She went without protest, scowling the whole time.
Once they’d reached the top of the stairs, Alex pulled her into the kitchen. So he wanted a private conversation, she surmised. But it didn’t matter. Nothing he said was going to change the fact that she wouldn’t take money from him. She was independent now, even if that meant she went broke again. At least she wouldn’t have to rely on him for anything. At least he wouldn’t be able to pull the rug out from under her feet again.
“I’m not going to let this sink you,” Alex told her quietly. His words were hard with conviction. “I don’t know how you got caught up in this, and I don’t care. It’s not fucking right. And don’t think for even a second that I don’t know what I did to you. I left you in a tight place, and I still owe you for that. So all this—keeping you safe from Jasper, helping you get back on your feet—it’s not charity. I’m paying down a debt. And once we’re square again, maybe….”
He let his words trail off again, and for a moment she was both afraid and hopeful that he would suggest that they could have a future together. “We’ll see,” he finished dismissively.
She wanted to believe him. She saw the sincerity in him—the way he met her eyes unflinchingly and made those promises. She wanted to think that he could keep them. But he’d burned her before, and she wasn’t young and stupid, not anymore. It was easier to expect nothing of him. That way, she could only ever be pleasantly surprised.
“You’ve already done thousands of dollars of damage. I’ve lost all of my stocked ingredients. On top of that—“
Alex backed her against the kitchen counter and covered her mouth with his hand, silencing her. She thought she saw a momentary ripple of pain in his eyes, but in the next instant it was gone, replaced by his mask of calm and indifference.
“Shh,” he hushed her. “I don’t want you worrying about any of that. I don’t want you even thinking about it. For the next few days, your only job is to lay low and keep yourself safe. Do you hear me?”
He uncovered her mouth so she could answer.
“You think I can just forget all about this?” she snapped. “You think that it’s as easy as just deciding not to worry? It doesn’t work that way—“
Alex silenced her again, though this time by enveloping her mouth in his. She fought him at first, furious that he would try to placate her with a kiss. But the velvety touch of his lips against hers, the way his tongue moved in her mouth—all of it elicited a carnal response in her. Instinct took over and she gave in, kissing him back with just as much intensity.
His touch was like a hit of something potent. Even something as innocent as this—a quick little kiss—was enough to coax her back into the state of mind she’d been in the night before. The force of the desire in her temporarily erased the past and future by heightening the present moment, until all she cared about was the feel of his arms around her, the wet warmth of his mouth, the tickle of his stubble, the sweet perfume of his skin.
There was no rational reason, she knew, that his kiss should soothe her. There wasn’t any inherent meaning in it. His attraction to her hadn’t been enough to make him stay before, and there was no reason it would be enough now.
But her skeptical mind had no effect on her body. Her tingling spine and the warmth coursing through her blood told her that everything was going to be all right. And that was the only argument she needed.
Alex drew back and gazed down at her. She could see lust rekindled in his eyes, and she knew that if he didn’t have to find Jasper’s stash that he’d take her right then and there.
She wouldn’t have minded.
“Just give me a chance, Ash,” he demanded. He cupped her face in his hands, pinning her in place and forcing her to meet his intense blue eyes. “Let me prove to you that I can take care of you. That I’ve only ever wanted to take care of you.”
Ashleigh let her lids fall shut. She nodded softly against his unyielding hands. What else could she do but sit back and wait, and hope that he meant what he said?
“Is there anything I can do to help you here? I know the place pretty well—“
“We know it pretty well now too. We’ve gone over every single inch of that basement at least five times now. Whatever it is, wherever it’s stashed, it’s hidden good. We’ve got it handled, baby. Why don’t you go hang out at the house and take it easy?”
That was the last thing she wanted, to be alone with her own thoughts. But again, what choice did she have? She was sick of fighting against the current. It would be easier to just give in to Alex, to let him handle things. And hadn’t she always wanted a break from everything?
Of course, she’d always envisioned that break as a trip to Disneyland with Penny—a vacation she could share with her daughter without stressing out over the next month’s rent or her car payment or their uncertain futures. But it looked like hiding out in her ex’s house was the best she was going to get.
“Okay,” she agreed.
Alex released her face. “I’ll be home soon,” he promised.
“You want me to swing by the airport?”
Her question caught him off guard. “What?”
“To pick up one of those drug-sniffing dogs,” she clarified, grinning tightly at him. “It might help you out here, you know. Maybe even save the rest of my poor basement.”
Alex smiled wryly at her joke. “Shit, I don’t know why we didn’t think of that in the first place.”
Chapter 15
Cobra
Cobra entered the house and slammed the front door behind him hard enough to rattle it in the frame. He knew Ashleigh was there—that he should work on getting his temper under control. But his blood was still boiling from the rest of the day.
He and the guys had spent the greater part of the day in the basement, knocking out walls and clearing away the debris so they could check for any sign of a stash. He was beginning to think that Jasper had some bad intel from someone and was obsessing over it because he had nothing else to go on.
Which wasn’t good news for them, since that meant there would be no way to take care of things other than trying to directly confront Jasper himself. That would be a suicide mission, of course. They needed some kind of leverage over him, some way of luring him out into the open.
It was evening now. They’d decided to split up for the rest of the night. Zane and Ajax were going to run to meet up with Rocco, who supposedly had an update for them. Axle was going to hang around the bakery and keep watch. And he was going to check in on Ashleigh and try to bury his frustration for the night. They still had plenty of wall to tear out tomorrow. They’d find it eventually if it was there.
If not…well, he thought, they’d have to come up with a new plan if it came to that.
Cobra went straight to the fridge and pulled out a beer. He popped the top and took a deep swig, grateful for the relief the cold liquid provided. His throat was dry and scratchy from being stuck in the basement all day with so much dust in the air.
“Did you find it?”
Cobra spun around to find Ashleigh lounging in the kitchen doorway, wearing nothing but her oversized t-shirt and a pair of lacey pink panties. She stood with her arms folded over her chest, her wild red hair tumbling freely over her shoulders. Cobra couldn’t help but eye her long, shapely legs. The sight of those bared, creamy limbs got his blood pumping and derailed his train of thought. He forgot what she’d said.
“Hm?”
“I said, did you find it? You know—the stash.”
Cobra took another swig of his beer. “No. We’re going to keep looking tomorrow.” He tilted his head at his beer. “You want one?”
Ashleigh looked less than pleased at the news. But the disappointment disappeared quickly from her face, replaced by a cold, hard look. “I was just talking to my daughter,” she began as she went to pull a drink out of the fridge. “I told her I’d probably be able to pick her up tomorrow, Alex. But that’s not going to be the case, is it?”
&nbs
p; Cobra slammed his beer down on the table. What was she pissed at him for? Did she think he wasn’t trying to get this resolved? That he was purposely stringing her along? “Fuck, Ash, we’re looking as hard as we can. I don’t want this drawing out any more than you do.”
Ashleigh sighed. “I didn’t mean it like that. Look, I just want to know that she’s safe. That we’re safe. I want my life back.”
“And I want to cut Jasper’s nuts off. But we don’t always get what we want, do we?”
Ashleigh leaned back against the kitchen counter, a frown creasing her lips. “I’m not trying to pick a fight. I’m just…I hate this so much. I hate sitting around doing absolutely nothing, knowing my daughter’s resenting me more and more every day I don’t see her, knowing that I’m going to probably have to sell the bakery back at a loss after this—“
Cobra pushed up from the table, fixing her with his heavy scowl. “What the fuck did I tell you just today, Ash? It’s going to be fine. There’s not a damn thing you can change by worrying about it—“
“That’s the point!” she exploded. “Don’t you get it? Do I look like a damsel in distress to you? Have I ever been that? This is total bullshit, all of this. The last time I was helpless was after you left, and I swore I would never see myself back in that position as long as I lived. I told myself that I would work my ass off so that I could be sure that if things ever turned to shit again, I could fix them myself. And now I can’t.”
“You don’t have to,” he Cobra growled fiercely. He took her by the shoulders and held her in front of him, staring deeply into her eyes. She looked away for a moment, but finally reluctantly raised her gaze to his face.
“Fuck, Ash, look at everything you’ve built. Look at everything you’ve done for yourself. You’re a fighter. You’re going to make it through this. And I don’t know much about kids, but I do know you, and I don’t think yours is going to be able to hold a grudge for too long. I just need you to give us a few more days.”
Cobra could see a few tears leaking down Ashleigh’s cheeks, though she was doing her best to ignore them.
“And if you don’t find it?” she demanded. “If it’s not even there? What then?”
Cobra tightened his hands over her shoulders, holding her fast. “Then I come up with a new plan with the guys, and we figure out how we take Jasper and his whole fucking operation to the ground. I don’t give up, and I’m not going to stop until I know you’re safe.”
Ashleigh said nothing. She dropped her gaze again, biting her lip.
Cobra slid his hands down to her slender waist, then lower to her tight ass. He kneaded her flesh as he lowered his mouth to her neck to kiss a path up to the sensitive spot behind her ear.
Ashleigh wasn’t exactly resistant, but she wasn’t fully receptive either. “What are you doing?” she demanded, though there was an unmistakable hitch in her voice.
Cobra pressed his lips to the hollow shell of her ear. “Distracting you,” he replied throatily.
“And if I don’t want to be distracted?” she managed to force out. The breathy quality of her voice and the way she was leaning into him, molding her body to his, told a different story.
“Then you shouldn’t distract me by prancing around in your panties,” he told her. He slid a hand up her shirt to one of her soft, plump breasts, fitting it into the palm of his hand. “Shit, and no bra either? You’re just asking for trouble.”
“It was more comfortable,” she panted, thrusting her chest out so that her breast pressed even harder into his palm.
Cobra squeezed her breast hard, drawing a soft moan from her lips. “Then you’ll be even more comfortable when I get you out of all this.” He released her breast and lifted her up by the waist, tossing her easily over his shoulder.
She struggled half-heartedly for a second, probably more out of surprise than anything. “Where are we going?” she demanded as he started off down the hallway, still carrying her.
“I need a shower. And I think the deal was that I get to have you in there with me as long as I don’t smoke. Right?”
Ashleigh scoffed at him. “You’ve gone out for a smoke at least three times today, and that was just this morning—“
“I’m a work in progress. I’m not smoking right now, am I?”
Cobra ducked into the bathroom and set her down in front of the shower. He stripped his shirt and pants off before reaching into the shower to turn the water on. He turned back to Ashleigh, who still hadn’t undressed. She stared at him stubbornly, hands folded over her chest again.
“You really should try to quit—“
Cobra tugged her panties down without warning, then snared her wrists and pulled her arms away from her chest. “If I’m going to do that, then I’m going to need something to take the edge off,” he murmured seductively.
“Oh God,” she gasped as he released one wrist and dropped a hand down between her legs, tracing a finger gently along her already-damp slit.
Cobra sucked his index finger into his mouth, savoring the taste of her, before reaching back down to her pussy and pressing into her. He slid his finger easily into her hot, throbbing core, watching in satisfaction as her head lifted and her eyes closed in bliss.
He worked in and out of her, rubbing against her soft, slippery folds, his cock growing harder by the second. She braced herself against his chest with her free hand. As he worked her, she grew more and more frenzied until she was squirming in front of him, squeezing her thighs closed every time he pushed into her.
He withdrew his hand and let her other wrist go. She moaned in frustration. Cobra just chuckled and helped her pull her shirt over her head before stripping off his boxers. When she stood naked before him, her pert breasts once again bared to his gaze, he took a moment to just admire the sexy, soft curves and slopes of her body.
His dick was throbbing hard, and his balls were almost aching, even though they’d barely started. He couldn’t wait to bury himself inside her again, to feel the heat of her and claim her again.
He restrained himself, though he yearned to just drive into her. Instead he met her lips in a soft kiss, reveling in the texture of her lips, as his hands rose up to cradle her breasts. He rolled the weighty flesh against his palms before repositioning his hands so that his thumbs rested on the tips of her hardened nipples. She moaned against his mouth as he circled her rosy areolas before flicking the little buds.
Cobra moved from her breasts to explore the rest of her body. He stroked along her downy stomach, sweeping over her hips to the small of her back. He loved the warm, velvety texture of her body and the feel of her dips and valleys under his caressing hands.
As he explored her, her hands wandered over him. Her nails raked lightly over his chest, grazing along his abs and down over his stomach. The slow, agonizing sensation pushing him to new heights of arousal. He thought she would stop short of his cock, but he was wrong. Her warm hands stroked down the length of his shaft and back up, not hard enough to satisfy but with just enough force to tease. She continued to stroke him, occasionally running a thumb over his tip, causing his erection to twitch reflexively.
She was unhinging him. He couldn’t take much more. If she continued like that, he would have ended up bending her over the sink and burying himself in her just to find his release.
It took a herculean act of willpower, but he forced himself to catch her hands and still them. He met her mouth in another kiss—this time more possessive, more animalistic. He caught her lower lip in his teeth and pulled at it before pressing his tongue deep into her mouth again, all the while drawing her back toward the shower.
The small bathroom was already humid and filled with steam, coating their bodies with extra moisture. They entered into the shower together, him pushing her directly under the showerhead and pinning her back against the wall so he could crush his body against hers. His erection dug into her stomach as his hands glided down her sides and to her thighs.
Ashleigh ran her hands up a
nd down his back, once again running her nails over his skin. The sensation was incredible—just the barest suggestion of pain mixed with a heady spike of pleasure. Her hands gripped his ass unexpectedly, drawing his crotch even harder against her. He ground his hips against her instinctively, needing the friction to alleviate a little of his borderline painful erection.
“Shit,” he muttered, stepping back a little from her. “I need a condom—“
“I’m on the pill now,” she groaned, dragging his hips back forward. She’d spread her legs wide so that he could see her glistening pussy. The water running down her body from the showerhead flowed over it in rivulets. Ashleigh took his cock in her hands and guided the tip to her entrance; an invitation he couldn’t refuse.
Cobra pulled her wrists up and pinned them above her head against the wall of the shower, grinding his tip over her entrance and through her folds. He wanted to savor this just a moment longer—the sight of her soaking wet, her red hair hanging around her face in heavy damp locks, her breasts two silky globes capped with her puckered, rock-hard nipples. God, she was beautiful.
BAD INFLUENCE: A Dark Bad Boy Romance Page 39