by SL Beabhar
Ash shook his head, then grabbed the phone from her hands and placed it back onto the nightstand. "No. I actually dropped it on the floor."
"Like on purpose?"
"Yep."
She smacked the back of her hand against his bare buttock. "Why would you do that?"
"I was trying to wake you up." He rolled onto his back, pulling the sheet over his body. "Has anyone ever told you that you have a tendency to hog the bed?"
"No," she said, yawning again. "If you felt the need to drop a phone, why didn't you drop yours?"
"It wasn't in reach." He enjoyed sparring with her. It usually took her a few minutes to acclimate to his teasing mood, but when she responded in kind, she usually managed a few zingers.
But at this particular moment, she was glaring at him from the corner of her eye. She pointed at his phone beside hers. "You couldn't reach that extra inch, huh?"
"It would have been too much effort."
"You're a dick."
"Phoebe," he said, lifting his head from the pillow, "I don't appreciate the ad hominem attacks." He grunted when she flopped against his stomach, forcing the air from his lungs. "I won't let you sleep in my bed again if you keep this up."
She dropped her head and twisted her features. "What makes you think I want to sleep in your bed again?"
"Seriously?"
"I can't imagine how anyone can sleep with you, your ego takes up too much room." She brushed a kiss across his shoulder, then crawled over him. "Joking aside, I better go back to my own room."
He twisted on the bed and grabbed her arm before she walked away. "Why?" He pulled her back onto the bed and slid over so she could lie beside him. "It's not like Reggie's gonna walk in on us."
Ash could feel her relaxing beside him. She lifted her hand to cover another yawn.
"I know she's not gonna barge in on us," she said, glancing towards his alarm clock, "but I'll need to be up and ready to make her breakfast and prepare her medications."
"She's not usually awake for another hour," he said, once again rolling onto his stomach so he could wrap his arm over her stomach. "It's Sunday morning. Why don't we just take it easy this morning?"
It took a few seconds for Phoebe to look away from the clock. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment before shifting her eyes to him. "Okay. But just for a few minutes."
"Challenge accepted," he muttered.
"What?"
Before she could fully register his intent, he'd grabbed her arm and pulled her beneath him. "Trust me, I don't think this will take much more than a few minutes."
She laughed just as he swooped down to claim her lips. He could taste her laughter on his tongue.
"I don't know what to do with you," she whispered.
"Don't worry," he traced his lips down her neck, "I know exactly what to do with you."
He'd accepted a challenge, and he was determined to meet it. Last night, they'd indulged in hours and hours of foreplay. At this moment, he didn't think he could muster up another long lovemaking session. So he settled himself between her thighs, placed himself at her entrance, and thrust fully into her snug yet wet passage.
"Oh God," she whimpered.
"Nope. Try again." He laughed at the appalled expression on her face as he continued his frenzied thrusts. Within mere seconds, she was twisting and bucking beneath him. "You keep that up and this won't last a few minutes."
"I don't care," she gasped.
"Well, then." He grinned, took hold of her breasts, and kissed each peak. "I'm so glad we're on the same page."
Her burst of laughter ended with a guttural growl as he pushed her over the edge. Her muscle contractions rippled around him, and he felt himself being sucked deeper and deeper into her. He followed her, falling right into the whirlwind of pleasure that currently had her ensnared.
Feeling completely sated, he slid off her body onto his back. He laid beside her, his heavy breathing alternating with her husky laughter. He reached over to take her hand, then turned his head so he could look at her.
She was staring back at him. She lifted her free hand and brushed a stray lock of his hair from his brow. Then her nostrils flared, and her teeth bared.
"What's wrong?" The question had barely cleared his lips when he caught a whiff of an acrid smell. It was just registering in his mind what it was when he heard the downstairs fire alarm trigger.
They both bolted from the bed. He gripped the sheets around his torso and fled down the stairs. When he reached the main hallway, he could see a cloud of black smoke forming in the kitchen.
He rushed through the doorway and found Reggie standing near the stove, waving an oven mitten in the air. She caught sight of him, then hunched her shoulders and tossed the mitt onto the counter.
"Did I disturb you?" she asked. From the defiant glint in her eye, he knew his aunt was going on the offensive.
Deciding not to engage in her one-sided battle, he walked to her and grabbed hold of her hand. "Are you okay?"
"What happened?" Phoebe asked, entering the kitchen. Apparently, her delay was due to her sense of modesty. She was wearing her white nightgown. She looked at the skillet with the blackened food, then turned her eyes to Reggie. "Did you forget it was on the stove?"
Reggie's brow arched. Ash recognized the sign and knew his aunt was in a dander. He tried to get Phoebe's attention with a quiet shake of his head. But she was too focused on the scorched breakfast to notice.
"I would have made you your breakfast, Reggie. I don't know why you'd--"
"What?" snapped Reggie. She propped a hand against her hip, then glowered at Phoebe. "You sayin' I can't use the stove? Am I a prisoner here, and I don't know it?"
Ash placed a hand on Reggie's arm. She tensed beneath his touch and tried to pull away, but he tightened his hold. "You know you're not a prisoner. You can come and go whenever you want, and you have free reign of the house." He pointed at the stove. "But, you're recovering from the stroke, and it's affected your mobility and responsiveness. It's probably not a good idea for you to cook without one of us around." He cocked his head in Phoebe's direction. "We just want you to be safe."
"I was hungry," she said, narrowing her eyes, "and I was gettin' tired of waiting for you two to emerge from your room."
"I'm sorry," Ash said, dropping his hand. He grasped at the sheet around his waist. "How about we all get dressed, and I treat us to brunch? There's a nice restaurant near the waterfront, and I think you might enjoy the view."
"Thank God, you're going away," Reggie said, her eyes skimming up and down his nearly naked body. "Maybe I won't go neglected anymore." She puckered her lips, then shuffled around him. "I hope you'll be ready in twenty minutes. I'm starving." She then walked to her room, opened the door, and retreated inside.
Ash watched her go. Her comment about him going away repeated in his mind, and he reluctantly turned in Phoebe's direction. "I've been meaning to tell you something."
Her mouth closed with an audible click. "You're being deployed?"
Shaking his head, he tied the sheet around his waist. "No. I mean, not like you're thinking." His mouth felt dry as he saw panic flare in her eyes. "It's a training exercise. I'll be gone for a couple of weeks." He lifted his hand to silence her objection. "Just two weeks, I promise."
"How long have you known?"
"A few months," he said. "This was planned a long time ago. Way before you moved in. I didn't mention it because I didn't want to worry you."
"When are you leaving?"
"In a few days."
Her eyes widened. Her mouth disappeared into a grim line, but she nodded. She opened her mouth to say something, then shook her head. With a solemn look in her eyes, she turned away and made her way back upstairs.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Three days later, Ash was leaving.
Phoebe hovered near the stairway, watching her husband say farewell to his aunt. Ash was holding Reggie against his chest as Reggie alternated between slapp
ing and rubbing his back.
"You'll call once you get there," Reggie said, pulling away. She patted his cheek, then wiped a tear from her eye. "You know how I worry about you when you go on these trips."
"I'll let you know once I'm settled." He kissed Reggie's cheek. "I'm just going to Texas for two weeks. You're acting like I'm flying out to South Korea or Japan."
"Maybe, but I've seen them news stories about training accidents. Wasn't it just a few months ago that a helicopter crashed and all the crew was killed?" Reggie's jaw stiffened. "I don't think I can ever get used to you putting yourself in danger."
"I love you," he said to her.
Tears clouded Reggie's eyes. She smacked his shoulder. "Go. Get on."
Ash smiled, then stepped away from Reggie. He lowered his head and kicked his shiny boot against his duffel bag. Then he sighed and turned in Phoebe's direction.
She straightened, watching as he came to stand before her.
Things had grown tense between them. She knew she was the primary source of the tension, withdrawing from him emotionally and physically. Reggie's accident in the kitchen had reminded her of why she was here. She wasn't here to be Ash's wife; she was here to take care of Reggie.
It hadn't helped that he'd kept this trip quiet for the past month. He'd mentioned the possibility of being deployed, telling her that it wouldn't happen for another year or so. But here he was, going on a temporary duty assignment, and he hadn't mentioned it.
"You got everything?" she asked.
She already knew that he did. She'd washed, dried, and ironed his clothing, then packed all his belongings into his bags. Everything was accounted for, she'd made sure of it.
Ash had a crooked smile on his face. She found it endearing, but she kept her expression neutral as he stared into her eyes.
"I'm just about ready to go." He glanced towards the door, then looked back at her. "There's just one more thing."
He grinned. But when she didn't respond in kind, his face fell. He blinked, then placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned forward to kiss her on the lips.
She stood still, refusing to respond. He pulled away, then patted his chest in an awkward manner.
"Well, okay." He studied her face one final time before turning to walk to the door. "I'll probably get there really late tonight, so I'll send you a text message."
"Sounds good." She folded her arms across her chest and cocked her head towards the door. "You better get going. You know how bad traffic can get this time of day."
Ash stood there blinking for a moment, then he nodded. He pulled his keys from his pocket and grabbed his bags from the floor. She immediately felt terrible for shutting him out so completely.
Phoebe could deny it all she wanted, but there was a strong connection between them. She'd felt his initial confusion then hurt when she rebuffed his attempts to rekindle the playfulness between them. But keeping his trip secret seemed like something Ash would do with one of his other women, and not with her. His wife.
She left her position near the stairs and walked to where he stood. She covered his hand with hers, grabbing one of the smaller bags. "I'll help you."
The corners of his mouth curled, then uncurled just as swiftly. "Thanks."
She left him, walked out onto the porch, then descended the stairs with the bag braced high against her side. She walked to his truck, opened the passenger door, and slid the bag onto the floor. He approached behind her and squeezed the two bags he carried into the same space.
She expected him to step back, allowing her to move away from the truck. Instead, he braced one arm against the door and the other against the seat. She turned around to face him.
"Are you still denying that something's wrong?" His brows lowered above his dark amber eyes. "I fucked up, didn't I?"
"No," she lied. She braced her hand against the door, resigned to the fact that she wasn't leaving this spot until he felt satisfied with her answer. "It's not you. Not really." She placed her hand against his chest, then pulled it away as if he'd burned her. "I needed some time to get some perspective about why I'm here."
"About us?" She could see his barely contained frustration. A muscle in his cheek flexed, and his hand on the door curled into a fist.
She shook her head. "No. I mean why I left Indiana and relocated to Washington." She held her breath, trying to think of the right words. "I, um, was wondering if I could sign up for classes yet? You mentioned you had to request that I receive the GI Bill, and I wasn't sure if you'd heard anything about that."
His arm fell away from the door. She expected anger, but he only smiled.
"Honey, you're dealing with the military now. Things don't happen that quickly, unfortunately." He leaned away from her and removed his other arm. His eyes twinkled with sudden merriment. "You don't have to worry. It'll come through. Hopefully within the next five years."
"Well, that's encouraging, I guess." She rocked onto her tiptoes and brushed her lips across his cheek. "I hope you have a safe journey. Text me when you get to the lodge." She made to brush past him, but he reached out and gripped her hand.
"What?" she said.
He was quiet as he scanned her face. Then he wrapped his arm around her back and drew her closer. "That wasn't a proper kiss."
"Ash." There was a warning in her voice.
He glanced around the block, then he grinned again. "Don't worry. No one's paying attention." He lowered his lips to hers and whispered against her mouth, "I promise it's just a kiss."
Phoebe struggled with her complicated emotions. She knew she'd miss him; he'd managed to wiggle himself past her natural defenses, and he'd quickly become part of her life. But she was really afraid of letting her affection for him spiral out of control.
In spite of that, when he placed his lips against hers, she didn't back away. She didn't even run when he deepened the kiss and pressed his erection into her. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and opened her lips, allowing his tongue to plunder her mouth.
The world faded away as he held her. In this moment, this kiss was everything to her. She wished they had more time, but they were dragged back to the present when a passing car honked its horn at their public display.
He pulled back and brought his hand to his mouth, covering an embarrassed smile. "I gotta go. We can continue this very important"--he wagged a finger between her and him--"thing when I get back." He backed away from the door, finally granting her freedom.
As he walked to the driver's side, she pushed the door closed and peered at him through the glass. Ash climbed into the truck, shot her an amused glance, then turned the ignition.
"I'll see you soon," he said.
Throwing her hand in a short wave, she stepped back from the truck. He reversed out of the driveway, honked his horn, then tore down the street. Watching him leave left her feeling depressed and empty. She knew she wasn't alone; she'd be busy caring for Reggie while he was gone.
But as he turned the corner and disappeared from view, she came to the reluctant conclusion that he was taking her heart with him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
"What are you doing?" The question was barked into Ash's ear.
Startled, his fingers fumbled over his phone, and it clattered onto his plate, landing in his huevos rancheros. "Damn it." Shooting an annoyed look at Bobby, he picked his phone up and wiped it with his napkin. "Thank God it fell in the rice."
Bobby sat down across from him with a smile on his face. "I was calling your name for, what, the last three minutes?" He nodded his head at Ash's phone. "But you were too busy texting to hear me."
"Sorry," Ash muttered, pushing his plate aside. He placed his elbow on the table and grabbed his coffee mug. "I was texting Phoebe."
Bobby fell against the back of the chair with his hand clutching his chest. "Phoebe?" He rolled his eyes, then motioned at a passing waitress. "Can I get a plate of what he's having?"
She nodded. "I'll put an order in."
&n
bsp; "Thanks, doll." Bobby smiled and when the waitress walked away, he followed her movements with his eyes. "You didn't even notice, did you?"
Ash poured more cream into his coffee, then stirred it with his spoon. Lifting the mug to his mouth, he tried to anticipate Bobby's train of thought. "You mean the waitress?"
"Oh." Bobby's head jerked back. "What about her did you notice?"
Ash dropped his mug onto the table, then shifted in his chair to look at the waitress. She was likely in her early forties with a petite figure, honey brown hair, and light green eyes. She'd been extra friendly towards him when he first sat down, but when he hadn't responded to her light flirtation, she'd quickly placed a little more distance between them and a bit more chill in her voice.
"I don't see a ring on her finger," said Ash.
Bobby snapped his fingers and dropped his hand onto the table. "There he is. That's the Coop I know." The waitress returned with a plate in her hand. Bobby pulled back, allowing her to place his breakfast in front of him. He waited for her to walk away before he grabbed the pepper shaker and seasoned his meal. "I've been looking for good ol' Coop. I thought he was lost forever."
"What are you talking about?"
Bobby pointed his fork at Ash. "You've changed, man. Everyone's noticed it. At first, I just assumed that caring for your elderly aunt--"
"Whatever you do, don't call Reggie elderly." Ash's phone buzzed. He knew he'd received another text from Phoebe, but he didn't want to be rude by reading it in front of Bobbie. Instead, he plucked his phone from the table and slid it into his pocket. "I love her, but things have been stressful since she arrived."
"Are we talking about your aunt?" Bobby took a moment to chew his food, then he gulped it down. "Or, are we talking about your wife?"
Ash rolled his eyes. "I'm talking about my aunt. Her recovery has been slower than we all expected, and I can see that she's getting really frustrated about it." He ran his fingers through his hair, then leaned against the back of the chair. "She nearly burnt the house down right before I left. I can't imagine how bad things would be if it weren't for Phoebe."