A/N:Guys... this was a bit long arc for Ashford Madam... I wanted to step a bit into her world before we dive into who she really is.
****
She settled deeper into his chest, scrolling through whatever had buzzed on her tablet. Her body was warm against his.
Relaxed.
The closest to unguarded he'd ever seen her.
Then her expression changed.
The warmth drained. Her jaw tightened. Her scrolling stopped.
"Oh, for—seriously?"
She read further. Her nostrils flared.
"Why does no one ever do their jobs anymore? Is basic professionalism dead? Did it die and no one told me?"
She threw the tablet.
Not gently. Threw it—across the couch, onto the cushion at the far end, with the particular violence of a woman who had just received news that offended her on a cellular level.
Then she burrowed deeper into his chest like the solution to whatever she'd just read was located somewhere between his collarbones and a stiff drink.
"What's wrong?" Phei asked.
