Rogue's Passion(40)

“In your car here or the one Jeff’s driving?” Asher asked for clarification.
“The one here. I was afraid it would get lost in his.”
“Let me get it for you, then.” He took a step toward the door.
“I’ll help.” Rand was right behind him.
“I hope the hospital isn’t far away,” Olivia said. Things seemed to be moving along quickly.
Mel braced her hands on her knees. “Ten. Minutes. Tops.”
“Good.” Olivia continued massaging her lower back.
“Man, that was a big one,” Mel said breathlessly a moment later. “If you’re around, you and Ash are welcome to come visit us in the hospital. You can meet our new little peanut…who doesn’t feel like a peanut right now.”
“I’m not sure what Ash has planned, but I’d love to. I’ll definitely be with him the rest of the week.”
Mel looked up, a confused expression on her face. Olivia was sure she was going to ask her more about what she meant, but instead she said, “I had an interesting conversation with him this morning when he came down to get the laundry. He was going on and on about you. I can’t imagine what you two went through downtown, but he kept saying how amazing you were. And I’m pretty sure he wasn’t just talking about in the bedroom.” Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Men are crazy when they’re in love.”
Panic bloomed in her chest. “I don’t know about that,” she said, trying to laugh it off. “We just met.”
Asher wasn’t falling for her and she wasn’t falling for him. She might be his pseudoslave for a week, but that was it.
Mel shrugged. “Jeff and I met at a friend’s wedding. We knew right away that we were meant to be together. Sure enough, two months later, we were engaged. Six months after that, we were married. That was ten years ago.”
Since no one at Reckless besides Rand knew who Asher was and what he was doing over here, Mel couldn’t know that a relationship between the two of them would never work.
“He’s a man with secrets,” Mel continued, almost as if she was following Olivia’s train of thought. “Many of the guys who work here have them. But he’s a good man and I’ve never seen him like this before.”
“We do seem to click,” Olivia admitted. “And he makes me laugh.” Her heart did a little somersault at the truth of those words. They did have an awful lot of fun together, and she wasn’t just thinking about in the bedroom. But things were too new. Too shiny. It was silly to let herself think there was anything more between them than a short-term good time.#p#分页标题#e#
Mel gave her a knowing look from a woman who’d been there, done that. “And that’s how all good relationships start. A passionate friendship, if you will. I know a man would never admit this, but there’s more to it than awesome sex. Sure, that’s important, but when you’re changing diapers at two in the morning or worried about bills, that fact that you can both orgasm together really doesn’t matter.”
Just then, a breathless man came crashing through the door. “Melly, are you okay?” His eyes were wide as he rushed over. He gave his wife the sweetest kiss Olivia had ever seen, with one hand cupping her chin and the other on her belly. It was as if he were kissing both mother and child at the same time.
“Yeah, hon, I’m fine,” Mel said softly, touching his face.
“And the baby?”
“She’s fine, too.”
Her husband straightened. The look of panic and terror was gone, replaced now by steely determination. “The guys have all your things, right? Anything else?”
“Nope. I’m ready to go.” She turned to Olivia. “Thanks for your help, doll.”
Olivia smiled. “Good luck.”
Despite Mel’s protests that she was capable of walking on her own, her husband swept her into his arms and carried her out to the waiting car. A moment later, gravel was flying everywhere, pinging off the side of the metal building like shrapnel, as their car disappeared around the corner.
    







 
    Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance by Jennifer Ashley, Alyssa Day, Felicity Heaton, Erin Kellison, Laurie London, Erin Quinn, Bonnie Vanak and Caris Roane
    
 


 
CHAPTER 12
David Fuller was many things to many people. Former MMA champion, ruthless businessman, ladies’ man. But among his associates, both professional and private, he was best known for being true to his word. After all, when you ran an illegal fight club not governed by signed contracts drawn up by fancy lawyers, your word—and your might—was your bond.