Nine
The sincerity in his tone is unmistakable. But knowing that this man, a literal stranger, is prepared to risk his life to save mine, for reasons beyond his job, is…heady. I watch him concentrate on the road before taking a shaky breath and giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
“Ashley?”
“Yeah,” he says roughly.
“Thank you.”
His hand tenses in mine. And when we stop at a red light, he turns his attention back to me. His eyes glistening in the darkened space.
“I’d rather you thank me on the other side of this, Lorna.”
I smile at this.
“I will,” I nod. “I promise.”
The corner of his mouth twitches. Then he pulls my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles.
“I’m going to hold you to that,” he says darkly.
My smile widens. Then the light turns, and he starts driving again. But he keeps my hand in his for the next fifteen minutes until we turn into a gated lot that requires a key card for entrance. Okay, I suppose that’s better than the last place. Without looking toward him, I can tell that he’s scanning the area for any threats. He’s so intense that I jump at the feel of my cellphone vibrating in my back pocket.
“Shit,” I breathe.
“What’s wrong?”
“My freaking phone scared the shit out of me.”
“Who is it?”
Knowing he’s not asking because he’s just being nosy, I glance down at the screen and sigh at the name I see there.
“It’s my partner, Malcolm.”
“Let it go to voicemail,” he instructs. “Until we can determine how deep this leak is, I don’t want to take any chances.”
“But there’s no way Malcolm could-”
“But there’s a variety of ways for an agent at the Bureau to track someone,” he interrupts. “Via cellphone.”
I grimace, but I don’t argue. As much as I don’t like it, he’s the agent. Not me.
He parks in a far corner of the lot. Then he tells me to stay put. I nod and watch as he gets out and searches the immediate area with a weapon I didn’t realize he had on him. When he seems satisfied, he comes back and grabs the duffle bag from the back seat first before opening my door for me. Then my hand is once again in his as he leads us along. In another thirty seconds, he opens the door to his apartment and guides me inside.
He wasn’t wrong about it being small. It’s a studio, just like the last one. But it’s already far more inviting. Mostly because there are pictures everywhere. I’m assuming they’re family, so I don’t hesitate to walk around and take them in. And they are most definitely family photos. An older couple with four handsome sons.
I pick up what I feel is a recent photograph and take in the rest of his brothers, wondering which nickname belongs to whom. And what the rest of their given names are as well. I’m so lost in them I never hear Ashley approach. So, the gentle touch of his hand on the small of my back makes me jump.
“Sorry,” he chuckles.
“Yeah,” I sigh. “Me, too. I’m not normally so flighty.”
“You’ve had a hell of a night so far, Lorna,” he says soothingly. “Not the kind of night you should be used to in your line of work.”
My hand absently drifts to my abdomen.
“Tell me about it,” I mutter.
Noticing my hand, he takes the photo from me and sets it back down. Then he does something that completely scrambles my brain. He kneels before me and lifts the hem of my shirt up to reveal the fresh bruise that resides there. Judging by the look on his face, the sight of it angers him. Without thinking, I reach forward and cup the back of his head in my hand. When I do, he leans forward and kisses the bruise.
“Ashley,” I breathe. “What the fuck?”
“You’re hurt,” he chokes out. “I don’t want that for you.”
“I’ll be fine,” I say soothingly.
“I’m going to take them out,” he growls as his lips continue to caress my skin. “Every single fucking one of them.”
“That’s not your job and you know it,” I counter. “You don’t practice revenge.”
“But I want to,” he says as he pulls back and looks up at me. “I want to end the man who shot you. And I want to destroy any other person who intends to do you harm, Lorna.”
“Ashley,” I breathe.
“Tell me again that you want me.”
His words are spoken in a low tone that reignites the ache between my thighs that I felt earlier after I got out of the shower. And I don’t hesitate to give him what he wants.
“I want you, Ashley.”
Before I know what’s happening, he scoops me into his arms and walks me over to the bed. Then his body is on mine, blanketing me from head to toe. One quick roll of my hips and I moan at the feel of his erection. He cradles my head in his hands and locks eyes with me.
“Do you trust me, Lorna? To take care of you? And keep you safe?”
“Yes,” I nod. “I do.”
“God help me,” he breathes. “I don’t deserve this moment with you, but I need it. I want it so badly I can’t think straight and that’s a dangerous thing in our situation.”
“Then take me, Ashley,” I say with a smile. “Take me now so you can keep me safe, and we can see where else this goes.”