Fighting For Your Love Read online

  “Stick it in my ass, Kaden.”

  “You want me to fuck your ass, baby?”

  “Yes!”

  “You got it, baby. Lining my cock up, I would slowly push in until you are completely full of me. Then I would reach forward and wrapping your hair in my hand, I would fuck your ass. I would make you rub on your clit so we would come at the same time. Are you rubbing on your clit, Ash?”

  “Yes, yes, Kaden! I am about to come.” Looking down at my cock I am jerking back and forth, I can feel myself about to come as well.

  “Where do I come, Ash? In that sweet ass of yours or all over your ass and back?”

  “In my ass. Holy shit! I’m coming, Kaden.” Watching her throw her head back in ecstasy pushes me over the edge and my hot seed spurts out all over my hand and stomach as she moans into the phone coming as well. After a few seconds of quiet, I ask, “You still there?”

  Ashley’s eyes open and she looks at me shyly. “Yeah, I’m here. Umm… Kaden…”

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “Can we do that for real when I get home?”

  My dick throbs. “Hell, yes, we can. You don’t have to ask me twice.”

  Ashley giggles into the phone. “I’m going to get cleaned up. I will see you tomorrow. Love you, Kaden.”

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ashley

  It’s been almost a month since I got upset while trying to plan the wedding. Since then I have noticed my emotions are all out of whack. My mood swings are getting worse and I am crying over the littlest things. Physically, I have sore boobs, I am feeling sick all the time, and I missed my period, again. I would say all signs point to me being pregnant but I haven’t picked up a test yet.

  Work has been crazy busy. Caleb went through with the sale of Assets. He sold it to Benjamin, who has decided to keep things the way they are for now. I am managing the club for the most part while Benjamin assesses everything. It’s Friday night and Benjamin had to fly to the East Coast. He is living in New York for the most part and has a newer club there he needs to be hands-on with. I guess there are some issues which need to be dealt with.

  After confirming the schedule and lineup for the night, I meet with Bianca to discuss the private parties for the evening. I can already tell it’s going to be a busy night. I check on the tables, the bar, then work my way upstairs. When I get to the dressing room to check on the girls, there is utter chaos.

  “What is going on?” Michelle a newer dancer is packing her stuff up while Veronica is screaming profanities at her back. I’m confused because not only are they best friends but they are roommates.

  “Whoa! Calm down. Veronica, what are you upset about?”

  “This bitch slept with my boyfriend.”

  “You said you were broken up!”

  “It doesn’t matter!”

  They are about to start a cat fight when Steve, the bouncer on duty breaks it up. “Both of you, let’s go.” They both yell and scream but he’s not having it, forcing them to leave with him.

  “We are now short three dancers,” Savannah says.

  “Three?”

  “Yeah, Stephanie called out. She wasn’t feeling well.”

  “Ok, let me go down and check the schedule.”

  I get over to the hostess stand and take a look at the reservations for the night.

  “We are going to have to cancel the party. I don’t have a dancer.”

  “These men are VIP’s who do dealings with Benjamin. Are you sure it’s a good idea to cancel them?”

  “No, but I don’t know what else to do.”

  I have tried to reach Benjamin several times but his phone just keeps going to voicemail. I know the logical thing to do would be for me to cancel their party but I am afraid Benjamin will fire me for incompetence. He leaves and one girl calls out, two get into a fight, leaving me short staffed.

  “Ashley, they are here.” The gentleman all walk in and you can tell they scream of money. They are going to be pissed if I have to tell them, I have nobody to entertain them. Without thinking, I tell her to send them to the room and go to the dressing room to get changed. I will just have to handle this one party myself. I know deep down Kaden is going to be pissed when he finds out, but I’ll explain to him it was a one-time thing and figure out from Benjamin what he wants me to do in this situation in the future, since there’s no way I will be making this a regular occurrence.

  I borrow one of Savannah’s outfits, a sexy see through top with leather booty shorts. I won’t strip down completely naked. I will just dance, and get them some drinks. Maybe they won’t even want lap dances. Who am I kidding? Of course, they are going to want lap dances. I will figure it out.

  “You’re stripping tonight?” Savannah comes into the dressing room.

  “I don’t know what else to do. We’re short several girls and the party I was going to cancel are apparently associates of Benjamin’s.”

  “Ok, how about you do the dance, and by the time you’re done, I should have my tables under control, and I can take over and do the rest?”

  “Oh, my god! Thank you!”

  I quickly apply some makeup doing a quick smoky eye, then throw on a pair of my shiny black fuck-me heels.

  I take the back hall to the room then slip in the back to turn on the music and start my dance. The dance goes well. It reminds me I need to find time to take my pole dancing lessons again. I really enjoy them when my clothes are all on… and stay on.

  After the song ends, I don’t see Scarlett yet so I do one more dance hoping to buy some time. About half way through the song and about to remove my bra when I see Scarlett walk in to take drink orders. I’m so thankful she’s got my back. Dancing is bad enough, at least I don’t have to explain giving lap dances to Kaden.

  As I am walking back to the dressing room to get changed back into my work clothes, I am pushed against the wall from behind.

  “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” I recognize the voice but can’t place it right away. Before I can twist back to get a view of the guy’s face, he grabs my hair and pulls my head up violently. The hairs on my head feel like they’ve been ripped from my skull.

  “Please don’t hurt me.” I try to push against the man but he’s stronger than I am.

  “Hurt you? I’m about to make you feel so good.” His breath is hot and I choke on the smell of the alcohol dripping off him.

  “Please, don’t do this.” I beg still not sure who this is, but know this can’t end well. We are in a dark hallway and nobody but management comes back here. Taking my sharp heel, I stomp on his feet, which only pisses him off further.

  “You think you can walk around here dressed like a slut and not get fucked? You are nothing more than a cock-tease. It’s time you act on it.”

  Keeping my hair firmly in his hand, he pushes me toward the office. Benjamin’s office. I start to yell for help but he covers my mouth with his hand. I try to open my mouth to bite his hand but I can’t get a firm grasp on his skin. We get to the door and I pray Benjamin is in there but know he won’t be. Once he has closed the door behind us, he throws me onto the couch and I finally get a look at him.

  “Eric?” It’s the gentleman from Double D’s, the man whose son I used to teach. The same man who turned me in and got me fired.

  “We never finished what we started. I saw you a couple weeks ago when I came here and knew one day I would get my chance, and then while looking for the bathroom I stumbled down the wrong hallway only to see you once again dressed like the fucking tramp you are. I knew it was meant to be.”

  “Look, Eric. I’m sorry. I never tried to tease you. Please don’t do this. I’m engaged to be married.”

  “I don’t give a shit! You ruined my life. After I reported you to the board. The principal told my wife! She left me and I’ve lost everything. It’s all your fault! And for what? I didn’t even get to fuck you.”

  Eric undoes his belt and drops his pants
. I look around to see if there’s a weapon to use on him but there’s nothing more than a tissue box. Then I remember I still have my heels on, and pulling my legs back, I kick at him as hard as I can, trying to delay him from entering me as I scream at the top of my lungs. “HELP!!!! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!!!!”

  Eric jumps on top of me, covering my mouth with his hand. I bite down on his palm, hard enough that I can taste blood and scream again. “HELP!!! I NEED HELP!!!!”

  “Bitch! Shut the fuck up!” Eric slaps me across my face, and grabs my shorts, pulling them down. I kick my legs, trying to stop him but it does no good.

  I feel sick to my stomach, like I’m going to throw up but I don’t give up. I keep kicking and screaming until there’s a punch to my face. My head feels fuzzy and everything goes black.

  “Ashley! Ashley! Open your eyes.”

  My eyes open at the sound of Benjamin’s voice. “Everything is going to be ok, Ashley. I’ve called Kaden and the police just arrived. That fucker is being detained as we speak. He didn’t get a chance to rape you. I walked in, in time. Fuck! Are you ok?”

  “He didn’t rape me?” I feel sick as I recall Eric on top of me. I jump from the couch and make it to the trash can just in time, throwing up everything in me.

  “No, he didn’t. Here, put your shorts back on.” He hands me the tiny leather shorts Eric pulled off me. “My schedule got all messed up and my flight was delayed. I came straight here to meet with my business associates. I walked in and Eric was hovering over you but nothing happened. I called Kaden.”

  After wiping my mouth with the tissues, it hits me. He called Kaden. “Why would you call Kaden?”

  “WHY THE FUCK WOULDN’T HE CALL ME?” Kaden storms into the office and takes me into his arms. “You were attacked! Why the hell wouldn’t your boss call your fiancé?”

  “I’m sorry.” Hot tears spill down my cheeks. Kaden steps back to assess me. “Why are you in a stripper costume?” His eyes sear into mine before he jerks his vision to Benjamin. Kaden grabs him by the collar, pushing him against the desk. “Why the fuck is my girl in a stripper costume?”

  “Kaden! Stop! Don’t hurt him, please. He didn’t know.”

  “Didn’t know what?” Kaden still has Benjamin pinned. Benjamin could easily fight back or push him away but he doesn’t.

  “Three girls called out and I didn’t know what to do. I just danced on stage. I didn’t do any lap dances or take off my undergarments, I swear.”

  Benjamin shakes his head. “Ashley, you shouldn’t have done that. I appreciate you going above and beyond but you should have just cancelled a party.”

  Kaden lets go of Benjamin and comes toward me. “You promised to never strip again.” He says the words slow and so low I barely hear them.

  “I know. I’m sorry.” I look at Benjamin. “It was some associates of yours and I didn’t want to cancel on them.”

  “Ashley, you are a manager. If you weren’t here, do you think I would have stripped down and danced?” I appreciate the humor but Kaden isn’t having it.

  There’s a knock on the door. It’s a police officer and he asks me if I can please recall what happened. I start from the beginning replaying the events that led to the assault, and when I get to the part where Eric slapped me, Kaden growls out. “That fucker is dead.”

  I continue to recount what happened until I blacked out from the punch to my temple. Once Kaden hears I’m ok and wasn’t raped, he stands up. “Let’s go home.”

  The it hits him. Tristan! “Who’s watching Tristan?”

  “Liz is with him.”

  The drive home is silent and once we get inside, I thank Liz for coming over last minute.

  “Anytime. Is everything ok?” She looks at Kaden warily.

  “I was kind of assaulted at work.” I try to whisper so Kaden won’t hear me and freak out, again.

  “Oh no! Are you ok?”

  “Yeah, I am.” My eyes shift to Kaden who is looking down on his phone. Liz, thankfully gets the message.

  “I’m going to go.” She gives me a hug. “If you need anything, please let me know.” She closes the door behind her and I wait a few minutes for Kaden to say something. When it’s obvious he’s not going to say a word, I do. “I know you are mad but can we talk about this?”

  He looks up from his phone then walks away from me.

  I follow him into our room where he packs a bag. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to stay at a hotel.”

  “Are you leaving me?” My words come out broken as my body starts to freak out. The last time I watched a man pack a bag, it was Tyler, and my reaction to him leaving was relief. Right now, I feel the opposite of relief. I begin to panic.

  “Kaden, please talk to me. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for dancing. I’m sorry for leading that guy on.”

  “What the fuck did you just say?” Kaden stops packing and glares at me. I repeat what I said.

  “I don’t give a fuck if you were walking around buck-naked. You didn’t lead anyone on. That fucker was wrong! He had no right to put his hands on you without your permission.”

  “Then why are you leaving me?”

  “I just need some time, Ash. I get you want independence but you chose to take your clothes off and willingly dance for other men tonight. We have more money than we will ever need but you insist on working and I have accepted that. But what you did tonight, I’m not ok with. And you promised. I don’t blame you for being assaulted. That guy is a piece-of-shit. But you promised not to strip anymore and you lied.”

  He zips up his bag and walks down the stairs and out the door, causing me to jump as it slams behind him.

  I listen for the revving of his car engine as he drives away then I sink down the back of the door and with my face in my hands, I cry. I cry until there’s no tears left to cry. Then I grab a blanket from the hall closet and fall asleep on the couch. There’s no way I am sleeping in our bed without Kaden.

  I get up in the morning and feel hungover. I guess ugly crying for hours will do that to a person. I check my phone for any missed calls or texts but there’s none. I remember from when Tyler left all those years ago, keeping busy is the best way to live in denial, so I make Tristan pancakes and eggs for breakfast, then wake him up to come eat. It’s Saturday morning so technically he could sleep in but I need the distraction. While he’s scarfing down his food, he reminds me of Bella’s upcoming birthday party.

  “Next weekend is Bella’s birthday party! Can we go pick out her gift today?”

  “Sure, sweetie. Finish your pancakes and get dressed. Do you have anything in mind?”

  “I’m not sure. I need to think about it.”

  “Ok, I’m going to jump in the shower.”

  After we are both dressed and I put on some cover up to cover the faint black and blue marks on my face, we head to the mall to pick out Bella’s gift. Kaden is on my mind the entire time, though. Where did he go? Is he staying with a friend? Will he come back? Are we over for good? I fucked up and broke his trust in me. What should I do or say to make it better?

  And that’s how the entire week goes. I try to text him a few times but he only responds letting me know he’s ok. I go by the gym to see if he’s there but he’s not. Nobody mentions anything so I don’t bring it up. His mom calls me a couple times but I’m afraid she will ask for Kaden and then I will have to admit he left me, so I don’t. When Tristan asks about Kaden, I tell him he’s out of town. It’s technically not a lie, right?

  By the end of the week I am sick to my stomach with worry. I called in sick to the club and Benjamin was more than understanding. Not knowing where Kaden and I stand, now is not the best time to take off work and risk the chance of losing my job, but between the crying and throwing up, I can’t get myself to function properly let alone go to work.

  If I wasn’t sure before, I am positive now that I am either pregnant or I have a horrible case of the flu, and the way I am throwing up and sick to my stomach I am co
nsidering the latter. I don’t remember ever throwing up this badly with Tristan. I make a note to make an appointment with my doctor to confirm one way or the other.

  I decide to go over my bills, figuring out which ones to pay first. I log into my account and see way too many freaking zeros in the balance. Clicking on the account overview, I see a deposit was electronically made four months ago! How the hell did I not bother to check my account for that long? Thinking back, I haven’t gotten any debt collection calls in a long time. My paycheck is direct deposit and the only money Kaden lets me spend of my own is when I go to the grocery store. I’ve been so busy with my new life with Kaden, I haven’t bothered to deal with everything else.

  Sadly, after I borrowed the money from Giovanni, I stopped paying the credit card debts and just let them all go to collections. I’m going to need to get them up-to-date. With the ridiculous amount of money sitting in my account, I will finally be able to pay off all my debt and have a fresh start. I sign in to the various debt collectors I owe money to but every single one shows a zero balance. I log on to check my credit score, to see what’s still outstanding and it shows everything is current! The previous delinquencies are still on there, bringing down my score but I don’t owe anything. Every single one says satisfied in green. Kaden must have taken care of everything.

  After logging out, I join Tristan on the couch to watch his movie with him. My phone goes off and I check it hoping it will be Kaden. It’s a group text with Liz, Hayley, Kayla, and me.

  Hayley: Let’s all do something fun with the kids. Caleb is busy at the gym training.

  Liz: I’m down.

  Kayla: Parrrttyyyyy!

  Hayley: Ashley??

  I go to type I’m not feeling well but that would raise questions I’m not ready to answer yet, so instead I type back: OK.

  We all agree to meet at Wet ‘in’ Wild, a huge waterpark. The little ones will enjoy it and so will Marco. We meet up in the front, pay, and once in the park, find a shaded spot to lay our towels down on a couple of lounge chairs.