Vines (The Killers Book 1)

by Brynne Asher

  We start up the hill toward his house in a quick clip and once out of earshot, I decide I should try to explain. “Crew, I didn’t know—”

  He interrupts me, giving my hand a firm squeeze. “Not here, Addison.”

  I shut my mouth and bite my lip.

  When we finally get to his house, he pulls me through a back door and into an old, outdated kitchen—more outdated than mine. But he doesn’t stop there. We traipse through a hallway and make a quick turn.

  He pulls me into a small room with a huge desk finished in dark wood with a plush black leather chair behind it. There’s even a console table between two windows, but what’s strange is we’re surrounded by flowers—blue, mauve, and yellow, incredibly ugly, flowers.

  Without a word, he takes a step back and puts some space between us, leveling his eyes on me. Splashing a little water on his towel, he wipes the sweat from his face and presses it to his lip, where the bleeding has mostly stopped.

  He stays silent without taking his eyes off me. I try not to look at his hands, because after watching him in action, they make me want to jump him and rip his sweaty clothes off, even if he is mad I’m here. Just thinking about it makes my nipples hard and I cross my arms over my chest hoping to cover them. Worried what he’s going to say, I look away and try to calm myself because I can tell he’s upset.

  “Addison.” His voice is heavy as he takes a step toward me. “I wish I would’ve known you were coming.”

  My eyes dart back to his and I try to explain. “I thought I’d bring you lunch. Next time I’ll call first—”

  “Are you okay?” he interrupts, his eyes searching my face.

  I worry my lip, responding quietly. “I was getting nervous about this afternoon and the day was dragging. You mentioned I could come over whenever I wanted, so I thought I’d take you up on it. I had no idea I’d be interrupting, I’m sorry.”

  When he takes a step, I instinctively step back. This makes him frown and his whole body goes taut.

  Oh shit. Yep, he’s mad.

  *****

  Crew –

  Fuck, I did not want her to see me like that.

  She’s asked me a million questions about what I’ve done the last ten years and most of those questions have centered on how dangerous it was. I’ve most definitely sugarcoated all of it.

  I’ve told her the truth but I also wanted to ease her into it. I’ve never thought how I might need to handle my past with a woman, but during my time with Addison, I’ve tried hard not to fuck it up. I sure didn’t plan on her seeing me kick that punk’s ass.

  But when he lipped off about knowing all he needed to know about hand-to-hand combat, I had no choice but to invite him to leave it on the mat. He must not understand we know everything about him. I know what he can and can’t do, but I’m beginning to think Asa was right, he’s a pain in the ass and might not be worth the effort. He had all the right moves but let his emotions take over when I pissed him off. That’s when I decided to make an example of him. He never would’ve gotten me in the mouth if I hadn’t been shocked to see Addison appear out of nowhere.

  Now she looks scared, and damn it, I don’t like that she’s moved away from me.

  I hold my hand out low and try to calm my voice. “No reason for you to be sorry. I’m sorry you saw that. You okay?”

  “I…” she starts but her eyes dart down and back quickly, trying to figure out what to say. She hugs herself tighter before looking confused. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

  “Because you don’t seem okay.” I take one slow step closer and try to explain. “I didn’t intend for you to see me like that this soon. Or ever.”

  She tips her head, still confused. “I thought you were upset I was here.”

  “I am.” I reach out, wrapping my hand around the side of her neck. When I do, she immediately lifts her hand to cover mine, pressing it into her skin. There, I swear I feel her shiver when I add, “I had no desire for you to see me like that.”

  “Why, you didn’t hurt him, did you? I mean, permanently?”

  “Of course not,” I bite out. “The kid has a chip on his shoulder, thought he could come in here and have a dick measuring contest.”

  She immediately bites her lip. “I have to say, I’m not surprised you won that contest. For more reasons than one.”

  I immediately release the tension I’ve been holding onto ever since I saw her in the barn, looking nothing but shocked to see me putting my fists to that kid.

  “You’re really good at that, aren’t you?” she goes on.

  I give her another squeeze, and in turn, she wraps her fingers around my hand. “Yeah, Addison. I have to be.”

  “Well, I knew that.” She pulls my hand away from her neck, holding it in both of hers. She weirdly turns my hand over, running her fingers over it when she says without looking up, “I just didn’t know how good.”

  “Addison?”

  As soon as I call her name, she looks up. I barely have a chance to catch the look on her face before she surges up on her toes, her mouth hitting mine. Catching her hips to steady her as she presses close, I realize she’s running hot.

  Holy shit, the woman continues to surprise me.

  Pressing her curvy body into my sweaty clothes, she moans into my mouth. Fuck if I don’t get instantly hard. I drag my hands up to her waist, lifting and turning her at the same time. She brings her legs up around me and I bend, putting her back to my desk so I can press my cock between her legs where I want to bury myself deep.

  Damn. My condoms are upstairs.

  “That turned you on, baby?” I ask against her lips.

  She exhales on a huff as she buries her hands in my sweaty hair, trying to force my mouth back to hers.

  I hold steady, not giving her what she wants until she explains. “Unh-unh. Tell me.”

  “Yes,” she answers, frustrated. “But don’t ask me why, because I have no idea. If you’re gonna kiss me, then kiss me, Crew. If not, I brought lunch, and it’s getting hot on the front porch.”

  I let my eyes drag over her face, letting myself fall deeper into her dark eyes before I break it to her. “Condoms are upstairs and I’ve gotta get back.”

  “Oh,” she breathes, her face falling, not hiding the disappointment in her tone. There’re no games with her, no pretending. She wants me and she’s not hiding it. “I knew it—I did interrupt.”

  I lean in and kiss her before saying, “I wouldn’t’ve told you to come anytime if I didn’t want you here. I’m sure Grady knew you were on your way the second you turned in.”

  “I’ll call next time.” She tries to push me away to get off my desk.

  I press my raging hard-on into her again and start to move my hands on her body, shaking my head. “You’re not goin’ anywhere. You run this hot for me, I’m not lettin’ you go. You can break in my new desk while I eat you for lunch.”

  Her eyes go big at the same time her legs constrict around me. I kiss her one more time before flipping off her sandals, tossing them to the floor. When I reach for the button at her waist, she whispers, “I thought you had to get back to the ass-kicking.”

  I jerk the button and start to rip down her jeans, bringing her panties with them when I smile. “I’ll always make time for you, Addison. I have plenty of time to kick their asses. Right now, I want you.”

  “Well, as long as I’m not keeping you from anything,” she breathes.

  I toss her clothes to the floor with her shoes. Grabbing her ankles, I bring her feet to the edge of my new desk. Looking down at her spread for me, lying across CIA contracts, recruit backgrounds, and foreign investments, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful. I see what I never thought possible—my past mingling with a future I never thought to dream of. Never even knew it could exist in my world.

  Leaning a hand to my desk, I bury the other in her long, dark hair. I kiss her before saying, “Not once did I think I could be who I am with anyone, let alone someone like you.”

&
nbsp; She brings her hands up to my jaw, running her thumb over the gash on my lip. Her face goes soft when she whispers, “We’re quite a pair, Crew Vega.”

  “We are.” I kiss her again and drag my hand down the center of her body. When I finally reach her bare pussy, her eyes droop as I start to play with her. She wasn’t lying when she said she’s turned on. She’s drenched.

  I make my way down her body, not able to wait another second to get my mouth on her. Sliding her up the desk farther, I give her two fingers and circle her swollen clit with my tongue. She moans, lifting her hips for more. I keep at her, fingers pumping, my tongue sucking, teasing. She starts to breathe hard, papers crunching beneath her.

  When she moans my name, I’ve never heard anything better. I give her more, looking for that sweet spot with my fingers and letting her rock against my mouth. She starts to convulse on my hand and I suck her clit a little harder as she comes apart, filling my office with her cries.

  When I let her go, she’s breathing hard, and I smile from what I see on my desk. Covering her body with my torso, I tease her. “My contacts at the CIA are gonna wonder why their papers have been balled up.”

  “Sorry,” she pants, even though she doesn’t sound sorry at all.

  I kiss her, loving the look on her face as she comes down from her high. “Why do I think you’re not sorry?”

  “Probably because I’m not.” She barely smiles, but she does wrap me up with her arms and legs. “You’re sweaty and stinky. It’s rubbed off on me and I’m gonna need a shower. Is this normal for you?”

  I give her more of my weight, enjoying the feel of her under me. “My guys ran ten miles this morning. I joined them for eight. We’ve been doin’ drills and other shit before the ass-kicking you saw.”

  “Wow.” Her eyes go big and she shakes her head. “No wonder you’re built the way you are.”

  Running my thumb over her temple, I change the subject. “You should cancel your meeting with O’Rourke. You’re anxious and I don’t want you around him. There’s nothing he can tell you that I can’t eventually find out through my contacts.”

  Her face changes, becoming etched with contemplation and a hint of anxiety. “I need to meet with him. I’m afraid I’ll regret it forever if I don’t.”

  I sigh, because even though I’m still getting to know her, I can tell she’s not gonna change her mind. “I’ll shower and be there early. I don’t want you alone with him.”

  “I feel bad, pulling you away from all the ass-kicking.” A small smile takes over her face.

  I kiss her quick and move to pull her up. “Get dressed. I’ve gotta get back.”

  As she dresses, she oddly tells me something I already know from her background and what she’s told me. “I haven’t been with anyone in more than two years.”

  I don’t respond because I don’t know where she’s going with this and I really don’t want to talk about it. She finally turns around and I cross my arms, waiting for her to go on.

  “I’m on the pill, and I’ve had doctor’s appointments since my last…well, you know,” she explains, though, I have no desire to know.

  Before she rambles more, I pull her into my arms. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying, I checked out clean. As long as you’ve had those same appointments, I’m good to get rid of the condoms.”

  Surprised, I give her a squeeze and tell her the truth. “I’ve never had that.”

  It takes her a second to realize what I’m talking about. “Really? I mean, if you aren’t comfortable—”

  “I want that,” I interrupt quickly. “Never had a reason to want it.”

  “Really?” she repeats.

  “Really. I told you what the last ten years were like for me. I’ve never had a constant anything, let alone something like this. I’ll make an appointment.”

  She smiles before reaching up on her toes to kiss me. “That means we can have surprise sex on your desk soon.”

  I smirk back, because she’s right. I’m looking forward to that.

  “But, Crew?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You really need to get rid of this wallpaper. It’s horrid.”

  For some reason, that makes me want to fuck her senseless on my desk even more.

  Chapter 18 – Slimy Chum-Bucket

  Crew –

  Sitting beside Addison with my arm thrown over the back of her chair, I finger a lock of her hair idly. I do this staring across the table at Army Lieutenant Colonel Sheldon O’Rourke, as he feeds a ration of shit to the daughter of the man he had a hand in killing. As far as I can tell, she’s soaking it up like a sponge. I do my best to be the relaxed man who’s only here to be supportive of his woman, wondering how I’m going to handle giving her the truth.

  It’s all I can do not to come across the table at him. I also contemplate the fact I regret not being able to do what I’ve learned to do best over the last ten years on American soil. To hell with the American justice system—there’s nothing I want more right now than to put a hole in his head and for him to buy it exactly the way Addison’s father did.

  O’Rourke was surprised to see me join them. He covered his irritation well enough after I explained I have an interest in everything that has to do with Addison Wentworth.

  So far, he’s explained how he met her father in the service when she was two and became good friends with her parents. It’s plain to see he’s a practiced hand at deception. If I didn’t know his background of committing treason for decades, I’d have a hard time believing he wasn’t completely genuine.

  I do know from my contacts at the CIA, he never married, and has only had casual relationships with women. Listening to him spout his bullshit, I don’t like where I think this is going.

  “I tried to reach out to your mother many times,” he explains.

  “I’m surprised.” Addison leans into the table, listening with rapt attention. “She never spoke of you. I’d remember.”

  He tries to cover his irritation. “I have to say, that’s disappointing.”

  I do my best to sit relaxed in my chair.

  He states instead of asks, “She never remarried.”

  When Addison shakes her head, a small frown takes over her face. “No. She never looked at another man. My whole life, all she talked about was how he was the only one for her. He was ripped away from her in the worst possible way. She never recovered.”

  “I wish she would have let me be there for her,” he adds, narrowing his eyes.

  Yeah, this fucking pisses me off.

  “I hope you can understand her need to distance herself,” Addison defends her mother. “She explained this to me when I was older. It’s what drove her desperation to disappear. It was hard for her to trust anyone after what happened. Especially when they started looking into her simply because she was trying to clear my dad’s name.”

  O’Rourke leans into the table. “I wish I could’ve cushioned her from that. I was young, very low level. There was little I could do, but I could’ve offered her comfort. Helped with you. There was no need for her to go it alone.”

  “She felt she couldn’t trust anyone, Sheldon.” Addison leans back in her chair and I let my hand rest on her neck. But I give her a squeeze, warning her to shut her mouth when she not-so-innocently asks, “Do you believe my father committed treason?”

  Damn her. I told her not to dig.

  Sheldon shakes his head. I’m not surprised his answer is obscure and convoluted. “Wes was a committed soldier, loved his country, took his service seriously.”

  “Then why would they accuse him of such a betrayal?”

  When I give her another squeeze, she tries to brush me off by throwing her hair over her shoulder, but I hold firm. If this is any indication of her ability to follow directions, I’m fucked.

  O’Rourke shakes his head, faking it like a pro. “I have no idea. It saddens me now as much as it did then. I am relieved, though, I get to see you after all these years. Yo
u were a vibrant child. To see you grown and all you’ve accomplished,” he throws out a hand, “your parents would be very proud.”

  “It’s a lot of work, but I learned from my mom hard work pays off,” she offers.

  “What made you return to Virginia?” he asks.

  There it is, the reason he’s here.

  She goes on to explain about her mother’s ashes, running across Whitetail, and taking advantage of a good opportunity. The whole time, he settles in his seat, assessing her answers. He gives nothing away, proving he’s a practiced hand.

  Picking up his wine glass, he tips it to her before taking a drink. “Your mother would be very proud. Your father, too. You’ve made yourself into quite a success.”

  Addison smiles, but ignores his compliment.

  “I am curious,” she starts before pausing. “How did you find me, and why would you think I’d be nosing around my father’s death?”

  She just doesn’t stop. As I grip her neck again, she brings her hand up to cover mine, faking an intimate touch.

  When I look at O’Rourke, his eyes are on his wine. He eventually looks up to Addison, giving her a small shrug. “What happened to your father weighed on my conscience for years. I used my resources to find you, and when I did, I learned you lost Anne. I can’t say exactly why I wondered why you moved here. And it makes sense you’d want more information about your father’s death. Who wouldn’t?”

  It’s Addison’s turn to lean back and she reaches out for me, her hand clutching my knee.

  “I’m glad I found you, though,” O’Rourke goes on. “It’s good to see you after so long. May I call you Abby?”

  “No.” My voice comes out firm but deep, contributing my first word to their conversation. Folding my hand over hers on my knee, I continue. “You can call her Addy. That’s it.”

  He raises a brow and gives me a curious nod. I certainly don’t need any curiosity directed my way, especially from him, but I’m all in now. No fucking way is he calling her Abby. That’s mine.

  “Fair enough,” he relents and downs his last swallow of wine. Looking at Addison, he shifts to get up. “I am sorry to have startled you last week at the White House. My apologies, but thank you for meeting with me today. I hope we can keep in touch.”