“Why are you so determined to paint me like the bad guy?” he demanded. “I haven’t done anything! I’ve been nice to you from day one, even when Stedman had me nearly convinced that you were probably behind this whole thing.”
“Well, let’s just be glad that you’re a little smarter than that!” Ava fumed. She spun on her heel and stalked back across the kitchen.
It took him a minute to realize that she had no destination in mind. She was just stomping around, picking stuff up and putting it back down. She finally flung the dirty bowl in the sink and started to scrub it with a ferocity that gave him pause. Why was she so angry?
“What did I do?” Nash finally asked. “What did I do that was so bad that you hate me now?”
“I don’t hate you.” Her voice was sullen, and she refused to look at him. “Very much the opposite, actually, but you’re a coward and a jerk, and I’m done trying to understand you, offer you grace, or even care about what’s going on in that thick head of yours.”
Grace? She thought she was extending him grace of some kind? For what? Nash struggled to understand. “I told you that the two of us couldn’t have a relationship, because it compromised my ability to keep you safe. How is that a bad thing? I think I deserve a fucking medal. It’s not like I was thrilled to realize that I had put myself in that kind of position!”
Ava turned and gave him a look that oozed sarcastic disdain. “Oh, I’m so sorry for your hardship. I know how difficult it is to suppress your physical needs. You men are completely ruled by your dicks. I get it.”
“Wait.” Now he was really confused. “That’s not what I said.”
“Isn’t it?” She flung water all over the countertop as she put the bowl into the dishwasher. The spatula and a few other utensils went in after that. Ava reached for the detergent. “You just said that you compromised yourself by having a physical relationship with me. That sort of suggests that you considered it a weakness. Like you were being ruled by your base urges.”
“Damn, woman,” Nash muttered. “You have an uncanny way of twisting whatever I say into something negative.”
“You mean reading between the lines?” She closed the dishwasher and pushed the button to start it. “Yeah. I’m good at that.”
“No. You’re not.” Nash wasn’t about to let this go. Not now. “And what I feel for you is more than just physical. It isn’t about urges.”
“Oh really?”
Shit. He had a feeling he had just set himself up for epic failure of some kind, and yet he couldn’t even see it coming. Then Ava yanked her top over her head and threw it aside. She pushed her soft yoga pants down her legs and kicked them aside. Nash suddenly found himself staring at a very naked and very beautiful woman who was also completely angry with him.
Chapter Four
So, he thought it wasn’t just a physical thing? Fine. Ava would prove to him that it was completely physical. It was all about urges. Ugh! What a horrible word. Like the two of them were just dogs that couldn’t stop screwing each other or something. Except sometimes that was exactly what she felt.
Being nearly naked in the kitchen was a strangely liberating experience. She felt young and reckless and completely out of control. So, maybe that’s why it felt forbidden and incredibly hot to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him stupid. At least that’s what it felt like.
She moved her mouth against his, thrusting her tongue between his lips and dominating him in a way that she had never allowed herself to experience. Her nails scored the back of his neck, and she let her teeth close lightly around his lower lip. Hunger thrummed in her veins. Her nipples peaked into hard little points beneath the satin of her bra. She stretched her body full length against Nash’s and felt the hardness of his cock against her belly.
Then something happened, and she felt him unlock. He wrapped his arms around her body and grabbed her ass in both hands. He began to kiss her back. She moaned against his mouth as he gradually took over. They were wild. Lips and tongues tangling together as their teeth clicked and they struggled to get closer and closer.
Nash slipped his hands beneath the waistband of her panties. Ava gasped in delight. Her pussy was so wet. She had never felt like this before. She had never needed this much before. He picked her up and set her on top of the island. His hands were all over her upper thighs. He hooked his thumbs in the sides of her panties and pulled them down toward her bottom.
Ava wriggled a bit as the satin panties went down over her thighs and toward the floor. Nash kissed her neck. His lips whispered over her collarbone and made her shiver even as his hands began to caress the insides of her thighs as he coaxed her legs apart.
She ached. God, she ached! Finally, she felt his fingers brush the light dusting of hair shielding her mound. Ava moaned. She let her lead loll backward as Nash spread her pussy lips with his fingers and began to stroke her. She put her hands behind her and laid her palms flat on the top of the island. Bracing her weight back, she opened her legs further to allow Nash better access to her pussy.
The way he toyed with her! It was incredible. Nobody had ever made her feel this way, not that there had been many. Ava sighed and trembled as he circled her clit with his index finger and gently spread the moisture spilling from her opening over the rest of the swollen flesh between her legs.
It didn’t take long for her to feel the first promise of orgasm. She pointed her toes. Her legs were tight, and she clenched her butt cheeks as she felt a wave of pleasure so intense that she had to gasp and cry out or be overcome completely. Her inner muscles clenched and released as she climaxed. The sensation of Nash’s mouth on her neck only intensified her orgasm. She struggled to stay still as her body convulsed and he gently licked and sucked at her skin.
“Yes!” She screamed the word. “Just like that. God!”
His low chuckle made everything below her belly tighten with anticipation. This was only the beginning, and she could barely imagine how incredible the finale was going to be if this was just a teaser.
His hands cupped her breasts. He thumbed her nipples into hard little points that made her moan and shiver even as her pussy was still damp and sensitive from her recent orgasm. Then Nash reached up behind her and unfastened the bra. All of a sudden, Ava was completely naked while sitting on her countertop. Anyone could have walked in, and she didn’t care one bit.
Nash lowered his mouth to her breasts and began to feast on them. His hands pushed them together even as his tongue moved from one to the other. He licked and sucked until she was pushing her breasts into his face and squirming on the countertop because she needed more. He used one hand to twirl her nipples into hard little points. He rolled them between his fingertips and pinched until she was sure she would die of the pressure. It was pleasure and pain all rolled into one, and she nearly begged him not to stop.
“Fuck.” His voice sounded like gravel. “I need you so bad. My cock is hard as hell, and I’m going to bust open if I can’t get inside that sweet pussy.”
His hand moved between her legs, and he fumbled at her opening. She spread her legs even farther apart as he probed her entrance. She was slick and wet. The first press of his finger into her pussy made her shudder with need.
“This is mine.” He grabbed her chin with his free hand and forced her to meet his gaze. “This pussy is mine, Ava. Mine. Nobody else is going to fuck this. Do you understand?”
He wiggled his finger inside her body for emphasis, and she shuddered and clenched around him. The possessiveness in his voice left an indelible mark on her. Did she want to be owned like that? And right now, was she even capable of deciding such a thing? He could have asked her for anything and she would have told him yes. She needed him that badly.
NASH WAS GOING insane. He had never been a man to be ruled by his base urges, but right now, there was nothing he needed more than Ava’s pussy. His cock was throbbing. He could barely fumble his cargo pants open. Carefully freeing his cock from his pants and his underwear,
he began to tug Ava down toward the edge of the countertop. The level of the damn thing was just a little too high.
With this in mind, he rested her thighs over his arms and let her hang just a little bit from the island. This put her ass and her pussy in prime position for his penetration. She was so hot and so wet and so damn desperate that he probably could have flipped her over and taken her like a beast from behind. But that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to see her face when he entered her body. He wanted that connection.
His cock bounced as he used his hips to work the tip of himself into her slick folds. The feel of her was incredible. Nash groaned and grunted as he felt the heat of her swollen folds wrap around him. His cock nudged her opening, and he clenched his ass cheeks tight as he thrust forward.
The first press of his thick shaft through her slick channel was heaven on earth. Nash held her legs tight. The position allowed him full control over every aspect of their joining. He braced his boots against the tile floor and began to fuck Ava with slow precision. He used his arms to push her away as he backed out and then pull her close when he slammed home once again.
Her palms settled on his belly. She twisted her fingers into his shirt and began to pull him closer. Her eyes were wide and her lips parted. She was on the verge of another orgasm. Nash could feel it. The subtle tightening of her inner muscles gave him a thrill unmatched by any other adrenaline high.
“That’s it, baby,” he crooned. “Come for me. I want to feel it.”
It was like she had been waiting for his request. Her wail echoed off the kitchen walls, and her pussy clamped down on his cock. Her thighs were trembling against his arms as she came hard. The sensation sent shockwaves of pleasure down his shaft and throughout his body. Nothing had ever felt so good.
Nash clenched his teeth as the urge to come rose inside him. His balls grew tight between his legs. His thighs were taut and his belly hard and ridged as he fought back the urge to spill his seed into Ava’s welcoming body. She was so hot and tight. He was going to make her come once more. He needed it. He wanted it bad.
Nash moved faster. He held tighter to her legs and began to slam his cock into her pussy. The scent of sex filled the kitchen. It mingled with the scent of the cream pie in the oven, and the earthy combination was somehow exactly right. Nash strained against her. He let her butt dangle lower to increase the friction and the angle. He felt the tip of his cock kiss the sweet spot deep inside her body.
Ava cried out in agonized pleasure, and Nash was done. He convulsed as his cock sprayed thick jets of come into her body. His toes curled inside his boots as he came so hard that his vision blackened around the edges as though he might pass out. God, it was good. So good!
Finally, Nash struggled to bring himself back to the moment at hand. Ava was naked in the kitchen, hanging half off her island with her ass barely on the countertop. He let his cock slide free of the warm embrace of her body. A shiver slid up his spine as he did. The sensations were still so damn intense that it made him feel as though he had been electrocuted. Forcing his limbs to obey, Nash gently set Ava back up on the countertop.
Almost as soon as he let go of her thighs, she jumped down to the floor. Her cheeks were pink, and it took him a moment to realize that she was embarrassed. Dammit. That was the last thing he wanted.
“This never happened,” she declared.
His pheromone and endorphin soaked brain struggled to respond. “I hope to hell you don’t mean that,” he growled.
“Of course I do!” She was looking almost panicked as she picked up her clothes and hastily pulled her shirt on over her head. “I can’t have people thinking that I’m running around having poorly planned-out affairs with the help. Now can I?”
“The help,” Nash said dully. “I thought we were past that, at least.”
“I don’t know what we are. Shit. The pie!” She dropped the clothing on the floor and snatched up a set of pot holders. “I hope it’s not burned. That would be a disaster. Can you imagine?”
No. Nash certainly could not imagine why it would matter if the stupid pie burnt to a crisp and had to be tossed. It was just a freaking cream pie. “Ava. We need to talk about this.”
“No. We don’t.” She pointed to the door. “Kindly take yourself out of my house. I need some privacy.”
Nash lifted his hands and sighed. He’d had enough experience with Ava to know that there was absolutely no point in arguing with her when she was like this. For the moment, she had made up her mind that they had just committed some heinous mistake. He would have to convince her otherwise with something other than words. Fortunately, he had a good idea of where to start this campaign.
Chapter Five
Ava practically groaned when she saw Francesca come hustling toward the house the following morning. Quentin was with Francesca today. Ava watched the disgustingly happy couple pause on the sidewalk right between Ava’s two carefully pruned shrubs. Quentin slid his arms around the petite Francesca and leaned down to whisper something in her ear. Francesca drew back and giggled like a much younger woman. She swatted Quentin on the belly and then flung herself at him in order to plant a big kiss on his lips. They were like teenagers! It was disgusting. Sort of.
Turning away from the spectacle, Ava put her mind back to the task of dusting her front room and oiling all of the antiques she had inherited from her parents. The job took an inordinate amount of time. It was really something that Ava hated to do, and yet she found it weirdly satisfying to know that at least now after her parents were long gone, she was doing something that would have made them happy.
The front door opened and then closed. Francesca had a key and was never shy about using it. She quickly found Ava in the front room. Ava didn’t speak. She didn’t even turn around. There was no reason to. Ava could practically hear Francesca putting her hands on her hips and getting that demanding expression on her face.
“Well?” Francesca demanded. “What happened? And don’t even try to tell me nothing, because the way Nash looks this morning, you would think he’d been crowned king of the universe.”
“What?” Ava whipped around. She nearly dropped the container of oil on the rug in her haste. “You saw Nash this morning?”
“We stopped across the street at the surveillance truck before coming over here. Quentin wanted to see if he was needed here or elsewhere. This whole operation is so haphazard and weird that there’s no way for the guys to know where to report at any given moment.”
“It’s not an operation anymore,” Ava murmured. She had been mulling this over for days. “They aren’t employees anymore, Francesca. Think about it. They’re all family now. We’ve been through hell, and it’s only been five weeks. This situation with Stedman has to end soon.”
“I don’t think there’s really any death threat to worry about anymore,” Francesca said in a frank tone of voice. She sounded more confident than Ava had heard her in years. “At this point, we should all come clean and just admit that we’re trying to make Stedman pay for everything he’s done to us over the years.”
Ava set the oil and the rag down on the dining room table. “You know, you might be onto something there.”
“Ah, ah, ah!” Francesca wagged her finger in front of Ava’s nose. “We are not talking about that right now. Nope! We’re talking about Jason Nash.”
Sometimes Ava forgot that his name was Jason. In the beginning, she had often called him that to establish some kind of rapport or boundary. She had never been sure which it was. By now, she had realized that he had gone by his last name for so long in the marines that his first name was really just a formality.
“Back to your affair with Jason Nash,” Francesca prodded.
Ava frowned. “It isn’t an affair.” She picked up the oil and the rag and headed for the next piece of furniture. It was a giant highboy that her mother had gotten from some colonial estate sale a million years ago in some tiny Massachusetts town nobody had ever heard of.
�
��If it isn’t an affair, then what is it?” Francesca demanded. “I know the two of you slept together.”
“Did Nash tell you that?” Ava asked sharply. If he had, she was going to go down there and cut his dick off.
“No. Of course not.” Francesca laughed and pointed with glee at Ava. “I know that expression though. You forget. I’ve known you forever. You’re always telling me that you can read me like a book. Do not forget that it goes both ways! Plus, there’s the fact that Nash looks relaxed. Obviously, the man got laid. And if he fucked someone besides you, I’m going to go chop off some body parts.”
How nice that they were both so violent. Ava didn’t give any credence to the notion that Nash would be with anyone else. That thought didn’t even cross her mind. How odd. “I don’t care who he fucks,” Ava said primly. “That’s his business. He’s none of mine. He’s an employee.”
“You don’t really believe that,” Francesca argued. “I know you don’t. Why don’t you just admit that you love him and be done with it?”
“Love!” Ava gave the bottle too hard a squeeze and dumped oil all over the highboy’s gleaming top. She grumbled as she hurried to soak it up with the rag. “Why would you use that word?”
“Because love is worth all the trouble,” Francesca insisted. “I know you have a hard time believing that, and I get it. If I had spent seven years married to Stedman Hyde-Pierson, I would have trouble believing in love at all. But you have to understand that Nash is not Stedman. He will never treat you that way. He’d never take away your freedom or treat you like a slave either.”
“Shows how much you know,” Ava said darkly. “That man is forever trying to boss you around.”
“Because he wants you to be safe!” Francesca insisted. “Do you not see that this is because he loves you?”
Ava’s eyes fluttered closed. She really didn’t want to deal with this right now. It was too much. Didn’t Francesca realize that? “Enough,” Ava said quietly. “I can’t take anymore right now. Okay? Just back off and be a friend for once.”
Nash Security Solutions Page 64
