Under Pressure (16 page)

“I don’t think so. You got that one wrong.”

“No, I got it right, you just don’t want me to tell the truth. Again.”

Kennedy sighed.

“How about we compromise and both lose something?”

She did want to see those strong thighs and his tight ass. And her bra was chaffing at her nipples anyway. “Fine. But you first.”

Asher flashed her a brilliantly deviant grin and stood. Easing his hands into the already open waistband, he pushed and crouched low. It was a constant amazement to her, how smoothly the large man could move.

When he rose, the pants stayed pooled on the ground. His thighs flared out, the cut of muscle there making her mouth go dry. She wanted to run her tongue up the long, lean line.

And his ass. From here she could see the way his glutes indented on the sides. Was it bad that she wanted to take a bite out of him?

Probably.

Collapsing back into the chair, Asher didn’t bother to hide the little that was still covered by his briefs. He sprawled back, legs wide, massive erection straining against the band of spandex and cotton.

“Your turn.”

Reaching behind her, Kennedy unsnapped the tiny clasps holding the satin and lace against her body. She pulled in a deep breath the moment they released and let it out on a sigh of relief. The straps slipped down her shoulders, but an arm across her chest held the material in place.

Settling back onto her heels again, Kennedy watched him. Studied the way his gaze devoured her.

Slowly, she let go, her bra dropping onto the bed in front of her.

His tongue swiped across his lips. She wanted him to lick her. Kiss her. Tug at her throbbing nipples with the tips of his teeth. To make her writhe beneath him, in the way only Asher could.

She’d had lovers, more than a handful over the years. But none of them had ever looked at her like Asher did. As if his entire world had condensed down to the two of them. Together.

There was no question why he never had any problems filling his bed. He was gorgeous, intense, a little dangerous and completely involved with whomever was in front of him.

Tonight, that was her. And she was going to take every moment she could get.

“Soft pink.” His gaze found hers. “You have the most amazing breasts, Kennedy. A perfect handful. And your nipples are so damn responsive. I bet I could make you come just by sucking on them.”

At the moment, she wasn’t entirely certain he couldn’t make her come just by talking to her like that.

Suddenly, Asher surged out of the chair. It crashed back against the desk before tipping onto its side. Neither of them seemed to care.

“I’m done with this game,” he said, stalking closer.

Kennedy instinctively scrambled backward on the bed, but she didn’t get far. His arms came around her, pulling her up onto her knees and crushing her against the hard wall of his chest.

She was suddenly apprehensive. Not about him touching her. But about her ability to keep her own emotions in check. She’d spent the past two years thinking she didn’t particularly like this man.

She’d been lying—to him and herself.

If they’d simply started going at each other again, like yesterday, it might have been different. Her defenses might have remained in place.

Unfortunately, they were in tatters at her feet, mixed in with the pile of their clothing. She felt more exposed, and it had nothing to do with being almost naked.

But he didn’t give her a chance to get back on even ground. Instead, he tore away the last barriers between them. With a twist of his fingers, he ripped through the tiny strings across her hips and left her panties in a frayed pile on the bed.

His own shorts disappeared, and they were skin on skin. Burning heat to burning heat.

God, he smelled so damn good. Man and musk with a hint of salt and sunshine from being above deck all day.

Her mouth found his neck, licking and sucking. Taking a nipping bite of him, because she wanted a piece of him if he was going to steal a piece of her.

His fingers weren’t rough, but insistent, as they traveled across her body. He plucked at her nipples, flicking them. Kennedy arched up, asking for more.

His mouth found her, sucking hard and pulling a cry from her parted lips before changing up and laving her softly. The constant push and pull had her head spinning.

Her hands gripped his ass, trying to pull him closer.

“God, Ash, I need... I need,” she panted out, completely gone.

“I know, angel,” he whispered into her ear, his hands sweeping across her temples, tangling into her hair.

She writhed beneath him, searching. Her hands found the hard length of his sex. She couldn’t keep a sound of satisfaction from vibrating through her throat when she closed a fist around him and started pumping.

He hissed, his hips bumping against her in rhythm.

“I want you in my mouth,” she murmured against him, satisfying herself with sucking his bottom lip since she couldn’t wiggle down far enough to get to him.

“Later.”

Hooking an arm beneath the bend in her knee, Asher pressed, opening her wide. She should have felt pinned beneath him, but she didn’t. In that moment, it felt as if the weight of his body was the only thing holding her to the earth.

His fingers found the slippery folds of her sex. She whimpered. He rubbed at her clit, around it, over it, circling close and then slipping away again. Torturing her in a way that made the world go black.

Or maybe that was just because she closed her eyes, unable to deal with the intensity of what he was making her feel.

He stopped briefly. She heard foil tearing and realized he’d gotten a condom from somewhere. “Thank you,” she managed to breathe out.

Asher didn’t pretend not to understand what she meant. “I’ll always take care of you.”

It was a promise she believed. At least in that moment. Asher had always been there for her when she’d needed him.

That was the last thought she had before she felt the head of his cock pressing against the tight opening of her sex. He eased in, inch by glorious inch, sinking slowly.

She didn’t want slow. Kennedy needed fast and hard. Unbridled.

Gripping the curve of his ass, she pushed down at the same time she surged up. He entered her fully with that one fluid thrust.

Asher cursed against her lips before claiming her mouth and pinning her hips tight to the bed so that she couldn’t move.

“Minx,” he growled a few seconds later, pulling back. “That wasn’t for you. That was for me. I’m trying not to go off like a teenager, but you feel so damn good. I’m gonna lose it.”

Kennedy stared up at him, taking in the brilliant light in his green eyes. “I want you to lose it. Give it to me, Ash. Don’t hold back.”

If she couldn’t, she didn’t want him to, either. She needed him lost in the storm of sensation with her.

Rearing up, she sealed her mouth to his, sweeping her tongue deep inside. And he gave her exactly what she’d asked for.

His hands touched her everywhere. His mouth and tongue teased her neck, ear, shoulder. All the while, he moved with a steady pace, hitting that perfect spot deep inside that had sparks sputtering through her blood.

“Ash, I’m gonna...” She couldn’t even get the words out.

“I’ve got you, darlin’”

Her mouth opened on a silent cry that suddenly wasn’t silent at all. Words spilled from her mouth, although she couldn’t say what they were. But Asher caught each one, smothering the sound with his own lips and taking them for himself.

Her entire body exploded, and the waves of pleasure just kept going. Her hips surged, chasing the ecstasy that only Asher could give her.

And then every muscle in her body collapsed beneath the weight of relief. A few seconds later a shudder raced down his spine. Kennedy ran her hands over his back and shoulders, wanting to feel the physical evidence of his desire for her.

She felt the kick of him deep inside, her own body clenching hard around him. Asher buried his face in her shoulder, muffling the cry of his orgasm. But she felt the vibration of it. Relished it.

And wanted it again.

Even after that unbelievable explosion she needed more of him.

And that scared her. But not enough to move. And certainly not enough to push him away.

12

I
T
FELT
LIKE
déjà vu, standing at the back of the room watching the production team scurry around Asher. He was even wearing the same clothes—the slacks and shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the top two buttons undone.

The difference was that now she was intimately familiar with the body hidden beneath. And she was finding it difficult not to fantasize, stuck here in her little corner. Which wasn’t the best considering she was pretty sure Asher was close to a meltdown. Not that anyone else would notice.

He looked amazing, and she was struggling not to cross the room and put her lips just where his shirt revealed that tender place on his neck, so the taste of his skin could flood her mouth once more.

But there were too many prying eyes for that kind of behavior. They’d already been pushing their luck. Eventually, word was going to get back to Jackson that something between the two of them had changed. And she didn’t want that.

Jackson would get upset—because he was her overprotective big brother. Which wouldn’t be fair to Asher. She didn’t want to be the source of tension between the men, especially since in a handful of days she’d be leaving.

She realized now, more than ever, how important Jackson, Knox and the Trident family were to Asher. He’d lost so much—his father, mother, grandmother, wife...she refused to be the cause of him losing anything more.

So, Kennedy stayed in the background, her own belly full of sympathetic butterflies, and kept her gaze trained on Asher.

To anyone else who was watching him, he would appear perfectly calm and in control. But over the past few days Kennedy had become intimately familiar with him, and she could see the signs of strain.

The tick of a muscle right below his jaw. The tension tightening around his eyes. The way his fingers curled into the edge of the desk. The single-syllable words he used to answer the production crew’s questions.

Kennedy was fully aware of what was at stake today and just how badly this moment could go. And she needed to figure out some way to get him to relax or this shoot was going to end in disaster.

Crossing the room, she pushed her way between Carmen and one of the production assistants, throwing them both megawatt smiles.

“Could you guys give us a minute?”

Everyone around them backed away, giving them a few feet of space. It wasn’t much to work with, but it would have to do.

Conscious of multiple pairs of eyes on them, Kennedy was careful when she casually rested her hands on Asher’s knees.

Pitching her voice low, she said, “Hey, frogman, how ya’ doing?”

“Fine.” His mouth was thin. His voice tight.

“You can bullshit everyone else in this room, Asher Reynolds, but don’t try to pull that with me. You’re not fine, and that’s okay. The world isn’t going to end because you aren’t perfect.”

His mouth twisted, but a brief flash of humor lit up his gaze. She’d take it.

Leaning forward, Asher murmured, “I don’t suppose there’s any way I could convince you to leave?”

Kennedy’s brows creased with confusion. “Why would I leave?”

“Because you make me nervous, cupcake, and I’m already nervous enough.”

The laughter that bubbled out was unintended. She didn’t even know it was coming until it was too late to stop it. But it had a surprising effect—an answering lightness spread across Asher’s expression. His body relaxed, most of the tension leaking away and leaving behind the strong, intelligent, competent man she’d come to know.

“I’m your friend, Asher. I’m on your side and should be the least of your worries.”

“I don’t want to look like an idiot in front of you.”

His confession was endearing, especially since a few weeks ago she hadn’t thought he gave a damn how she felt about anything, much less him.

“Well, then let me put your mind at ease. You could screw this up royally, Asher, and it wouldn’t change my opinion of you one iota. You’re a damn good businessman, an unbelievable friend to my brother and someone who’s risked his life to protect this country. I have faith in your ability to do this. Now you need to have faith in yourself.”

Asher merely blinked at her. She wasn’t sure if her words had stunned him or if he didn’t have anything to say.

“But, just in case you need a little incentive, I’m not above rewarding excellent work.” Kennedy tossed him a saucy wink and then walked away.

Looking back over her shoulder, she noticed the wicked grin spreading across Asher’s face. Her belly dropped as if she’d just ridden the world’s fastest roller coaster. She’d always liked roller coasters.

Taking her spot in the back corner again, she didn’t notice Daniel until he was standing right beside her.

“I have no idea what you just said to him, but thanks. I was getting seriously worried.”

Kennedy shrugged her shoulders. “No problem. He gets a little uptight and nervous in front of the camera, that’s all. He’s a perfectionist in everything and is worried he’s going to screw up the entire production. The trick is to get him concentrating on something else so he doesn’t become a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom.”

Daniel chuckled. “I’ll remember that. You have a knack for this, you know.”

Kennedy couldn’t stop the flood of pride and accomplishment, or the way she soaked in his praise. It was nice to have her hard work acknowledged, especially considering the hurdles they’d had to overcome so far and the fact that Daniel hadn’t exactly been a breeze to work with.

Maybe moving to Seattle wasn’t a bad idea after all. With Masters, Dillon and Cooper she’d have the opportunity to work on major ad campaigns, including interacting with television, magazine and radio outlets. She’d get to use the skills she was honing here.

Her gaze landed on Asher and her belly twisted again, only this time it wasn’t with giddy excitement.