Under Pressure (22 page)

“Kennedy,” he groaned. “You can’t do that. You’ll regret your decision at some point, and I don’t want you to resent me. I’ll...sell my part of Trident. Surely someone in Seattle needs an ex-navy SEAL.”

Kennedy laughed, throwing her head back and giving everything she had to the moment. Asher didn’t really see what was so damn funny.

Her arms wound around his neck, and, going up on tiptoe, she rained kisses across his face, punctuating each of them with words. “I didn’t give up my job for you. Or just for you. Working at Masters, Cooper and Dillon wasn’t what I thought. It didn’t challenge me or give me a chance to grow the way my position with Trident did. I missed everyone here. Sure, you were a factor in my decision, but not all of it. Trust me, I’ll never regret choosing to come home. Especially since you’re here.”

Asher stared down at Kennedy, hope bleeding through him. Could this really be happening? She’d come home for him.

She’d chosen him. She’d chosen them.

Wrapping his arms around her, Asher boosted her up his body until her legs twined around his hips. She let out another giggle, sinking into his kiss when he sealed his mouth to hers.

They reveled in the moment, adrenaline, excitement and pure joy suffusing him.

Until she pulled back, arms straight, and frowned. “There is one problem, though.”

The somber expression on her face had his heart flipping over with dread. “What?”

“My condo’s no longer available. I have no place to live, so I’m moving back in with Mom and Dad. How good are you at climbing trees?”

Was she serious? If that was the only problem they encountered...

“Ex-navy SEAL, remember? I’m pretty damn good at climbing whatever you put in front of me. But, that won’t be an issue.”

“Oh, yeah? Why?”

“Because give me a month, and I’ll have convinced you to move in with me.”

Kennedy laughed, the tinkling sound the best thing he’d ever heard. “Keep dreaming, frogman. I think we need to take things slowly.”

Asher just smirked at her, certain eventually he’d get his way. He knew exactly how to play her body to get a yes from her when he really wanted one.

He wanted Kennedy in his life, in his home, in his bed, because she chose to be there. But he wasn’t above providing some enthusiastic incentive.

Sweeping her into his arms, Asher strode down the hallway to introduce her to the bedroom that would eventually be theirs.

Epilogue

I
T
HAD
BEEN
a long process, but the dive team had finally begun excavating the hold of the
Chimera
a few weeks ago. It had taken nearly two years from Jackson and Loralei’s discovery, but they’d reached the end point. Kennedy stood on the deck of the
Amphitrite
, excitement and anticipation churning in her belly.

Despite how busy everyone was, they’d all made time in their schedules to be present.

Jackson and Loralei had returned from their honeymoon a month ago. Knox and Avery had left their newest project off the coast of Turkey to return to the Caribbean. Avery had finally finished her PhD six months ago, and the two had recently been trying to find a date to get married somewhere in the middle of their crazy work schedules.

Asher had gotten his way, and she’d moved in with him, although it had taken about five months instead of one. And she hadn’t regretted the decision a single day. He’d been making noises about rings lately, but so far she was resisting. Not because she didn’t want to marry him, but because she liked driving him a little crazy.

She’d probably cave on that point the minute he got down on one knee.

But right now, everyone’s focus was on what lay inside the hold of the
Chimera
. This moment was a long time in the making.

Asher walked across the deck, slipping his arm around her waist, and together they strode for the far railing. He tucked her in front of him, positioning his body behind her and wrapping an arm tight around her middle.

Happiness bubbled up inside Kennedy as she leaned against him. Coming back to Jacksonville, Trident and Asher had been the best decision she’d ever made.

The documentary had not only been a success, but had gained them some serious media attention when it aired during prime time on one of the major networks. In fact, they’d had several offers from production companies requesting to be present for this moment.

But Jackson, Knox and Asher had all decided it was more important to share the moment with just the Trident family.

All the attention had meant her job had gotten very busy. So busy they were already discussing the possibility of hiring her a marketing assistant.

“I didn’t miss anything, did I?”

Beside them, Loralei said, “Not yet. They’ve attached the lines to the chest and are about to crank up the crane to lift it.”

Months ago the team had discovered a chest inside the hold. The moment pictures of it had appeared on their video screens, excitement had rippled through the team. Today, they were finally ready to raise the chest.

Across the deck, Knox directed the crew operating the crane. Jackson was down with the dive team.

An avalanche of water gushed across the deck as the worn wooden surface broke through. The crane groaned under the weight, swinging it and placing it gingerly onto the deck.

Kennedy’s breath backed up into her lungs. After over one hundred and fifty years beneath the water, the thing was delicate, hinges rusted and wood rotten. The smallest impact could make it collapse. As it was, they were going to need to get it into a chemical and water solution pronto to prevent as much erosion as possible from sudden exposure to the air.

But they’d all agreed to open the chest together.

Jackson hauled himself onto the deck, shedding equipment and pushing his wet suit down around his hips as he went. He snagged Loralei’s hand, and they joined Kennedy, Asher, Knox and Avery, crowding around the chest.

The wood was dark, having soaked up water and salt. Metal curved along all of the edges, and a large lock held the lid closed.

They’d called in an expert on Civil War era locks. Crouched on the deck, the locksmith made quick work of opening the corroded metal and then stepped back.

Kennedy watched as her brother’s gaze traveled from Knox to Asher and finally landed on his new wife.

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to Loralei’s. “No matter what’s inside, I want you to know you’re the treasure I found when we discovered the
Chimera
.”

Her sister-in-law sighed, a sweet, soft sound that made Kennedy smile.

Asher’s arm wrapped around her, and his lips found the warm curve of her neck.

Across from them, Knox bounced on the balls of his feet. “Let’s get this over with. The anticipation is killing me.”

“Patience, frogman,” Avery said, running her hand down his arm and laughing at him.

Together, all three men stepped forward and grasped an edge of the lid.

The hinges groaned, refusing to budge for several seconds before finally letting go. The lid swung back, and everyone gathered around gasped.

Bright Caribbean sunlight glinted off a small stack of gold bars. Kennedy pressed closer, trying to get a better view.

“Holy shit,” she breathed, bracing her hand on Asher’s back. She could feel the barely suppressed tremor running just beneath his skin.

“How many bars are there?”

“Twenty or so.”

“Anyone know how much money that is?”

Jackson looked up at her, shock widening his gaze as he breathed, “Around ten million dollars.”

Nearby, the entire crew began whooping and hollering.

Asher grabbed her by the waist and swung her around. He buried his face in her hair and whispered, “We’re set, baby.”

Kennedy grinned, pushing away from him so she could look up into his face. “Just remember, cupcake, I loved you long before you were rich. I don’t give a damn about the money.”

He tangled his fingers in her hair, his expression serious. “I love you more than you’ll probably ever know, Kennedy Duchane.”

He kissed her, the familiar heat and awareness rolling through her. She’d never get enough of this man. He completed her in every way possible.

Kennedy gripped his wrists, holding on to him. Her heart felt as if it was ready to burst.

The
Chimera
might be the site of tragedy, but over the past two years she’d brought them all together. And that was better than a chest full of gold, better than any treasure Kennedy could imagine.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from
IGNITED
by Kimberly Van Meter.

(Book One of A WRONG BED CHRISTMAS)

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Ignited

by Kimberly Van Meter

BOOK ONE OF
A WRONG BED CHRISTMAS

1

A
LEXIS
M
ATHESON
WAS
dreaming of Christmas cookies and homemade candies and stressing over how her candy thermometer was not working properly—when the scenario changed abruptly.

Suddenly, she was wrapped in a shadow lover’s arms, enjoying a sizzling kiss that was hotter than baking peanut brittle and she hazily wondered who her dream lover was and why she was torturing herself with a sex dream when she’d sternly declared a moratorium on sex until she got her head on straight.

Ugh. Plainly her brain thought that might take forever.

Ah, dream lover was pretty good with his tongue and hands! Now, why had she determined sex was a bad idea for the time being?

She moaned, wrapping her arms around her lover, sighing with pleasure as his mouth blazed a trail down the column of her neck, nipping and nibbling and sending goose bumps tripping down her skin.

Everything felt so real and yet dreamy at the same time. Hell, if dream lovers were this entertaining, maybe she could give up wide-awake sex for good.

Ha! Very funny.

She groaned again as a strong hand found her breast and squeezed and suddenly her eyes fluttered open at the realization that something didn’t feel right—no, it felt fabulous, but that’s not what she meant—she no longer knew if what was happening was only in her mind.

Before her sleep-fuzzed brain could fully react, she was being kissed again and, damn, it was good.

But wait a minute...she’d gone to bed alone!

An instant shot of adrenaline chased away her sleepy enjoyment of Mr. Talented Stranger and replaced it with a holy-shit-I’m-about-to-become-a-statistic jolt of awareness and she shoved at the big body covering her, landing a strategic hit to his groin area as she kicked.

He grunted in pain and rolled to his side, doubled over.

Every serial-killer book and movie she’d ever happened to read or see jumped to mind as she used her feet to shove the stranger’s massive body right off the edge of her bed and onto the floor.

“This bed is already
occupado
!”

Once she heard the thump of his body landing on her carpet, she sprang from the bed and flicked on the light, snatching the first thing she could grab, and hurled it at the stranger when he stumbled to his feet.
Oh, good Lord, he was naked
.

He dodged the shoe, yelling, “What are you doing? Stop throwing shit! You’ve already mashed my nuts, lady!” as he shielded his frank and beans and blinked against the light like a mole squinting at the sun. “Watch it!”