Then she told him, “Your pillow talk kind of sucks.” Even in the dark of the early morning, Mercer could see a smile spreading on her face. “And, yes, I do understand your little policy, although I think you’re missing out on a lot. However, I don’t see why I can’t get to know my bodyguard a little more.”
He cringed the way she said the word “bodyguard.” She was taunting him, but the sex had mellowed him out enough that he decided to hold any kind of retort. Instead, he sighed and stared at the ceiling.
“What do you want to know?” He grumbled reluctantly.
Yeah, this woman was going to be the end of him.
“Tell me about your life,” she told him. “Where you’re from, what your childhood was like, what the military was like.”
“Grew up in Virginia,” he began uneasily. He had never shared this kind of information with a woman he had had sex with. “Near Blacksburg.”
“Blacksburg…like near Virginia Tech?” She asked suddenly.
“Yeah,” Mercer said reluctantly. “Parents wanted me to go there too. They had a lot of plans for me. I guess I pissed them off when I decided to join the Marines. Haven’t talked much to them since...”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she murmured. “My parents…they…”
“Hey,” he said, reaching a hand over to her arm and brushing his fingertips lightly over her incredibly smooth skin. “I already know. You don’t have to bring it up if you don’t want to.”
“Thanks,” she whispered. There was a long silence before she asked, “So how long were you in the military?”
Glad to push the conversation away from dead and estranged parents, he replied, “Eleven years.”
“So that would make you…thirty-one?” She asked tentatively.
“Thirty-five,” he replied. “Spent the rest of the time working for Gray Tower.
“I see,” she said. “The mysterious company that my uncle hired to protect me and has the pull to call off a police investigation?”
“Yeah.”
“That sounds…frightening.”
“It’s just a private military company. They just…know people.”
“Know what people?”
“People.”
She seemed flustered but didn’t press the issue. Instead, she had to go to the one place that he hated to go.
“Do you want to talk about what happened to you?”
He knew exactly what she meant. She wanted to talk about his scarring. The one thing Mercer hated the most was talking about his appearance. Everyone at Gray Tower accepted him and never seemed to be bothered by it. He had discussed it a few times with some of his friends there: Jack Hunter, Logan Slade, Ryan Hale, Gabriel Marshall. They were all elite soldiers, and they understood how he felt. He had certainly never talked about it with a female, let alone a sexual partner.
Ashlen tentatively ran a finger along the far-right side of his torso, along the scars and burn marks there. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that he couldn’t feel shit on that part of his body. Still, the gesture calmed him. She seemed like she genuinely cared, instead of just being curious.
“It was a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. I lost two men that day. Besides being burned from the explosion, shrapnel flew out and hit my face. My right knee got banged up badly too. I was flown back to the States and later discharged.
“I was lucky that Gray Tower scooped me up and gave me a purpose again. They didn’t seem to mind having a busted-up Marine on their team. Still, losing those men…”
He trailed off, trying not to think about that day. Mercer had thought about it enough.
Ashlen sat up from where she had been lying, her breasts still hanging bare. She leaned over him and kissed him on his scarred cheek and then down his neck, shoulders, and chest.
“I’m sorry, Mercer,” she murmured between kisses. “I’m so, so sorry.”
As wonderful as her mouth felt against his skin, there was only so much sympathy he could take from her. The roadside bomb was a sore spot for him. As sweet as she was being right now, he needed a little bit of time by himself. He sat up, gently pushing her away.
“I don’t need your pity,” he growled. “If you want to give anyone your sympathy, you can give it to the two men I lost.”
Before she could reply, he got up from the bed—still butt naked—grabbed his boxers and his jeans and stalked out of the room. He did not glance once back at Ashlen when he left.
✽ ✽ ✽
Mercer finished his last set of push-ups and moved on to the pull-ups. He had moved to the garage, which had the space and the accommodations that allowed him to do a basic push/pull workout. He had even dug around the garage and found some old fifty-pound dumbbells, which he used for squats and curls. His knee was killing him as he worked his legs. It was always a struggle with his knee.
The whole reason he had retreated to the garage was because he was starting to realize that he was beginning to care about Ashlen. The more time he spent around her, the more he was realizing it. He was still racking his brain trying to figure out why he had shared all that information with her. However, there were things that he just couldn’t tell her.
Mercer didn’t want to tell her why he didn’t do relationships. Yeah, sure, when he had been in the Marines, it was hard to keep a long-term relationship, so he didn’t. Being a part of Gray Tower wasn’t much better. However, what was keeping him from settling down now was a lot more complicated.
The problem was, he couldn’t love—not anymore. Through all the wars and conflicts that he had been in, he had seen a lot of rough shit. He had spent a good chunk of his life knee-deep in violence and death. Most soldiers came back with some issues, some even dealt with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Mercer had expected to have some issues, but he hadn’t been prepared for what had happened to him. He felt…nothing. He had squeezed out his emotions to such a point that he felt like he had lost his soul. When he did feel, it was rage or crippling depression. But mostly, he felt emptiness.
Well, he did think that he had felt something a little different with Ashlen.
Maybe.
However, he had seen how many times that his anger had lashed out at her. No, she didn’t deserve that. She deserved a lot more than a beat-up, hollowed-out Marine.
And so, he would always keep her at arm’s length emotionally.
He finished up the rest of the workout. Sweat beaded up along his bare chest (he hadn’t bothered with a shirt since he knew he’d just sweat it up anyhow). It had felt good to work some of the anger out of his system. However, his knee was starting to bother him.
Mercer limped out of the garage and headed straight to the shower. The sunlight from the early morning was starting to shine through the windows of the cabin as he made his way to the other side of the house. He was about to go into the bathroom when Ashlen suddenly came out of her bedroom and ran smack into him. He reached out to steady her so that she wouldn’t fall.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
Her hair was still tousled from sex, and she was only wearing an extra-large t-shirt, which was not doing a good job of covering her. She looked gorgeous. Mercer fought to keep his gaze steady.
“I was just going to use the shower,” she said. Then, she glanced at his sweaty appearance, her eyes flicking down his bare chest. “But I can wait if you want.”
He hesitated, then said, “No, you go ahead.”
What he wanted to suggest was that they could both go together, but he held his tongue.
She turned to go into the bathroom, but stopped and said, “I don’t understand you…Sometimes you act like you couldn’t give a crap about me. And then other times…you look at me like you are right now.”
“And how am I looking right now?” He asked her, shifting his weight to his good leg, though he wasn’t sure he was going to like the answer.
“Like you want to join me,” she said boldly.
“And what if I do?” He aske
d cautiously.
His cock was suddenly raring to go again. He thought that the need for her would go away after he fucked her once, but it had only gotten stronger.
Without answering him, she turned and walked into the bathroom. Ashlen kept the door open and watched for a reaction from him. She turned on the water to the shower and stripped out of the t-shirt, revealing her glorious breasts. The only thing she had on was her panties.
His cock was now painfully hard. That fantastic body of hers was playing tricks with his own.
“Oh hell,” he grumbled as he stalked in the room and slammed the door. “Listen, baby,” he growled. “The last time I was beating myself up about taking advantage of you, but now you’re just toying with me. You keep it up, and I’m not going to be so gentle with you.”
Almost as if in defiance, Ashlen peeled off her panties and stepped in the shower, keeping the shower curtain open. It was an invitation to come in. He had not been able to appreciate how fucking beautiful her body was when he had had her in bed a few hours before. But now…the water that was beating off her curves made him want to bury himself in the sweet, hot folds of her pussy.
It took him only a few moments to drop his jeans and boxers, his dick roaring to go. He limped to the shower, stepped in, pulled the curtain shut behind him, and pressed himself up against her. He began kissing her fiercely, his dick pressing against her smooth, water-beaded belly. Under the spray, he savored her lips.
“You were limping,” Ashlen breathed in between kisses.
“Don’t worry about it,” he mumbled as he kissed down her neck, feeling the water start to wash some of the sweat off his body.
“Your knee…”
Yeah, he figured that she had been eying the evidence on his knee of the damage plus the scars from the multiple surgeries he had to go through. Although she had seen it that morning, it was swelling up from his workout. The surgery scars looked even more pronounced now.
“I said don’t worry about it,” he repeated.
“Well, at least let me help wash you,” she insisted.
“I don’t need any help…oh…”
She had found a bar of soap and was gliding it down his chest toward his dick. He had honestly planned on taking her from behind as soon as he got in the shower, but he was interested to see where this would go.
Mercer stood back from her for a moment and gripped a ledge on the shower as she continued soaping down his body, her hair and body getting just as equally soapy and wet as she worked. She took a soapy hand and gripped it firmly around his dick, moving up and down, her other hand gently cupping his balls. He sucked in a quick breath.
Damn it. She felt so fucking good.
After she decided that he was sufficiently clean, she began to allow the water to rinse him. She helped to speed up the process with her hands. All the while, his dick was pulsing, straining for more of her.
Then to his shock—and delight—she got down on her knees and brushed her lips lightly over the head of his dick. Her tongue lightly flicked against the head and shaft. Then, she opened her mouth and took him in.
“Ashlen…” he breathed.
The suction and wet heat were incredible. Blood pulsed through his dick as he took wave after wave of unimaginable pleasure. He found himself gently guiding her head with his hands, her wet hair draping down around her shoulders.
He then came to the point where he stopped her, and she withdrew from him. As much as he wanted to finish in her mouth, he wanted even more to ride her rough and hot.
So, he helped her to her feet and spun her around backward. He pressed against her, his dick resting on that fine little ass of hers.
“Your last chance, baby,” he warned her, his voice ragged. “Once I’m in you, it might get a little rough.”
She turned her head and gave him a wry smile.
“I was planning on it,” she told him, her lips looking irresistibly pouty from the work she had done on his dick.
With that, he bent her body a little farther and moved his dick into position between her pink folds. As he pushed into her, he heard her gasp and saw her push against the shower wall. The tightness of her pussy struggled to accommodate the thickness of his dick for a moment. A few mind-numbingly pleasurable thrusts and liquid silk seemed to flow around him.
Hot. Wet. Tight.
He pumped himself into her, each time a little harder and deeper until she was moaning and gasping. One of his hands reached around to her clit and began rubbing around and against it while he continued pumping.
Mercer lost himself in her, moving faster and harder. He smiled when he felt her body arch and clench around the hand that cupped her clit. He had already been on the edge, but when he felt her orgasm, he lost it. He finished with one final hard thrust.
All he could do was hunch over her. Then, realizing that Ashlen had been very quiet, he feared that the sex had been too rough.
“I wasn’t too rough, was I?” He stammered.
She slowly stood straight up and turned toward him. She smiled, which made him feel relieved.
“No, it was…good,” she murmured. “But I could honestly go for a nap right now…You’ve…tired me out.”
“I think I can arrange that,” he told her as he shut off the water and pulled a couple of towels from the rack.
Yeah, this woman was going to be the end of him after all.
Chapter 14
There was a knock on the bathroom door of the hotel room in Wytheville that Paul and Rodriguez were sharing. Paul had just finished showering and had shaved when he heard the knock.
“Anderson, we got a pretty strong tip that came through the office early this morning,” Rodriguez said through the door.
His heart starting to race, Paul replied, “I’ll be out in a second.”
Paul quickly dressed in one of his classic suits and went out to see his partner. Rodriguez had gotten first dibs on the bathroom and was already dressed and ready to go.
“I just got the call a few minutes ago. This is big,” Rodriguez told him.
“I’m all ears.”
“So, the media has been going pretty hard with this story over the weekend like we were hoping they would. We got both Ashlen’s picture and Mercer Cade’s being shown on these newscasts. There have been a lot of people calling—almost all bogus tips that don’t check out—but there was one that stuck out.
“The guy called this morning. The name was Craig Jerrett. He’s vacationing with his wife in the mountains of North Carolina and thought he saw them in a cabin next to theirs. Said they were outside with a gun. He also said he heard a gunshot this morning.”
“Are we sure it’s credible?” Paul asked, hoping that it was.
If Cade had rented a place for the week, then they were most likely still there.
“Well, Jerrett gave a pretty convincing description, and he seemed pretty honest from what I heard. It’s worth checking out since we’re close.
“That is a good lead then,” he replied cautiously. He didn’t exactly want his partner to see him anxious over his ex-fiancée. “Let’s get packed and get going.”
“So, as far as we know right now, they are still there?” Paul asked.
“Yeah,” Rodriguez replied. “Which is why West is ordering us to Boone, North Carolina with the help of the Charlotte office.”
“Sounds good,” Paul replied.
His mood had elevated slightly. They were so close to getting Ashlen back. And when they did, he was going to have that long talk with her that he had been wanting to have for the last four years.
“When are we moving out?”
“About now,” Rodriguez said. “We can get to Boone in a couple of hours from here. The search warrant will be ready by the time we get there.”
“Good,” Paul replied.
Very, very good.
Suddenly, Paul’s phone rang. Looking down at it, he saw West’s phone number. He immediately picked it up.”
“Anderson,�
� he answered.
“I have good news, Agent Anderson,” West said from the other end of the line. “You can go home now.
Paul froze.
“What do you mean I can go home now? Did they find the guy? Is Miss Cole okay? Where is she?”
“It was a bit of a misunderstanding,” West replied. “She’s fine, and Mr. Cade is free and clear. They were attacked by those Marino thugs, and no one is pressing charges for the homicide. It was a clear act of self-defense. Anyhow, you can come back now.”
“But…but…” Paul trailed off.
“I said come back now,” West ordered.
Paul wanted to say something else, but he knew better than to challenge West.
“Yes, sir.”
“Great, I’ll see you tomorrow morning then,” West continued.
The call ended, and Paul heaved out a heavy sigh, shaking his head.
“What’s wrong?” Rodriguez asked.
“That was West. He said the whole thing was a big misunderstanding and that Ashlen is fine. No charges for Cade.”
Rodriguez frowned.
“What the hell?”
“I’m trying to figure it out too. Why was she with that guy? What about the reports of Cade with a gun?”
Rodriguez shrugged and said, “Well, it’s not illegal to own a gun, especially in North Carolina where there’s no permitting. And as for Ashlen, maybe he’s her boyfriend, and they went on vacation together?”
“Oh, hell no!” Paul exclaimed. “Absolutely no way she’s dating that guy.”
Rodriguez smirked.
“How do you know? She certainly didn’t want someone like you.”
Paul glared daggers at him, and his partner seemed to realize that he had crossed the line.
“Sorry,” Rodriguez apologized. “That was a low-blow.”
Paul nodded and then thought for a moment. The craziest idea formed in his mind. West would be beyond pissed if he found out, but then again, if they worked it right, his boss wouldn’t have to know.
“We have to be back in the office by tomorrow morning,” Paul said. “How about we go ahead and visit that address just to make sure things are okay?”
Perilous Games (Gray Tower Book 3) Page 11