by SL Beabhar
"Will you do me a favor?" he asked, staring into her eyes.
Judging from the tightness of her jaw, she was bracing herself for something big. "Anything."
"I'll keep that 'anything' in mind for another occasion." He smiled. "But for right now, all I want you to do is take a deep breath, count to five, then exhale." He thrust his head forward, prompting her to follow his direction.
She puckered her lips, but she then inhaled deeply, held it in her chest, then exhaled through her mouth.
"Again," he said.
There was a slight twitching around her eyes, but she repeated the motion.
"Better?" he asked.
She shook her hands free from his hold. "A bit."
"You have nothing to worry about. You look beautiful." He grabbed onto her upper arms and brushed a quick peck against her forehead. "I'm confident you'll charm the pants right off him."
The doorbell chimed in the distance.
"I can do this," Phoebe muttered.
Wanting another opportunity to put his hands on her, Ash rested his hand at her waist. He practically pushed her from his bedroom, forcing them to walk down the hallway. "Let's go meet Mauricio before Reggie gets to the door."
Phoebe stopped at the top of the stairs. "Oh my God. Reggie."
There was a loud knock at the door.
"It's fine." Ash stepped down, then grabbed Phoebe's hand and pulled her along. "I had a very long conversation with her while you were making dinner. She's not one for religion, but I think she understands the situation."
He made sure they stood together when he finally opened the front door. "Hello, Mauricio." Ash held open the screen door and waited as the chaplain motioned for his wife to enter before him. "I was a bit worried you might get lost finding this place."
Mauricio smiled, revealing a large gap between his two front teeth. "Luckily my wife has an app on her phone that makes getting from place to place easy for me." He extended a hand towards Phoebe. "You must be Phoebe."
She stepped forward and took his hand into hers. "I am." She shot a quick glance at Ash, then turned her attention to Mauricio's wife. "Hello. I'm Phoebe."
Both Phoebe and Mauricio looked at Mauricio's wife. Her narrow nostrils flared in response. She was a striking woman with chestnut hair bobbed around her narrow face; her blue eyes sparkled with intelligence as she studied him and Phoebe. He could see the judgment written on her face. Within seconds of meeting Phoebe, it looked like she'd already come to a decision, and it wasn't a favorable one.
"This is Olivia," said Mauricio, speaking when his wife didn't. He pointed past Phoebe's shoulder. "Ah. There's the vase."
Ash watched as Mauricio walked to the fireplace where the crystal vase was on display. Phoebe, while she was out grocery shopping, had picked up a bouquet of fresh flowers. The vivid colors were in stark contrast to the neutral tones of the living room.
"Ash and I are really appreciative for your kind gift." Phoebe came to stand beside Ash, placing her hand against his forearm. "It was really sweet of you and your wife to think of us."
Mauricio dug his hands into his black trousers, then he turned to face them with a wide grin. "It was no problem at all. I remember long ago when I was a young newlywed." He shot his wife doting look. "Ain't that right, Liv?"
Olivia remained standing near the door. She wore a tan trench coat over a sedate red dress. She gripped a beige purse in her hands. "It wasn't that long ago."
"Twenty-seven years," Mauricio muttered, likely for Ash's ears only. He winked in Ash's direction, then returned to his wife. "Is there a place to hang our coats?"
Feeling as though he was failing at his hosting duties, Ash stepped forward to take their coats. "Sorry. It's been a while since I've had guests at our home." He glanced back towards the kitchen. "Please don't tell my aunt. She'd be embarrassed at my lack of politeness."
Mauricio helped Olivia from her coat. "It's quite all right," he said, handing it over to Ash.
Phoebe motioned towards the couch and loveseat. "Would you like to sit down? The roast is almost done, so I figured we could nibble on some appetizers while we chat."
Ash carried the coats to the closet where he hung them up. He peeked his head into the kitchen to check on Reggie and saw that she was busy playing a game on her tablet. "You okay? You want to come join us out here?"
"Nope," she said, swiping at the tablet's screen. "Just come get me when we're ready to eat."
"Got it." He moved away from the door. As he walked back into the living room, his eyes were drawn to Phoebe, who threw her head back and released a burst of laughter. She sat alone on the loveseat while Mauricio and Olivia occupied the sofa.
"I feel like I'm missing something," Ash said.
Phoebe crossed her legs and placed her arm on the armrest. "He was just sharing the first time you two met."
"I hope not the whole story." Ash sat beside Phoebe and wrapped his arm around her back. She, in turn, rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm not sure I want anyone to know the whole story."
Phoebe squeezed his knee and grinned. "Apparently there's pictures."
"Deleted."
She shook her head, then turned her attention to Olivia. "Have you lived in this area long?"
Olivia's eyes fluttered as she shot an indecipherable look in her husband's direction. "We've been here for about six years, which is a long time when you're a military family."
Phoebe nodded. "Ash told me about that." She looked at him. "That there's a possibility we could be relocated to another base."
"Not just a possibility," Olivia said, locking arms with her husband. Mauricio's brows furrowed as his wife slid closer to him. "A likelihood, I can assure you."
Mauricio hooked his thumb in his wife's direction. "I was explaining to Olivia that you were new to the military, and I thought you might like for Olivia to take you under her wing." He patted his wife's thigh. "She's very active in the spouse community."
Ash felt Phoebe tense beneath his arm. He could sense the denial forming on her lips. "I think Phoebe would like that," Ash said.
He had to give her credit. If you weren't watching her closely, you wouldn't have seen her reaction, but he found himself watching her very closely. She was smiling, but he saw the slight tic at the corner of her mouth.
"I think I would like that." She pushed herself up from the couch and smoothed her skirt. "I better check on Reggie. I asked her to take out the roast when it's done, but she's a bit distracted with a new game."
He watched as she fled the living room. When she reached the kitchen doorway, she turned so he could see her. She lifted her hands, mimicking a choking motion. He smothered a laugh, then grabbed a mini crab cake from the serving tray.
"I can assure you," he said, popping the crab cake into his mouth, "my dear wife is very social."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
"I could strangle you," Phoebe snarled. She twisted the towel in her hand and snapped it against Ash's ass. She felt immediate satisfaction when he yelped in surprise. "I can't believe you told her I would co-chair the winter holiday market with her."
He skipped away, avoiding another hit from the towel. "To be fair, I simply said that you would like to be social." He grabbed a glass from the sink, rinsed it off, then placed it in the dishwasher. "She was the one who brought up the market idea."
Olivia had left Phoebe feeling cold. It was obvious from the questions Olivia had asked that she didn't approve of Phoebe. What college had she attended? How long had she known Ash? Were they expecting an addition to their family soon?
Phoebe wiped a dinner plate and handed it to Ash. "How am I going to wiggle out of this?"
"Why would you want to?" Ash bumped the door to the dishwasher closed, then switched it on. When he finished, he turned to rest his back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "I think it might be fun."
She turned away to hide the rolling of her eyes. She removed the tinfoil from the cabinet and pull
ed a strip from the box. "I guess that means you'll be volunteering right beside me?"
"Ah."
She covered the leftover roast with the foil. "If it's so much fun, then why aren't you willing to do it?" Why should she be the only one to deal with Olivia's judgmental attitude?
"Because it's a wife thing." He must have noticed the dark look that crossed her face because he pushed away from the counter. "Don't take it the wrong way, please. The military is a strange beast. I've heard stories about how fragmented it used to be, and leadership has taken steps to make things more inclusive, but there's still some level of wanting wives to be involved."
"Do I really have to join this club?" She rested her hand against her hip, watching his eyes closely. She was learning to read the subtle messages lurking there, and she was fairly certain he was being serious. "I'm not sure if I can make the commitment."
"It's not a big commitment," he said, taking the roast from the counter. He held it while she opened the fridge, then he placed it inside. "The dinner was great, by the way."
She shook her finger. "Don't try to distract me with compliments."
"Well, it's the truth. I thought Mauricio was about to lick the plate."
She smiled. "I thought he was about to ask if he could take some home." Seeing Ottinger enjoy her food had made her feel good. It was like she'd won some little victory, one that Olivia hadn't approved of.
"She wouldn't have allowed that." Ash grinned. He reopened the fridge and grabbed a beer from the door. "I should probably warn you about her."
"After I met her?"
"She's someone you need to meet in order to understand." He shrugged and opened the beer. "She's the old-fashioned sort. She's the type who thinks enlisted wives should stick with enlisted wives, while officer wives belong with officer wives. She has some strange notions on proper behavior for officer wives." He took a big gulp. "Whatever you do, don't let her convince you that you shouldn't interact with someone just because of my rank."
Walking to the sink to quickly wash her hands, Phoebe nibbled on the inside of her cheek. "I wouldn't do that. If I like a person, I like them. I don't care about their education or their job or how much money they have." She patted her chest, just above her heart. "I only care if they are a good person."
He leaned against the counter, placing his elbows on the surface. "What about me?" In an uncharacteristic move, he trained his gaze on the beer bottle cradled in his hands. "Do you like me?"
This insufferable man was hers. Her husband. And he was asking if she liked him?
"It depends on the day."
He cocked his head to the side and pointed the tip of the bottle in her direction. "Lies."
"You can be a pain in the ass sometimes."
"Fallacies." The word ended in a hiss.
"At this particular moment," she said, yanking the bottle from his hand and swigging down the last gulp, "I find you barely tolerable."
He pulled the bottle from her hand and held it to the light. With a disgusted snarl, he tossed the empty bottle into the recycling bin. "Just tolerable? After I let you drink my beer?"
She leaned against the counter and placed her hand against his cheek. "Barely tolerable."
The corners of his mouth twitched. His chin jutted forward, allowing him to grasp the tip of her finger between his lips. He sucked it further into his mouth. "What about now?"
Phoebe knew she was playing a dangerous game. Heat simmered inside her, threatening to boil over. A tiny voice in her head warned her that she needed to excuse herself and flee from the room. But she enjoyed their teasing banter too much; it was a refreshing departure from an evening full of silent condemnation.
"I like you a little better," she said instead. She held her hand up, pinching a small space between her thumb and forefinger. "Just a little bit better."
His lips parted to reveal his startling white teeth. He probably intended it to be a smile, but to Phoebe, it looked like a predatory snarl. Then he reached out and hooked his forefinger in her v-neck collar. He tugged at it, then ran his finger over the curve of her breast. "Phoebe Cooper, I think you just issued a challenge. Are you willing to accept it?"
Her heart thudded against her chest. Her limbs felt heavy, almost fluidlike. "Challenge accepted."
The smile faded from his lips. He stood there for a moment, perhaps listening to his own warnings deep in his head. Then he leaned closer to her, and she thought he was about to claim her mouth in a kiss.
Instead, he moved swiftly, grabbing her by the waist and hoisting her onto the island's counter. His hands slid up her thighs, pushing her skirt to her waist. She felt cool air breeze across her warm center as he planted himself between her legs.
"We should probably go upstairs." She kept her voice low, knowing that Reggie slept only a few feet away.
Phoebe felt the air rush from her body when he curled his arms under her legs and pulled her even closer. She bit down on her hand when she felt his teeth nibble across her neck.
"I don't think I can make it, darling." He pulled back so she could see his smile, then he brought his lips close to her ear. "So I suggest you be very quiet, otherwise you might disturb Reggie's sleep." He rocked against her, creating enough wiggle room for him to grab her panties and slide them down her legs.
"Ash," she whispered. A voice of caution echoed through her mind, but it was quickly stamped out by her anticipation. Against her better judgment, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and locked her ankles around his waist.
Reaching between their bodies, he unzipped his jeans and released his cock. Through her lower lashes, she watched as he inched closer. She closed her eyes when she felt him push against her.
His entrance was slow. Filled with impatience, she wanted to scream for him to hurry up. She bit down on her lip and thrust her hips forward so she could meet his slow drive into her. But, she couldn't hold back her gasp when his gradual thrust ended with a powerful surge.
"Shh." He shifted, allowing his hand to slide up to the juncture of her thighs. He grinned wickedly when his thumb traced circles around her sensitive nub. "I don't think you want to scream."
His strokes were firm, pushing her closer and closer to the edge. Her breathing was heavy, and she struggled to keep her moans to a low volume. With each thrust, her gasps grew louder. He claimed her lips, as if to stifle her cries.
Phoebe found the contrast between their attempts to be silent versus the power of their lovemaking to be devastating. She buried her fingers in his hair, feeling her channel begin to constrict around his length. She fell back onto the counter and arched her pelvis, and his body collided against her most sensitive spot.
When her orgasm claimed her, she lurched forward, sunk her fingers in his thick hair, and kissed him savagely, projecting the intensity of her release through the kiss. Soon, his fingers dug into her flesh as he growled and plunged into her one last time.
They remained locked together as they regained control. After a few minutes, Ash kissed the tip of her nose, then pulled out of her. She flinched, feeling swollen and bruised from his unrelenting lovemaking. She felt utterly and completely sated.
"What about now?" He grabbed her skirt and pulled it down to cover her thighs. "Am I still just barely tolerable?"
"I don't know." Phoebe slid from the counter, then wrapped her hand around his thickening cock. "I think I might need a bit more persuading."
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
From her aquiline nose with the slight bump on its bridge to her wide, full-lipped mouth with its perpetual frown, she was not Ash's usual type. She was a dark-haired, dark-eyed, and olive-toned ingenue. The exact opposite of the fair-skinned, pale-eyed, and pale-haired siren he typically went for.
Phoebe's knee dug sharply into his side, and she'd rolled most of the comforter around her body. She didn't snore, but she did whimper and mutter the occasional remark. While her head rested against his chest and her unbound hair tickled his mouth, he tried to wiggle hi
s leg, but it had fallen asleep some time ago. All in all, she was probably the worst companion to ever share his bed, but he couldn't imagine anyone else occupying that space.
After their quick encounter in the kitchen, he'd allowed Phoebe to lead him to his bedroom. They'd spent the early hours of the morning exploring each other and exchanging naughty barbs. At about half past three, Phoebe had pleaded for sleep, and he'd been all too willing to indulge her request. That was, until she took over his bed.
Ash shifted his weight and rolled her onto her back, mostly to make himself more comfortable. But when she landed against the mattress and her thick, long hair pooled around her head, he couldn't help but marvel at her unique beauty.
What should have been quiet admiration turned to gentle kisses between her full breasts. He was drawn to the warmth of her body, particularly the warmth that seemed to generate from the apex of her thighs.
"Phoebe," he whispered, taking her earlobe between his teeth. He wanted her to wake up. But he didn't want to startle her. "Wakey. Wakey."
Her arms fell wide open near her head and her head lolled to the side. Ash sighed, then pressed his coarse-haired thigh against her smooth skin, hoping the friction would trigger a reaction. When she continued to sleep, he grew impatient and abandoned his plan to be gentle.
He reached out, grabbed her phone from the nightstand, and dropped it onto the floor. She immediately sprung up with her eyes wide and mouth open.
"What was that?" She rubbed at her sleepy eyes, then yawned and fell back against the pillow. "Was that outside?"
He laid flat on his belly and tucked his arms beneath his pillow. "That was your phone."
Panic flickered over her face. She fell on top of his back, leaning across as she grabbed her phone. "How did it get down there?"
"I dropped it."
"I hope it's not broken." She studied its display, checking for any cracks. She blew at a speck of dust. "Did you bump it with your arm?"