Ashton Hill Siren

"Because I am sitting in Chess Roussel's office and he is only a few meters away from me pretending not to listen to me talk to you," Mikayla explained, surprising Ariel.

"I think you might need to explain why you are calling me from his office. You were the one who said mixing my pleasure with your business was bad. What the hell are you doing? I thought the gate crasher story was working!" Ariel felt a strange mix of panic and pleasure at hearing Chess's name from her friend.

"He knows you're my friend, and he knows your name. He wants your number, or he wants you to call him," Mikayla said in a calm, if very hushed voice.

"Are you okay with me possibly seeing him again?" Ariel asked tentatively. "I'd never do anything to hurt you, Mickey, or your dream job."

"Yeah, he said he would never mix his personal business with company business, and he said he knew I was very good at my job and wouldn't risk me leaving by demanding I do anything underhanded. I didn't even think he knew I existed," Mikayla said proudly. "He just wants to talk to my friend, that's it, and probably try to fuck your brains out again," she giggled, knowing how rattled Ariel had been after that night with Chess.

"Okay, you can give him my mobile number, not the one here at the surgery. Just let him know I can't always get to my phone until after work," Ariel said, feeling her heart beat faster and her hands become clammy at the thought of talking to him and maybe seeing him again. "But just give him my number. Try and hold off on telling him all my deep dark secrets, okay?"

"Okay. But which ones are deep and dark again?" Mikayla whispered in a teasing tone and giggled.

"You're hopeless, you know that? You're very lucky I love you," Ariel laughed. "I have to get back to a patient. Give him the number, it's all good. I'd like to see him again, as long as you are fine with it," she admitted, making sure her friend was as fine as she sounded. "Besides, with David here, it might be exactly what I need, especially after last weekend," she sighed.

"Yeah, David's a total douche for pulling that bullshit stunt. Come down this weekend and get away from that crap. I'm good. Plus, I saw you the day after you were with Chess, remember?" she continued to whisper. "I know you wanted an encore performance, and so, it seems, does he," she giggled softly, then spoke louder. "Go back to your patient; I'll let him know not to call until after surgery hours. Love you."

"Love you too, don't get into any more trouble without me," Ariel laughed and placed the handset back in the cradle. She smiled at this turn of events and wondered when she would get to see him again, and if he did, indeed, want an encore performance as much as she did. She grabbed her phone from her bag and tucked it into her pocket. Then she went back into the surgical room to check on Teddy, who was now laying in Heather's lap, whining softly.

A minute later her phone buzzed with a text, and she pulled it from her pocket. She didn't know the number, but guessing who it was from she opened the message.

*Thursday, 7th June 2018. Thank you for the number at last. I will call at seven tonight. Chess. 3.23 pm.*

She smiled widely at the commanding tone she could hear in her head as she read the text and went to check over her patient, making Heather tilt her head at her curiously.

"Good news, I take it?" she asked, indicating the phone.

"I hope so," Ariel grinned back.

"That's good, you know your brother and I were worried about you after last weekend," she said kindly.

"Just because David came back to the family and town he ran away from doesn't mean he gets to come back to the girl he ran away from too," Ariel sighed. "No matter what shit he tries to pull now. He can blame me until the cows come home for what happened and tell everyone he forgives me and wants me back, but it's a small town, and people know what happened. It's the pitying looks I can't handle," she sighed. "I'm the girl jilted at the alter all over again. Not that we ever made it that far."

"That's not pity, Ariel, that's empathy, and, trust me, Brian said more than a few harsh words in the warning he gave him. He won't get very far if he intends to harass you and your friends when you go out again," she reassured Ariel.

"Maybe it's my turn to have an adventure and move to the city with Mikayla for a while. I could pick up some locum contracts to offset getting someone in here to help out while I was gone," she tested the idea on Heather, who smiled encouragingly.

"I don't know what your folks would think, but maybe just for six months or so it might be some fun," she grinned as if they were planning a surprise party or something fun rather than defection from the family home and business.

*****

*Thursday, 7th June 2018. I am stuck at work for a little while yet. Could I call you when I get home? Ariel 6.46 pm.*

Chess grumbled to himself as he read the message. Glad that she had returned his earlier message at last, and had his concerns eased that he had been given the right phone number for her. Concerned that he would have to wait and that she may think better of it and not call at all. He drew a breath and replied.

*Thursday, 7th June 2018. I'm sorry you are stuck at work. You can call me any time you wish to, you have an open invitation. Would you like me to call at nine, instead? Chess 6.51 pm.*

Chess waited impatiently for her reply, going over the small titbits of information he had managed to get from Mikayla. Ariel Aronova was a Vet, which was why she had been seeing a patient when Mikayla called. David was her ex, and Mikayla had not wanted to discuss that situation at all, but from her body language he could tell she didn't like David, and that there was something about him that concerned her. He also knew her phone number now, and he smiled as her answering text came through.

*Thursday, 7th June 2018. Thank you for the open invitation. I should be home and settled in for the night by nine, so, yes, that would be good. Ariel 6.54 pm.*

Great, now he just had to occupy two hours of time. He went to find Collin and see if he wanted to shoot some pool to while away the time, because there was no way he could concentrate on work right now. He was lining up a shot just over an hour later when his phone buzzed to life on the table. Dropping the cue, he snatched it up.

*Thursday, 7th June 2018. Would now be a good time for you? Ariel 8.24 pm.*

Chess immediately called her, taking a quick sip of his beer before lounging on one of the more comfortable chairs in the room, and Collin eyed him speculatively. She answered on the second ring, sounding unsure of herself.

"Hi," she said, almost like a question.

"Hi," he replied, unable to help the smile that spread over his face. "I finally found you again."

"I wasn't exactly lost," she gave a nervous laugh.

"I need to see you again. I haven't thought of much else over the last few weeks, other than finding you and seeing you again," Chess said without trying to hide his eagerness. "You left without saying a word, not even a goddamn note!" he let the disappointment tinged with anger creep into his voice.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "It was just... complicated."

"Mikayla told us about her concerns, but she is a good employee. All of her concerns were unfounded," he told Ariel the same thing he had told her friend. "I don't let my emotions interfere with business. Whatever might or might not happen with us is totally separate from Mikayla and her work environment."

"She told me. She was quite excited that you even knew who she was, let alone knew she was good at her job," Ariel giggled. "I think you made her day when you said that."

"She made my day when she gave me a way to contact you," he said sincerely. "I meant it; I want to see you as soon as possible. I'd come over tonight or have you come here if you'd agree to it."

"That would be difficult. I don't live in the city. I stay with Mikayla when I go down on weekends, not that I can make it there every weekend," she admitted.

"You don't?" Chess was surprised at the extra obstacle he had just found in his way in his quest to see this girl and make her commit to dating him exclusively. He had a lot to offer her, but the distance could kill them before they even started if she lived too far away. "You must live reasonably close if you can drive down for a Friday night party on some guy's yacht."

"About two hours away, maybe less if you drive while wearing a lead boot and the traffic is good," she explained cheerfully. "I quite like the drive, it gives me time to clear my head and dust off the small country town frame of mind and look forward to the fun of the city."

"So I guess tonight is out of the question," he chuckled. "Tomorrow night then, we will come and pick you up in case you run late again."

"That's a long way to come and pick me up. Most of the date, if it is a date you want, would be spent in your car," she said as if he was crazy.

"As I recall, having you as my date in the back seat of the car opens up more than a few interesting possibilities," he, too, chuckled. "You were quite eager, as I recall, to relieve some of my tension, and I have been tense for weeks since you left without a word."

"I've been thinking a lot about that night too!" she admitted with a breathy sigh.

"What time do you finish tomorrow?" he asked huskily, turned on by the mere sound of that breathy sigh.

"Barring any emergencies walking through the door, I could be finished by three, I have an early start in the morning, so my brother will cover the afternoon shift once he has picked his kids up from school. So it's probably more like three thirty before I actually get to leave," she explained in a rush of nervous words.

"Give me your address and I will be there!" he commanded, using that tone for the first time in this conversation, but unable to stop himself any longer, as the possibility of seeing her and punishing her for leaving him the way she had loomed large in his mind. He wanted to spoil her and treat her well, he wanted to take her out and show her some of his favourite places, but his need to take her and use her willing body the way she had let him that first night overrode all his logic and charm at this point.

"I... umm..." she hesitated, and Chess felt a small ball of fear that he had pushed her too far enter his gut.

"I will be nothing but a perfect gentleman towards you and your family while I am in your town," he reassured her.

"Oh no, it's not that!" she said quickly. "I never doubted that. It's just..."

"Tell me!" he ordered, the concern in his voice coming out in his commanding tone.

"My ex has just moved back to town and has been creating awful scenes whenever he sees me. If you rock up in your big black car with your driver looking all handsome and sexy, I can only imagine what the grapevine will sound like and what he might do in response," she said. "Maybe it would be better if I just drove down to the city myself and met you somewhere. You could pick me up at Mikayla's place, maybe," she offered as an alternative.

"I think I would like to meet your ex!" he growled. "You still haven't given me your address, considering you think I am handsome and sexy and want to jump me again in the back of my car," he teased as he pushed her for the information he wanted.

"I never said that! You were the one who said it had interesting possibilities!" she laughed.

"You don't want to jump me in the back of my car?" he asked dejectedly.

"I didn't say that either!" she laughed even more.

"Then give me your address and let people talk, you know they will just be jealous because I'm too sexy for my car," he chuckled. "I'm happy to meet big brother while I am there, if you want, so people know who I am and can google me for the really good gossip. If you are going to date me you have to get used to that sort of thing," he warned her. "It doesn't matter whether we are in the city or the country; there is always one madman with a camera. People are going to find out who you are dating eventually."

"Oh God, I hadn't thought of that! Maybe this isn't such a good idea. I mean, I'm more than a little bit country, and you are all rock and roll city life. I could never fit in with your friends, and Ashton Hill would be far too small and boring for you," she sighed.

"Ashton Hill," he smiled into the phone. "I'll be at the Ashton Hill Veterinary Clinic tomorrow at three," he said, pleased that she couldn't back out now by withholding information from him again. "Be prepared to talk tomorrow, I want to know everything there is about you and that little country town of yours. And pack light, you won't be needing much."

"Wait! What just happened?" Ariel spluttered.

"We have a date, Ariel, and I am very happy about that fact. I have wanted to see you again so badly. You have no idea how much the very thought of you has driven me crazy over the last few weeks. I need you, not just want you, need you!" he said, letting a little of his desperation creep into his voice.

"Okay," she said after a moment, a little overwhelmed by his heartfelt words. "We have a date," she agreed.

"I'm looking forward to it. I'll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep, you will need it for tomorrow," Chess grinned, even though he knew Ariel couldn't see him, then looked up and saw Collin grinning back at him. "Good night, Ariel."

"Sweet dreams, Chess," she replied, still sounding stunned.

"They will be now," he chuckled and ended the call.

"So, we're going on a road trip tomorrow, I take it?" Collin chuckled.

"Hell yeah!" Chess continued to grin at his friend. "In the limo!" he said, and burst into a loud chuckle. He would make sure everyone knew that Ariel was dating a rich and powerful man who was prepared to give her anything her heart desired in return for her kinky mind, body and heart.

Chess stood up and went to his office, followed by Collin. He had a lot of work to do to clear his calendar tomorrow, and possibly Monday if he could manage it, and ensure he had a long weekend to convince Ariel that he was the guy she was meant to be with. He also needed to make plans with Collin; he knew his friend would be more than happy to do whatever it took to make sure Chess succeeded in this.

Outlining his ideas quickly, and taking into account Collin's suggestions, they each went to work, going to bed for a few short hours in the early morning before rising to complete the tasks they had set for themselves. Collin had been married once, he had found the love of his life once, then lost her to cancer, and he had no plans to taint that memory or put himself through similar heartache by loving so deeply ever again. He wanted that sort of love for his friend, however, knowing how truly good it was to find the other half of yourself; and he would move heaven and earth to make it happen for the man who was closer to him than a brother might have been.

*****

Chapter 3.

Ariel checked her watch, it was just after eleven, and she had a few more hours before she had to make the dash home to change before Chess arrived to pick her up. It was ludicrous that he would come so far when she could have driven herself down to the city. She checked her patient and continued cleaning up after the simple but necessary dental surgery. The thought of what might lie in store for her tonight playing out in her mind. If he wanted her to beg him to stop any of the things he had done to her on that first night he would be disappointed. She knew she shouldn't want it as much as she did, but just the memory of it had fed her fantasies for the last few weeks. Hearing the door open, she looked up as Heather came into the operating room, looking flushed and excited.

"There's a man out there," she said quietly. "He's... um..."

"Scary? Weird? Carrying a chainsaw?" Ariel asked teasingly, throwing the last of the waste into the specialised bins and noting the excitable expression on Heather's face.

"Hot! Handsome! Umm..." Heather exclaimed, searching for a more fitting word.

"More handsome than your husband?" Ariel laughed. "You do remember you're married to my brother, don't you?"

"Yes, but I can appreciate a hot man when he walks in," she laughed. "He's asking to see you. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Asking for me?" Ariel checked her watch again. "What time is it?" She tapped her watch as if it might be broken.

"Just after eleven. Why?" Heather asked giving her a suspicious look. "Brian will be back any minute if you need to take a break." She grinned knowingly.

"Shit! Brian!" the thought of Chess running into Brian and introducing himself panicked her. She didn't even know what they were to each other, let alone how to introduce him. She hurried to remove the scrubs she wore, hoping to head off any such meeting and wondering why he would be here so early, if it was him. Sure, he was the only gorgeous guy she knew, it could be a new sales rep maybe, but then they wouldn't ask for her, they would ask for her Dad or Brian. She hurried out to reception.

"Chess? What are you doing here?" she asked, coming around the front counter to greet him. He looked almost casual in tailored jeans and a white button-down shirt. He still looked expensive and amazingly delicious, but he wouldn't stand out quite so much in this town as he would have in an Armani suit.

"I couldn't wait until three, so I came to see if I could take you for lunch on your break," he pulled her close with one arm lightly around her waist and kissed her lightly. "Hi, I missed you," he murmured.

"Hi," she grinned. "It's good to see you too. I just did surgery on a puppy, so I really shouldn't leave for a little while, sorry."

"I'll just call Brian and see how far away he is, I'm sure you will be fine to go, I can keep an eye on Lucy," Heather said helpfully, picking up the phone to call her husband.

"Thanks, that would be great," Chess flashed Heather one of his winning smiles, then turned back to Ariel. "Just lunch, then I'll explore your little town until you're ready to go," he said softly. "I wanted to bring you flowers, but it occurred to me that I have no idea about what you like, anything that you like aside of white wine. I think we need to spend a little bit of time talking before I get you all to myself and get carried away with other things again." He looked at her intensely, and his voice dropped lower as he spoke of other things, making a thrill run up her spine.

"He's just pulling in now," Heather said brightly.

"Okay, what's the emergency?" Brian said as he walked into the practice the siblings shared with their father.

"Your little sister has a spur of the moment lunch date, and you, my darling, need to cover the post-surgery care for Lucy," Heather announced as Brian turned to stare at Ariel and the tall, well-built man who stood beside her.

"Brian, this is Chess, Chess, my brother, Brian," she introduced the men, cringing at the way Brian squared his shoulders as if he was about to give Chess a big brother speech.

"Hey, good to meet you," Brian said, surprising Ariel, who breathed a sigh of relief. "So, an hour or so, Ari?" he asked Ariel. "I have to get over to the stud just after lunch if you want me to pick up the kids and be back before you leave for the city," he explained why he was putting the time limit on her.

"Yeah, thanks, Brian. Lucy should be fine, it all went really well," she said, "I'll fill you in while I grab my phone and bag." She left Chess alone to enter the back of the practice with Brian, leaving Heather in reception with him.

"Thanks for not being weird out there," she said after she handed over her notes on Lucy to Brian.

"I'm just happy you're not letting all the crap David is doing get to you. Chess seems decent enough, and at least now David might realise there is no hope for him and back off for good," Brian said gruffly.