Read His Absolute Authority: A Scandalous Billionaire Love Story (Jessika, #3) for Free Online Page A

Asher talked about that sort of thing sometimes, too.  Not in, an... uh... sexual way?  I didn't think they talked about me and Elise specifically, but I heard Asher talking with Lucent about some particular things, and then later in the day, Asher brought some newly learned expertise to the bedroom, so...
    I didn't know if I should tell Elise that.  This wasn't that kind of conversation.  "Maybe Lucent's confused, too?" I offered.  "I knew a little about what you said.  I know that he's helped Asher with things privately.  I don't know the full extent of it, but I don't think Lucent is a bad person, Elise." 
    That sounded like a good way to phrase it.  I really didn't think Lucent was a bad person, but I still didn't know if I agreed with the things he and Asher had done without um... legal approval?  They never did anything malicious, at least.  Landseer Enterprises wasn't going around illegal conspiring against other corporations and bringing about their downfall, or partaking in mafioso-style murder and extortion.  I hoped they weren't, at least.  I was positive they weren't, but it would make for a good book now that I thought about it.  I could flesh that idea out for later and maybe write about it...
    "I know everything is hard right now, trust me," I said softly.  "It's hard for me, too.  I don't know if you heard, but apparently there's a sex tape of me and Asher all over the internet.  It was in the tabloids today, too.  So..."
    "What, really?" Elise asked.
    I laughed.  It wasn't actually funny, but it was funny to see her ears perk up and the curious expression on her face.  "Asher said the police are looking for you both, so it's kind of different, but I understand in a way.  I'm confused, too.  There was that vandalism in my office yesterday, then the fire, and when I woke up this morning I found out about the sex tape, and... what if there's more?  What's going to happen next?  That's what I keep asking myself."
    Yes, I kept asking myself that, worrying about the future, but I really didn't want to know the answer.  I just hoped everything was done, and we could start picking up the pieces and figuring out how to fix this mess.
    Elise nodded, listening intently.  She looked a lot less worried and upset now.  The mascara smeared around her eyes made her look sad still, but the look in her eyes was hopeful.  We could commiserate with each other, and become more powerful because of it.  That's what I hoped, at least.
    "Asher always acts so confident," I told her, swallowing hard and struggling to explain myself without choking up.  "He acts like none of this could ever bother him.  It might not bother him, too.  How, though?"  I'd asked myself this a lot, and I could never figure out the answer.
    "I was so scared last night," I confessed.  "I thought you and Lucent were trapped in the fire and I thought you were dead.  They had to give me sedatives and bring me to the hospital to calm me down, except in the morning everything got worse again.  I think the only thing that kept me going was Asher and the fact that you and Lucent were fine.  I thought you were, at least, but then you called, and it hurt all over again.  I don't know what to do, Elise."
    I looked down at the bed, trying to hide my tears.  I didn't want this to happen.  I didn't want any of this to happen.  I just wanted to be happy, but I wanted more, too.  I wanted all of us to be happy.  I knew that maybe that was too lofty of a dream, and everyone couldn't be happy all the time, but I didn't think that people needed to be forced into sadness and depression, either.  Sad things happened, and I understood that, but no one should intentionally cause more sad things to happen to someone else, you know?
    I wiped at my eyes and sniffled.  I didn't want to burst into tears right now.  I didn't want to cry over nothing.  I'd cried enough over so many things these past couple of days.  I didn't want to do it