<strong>Ashburne - Amberthorne - An Uncomfortable Discussion</strong><br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/54/29/2e/54292eda7aecbf7e8de1395949b4700a.jpg)<div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Asher Bray</strong></span></div></div>Graham began to lay out Meg’s new restrictions – for her own sake as well as all residing under House Ellery – while Asher still fumed.  His temper was not always so easy to surface; the time spent with Graham in his private chamber had succeeded in making his heart race, which was pushed to a thundering staccato beat once he broke out into an unexpected chase upon reaching the yard.  He took a few deep breaths to ease the adrenaline coursing through his veins, all while his features went cold.  Guarded.  The anger was still in the fine details around his mouth and the outer corners of his eyes, but most of it collected in the piercing blue iris until his gaze was a swirling vortex of contempt.<br/><br/>Closer assessment caught the sudden coloring of Meg’s cheeks, and he continued to watch as her gaze dropped, wondering if he had been too stern with her.  Not that he blamed her for what happened or intended to hold her accountable in any way; he just hated the circumstances.  The two men both knew they were inviting danger into their home; now they knew to what extent and it was very disheartening.<br/><br/>Next time their enemies would need to send more assassins if they thought to take what didn’t belong to them.  And, as he thought soberly, they undoubtedly would.<br/><br/>The conversation was directed toward him, and he nodded to Graham while simultaneously motioning for Grimsby to join them.  He trusted all of his men with any life he was meant to protect, but Grimsby’s quick reflexes and keen senses were venerable, making him the apt choice for the rest of the evening.  Another, more permanent guard would be chosen come morning.<br/><br/>Everyone was preparing to disperse, Asher ready to walk with Graham to the dungeon for an interrogation when he caught his Lord looking up the tree, then to his bedroom window.  Asher, recognizing that look, followed the trail and felt his brows furrow.  They’d reached the same conclusion, which was secured by Meg’s bout of bashfulness.  Shit.<br/><br/>The orders were changed to accommodate a quick discussion between them, and once the guards’ attention was put elsewhere to give them a moment of privacy, Asher dropped his shields and turned his grim countenance to Graham.<br/><br/>“I’m starting to wonder how this night could turn out any worse,” he commented as crystalline eyes flicked to the curtains framing the bedroom window, watching them shift from a late-night breeze.  The space between them shrank by just a few steps, and all outward stimulus melted away.  “But I have a few ideas about how to make it better.”  He hated to see the burden in Graham’s eyes, but he also knew that being a Duke – even a deposed one – came with responsibilities that would break a weaker man.  Air was sucked into his lungs as hands went to work covering his chest, and he blew the breath out slowly as he released the tension in his shoulders and back.<br/><br/>Graham’s comment created a different sort of tension altogether, making his pants tighten as his cock twitched back to life.  He made some adjustments for Graham as well, putting hands in his hair to work out a few small knots while making a promise he intended to keep, one way or another.  “You’ll feel many things before I let sleep claim you.”  Rough tones spoken at a sultry whisper were punctuated by a returned kiss, though how he wished to give his lover something more to make him breathless.<br/><br/>Once the two left for the meeting with Meg, a handful of guards were posted outside the estate to watch for any other signs of trouble.  Until they were satisfied the threat had been dealt with, they would have eyes watching outside as well as in, effective immediately.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>They entered, leaving Grimsby at his post outside the door, leaving the three of them alone.  Surprisingly, Meg was the first one to speak, and her forthrightness gave Asher pause.  Judging by her flushed skin earlier, he wouldn’t have expected her to speak so openly… her courage was admirable, to say the least.  He lifted his eyebrow and subjected her to a moment of scrutiny as he commented, “then you will know that something so private must remain that way, yes?  We’ve clearly become too comfortable, it would seem.”  There was no point in denying<em>what</em>she had seen, as there’d been obvious kissing equipped with roaming hands, but he also didn’t come across as apologetic.  He couldn’t regret a single moment spent with his partner.<br/><br/>He walked around the table and pulled out a chair, then turned it so he was still facing Meg at the window as he sat down, yet in a more casual pose.  With their secret now shared, it seemed silly to continue tip-toeing around her.  At least he was dressed in a somewhat presentable fashion, though in his defense there’d been little time to fool with buttons and straps.<br/><br/>He propped his foot on the opposite knee and tapped his blunt fingernails idly on the faded lacquer, interested in what Graham had to say.  And, curiously, he wondered what Meg thought about his unconventional relationship with his Lord, and if she would still be able to trust them.