Trust was something she hadn’t had much experience with in her relationships lately.
Rand rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost sheepish, like a kid who’d just been caught stealing cookies. “There is one thing you need to understand, though.”
Okay, here it was. The bombshell to blow up an otherwise perfect situation.
“My side business is parting out vehicles that have...uh…come into my possession.”
“You mean a chop shop?”
He shrugged, a hint of a smile on his lips. “More or less.”
She tried not to look disappointed, but she couldn’t work for an outfit doing something so blatantly illegal. “Do you steal them, too?”
“Not exactly. We acquire them from those who steal them from the army. Although that’s not to say I wouldn’t, if given the opportunity.”
The vehicles he was parting out had been stolen from the army? She brightened. Now that might be something she’d be willing to discard her moral compass for.
She considered her options. It would be awesome not to worry about finding a job right away. Reckless was far from the city and rent shouldn’t be any more expensive here than at her apartment on the peninsula, maybe even a little less. By the time Mel came back, Olivia would hopefully have found a new apartment and job. Besides, actively foiling the army, rather than being on the run from them, sounded pretty damn appealing.
“Would I be able to look for another, more permanent job situation while I’m working here?”
“Of course. In fact, if you want, you can stay in the RV out back till you find a new place.” He pointed over his shoulder with a frosting-coated plastic fork. She remembered seeing a white RV, the kind with slide-outs, parked near the dirt road into the motocross park. “Except for food, it’s pretty much ready to go. And just so you know, the guys who work here are tough but decent. I wouldn’t allow them to step foot on the premises and be around my daughter if they weren’t.”
As she consolidated the leftover juice from all the cups, she thought about the guys she’d met so far. There was Shane and his unruly black hair. Tall Paul who had terrible posture, making it clear he didn’t like being so tall. Arlo chewed bubblegum like a waitress working in a fifties dinner, so she guessed he was probably trying to quit smoking. And then there was Camps, who’d shown her pictures of his grandkids. Except for James, who hadn’t said more than two words to her, they all seemed decent. Rough, sure, but that was okay. The fact that they didn’t ask prying questions was a plus.
“They’ll leave you alone. They know you’re off-limits.”
“Just so we’re clear, there is no us between Asher and me, but I can understand why they’d make that assumption. After this week is over, that’s it.” She tried to keep her tone even and unemotional, even though it was painful to say the words. “I just need to make sure he won’t think it’s weird if I’m working here.”
“Weird? It’s obvious he’s crazy about you.” He turned away abruptly and shoved a paper plate into the garbage bag.
A thrill ran down her spine at his assessment, but why did it seem as if he wasn’t happy about it. Had she missed something?
She twirled her finger in front of her like she was stirring a bowl. “This thing going on between Ash and me? It’s just temporary. You know, for fun.”
Rand shrugged and picked up a cup that had fallen under the table. “All I know is that he’s never brought a woman here before.”
Never? “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Listen, Olivia. You know he’s not…from around here, right?” She nodded. “Did you know that where he’s from, just the act of living together—you know, as a couple—can be taken as a betrothal?”
She nearly dropped the cups she was holding. “You can’t be serious.” Ash must’ve been laughing inside when she’d made that offhand comment to the army interrogators about living together.
“In his culture, sharing the same living quarters means a lot more than it does to us here. He wouldn’t have invited you to stay for the week if he didn’t have feelings for you that were more than just—” He looked around to make sure there were no little ears listening in. “Sexual. He’d have found a motel. Gone to your place. That’s all I’m saying.”
No way. They’d only just met when he offered up his proposal. How could it have meant anything more? “He didn’t tell me that.”
He jammed a few more plates into the bag. It definitely seemed as if something about the situation was bothering him. “Maybe it hasn’t occurred to him yet.”
“But it has to you?” she asked skeptically.
“I don’t mean to get all up in your business, it’s just that I’m an observant sonofabitch and a damn good judge of character. Not much gets past me. How else could I run all this, employing the kind of people I do—the kind of people that society has thrown away—and succeed?”
Obviously, there was something more going on here. Why wouldn’t he just come out and say it? He didn’t strike her as the kind of man who tiptoed around anything, and yet…
She narrowed her eyes and looked at him again. Was his odd reaction because he was in love with Ash? She hadn’t gotten that vibe from him before, but then she hadn’t been looking.
“If you want to know the truth,” she said, “we’re just doing it for the sex. There’s nothing emotional going on.” If only she believed that. “So if you…uh…have feelings for him, I won’t stand in your way.”
Rand had just taken a drink and was now spitting it all over the table in a fine mist.
“Daddy!” Caitlyn shrieked from across the room. “That was sick.” All the girls in the piñata line turned to look.
“Sorry, honey,” he called. “Olivia just told me a funny joke.” He turned back to Olivia, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “You think I’m…that we’re…” He had to put his hands on his knees to keep from falling over as he laughed. “That is fucking hilarious.”
“I take it I’m wrong.”
Wiping his eyes, he straightened to his full height. “Hey, he’s a good-looking dude, I’ll give you that, especially when he’s wearing the boots he stole from me in a poker game. But I don’t roll that way. The only cock and balls going into this mouth are the ones from Voodoo Donuts.”
Okay, she really had read him wrong, then.
As she finished cleaning up, she still couldn’t figure out why he was bothered by the fact that Asher might have deeper feelings for her.
Chapter Fourteen
Asher made love to Olivia slow and easy that night, every movement fluid and rhythmic. Again, he was amazed at how well they fit together. Until Olivia, he’d always held back a little—a fact that was just dawning on him now. With her, he could lose himself without worrying that he was hurting her. It was carefree. Liberating. And addictive as hell. As her muscles tightened around him, increasing the friction to mind-blowing levels, he drove in deeper and joined her in ecstasy.
When it was over, he rolled to his back and tossed the condom in a nearby trashcan. She snuggled into the crook of his arm, throwing one knee over his leg.
What would it be like to make love to her without any barrier between them? For her body to receive his seed rather than the latex sheath? What would it be like to have a child…with Olivia? To hold in his arms a human being that they’d created together. A piece of the two of them, and yet completely different.
Idiot.
Playing with those girls today, imagining having a family of his own, had really messed with his head. He silently berated himself for daring to imagine such a thing. He’d made that mistake once before and vowed never to do it again.
“That was wonderful,” she said, interrupting his thoughts.
“Yes, it was.” Asher stared at the ceiling and thought about the last few days, trying not to think about the distant past. He’d learned the hard way not to get involved with a woman over here. But, damn, he and Olivia really clicked. Even though they hadn’t known each
other for long, it felt as if they belonged together.
He could make love to her over and over, night after night, and never grow tired. Given that they had only a few more days together, he’d have to take full advantage of it. They should probably lie low and not risk going out. But then, when should he give her that item he’d bought at the specialty shop? It wouldn’t be nearly as fun if they weren’t out in public.
“Is…is there something wrong?” She propped her chin on his chest, two tiny lines of worry creasing her forehead.
“Wrong? Do I look as though something’s wrong? I’m wallowing in the afterglow of us.”
“You’re quiet, that’s all. Introspective. And normally you’re a little…you know…”
He lifted an eyebrow. “What?”
“Louder. You weren’t quite as…boisterous.”
He lay back against the pillow and laughed. “I can be louder next time, if that’s what you want. In fact, where I come from, most couples keep the bedroom windows open to let others hear what they’re doing. A healthy set of lungs on a woman is something to be desired.”
She gave him a playful slap on his chest and rolled her eyes. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m totally serious. It signifies that her lover is well-endowed and skillful in the bedroom—traits all men want.”
Now it was her turn to be quiet. Was she picturing what it would be like on his side of the portal? He’d love to see her face when they strolled through one of the open-air markets and heard the sounds of a couple’s lovemaking coming from the castle keep. Would it make her uncomfortable? Or would she pull him into a corner and reach under his kilt?
“Hmmm. That’s…unusual.” She traced her finger around the edge of his nipple, then along a couple of long-forgotten scars. He grew hard again, even though he should be completely sated.
“Not only that, but on a couple’s wedding night, people gather beneath the windows of the bridal chamber to hear the marriage being consummated. They want to know that the new husband is pleasing his wife and that she is pleasing him. As you can imagine, it’s a right festive atmosphere, with much drinking and shouts of encouragement.”
She hiccupped with laughter. “Everyone listens? Don’t they…you know…have performance anxiety?”
“Haven’t you ever had sex out in public?”
“Oh my God, no,” she choked.
“How about a place where you thought someone else could hear you?”
She shook her head.
He was going to have to remedy that, he thought, as the seed of an idea began to take hold.
Running his thumb along the underside of her jaw, he marveled at how soft her skin was. Like crushed velvet. Her lips were plump and luscious, still flushed from his earlier kisses. “That’s the way it’s always been over there, Olivia. It’s part of our culture. In fact, it’s not unusual for couples in the gathered crowd to find a secluded corner in the shadows and partake in some of the same activities as they’re listening.”
“Like an orgy?” she rasped.
“Not quite. It’s a little more discreet than that, but it is public.”
He recalled the first wedding he’d attended after becoming a warrior of the Iron Guild. The warriors were always the most popular men in town. As they feasted in the courtyard, a pretty young woman from the bridal party drew his attention. She grabbed him and led him a few feet away from the crowd. Still holding his tankard of ogappa ale, he’d leaned against the stone wall as she’d taken him into her mouth.
“The thing is,” he continued, “my people are much more open about sex than you are over here. And our clothing makes it easier, too. A lift of a skirt and kilt, and all the important bits are right there.”
Olivia gave a little snort. “I can see how tempting that must be.”
“But because birth control isn’t what it is here and because it’s not good luck on a wedding night to pull out early anyway, there are always a few wee ones born in the village nine months later. Truth is, that’s how I was conceived. My mother got pregnant with me the night my father’s best friend in the Guild got married.”
With her face pressed to his chest, he could feel her silently giggling.
“What?” he asked. “Think that’s strange?” When she didn’t answer right away, he poked her in the ribs.
Her body jerked and a shriek of laughter burst from her mouth. Despite her efforts to push his hand away, he continued tickling her, his fingers prodding the sensitive spot next to her hipbone.
Twisting around him, she flung her head back, still laughing. “Oh my God, Ash! Stop.”
“Not till you answer my question.”
He kept tickling her until somehow, she ended up on top, straddling him. With her lips parted, she was breathing heavily, her beautiful breasts just inches from his face. He lifted his head and drew a perfect pink nipple into his mouth.
She arched her back and moaned in pleasure. “You are so maddening.”
“And you seem to have forgotten Rule Number One.” He let his teeth graze her sensitive flesh. “I asked you a question.”
She hissed in a breath. “I haven’t forgotten.”
“What? You enjoy breaking the rules, then?” He placed his hand on her hip, poised to tickle her again.
“No. Yes. Stop.”
“Make up your mind, lass.”
“Okay,” she said breathlessly, an evil smile ghosting on her lips. “I do think it’s weird that you know how you were conceived. I mean, seriously? Who thinks of their parents that way?”
“If we were the parents, I’d think of us that way. A lot.”
She grabbed another condom from the nightstand and tore open the foil packet with her teeth. “Yeah, I would, too.”
* * *
The next morning, fresh from the shower and wrapped in a towel, Olivia stared at the clear plastic package that Asher had just given her, and couldn’t figure out what it was.
He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on his boots. “There’s a motorcycle rally today that we’re going to attend. I need to talk to a few of the vendors, plus, one of the top AMA money earners, a twenty-year-old kid, is making an appearance. I hear his bike is pretty tricked out, so I want to see it.”
The package showed a suggestive picture of a woman in her underwear. “What is this for?”
“Hold on. You’ll see.” He rummaged through her clothes and picked out a purple polka dot bra with matching panties, a flowery skirt, a T-shirt, a hoodie, and her cowboy boots. “Here. Put these on.”
“So, you’re dressing me now?”
“Yep.”
She took the clothes from him and put them on as he sat there and watched. When she was done, she turned a little circle so he could inspect her. She hadn’t worn this particular combination before, but she liked it. “Look okay?”
“Almost perfect.” He opened the plastic packaging and pulled out a small pink object. “Now this.”
She took it from him and turned it over in her hands. The object fit into the palm of her hand. It was smooth and rubbery and shaped like a squished letter C with nubby ridges on each end. “What is it?”
“You’re going to wear this, too.”
“Uh, how?” she asked. It wasn’t jewelry.
“It goes inside you.” He showed her the instructional guide from the package.
One of the ends was designed to slip into the vagina while the other end pressed against the clit.
She swallowed nervously and her mouth went dry. “You want me to have it in…when we’re walking around…at a motorcycle rally?”
“It’s designed to stimulate you with every movement. And when that happens, I want you to think of me.”
It was a male-dominated environment. There’d be men everywhere. She ran the tips of her fingers over the rubbery ridges on one end. Wearing this in private was one thing, but out in public? She’d feel so…naughty. She’d probably want to jump Ash the first chance she got.
Which
I guess is the point. “I’ll do it on one condition.”
“And what’s that?” he said, cocking an eyebrow and probably getting ready to invoke Rule Number One.
“That you can’t leave me at any time. I don’t want to suddenly find myself standing next to some old guy if I’m having a mini-orgasm.”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of leaving you alone, so that’s not a problem. I want to be there to experience every pleasurable sensation you have.”
A tiny surge of moisture dampened the panties she’d just put on. Part of her couldn’t believe she’d just agreed to such craziness. But another part of her was thrilled.
“Won’t it, you know, fall out?”
“The woman at the store said you’re to squeeze your muscles to keep it tight and that your panties will keep it in place.”
“The woman at the store?”
“Remember when you were shopping for clothes? I did a little shopping at the Lover’s Pantry next door.”
He led her into the bathroom, where he washed it with soap and water. “Here, let me put it in for you.”
Before she could protest, he was pushing her panties down and kneeling in front of her. In this dominant position, she felt nothing but vulnerable.
He sucked in a breath. “Holy Fates, woman, you’re already wet down here.”
“I…I know,” she said sheepishly.
Even though he’d rolled her over first thing this morning and they’d made love already, she felt as if she could go again in a heartbeat.
He slipped part of the toy inside her, spread her open with his thumb and forefinger, and positioned the other end against her clit. Jolts of pleasure coursed through her and her inner walls tightened instantly around the intrusion. The toy and its little nubs knew exactly where she was the most sensitive. She had to grip the edge of the counter to keep from collapsing to the floor.
“You okay, lass?” he asked, an impish grin on his face. “How does that feel?”
“Don’t move,” she said. “I think I’m…I’m going to have an orgasm.”
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