He tasted like coffee and cinnamon. Smelled like sandalwood and the sea.
After several minutes, he broke away, staring at her out of glittering green eyes. Kennedy wanted to bask in the heat she saw there, revel in the power she’d wielded over him.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he finally said, his voice low and rough.
“Why not? We’re both adults.”
“You work for me. Your brother is my best friend. I’m worried this is going to become a problem at some point.”
Kennedy let her hands play across his arms and shoulders, relishing the feel of his muscles and strength. “Jackson never has to know. In fact, for both our sakes, we need to make sure he never finds out. I work with you, not really for you, even if technically you are one of my bosses. Besides, that’s only true for the next couple weeks.”
Certain her assurance that whatever this was between them had a built-in expiration date would soothe the last of his reserve, she was startled when Asher pushed her away. She’d hoped he’d kiss her again, make her head and the room spin. Instead, cold air snaked across her almost naked body, sending goose bumps chasing over her skin.
But what he did next puzzled her even more. He tugged his shirt over his head, lifted it over her own and tugged it down her body. Inside out and backwards.
His warmth and scent enveloped her, making her even more discombobulated. “What are you doing?”
“I can’t have this conversation with you standing in front of me half-naked. What do you mean that’s only true for a couple more weeks?”
Uneasiness rolled through her belly, but Kennedy ignored it. She’d assumed Jackson would have already told Knox and Asher about her new job. She knew they usually stayed in regular contact no matter how far apart they were. But maybe, with everything going on in the Mediterranean, Jackson had forgotten to mention it. Or maybe he’d thought she’d tell Asher herself. She realized belatedly that would have been a good idea. Well, she could fill him in now.
She cleared her throat. “That call in the airport was a job offer from an advertising firm in Seattle.”
“What?” Asher’s voice was tight and controlled, but she could hear the anger pulsing just beneath the surface.
“I’ll be leaving in about two weeks. It’s a great opportunity and exactly the kind of position I went to school for.”
“I didn’t realize you were unhappy at Trident.”
Kennedy frowned. “Unhappy is the wrong word. I like what I do.”
“Then why are you leaving? Aren’t we paying you enough? I’m sure Knox and Jackson would be happy to counter their offer.”
She swallowed. How had this happened? They’d gone from half-naked to arguing intensely about her job. Somewhere along the way she’d missed the turn sign.
“Jackson already knows.”
Asher went perfectly still. His gaze glittered dangerously. And every molecule of oxygen seemed to be sucked out of the air, his displeasure like a weight upon her skin.
“He what?”
“Jackson was aware I’d interviewed, and that there was a possibility I’d be leaving. I did promise to complete the documentary beforehand and help find a suitable replacement. I wouldn’t disappear on you guys that way.”
“You think that’s my problem with the whole situation?”
“Well...yes. What else could you be upset about? So, your arguments about why this can’t happen aren’t valid. I’ve been around long enough to know you don’t do long-term. It’s perfect, really, since I’ll only be here a couple more weeks. I want you.”
She closed the gap between them, setting her hand against his naked chest. Her palm felt scorched from the heat of him, and an answering need throbbed right between her thighs.
Her other hand settled along the bulge of his erection, rubbing. A strangled hiss slipped through his clenched teeth. “And it’s obvious you want me.”
Kennedy didn’t wait for his agreement but reached for the hem of the shirt he’d pulled over her head and tugged it off. Then she reached back to pop the catch on her bra. It fell to the ground between them.
Asher’s gaze followed it, snagged on that taunting pile of cloth. Kennedy couldn’t breathe.
Slowly, his eyes tracked up from the floor, over her calves and thighs, her hips and belly, bare breasts and tightened nipples.
When he reached her face, finally meeting her own stare, what she saw nearly had her running for the door. Because she was no longer confident she could handle this man.
Wild need, an unchecked drive for possession.
Asher wasn’t the kind of man who did anything half-assed. He was intense, focused, thorough...
A shiver ricocheted through her body at the thought of that intensity pointed solely in her direction. Dangerous heat flared out from him, threatening to consume her.
“Give us both this,” she managed to whisper. “No strings, no expectations. Just the next few days.”
9
ASHER GROANED. HE was done. Couldn’t walk away. And he knew it.
Kennedy stood there, legs spread, defiance in her eyes, and dared him to do his worst. The problem was, he wanted to give her only the best. Which wasn’t smart, for either of them. Especially considering what she’d just told him.
Her words, I’m leaving, tied knots in his gut. They’d miss her at Trident, no doubt, but his reaction was more. And something he didn’t want to dwell on. Especially not right now when Kennedy was naked before him, begging him with those tempting golden eyes to surrender to the physical need pulsing between them.
Asher stalked forward. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he brought her tight against his body, but kept going until her back connected with the wall of the room.
She gasped, the muted sound echoing through his head like a thunderclap. The soft swell of her breasts rose and fell against his hard chest.
Dipping his head, he found the curve of her neck and licked. “I don’t do forever, Kennedy,” he whispered against her fragrant skin. She smelled like sugar and sin.
“Please.” She laughed. “Retract that ego. You aren’t the kind of man I could ever see myself with long-term, Asher. You’re arrogant and dictatorial. Stubborn and insufferable.”
“And you like boys you can bend to your will?”
“Not at all. Do I strike you as the kind of woman who prefers easy?”
“No.” Kennedy didn’t go looking for trouble, but she didn’t shy away from hard topics, either. He admired the hell out of her tenacity and persistence. Even now, pressed against the wall and at his mercy, she was giving him attitude. And he liked it.
His mouth curved into an appreciative smile as he trailed his lips down her shoulder. His body raced with energy and excitement.
“It’s sex, Ash, nothing more.”
“Just so we’re on the same page,” he said, punctuating the statement with a playful bite of her shoulder.
She squeaked and then melted against him.
His hands roamed, touching as much of her as he could claim. Her skin was so smooth and silky. And he was damn well going to take his time and enjoy every second of this experience.
“Why the hell couldn’t there be a bed?” he growled. He wanted to stretch her out and explore.
Kennedy scraped her fingernails lightly down his back, his skin tingling. Bringing her mouth to his chest, she trailed her tongue across his pec. And then paid him back by sinking her teeth into his shoulder. The bite was quick and didn’t leave more than a momentary sting. It was the statement behind it that had his entire body revving. He could do anything he wanted, but she’d collect exactly what he got from her.
He didn’t have to worry about her bending or breaking beneath the weight of his need. She could take whatever he dished out.
That was a heady thought.
Reaching between them, he yanked her panties down over her smooth thighs. Before he could even ask, she was stepping out of them, flicking a foot to send them sailing across the room.
She wanted this as much as he did.
Palming a thigh, he wrapped her leg around his hip and pressed against her.
Her dampness soaked into him through the barrier of his shorts. He needed that obstacle there to keep him in check. Without it, he would have simply sunk deep into her, uncaring about anything but the driving need to feel her wet heat wrapped around him. And she deserved better.
Reaching between them, Asher let his fingers play across her belly and hips. The crease of her thigh. Lightly dancing over the swell of her sex. Her hips arched, grinding tighter against him.
Finding her slippery with need, Asher groaned in the back of his throat. “Kennedy.” He could just imagine how good it was going to feel to sheath himself inside the tight confines of her body.
Rolling her hips and chasing after his fingers, she said, “Touch me, Asher. Now. Right now.”
How could he ignore such a sweetly implored order? Plunging one finger into her sex, Asher quickly realized that wasn’t enough—for him or her.
He watched passion contort her features. Her head dropped against the wall, but she didn’t close her eyes. She watched him, that light brown gaze devouring his every move. There was something sexy about her direct stare, the way she didn’t flinch or hide from what was happening between them.
She faced it head-on, accepting it for what it was. For a second, Asher felt a curl of jealousy. That kind of pragmatism must be liberating. He wanted to be able to look at the world and see it exactly the way it was. The way Kennedy saw it.
Plunging another finger deep inside her, Asher curled them and stroked, searching for the spot that would make her world shatter.
He knew the moment he found it. Her fingers tightened around his arms. Her eyelids flickered, going drowsy and heavy. Her breathing hitched. Her hips jerked. Her skin flushed a hot, beautiful pink.
“That’s it, darlin’. Right there. I’ve got you,” he murmured. In and out, over and over, he worked that single spot until she was panting and mindless. He added his thumb to her clit, gently rolling the bundle of nerves with just enough pressure to inflame but not send her over.
A dewy sheen that reminded him of heavy, humid summer nights back home slicked her skin. Leaning closer, he flicked his tongue over her collarbone, tasting salt and sex. Then he slipped down and sucked the tight bud of her breast deep into his mouth. The flavor of her burst across his tongue, and he wanted more.
He wanted to lap at her sex, drinking in everything she could give him as she writhed beneath the torment of his mouth.
Later.
Right now, he wanted to see her come.
“Please, Ash,” she gasped, telling him she needed it almost as much as he did. He could practically feel the way her body throbbed. Or maybe that was his own pulse straining against the torturous band of his shorts. The same tempo was pounding at his temples, a rhythm taunting him to take.
Kennedy’s hips moved against him, restless, needy. He could feel the muscles of her sex winding tighter, clamping down on his fingers. She trembled everywhere, her body so balanced on the edge that it wouldn’t take much to send her over. God, he wanted that. To know he could bring her pleasure.
With several quick strokes, Asher sent her over. The orgasm ripped through her, and for a second it felt like the fury of it had claimed him, too. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, trying to keep the keening cry locked inside her throat. What he wouldn’t give to be somewhere truly private where he could make her scream over and over, each sound only for him.
She collapsed, sharing her weight with him and the wall at her back. Her fingers dug into him, as if she was afraid if she let up even a little she might slide to the floor.
Burying her face in the curve of his neck, her words caressed his skin. “Holy crap.”
Pride and satisfaction ripped through him, mixing with the pounding desire that still rode him hard.
He barely had enough brainpower to grab the condom he always kept in his wallet before shedding his shorts. Somehow he managed to keep Kennedy upright at the same time, never losing his grip on her.
He was about to roll the condom over his erection when her hands covered his, stopping him.
“What?” he growled, for a second thinking she’d changed her mind. He should have known Kennedy wouldn’t do that. She was many things, but a tease wasn’t one.
Instead, she took the ring of latex from him, grinning with a smile that had restlessness and hunger mixing in his belly. Mischief and promise. In that moment he would have given just about anything to know the thoughts streaking through that diabolical and brilliant mind of hers.
Popping the condom into her mouth, Kennedy sank to her knees in front of him. This time, Asher didn’t stop her. From beneath her lashes, she watched him.
Wrapping her hand around him, Kennedy leaned forward and used her lips and teeth to roll the condom down his hard shaft. The heat of her mouth was pure torture. Pressure. Perfection.
Asher pressed his palms to the wall, trying to keep himself upright. His knees felt like jelly as she stroked him, up and down, sucking hard and then barely touching him.
This was not how he wanted to come, but it felt so damn good.
Finally unable to take anymore, Asher grasped her and pulled her up. Spinning back to the desk, he’d never been so grateful for a cleared surface in his life.
Setting her on the edge, he spread her thighs wide and plunged deep inside. Kennedy groaned, arching her back and letting her head drop. She pushed up into each of his strokes, trying to get more.
God, could she be any more perfect?
Her body trembled against him. He could feel her winding hard for another orgasm and wanted it—for her and himself. He was greedy, craved everything she could give him.
Gritting his teeth, Asher pushed against his own orgasm, willfully holding out until he felt the first contractions of her release tighten around him. This time she buried her face against his chest, the muffled vibrations of her scream tearing through him right along with his own satisfaction.
He pushed through the tight fist of her sex, milking every moment of gratification for both of them. The world grayed out before imploding. His fingers dug into her hips, holding her still as his hips pumped in those last few long strokes.
When reality returned, they were both panting. Skin slick. Asher felt as if steam was rising off them.
Kennedy held on to him, and he wasn’t sure if it was because she, like him, couldn’t let go yet. Or because she was afraid she might end up on the floor. Not that he cared. He liked the way her arms wound tight around his waist.
“That was unbelievable,” she finally said.
Asher nodded his agreement. It was. So damn good. Was that because it had been Kennedy or simply all the pent-up energy finally finding an outlet?
He really hoped it was the latter.
Trying to find some levity for both their sakes, Asher asked, “Where’d you learn to do that?”
Kennedy paused. He could feel the way her body stilled for a brief beat. “Do what?”
“That thing with the condom.”
Her hands slipped up his back to his shoulders and pushed, putting space between them.
Eyes narrowed, she cocked her head to the side. “Putting it on with my mouth? Darlin’—” she imitated his accent “—that isn’t even my best move.”
Her hips undulated against him. For the first time Asher realized he was still buried deep inside her. And already starting to get hard. Damn. He shouldn’t want her again so quickly. Not if this was just sex.
Especially not when she was going to be leaving.
Pulling out, he tied off the condom and tossed it in the trash. Then, desperately searching for even footing, he grabbed for the clothes scattered around the room—his and hers—and started putting his back on.
Kennedy watched him, slowly righting her own shirt and shorts. Her silent stare was unnerving. He had nothing to feel guilty about, yet he coul
dn’t shake the prickle of it running down his back.
Wrapping a hand in her hair, Asher kissed her and then walked away.
It was an asshole move. He knew it, but couldn’t stop himself from doing it anyway. Besides, maybe they both needed the reminder.
* * *
KENNEDY STARED ACROSS the deck at the hustle and bustle. The salvage crew had several divers down at the wreck site. Above, their safety coordinator was monitoring their progress through dive computers, video cameras attached to the salvage crew’s dive suits and additional robotic cameras being operated from the deck. The production team had already requested access to their footage, which Trident had given...retaining the first right of refusal for usage in order to protect their proprietary information.
Alongside them, the preservation team worked on the pieces that had already been brought to the surface. Most of the more delicate work would be performed in labs either in the Bahamas or Jacksonville. But every piece had to be catalogued and documented, and steps were taken to prevent erosion due to exposure to the atmosphere after so much time beneath the water.
And in the midst of that normal chaos, the production team fluttered about.
The day was gorgeous, a perfect Caribbean morning with crystal clear skies and turquoise seas. The Amphitrite rocked beneath her feet, a steady movement that felt more like home than Kennedy would have ever anticipated. She didn’t often get out of the office and into the field. Staring up at the bright blue sky, for the first time she realized she would miss this.
A hard band constricted around her chest, and her belly twisted uncomfortably. No, she wasn’t having second thoughts about her decision to leave Trident. But there were plenty of things she loved about her job, and lately it had been challenging and exciting.
She loved the people she worked with, and getting to spend time with Jackson had become a major perk. She’d been twelve when he had left for the navy, and until he’d returned home for good, she’d only snagged snatches of time from his visits. The past two years she’d really gotten to know him as an adult and come to appreciate the man he was, not just love him because he was her brother.
Under Pressure Page 10
