Cinders & Ash: A Cinderella Story (Passion-Filled Fairy Tales Book 3) (6 page)

It had been six days since she’d seen Ash and her back was feeling remarkably better. Faye had come by to put the salve on in those days immediately after and even her friend had been shocked at how amazingly quick Ella was healing. Faye had worked briefly for the apothecary, helping him to find and collect herbs but it hadn’t lasted and she had refused to tell Ella why. Still, Faye said the salve smelled like healing, though she couldn’t tell exactly what was in it.

Today, Ella had come into town to sell eggs to the baker again. Lady Kenna had instructed the baker to put the coins in a satchel, along with a note of the amount and his signature. Lady Kenna had clearly told the baker Ella was dishonest. She felt a flush of embarrassment at having to do the task this way now. Still, the baker treated her with kindness and the same jovial spirit as before.

In fact, Lady Kenna’s plan of making Ella go through the humiliation of making the baker think she was a thief backfired. He seemed to think Lady Kenna cruel and was even kinder to Ella. “I could get eggs here in the city,” he told Ella today. “But, I like yours because they are plump and round, and you only get eggs like that by loving the chickens. And you do, Ella. You bring joy to all those around you.”

It had been a kind thing for him to say, and she thanked him. If only she could bring money along with the joy. Or if only she could actually bring joy to Lady Kenna, perhaps her stepmother wouldn’t be such a shrill, awful human being.

Ella had some extra time, as she was walking quicker than Lady Kenna expected. She’d not let on about the healing salve, and moved slowly and ploddingly at home, so Lady Kenna thought she was healing at a normal rate and didn’t expect as much from her. She went around to Faye’s room to see if she was there, but when Ella knocked on the door and called out, she got no answer.

She sighed. Ella had wanted to thank Faye again for all of her help, but would have to see her next time she was in town. Ella decided to walk around some of the back streets on a whim, just to go a different way. She might also see Faye as her friend sometimes took this way home, because she didn’t like the bustle of the crowded market streets.

As she walked, Ella stumbled across a piece of chalk on the ground. It seemed a fortuitous thing, so she picked it up and decided to draw a small picture on the cobblestones. It would wash away in the next rain, but she thought perhaps it might brighten someone’s day. Ella quickly drew a lovely little flower with the sun shining on it. She smiled and then set the chalk back on the ground along the edge of a building, not far from her drawing. Perhaps someone else would add to it, or the person who dropped the chalk would come back for it and find that it had made the world brighter.

As she stood to head home, she bumped into someone and almost fell backwards. Only, the person she bumped into wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. She was so startled by the whole thing, that all she could do was look up.

“Cinders,” said Ash, who was wearing a hooded cloak. He kept his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her tight toward him. “What are you doing here?”

“I…,” she started, but lost her train of thought as she stared into his hazel eyes. They were so clear and focused on her that she wanted nothing more than to stand there trapped in his gaze. They were such a beautiful color, here in the sunlight, she thought as she stared trancelike into them. She realized he was waiting for an answer, so spoke. “I was walking. I didn’t see you.”

He smiled at her. “Your eyes are bluer in the sunlight,” he said.

She blushed and lowered her gaze to realize he was still holding her. She liked it, the way his body felt, sturdy and strong, pressed against hers. “I’m on my way home,” she said, not sure what else to say.

“If it’s not far,” he said. “I could walk you.”

She looked up at him. He wanted to walk her home? It was unexpected and sweet. Only, she could never explain that to Lady Kenna. Plus, the home didn’t meet his first requirement; it wasn’t near. She pulled back from him and his arms loosened their grip, allowing her to slide away. His smile waned as she did so. She shook her head. “I don’t live nearby. And my mistress,” she said and then gave a shiver. “You can’t walk me.”

He sighed, then tipped his head toward her backside. “How are you healing?”

Ella couldn’t help but smile. “Very well,” she said. “You’ll never understand how much it meant to me, that you helped me.”

“Anyone would have,” he said.

She shook her head. “No. Just someone kind. I appreciate that.”

“Don’t give it another thought,” he said. “I’m just glad you’re better. And I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. You’re still coming, right?”

She nodded. “Yes, I’ll be there.” She took a step away from him. She needed to get back to Lady Kenna. She’d already wasted time drawing. She looked down at the picture and it made her smile. No, it hadn’t been a waste of time.

“Did you do that?”

She nodded again. “It’s just a trifle,” she said. “I thought it might brighten someone’s day.”

“That’s kind of you,” he said. “I must admit it’s brightened my day. But not as much as running into you.”

“You’re too kind.”

He shook his head. “I’m just honest,” he said. “I’ve thought of you often.” He walked toward her again. This time, he reached out and took her free hand into his.

She liked the way his smooth fingers gingerly grazed the top of her hand. Firm, yet gentle and reassuring. “I’ve thought of you, too,” she said. She smiled at him and was prepared to say more when she heard footsteps. Someone was coming. She couldn’t be seen here with him. Lady Kenna might find out. Her back started to ache at the thought of it and the blaze of the branch upon her returned with vivid horror. She pulled her hand from Ash’s and started to walk away quickly. “I must go,” she said, with just a glance back.

In that glance, he stared at her, seemingly torn as well. As if he too had heard the approaching footsteps and, like her, wanted to flee, but wanted to stay, too. She couldn’t stay to find out what he did. She just kept walking quickly, heading away from town.

* * *

Ashton couldn’t believe his good fortune in literally bumping into Cinders on the street. She was even prettier in the light of day, and he was going to see her tomorrow. He smiled the entire walk back to the castle.

It had been nice to get out and about for a little bit, without anyone’s notice. He snuck back to the lower level of the castle and found a small room on the south side of the castle. It was a near identical to the one he used with Cinders, but on the opposite side of the building.

He knocked three times and a voice bade him enter. When he walked in, he found his cousin, pulling on his boots as he sat on the edge of a bed. The sheets on the bed were rumpled, there were silk sashes tied to the bedposts, and a candle dripping a copious amount of wax onto a silver tray was burning atop a small table near the bed.

“I trust you’ve had a good afternoon, Leith,” Ashton said.

Leith, a tall blond man with broad shoulders and a slightly pronounced forehead, grinned. “But of course,” he said. “And you?”

“Absolutely,” Ashton replied. “So, before we head up for dinner with my parents, what is it we’ll say we were doing all afternoon?”

“Chess,” Leith said, with a wink, as he ran his fingers through his blond locks.

“A draw?” Ashton asked. “I won two games, you won two.”

Leith shook his head. “I won two, you won one.”

Ashton rolled his eyes. “Must you always win?” Ashton asked.

Leith nodded and laughed. “Yes.”

Ashton glared. His cousin was older by two years and liked playing the role of the older, wiser man. On these occasions, Ashton preferred the company of his other cousin, Leith’s brother Chandler. But Leith had perks too. He was the picture of discretion and was always willing to help cover for Ashton if he wanted to sneak out. “Seems a draw is fair, and judging by the looks of this room,” Ash said, inclining his head toward the sashes hanging from the bedposts, “you’ve had much more fun on your afternoon than I did.”

Leith shrugged. “True, but if your mother were to hear about my afternoon activities, she wouldn’t give one wit. If she were to hear about yours, she’d be quite upset.”

Ashton sighed. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Two for you and one for me.”

Leith stood and walked over to his cousin. “Good suggestion,” he said with a wink. “Why don’t I tell you about my real afternoon? The lady Heinrich found for me was absolutely delightful.”

Sneaking out had been a great deal easier than Ella had anticipated. Lady Kenna appeared to be expressing some remorse for her actions because she’d told Ella to rest and go to bed following dinner. She said she and the girls would clean the kitchen, which was astounding. Lady Kenna never offered to do anything for Ella. She’d almost thought it was a trick, but then Lady Kenna took her aside and apologized for reacting too strongly about Mr. Halliwell. “You still may not work for him, but the punishment was too harsh,” she had said. “Please rest tonight and try to heal.”

If she hadn’t promised Ash that she would come, she probably wouldn’t have snuck out. Good fortune appeared to be returning to her life. Perhaps Lady Kenna was finally changing for the better. Perhaps there wasn’t a need to save up such a sum and leave.

She practically skipped all the way to the castle for her reunion with Ash. When she arrived, she saw the same man standing at the door. His name was Heinrich, she thought. Gertrude had told a story about him when she was putting the salve on Ella’s back. She walked up to him and was wondering if she should say the line about the royal nuts, when he simply smiled at her and said, “Come this way.”

She smiled back and followed him. It was much like the time before and he led her through corridors to the same room. Only this time was different. Ash wasn’t sitting in a chair and he wasn’t wearing his eye mask. It was just him, seated on the bed, wearing a crinkled brown shirt and black pants. No shoes again.

“Cinders,” he said, patting a spot on the bed next to him. “Come, sit.”

She walked over and sat next to him. She felt a bevy of butterflies in her stomach, and gooseflesh forming on her skin. Her face flushed and she looked down at the floor, not quite able to face him.

“You needn’t be nervous,” he said. “I’ll be gentle with you.”

Easier said than done, but she nodded as if she were ready. She smiled and said, “Let’s start, shall we?” Ella wasn’t even sure where or how to begin, but she figured her nerves would end if they just did what they were supposed to do.

He grinned at her. “You’re very businesslike about this.”

Had she said the wrong thing yet again? She wondered why in the world he had any interest in her at all given how often she said the wrong thing. She took a deep breath, and said. “I’m sorry. I’m nervous. What should I do?”

Ash stroked her cheek, his fingers skimmed her flesh, and she tried to breathe deeply and evenly, for the sensation was making all the ideas in her head and air in her throat leave her. “Just relax,” he said. “And let me take over.

He leaned in and kissed her, his soft lips pressing firmly to hers. Hot and fervent, his tongue explored her mouth. She forgot her nerves, her name, she forgot everything that wasn’t him. His hands fumbled at the ties of her dress and pulled it slowly off, while his fingertips glided along her bare back. The pain of a week ago was now forgotten, with only the soft tingles of passion to replace it.

Ella leaned back onto the soft mattress with Ash on top of her. He pulled back and smiled at her as he tugged the dress the rest of the way off of her. He glanced down at her and said, “I want you to close your eyes and relax.”

A flutter of nerves in her tummy gave her pause, but she swallowed and closed her eyes. She couldn't see him now, but she heard a rustle of fabric, and it sounded like he was removing his shirt. A moment later, she felt his hands on her legs, gently pushing them apart. Wet tongue, warm breath, floated along the edge of her thigh. Higher, higher he went, and she felt her insides moistening as he got closer to her opening.

He licked her insides and she gasped, as the flow of ecstasy proceeded, her legs widening to accommodate him. She tilted her hips up to feel him better, the way his tongue caressed her insides, the way her body trembled with joy in response. The feeling overwhelmed her, leaving her breaths ragged and shoving all thoughts from her head, except that she wanted him.

He removed his head from between her legs and kissed the soft hair above her opening, then he kissed her belly button and worked his way up her stomach, then to her breasts. He cupped them both in his hands and then drew the left into his mouth, suckling the nipple, as his fingers gently massaged it, her entire body responding to the touch with a rapturous quiver.

She reached out to touch him, to pull him closer, when he grabbed each of her arms and placed them over her head, holding them down. She opened her eyes, startled at his response. He grinned, though his gaze was as intense as the firm grip pinning down her arms. “I touch you, right now,” he said, leaning in and kissing her. “You don’t touch me. Not yet.”

His firmness and command of the situation, oddly enough, made her want him more. Her entire body ached for him. She nodded and he released his grasp on her and went back to his task, which seemed to be to bring her to the brink of madness for him. He was relentless with his mouth, raking his tongue over every sensitive piece of flesh he could find — her lips, her nipples, her breasts, her neck, her ear, all the while stroking her thighs and tickling her insides. She was overwhelmed and didn’t think she could take another moment without him inside her.

“Please,” she whispered.

“Open your eyes,” he said, and she opened them again and saw his muscular arms supporting his weight as he hovered above her. She looked down the line of his chest, down his abdomen to his man piece, which was large and hard, and she wanted to feel it plunge inside her. Instinctively, she knew only that would satisfy her yearning. “Look into my eyes,” he said. “I want to see your face.”

She looked at him and he lowered himself. She felt the rim of him inside her and opened wider in anticipation of more, so much more. He grinned and lunged forward. “Now you can touch,” he whispered in her ear. She inhaled and let the fierce torrent of pleasure consume her. Everything about him was motion, smooth, pounding forceful, and she was his willing subject, glad to receive every thrust he blessed her with.

Her hands found his back, clenching him and pulling her toward him as he pushed deeper into her. Her breath was uneven as he slammed into her gluttonously, and she responded in kind, sliding her hands down to his ass, squeezing him to her as she rocked her hips in rhythm with him.

The moment she thought she was done for he would slow his pace and caress her body, pulling him close to her, and then he’d quicken his pace, prodding her with his manhood; agile, firm, and unrelenting. She was overflowing as he pressed himself into her ravenously. She felt him pulse and shiver and she heard herself cry out as her body spasmed in bliss. He collapsed on top of her, kissing her gently on the forehead and rolling off to lie next to her.

Ella’s breathing quelled and she closed her eyes as she tried to let all the new sensations settle on her body. She breathed out and she felt a finger glide across her cheek. “Did you enjoy that?” Ash asked.

She tilted her head and kissed the fingers that had been stroking her cheek. “Of course, I did,” she admitted. He broke into a genuine smile. “Did you?” she asked. “I mean, I feel like maybe I didn’t do enough.”

He shook his head. “You did plenty,” he said. “Besides, I want you to enjoy yourself, so you’ll come back. If I didn’t ensure you enjoyed yourself, you might just decide you would never do this again.”

She raised an eyebrow. That was clever. For she had been ambivalent about this whole thing, prior to doing it. He had somewhat allayed her fears with his kindness in their previous meetings, but this, this had definitely been the most assuring part. This she could do. It didn’t carry any of the sadness that Faye admitted to experiencing after her brief forays into prostitution.

She felt Ash pull her hand into his. “So, you’ll come back?”

Could she, without Lady Kenna finding out? She didn’t care. She’d figure out a way. “Yes, I’ll come back.”

“Tomorrow?”

She laughed. “I don’t know,” she said. “I feel like I’ll need more time to rest.”

He squeezed her hand. “I don’t think you will,” he said. “I think you’ll be ready for more tomorrow.”

More? She was about sure that today was all she could handle. Now he wanted to do more. “You’re quite confident.”

“Of course I am,” he said with a grin. “I’m the — I’m a man who, when I see something I want, I make sure I get it.”

She nodded, feeling a tad like she’d been slapped. She was simply a thing he wanted. Not a person, but a thing. Her warm feelings from moments ago were fading. She released his hand and sat up. “I need to get back or else I’ll get in trouble. They might discover I’m gone.”

Ash sat up too. “Surely, you can stay just a little while longer. There’s no need to run off so soon. I can have Heinrich saddle a horse and take you back. That will get you home quicker.”

She shook her head. “No, the horse would wake everyone. I need to get home on my own, and I need to go now.”

He wore a frown with a crinkled brow. “Very well, then,” he said. “But, you’ll come back tomorrow night, at the same time?”

She swallowed, not sure she still wanted to come back. “Yes,” she said, as she found her dress and pulled it on, then slipped into her shoes. “But, I have to go now.”

She went to the door, and was opening it when Ash said. “Heinrich will pay you.”

She had come for the pay. She had been so desperate for money when she had shown up at his door a week ago, that she thought there was nothing she wouldn’t do to get away from Lady Kenna. Yet, the feeling of dismissal she sensed as he offered her money, the way he looked down at the bed, not at her, made her feel ashamed to be here. She went out the door and found Heinrich. He smiled at her, a toothy, friendly grin. Then, his eyebrows smooshed together and he held out a hand to her, “Are you alright, milady?” he asked her.

She nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. And you can call me Cinders.”

“Cinders,” he said kindly. “I’m glad you’re fine.”

Ella heard panting and turned to her left to see a tall blond man rounding the corner. His clothes were fine and neat, and his face would certainly be considered handsome. He had a strong jaw, a nose slightly rounded at the tip and deep brown eyes. “Heinrich,” the man said, and Heinrich looked at him apprehensively. “The King would like to see you.”

“At this hour?” Heinrich replied.

“Yes, and he was wondering why you weren’t in your chambers,” the man said. “I told him I’d look around for you, and I came straight here. You’ll need to have an excuse for him if you don’t want him to know where you’ve been. But you need to go now. You don’t wish to keep the King waiting.”

Heinrich pursed his lips and looked at Ella. He handed her the bag of money. “Do you think you can find your way out?”

Ella looked down the hallway. It appeared dark and foreboding and she actually wasn’t sure.

“I’ll take her,” the blond man said. “Just go on up or else my uncle will have your head.”

Heinrich nodded and went in the other direction. The man motioned Ella to come over. He looked her up and down, and smiled. “I know who you are,” he said. “I see why he was so excited about you. You’re quite fetching.”

The blond man started to walk and she followed behind him a pace. He slowed a step until he was by her side, then he placed a hand on her ass cheek and squeezed. She was so startled, she stopped and gaped. “Take your hand off,” she said.

He removed his hand and took a step back. “I see. You’d like to be paid first,” he said. “I understand completely. Working girl like yourself can’t earn a cent if she gives it away for free.”

The man started moving forward and Ella was thankful for that. She wanted nothing more than to get out of here. To get away from this place.

“If you’re up for it, I might like to have at you too. Next time, you can start with me and move onto him, perhaps. Or maybe I can get another girl and we can have fun as a foursome?”

Ella tried not to retch. The thought of this vile man touching her made her want to vomit. Up ahead, the dark hall seemed to lighten and she knew that was the exit. They were almost at the end of this labyrinthine tunnel. She sped up, leaving the man behind and walked out the door and into the fresh air, without another word.