“I don’t know if I can.”
She sighed. “I can understand that. But try. Please try.”
Asher swallowed. He blinked hard, but his eyes still stung. “I miss him so much, Eden.”
“I know.”
She twined her arms around his neck and pulled his head downwards. “You’re a good man, Asher Thorne, and I just have to do this one thing.”
Thank God. He wasn’t resisting. Eden had been worried she might have a fight on her hands. Instead, he readily bowed his head and allowed his lips to hover over hers.
“Are you sure?” he questioned quietly.
She tugged harder.
Eden watched as a slow smile spread across his face. She shoved up on her toes and touched her lips to his.
Perfect.
Asher took over the kiss, brushing his lips over hers in a tantalizing slow rhythm that coaxed her into following. Slowly his lips parted hers, and his tongue stole into her mouth, seducing hers into a dance. She felt the sensations flow down her neck, into her chest, and tighten her nipples. She rubbed her breasts against his chest, trying to find relief.
Is that me whining?
Ash’s fingers tangled in her hair, tipping her head in a way that allowed for a deeper kiss. She felt his heartbeat against her chest and beneath her fingers at his neck. He nipped at her lips, forcing her to open wider so that their breaths could mingle, and he could tempt her with a thrusting tempo, one that would be even more satisfying if it wasn’t just his tongue and a kiss.
She moved her hands and scrabbled for the hem of his t-shirt.
“Shhhh, slow down,” he soothed.
“No.” She thrust her palms under his shirt and sighed with pleasure when she met with the hot hard planes of his stomach. It was like touching hot velvet steel, only better, because it was Asher. She needed more. She pushed up higher and then groaned as her fingers delved into his chest hair.
“God, Asher.”
“Eden, you don’t mean this, Honey.”
She tugged at his chest hair to punish him for denying her. “I do.”
“Eden,” he protested.
“I need to get close. Just let me get closer to you.” She heard the need in her voice and winced. “Please, Asher?”
As if he knew exactly how much it took for her to ask, he whipped the shirt over his head. It ended up somewhere, she didn’t care where. Then she was lifted and gently lowered down onto the carpet, her head resting onto the makeshift pillow.
“I need to be close to you too, Eden. You, Eden York. No other woman would ever do.”
How does he know the right words to say?
Asher looked her right in the eyes, then slowly, ever so slowly, unbuttoned the first button of her blouse. He placed a kiss on the upper swell of her breast. “So beautiful.”
He trailed kisses upwards, until soon their lips met again, and she was lost in a maelstrom of heat, hunger, and passion. She tried to spread her legs wide so she could wrap them around Asher, but the skirt was too tight, so she had to suffice herself with squeezing his thigh. She pushed up against him, trying to ease her ache.
“Eden—” he started.
“I need more,” she sobbed. After hearing his story. After seeing this man’s soul, she needed him. It felt like the world was crashing in around them, and she wanted him! Was he going to make her beg?
“Shhhhh, I’m here.” He cupped her head tightly to his chest. She started to relax. It was like she could breathe. “It’s okay, Baby, I’ve got you. I won’t let you down.”
Is he talking to me or himself?
When he moved one hand and started undoing the buttons of her blouse, she stopped caring. Just this, the feel of his warm, calloused fingers touching her heated flesh. This is what she needed, to feel his touch and care as he caressed her nipples over the top of her lacy bra. She wiggled, trying to move her arms so she could take off her bra.
“I’ve got it handled,” he whispered. “Relax.”
How am I supposed to relax?
He pressed the joints in the backs of her shoulders, and she melted. Her arms turned to noodles, and he took the opportunity to divest her of her blouse. Soon he had the front clasp of her bra opened, and each breast was covered with his hot hands. Glorious.
“Do you like this?” She heard the confident tease in his voice. She liked it after the man had shared his nightmares with her.
“I love your touch, Asher. The only thing better would be the touch of your lips.”
He laughed out loud, and so did she.
He didn’t start with a kiss. No. Not Asher. His broad tongue licked her nipple and she nearly screamed. The silky, rough touch was earthshattering, and he did it again and again, and again. She couldn’t stand it a second longer.
“Suck me!”
He laughed again.
“I like a woman who knows what she wants.”
“Shut up and do it.”
He blew on her wet nipples. She was in hell. She was in heaven. He licked.
“Asher, please. Baby, please.”
He took her nipple into the hot cavern of his mouth and suckled hard. At the same time, his hand shot under her skirt and pushed away the crotch of her panties so that he could start another fire.
Eden was whipping her head back and forth, feeling the tug of Ash’s fingers in her hair as his mouth teased and sucked at her turgid nipple and his other hand sought to kill her with pleasure as he traced the liquid folds of her sex.
She raised her knee, uncaring that her skirt was ripping—she would do anything to guide Asher’s fingers closer to her clit. Again, she tried to move her hands so she could take off her panties, but he forestalled her.
“Uh-uh, what do you need, Sweetheart?”
“Panties. Off.”
“That can be arranged.” His words were nothing but smoky satisfaction. And like everything else about the man, it seduced her into a puddle of wanton need. Asher had her panties off in moments and her skirt rucked up around her waist.
“Touch me.” She really wanted to say ‘fuck me’ but she’d never said that in her life. But she wanted to. She really, really wanted to.
“My way,” Asher whispered against her breast. He reared up and caught her mouth in a torrid kiss. All thought left her as she felt his rough, canvas-covered thigh separate her legs. She moaned in pleasure.
He moved downwards, and then she realized what he was going to do.
“No! Not that. I want you inside me.”
“I want to taste you. I want to pleasure you.”
Asher continued to brush his fingers against her sex, and then slowly he pushed one into the well of her vagina and she clenched around him. She was so close to coming, she just needed a little more. Why wouldn’t he just give her his cock?
“Asher, please.”
He looked up at her. “I thought I was,” he smiled.
“Fuck me!”
He bent his head and took a long lick around the base of his finger as he eased it in and out of her entrance. Eden shot up on the heels of her feet, anything to bring herself closer to the man who was giving her so much pleasure.
“You taste so sweet.”
When he added a second finger, it took a moment for her to get used to it, but then the feeling was sublime. He pressed somewhere high inside of her at the same time his tongue circled her clit.
“It’s too much,” she whined.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he suckled her clit and then lightly used his teeth to scrape at the sensitive nub as he inserted a third finger.
Eden scratched at the floor, at his arms, across his back, anything to ground her in the here and now, but she was lost. Everything that she thought was real had disappeared, left in the wake of the man who had rescued her and perhaps captured her heart.
Chapter 13
Eden tried to ignore the muffled beeping. Luckily, it stopped pretty darn quickly, so she was able to turn over, and that’s when she realized she was plastered over
the hot planes of a furry muscled male chest.
“Asher?” She winced at the panic in her voice.
“Eden?”
“Uhm.”
“Are we going to have an awkward morning after?” She could hear the laughter in his voice, which woke her up completely. She sat up and felt the sway of her naked breasts. She looked down and saw that in the green light it was pretty clear that she was completely naked.
“Wait a blasted minute! I have a bone to pick with you! Why didn’t we make love?”
She shoved at his naked chest, glaring at his pants that were still completely done up.
She looked up at his face and saw him biting his lip, trying not to laugh.
“Are you always this grouchy when you wake up? If so, I’m going to have to reconsider having a relationship with you, Ms. York.”
“Answer the damn question, man.”
Eden was seriously pissed-off. She remembered wanting to make love. Make love. Not have sex. Not fuck. Make love. Intercourse.
“Whatcha thinking? Looks interesting.”
She swatted at his chest. “Just answer the question. Why did you deny me?”
This time, he wasn’t able to stifle his laughter. “Good God, Woman. You had three orgasms then you fell asleep, how did I deny you?”
“I wanted to pleasure you. I wanted to pleasure us. Together. You know. Uhm. Together.”
Asher sat up and pulled her naked form against him. “I know what you’re saying. We had a problem. No condoms.”
Eden reared back. That thought hadn’t even occurred to her. How was that even possible? Oh yeah. They were in the middle of a Jason Bourne thriller and about to die.
“Oh yeah, condoms,” she said weakly.
She needed something else to think about. Talk about.
In the eerie light, she saw that the door to the room was opened. She pointed to it. “Was it filled with gold?”
“Better than that. Water.”
He handed her over a square plastic bottle that was beside them. “Drink up.”
Eden turned the cap and greedily gulped down some of the water. “Oh my God, this is wonderful. If you tell me that there is a bathroom in there, I will pay money.”
“Damn, money. However, that’s really not how I would like to be paid.” He hugged her closer. “But unfortunately, there is only a trash can.”
“I’m from Montana, I grew up hunting, camping, and fishing. A trash can is living the good life.”
“Really?” She saw him peering skeptically at her in the green gloom.
“Okay, maybe it’s been a while since I’ve camped, and maybe I’ve gotten used to hotels. But in this situation, I’m damned excited to hear there’s a trash can.”
He groaned. “Ms. York, you’re about perfect.”
“Why was the buzzer ringing?”
“Shit, I’m supposed to call in.” He took a corner of the tablecloth and dabbed some of the water that had dripped onto her breast. “God Eden, you are every man’s fantasy.”
She tried to get a good look at his face, but he was staring down at her chest. He couldn’t really mean that, could he? Surely this was just because they were thrown together, there was more to it than just serendipity, wasn’t there?
“Buzzer,” she reminded him. She needed to get her head on straight.
“I guess you’re right.” He leaned in and laid a gentle kiss on top of her heart, then lifted the vest that was propped up against the wall of safety deposit boxes, next to two makeshift pillows. Asher pulled his satellite phone out of one of the pockets and placed the call. He put it on speaker and watched as she hastily put on her clothes.
“It’s Kane.”
“How’s the Señora?” Asher asked.
There was a long pause. Eden didn’t like that at all.
“There was a complication,” Kane finally answered.
“Just tell me. What happened?”
“Turns out, the bullet weakened her carotid artery. It was a miracle she got to the hospital alive. She hemorrhaged on the table. It took them a while to control the bleeding. She’s finally in recovery.”
“Is she going to be all right? I mean, are there going to be long-lasting effects?” Eden interrupted.
“No, nothing like that,” Kane assured her.
“Then what the hell is your problem?” Asher demanded to know.
“You’ve got Maduro’s men, or Perez’s men, whoever the hell they are, trying to come at the vault from the top at the northwest side. They’re not trying to come in through the front door of the vault, because that door is fucking secure.”
“So?” Asher demanded. “As soon as Suzanne is good enough to talk, or write shit down, she can get us the hell out through the front.”
Again, with a pause.
“Asher, we told you that the building is coming down on the south. Well, it’s getting worse—now parts of it are crumbling in towards the vault. I don’t know how much longer before it’s going to hit the front door of the vault. That’s another reason why the secret police are coming at it from the north.”
“How many of Maduro’s men are there?” Eden asked.
Asher shook his head at her. “Honey, we’re talking jeeps, a tank, and probably forty to sixty men.”
“I think I need the trash can.” She got up off the floor and went into the room. She didn’t need to pee or throw up. She just needed a minute. One single, solitary minute. It wouldn’t be the first time that she thought she was going to die. It was the second. Okay, there had been a few close calls running around the bank, but that was all the same part of this little clusterfuck.
No, that’s not all. She remembered when she was ten years old and her daddy had to find her when she’d fallen off the side of Beecher’s mountain and she’d ended up on that ledge for a day and a half.
Eden looked up at the blackness of the room ceiling. Well, she’d promised not to die then, because it would get her into trouble with her daddy. This time, she’d be pissed if she was going to die. So, it was time to figure out how she could be part of the solution. And, if that solution included making the best of the situation while they waited for their next move, so be it. Not only was she not alone on a ledge this time, she couldn’t think of better company than the handsome SEAL waiting for her on the other side of the door.
Asher somehow managed to hold in a laugh. He knew it would be the lioness who would come out of the room. And there she was, striding barefoot and tall in her ripped pencil skirt and silk top, and she would not be happy if he chuckled.
This was the Eden York who had told him she had ‘some-shit-plan’ that was bound to work. He was pretty sure she planned to take on the tank and thirty of the secret police herself and leave the jeeps and the other thirty men to Asher’s team.
“You’re grinning at me,” she jabbed a finger at his chest. “Stop your grinning, this is serious shit. What did you and your people decide?”
“That you should take charge.”
That stopped her up short.
“Don’t bullshit a bullshitter. You came up with some kind of plan, and I want to know what it is, and see if I approve.”
Ash had not taken a seat at the table, instead piling up the tablecloths in front of the safety deposit box wall, making a nest for them. He held out his arm. “Come here.”
“Why?” she asked warily.
“Don’t you trust me?” he asked easily.
“With my life.” She covered the space between them and knelt down beside him. He had his arm around her shoulders in an instant.
“A translator, huh? What else have you done?”
“I told you, I trained with my brother, Pete. I grew up in Montana. I’m not a girly-girl if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Asher snorted. “Uhm, Earth to Eden. You are too a girly girl. I’ve had my hands and mouth all over your girly parts.”
“You know what I mean,” she said as she snuggled closer. “Now, tell me the plan.”
“And how can he be sure, and how soon before that happens?” Eden demanded to know.
“That is the rub. Kane has been monitoring their channels. They’re bringing in all of the pentolite and dynamite that they have from one of their coal mines. Apparently, when they bought their tanks and RPGs from Russia, they were shorted on the PVV-5A.”
“They’re bringing their what and dynamite and were shorted on their what?”
“Almost every country uses a different kind of plastic explosive. C-4 is the best, because we can mold it into a specific shape that will force the blast to where we need it to go. PVV-5A, the Russian version, does the same thing, just not as well.”
“And that other stuff, the pennylight?”
“Pentolite is a step above dynamite, and a step down from plastic explosives. It won’t get the job done for this vault. My guess is, Maduro’s men are thinking that with enough of that shit, they can blow the vault.”
“What will really happen?” Eden asked.
“A huge fucking crater with the vault falling into it, and people on the outside dying.”
“And us?”
“The concussion in here is going to be bad. Real bad.”
Eden gave him a smile. A real smile. “Okay. I understand now. Thank you. I really appreciate you not sugar-coating the smelly stuff.”
She put her hand on his thigh and used it as leverage to push herself up. She walked over to the table, and Asher would bet his bottom dollar that there was more swing in her walk than was normal. She pulled out the chair at the far end of the table and then sat down on it and daintily crossed her legs. Then she put her elbow on the table, and chin in her hand. He wasn’t absolutely sure because he couldn’t see that well, but Asher was pretty sure she was batting her eyelashes.
“So, sir, do you have any food in that handy-dandy vest of yours? If not, I think I would like another bottle of that fine Fiji vintage, if you don’t mind.”
Her Chosen Protector: Navy SEAL Romance (Night Storm Book 3) Page 13