Get at Me #6
I cleared my throat not wanting to accept what was going through my head but I couldn’t ignore the echoing whispers of how I was allowing my clit to turn me into a fool.
I was almost angry at myself for how I sounded almost desperate for our situation to change.
We’d been getting along fine so switching things up was unnecessary.
“You’re right.”
My eyes went to his and I could see Alec’s grin broaden out of the corner of my eye. It irritated me again at what he was implying but I didn’t speak on it.
“You’re tired and we need to get out of here. Grabbing something to eat while we’re out isn’t a big step, Asha.”
Alec frowned at his friend like he was fucking up but I knew what he was doing.
He was attempting to smooth out any feelings that I was having about the seriousness of his words.
The whiplash was getting old but I couldn’t complain because I was the same way.
Despite his trying to ease the tension in the request, Ori never did anything that he didn’t want to.
He also wasn’t about to volunteer to spend time with me that was outside of our norm if he didn’t want to.
Makes you feel warm inside doesn’t it?
I frowned hating that yes, in fact there was some emotion that wasn’t irritation about him wanting to spend more time with me so I ignored how hungry and tired I was and picked up my pen. Because I just couldn’t allow that.
“I’ve got a few hours left in me. I don’t want to be seen as dead weight. I’m sure that going to visit the Clancy boy is the reason they’re even doubting us now. I don’t want to give them more reason.”
“I will put my fist through the face of anyone who thinks to speak something so uncharacteristic about you especially if they make the mistake of doing it in my presence.”
My lips parted, the shock I was sure was clear in my widened eyes as both Alec and I turned to look at Ori. Ori was unfazed by either of us staring at him and he let his eyes rest on me with a warmth that reignited the feeling that he’d given me before.
Gotta stop being around him so often; he’s making you forget.
I wanted to protest but Ori stood up, his dark charcoal-gray suit moving effortlessly around his frame.
It was the result of a man who knew his body and what made it look the best. I watched like a fool besotted as he buttoned his jacket and kept his eyes trained on me.
They were heavy with expectation waiting on me to fulfill some unknown request that he hadn’t vocalized.
I knew immediately that he wanted me to move with him and prepare myself to go but he should’ve known that I wasn’t going to give up that easily.
We had a silent standoff, the sun already low in the sky made him look as though he were glowing.
The edges of the gray of his suit almost set ablaze by the light the sun cast at his back.
“Asha.”
A command. One that I wasn’t about to heed no matter how gently he spoke my name.
“Yes, Ori?”
“It’s time to go.”
My brow was furrowed and I looked back up at him. Those eyes were still filled with the expectation that I would move my ass on his command. This is what happens when they get too comfortable.
“I—”
The pen that had been in my hand was gently removed and I looked over shocked at how easily Alec had inserted himself into this situation.
“You should go.”
“Alec—”
Alec shook his head as he put the pen he’d taken from me inside his breast pocket. “I’m already going to deal with him because I touched you without permission.”
“Glad you know—” His voice was heavier, irritated like he was annoyed on my behalf.
Alec met his ire with a laugh before he continued talking. “The last thing you want is for him to cut up because he’s wanting to spend time with you and he’s thinking you’re rejecting him.”
“I’m not—”
“Who said—”
We spoke at once making Alec’s smile deepen as he glanced between the two of us.
“Enjoy the night guys. Y’all got a lot to get done that’s more important than this.
Traffic is winding down, let’s get the weekend started right.
This shit will be here in the morning or next week or whenever we get back to it.
Take a deep breath, especially you, Asha.
You’re working two jobs helping us so no one should give you shit about leaving. ”
I let his words sink in before I moved back out of my chair slowly.
Alec was on his feet moving my chair back for me as I gathered up my items and Ori stayed silent after he grunted his displeasure at Alec.
With my bag on my shoulder, I was ready to go and Ori came to my side of the table to walk us out.
He dapped up Alec who gave me a respectful nod since Ori had his arm positioned between us as he led me toward the door.
“Don’t work too hard, Alec.”
“Have enough fun for me y’all.”
I gave him a wave and let Ori lead me out of the office.
The silence fell between the two of us again as we made our way to the parking garage.
There were multiple carbon copies of the same black SUV Ori drove that had to be part of the fleet in the FBI.
I knew that Ori’s had special equipment that his brothers had installed to ensure that he had true privacy in the car.
He opened the door for me as always and waited until I got situated before he climbed into the driver’s seat.
“What do you feel like eating?”
“Ori you don’t have to—”
“You know just like Alec that I don’t do a thing I don’t want to.
I agreed with the suggestion not because I was put on the spot but because I realized that we haven’t spent enough time together.
Learning how we work differs from learning each other.
We’ve done the family thing and the professional thing so the personal thing is natural.
And keeping you up in the tower like I’m not pro—like we’re not about to get married is a mistake.
And I’m going to rectify it.” He spoke quietly the depth of his voice making it almost impossible to hear despite how quiet it was in the car.
My heart was racing wondering what he was going to say before he stopped himself.
The way he halted meant it had to be something that was a revelation to him or a glimpse inside that he didn’t want me to have.
Either way, I was now too overwhelmed to do anything but put my eyes out the front of the windshield as he navigated us out of the parking garage.
“I don’t have a taste for anything specific. Whatever you pick is fine.”
“Is that what you say and then we get somewhere and you’re pissed because you don’t like the food?”
He was teasing, which eased the heaviness of his honesty but didn’t completely dispel it. “Ori, I’m not a waif, I can find something to eat just about anywhere.”
“Finding something to sustain you and having a meal that you desire are two different things. I’d prefer you to have the latter since this is technically going to be our first date.”
I blinked realizing that while we might have shared meals with one another, usually in passing and never on purpose besides dinner at Xerxes’ wedding and the one we shared with my family, this would be our first date.
Letting him get you for cheap aren’t you, Asha?
“My god we’re really not doing this right are we?”
“It’s not traditional but neither of us are purists or people who adhere strictly to the confines of what society deems normal.
We’re too fucking fine to be doing shit like regular people so take the idea of normalcy out of your brain when it comes to us.
” He did the lip lift thing that was supposed to be a smile before he focused back on the road.
“Did you… was that a compliment?”
“Act like you know me, Asha. I’ve given you compliments before.”
“That one seemed different.”
He lifted his thick black brows playfully but then his eyes darted behind him briefly before his mouth opened as if he was going to speak.
He never got the chance to.
The world seemed to spin before my eyes and I felt my stomach drop as if we were on a rollercoaster.
Ori’s long arm was gripped tight over my chest gripping onto my seatbelt like he dared it not to do its job.
The car jerked or was hit or had a fucking bomb dropped on it with the way everything seemed to spin all at once.
We hit something forcing the airbags to deploy and I saw as they hit Ori in the face, snapping his head back knocking him out cold.
“No!”
My words barely came out as a scream but I knew I couldn’t do shit until I was sure the car wasn’t about to topple over a cliff.
We fell, which was one of the most frightening things I’d ever experienced in my life.
The uncontrollable way the car was moving was because Ori was out cold and now it was my turn to hold on to the arm he’d used to protect me.
We hit a tree, which caused us both to jerk forward from the force.
Everything around us was somehow dark and light at once.
The lights of the interstate reflected off the woods but also ruined my depth perception with the way they reflected in the darkness.
Having driven this road with Ori before, I knew we were close to a large drop off so we’d either gotten extremely lucky or we were inches away from death.
I removed my seatbelt and reached into the glove compartment and retrieved the gun I knew he stored there.
Grasping the gun in my hand I glanced down to determine if there was a bullet in the chamber.
As if on reflex, the sound caused Ori to stir but the last thing I wanted him to do was to make himself known.
Whoever was after us would do what they could to take him out first since he was the most obvious threat.
I didn’t give him a chance to respond and instead draped my body over his.