One Night With Mr Braxton

Emma was thrown into a very uncomfortable hug. Her face screamed discomfort. Asher was forced to intervene.

” Enough. Let her go.” He stated, his fingers placed on the bridge of his nose.

” What? Two seconds in marriage, and you suddenly become an alpha wolf?” Jason lectured, letting go of Emma, who was grateful to be allowed to breathe once again. ” I’m Jason. This tiger’s best friend.” He introduced with a lax smile, daring Asher to refute him. Emma was enjoying their little interaction. ” I think only-friend is a more suitable term, seeing he’s not a ray of sunshine.” He added with a faraway look etched on his face.

Asher rolled his eyes, ” Ha ha.” He muttered under his breath, not the least bit excited to see his friend.

” Have something to say, Ash?” Jason took him by surprise. When was the last time someone referred to him by a nickname? He was used to the good old Mr Braxton as a mode of recognition. Even his close relatives didn’t refer to him with such endearment.. that was a phrase left only for ‘her’.

” Don’t you have someplace to be?” That was the only thing that seemed about right in that situation. Or so he thought.

” I’m right where I ought to be, darling.” He drawled, pushing to see how much he’d hold out before finally exploding.

” Jason.” Asher warned, his eyes icy, ” Cut it out.” He said, calling time out.

” You are no fun,” Jason said, then turned his attention to the lady who quietly watched their exchange. ” Tell me, honey, how are you doing? It’s been what? Few hours since you married Asher, and you are yet to run away screaming your head off? Impressive.” He said seriously, and both Emma and Asher were caught off-guard.

The room went down a couple of degrees, depicting Asher’s terrific mood. Jason looked on, feigning ignorance until the Asher got up from his seat, headed towards the door and opened it. ” Get out.” He ordered, playing doorman. The angriest doorman in the world!

Jason couldn’t keep up his facade. He broke out into a fit of laughter, confusing Emma and further irritating Asher. ” I’m sorry. My bad, close the damned door.” He said, wiping laughter-induced tears from his eyes. ” You know I gotta get you. I mean no harm.” He added in mock surrender.

” You better. If you don’t have anything important to do, we happen to be busy when you waltzed into the place,” Asher continued, unrelenting as he stood by the door, desperate to get back to conversing with his wife. The mood was gone, all because of him.

” Right, you have your entire lives to be together. A few minutes with me won’t hurt.” He spoke dismissively, causing Asher to shut the door grudgingly. Who knew there was this side to Mr Braxton? Not Emma.

Speaking to Emma, he continued. “It’s so great to meet you.” He said, and she narrowed her eyes in thought, ‘finally?’ Again with a term that suggested they knew more than she’d been let in on.

Discreetly, Asher motioned attention to Jason and sliced his throat using his palm. ” Cut it. ” He mouthed with an enraged look.

Jason swallowed, understanding the message, ” Anyways, contrary to popular beliefs, I came here for a reason.” He announced with a charming smile.

” Shocker,” Asher said, more loudly than he’d intended.

Emma broke into laughter, shocking both men. ” I’m sorry.. that was just too..” she couldn’t finish her statement because more laughter poured out of her, more than she’d even anticipated.

Asher watched with fond eyes. He’d never seen a smile so pure and happiness so contagious. Maybe having Jason around wasn’t such a bummer after all.

” I’m glad you are having fun, M’lady.” The ever-charming Jason said, biting a smile, ” I can’t say the same for Ash over here.”

Asher waited for a bile of irritation to come up his throat but found none. Instead, he tried and failed to suppress a smile. A genuine smile.

” Pinch me. Is that a smile, Mr Braxton?” Jason called out, looking smug. Emma giggled, shaking her head in amusement.

” Shut up.”

” Whatever, Grinch.” Jason huffed, giving a side-eye to Asher and continued. ” In other news, My family is moving to the states!” He said excitedly.

Asher couldn’t believe his ears, ” W-what?” He stuttered.

” Bianca called. They are on the next flight here. Finally, I’d get to see my little boy!”

Emma gauged the look on Asher’s face with confusion. Jason was married.

” You are joking. Tell me you are joking?” Asher said, willing Jason to contradict himself.

” No honey,” Jason’s face scrunched in distaste, ” Okay, maybe I need to let up on that.” He said, not liking how the word- honey- rolled off his tongue.

” We finally agree on something,” Asher stated. ” Is there a problem? Why is she headed here?” He asked, returning to the subject of conversation.Têxt belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

” One would think it’s some evil creature we’re speaking of. It’s your sister, for crying out loud, your sister and nephew.” Jason sounded offended.

Emma marvelled. There were a lot more than friends. Jason was her brother-in-law.

” Okay, let’s wrap this up,” Asher said, unwilling to continue the conversation in the presence of his newly-wedded wife. ” We’ll continue this conversation at a much later time. Capiche?” He said, staring directly at Emma.

She gulped, feeling the intensity of his gaze and thoughts of his lips on hers flashed into her mind-space. This man was doing things to her, things she never expected or anticipated after signing off the deal. Emma nodded in compliance, cleared her throat and made to excuse herself when knocks sounded from the door.

Jason’s eyes narrowed while Emma wondered who was behind the door. ” Come in.” Asher called out, eyes fixated on Jason, as though saying – ‘ There it is, that thing called knocking!’

Mrs Adams walked in, looking not a day older. ” Dinner would be ready in a few.” She informed, looking between them.

” Great! Such perfect timing! We’ll be down shortly.” Jason was the first to speak. Asher let out an exasperated sigh.

” Thank you, Mrs Adams. Please escort my wife to our chambers.” Asher spoke dismissively, urging them out.

Emma hiccuped, still unused to being addressed as his wife. ” Excuse me.” She covered herself, eyes trained on the floor as she exited the office with Mrs Adams behind.

” Yeah, you just had to scare her, didn’t you?” Jason accused.

” Shut up. How long before they arrive?” Asher asked and took a seat behind the table.

*****

Emma walked side by side with Mrs Adams. Her cheeks warmed as the silence prolonged. ” W-where are we headed?” She stuttered, breaking the silence. They had ventured away from her chambers.

“It’s the way to your new chambers.” Mrs Adams informed, walking ahead of her.

Emma was confused. Asher had told her that she’d be moving into his chambers to make their union more ‘believable’, but so far, they were heading opposite the direction of both their chambers. She didn’t know how to feel about it.

” Where are we off to?” Emma voiced her thoughts when they crossed the main building to a similar connecting one. Just when she thought she’d seen it all, the mansion somehow brought more surprising and beautifully secluded buildings. ” I don’t remember you showing me this place.” Emma’s voice shifted from being worried to awe. The place was beautiful. Too beautiful.

” That’s because you weren’t allowed at the time. This place is off-limits for everyone. Only a few people are given access to the place, a few you’ve been added into.” Mrs Adams explained.

” Why?” Emma was confused. The place seemed beautifully hidden. Its location at the hinder parts of the mansion screamed deliberate. Whoever constructed the building was intentional in his bid to cover the paradise within.

The duo walked through a pathway that led to the main building, a bungalow. Emma’s air was knocked out of her lungs when she saw the fountain in the middle of a meticulously cultivated garden of flowers. She sucked in the beautiful fragrance that kissed the atmosphere and was awed at the butterflies gracing the event with their presence.

” You are Mrs Braxton. It’s only natural that you get a full glimpse of your new home.” Mrs Adams said, smiling at Emma’s reaction to their little gem. She’d been in charge of growing and maintaining the place ever since ‘that’ time, and she couldn’t be prouder to see her appreciate her work so openly.

When Asher instructed the place to be cleaned up, she felt joy. The home she’s nurtured for the past decade would finally be put to use. As the saying goes, live long enough and experience change in its most natural form.

Emma’s kneejerk response was to put the title to rest, ” Emma. Just Emma.” She reiterated, but their conversation came to a halt by a raging Asher who stunned both women with an earth-quaking voice.

” Who the hell instructed you to bring her here?!”