Chapter 23
The afternoon was nice. Link’s friends were great. Keel didn’t say anything negative and left early. She wanted to ask Link if he thought it was a problem, but decided not to broach the subject until after they got home.
The were having a good time and the talk was friendly so they stayed at Chase’s house until almost five. She insisted on helping clean up before she left, saying she couldn’t sit while they cleaned. Being with Link’s friends was nice and reminded her of the good friends she’d had in the Marines.
Link lived close to Chase, so it only took a few minutes to get back to Link's place.
Link said he needed to work out, and for a moment she thought about joining him, but decided against it since she was still sore from the jogging they'd done earlier that morning.
Instead, she decided to check her email.
There weren’t too many emails to parse through.
As she was sorting through what to read and what to trash, she opened an email without a subject.
The first line sent chills through her. The threat was there in black bold letters.
Whoever had sent the email didn’t know she’d left California. It had to be from Pete.
No way would she respond. Pete didn't deserve any attention from her. She wished he would just accept the evidence the police had given him. Maybe he hadn't watched the video of Craig dying. That video had been emblazoned in her brain, though she wished she could forget the footage.
She didn’t delete the email, but she moved it to another folder that she didn’t look at often. If something happened to her, at least the emails would still be on her computer.
A shiver worked through her. She hoped nothing would happen to her, but with a guy like Pete thinking she was guilty just because she’d dated his brother, something was bound to come up, eventually.
Link finished his run and did another fifteen burpees. He was hot and sweaty, but he felt good. There would have to be a workout in the morning, but he really wanted to spend time with Ansley.
When he stepped inside, he didn’t hear her, but knew she had to be around somewhere. Then he heard a noise that sounded like it was coming from the guest room. He filled a glass with water and took a long drink.
“Hey, you’re back,” Ansley said as she came out into the den.
“Yeah. I should shower. Do you want to watch a movie tonight?”
“Oh, so you want to see if our film choices match.”
Link liked her sense of humor. “It will match.”
Laughter spilled from her lips. “I like your confidence, but you shouldn’t be so sure. I could be into esoteric movies that challenge reality.”
Link shook his head. "Nope, not buying it." He set down his glass and took off his shirt, heading to the laundry room. Usually, he stripped and dumped all of his workout gear into the washing machine before going to shower. With Ansley here, it wouldn't be the wisest move.
When he stepped from the laundry room, he noticed her eyes taking him in. Yeah, they would be having sex when they went to his condo at the beach.
After his shower, he found Ansley sitting on the couch, looking at her phone. She glanced up and set her phone on the table.
“You look refreshed.”
He dropped into the seat next to her. "So movies, what do you like to watch?"
She pulled her legs up and turned, sitting crisscross on the seat, meeting his gaze.
The look on her face was serious. "Before going into battle, I liked war movies with lots of explosions and action.
Some of them I can watch, but I don't really like them now.
I like comedies or dramas. If it's action but not a war movie, I'm fine, but war movies hit different. "
Link nodded, hating the images that popped into his mind. Seeing Hollywood make money on tragedies was hard. “War movies are tough. I have to read reviews from other military guys to see if I can stand it.”
“I’ve watched a few that were awful.”
“There is that, too. I don’t want to see people get blown up. I’ve seen enough of that.”
A shiver worked through her then she put her hand on his arm. “So, movies. What do you want to watch?”
“I like comedies, but I think a drama would be good for tonight.”
Her lips tipped up at the corners, making her look cute. “That sounds good.”
“I have a couple of streaming services. I haven’t watched much lately. Want to check and see if anything looks good?”
Ansley nodded. “Sure.”
“You want a beer?” Link asked as he stood and headed to the kitchen.
"No, thank you. I feel like I drank enough earlier. Do you have tea?"
“I do. Want me to heat some water?”
“Sure. Thank you.”
Ansley turned on the TV and clicked on one of the streaming services, finding a recently released drama. Link stepped over and nodded.
“I haven’t seen that one. It sounds interesting.”
“Good. That’s what we’ll watch.”
Link finished making the tea and brought in her mug and a glass of water for himself. He closed the curtains, so the sun wasn’t shining into the room.
“You ready?” Ansley asked.
"Sure." He sat next to her, trying to relax, though he wanted to pull her into a hug and hold her throughout the movie. They weren’t at that point in their relationship, at least he thought they weren’t. He would take it slow instead of rushing them. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off.
The movie started slowly but picked up about midway through. In one intense scene, Ansley reached over and squeezed his knee.
He liked her hand on his leg. Her touch distracted him from the movie for a moment. He drew in a deep breath, trying to relax.
She didn't move her hand, and then the action picked up again. He covered her hand with his, and she glanced up. Link reached over and paused the movie before lowering his lips to hers, brushing gently against them.
The kiss was heaven. Her fingers on his shoulders and then his neck brought goosebumps to his skin. He could stay like this for a long time. It had been a while since he’d experienced this kind of rush of excitement. It was more than lust thrumming through his veins. This was different.
He swiped his tongue over her lips, and she opened for him. He wanted to press her against the couch, but before he could move, she climbed onto his lap, straddling him. Heat washed over him, driving his desire higher.
With her sitting on his lap, she was above him so he tilted his head back. It was like getting drunk on her. It was nice to have her in a position of power. He moved the kiss deeper, and she pressed harder against him.
This was getting hot and heavy, and he was responding quick. In a few seconds, she would feel his hard cock pressing against her center.
She ended the kiss and pulled back, her gaze glassy, a smile on her lips. “You feel good.”
“You sitting on me like this feels real good.”
Her lips tipped up in a wider smile, and heat rushed through him. Maybe they were going to have sex before they drove to the beach.
She ran her hands over his shoulders to his chest and then lower. Her gaze traveled up his body and met his. Her eyebrows rose.
“You’re very sexy,” she whispered.
“So are you.”
"You know women's bodies change faster than men's. I won't be in the military, and I'm probably going to lose muscles and gain some rolls."
He nodded. "You're sexy, but if I wanted a sex doll, I would have bought one. I know you'll change, and I welcome that change."
“So you’re okay with that?”
He moved fast, pinning her to the couch seat. “Oh yeah, I’m more than okay with that.”
She hooked one leg behind his thigh, holding him in place. He rocked his hips, and she moaned.
Link leaned in, running his nose up her neck. “I want you.”
She pulled him closer, rubbing up against him. He wasn't going to last like this. It had been a while since he'd hooked up, so he was primed. All she had to do was touch him just right, and he would blow.