Mine to Cherish Read online

  Mine to Cherish

  Chapter One

  Poppy

  The sun streams in through the dirty window and blinds me, the dingy curtains doing nothing to help block the light. All of a sudden there’s a loud knock against my bedroom door scaring me bolt upright into a sitting position. I hold the blanket close to my chest even though I locked the bedroom door last night and no one can get in. “Get your lazy ass up!” my foster father Paul yells through the door.

  Eighteen, I think to myself as I climb out of my small twin bed to get ready for the day. Most people would be looking forward to their birthdays but I was mixed about mine. It means that I’ll get out of this shitty apartment but I don’t really have anywhere else to go. If I did, I would have left a long time ago.

  My foster parents have been telling me for months that I only have a little bit longer before they kick me out so I knew this day was coming. There was no way my foster parents were going to let me stay if they weren’t getting a check every month for doing it. I’ve been saving everything I could from my part time job at the coffee shop but I’ve only been working there for four months and the two grand I saved isn’t going to last me long, especially not in New York.

  I look into the mirror hanging on the back of my closet and see my blue eyes staring back at me. I brush out my long brown hair before I tie it up into a high ponytail. I quickly get dressed and then pack up the few belongings that I own into my backpack.

  Moving from foster home to foster home hasn’t allowed me to accumulate a lot of my own possessions so I travel light and can be packed and out the door in minutes. I pull the drawer out of the end table and flip it over, grabbing the envelope with my savings. I pack that in the backpack with a couple changes of clothes and take one last look around the room. It’s not much, but it was probably the nicest home I ever lived in. Most times I had to room with other kids in a cramped apartment that rarely was cleaned and never had enough food in it.

  With that I unlock the door and walk out to the kitchen where Paul and his wife Marge are sitting at the small kitchen table. They barely even look up as I walk in and go to grab an orange off of the counter. A lifetime in the foster system means that I’m not at all surprised when they don’t wish me a happy birthday.

  “Hope you packed all your shit.” Marge says as I start to peel the orange.

  “Yeah, unless you’re paying rent you can’t stay here.” Paul adds.

  I just nod and finish eating the rest of my orange. As they dump their breakfast plates in the sink and make their way into the living room, I throw out the orange peel and make my way to the front door. I pause with my hand on the door knob as I hear the tv click on. I don’t bother taking one last look around before I open the door and step out into the hallway to head to the coffee shop for my shift.

  Luckily the coffee shop where I work isn’t too far from home and I can walk there. Everyone that I work with is super nice too. They know about my situation so they’re always letting me pick up their extra shifts. I need all the money I can get if I want to be able to get a place of my own and go to college. The location and my coworkers aren’t my favorite part though. My favorite part of working here is seeing Mr. Americano.

  Mr. Americano is a regular at the shop. He’s the most handsome man that I have ever seen. Wavy brown hair that has a tendency to fall over his forehead. An angular face that ends in a strong, stubborn jaw that looks like it’s carved out of stone by the gods. He has the deepest brown eyes that I’ve ever seen on anyone. I used to think that brown eyes were boring but his fascinate me. If you look closely enough, you’ll see tiny flecks of gold and black mixed into the brown.

  He’s gorgeous, and he’s also the kindest man that I have ever met. He makes me feel like he sees me, like really sees me, which is something that I haven’t had in, well, ever. He always asks me how my day is going and tries to get me to talk about myself.

  Every day he tries to find out something new about me and it’s somehow turned into a game. So far, he’s learned that my favorite color is purple, that I’m an only child, that I’ve never had a pet but I love animals, that I’ve never seen the ocean but I’ve always wanted to, and that I never knew my parents. Over the last couple of days, the questions have gotten more and more personal and I’m not sure if that thrills me or scares me. Probably both.

  I’ve never been into the opposite sex. Actually, I’ve never been interested in anyone before but there’s something about Mr. Americano that calls to me. I’ve been fantasizing about him for weeks and lately these fantasies have taken a decidedly sexual turn. I’ve been waking up in a sweat with my hand down my panties for days now and it’s always his face in my dreams that is doing this to me.

  I pull the coffee shop door open and wonder what Mr. Americano thinks about me. If he is dreaming about me at night too.

  Chapter Two

  Asher

  I always used to be more of a night owl but that all changed three months ago. Now, the morning is my favorite time of day. To be honest, my nights are starting to be torture. Every night I dream of her. My ray of sunshine. She’s all I can think about. All I want.

  I should be dead tired, but every morning I leap out of bed and can’t wait to head into the office. Every morning I walk into my company’s lobby and head straight into the coffee shop to get my fix. As soon as I walk in, I see her. Long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, large blue eyes free of makeup and dressed in jeans and the coffee shops polo shirt.

  Normally, I would never get my own coffee, that’s a job for my assistant, but I tend to go through assistants like some people go through tissues. Three months ago, the assistant the temp agency sent didn’t even make it long enough to get my coffee before she quit and so I had come down to the lobby coffee shop to get it myself.

  When I walked into the shop, I saw her. My little spot of sunshine. Poppy. She was beautiful and when she looked at me for my order, I lost my train of thought. She had this look in her eyes, like she was wise beyond her years, but the blush staining her cheeks said she was still so innocent. It was an intriguing combination. She could barely ask for my order, stumbling over her words and blushing so sweetly. The light pouring in from the coffee shop window hit her and made it look almost like she was glowing. She’s been my sunshine ever since.

  As soon as I took a sip of my coffee, I learned something else about her. Turns out Poppy is a terrible barista. I ordered a small americano coffee with one sugar but she put so much in that it was hard to drink. I was hoping that maybe she just misunderstood me but the next day wasn’t any better or the eighty-seven days after that. I would leave the coffee shop and head up to my office where I would have to ask my assistant at the time to run to a different coffee shop and get my order. Some might say it was a waste of time and money but I would have paid any amount to get to see my sunshine every day.

  That’s when I knew how far gone I was over her. I’ve been a bit of a commitment-phobe for a while now. Ever since I made my first billion and women started chasing after me with dollar signs in their eyes. I’ve shied away from dating ever since. If I’m with someone I want them to be with me for me and not for what I can give them. For Poppy, though? I think that I would take her even if she was with me just for my money. I want to provide for her and protect her. I want her to be mine.

  I had a smile on my face as I walked into the coffee shop. When I saw that Poppy was behind the counter getting yelled at by a customer in a poorly fitted brown suit, my smile quickly fell. Poppy looked like she was trying to hold back tears and I immediately stepped forward to defend her when the manager, a kind older man, intervened.

  “What’s the problem, sir?”, her manager asks tiredly. Before Poppy can respond though, the now irate cust
omer beats her to it.

  “This dumb bitch can’t get a simple coffee order right. How stupid do you have to be to fail at making coffee?”

  “I’m sorry, sir. Let me get someone else to take your order. And Poppy, can I have a word, please?”

  The manager leads Poppy to the back and I already know what’s going to happen. This isn’t the first time that customers have complained. It’s actually amazing that she’s lasted this long.

  Then it really hits me. When Poppy is fired, I won’t see her everyday anymore. I begin to panic at the thought and at that moment Poppy walks out with tears starting to run down her face. She has a backpack thrown over her shoulder as she practically runs past me on her way out the door. Panic grips me at the thought of not seeing her anymore and I turn and run after her.

  Chapter Three

  Poppy

  Fired on my birthday. That thought keeps running through my head as I make my way out of the coffee shop and out of the building. What am I going to do now? I have no job, no place to live, nothing. I get out of the building and just stand there not sure where to go now.

  All of a sudden, a man in a black suit that looks like it was made just for him comes running out and looks around. Tousled brown hair that looks like he’s been running his hands through it all morning frames the most handsome face I’ve ever seen. A lean face with a strong jaw and high cheekbones is complimented by full lips and the most gorgeous blue eyes that I have ever seen. They are the clearest blue and they are staring straight at me. When his eyes land on me, he stops and I immediately recognize him as Mr. Americano. I can feel my cheeks heat as I look up at him.

  He comes to a stop in front of me and I have to tilt my head to look up at him and it’s then that I realize how tall he is. He easily dwarves my 5’3” and he must be at least a foot taller. I stand there gaping up at him and he just stares down at me. He gives me a slight smile as he just looks me over and I desperately search my brain for something to say. Awkward silence stretches between us as we both just stand and stare at each other.

  I wonder what it would be like to be his as my eyes sweep over him. That fantasy is crushed as soon as I take in his clothes. He’s wearing a suit that probably costs more than I make in a whole year and I’m wearing thrift store clothes and only have a measly two grand to my name with no place to stay and no job. I realize how silly my fantasy of being with him is. Our lives are drastically different and besides, he looks like a Greek god and I’m well, me.

  I start to look back up to his face to ask why he came after me and I realize that he must have seen what happened in the shop. I drop my gaze then, not wanting to see the pity in his eyes that I’m sure is there. I stare at his shoes as he clears his throat and when I still refuse to look up, he begins to talk.

  “I saw what just happened. I’m sorry that man spoke to you like that and that you were fired.”

  I just nod my head still refusing to look up at him. I don’t know what he expects me to say to that.

  “I’d like to offer you a job. If you still need one.” He hurries on to say.

  This gets me to snap my head up. A job means money, which I desperately need.

  “What kind of job?” I ask.

  “I need a new assistant. You’d have to answer phones, respond to emails, and assist me with whatever else I need.”

  For a second, I wonder what he means by assisting him with whatever else he needs and my mind takes a dirty turn. I’m surprised that assisting him in other less professional ways doesn’t seem to bother me that much. If anything, I think I might actually be a little curious about what that would be like. I’ve never been with anyone before or even had a spark of interest in anyone, so this train of thought takes me by surprise. He must take my silence as a sign that I was going to refuse because he quickly rushes on.

  “I can assure you the pay will be very generous. It will be Monday through Friday; you’ll have sick and vacation days and all of that.”

  “I don’t really know if I’m qualified for that position, sir. I don’t have any experience doing that kind of thing.” I reply. I would love to jump at this opportunity but it’s not worth it if I’m just going to get fired again. I don’t think I could handle losing two jobs in one day.

  “I think you’ll be great at it. I’ll take your lack of experience into account though. I can be patient while you learn the ropes.” He says with a smile.

  It takes me less than a minute to realize that I don’t have many other options and to accept Mr. Americano’s job offer. I stick my hand out to shake his and smile as I look back up to him to accept his offer.

  “You’ve got yourself a new assistant then, Mr.-”

  I realize that I don’t know his name and that I almost called him Mr. Americano to his face.

  “Uh, Mr., Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

  “It’s Asher Welch.”

  Welch. As in Welch Holdings. The name of the building we’re standing in front of. Of course, it is, I think to myself.

  “Nice to meet you Mr. Welch. I’m Poppy Herring.”

  I go to pull my hand from his, realizing that we’ve stopped shaking some time ago and are now just standing there holding hands. His grip on me tightens and I look down to see his fingers are now intertwined with mine. He tugs on my hand and leads me back into the building and straight to the elevator. He pushes the button and the doors open immediately. We both step on and I watch as he pushes the button for the top floor.

  The doors close soundlessly and as the elevator starts to move so does my heartrate. I’ve never been in an elevator before and I’m quickly realizing that I do not like them. I’ve only lived in crappy walk up apartments and every job I’ve ever had has been on the first floor. I can feel my hand getting sweaty in Asher’s but my fear outweighs any embarrassment and I cling to him tighter. He seems to feel my unease because he tugs me closer to him and wraps his other arm around me. Seconds later, the elevator comes to a stop and the doors slide open.

  He keeps his arm wrapped around my waist as he leads me off of the elevator and into his office. We pass what I’m assuming is my desk outside his office but he doesn’t stop there. Instead, he leads me through two double doors and over to a couch on the right side of the room. We sit down and I get my first look at his office.

  Everything is done in black and white. The paintings on the wall are all abstracts done in black and white. His desk and chair are black and the bookshelves that line one wall are also black. Even the couch we’re sitting on is white. Everything looks so boring and plain and I have the strongest urge to sneak in some color and try to liven the place up a little bit.

  I turn my attention back to Mr. Welch and see he’s already staring at me. I give him an awkward smile as I realize that he still has his arm wrapped around me. I love the feeling of his arm wrapped protectively around me. Growing up in the foster system, I’ve never had someone who wanted to protect and take care of me. I take one more minute to soak in the feeling before I scoot away from him, letting his arm drop from around me.

  He frowns at me moving away from me and his arm reaches for me again like he’s going to drag me back to him but he freezes and lets his arm fall back to his side before it can reach me. I know that I was the one to move away first and that I’ll be working for him so I should keep things professional, but I can’t help the stab of disappointment that he didn’t pull me back to him.

  He clears his throat and stands abruptly.

  “Let me show you where you’ll be working.” He says as he starts to hold his hand out to me. He pulls me from the couch but drops my hand as if I burned him as soon as I’m standing. He turns and leads me out to the desk we passed outside his doors.

  Chapter Four

  Asher

  I have to hold myself back from reaching for her and pulling her into me again. She felt so perfect tucked under my arm or with her hand in mine. I hadn’t meant to hold her hand outside but once her hand was in mine, I couldn’t b
ear to let her go.

  Then, in the elevator I could feel her body trembling next to mine and I didn’t even think about it. I just wrapped my arm around her and pulled her into my side. Her trembling stopped almost immediately so I just kept my arm wrapped tight around her waist as I led her into my office and over to my couch. Then, she pulled away from me though. I’m not sure if it was because she didn’t want my touch or if seeing my office reminded her of our working relationship and she wanted to keep it professional. I’m hoping I can change her mind about that because I desperately need to feel her in my arms again.

  I watch her look around my office and I try to see it through her eyes. I didn’t want anything distracting so I have a modern black and white decorating theme. I think about wanting no distractions and want to laugh at myself. I just offered the biggest distraction a job working under me.

  I feel my cock start to thicken as I think about Poppy under me. I quickly dispel those thoughts as I turn back to her. I see her look of distaste as she finishes looking around my office and I immediately think of ways to change it to her liking. I want her to like working here and working with me. Mostly, I just want her to like me. I need her to.

  I stand up from the couch to show her around and reach my hand out to her. She places her hand in mine without hesitation but then I remember her pulling away from me earlier and I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, so I drop her hand immediately and lead her out to her desk. I spend the next hour going over what we do at my company and what her responsibilities will be. By the time I’m done, its lunchtime.

  “Let me buy you lunch.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that.” She answers in her sweet voice.

  “I insist.”