A pause. “Should I be concerned here?”
“I’ll let you know if there’s anything to worry about.” Asher ended the call, not wanting to get into this with Remy sitting next to him. When she told him about the guy in her shop, he knew she’d been afraid. He was beginning to understand why. Damon had friends in dark, underground places where people didn’t settle fights with fists, they settled them with gunshots. “Come on,” he finally said to Remy, grabbing hold of the door handle. “Let’s go see who he’s with.” He opened his door and got out, finding Remy slowly following him, giving him an are you kidding me look.
“I don’t know what you’ve been smoking today,” she said when he walked around the hood of his car. “But I am not going in that restaurant.”
“I’m not asking you to.” He took her hand, and a deep part of himself warmed when she didn’t pull away. She was slowly beginning to trust him again. That was a start, and that meant he was doing right by her.
The restaurant appeared to be a long rectangular space. It had a fancy wood sign with light spilling out of the glass windows. Asher weaved his way through the people on the sidewalk and then stopped near the entrance. He put his back to the front window and brought Remy close to him, liking the way she gasped in surprise.
Her hands pressed against his chest and her heated eyes came to his, her tongue darting out over her lips. All the heat that had been contained for two weeks suddenly spilled out between them. Asher knew why. Remy hadn’t let him touch her, always staying at a careful distance. Now there was only the lasting imprint of how he knew her body and how he could make her feel.
Damn. He wanted to take her up on that invitation, and it took everything inside of him not to claim her mouth right then and there. He slid his hand over her back, bringing her just a bit closer against the hardest part of him. Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes held his firmly. “Look in the restaurant and see if you see him.”
She blinked, all the heat fading quickly. “Right. We’re on assignment.”
He chuckled softly, and yet, her sweet body against his made him grow even harder. She moved her head a little, staring into the restaurant, and he became lost in her. She felt perfect there in his arms, close and safe to him. Part of him wished this would be enough for her. That they could spend time together like they had been and keep things light. Life finally felt good again, like things were turning around for the better. The other part of him knew Remy. She loved love. She wanted the ring, the house, and the marriage. Asher knew what all those things did to love. He couldn’t follow in his parents’ footsteps. He couldn’t hurt her. “Do you see him in there?” he asked, getting his head back into the game.
She shook her head. “He’s not in the front anywhere, but I can’t see the back very well.”
“Then let’s get a better look.” He took her hand again, then led her down the narrow alleyway off to the side of the entrance. When they reached the back of the building, he noticed a window there. He tugged her into him. She gasped, her hooded eyes connecting with his as her warm breasts pressed against him. Hot and hard, and just as ready, he grasped her hips and lifted her slightly. “How about now?” He heard the huskiness in his own voice.
She gripped the edge of the window. “Oh, wait,” she said, a little breathless. “Yeah, I see him. He’s sitting at the table in the center of the room.”
Asher slowly lowered her down and reached for his cell phone in his pocket. He took a step forward, pressing her tighter against the wall, and he bit back a groan when his cock brushed against her bottom. Cautious and careful, he took five photos quickly and then made sure they were clear. “We need to find out who these other guys are.”
She turned to face him, and she became so close he could feel the heat emanating off her. “Yes.”
Asher kept her pinned between him and the wall and he opened a text to Boone: When you get a chance, need to know who these guys are sitting around the guy in the white shirt. His name is Lars Violi.
Boone’s reply came a second later. Gonna tell me what this is all about?
Tomorrow.
I’ll get what you need.
Asher returned his phone to his pocket, and when he looked back up, he met the heat swirling in the depths of Remy’s eyes. He pressed his hands on either side of her head against the brick wall, pressing himself into her lithe body. Maybe he should step away, stop this in its tracks, but there was no turning back now, not when she looked at him like she’d been starved of him. Years ago, he’d made all the decisions, and that ruined her. All of this, every single thing now, was on her terms. “We don’t have to do this again, if you don’t want,” he reminded her, gently giving her an out.
“Yeah, well, I want to,” she breathed, grabbing hold of his T-shirt beneath his leather jacket.
He dropped his mouth close to hers and placed his leg between hers, teasing her with what he could deliver. “You want me?” he asked, feathering his lips across hers.
“Yes,” she rasped, reaching for more.
“Right here, Remy?” he asked, feeding gas to an already lit fire. She always loved adventure, and that adrenaline always turned into hot arousal, and apparently, that hadn’t changed.
She lifted her chin to expose her neck. “Please.”
Asher nibbled his way over to her neck, reveling in the hitch of her breath. And when she parted her legs, he listened. He reached beneath her dress and licked up from the base of her neck to her ear, feeling her quiver. When he found the edge of her panties, he tucked his fingers inside. “Right here, Remy, this is where you want me?”
“Yes!” She moaned, her head falling back against the brick wall while he openmouthed kissed his way back to the base of her neck.
He groaned when his fingers met her soaking wet sex. She breathed deeply as he stroked her clit, feeling her legs tremble, the desire pouring off her in waves. Desperate to get closer, he threaded his other hand into her hair, pinning her to him, right where he wanted her. Each second he worked her body made her moan a little more, a little louder, until those soft trembles were growing harder.
“Asher,” she breathed.
He fisted his hand in her hair, controlling her pleasure. When she gave him a throaty moan for more, he slid his fingers inside her. One first. Then another a moment later. She gripped his T-shirt, pulling him closer, clawing at him for more.
Needing to taste her, he brought his mouth to hers, devouring every sweet moan she offered. She could barely kiss him with every stroke of his fingers, and by the time he was thrusting hard and fast, all she did was moan. Her head fell back against the wall and he leaned away to watch her fall apart.
A couple moments later, she did.
Her eyes were pinched shut and she shattered into pleasure, breaking apart around him, a quivering beautiful mess he’d never grow tired of watching.
“Holy shit,” she exhaled when her climax released her.
He chuckled, kissing her lips gently as he slowly withdrew his fingers from her quivering muscles.
Asher went to fix her panties when the back door opened, and a teenage kid with a garbage bag came walking out. He took one look at them and yelled, “Hey, get a goddamn room!”
Asher grabbed Remy’s hand and took off jogging back to his car. By the time they got back, she was laughing. That laugh, free and inhibited, slayed him. That was his Remy.
* * *
They made it back to Remy’s loft in good time. Asher had insisted on walking Remy up to her door and then came inside to check the place out while she waited. He’d gone into every room, turning on all the lights and having a look before coming back out. Admittedly, Asher was a beat cop when she’d been with him. Now Asher looked precise, skilled, and lethal. A combination that was doing all sorts of wild things between her thighs. But maybe that was because he’d proven many times now how easily he could make her body explode.
When he began checking the locks on her windows, she asked with a laugh, “What exactly
are you looking for?”
“This is for my own peace of mind,” he said.
“Do you honestly think someone is coming after me?”
“I don’t know anything about this guy, so I can’t answer that,” Asher said. “It never hurt anyone to be extra cautious.” His gaze swept back to her. “You can stay with me tonight.”
She leaned against her door, shaking her head. “I’m good.” She wasn’t being difficult or playing hard to get; she couldn’t lean on him any more than she already had. The last thing she wanted was to fall hard and fast…again, then be tossed aside…again because he had major commitment issues. At some point the cycle had to stop, and that point had come. She controlled when and where and everything in between, and that felt good. Mind-blowingly good, in fact. “I just wish we knew why Lars was here in the first place, you know?”
“He might be here for other business.” Asher climbed the stairs for the loft, then vanished, obviously checking the windows upstairs. “But I won’t know more until tomorrow when I get into the station and see what the guys found out.” He came down the stairs and moved into the living room to begin checking the locks there.
“Do you really think he’s got some involvement in organized crime?” Remy asked, seriously hoping that was not the case.
Asher shrugged. “Don’t know.”
“Do you think he’s a friend of Damon’s?”
“Don’t know that either.”
Remy exhaled heavily, wishing she had all the answers. “But we know he’s not leaving?”
Asher glanced back over his shoulder. “Not tonight, it appears.” He opened the door to the balcony, having a look around before coming back inside and locking the door again. “But I still suspect that he’s a friend of Damon’s and just sniffing around to ensure Damon is where we said he is.”
“And that’s it?”
“That’s it.” Asher moved into the kitchen and began checking the windows there. “Tomorrow I’ll know more and can hopefully give you some answers.” He finished up with the final lock and then stepped back. “All right, you’re good.”
She smiled. “So, it’s safe for me to sleep in my own house?”
He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes suddenly dark with desire. “How do you know I’m not making sure that you can’t get out and you’re stuck with me?”
Heat flooded through her, causing goose bumps to prickle across her flesh. She’d given up on fighting the intensity burning between them in the alleyway. That touch, that body, once it all got close, she couldn’t help herself. All she needed to do was keep her head on straight and make sure her heart wasn’t on the table. Besides, her heart was currently too beaten down to even be at risk. She’d always done the right thing. Been the good girl and wanted forever. Now she wasn’t thinking of Mr. Forever. She wanted Mr. Right Now, and Asher fit into that category at the moment. “Oh, locking me in, huh? Should I be scared?” she asked, hearing the answering need in her own voice.
Asher’s mouth quirked and he approached in his slow easy stride, his gaze taking his fill of her. When he stopped in front of her the air thickened. “Scared…” He tucked a finger under her chin, lifting her mouth. “Never be scared of me, Remy.” Then he began to slowly bring those kissable lips closer to his.
She backed away and placed a finger on his lips. “No kisses goodbye.”
Asher arched an eyebrow. “I just kissed the hell out of you an hour ago.”
“But those were sex kisses, not goodbye kisses,” she pointed out. There had to be boundaries there or she couldn’t do this with Asher, and she really wanted to do this with Asher. “What we’re doing here is casual, remember? No dates. No romantic stuff. Just fun, because all this feels good right now.” Because without boundaries, there was too much emotion, and emotion was a dangerous thing when it came to Asher Sullivan. No matter how much growing Asher had done over the years, she couldn’t forget what happened. He’d left her completely shattered and never came back, never called, never checked in on her, when her life totally fell apart. “We need to rewrite our story and I need to learn how to trust you again. We sucked at love, so let’s keep doing the exact opposite. So, no kisses goodbye, no cuddling, nothing like that.”
She didn’t want to ever again be the woman he left behind. Now she controlled when and what they did. That had to be a better way than how she’d been living. And somehow, a part of her thought that if she could heal her heart from what Asher did and truly forgive him, maybe she’d move on with her life and make better choices.
“All right,” he finally said after a long moment. “I can deal with that.”
“Excellent.” She strode forward toward the door, feeling like for once she was running her life. Saying it like it was. Demanding what she wanted. Hell, yeah, that felt good. When she met the door, she asked, “Will you call and fill me on whatever you learn?”
“That’s up to you,” he said. “Do you want me to?”
She didn’t even have to think about it. “I want to know everything that’s going on and why he’s here. Don’t protect me, Asher. Keep me involved in this every step of the way.” Hell yes, she was totally nailing getting back on her feet.
“I can do that.” He uncrossed his arms to grab his keys from his pockets and began walking toward her. “The most important thing right now is that you’re safe. If you feel uneasy about anything, you’ll tell me, right?”
“Of course.” She watched him for a moment, seeing that maybe she wasn’t the only one changing. The Asher she knew before wouldn’t have let her get anywhere near any of this. He’d want her safe. He’d get the guy out of town in any way possible. It occurred to her now that he had this new confidence about him that she’d never seen before. And it almost felt like he was there to support her instead of taking charge of everything, making all the decisions. And after he made the decision to leave that ultimately broke her heart, this was a nice change.
For the first time ever, she realized that being apart let them both grow into better versions of themselves. She didn’t give too much. He didn’t take too much either.
His gaze finally lifted to hers again. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the grand opening, then?”
She nodded. “You will.” When he took a step out the door, her heart suddenly pounded. “Asher?” she called.
He turned back. “You’ve changed your mind and you want to come back to my house?”
She laughed softly and shook her head. “Thank you. You know, for keeping me safe, for being there for me…for everything.”
Something dark and haunted crossed his expression. “I should have always been here for you like this. Sleep tight, Remy.”
Unsure how to answer that, she stayed silent, smiled at him, and then locked the door and hurried into her kitchen. Asher had his way of protecting her. She had hers. Remy grabbed Nana’s book of spells out of the old antique cabinet and she flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for: PROTECTION BREW. The ingredients were written in Nana’s handwriting. Rue, rosemary, vetivert, and hyssop sprig of mistletoe.
Right as she began adding the ingredients into the big cast-iron pot she always kept on the stove, Salem sauntered in and meowed. “Oh, don’t give me that attitude,” Remy said, waving the wooden spoon at him. “I’m sorry for waking you up, but we’ve got a spell to make.”
Salem blinked, then meowed again, sitting at her feet.
By the time she was done with the brew, he looked further annoyed. She used a ladle to scoop out the brew into a small bowl, and then Salem began to follow her as she went exactly where Asher had traveled. She anointed every window and door in her loft, finishing up with the four corners to prevent negative energy to enter.
“There,” she said, turning back to Salem.
If a cat could have rolled his eyes, she was sure he would have done so. He flicked his tail and sauntered back upstairs to the bedroom.
“You’ll be thanking me when no one breaks in,” she ca
lled to Salem.
He didn’t look back.
Chapter 11
Bright and early the next morning, Asher’s eyes felt heavy after he hit the alarm and dragged himself out of bed. He was weighed down with concerns for Remy. He wasn’t sure how much sleep he got through all the tossing and turning he did last night, but it definitely wasn’t much. He had wanted her with him, wanted her close. Christ, he wanted her in his arms, where he knew no one could touch her. But that was pure testosterone talking, and he refused to take a wrong step, especially since she was finally stepping toward him again.
When he arrived at the station carrying a bag of food and a tray of coffees, he found the place quiet. The receptionist didn’t come in until eight o’clock; as for the beat cops, the shift change would have happened at seven in the morning, sending them out onto the road. Any special units or investigators didn’t typically start their shift until nine o’clock. The dispatcher was the only one sitting in the back of the station, set up at her desk in the corner, and the only sound that carried through the station was the clicking of her fingers against the keyboard. “Morning, Gianna.”
The feisty sixty-year-old lady with the short brown hair and olive-colored skin turned around in her swivel chair. She smiled at the coffee cups. “Please tell me one of those is for me.”
“You know I’d never forget you.” Asher handed her the coffee with one cream, just how she liked it.
Gianna grinned. “I’ve taught you well, my boy.”
Asher smiled. Gianna had been a close friend of his mother’s when she’d been alive. He supposed that after her death, Gianna had stepped in to make sure he always had a birthday card, or congratulate him on an achievement, and she always invited him for Christmas dinner, even though Asher went to Boone’s every Christmas. “Busy night?” he asked, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. Night shifts were hard. No way around that.
“A couple domestics and an accident,” Gianna said, taking off the lid of her coffee cup. “Nothing serious.”
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