His Absolute Arrangement: A Scandalous Billionaire Love Story (Jessika, #1) by Cerys du Lys Page B

I asked.
    "Yes."
    "Asher!  We can't go there!  It's... it's open.  There's windows."
    "You realize there's windows in every room in the house?"
    "That's not what I meant.  What if someone comes in, too?  Aren't there people in there setting up for tonight, anyways?"
    "They're about to take a break.  A long break.  I think they deserve it, don't you?"
    I didn't know what to think.  Or say.  My mouth hung open, useless, and my tongue felt much the same.  My mind whirred with a million little thoughts, none of which was appropriate for casual conversation.  The ballroom?  There was a piano.  On the piano?  And they were decorating.  Bringing in tables.  Chairs.  The carpet off to the side was nice, but there was smooth floor throughout most of the room which could also maybe be nice.
    As much as Asher and I had fooled around in the guest home, teasing and playing with each other in every conceivable room on, perhaps, every possible surface, we'd mainly stuck to our bedroom and bathroom when in the main house.  We'd certainly never done anything explicit in a room as large as the ballroom.  It was the biggest room here!
    Suddenly, I heard a sharp slamming sound that distracted me from worrying about where we were going and what we were about to do there.  Jerking my head to the side, I saw the doors to the ballroom flung wide open.  Asher stood in the entryway, surveying his surroundings.
    It took me a moment to realize what had happened, but... he'd turned the doorknob to open the doors slightly, and he'd kicked it open!  Really?  What sort of madness was this and what had gotten into him.
    I kind of liked it in an embarrassing sort of way.  It felt wrong, yet exciting.  Flung across Asher's back, kidnapped and carried away, forced into a room not meant for anything even remotely illicit.  And then the next part, of course, which was:
    "Excuse me," Asher shouted with supreme authority.  "Jessika and I wish to consider some private options in regards to tonight's celebration.  We'll need a moment alone to go over a few things.  You all may take a break for the next hour."
    "An hour?" I asked, stunned.
    "An hour," Asher repeated, though quieter and just for me.  "Do you have any problems with that?"
    "I..."  I thought I must, but I didn't know how to say them.
    Men and women from the decoration team in charge of setting up for the celebration began dispersing from the room.  They eyed Asher with peculiar interest before leaving, which struck me as odd at first, until I realized I was still on his back.
    "Asher, let me down," I whined, squirming in his grip.
    He held me all the tighter.  "No."
    One man, the head of the group involved in decorations, approached.  "I hope you and Mrs. Landseer will find everything to your satisfaction," he said.  "We still have some of the trim work to do, but the main stage has been prepared.  Some of the settings along the center wall are removable, so we can maintain the concept of vow renewal beforehand, pull them out before the corporate celebration, and replace them with more a more suitable arrangement afterwards."
    "It's great," Asher said.  "Looks nice."
    I turned to look at the head decorator man, who appeared to be trying his best to treat us with an outward show of respect instead of awkward concern or disdain.
    "I'm sure it's wonderful," I reassured him.  "Asher and I will make sure to inspect it thoroughly, but I bet it's really nice."
    "...Thank you," the man said slowly.  "If there's anything wrong, please let me know immediately.  We'll work fast to assure it's all done up before anyone arrives, you have my word."
    "Good," Asher said.  He was a caveman now, only capable of speaking in choppy sentences.
    Everyone left.  Everyone was leaving.  They went out the door Asher and I arrived through, though.  There was another door to the opposite side leading further into the house that my barbaric husband kept staring at.  I sort of wondered why