One Night With Mr Braxton

” Who instructed you to bring her in here?” Asher’s tone was grave the second time he asked. He willed himself to be calm and understanding, but it was damn hard.

Mrs Adams straightened up.” You said to take her to the-” She made to explain but was cut off rudely.

” Are you dumb?” Asher was seething, unreasonable. ” What do you not understand in – No one is allowed HERE?” He bellowed, losing it by the minute.

Emma couldn’t stay still, ” Watch your tone. She only brought me here because-”

” For the love of God, Emma, Shut up. Don’t interfere in matters that do not directly involve you. Am I clear?” Asher was tethered to the brink of losing his shit- literally.

” I will not be insulted, Mr Braxton. Whatever the problem is, take it up with yourself! It’s clear there’s some loosened screw up there.” Emma was unrelenting. ” If you have a little decency, you should apologize to her. Now!” She screamed at him, referring to his total disrespect to Mrs Adams.

” Calm down, it’s fine.” Mrs Adams said to Emma, hoping to quench the fire raging.

Asher, in his weird trait, was engulfed in a burst of laughter. So much that it riled the hell out of Emma. ” What? You give a woman a hike, and she takes a fucking mile.” He gritted, ” If you think because I put my mouth on yours and painted the illusion of caring about your opinion of me, you get to say whatever the fuck you want, you are sorely mistaken. Wife.”

Emma recoiled at the amount of iciness enclosed in his words. She couldn’t help but stagger in her heart. She hadn’t experienced such rigid vileness and anger from anyone in life. Not even her stepmother. The worst part of it was despite his sheer wickedness and disregard, the only thing that resounded in her mind was his words- ‘ I put my mouth on yours.’

How he managed to get her angry on one side. And on the other, hot and bothered were a phenomenon that needed scientific experimentation, observation and study. Emma didn’t realise she was supposed to say something and unconsciously left the ground open while busy with her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Asher slowly felt remorse creeping in. He’d silenced his wife so harshly that she didn’t know what to say. Having observed her for a while, Asher knew how quick-witted she was in situations that called for it and being the reason she recoiled into her shell- looking hurt- did things he didn’t expect to him. ” What? Cat got your tongue?”

His tone remained icy. Although he tried his best to tune in to the bitchiness, it was significantly hard to withdraw his claws when they’d been bared out. No matter what he said, as long as they remained in that place, he was incapable of being reasonable. He’d assumed Mrs Adams was well versed with this side of the coin enough to do the needful, but it panned out he wasn’t sure after all.

It seemed like Mrs Adams heard his thoughts when she urged Emma, ” Come on, let’s go.”

Emma was reluctant to go anywhere close to him. Not when he was being a dick, and she was yet to understand what went wrong with her thinking faculty. When she looked up and caught his smug look, it only made her feel stupid. He’d mocked her, shaded her in no subtle manner, and all she could do was pine over a silly line of the statement.

She didn’t even defend herself or Mrs Adams- who was now leading her back to the entrance, where the prick stood with an odd look. No doubt having a field day for finally expressing how little her opinion of things mattered. When they got close to him, Emma averted her eyes, not in the mood to see him so closely.

” I apologise, Mr Braxton. It was my mistake this time.” Mrs Adams halted and spoke a few metres away from him, stunting the movement of Emma and hiking her anger at the sheer unfairness of life. In a reasonable world, one would expect the elder to be accorded respect, but the irony of life had again raised its ugly head.

” Take her to the chambers. This time, no surprises.” Asher ordered in a tone that made it hard for Emma to grasp his countenance. She refused to look up at him, despite his woodsy scent and her growing need to get one look in. Emma restrained herself, only allowing a peak at his fisted palm in her line of sight.

As they walked past him, Asher felt a pang of regret. His face morphed into one of intense pain and then anger. She didn’t say a word, not even a glance at him. For some reason, that didn’t go down well with him. The hinder parts of his heart tugged at him to take the highway and apologise for his reaction. Maybe even explain his outburst, but he shut it down before it gained standing.

Asher was a man that thought with his brain. He believed his sharp IQ was the only tool that had brought him this far. He wasn’t about to let that go for any reason. Not even for some girl he signed a contract with. Going with that, he pushed those thoughts from him, deciding it was best she knew her place to avoid further misconceptions and understand the authenticity of his person.

He couldn’t ignore that for the first time; he wanted to pursue her and carry out the yearnings of his heart.

*****

Emma and Mrs Adams headed into the house in uncomfortable silence. They took a sharp turn left, and Emma could tell they were en route to Asher’s chambers. She didn’t feel like playing the role of a dutiful wife and also didn’t feel like having another showdown with Asher. At least not now.

They got to the door, and Emma couldn’t hold herself any longer. ” What’s the matter with him?” She asked, ” Why was he so touchy about that place?”

Mrs Adams let out a sigh. She expected her question all through their walk over, and for a second, she thought Emma chalked down her curiosity, but she’d been wrong. ” It’s my fault. I misinterpreted instructions. Please, don’t give him a hard time.” She appealed.

” Don’t apologise. He was wrong to have spoken to you in such a manner.” Emma said, nursing resentment. ” He had no right whatsoever to be rude. Don’t make excuses for him.”

Mrs Adams struggled to speak. ” It’s just a misunderstanding.” That was about the only excuse she came up with. ” Head on in. Dinner would be ready in a few.” She added, gesturing her in.

If Emma had reservations, she didn’t voice them. Mrs Adams seemed exhausted. Unlike a certain someone, she knew when to let things go. At least for the moment. ” Okay.”

” On a lighter note, If you want to wait at the dinner table, you are permitted to do that.” Mrs Adams said with a weird blink.

Was that supposed to be a joke? A wink? Emma thought confusedly, reacting with a weird smile of her own. ” I think I prefer getting a feel of my new space.” She said, sporting an appreciative smile. She preferred her settling in without the watchful eyes of Asher; Earlier, It’d taken everything to stand the piercing gaze of her supposed husband- fake husband.

” Alright. Mr Jason is down there. If you change your mind, you can find your way around.” Mrs Adams said and left the same way they came.

On hearing that, Emma hurriedly spoke, ” I think I’d prefer to eat dinner in my room. If that’s alright.” She added shyly.

Mrs Adams turned with a warm smile. ” Of course. I’ll send a maiden to you as soon as possible.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

” Thank you!” Emma made to open the door and only then noticed it was locked. “Mrs Adams?” She called confusedly.

” Use your fingerprint!” Came the loud voice of a faraway Mrs Adams.

Emma looked at her thumb and then at the door. Only then did she notice a fingerprint sensor just atop the door handles. She placed her thumb on the sensor, and a click sound ensued. The door opened.

She didn’t know how to feel about her fingerprint randomly opening locked doors. Yet another matter she needed to take up with Asher. Emma entered the room- scratch that- a living space. How exactly were these mansions built?!

The last time she entered the room, it was a room, a huge one but a room. The room space had been expanded or upgraded to suit its purpose. The room dripped with luxury and intimacy. With the light dimmed, she could feel the personality of the room. The raw and regal glory it exudes.

Emma left the door frame, and it clicked shut. She only stepped away after making sure she could reopen it. It would be a cold day in hell before she let her guard down for any reason. Moving forward, a twig-crushing sound creaked from her foot. She just stepped on something.