“I’m impressed.” Kyle crossed his arms over his chest. “That makes three noes this morning.”
She reached for the handle, praying he wouldn’t say something stupid like, “Come back here and tell me what’s so damned important in these emails you want to make sure I read them this morning.”
“Wait just a minute,” Kyle’s voice rumbled. “I want to know what’s in these emails that is making you not want to read them today.”
Damn it. She’d been so close to escape. Aislinn wiped a sticky palm on her hip and licked her lips, moistening the suddenly dry skin. “Nothing, I’ve just got quite a bit to do, you know, with last-minute details of the party and such and, like you said, you’re a smart man.”
If the man smiled one more time at her she was going to scream.
“By all means, work on the party. I will see you there, right?”
She knew it wasn’t a request. All of the employees went to his annual Fourth of July party. Why wouldn’t they? Held on his multi-acreage wide, lakefront property, there was food, dancing, a bonfire and a massive fireworks display, from everything Chris had told her. Plus, Kyle handed out half-year bonuses. The man was generous to a fault.
Aislinn nodded once. Of course she would be there. If she didn’t show up, he’d more than likely sick TJ and Jon on her and have them drag her there anyway.
She slipped out the door, his laughter ringing out behind her. Hell yes, she was running. She needed to put some space between them. Please, God, let him read those emails. She did not relish the idea of telling him face-to-face and revealing more of herself than he already knew, which seemed to be a whole lot more than anyone else.
For a second she pondered leaving. The urge to get in her car, drive to her apartment and pack her bags was strong, but what he’d said was true. She most likely was safer here than anywhere else. With his and TJ’s and Jonathan’s backgrounds in the Special Forces who better to provide protection? Not to mention the type of business they ran. Spy equipment and high-tech gadgets used in finding people. It was one of the reasons she’d come to Turner Industries in the first place. She couldn’t find a better business to hide in.
She’d been naïve in thinking he wouldn’t use those same gadgets on her. Six months did seem a rather long time not to hear from her ex. Had she gotten lax or did she feel that much more comfortable in Kyle’s presence?
As evidenced today, her body sure as hell wanted him. Was she ready for another stab at a relationship? Kyle might actually be a perfect candidate because he was a no-strings-attached kind of man with all his women. And it was more than clear he wanted her.
What could it hurt? Her pride, for one, when she didn’t perform the way he thought she would. Good thing David had stripped most of hers away, she guessed. Not much more to get trampled.
Aislinn realized she’d been standing at her desk staring into space and slid into her seat. Straightening papers that didn’t need straightening, she thought about what it might be like to make love to Kyle Turner III. What he’d said to her had certainly made her pussy weep for the first time. Ever.
Maybe enough time had passed. Maybe David really was history. Maybe he’d found another poor soul to pick on, God help her.
Determined to start moving on with her life without constantly looking over her shoulder, Aislinn resolved to…keep an open mind about Kyle. Yeah, she decided. If he ever kissed her again, she wouldn’t try to keep herself from kissing him back.
A couple of hours later, Kyle stared at his computer screen. Subtle was not Aislinn’s middle name. Of course, if he hadn’t already known about her clairvoyant ability, he might have handled this particular email a little differently. Like laugh and delete it.
One of his SEAL buddies had had a similar trait. Perhaps not as defined as Aislinn’s gift of “seeing” the future, but he knew things intuitively. Things that had more than once saved the team’s backside. Things that had gotten them out of various tight spots. You can bet your sweet ass he believed in what Aislinn could “see”.
He idly rubbed his right thumb along his forefinger as he decided what to do with the information in front of him.
No kitchens. He could handle that. One of the reasons he employed a chef at home was because he couldn’t boil water. Give him an MRE any day. At least he was used to the Meals Ready to Eat. Some of them were even palatable.
Question was, would he heed the warning? Maybe it was better to face his potential murderer head on, since he had no doubt Aislinn’s prediction would come true. Running wasn’t an option. He knew about it ahead of time and had an opportunity to change the way things panned out.
He hadn’t told her the complete story. Not only did he know everything there was to know about her, but he’d also been in touch with her mother several times. He’d updated the woman whose daughter had been forced into hiding, letting her know Aislinn was safe from the bastard. Darla Campbell had been the one to tell him of Aislinn’s ability—a talent the two women shared along with previous generations of females in the family.
Kyle admitted he was a little disappointed Aislinn hadn’t told him about her gifts, but he understood. Why would she? In her mind, her clairvoyance only caused people to wonder if she was crazy. More than anything, it drew attention. And attention was the last thing she wanted right now. In fact, Kyle applauded her adeptness at keeping her secret.
A few times, from his office, he seen her off in another world, but she seemed more than capable of snapping out of it in time to prevent questions. Usually. Twice Kyle had stepped in and diverted a possible disaster. Both times she’d been sitting at her desk, a faraway look on her face, when someone had stopped to speak with her.
Kyle had simply walked out of his office and detoured them.
Thank God it didn’t happen on a routine basis. If it did, he’d have made a space for her inside his office, something he knew she would protest.
He heard Aislinn’s voice outside his door so he stood and stretched. Staring at the anonymous email wouldn’t get him any closer to the answer.
Aislinn was grabbing her purse and gabbing with Christina when he stepped out the door.
“Where are you going?”
She gasped—he loved when she made those noises—and swung around. A mutinous look crossed her face. “To lunch.”
“Yeah? Who with?” Not that he had any real right to ask.
“Chris.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “Where are you going?”
“You already asked that.”
“I did. You told me lunch. Maybe I want to go to lunch. Where are you—”
“You can’t.” Christina’s eyes widened in mortification.
Kyle turned to her, crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe.
“How come? You gonna talk about the boss?” Why else would she look so panicked about going to lunch with him if they weren’t going to discuss him?
Christina gulped and Aislinn smiled behind her hand. What the hell was going on?
He watched Christina’s face as she did some quick thinking.
“Because, well, you usually go with your gr— I mean, TJ and Jonathan and you know what they say,” Christina finally came up with.
“No,” he said, trying not to chuckle at the poor woman he knew had a crush on one of his buddies. He wondered if she was aware they were attached at the hip and liked to share their women, or if she had any idea they’d set their sights on her. “Who are they, and what is it they say?”
“Oh, um.” She waved her arm in the air, twisting her wrist around in circles. “Two’s company…er, five’s a crowd.”
“Five?”
“Uh-huh.” She looked at Aislinn for relief.
Aislinn took her time getting herself together. He bet Aislinn knew about Christina’s crush too.
“Besides,” she continued, “we have some girlie issues to discuss and I doubt you’d be comfortable talking about…tampons.”
Kyle laughed. He
“Chris,” Aislinn hissed and grabbed her elbow, pulling her toward the elevators. “Damn, woman. Talk about sticking your foot in your mouth. Couldn’t you think of any other topic?”
“Have dinner with me tonight,” Kyle called before they could get too far. He hated watching Aislinn’s retreating back. The only time he wanted to see her back was when she was on her hands and knees in front of him, his cock buried deep inside her.
The girls spun around so quickly they bumped into each other.
Christina’s chin lifted. “Excuse me?”
Aislinn shook her head in a firm no. Her lips formed a “shush”, and her eyes narrowed. He smiled and stepped away from his perch.
“Yes,” he said.
“No way,” Christina retorted as if he were speaking to both of them.
Kyle ignored Christina’s refusal and never took his gaze off Aislinn. He would win this round. “Have dinner with me,” he repeated, standing toe-to-toe with her. Her mouth opened but nothing came out.
“I can’t,” Aislinn finally said.
He tilted his head and studied her. Weariness marked every millimeter of her face.
“Why?”
“Because. I don’t think it’s proper to date employees.”
“I’m not an employee,” Kyle clarified. “Christina, why do you think Aislinn asked me about dusters earlier today?” he asked, still not looking away from Aislinn’s eyes. There had a to be a reason why she would suddenly ask him about something personal, and he had no doubt her closest friend Christina had put the idea in her head. Since he hadn’t gotten the answer from Aislinn earlier maybe he could get it out of Christina.
Christina gasped and turned to Aislinn. “You didn’t.”
Bingo.
Aislinn’s eyes narrowed into thin, angry lines and twin spots of color graced her cheeks.
“She did. Something about feather dusters.”
“I did not,” Aislinn yelled then slapped a hand over her mouth.
Kyle smiled. What had she and Chris been talking about this morning? His cock hardened thinking about the possibility they had been talking about him.
“Aislinn.” There was a twinkle in Christina’s eye as she admonished her friend with a new playful side Kyle could honestly say he hadn’t seen before. She was more outgoing with the women at Turner but she gave men the cold shoulder. He’d leave the mystery to TJ and Jon to penetrate. No pun intended. “I never said feather, honey.”
“I didn’t either,” Aislinn muttered, turning back to the elevators and grabbing Christina’s arm again.
Christina glanced back over her shoulder. “I told her you and your groupies looked like cowboys wearing dusters walking through the old west.”
The forwardness of her response shocked him. Groupies? What the hell was that all about? He’d dig into all of it later, he decided, when he realized his date for the night was swaying those fine hips of hers farther and farther away.
“Dinner, Aislinn. Don’t make me go home to a lonely kitchen to fend for myself.” He issued his ultimatum with a soft command knowing she wouldn’t be able to resist.
She choked and twisted in horror.
He had her.
Chapter Three
Kneeling, Aislinn threw the last piece of clothes from the dresser in her closet over her shoulder and groaned in defeat. Nothing. Absolutely nothing to wear for dinner with the boss. Kyle. The boss.
She dropped her head back and sighed.
God, she was going on a date. With her boss. Why? Why was she about to put herself in a situation with a man again?
She had the sudden urge to call her mom. Tears filled her vision and dripped down her cheeks. She swiped them away with an angry hand and sniffed. Damn it. The asshole was still controlling her life after all this time.
How long had it been since she’d talked to her own mother? How long since she’d heard her mom’s sing-song voice telling her to listen to her dreams or to follow her heart?
Too long to remember. But the total cut from her previous life had been what was recommended to her by a man who knew how to make people disappear. She hadn’t been able to part with her name in the end. A switch of names had made the situation seem too permanent, like she’d never be able to return home, so she’d chosen to live the life of a nomad, instead. Every eight months or so, she picked up and left.
In the beginning she’d moved every couple of months just trying to stay ahead of the demonic bastard who claimed to love her so much. He hadn’t loved her at all. David had wanted to own her.
Aislinn sat back and drew her knees up to hug them. Maybe it was time to stand and face the music. Insinuate herself back into her old life. Show David what she’d become in her years of self-imposed exile.
What had she become? Was she a different person than the one who’d gone on the run?
The doorbell rang, startling her out of her musings.
“Shiiiit.” She jumped to her feet and stared at the disaster surrounding her. Every article of clothing she owned lay strewn on the floor.
Thank God he wouldn’t be in her bedroom.
At least, she didn’t think he would. She couldn’t really put anything past Kyle.
She hurried through her tiny rented house, still dressed in what she’d worn to work. That ought to make a good impression.
The doorbell pealed again.
She couldn’t help but smile. “Impatient man. I’m coming.”
Flipping open the curtain, Aislinn peeked out. And got a view full of flowers. A lot of flowers in a riot of colors. She twisted the deadbolt open and flung the door wide. “I can’t believe you did this.”
He lowered the flowers and Aislinn sucked in a breath at the angry slash of his eyebrows. “You didn’t even ask who was standing out here, Aislinn.”
Her heart stopped. Had she been wrong about him? She lifted her chin and steeled herself. “You invited me to dinner, said you’d be here at seven.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s six fifty-eight. And I looked out the window and only saw flowers. I knew this wasn’t a good idea.”
She tried to slam the door shut but Kyle stuck his big booted foot in the way. With little effort he pushed it open and stepped inside, crowding her back into the wall.
“I had the flowers up so I could make sure you were taking the proper precautions when answering the door.” He pressed against her, smashing the bouquet between them.
She licked her lips. “I’m not stupid, Kyle.”
“I know you’re not, sweetheart, I just need to know nothing will happen to you when I’m not around,” he said, softening his tone.
“I’ve been fine on my own all this time.”
“There’s no reason for you to be alone anymore.”
“That’s a little presumptuous, don’t you think?”
His head lowered closer to her face. “Nope.” His lips descended and meshed with hers.
Lava flowed through her veins, despite her anger at being yelled at like a five-year-old. Velvet softness swept around her mouth, minty and tangy, and she wanted to devour him. Her breath mingled with his. His hands cradled her face. It took a few seconds to realize the flowers were no longer between them.
Aislinn lifted her hands to his chest, unable to keep from touching him or exploring him with tentative fingers. He tilted her head and delved deeper into her mouth, sweeping into her and practically feasting on her.
Having never been kissed with such passion, she reciprocated, moaning and feeling like she wasn’t getting enough.
She shifted her hips wanting to get closer, to ease an ache that started somewhere in her belly and trailed down between her legs.
His lips left hers and traveled along her chin, down her neck to the collar of her blouse. She whimpered and had the insane urge to rip the fabric wide open so he had better access to the points of her breasts tingling against her bra.
God where was this coming from? These riotous, foreign explosions of sensation.
Kyle spun them, his mouth still kissing over every inch of her skin, his hands roaming her back and down to her hips. His feet moved, pushing them further into the room. They paused for a moment and somewhere in her mind, Aislinn heard the door slam.
His lips returned to tease hers, his tongue licked and pressed between her teeth. They dueled in her mouth and shyly, Aislinn thrust into his.
Her knees hit the couch a second before she was spun wildly around again, and she fell into his lap with a squeal. Kyle cut her off, kissing her into oblivion, his groans meeting hers head on. Never breaking their kiss, he shifted her, bringing her legs across his, seating her bottom comfortably in his lap. Her hip ground into his erection and she panicked until his hand came up to cover her breast. Aislinn sank into him.
Exquisite. His thumb flicked over her nipple, his lips moved to her ear. Teeth nibbled on the soft flesh there and his breath tickled.
“Okay?”
Oh, God. She could weep. David had never asked her, just taken. She nodded once when what she really wanted was to beg.
“Feel, sweetheart, just feel,” he whispered.
Feel? She was about to implode from the feelings. His hand wandered down her rib cage until she felt his rough fingertips against her bare skin. Her tummy muscles quivered in reaction. She wanted…what? More? To stop? What?
He burrowed under her shirt and then the cotton of her bra to cup her breast. A light pinch on the already sensitive nipple shot lightning bolts through her. Her womb clenched and her clit ached. Aislinn squeezed her legs together and fought the temptation to rub the nubbin. Whatever was coming excited her like nothing else ever had.
She pulled away, breathing heavily. Everything in his face seemed sincere. But what if she didn’t please him? Was now the time to show her gratitude? Why did part of her want to get on her knees and reciprocate? Would it make him angry for her to want to do that? God she was so confused. A jumble of emotions coursed through her. He made this seem so natural, so beautiful. What did he expect from her in return? Why hadn’t he already demanded what he wanted?
-->
