The look in her eyes. The words she’d just said. Liketurning a cog and watching it fall into place. With her there was no discord, only peace. He brushed a kiss across her lips, then cupped her face, feeling the softness of her skin against his palms.
“You are my touchstone. You always were. You always will be. I will always love and protect you.”
“My darling, Ash. Through no fault of your own, you are the one who was left in charge, but you’re also the one who needs to be cared for, and tended to, and loved harder…loved more. Let me be that person for you, too. I know you still have to clear the deck for your dad, but spare me enough time for this. Come to bed with me. It’s going to take the rest of our lives to catch up with what we lost. Now is as good a time as any to start refilling the well. Make love now. Make babies with me later.”
Then she was in his arms, moving through the shadowed halls, and once again, into her bedroom.
Inhibitions came off with their clothes.
They were as frantic for the joining as they had been when they were young and crazy wild for each other, but old enough now to savor the sweet heat of building a slow fire. One that engulfed, instead of flashed.
Asher was stretched out beside her, tracing the shape of her cheek, to the shallow beneath her throat, to the weight of her breasts in his hand. Watching her eyelids flutter as he rolled her nipple between his fingers. Hearing the catch in her breath when he slid his hands between her legs, then leaving a trail of kisses from her chin to her belly button.
Nora’s heart was racing as he moved over her, then in her. It was the beginning, and she already wanted more.
She knew what turned him on. It was her.
Sex between them had always been magic. A quickening of souls as well as bodies, and this time as he began, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him deeper.It was ecstasy, and a kind of agony as he began to move. One minute, then another and another, and she could feel it building—wanting it to go on forever, then suddenly desperate for a release.
It came without warning. Shattering focus and concentration as the blood rush hit. They lay in each other’s arms until there was nothing left of the ride but the intermittent ripple of aftershocks.
Asher buried his face in the thick fall of her hair, groaning softly at the thought of having to move.
“God, Nora, you destroy me.”
Nora looked up into his face, at the high cheekbones and stubborn chin. A mouth for laughter, and kissing. And the clear-blue color of his eyes.
“I will lose sleep thinking about this, and doing without you…without this wild madness you turn on inside me, but you are so very worth the wait. I love you. And I also know you haven’t finished what you came to do.”
He rolled over, taking her with him, and pulled her close as she pillowed her head upon his chest. “Yes, we do, and there’s still work to do. Reddick agreed to the press conference. Once it airs, we go on lockdown. The Tumbleweed will appear to be vacant, and we’ll be on stakeout inside. If they come, it will be at night. There will be no lights, and only Dad’s truck parked out back like always. We don’t know how long it will take, but we’re hoping for no longer than a day or two, and I have a request. Will it be okay if I park the rental car in front of your house during that time?”
“Park it in the driveway, Ash. It’s wide enough for two cars and it will keep it off the street,” she said.
“Thank you, honey. If they air the press conference tomorrow, I’ll bring the car up before dark, and then go home through the alley like I used to,” he said.
He kissed her one last time, and then got up, grabbinghis clothes as he headed for the bathroom, leaving Nora free to eye his beautiful body as he was walking away.
“Mine, all mine,” she sighed, then picked up her clothes and headed across the hall to the en suite in her parents’ room.
All too soon, they were at the door and saying goodbye.
“Asher, please don’t get yourself killed. You’re all I have left to love in this world.”
He hugged her. “We’re going to be fine. You go about your days and nights like normal. You already know more about what’s happening than it’s safe for you to know. Can’t have you becoming someone else’s target, understood?”
“Understood,” Nora said.
“Good luck tomorrow with your realtor. Love you.” Then he walked out into the cold and drove away.
* * *
Asher ordered food to go from Pearl’s, then made one more trip through Belker’s before stopping at the Rose to pick it up. He was in and out within minutes, and headed home.
Dylan came out to meet him and carried in the groceries, while Asher brought the food from Pearl’s.
“Anyone know when trash is picked up here?” Asher asked.
“Tuesday and Friday for businesses. Tomorrow is Tuesday,” Gunner said.
