by Melissa Fox
“I’ve got a twenty that says he can get Salvatore into bed anyway.”
“Now that’s what I call hard work.”
They laughed uproariously, and Ash flipped them off.
“All right, all right.” Pete brought them back to order. “You all know what to do. Go do it.”
Ash’s first job for Salvatore went off without a hitch. Rico, in high spirits, handed out smiles and slick compliments, hints and innuendo at bigger and better things. He insisted Ash come along that night to celebrate.
“That was aces, man. Absolutely aces. Come on, have a beer. I’ve got a bar I own a stake in called Clyde’s. Good for cleaning some money. Good place to conduct business without looking suspicious, not to mention just have a few drinks.”
“I know Clyde’s,” Ash said. “Sounds good.”
The bar was Salvatore’s own personal kingdom. He was served food, drink, and anything else he desired as they sat in his half-round corner booth. People came and went, meeting, greeting, obsequious, fawning, hostile, the whole gamut. Ash memorized names and faces, observing other people’s attitudes as well as Rico’s. He noted the rare moment when the other man’s expression lightened with honest pleasure.
“Ah, Genie.”
A dark-haired woman sat in his lap with a smile and wrapped her arms around his neck in a loose hug. Ash recognized Gina Salvatore before the introduction was made.
“Hey, Gina. I’d like you to meet my good friend, Ash McBay. Ash, this is my baby sister, Gina.”
“Not so much a baby,” she murmured, her eyes blinking wide before narrowing and examining him from head to foot. She licked her lower lip and leaned forward. “I’m one hundred percent grown-ass woman.”
“I can see that. Hello, Gina.” Ash winked and took her hand, holding her fingers longer than appropriate for a casual greeting. She melted off her brother’s lap and slid over to sit next to him, never releasing his hand.
“You haven’t known Rico long. I’d remember you.”
She flashed big, wide eyes at him and hugged his biceps to the side of her breast. Ash patted her thigh, which slid right alongside his, and threw his arm over the back of the booth to skim her shoulders. The move was casual enough to take the gleam out of Rico’s eye and insinuating enough to put one in Gina’s. A parade of women came and went, ostensibly to talk to Gina who preened at the attention, but wrangling for an introduction. Ash gained valuable information from Salvatore and enjoyed himself at the same time. Nothing better than multitasking.
When they rose to leave, a group of girls trailed after them out onto the street.
“You’re not done for the night, are you?” Gina pouted prettily at him.
“Hardly.” He stopped next to his motorcycle parked out front on the curb to grab the helmet and dig the keys out of his front pocket.
Gina stared. “This is yours?”
“Yep.”
Her wide eyes narrowed with greed and speculation. “Care to take me for a ride?”
“Think you can handle it?” He shot her a roguish grin and settled into the seat with a wide-legged stance, then fired up and revved the motor.
“Oh, honey. Give me your best shot.”
“Come on, then,” he challenged.
She swung a leg over the seat, hands slipping underneath his jacket to caress through his thin T-shirt. His libido leapt at the attention, but common sense reared its ugly head. Gina was Rico’s sister. Very bad idea.
“Gina! What the fuck are you doing?” Rico stomped toward them. He grabbed Gina’s arm and yanked her from the motorcycle. “You know how I feel about those damn things. I don’t care what you do when I’m not around, but no way in hell you’re getting on that and riding away right in front of me.”
“Jeez, chill, Rico. I’ll be fine. I’m sure Ash is very experienced.” She gave him an arch look before turning to her brother.
“Not a fucking chance—on either count.” Rico sent a fuming glare toward Ash, who shrugged.
“I’ll go.” One of the girls who had been with them all night took advantage of Gina and Rico’s argument and jumped onto the motorcycle behind him. Ash couldn’t remember her name, but she was soft and curvy. His favorite. Her arms wrapped low around his hips, and he leaned back so her breasts flattened enticingly against his shoulder blades.
“You ever ridden one of these?” he asked.
“Not my first time, ace,” she purred, giving his earlobe a nip for good measure.
Laughing, he meet Gina’s furious glare as he braced to start the bike and flashed his brilliant smile. “Sorry, sweetheart. Maybe next time.”
Another laugh was pulled from him as the girl on his bike gave his dick a firm squeeze, as if to remind him she was there.
“Hang on,” he told her with a grin at his double meaning. “Gonna give you a ride.”
“I hope so,” she murmured, the words ending with a delighted cry as he gunned the bike and they shot down the road.
A few days later, Ash responded to Rico’s summons to meet at his parents’ old home on the outskirts of town. His team’s intel was good—Gina had been living there since their father passed away and mother moved into a nursing home. Rico stayed at his condo downtown, but he liked to conduct business at the house to take advantage of the privacy. Ash pulled up on his bike, and Rico emerged from the house to meet him in the driveway.
“Hey, man. Good morning.”
“Morning?” Rico snorted, but amusement lifted the grim lines of his face. “It’s afternoon, you dumb motherfucker.”
“Lost track of time. Sorry.”
“Yeah, I know all about your reasons for losing track of time. What’s her name?”
“I never fuck and tell.” Ash relaxed when Rico bought the excuse with a snorted laugh and then moved on to business. “Everything’s set for the delivery on the eighteenth.”
“Aces, my man. Pure aces. This isn’t as big as some you’ve moved for me, but it’s coming from the States and a guy we need to impress.” Rico leveled a stare on Ash. “Be pretty convenient if I could talk to this contact you have direct.”
“Convenient for who?”
A stilted silence fell between them, challenging and calculating, before Rico responded. “You’re a real sonofabitch, aren’t you?”
Ash tipped his head and held Rico’s gaze. “That and more.”
“You’re sure you can trust this guy? This contact. One hundred percent?”
“That and more,” Ash repeated.
Rico maintained his calculating mien for another few seconds before chuckling and reaching out to slap Ash’s shoulder.
“A real sonofabitch.” Rico glanced up at the sound of voices coming from the house. “Look, Gina’s got company, so let’s talk later.”
“Sorry. Wouldn’t have said anything if I’d known.”
Rico shrugged, zipped the large duffel he’d dropped at his feet, and slung the bag over his shoulder. “Drive me back to my place. We can go over details.”
Ash glanced at the Triumph. “What about my bike?”
Rico cursed. “Slick can bring you back for the fucking bike later.”
“Okay.”
He followed Rico out to the driveway, but turned his head when female laughter drifted across the yard. Gina and another girl Ash didn’t recognize came out the front door and paused when they spotted him and Rico standing by the car. Oh, yeah, he would’ve remembered that woman if he’d seen her before.
“Who’s that?” Ash jerked his chin at the small, dark-haired girl.
Rico glanced over his shoulder and grunted. “Some chick Gina went to college with. Can’t remember her name.”
Ash stepped aside to get a better look. The girl was all curly dark hair and big blue eyes, her face animated and open as she teased Gina. She threw her head back to laugh and caught him staring. Instead of being embarrassed by his blatant regard, she tipped her head and returned his gaze with interest. He grinned and sauntered over to them.
; “Hey, Genie.” He used Gina’s nickname to get her attention.
“What do you want?”
“Just sayin’ hi.” He let his killer grin spread across his face and took the other girl in. Jesus, she was cute. He calculated who she could be in the scheme of things even as his body reacted.
Gina’s eyes narrowed as she followed his gaze to her friend and then shot back to him. “Oh, no. You stay away, Ash.”
“What?” He pretended hurt innocence.
“She’s a good friend of mine, a really good friend—practically family. You stay away from her.”
“Hello, friend,” he said smoothly and held his palm out. “I’m Ash.”
She glanced at Gina’s stormy countenance but smiled and placed her hand in his. “Hello, Ash.”
His fingers closed around her much smaller ones, cradling the softness and vulnerability of fragile bones and soft skin. A wave of protectiveness—of possessiveness—rose sudden and unexpected. He jerked back and rubbed his hand on his thigh.
“See, now.” Recovering instantly, he curled his mouth into a practiced, seductive grin. “I introduce myself, and you’re supposed to do the same. I say, ‘I’m Ash,’ and you say, ‘I’m…?’ ”
She leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner. “I don’t think Gina wants me to tell you my name.”
He closed the distance between them, until his lips brushed her ear. “Do you do everything Gina wants?”
“No.” She brought her head back to look him in the eye, and a sly smile curved her mouth. “But I’ll do whatever you want. Ash.”
Holy fuck. A laugh burst from him, and he grabbed her hand. “Your name, sweetheart. I want your name.”
“Liz.” The smug expression on her face faded as he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “I’m…Liz.”
He smiled over the tops her knuckles. A shiver moved through her—slight, almost imperceptible, but unmistakable.
“Liz,” he murmured, drawing out her name. A little charm worked every time. “How nice to meet you.”
His voice stroked across her senses.
She could only stare as a thick dark brow arched over his blue eye, wicked, mischievous, and stunningly gorgeous all at the same time. She sucked in a breath and tried not to gawk, but damn. His lips were as beautiful as the rest of him, full, masculine, and marvelously shaped, and the rough scruff framing his chiseled cheeks and chin made their softness more apparent. He’d barely touched her, but awareness prickled her skin. Her stare moved from his mouth only when the corner quirked up on one side.
Gina grabbed her arm with a huff of aggravation and marched toward the house. Ash should have looked ridiculous standing with his hand still in the air in front of his face, but he didn’t. He looked…good.
“Don’t let him put his mouth on you—anywhere.” Gina pulled her along like a reluctant child. “You have no idea where it’s been.”
Liz tripped after Gina, staring over her shoulder at Ash. “Pretty.”
She must have murmured louder than she thought, because Gina huffed again.
“He’s a total jerk,” Gina bit out, and Liz finally turned away from his tall, eye-catching figure.
“He is?” Liz cast a last wistful glance over her shoulder. Ash still watched her, and he winked, a devastating smile curving his sinful mouth. She smiled involuntarily in return, wincing when Gina noticed and tugged on her arm.
“He is. Always got girls panting over him. Never stays with one, though. Just uses them up and spits them out.” Gina’s voice was bitter, and Liz shot her a glance.
“Have you…” Her voice trailed off mid-sentence.
“Have I what?”
“You know. Have you? With him? With Ash?” Liz held her breath. She hadn’t realized how badly she wanted the answer to be no until she asked the question.
Gina’s eyes widened for a second, and a faint blush washed over her cheeks.
“No! Me and Ash?” Gina snorted and grimaced. “God, no. No way.”
The telltale color in her face gave Liz a hint to the true story—the reaction of a woman scorned. Shame followed the surge of gladness at the expense of her friend’s feelings. No woman wanted to be turned down, especially by someone like Ash whoever-he-was, but whew. Thank God nothing had ever occurred between him and Gina.
Looking over her shoulder one last time, she watched him follow Rico to the car. Despite her best intentions, her gaze lingered on his ass, and oh, boy was it ever an ass worth lingering over. She admired the intriguing curve covered in faded denim—admired him, even if he was a jerk, like Gina said. Maybe jealously colored Gina’s perception, but when a guy was that good-looking… Well, she’d have to make up her own mind. When she glanced back up, Gina glared, and Liz took her turn to blush.
“Don’t go getting any ideas, girl. Look all you want, but looking is all he’s good for, and don’t forget it. Besides.” She, too, watched the two men get into the car. “He’s friends with Rico. You don’t want anything to do with that crowd. He may be my brother, but he and his friends are bad news. You don’t need that kind of trouble, Liz. Any of it.”
Gina was right. Her friend had hinted in the past her brother ran with a pretty shady crowd, and that usually meant drugs. She’d always held a faint disdain for anyone who was less than honest, and something worse for those who dealt in illegal substances. But when Ash had looked at her, when he took her hand and touched the back with his sensitive mouth…
Disdain was the last thing she felt.
Liz regretted allowing her friends to talk her out of studying that weekend and going to Clyde’s for a few drinks instead—until she saw him. Ash. He stretched out in a booth across the table from Gina’s brother, somehow detached and untouched by everything around him. Clad in faded jeans, an old, white T-shirt, black leather jacket and worn boots, he looked tired and well past scruffy, all bad-boy dangerous. His eyes, heavy-lidded and bloodshot, rocketed right past bedroom into downright illegal. Ankles crossed and an arm slung over the back of the booth, he lazed while women vied for scraps of his attention like a bunch of cute, energetic puppies.
Drinks were brought to him but sat untouched on the table, words whispered suggestively in his ear, bodies draped over and on him, but those remained untouched as well. Awareness suffused Liz’s face and heated her skin as he ignored everyone else but stared at her.
His attention had to be on something or someone else, but she couldn’t tell what. One side of his mouth curled in acknowledgement of her confusion, but he didn’t drop his gaze. He turned down women, drinks, drugs, and attempts at conversation like some sort of fallen prince, and Liz was drawn to him even though she knew better. She couldn’t stop sneaking peeks. What game was he playing—maybe using her as an excuse to ignore the clamoring for his attention? He was the most delicious thing she’d ever seen, and that included a big old hot fudge brownie sundae with a cherry on top. And whipped cream. She had a mental image of him covered in chocolate sauce and stifled the giggle that rose at the ridiculous—but oddly intriguing—thought.
He noticed her reaction, and interest lightened his features. The heat of a blush worked across her face and she glanced down, unable to look at him while she could taste the imagined sauce on his skin. Alarm sent her heart skittering when she thought he might rouse himself to come over to their table, but Gina’s brother caught his attention. Strong shoulders shrugged at whatever was said, and Liz continued to watch as a renewed stream of girls sat on his lap, ran their fingers along his stubbly chin and over his chest at Rico’s prompting. Faint annoyance lowered his brows as he sent them on their way, deftly whispering, touching, suggesting, so that none of the rejected girls seemed to take offense. How did he do that?
Hopefully Gina wouldn’t notice her distraction. Her friend had taken one look at Ash lounging in the booth with her brother like an indolent jungle cat and scoffed with derision. Liz didn’t understand Gina’s animosity, but asking wasn’t worth risking her anger. Busy tryin
g not to stare, she missed him getting up to leave a while later. Her gaze bounced around the room when he wasn’t in his seat during one of her not-so-covert glances only to meet his amused blue eyes where he stood by the door. He sent her a wink before clapping Rico on the shoulder and exiting the bar.
Alone.
She ducked her head and smiled.
Oh, the thought of him tearing off in the dark on that motorcycle of his, the one he’d left at Gina’s house the other day… Yum. She’d wanted to sit on the big machine and probably would have if Gina hadn’t been there to ridicule. He shouldn’t fascinate her, despite his extraordinary good looks and radiant sexuality. Gina disliked him, he hung out with a bad crowd involved with something not good if not downright illegal, and he was more than a little generous with that glorious sex appeal. She shouldn’t be interested. She shouldn’t be fascinated. She shouldn’t be jealous of the nameless and likely non-existent woman waiting for him in his bed, but she was.
Damn it.
Everyone said he had the devil’s own luck, and the adage proved true as Ash walked down the street in search of caffeine. Satisfaction lifted the corners of his mouth when he spotted a familiar figure, one who had been on his mind the past few days. He’d tried with spectacular failure to get Liz’s number—or any information, really—from Gina about her cute dark-haired friend after seeing them at Clyde’s the other night. And there cute friend stood, on the sidewalk just down the street from his favorite coffee shop. Fate might have been a bitch, but she was his bitch. She favored Ash, just as women had all his life.
He stopped a few feet away and moved out of the flow of pedestrian traffic to simply watch her. Liz balanced a take-out cup of coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other. Her eyes drifted closed as she lifted her smiling face to the sun. A dumb move, making herself vulnerable in that part of town, but she looked so peaceful and pretty. White cords dangled from her ears and swung in time with her hips as she swayed to the music only she could hear. He absorbed the sight for a few more seconds before he spoke.
