“Did you miss me, buddy?” Asher asked, reaching back to scratch him for the millionth time.
“Of course he did,” Olivia said. “If I were him, I’d never let you out of my sight. I wouldn’t be surprised if he shadows you everywhere for a while.”
Conry was panting with his eyes closed. Poor guy. He would probably sleep the rest of the day and night.
When she saw a shopping area coming up on the right, the sad state of her clothing came to mind. “Do you mind swinging in? I really don’t want to wear this dress again tomorrow.” She appreciated that Asher had done a small load of laundry for her at Reckless, but she needed a change of clothes. If the HOT weren’t still closed, she’d have had him take her home to pick up a few things. “Plus, I miss my favorite toothpaste, the mascara I keep in my bag is all dried out, and I need a few personal items.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “What kind of personal items?”
Why did men always seem so perplexed and confused about a woman’s personal care routines? “None of your beeswax.”
From the corner of her eye, she could see him rubbing the top of his thigh and chewing on the inside of his lip. She laughed inwardly. He was probably getting all hot and bothered by what she meant by personal items. She’d let him stew on that for a while. He didn’t need to know that she needed a razor, clean panties, a tube of zit cream, and a bottle of lube. Things weren’t too uncomfortable down there right now, but a few more days and nights like the one they’d just had and she would need the extra help, otherwise she might not be able to walk toward the end of the week. Her cheeks burned at the thought.
“How much time do you need?” he asked.
“Give me a half hour.”
“I’ll take Conry for a walk, then. Be outside in thirty minutes.”
Once inside the store, she quickly filled her shopping basket with various items both on and off her list.
“There,” she said to herself a few minutes later as she sorted through all of the items in her cart. “I think I’ve got everything.”
Wait. Dog treats.
She meandered down several aisles before she found the pet section, clear in the back. Not knowing what Conry liked, she scanned the shelves and grabbed a box of organic biscuits. But as she was reading the ingredient list, she became aware of a slight shift in the air. Someone was behind her.
Tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. It could be a shopper or it could be— The years she’d spent constantly looking over her shoulder had made her edgy and paranoid.
Someone—definitely male—cleared his throat. She turned slightly and—
Asher. Her shoulders slumped in relief.
“You’re not done yet?” he asked.
She poked a finger at his chest. “Damn it! Do not sneak up on me like that.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Well, if you were where you said you’d be, I wouldn’t have had to come looking for you.”
“What?” She looked at her cell phone. “Oh.” It had been forty minutes. Well, she wasn’t that late. “I must’ve lost track of time.” Of course the lube was lying there right on the top of her things. She reached into the cart and covered it up.
He had that gleam in his eye again. Great. He’d seen it. An item like that wasn’t exactly something she was comfortable flaunting around a man she barely knew…even if she planned to use it with him.
“I distinctly remember telling you to be outside in thirty minutes.”
She shook the box of dog treats. “Yes, but—”
He held up two fingers.
She groaned. Not the game. “Come on. Be reasonable.”
He raised an eyebrow and, instantly, she knew a punishment was coming. “Come with me, please.” He grabbed her by the hand and soon they were in the family planning aisle.
“What are you doing?” she asked, not sure she really wanted to know the answer.
He scanned the shelves and pulled down an economy-sized box of condoms. “Extra, extra large,” he said with a flair.
Rolling her eyes, she was surprised he didn’t add a few more extras. Then he threw four boxes into her cart.
“Ash!” She lowered her voice when a mother and her teenage daughter walked past them and stopped to look at the tampons. “That’s like two hundred condoms,” she hissed. “Sorry to break the news to you, but we are not doing it two hundred times this week.”
He said nothing, just went down the next few aisles, grabbing other items off the shelves. Wart medicine, toenail fungus cream, feminine deodorant, jock itch spray, a nose trimmer and a large package of gummy bears.
Gummy bears? “Stop. Stop.” She laughed, trying to grab the shopping cart away from him. “You’re killing me. I am not buying all that…stuff.”
He grabbed an empty cart and proceeded to transfer all of her things to it, leaving just the embarrassing products in hers. When he came to the lube, he hesitated and ended up leaving it in her cart. He peeled off some bills and handed them to her. “You pay for your stuff separately.”
“Asher, no.” Her cheeks heated. Her stomach ached from laughing so much. “The clerk and everyone in line are going to think I’m a pervie weirdo.”
He mumbled something about Rule Number Two and threw in a package of stick-on vampire bite tattoos in her cart as well. “Every time you complain, a new item gets thrown in.”
She was about to say something else, but when she looked at all the ridiculously embarrassing things in the cart already, she changed her mind and sighed. A deal was a deal.
Of course, he picked the line with the grandma-aged checker and chose a different line for himself so he could watch. When the young man in line behind her saw all the items she was unloading onto the conveyor belt, his jaw dropped. He reached for his phone and she was pretty sure he took a picture. He was probably uploading it to his profile now. And of course, the cashier had to call for a price check on the condoms.
Olivia wanted to melt into the floor. She was seriously going to kill Asher for this. She glared at him in the next lane. He’d just finished up and had the biggest, stupidest grin on his face.
She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “Thanks for checking the price on those condoms,” she said to the checker. “My boyfriend over there hates it when I overpay for something you only use once. Don’t you, honey?” She liked calling him her boyfriend, even if it was for a joke.
The old woman looked up at her in shock, two spots of color on her cheeks. Then she and the guy in line craned their necks to look in Asher’s direction. He quickly turned away.
“See? He’s really embarrassed, but I said to him that if he’s so worried about the cost, then he should pay for his things himself.” She gave the woman her sweetest smile as she handed over the cash.
When she got to the car, Ash was leaning against the side, clapping his hands. “Bravo,” he said, pulling her to his chest and kissing her. “I like a girl who can think on her feet.”
“You’re horrible, you know that?” She pushed against the hard muscles of his chest, but got nowhere.
“Hey, the condoms might come in handy, no?” He patted her on the bottom as she climbed into the car.
She tried to keep up the pretense of being mad at him, but that was hard to do when being with him was so much fun. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a good time doing something as simple as a shopping trip.
“How do you put up with your master?” she asked Conry, petting his wiry coat. “He’s incorrigible.”
Ash’s grin lit up his whole face, making her heart do that little hitch again. He was like a naughty little boy who could get away with anything because he knew he was cute. “I am sometimes, aren’t I? You should’ve seen the lady’s face when she was ringing you up.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it was hilarious. Just you wait.” She settled into her seat and thought about ways to get back at him. “Six days is a long time. I’m sure I’ll think of some way to make it up to you.”
He drove out of the parking lot and back onto the highway. Reckless wasn’t too far away now. “Don’t get so cocky. I bought a few items of my own.”
He slipped on a pair of aviators, then adjusted the rearview mirror. He looked cool and confident. His jaw was square and chiseled, with just the right amount of scruff. A little abrasive on sensitive skin, though, she recalled, and recrossed her legs.
Wearing a black T-shirt, leather jacket, and those motorcycle boots of his, he had the kind of cool, badass vibe that made her strong, independent self want to wear nothing but an apron and high heels and have his babies.
She pretended not to be impressed. “Very funny, but I saw what you bought, Ash. It was all my stuff.”
He turned his head slowly and looked over the top of his sunglasses at her. “I wasn’t in that store the whole time.”
Chapter Eleven
When Asher and Olivia arrived back at Reckless, the outside door had hardly closed behind them before an attractive, dark-haired man came sailing in from the garage area. He wore jeans, a Carhartt jacket and boots, and he was holding an oily rag.
Asher slid a hand under her hair and rested it at the base of her neck between her shoulders. It was subtle guy-speak for she’s mine.
“Hell yeah,” the man said, spotting Conry. “You got ’im.” The dog wagged his tail but stayed obediently by Asher’s side. “What a relief. I’d be one pissed-off asshole if someone picked up Edward or Bella and hauled them off to the pound. Caitlyn would be heartbroken.”
Olivia snickered at the names.
“My daughter named those dogs,” he said, holding up his palms as if to say don’t blame me. “I’m Rand. You must be Olivia.”
She nodded and smiled. “Thanks for…ah…letting me stay here with Ash. I really appreciate it.”
“My pleasure. Anytime.”
A look passed between the two men that she couldn’t read. Did Ash bring women here all the time? Was that why it was no big deal?
She held up her plastic shopping bags. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to make it home soon. Living like this can get expensive.”
“You guys were lucky to get out alive,” Rand said, shaking his head. “I saw some of the pictures online. God, what a fucking mess. That whole area is one big disaster.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” She didn’t want to think about all the people she hadn’t been able to help. “I hope I still have a car.”
“Did you park it on the street or in a garage?”
“It’s in the Fifth Avenue garage.”
“We tried to get to it,” Asher said, “but they had everything blocked off.”
Rand rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Doesn’t surprise me. According to the news blogs, several nearby buildings sustained a lot of damage.”
She shifted the bags to her other hand. “What’s frustrating is that I hadn’t parked there before. I was running late for work and missed the bus, so I had to drive. Have you heard if they opened the HOT yet?” She hated feeling dependent on Asher for everything. At least if she’d taken the bus, her car would be safe at home, and she’d be free to pack up and leave town when her week with him was over.
“Haven’t heard,” Rand replied, shaking his head. “But it could be awhile. From what I understand, they’ve got the city locked down tight while they look for those responsible.” Asher mumbled something under his breath that she didn’t quite catch, and Rand seemed to agree. “If you’re worried about staying here, don’t be. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”
She flashed him a grateful smile. “Thanks.”
Rand scanned the empty office. “Melinda talk to you yet, Asher?”
“No.” His thumb absently stroked the back of her neck, making it a little hard for her to concentrate. “She wasn’t here when we walked in.”
“One of your—” Rand interrupted himself by clearing his throat and strode to the tidy desk located to the left of the door. “You got a call earlier. She took a message.”
“It’s okay,” Asher said. “Olivia knows about me.”
Rand turned to stare at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. She couldn’t tell if he was just surprised or if it pissed him off.
“If it hadn’t been for Ash, I’d have been…” She struggled for the right words without telling him too much. Asher may trust the man, but she hardly knew him. “In a very bad situation.”
“And I can say the same thing about you,” Asher said.
Rand scowled at them, then rummaged around for something on the desk. “Mel took down the number, but fuck if I can find it. Hold on. Let me get her.” He disappeared around a corner.
“He seems angry about us,” Olivia said once he was out of earshot.
Asher shrugged it off. “Nah. That’s just Rand. Like most of the guys here, he’s a little rough around the edges.”
Olivia wasn’t sure if that was the case or not. “Does anyone else here know about you or is it just him?”
“Just him, although I think a few of the guys have their suspicions. But they all have their own reasons for hating the army, so no one asks too many questions.”
She could appreciate being around people like that. Fewer questions meant fewer lies had to be told. “Was it one of the men you work with—another Iron Guild warrior—calling for you?”
“This is one of the places where they know they can reach me.”
There was a lot about his world she didn’t understand. “Why don’t you have cell phones? I mean, I know you don’t have them over there, but wouldn’t they make your lives easier over here?”
“Sure would,” he agreed.
He moved toward a glass trophy case mounted on the far wall and stared inside, but she had a feeling he wasn’t really looking. He’d probably seen these photos and awards many times. They showed a younger Rand in motocross gear, standing and grinning in front of mud-covered bikes and holding up various trophies. “But we didn’t grow up with technology like you have here, so things like cell phones and computers—even cars—aren’t things many of the men are comfortable with.”
“But you are.”
“Unlike the majority of them, I spend most of my time here.”
“Why is that?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Not much for me over there.”
“You don’t have family?”
“I haven’t spoken to them in years. Let’s just say my stepfather and I aren’t very close and don’t see eye to eye on many things. My little sister left home shortly after I did. Heard she joined a convent and I haven’t seen her since.”
“And your friends?”
“My friends are my fellow warriors.”
She wondered what had caused the rift in his family, but decided not to probe further. “Modern technology would make your lives easier. And you could, you know, coordinate your efforts better.”
“True. But most of us don’t stay on this side as long as I do or have a place to keep more than just a few meager belongings.”
“Why don’t you just take it back with you?”
He turned and put his hands on her shoulders. “Because you can’t take objects through the portals. Everything disintegrates. If you need to use something here, it needs to stay here.”
“Oh,” she said, finally understanding.
Rand came around the corner just then with an extremely pregnant woman leaning heavily on him.
“Asher, grab a chair,” he barked. “Mel’s gone into labor and needs to get off her feet.”
“No,” the woman protested, trying to stiff-arm him away. “Jeff will be here any minute.” She closed her eyes and grimaced in pain. “It hurts too much to sit in one place. Let me…walk around till then.”
“What can I get you?” Olivia asked, springing into action. “A sip of water? A cold rag for your forehead?” She used that opportunity to touch the woman’s shoulder. All her vitals looked good and Olivia didn’t pick up on anything abnormal. She wished she could do something to help with t
he pain, but since Mel’s body was functioning normally, no healing was needed. It was all just a natural process. She marveled at the way the muscles were contracting around the baby, getting ready to deliver a new life into this world.
Mel flashed her a grateful smile. “A cold rag sounds wonderful.”
“Ash?” That was all Olivia needed to say and he was dashing off to find one.
“This baby isn’t due for another week,” Mel said, “but I guess no one told her that.”
“When it’s time, it’s time,” Olivia agreed.
Rand was pacing over by the desk now, running his hands through his hair.
Mel glanced over at him and rolled her eyes. “Childbirth makes them so uncomfortable, when we’re the ones doing all the work. Well, except for their contribution nine months before, which I wouldn’t exactly classify as work.”
Olivia smiled. “I think they want to be able to do something. Take action and solve a problem. For once in their lives, they’re completely helpless. I’m sure it’s disconcerting.”
Mel laughed.
Ash returned with the cold rag. Olivia folded it and placed it on the back of the woman’s neck. “Better?”
She sighed. “Much.”
“Is this your first?” Olivia asked.
Mel shook her head. “My third. I’m an old pro at—” She stopped walking and clutched her belly, her pretty face twisted in pain.
Olivia sensed a lot of the discomfort was coming from her lower back, so she rubbed it as the woman focused on her contraction. Eyes closed and concentrating, Mel inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth.
“There you go,” Olivia said in a soothing tone. “You’re doing great.”
After the contraction was over, Mel looked up. “Thanks. Um, Olivia, right?”
“Bloody hell,” Ash said, looking almost as uncomfortable as Rand. “I’m sorry. I should’ve introduced you.”
Mel gave him a sidelong look. “It’s okay, hon. We’ve been a little preoccupied.”
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