Ash(62)

“I shouldn’t.” I shrugged, tossing his own words back at him and walking right past him.

I felt a strong hand on my waist. He stopped me with ease, then spun me around to look down at me. I wasn’t a tiny female, just average height with a slim build, but Ryder made me feel downright delicate with all of his power surrounding me.

“I wasn’t asking.” And there it was again, that sexual tension between Ryder and I. It was tangible.

I was just about to shake my head, but before I could he slowly lifted his other hand and gripped me gently behind my neck. Our eyes were locked in a stare that held more passion than I’d felt in my entire lousy sex life.

Some sort of fire took over, starting low in my belly and spreading like a forest fire that just had its first taste of fuel. I stood on my tiptoes, wanting to be closer, needing to feel our bodies pressed together. He’d held me at arm’s length for so long, keeping it just enforcer and ash, but those walls were down. Something had shifted between us. I could feel his breath on my face. We were no more than an inch apart now. Ryder had to lower his head to reach my level, even when I was standing on my toes.

I hadn’t actually been sure he was going to kiss me, but my worries were finally unfounded. His soft lips descended to press on mine. The first touch was gentle, barely the brush of our mouths together, but as I fell further into him, his breath hitched and his hands came around my waist. This movement brought our hips together, and just like that my body was plastered to his. He took control then, opening his mouth and deepening the kiss, demanding more, his teeth nipping at me as he sought entry between my lips. I could deny him nothing; the taste was intoxicating and I wanted more.

I moaned softly as our tongues slowly explored each other. God damn the boy could kiss. The gentle play started to ease as hormones took over. My body was humming now and I had the strangest urge to climb up onto Ryder. I wanted more. I wanted to be closer to him. As if he’d read my thoughts, he grabbed my butt and hoisted me up with one hand. My body knew what to do then, and as I wrapped my legs around him, crossing my ankles behind, this position felt like home. He turned around and pressed me back up against the wall, our mouths still locked, kissing me like I was the only woman in the world. Like he needed me to survive. Like I was everything.

“Ryder!” Kyle broke through my bliss. Ryder didn’t falter, although he did pull those lips away from me as he turned to his best friend. Through my hazy lust vision, I noticed that the other enforcer looked stressed. His hair was even messier than usual.

“There’s been a mass illegal outbreak and hostage situation involving the Quorum in Seattle. Helicopter is waiting.” Kyle had to shout to be heard over the music. I was still fuzzy from the most amazing kiss of my life, but what he said sounded pretty darn serious.

Ryder looked down at me, regret and so many more things in those flashing silver eyes. “Charlie … damn, I have to go.” He lowered me gently to the ground. My feet had barely hit the floor before he was gone, Kyle close behind.

I exhaled a shaky breath, leaning against the wall and giving my legs a chance to regain some feeling. Ryder had kissed me … and then run off in the line of duty. Well, it wasn’t exactly how I’d imagined ending that kiss – was kind of hoping we’d make it back to my bedroom for a heavy make-out session, but … I guess I had to take it.

I had planned on being kissed by a hot ash tonight, and there was no denying that was exactly what had happened.





Chapter 9




The next three days were among the worst of my life.

Dear Men everywhere, the absolute worst thing in the world you can do is kiss a woman like you haven’t kissed in years and then run off like your ass is on fire and don’t contact her. Go screw yourself. With love, Charlie.

Jayden was allowing me to mope around, but I knew he was sick of my shit. Frankly, I was sick of my own shit too. I had all but convinced myself early on that night at karaoke that I was okay without Ryder, that I deserved better … and then he kissed me – with a skill that should be banned, as it was most definitely some sort of weapon. That kiss had blown my previous pep talk straight out the window and I had done nothing since he left than bitch and whine, take phone calls, whine some more, jog, more whining, and think about that damn sexy man. Jayden had all but slapped me up the side of the head today and told me that Oliver had emailed him and the ash were due back tonight.

Yep, freakin’ Jayden got an email and I got nothing. I was seriously going to kick Ryder in the teeth when he finally got back here.

It was time for my feeding, and I headed there at the pace of an elderly cripple. I just couldn’t find the joy in bottled blood any longer. It was bland and cold. I was really starting to hate that I’d fed off a living being. It was too hard to go back. Everything felt too hard. Still, at least I now had the answer to what happened when an ash bit another ash. The blood wasn’t as sustaining in the long term as bottled blood, which was probably why we generally didn’t feed from each other. But with Ryder, that hadn’t seemed to matter. It was perfect.