies. It was a foretaste of what it might be like to take her to bed. He slid his fingers upward along her back, deepening the kiss a little because he liked her response so far.
Mai’s body continued to arch with his touches and her fingers slid into his hair. She was starting to think that he could take her right here, loving how solid he felt under her, next to her. It was going to take a long while before she wasn’t thinking about him like this and what he could do to send shivers up her spine.
Ash knew he didn't want to be doing anything other than this and for a good long time. He liked the way she moved to his touch, liked knowing he could affect her as much as she affected him. Feeling her fingers in his hair, he sighed softly against her lips. He pulled back just a little, nibbling gently on her lower lip. He was quickly discovering that he was going to have a difficult time not letting imagination flow into reality.
Mai shifted in his lap when he nibbled on her lip, not meaning to, but not really able to help it. It was like she was searching for more purchase, trying to touch more of him, feel more of him. Her own imagination was running away with itself, set on whatever came next to be amazing.
Ash made a soft sound as she moved, unconsciously responding with a shift of his own. It was probably then that he stopped thinking about anything other than what felt good with her. He pressed his lips more firmly to hers then, kissing her with a faint edge of roughness. His touch became less gentle, turning more insistent along her back.
The roughness was appreciated and answered well as Mai let her fingers really twist in his hair, her other hand gripping his shoulder. She was still moving with his touches, back arching appropriately and answer the kiss with her own edge, but enough to let him still be in charge of the situation.
Ash's hands slid from her back to her legs, fingers finding her skin where the skirt had pushed up some. They didn't explore but rather held her close against him there. He liked the responding roughness, finding it encouragement to kiss her harder until he couldn't breathe and had to pull back slowly. He half opened his eyes after a moment of catching his breath to look at her.
Mai felt her legs tremble under his touch, too eager for him to explore her skin, but the way he held her in place was just as enticing. She would have kept kissing him until she passed out, but as he slowed and and pulled back, eventually she opened her eyes, catching his with a small smile.
His fingers moved against her legs then, mirroring her smile. His chest rose and fell a little too quickly still but that was fine because he wasn't going to give it a chance to go back to normal. He tilted his face a bit to kiss her jaw softly once before finding her lips again, leaning his head into the hand that was tangled in his hair.
She was truly shivering under his touches, tilting her head into his kisses as well, fingers twisting a little harder in his hair. She felt urgent, though she didn’t want to push it, it worked its way through her, coming out in her kisses.
Ash moaned quietly against her lips, his mouth pausing partly open when her fingers twisted in his hair. He felt the urgency as well, shifting slightly beneath her with the thought of picking her up and carrying her to the bed. He froze with the sound that came from the hallway, his heart pounding furiously. Reluctantly he pulled back. "The wine," he murmured.
Mai made a noise when he pulled away, but heard the knock on the door. She glanced towards it with a heavy sigh not wanting to move from where she was. She liked the moan, the kisses, all of it. Eventually she shifted, reluctantly moving off of him, surprised to feel her legs trembling beneath her as she moved towards the door to open it and claim the tray waiting. The white wine was in an ice bucket, already chilled, the red waiting and two sets of glasses for each kind of wine.
Ash stood when Mai did, taking several deep breaths so that he wasn't panting. His eyes followed her, trailing down her form as he briefly considered skipping the wine. He took the tray from her and set it on a side table. "Do you still want this?" he asked. "I'll pour you whatever you like." He picked up the bottle opener from the tray, pausing for her answer and because she was close and it was distracting.
Mai wondered if she should just say no, but they’d ordered it and honestly she probably could use it. She watched him for a moment before nodding, putting space between them to perch on the edge of the bed, wrapping her arms around herself, feeling chilled without him there. “White?”
Ash nodded, feeling a twinge of something close to disappointment when she moved away. "White it is," he said and made quick work of pulling the cork out of the bottle and pouring them each a glass. He didn't do it with flourish or anything, not a huge connoisseur of wine but he did manage to not spill it as he carried the glasses to the bed and sat beside her.
She took the glass as he came closer, holding it in both her hands. “No making fun of me for being a lightweight,” she warned gently, smile on her lips before she took a sip. She didn’t eat much out of habit and she didn’t drink much. It was probably a bad combination, but her nerves were on fire and she hoped the wine soothed that.
Ash settled a bit more and sipped his wine. He gave her an appraising smile as she took her own sip. "I make no promises if you do or say things that are worth considering amusing." He wondered what she might be like when she had been drinking a little. He was definitely not going to let her get too far gone. Or himself either. If anything happened between them he didn't want either of them to wonder if it should have.
“Well, if I’m meaning to be funny, then by all means,” Mai said sipping her wine again before turning, reaching with one hand to slip out of her shoes and then tuck one foot under her so she was facing him. “Can I ask you what else you were imagining?” she ventured, not wanting to lose where they’d been, but relieved she was getting a tiny break to catch her breath.
Mai was so curious that he realized he should never have told her if he didn't want to talk about it with her. Not that he didn't, but now that they weren't in the middle of things it felt too soon. Which he supposed was stupid considering where they were inevitably heading whether he was admitting that or not. He took a long sip of wine and said, "Well like what sounds you would make were I to touch you in different places."
Mai used her own glass to cover her impish grin, nodding a little before trying to sit up straighter. “Hopefully all good sounds. And it’s not to much.”
Ash hoped she wasn't making fun of him with that smile. She had wanted to know. He avoided looking at her for a moment under the pretext of thinking about what she had said. "Well like with most fantasy, it's just what one wants it to be," he said going vague again.
“True,” Mai agreed with a nod. “I guess the fun is finding out if reality lives up to the fantasy. You know, provided it does.” She shifted her glass to one hand and let the other creep across his leg, not high enough to be scandalous, but enough to get a point across. “Anything else?”
Ash nodded and gave her a ghost of a smile. "That is indeed the fun part," he agreed. He watched her hand moving along his leg and the image of Bianca attempting to seduce him wandered unwanted into his mind. How different it was when Mai touched him. He shrugged at her question. "Probably."
Mai pulled her hand back, turning again so she wasn’t looking looking at him. There she went again, too much and he didn’t want it. “Well, whenever you want to try, let me know.”
Ash finished his wine and set aside the glass. He reached for her hand, pulled it toward his mouth, and kissed the inside of her wrist. "Why'd you pull away?" he asked, eyes wonderingly searching what part of her face he could see.
When she looked at him her face was tentative, not quite sure of what to say. Him kissing her wrist like that was wonderful, something she’d wanted from him, but she wasn’t sure. “You didn’t seem interested,” she admitted softly.
Ash realized he must not have been hiding his physical reaction to the memory of Bianca. He shook his head and let his fingers caress the front and back of her hand. "A memory came to mind that I didn't want. Guess my poker face sucks. It wasn't your fault though."
“What kind of memory?” Mai asked, turning a little more as he shook his head. She wanted to get back to where they’d been, which meant she needed to be open herself right?
"A crazy woman tried to come onto me in the elevator earlier. It occurred to me how different it was when you touch me. It's wanted. " He shook his head again trying to dispel the memory.
“Did you tell her you were taken?” Mai asked, but her eyes went wide as soon as she did, looking into her wine glass and then finishing it off in one big gulp. She didn’t know that. How could she just say that?
Ash's brows raised slightly but only out of surprise. He had the faintest of smiles on his face as he mentally chuckled at her reaction to her own words. "I... no. I did tell her I was very uninterested and wished I had stayed in bed with you."
Mai got up to head to the wine bottle if only to catch her breath. “You told her you wished you’d stayed in bed with me?” she asked, not sure if that was what he’d meant. She held the bottle for a moment before refilling her glass and taking another hefty gulp. She felt her nerves rising again, not as sure of herself. She knew what she wanted, she did, but something about him made her anxious. Like she might screw it all up if she wasn’t careful and she really, really didn’t want to be careful.
Ash laughed out loud then though not loudly. "No, good grief, no, I didn't tell her that. If looks could kill I would have been dead without mentioning that." His brow furrowed as he watched Mai with the wine. "Hey," he said quietly. "Take it easy. What's wrong?" He got to his feet and took a step or two toward her.
“Can you blame her? You’re quite the catch.” She turned when he told her to take it easy, half hiding the glass behind her like she was a kid getting caught drinking underage. “Nothing’s...it’s fine. I’m fine. I wasn’t...doing anything.”
"She was starry-eyed over my money only. One or those girls who think all they have to do is flash a smile and I'll take them to bed." His words slowed as she reacted in a way that looked strange to him. "Is... are you..." He didn't even want to voice the thought that went through his mind. Was this a game? Did she need to fortify herself with alcohol so she could be with him?
“If that was all it took I’d have been your bed by now,” Mai said, trying to keep that going because it was easier than the question that came next. She didn’t take it the way he was thinking, but another way entirely and was denying it a quickly as she could. “No. I mean god no. I don’t have some sort of problem. I’m not one of those models.” She set the glass aside and ran her fingers through her hair, biting her lip. “You make me nervous sometimes. I thought it might help.” Being honest was embarrassing as hell, but she didn’t want to lie to him or let him think she was an alcoholic or something.
Ash shook his head. "Mai, I uh." He pressed his lips together and went silent for a moment trying to sort this out in his mind. Even if it wasn't a game, she needed alcohol to be with him? He was doing something very wrong if that was the case. He wasn't sure what to say so he ended up saying nothing.
Mai watched him, waiting for him to finish, but he didn’t. “What?” she prompted, needing to know what he was thinking.
"I don't think this is a good idea," Ash said after another long moment. He looked the way he felt, confused and unsure. "If you have to drink in order to be around me..." He let his voice trail off, shaking his head again.
“You don’t…” Mai started and then he finished and she could have kicked herself. “You think...You think that’s what this is? No...god no Ash. I don’t have to.” She reached for his cheek, making him look at her. “I know what I want and I’m so very good at getting what I want. I’m just worried I’m going to screw this up. And I thought that might slow me down or I don’t know…But it’s not so I can be around you. It’s more to keep from jumping you or saying something stupid. Which I did anyway.”
Ash looked hard at her when she touched his cheek, trying to decide whether or not she was being genuine. Mai was either being real or she was backpedaling big time on a scam. He wasn't sure which it was but the part of him that was utterly hooked on her jumped at the risk that it was the former. "What can I do to change that? The nerves you need to take the edge off of?" He wondered just how much of a lightweight she really was, if this was all going to be a moot point shortly.
Mai didn’t like that look. Not at all, but at least he didn’t say anything that went with it. She ran her thumb over his cheekbone before leaning up to kiss him hard, like he’d kissed her when she’d been in his lap. Her hand on his cheek shifted into his hair, pulling him towards her more. This was what helped. To stop thinking and talking and do something. Now all he had to do was answer and she wouldn’t feel so much like she was doing everything wrong.
Ash let her kiss rid his mind of everything else. It was illogical but he didn't care. He wanted to kiss and he did, just as hard as she was kissing him. His arms caught her up against him maybe a little too tightly. Yes, this. Exactly this. As much as he could get until he could hardly breathe.
God that made it better. Just kissing him helped ease her nerves. She pushed up on her toes to kiss him harder, to get closer all of it. Maybe she should say more, but kissing him did calm her nerves, better than the alcohol, even if it meant that she wanted more.
Ash made a soft sound as the kiss intensified, holding her against him and almost lifting her off her feet. What he wanted now was to push her back on the bed, pulling gently at her to follow him toward it. There was only this with Mai and it felt good. He wanted more. A lot more.
She half squeaked when her feet skimmed the floor and it took a moment to get her steps right as he pulled her towards the bed. It was enough to break off the kiss, but she got the idea, turning so her back was to the bed, watching his eyes.
Ash liked the sound she made, took some perverse pleasure in the fact her could catch her off guard. When she seemed to catch on to his intention he gave her a dark look that said his mind was far beyond where it had been moments before when he'd been doubtful. He only looked at her a moment before sliding his arms around her waist and pushing her up a bit onto the bed, following after to prop himself on an elbow beside her. Then he kissed her again, his teeth grazing her lower lip.
That was a look she liked a lot better than the first one and it left her not caring that she was pretty sure the dress had ridden up much higher than it was supposed to be, or that one strap had slipped off her shoulder. What she did care about was the way Ash could easily just toss her around to where he wanted her and kissing him back, one hand on his shoulder to pull him closer to her.
Ash settled down off his elbow onto his side when she pulled at him, scooting closer as one hand found her leg, grazing along the bare skin and doing his own gentle pulling. It felt good to take what he wanted from her, that she seemed to want exactly what he wanted. His mouth strayed away from hers then so he could breathe but kept his lips pressed to her skin, kissing along her jaw and throat.
Mai went where he coaxed, sliding more towards him, more in his arms. She liked that hand on her leg but more than that she liked his mouth on her skin. As he worked down her jaw and neck she tilted her head back giving him more purchase to kiss, more space to touch.
Ash was starting to wonder if this was okay. The more he did the more she seemed to simply go where he wanted her to. She'd initiated the kiss but she was kind of mute on the rest of it. He pulled back a little to look at her. "Is this okay?" he asked, feeling the need to verbally check in. He knew it was possible the wine had her fuzzy or sleepy. Maybe he was boring her. Maybe he'd been wrong about her intentions. That thought was starting to surface again.
She’d closed her eyes, enjoying his attention, but then he’d stopped and she found herself looking up at him confused by his question. “...Of course it is. Are you not okay?” she asked, pushing up so she was leaning back on her elbows. “You’re not doing anything I don’t want.” Except for the part where he’d stopped, but she managed to bite her tongue before saying that.
Ash felt misgivings niggling at the corner of his mind but he chose to believe her instead. "Just needed to ask," he said, refusing to be embarrassed for checking in. Especially considering the alcohol she'd ingested. Yeah, that was the reason. He slid a hand against the back of her neck and pulled her face down. This time his kiss was slow and lingering, desirous. His fingers found her shoulder and slid the other strap of her dress down her arm.
“Just don’t stop,” Mai managed before he kissed her. She’d expected that same hard, urgent kiss from before, but instead she got something else entirely. She answered it openly, trying to put what she was feeling into it, shivering as his hand moved the strap off her arm. It left her shifting closer to him wanting to feeling him against her, wanting to make it easier for him to touch more of her.
Don't stop. He didn't want to stop. Not this time. He nodded slightly that he'd heard her but he was too busy kissing her to really respond to her words. There was still an urgency to the way his mouth moved against hers, the way his body pressed against her. But it was more about exploring and explaining exactly what he felt about her which was utterly impossible to do with words. His touch carried the strap of her dress low enough for him to slide his fingertips against her back. He kind of wanted her out of the dress but that would do for now.
Mai shivered under his touch, goosebumps springing up across her flesh as she sighed softly into the kiss. She wanted him doing more of that and wanted him closer at the same time. Her leg hooked around his calf, drawing him towards her, wanting to get tangled up in him.
Ash smiled unintentionally against her mouth when she sighed. He felt the goosebumps beneath his fingertips, relishing them and chasing them along her skin before his hand drifted down to her leg again as she hooked it around his calf. He moved as close to her as he thought he could get and then his fingers pulled gently again at her leg, encouraging her to move it higher, get even closer.
Mai slipped her leg up higher, aiming for his hips, pulling him towards her more with that grip. Her hand found his hair, tangling it in it as she kissed him still. She liked his hands on her, his body pressed against hers, but she needed more, hand ducking under the hem of his shirt to find bare skin.
Ash's hand caressed along her leg as she brought it higher, loving the feel of her skin beneath his fingers. He pushed at the bottom of her skirt a little but didn't delve too far, simply enjoying the sensation of her. His breath caught in his throat as her hand found his skin, pushing out against it, seeking more of that. More of all of it.
Mai ran her fingers under his shirt more, feeling the encouragement there, working up towards his chest. She shifted in his hands so his fingers slid under her dress where she wanted them. She kept kissing him until she couldn’t stand it, but the moment she pulled back she was pulling at his shirt to get it off of him.
Ash shifted against her questing fingers, wanting her to touch him just as much as she wanted him to touch her. He half smiled as his fingers were pushed up under her dress, his thumb caressing her hip. He gave her his shirt, taking his hand from her and pushing up from the bed so she could have it. Then he settled down again, kissing her chin because he needed a moment to breathe. He always seemed to find himself at that point with her and he couldn't even complain. It felt so good.
Mai ran her fingers over bare skin, tilting her head back again with a happy little noise. She wanted more of that, more of his hand on her hip and his mouth on her skin. There was a slight hesitation and then her hand was drifting lower, down his abdomen to his jeans, already working there to expose more of him.
Ash had a momentary twinge of doubt at going so far as to let her have his pants but it didn't last long. The more of her against him, the better it would feel. His hand slid her dress upward as he ran his fingers along her ribs, taking it with them. His teeth grazed along her her jaw before finding her ear. "I want you," he whispered.
Mai shivered at the cooler air against her skin when her dress wound pushed up somewhere around her waist. She had been focused on his jeans, sure of what she was doing, but he was making her hands shake and it made it harder to get the button and zipper to work. Everything about the admission brought out a soft moan and a nod. “Please.”
Ash thought he felt a tremor and his jeans weren't coming away the way his shirt had so he covered her hands with his, feeling them shake a little. He pushed them gently away to unzip his own pants then pulled them back. He wanted to feel her take them herself. His mouth sought hers again as his hand found her ribs once more, questing upward over her breast.
Mai was trying to take it one small step at a time, surprised by how badly she wanted this and how deep of a reaction he was getting out of her. Maybe the wine had her a tiny bit lightheaded, but the sureness in his hands would have done her in no matter what. She pushed at his jeans, feeling like that was what she was supposed to do to get more of him. She kissed him back because she couldn’t not. When his hand found her chest though, she lost track of what she was supposed to be doing, hands somewhere near Ash’s hips, hooked in his jeans. The moan she let out into the kiss was low and eager, and her body arched more into his fingers, as if asking for more.
Ash had stopped trying to stop. He couldn't. She intoxicated him to the point he just wasn't able and when she’d asked him not to stop there was no way to turn back. That and how she had begun responding to him. It was almost wish fulfillment. He felt her pause when he found her chest, his fingers teasing there to find more of a response from her. He couldn't help though that when she moaned his hips shifted against her. His very physical response to all of this, to her, obvious as he did so.
This time Mai had to break off the kiss to moan, shivering against him, trembling under him. His hips shifting against her, feeling him there, had her hips grinding back in response, nails biting into his skin from where she was still holding on to him, trying to get him out of his jeans. Despite her reaction though it was enough to spur her on more, pushing at his pants, trying to get him out of them so she could slip out of her own underwear. ]
Ash's mouth opened in a gasp when she ground against him. He moaned a bit less than softly to feel her nails digging into his skin. She had him so for beyond innocent. His hand continued to move against her breast, only a little surprised that he hadn't come up against a bra which pleased him. He moved however she needed him to in order to free him of his pants. This. So this.
He was making it hard to think. Not that she needed to think all that much, but she needed to be concerned about a few things, like getting his pants out of the situation. Eventually she got them though, pushed them away with her feet before sitting up more and hooking her fingers on the hem of her dress to pull it up and off. The dress didn’t work with a bra and she didn’t really need one. Her underwear were tiny as well, as barely-there as the small tattoo on her ribcage, just under her breast.
Ash sort of sat up a little to watch her, glad his jeans were away and not constricting him anymore. But also glad that he could see her as she pulled the dress off. His fingers immediately went to the tattoo on her ribcage. He wanted to press his lips to it but was at the wrong angle. Instead his pulled her against his chest and kissed her mouth.
She knew exactly where his fingers were and while his touch felt good, it brought back the memory of the sparks of pain she’d felt while getting it. Not a bad memory at all, but a surprising one to come up with such a gentle touch. She went back with him though, gasping as the feel of his skin on hers, but letting herself get caught up in the kiss. Her hands twisted in his hair as her hips sought his, pressing against him again.
Ash wasn't sure what the tattoo was, he'd only caught a flash, but he liked the response he'd gotten. His fingers traveled upward over her breast again, teasing gently. He couldn't help but grind his hips against hers, needing more of her especially as she tangled her fingers in his hair. He might have cussed under his breath. She felt too good to be quiet.
Mai felt her back arch again, pushing her chest more into his hand, her hips harder against his. She kept one hand in his hair, but the other went lower, under the waistband of his boxers to wrap around him, pushing them past that point, giving him the sign that she knew what she wanted and she didn’t want to hold back.
His fingers closed around one nipple, rolling it gently as she pushed it into his hand. He couldn't help himself. He just wanted her raw and uncensored. Which apparently he didn't have to ask for as her hand found him beneath his boxers. He took in a sharp breath and then pushed against her touch, needing more of it.
In going for that he got a sharper noise, something moan like but more desperate, more twinged with a need she couldn’t explain. Her fingers worked against him, stroking lightly, just to get a reaction as well, hoping it pushed him to a point where he really took what he wanted.
Ash almost shocked himself with the force of which he pushed against her hand. He groaned and tried to stop moving, not wanting to come in her hand. He wanted her. Her. He rolled away for the briefest of moments, reaching into his nightstand where he knew would be exactly what he needed. Protection. He made quick work of it and moved back to kiss her, pull gently to get her to move closer again.