Satisfaction and power swirled inside her. There was something decidedly wicked and energizing about realizing she could make this man, who was known for his flippant attitude and tight control, get so close to the edge of losing it.
“Tell me more.”
“I want to rip those panties off you and plunge my tongue deep inside. I want to taste you, lick up every drop of your arousal.”
Kennedy swallowed. Her sex throbbed. She wanted that, too.
“I meant about the Chimera,” she managed to croak.
A devilish grin twisted Asher’s lips. If she knew her effect on him, he was wholly aware of his effect on her. And wasn’t above using it against her.
He placed a hand on his chest and ran his fingers across his pecs and down over his abs. Her palms twitched. She wanted to be the one touching him.
Her nipples tightened, aching, as if he was touching her and not himself.
Kennedy shifted, intent on bringing her thighs together so she could rub some relief.
“Don’t,” he said, the single word arrogant and commanding. “Stay right there.”
She couldn’t breathe. Her lungs had stopped working, only able to pull in shallow gulps of air. She watched Asher’s hand move lower, flicking at the buttons on the fly of his khakis.
“You haven’t missed a question,” she managed to force past her dry throat.
“Who said I’m taking these off? I just don’t want a permanent imprint of the buttons on my dick.”
Spreading the fly wide, he might as well have pulled the pants all the way off. His erection strained against the dark gray boxer-briefs beneath, hiding not a damn thing. She could see the spreading wet spot where the head of his cock pressed against the tight waistband.
She couldn’t help herself. Her tongue licked across her lips. He wasn’t the only one who wanted a taste. She was desperate to pull the long length of him into her mouth and suck. Hard. She craved the sounds of pleasure he’d make when she took him deep.
“You keep looking at me like that, and you’re going to get exactly what you want.”
Kennedy’s gaze jerked back up to his. “What do I want?”
“Me buried between those soft pink lips.”
He wasn’t wrong. But two could play at this game.
Reaching up, Kennedy slipped a single finger into her open mouth, dragging her tongue across the surface as she pulled it back out again.
Asher’s green eyes flashed. A burst of electricity erupted across her skin. “That’s playing dirty.”
She shrugged. “All’s fair in love and strip-tease games?”
Jeez, the room had gotten muggy. Sweat that had nothing to do with the tropical location pearled up beneath her hair and down her back.
Her thighs trembled, from kneeling and from need. But she didn’t want whatever this was to stop, so she stayed right where she was.
The way Asher watched her...she felt both beautiful and desired. Wanted and needed.
“Several months after Jackson and Loralie discovered the wreck, the salvage hit a snag when Anderson McNair made a claim that she was not the Chimera. Trident brought Avery Walsh on board to authenticate the wreckage. After a close call with some drug runners and explosives, we discovered that McNair’s diving company was a front for drug smuggling, and the wreckage sat smack in the middle of his drop zone.”
It took Kennedy several seconds for her brain to catch up to what Asher was saying. Oh, yeah, they were preparing for tomorrow’s shoot by going over details.
Another couple of seconds to realize he’d gone off on another tangent. “Nope, can’t talk about that either.”
“Why the hell not? The whole damn world knows this part of the story. It played out on national television in the middle of a press conference.”
“Not completely. Besides, we’ve been asked to keep any information we have private, since the trial for McNair’s associates is still pending.”
“Hell, cupcake, you don’t want any of the juicy, fun stuff to come out, do you?”
“Not my decision.”
“What’s left to talk about?”
“How about Avery’s discovery of a medal that she used to tie the captain to the ship? It’s the little details that can sometimes make the biggest impact.”
“You mean like how your skin flushes pink beneath that honey tone when you’re turned on?”
The man had the ability to knock her on her ass with just a few words. Every time she thought she had her footing firmly back in place, he said something to send her reeling again.
“Yes. Like that.”
“I think it’s time for you to lose another piece of clothing, Kennedy.” Asher’s voice dipped down into that dangerous register, the one that made goose bumps spread across her skin.
“I don’t think so. You got that one wrong.”
“No, I got it right, you just don’t want me to tell the truth. Again.”
Kennedy sighed.
“How about we compromise and both lose something?”
She did want to see those strong thighs and his tight ass. And her bra was chaffing at her nipples anyway. “Fine. But you first.”
Asher flashed her a brilliantly deviant grin and stood. Easing his hands into the already open waistband, he pushed and crouched low. It was a constant amazement to her, how smoothly the large man could move.
When he rose, the pants stayed pooled on the ground. His thighs flared out, the cut of muscle there making her mouth go dry. She wanted to run her tongue up the long, lean line.
And his ass. From here she could see the way his glutes indented on the sides. Was it bad that she wanted to take a bite out of him?
Probably.
Collapsing back into the chair, Asher didn’t bother to hide the little that was still covered by his briefs. He sprawled back, legs wide, massive erection straining against the band of spandex and cotton.
“Your turn.”
Reaching behind her, Kennedy unsnapped the tiny clasps holding the satin and lace against her body. She pulled in a deep breath the moment they released and let it out on a sigh of relief. The straps slipped down her shoulders, but an arm across her chest held the material in place.
Settling back onto her heels again, Kennedy watched him. Studied the way his gaze devoured her.
Slowly, she let go, her bra dropping onto the bed in front of her.
His tongue swiped across his lips. She wanted him to lick her. Kiss her. Tug at her throbbing nipples with the tips of his teeth. To make her writhe beneath him, in the way only Asher could.
She’d had lovers, more than a handful over the years. But none of them had ever looked at her like Asher did. As if his entire world had condensed down to the two of them. Together.
There was no question why he never had any problems filling his bed. He was gorgeous, intense, a little dangerous and completely involved with whomever was in front of him.
Tonight, that was her. And she was going to take every moment she could get.
“Soft pink.” His gaze found hers. “You have the most amazing breasts, Kennedy. A perfect handful. And your nipples are so damn responsive. I bet I could make you come just by sucking on them.”
At the moment, she wasn’t entirely certain he couldn’t make her come just by talking to her like that.
Suddenly, Asher surged out of the chair. It crashed back against the desk before tipping onto its side. Neither of them seemed to care.
“I’m done with this game,” he said, stalking closer.
Kennedy instinctively scrambled backward on the bed, but she didn’t get far. His arms came around her, pulling her up onto her knees and crushing her against the hard wall of his chest.
She was suddenly apprehensive. Not about him touching her. But about her ability to keep her own emotions in check. She’d spent the past two years thinking she didn’t particularly like this man.
She’d been lying—to him and herself.
If they’d simply started going at each other again, like yesterday, it might have been different. Her defenses might have remained in place.
Unfortunately, they were in tatters at her feet, mixed in with the pile of their clothing. She felt more exposed, and it had nothing to do with being almost naked.
But he didn’t give her a chance to get back on even ground. Instead, he tore away the last barriers between them. With a twist of his fingers, he ripped through the tiny strings across her hips and left her panties in a frayed pile on the bed.
His own shorts disappeared, and they were skin on skin. Burning heat to burning heat.
God, he smelled so damn good. Man and musk with a hint of salt and sunshine from being above deck all day.
Her mouth found his neck, licking and sucking. Taking a nipping bite of him, because she wanted a piece of him if he was going to steal a piece of her.
His fingers weren’t rough, but insistent, as they traveled across her body. He plucked at her nipples, flicking them. Kennedy arched up, asking for more.
His mouth found her, sucking hard and pulling a cry from her parted lips before changing up and laving her softly. The constant push and pull had her head spinning.
Her hands gripped his ass, trying to pull him closer.
“God, Ash, I need... I need,” she panted out, completely gone.
“I know, angel,” he whispered into her ear, his hands sweeping across her temples, tangling into her hair.
She writhed beneath him, searching. Her hands found the hard length of his sex. She couldn’t keep a sound of satisfaction from vibrating through her throat when she closed a fist around him and started pumping.