And just touching him escalated her desire, she thought, running her hands up and down the length of his back and over his buttocks. She just couldn’t believe he was here.
The tension built to an incredible degree, finally spilling free with a soft explosive cry from Ashley.
And when he groaned, she urged Brian closer, wanting – no, needing – to feel him inside of her.
It was the definitive connection they’d both been seeking since they’d met all those years before. And as he finally slid into her, this time, everything in Ashley’s world became completely right.
* * *
Brian had to search for breath. His upper body felt tight as his heart started pounding against his chest. Ashley’s incredible power over him had him sending his arms tightly around her waist as he helplessly dropped his mouth down on hers.
She had him on fire. But maybe that was just the heat running feverishly through his body and straight to his groin. When his endlessly demanding kiss parted her lips, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, so he’d be able to taste more of her. The sweet moist curve of her mouth had him envisioning all the places he’d just had the pleasure of tasting. He’d been trying to hold himself back until now – because he wanted her so much – but the desire was flooding past his defenses. He couldn’t stop the need that was running through him.
A need she obviously felt too. She was kissing him back, running her hands around him and across his buttocks. Her fingers were firing up the heat already coursing through his body.
He was hot and hard, and she was on fire.
He thrust deeper, and harder, and Ashley gasped, as her body arched greedily under his.
He lifted his shoulders up a little further, enough to appreciate the way her body, all sensuous curves, became hotter and more flushed with each powerful thrust. She absorbed his forceful penetration as he rode her and filled her. Brian watched with satisfaction as he pushed her step by step closer to fiery fulfillment.
Brian felt the tension inside her coil and tighten beneath him. Her thighs gripped his as he released, held and beckoned. As her ragged breathing filled the air, it was a softer sound overlaying the rasp of his own staggered breath.
She reached for him, trying to pull him down to her. Without breaking their rhythm, he shifted his hips, pressing more intimately between hers as his thrusts became deeper still.
Harder still.
Her body tightened beneath his, closing powerfully around his. The heat of her drove him on, taking him with her beyond his yearning and desire and into fulfillment.
As well as intense satisfaction
Until they fell, their hearts becoming one.
“Oh, Brian,” she moaned, as he laid on top of her, loving the feel of her naked body beneath his.
“Oh, Ashley,” he responded softly, wrapping her gently into his arms as he collapsed beside her onto the bed.
So this is what it’s like to really love someone, he thought, glancing at the soft smile on Ashley’s face as she pretended to sleep.
Yes, he decided – he was pretty sure he was loved in return.
Chapter Fifteen
Daylight was filtering in through the skylight when Brian awoke the next morning. He could hear a shower running somewhere and he stood up, searching for his jeans, finally getting a good look at the space Ashley had made her own.
It was pretty amazing, he realized, standing and pulling on his jeans while making his way around the room. Larger brand-new windows lined the circular walls, and the panoramic view was incredible. The wooden floors had been refinished to a deep darker brown, while the walls had been painted a color he could only describe as smoky turquoise.
The woodwork throughout the room and framing the windows appeared to either have been restored or replaced. And the fireplace? With its modern touch of turquoise and cream glass tiles framing a roaring gas fire which had been burning all night, a rich mahogany mantelpiece covered the interior wall from floor to ceiling.
Brian wouldn’t call it a feminine room at all, but come to think of it, Ashley’s bedroom as a teenager wouldn’t be considered feminine either. Antique furnishings and a huge king-sized bed covered with a turquoise and brown block patterned comforter complemented the room perfectly.
But wait a minute, he definitely heard water running. From what he remembered as a kid, there wasn’t a bathroom near the tower, since he and his brothers had played in this room several times.
And there it was – the door to the master bathroom was on the other side of the fireplace. When he walked inside, it appeared that Ashley had transformed the bedroom beside the tower into a luxurious spa along with a huge walk in closet addition.
Apparently just stepping out from the shower, Ashley was standing with a towel wrapped around herself, looking at him somewhat indecisively.
He looked at her in shock. “Is that a tattoo on your shoulder?”
She held up her chin. “What about it?”
He shrugged. “Nothing. It’s just that you’re about the last person I’d ever expect to have one.”
“I’ve changed,” she murmured.
“Not that much,” he said softly, approaching and turning her around. “Let me see.”
“Why?” she growled.
“Let’s just say I’m curious. Hmm. A clock, a raven and a rose. Wait a minute. Why nine-thirty?” Brian turned her around quickly, staring into her eyes. She looked like a little kid, with her hair wet and no makeup on. “Ash? Does that mean what I think it means?”
She snorted, avoiding his eyes. “I was having a few drinks with a friend that night, and I got a little carried away.”
“Get over here,” he murmured, pulling her close. “I’ve thought about you all the time, and how much I regretted speaking to you the way I did the last time I saw you. In fact, I almost ran away when I saw you sitting in the restaurant, because I didn’t know what to say to you yesterday.”
“I was pretty shocked myself. Especially since I told myself last night that I was going to keep my distance and think things out.”
He held up her chin and smiled. “The last thing I expected is for you and I to end up in the sack last night. I couldn’t keep my hands off you. And that tattoo is sexy as hell, by the way.”
Her grin was wry. “You’ve got one too, I’ve noticed.”
“It’s just my tag,” he murmured.
“Straight shooter?”
He grimaced. “Not just because I used to tell it like it is, but because I worked a while as a sniper.”
“I’m glad you’ve opted out. I don’t think I could have handled being with you knowing I might never see you again.”
“I don’t know, Ash,” he answered in a husky voice. “You’re a lot stronger than you think.”
Her look was thoughtful. “Maybe. But maybe not.”
He sighed. “I guess we’d better think about getting ready for work. I should go home and shower.”
“That’s alright. You can do it here,” she murmured.
Relishing the look of approval in her eyes as Ashley slowly began stripping away his jeans, his mind went blank on everything but the feel of her hands on him.
When he was naked, Brian offered her a lazy grin. With consternation, she was staring down at his jutting arousal.
He cleared his throat. “I think I’m ready. Just not for work.”
Ashley laughed, rolling her eyes upward, reaching into the shower to turn the water back on.
Brian continued to stare at her intently. “You’re going to join me, I hope?”
“Somebody’s going to have to soap you up.”
Suddenly, he was in a little less of a hurry. “Why don’t you drop that towel?”
She grinned and complied.
He gave her body a heated glance. “I can’t believe how beautiful you are.”
Grabbing her hand, he yanked her into the shower with him.
Propping himself against the wall of the shower, he closed his eyes and si
ghed as Ashley ran her hands over his back and shoulders, exploring and massaging his skin. He’d like to stay here with her the entire day if he could.
Brian turned around, taking the bottle of soap from her hand, squirting some into his hands and rubbing it over her shoulders, before moving them down further over her breasts and wrapping his hands around her waist.
“What about it?” he asked, tipping her chin upward with a finger. “I haven’t had sex with anyone but you in like forever, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Me, neither,” she confessed, scrunching her nose. “And I’m even on birth control.”
“You’re sure you’re alright with it?” he murmured, kissing her gently on the lips.
“I trust you,” Ashley answered.
“I’m glad,” Brian answered, heaving a sigh. “Because I trust you too, and a hell of a lot more than that, but I’m not sure you’re ready to hear about how much I really do care right now.”
For a moment she looked like she was ready to cry, and it reminded him of the first time he’d seen her walking into the classroom to begin junior high. It was one of the few times he’d seen her look vulnerable.
“Oh, Babe,” he said softly as she laid her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped her within his arms.
But soon she was urging him on, and lifting her and propping her against the shower wall, he entered her slowly.
Ashley ran her fingertips across the breadth of his naked shoulders and settled her mouth in the curve of his neck.
She felt like…his idea of everything that was finally becoming right in his world as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
She started to come on his first stroke, and by the time he’d reached his own release, she’d come again, her passion at that moment unfettered by inhibition.
They stood there for several long minutes, unmoving and replete.
“I guess we’d better think about getting to work,” she murmured.
He sensed the smile on her face, because he was smiling too.
“I need to go back to my apartment and change clothes.”
When Brian eventually stepped out from the shower after Ashley, she handed him a towel after wrapping one around herself.
She paused. “Have you got time for breakfast?”
“As long as you don’t mind me being a little late for our meeting?”
“Not a problem,” she answered, smiling. “Go get dressed and head down to the kitchen. I won’t be too long.”
Brian couldn’t help it, when he bent over and kissed her.
She grinned as she pulled away. “You’d better go, before we end up back in bed.”
Brian laughed, but did as she said.
Chapter Sixteen
Rushing to get ready for work, Ashley tried hard not to think about the fact she’d reneged so quickly on the promise she’d made to herself about not rushing into anything too soon with Brian. It was like they’d picked up right where they’d left off.
And she couldn’t figure out if that was good or bad.
She wore a cute little dress again today with sandals and left her hair hanging loose since it was still a little damp from the shower.
When she made her way downstairs a few minutes later, she could smell coffee brewing, and she was surprised to see Brian at the stove, scrambling eggs. He’d even laid table settings on the island.
“When did you learn how to cook?”
Brian grinned, giving her a heated stare. “You’d be surprised at all I learned how to do when I went into the service.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll bet.”
“Hah,” he quipped. “That came out wrong.”
Opening and reaching into the fridge for juice, she gave him a side glance. “So, what do you think about the kitchen?”
“It’s incredible. I love what you’ve done with the space. With all the refinishing, it has the look of the old kitchen but with a more efficient floor plan and three times the space.”
“What I love the most is the fireplace I had restored. I found the chimney when I pulled down the walls, and I purchased that wood surround at an auction when I was with the Loughlins. They use a lot of antiquities in their renovations of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn, and they like to remodel each suite every five or ten years. “
Brian looked puzzled. “Did I just hear you say, you pulled down the walls?”
She grinned, laying down a couple glasses of orange juice before sitting at the kitchen island.
“You did,” she answered. “That’s one of the new hobbies I was telling you about.”
Brian’s eyes went wide. “Geez, Ash. You really have changed.”
She scrunched her nose. “In a good way, I think.”
“How about some coffee?” he asked, walking toward the pot.
“Please,” she said.
After pouring two cups of coffee and resting the mugs on the table, Brian scooped eggs onto their plates before sitting beside Ashley.
“I remember a time you went nuts after doing something as stupid as breaking a nail.”
She laughed, holding out her hands for him to see. “Not so much anymore. I keep them short. Heck, I even have calluses on my palms and fingers.”
“Amazing,” Brian said, forking some eggs into his mouth.
Ashley kept waiting for the awkwardness to appear between them, but it never did. Why was that, she wondered? It really was like the last ten years had never happened.
When he finished eating, Brian stood up, pouring more coffee and leaning against the counter while Ashley ate.
“I see your appetite is as big as mine this morning,” he said dryly.
She grinned. “I wonder why?”
He laughed.
After she finished, he approached, bending over and giving her a quick kiss on the mouth.
“What was that for?” she asked, standing with her plate.
He murmured, “Does there have to be a reason now?”
“I guess not,” she answered, stacking their dishes into the dishwasher.
Brian looked like he was ready to help.
“That’s alright. It’ll only take me a minute to clean up,” she said, glancing at the kitchen clock. “I’ll see you in an hour or two. Take your time.”
“Alright,” he answered, heading towards the door. “It’s been..?”
She lifted a brow as he stood with his hand on the door handle. “Real?”
“That works for me,” he answered, walking outside onto the porch. “See you soon.”
She watched through the window as he walked along the driveway. That’s right. He must have parked near the road.
Suddenly seeing Spook scampering behind him, she laughed. It was amazing how that cat seemed to appear out of nowhere sometimes.
Peeking at the clock again, she poured herself one more cup of coffee for the road.
Chapter Seventeen
When Brian drove into his office parking lot, it was nearly nine, so stepping out from his truck, he hurried toward the back door, which led directly to the staircase running upstairs to his apartment.
But wait a minute. Something was off when he walked inside the office. Granted, there wasn’t much furniture inside, but Brian had turned into kind of a neat freak since being in the army, and his training as a ranger had taught him to be observant of subtle changes often missed.
The keyboard had been moved over a couple of inches, so someone had been messing with the computer, although Brian hadn’t bothered syncing it with his laptop yet. In fact, his laptop was still outside behind the back seat of his truck, along with a few other items he hadn’t bothered bringing inside.
The drawers and file cabinets had been gone through as well, because one of the drawers wasn’t completely closed.
Rather than go upstairs and check through his personal items, he decided to head outside and make a call instead. Maybe he was being paranoid, but he couldn’t help thinking that his office could be bugged.
Retur
ning to his truck, he took out his phone from inside the glove compartment and hit the speed dial for Jake Loughlin’s personal number.
“Hello?”
“Jake. This is Brian O’Neill. I think I’ve got a problem.”
“What’s up, Brian?”
“I was gone during the night, and I’m pretty sure that someone was nosing around inside my office and probably in my apartment upstairs.”
“Where are you?”
“In my truck, outside in the parking lot.” Brian answered.
“Good,” Jake said. “Lock up the office and walk over to the police station through the alley, where there’s a back door. I’m going to give the chief a call right now, and someone will let you in.”
“Alright,” Brian answered.
“I’ll see you shortly,” Jake muttered, disconnecting.
Brian followed Jake’s instructions, and when he knocked at the back door of the police station five minutes later, Chief Danielson was the one who let him in.
“Brian,” the chief murmured, reaching out a hand after Brian walked inside. “Good to see you again.”
“How’s it going, Chief?” Brian asked, shaking his hand.
“Not too bad. But it hasn’t been the same since your family left town. Your dad and I grew up together, you know.”
“I know he misses Crystal Rock. I have too,” Brian answered, following the chief through the hallway and into his office.
“Sit down. I hear that trouble is brewing?” Chief Danielson observed, settling in his seat behind the desk. “Jake’s decided it’s time to come clean with you and Ashley Mitchum.”
Brian blinked. “Really?”
“I think that your families have decided that ten years has been too much time to be looking over your shoulders. Jake and Ashley should be here shortly. I gather she was arriving at work when you called.”
Chief Danielson stood back up as Jake and Ashley walked into the police station. “Who wants coffee?”
“It looks like we could all use some, Sam,” Jake answered, looking at Ashley and Brian. “I’ll give you some help. Why don’t you two be seated? There’s a lot we need to go over.”
That Incredible Kiss Page 10