the silver lining playbook// a. irwin

chapter twelve

Ashton didn't know his own limits. His lips were latched onto mine for a while. Not for one minute, did his hand to roam every inch of my back or my waist as my hand entangled in his hair. I was loving it. My other hand was still holding the wine.

His tongue grazed the bottom of my lip, his tongue slipping into my mouth unexpectedly. I was taken aback by this, but all in all, I didn't mind.

I took it upon myself, to pull him over to the table, where he immediately got the hint. Placing my wine glass down and I following his actions, he placed me on top of the table with ease and in a solid, fluid motion. His fingertips dug onto the back of my thighs as he pressed himself closer and closer to me.

"It's been a while since I first started wanting to do this with you," Ashton muttered between kisses, beginning to trail down my neck.

"Is that right, Mr. Irwin?" I chuckled, his kisses now moving onto my collarbone, and beginning to make their way back to my lips.

Ashton nodded, his head bobbing and his hair brushing over the exposed skin of my neck, which made me shudder. "Calling me 'Mr. Irwin' and looking like you do all the time does something to me."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Irwin."

-/-

I woke up next to Ashton, and I almost freaked out. Surely enough, I wasn't used to seeing anyone next to me, especially in an odd surrounding, but somehow, it was comforting. His room was all white, only the furniture having the pleasure of being dark-colored. It was much like his office, and it was weird.

Once I woke up, I was totally uncovered so I made sure to put on my clothes from last night, even though one of Ashton's shirts would be much more comfortable. I was still his assistant, and assistants don't wear their bosses' shirts after they sleep with them. In fact, they don't sleep with them at all. At least they're not supposed to.

I walked downstairs, heels in one hand as I placed them on the floor next to my purse. The wine glasses were still there, making all those memories come rushing back. Quickly shaking the thoughts out of my mind, I walked to his kitchen, where a bouquet of roses stood in a beautiful vase that I didn't dare touch.

I felt bad for leaving Ashton like this, but really, it had to be done. Quickly, I mustered him up some eggs, bacon, and toast, set orange juice with it, set his place and left the coffee brewing, ready for him to feast and walk out if he needed to.

So I walked out, leaving the footsteps that were coming from his room all alone in a huge apartment.

-/-

Everyone was concerned because Ashton wasn't here yet and today was an exceedingly important day. Today, Coach, Calum, and Ashton would all have a photo shoot and filmed interview for Cosmopolitan. We had already cancelled on them twice, so this was our last strand with them, and it was nerve-racking that 1/3 of the team wasn't here.

I was pacing behind the cameras as Coach had his shots done. He refused to speak with anyone involved with the team, except for me. I was the only person he could legitimately tolerate.

Calum came up to me, and I immediately noticed that his tie was a bit off. As soon as he got to me, I placed my hands on his collar and tie and began to fix it up a bit. He talked, only muttering so that I could hear, "Do you know where is Ashton?"

"No clue, Mr. Hood," I told him, smiling as I finally finished off with his tie. He looked like perfection. With his suit and his button up shirt, it was quite the sight.

"Layla," he said, looking down at me as I stared up at him, hands still on his collar, "please stop calling me Mr. Hood; it makes me feel like you think that I'm better than you."

"Well, you sort of are," I shrugged, looking down at my own feet.

Calum's hand were on my face as they forced me to look up at him, our proximity almost alarming me, "No, you're not. Don't let Ashton believe that you are."

"Don't let Ashton believe what?" Someone said from behind me, making Calum's face become pale as soon as he saw who it was.

As I turned around, I saw Ashton in the flesh, looking straight at me with an angry expression. Actually, angry doesn't even begin to cover it. His eyes were going wild, a thousand emotions racing through the whiskey pools. Ashton's fists were balled up, jaw clenched. As he crossed his arms, I stepped away from Calum, looking down at my feet.

I heard Ashton's feet stomp their way until he was in front of me. He wanted to speak, but Calum stopped him.

"Man, back off. Come on," Calum pushed Ashton back lightly, but as I looked up his burning stare was still on me. So I looked back down, "Ashton, let's go get changed."

"I already am dressed, and I want to talk to Layla," Ashton said, still refusing to look at Calum.

Once Calum heard Ashton's angry tone, he mouthed a quick 'sorry' and went to do his shots. Ashton grabbed my wrist and turned on his heel as he dragged me out into the back alleyway of the building.

"What the hell was that, Layla?" He yelled, letting all his emotions out. His resounding voice was so loud that even nearby pigeons flew away.

"Mr. Irwin-" I began, trying to make up an excuse. But Ashton cut me off, not having it.

"Don't call me that," he sternly said, his eyebrows furrowed in pure anger. "Who do you think you are, huh? Do you honestly think that you can drag me into you, sleep with me, then leave me with a breakfast that I could care less about, and then go and almost kiss my co-worker?"

"You liked the breakfast?" I asked, my eyes glimmering as my hard work had payed off.

"What?" He asked, squinting his eyes.

"You said you could care less about the breakfast, which means you care. So, you liked it?" I asked, and he just shook his head and smiled smugly.

Ashton looked down at me, jaw still clenched, "You are not going to change the topic. Why were you so close with Calum?"

"He's my co-worker and I was fixing up his tie, Mr. Irwin," I softly said, looking up at him, and as I did, all memories of last night came right back to me.

"Don't call me that. I'm trying to be mad at you," he informed me, "you know what that does to me."

"In fact, I'm not quite sure," I told him. In my mind, I knew that this whole 'Mr. Irwin' thing drove him insane, but he didn't have to know that.

"Let me show you then," he said.

With one sole step and his hands onto my face, Ashton's lips were on mine. His lips felt like warm cocoa on a winter day, and his hands, which were now roaming down to my hips, were soft to the touch. Ashton was something you get addicted to, slowly and gradually.

Once he pulled away, he looked down at me, his anger no longer evident in his eyes, "Don't ever do that again."

"Ever?

"Ever."