Chapter 1 #2
The way she’d bend over to pick something up at the office always had his knuckles wedging between his teeth to prevent grunting like a caveman.
And the cherries. What was with her and cherries?
Why did she have to eat them with her lunch? Every. Damn. Day.
His thoughts seemed to go blank in those moments. But after the pause of blankness, he’d find himself on a collision course with the past.
Six years . . . and he still couldn’t scrub the memory of their one night in bed from his mind.
“Stay in Paris,” he finally spoke up. He dragged his thoughts out of the ditch, for now at least. “Or hell, head to Munich to visit your family before you’re needed in Berlin. Enjoy some time off. We’ll all be alive and well when you get back.”
Of course, this meant he’d have to stay in Manhattan even longer, but he’d do it. For her.
He’d survived the last two months working out of the city and covering for Luke without going to the old fight club. What were a few more days?
Then again, maybe he wasn’t ready to leave her side quite so soon. Who knew when another job would come? And he’d damn sure miss her when he left. Not that he’d admit it, but he would. He’d even miss the cherries.
Really, really miss the cherries.
“No,” she said with a sigh. “We need to debrief. Besides, I didn’t bring enough stuff with me to extend the trip.”
“Paris is filled with stores. Go buy some new things,” Knox said.
“She can’t let go of control.” Asher smirked. “It’s not in her DNA.”
“I can, but—”
“No, you can’t,” he challenged, wondering if she’d take the bait. The woman did deserve some time to breathe.
“Find yourself a French stud while you’re at it. Or a German dude, if you head there early.” Liam’s words had a chill rushing down Asher’s body. “You need to get laid. How long has it been?”
Jessica shook her head and laughed. “My sex life is not your business.” Her eyes caught Asher’s as she spoke, and he wondered if she was taking a walk down memory lane, remembering their hookup, as well.
“On that note, I think we should head to the gate,” Owen said and raised a brow.
“Yeah, I’ll be right there.” Jessica turned toward the bar.
“Last chance to stay,” Knox said, but she waved her hand in the air without looking at him.
Asher glanced at the guys and then gave a slight nod, letting them know he’d catch up with them.
“Why are you still here?” she asked a moment later.
He moved alongside her and positioned his bottle next to hers before his palms met the counter. “Because you’re here.” He hadn’t meant for the words to escape his mouth, but the truth had slipped free too fast.
“You’re not going to convince me to stay.
” She shifted to face him. “So don’t bother.
” Her gaze swept over him, and her blue eyes narrowed as she appraised him as if he were worth well more than market value.
“Let’s just catch up with the guys.” She started to stand, but he held a hand in the air, urging her back down, and she followed his command. That was almost a surprise.
“I need you to tell me why you stormed the compound this morning.”
She looked heavenward.
“You weren’t supposed to come in. You always stay outside. What the hell happened?” She’d never taken chances like that when she’d worked alongside her brother.
She fully faced him, a sudden fire in her eyes. “Because I lost you guys on comms. I told you this already.” Annoyance tinged her words, burning the edges, and he felt the flames.
“And I said it was bullshit.” He cocked his head and folded his arms. “Tell me the truth.”
“I heard the gunfire.” She lifted her shoulders. “Then there was the explosion.”
“You shouldn’t have taken the risk.” His stomach dropped at the idea of something happening to her. “Luke would’ve killed me if you’d gotten yourself shot.”
Her eyes skated down to his abdomen beneath his crossed arms. The same pull of guilt on her face reappeared. “Instead, I got you shot.” She gathered in a hard breath and released it. “I won’t make another mistake like that again. I’m sorry.”
“I’m fine.” He reached for her wrist, feeling her pulse race beneath his thumb. “We can’t lose you, though. Got it?”
She stared at his hand as if in a daze. “Why are you being so nice to me lately?”
His eyes narrowed as he tried to rally his thoughts. “You want me to be a dick?” His boots edged a step away from her stool.
“Yes.” She wet her lips and brushed her hand down the column of her throat.
“Why?” He knew the answer, but he needed to hear the words slip from her mouth.
“You know damn well why.” She stood.
“Enlighten me.” His folded arms tensed as he examined her, waiting for her to either lie like normal, or finally expose the truth about how she felt.
Without her brother as a barrier between them the last two months they’d grown closer, even though she’d rather run naked in Times Square than admit it.
And although she was probably right to keep things professional, it was becoming more difficult with every passing day.
“You know, after spending so much time together lately I thought you’d become more of a jackass.”
Deflection, of course. The woman was a master at it.
And with the sound of her ringing cell she’d found a second means to escape from any heavy or real conversation.
“It’s Luke,” she said after retrieving her phone.
Her brother.
His commanding officer.
A major damn cock-block.
He dragged his palms down his face once her back was to him as she answered the phone.
He caught sight of the bartender eying him. She coyly tucked her short, dark strands behind her ears and slowly rolled her tongue over her bottom lip, trying to get his attention.
The universal signs for I want you crossed language barriers.
His body had become immune to such advances, though. He’d had to resort to jerking off like a fifteen-year-old. The only woman he wanted he couldn’t have, but for some reason, he couldn’t bite the bullet and hook up with someone else. To move on.
“Oh God.” Jessica’s words had him circling her to find her face.
“What’s wrong?”
She lowered the phone from her ear. “A DEVGRU team took out a terrorist cell yesterday and . . .”
“What?” He touched her bicep, worry darting through him.
“It was confirmed it was the men who killed Marcus.”
He staggered back a step in disbelief. “You’re sure? We’ve been down this road before.”
Her brows drew inward. “President Rydell personally called Luke and told him the news. They’re certain. It’s finally over,” she whispered.
And he did the first thing that came to mind. He grabbed hold of her and pulled her into his arms, holding her against him for the first time in six years.