He looked straight ahead, walking like normal. The wind blew then, ruffling his thick hair. I watched it in fascination. Then I pressed my lips to his cheek. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“Don’t thank me for taking care of you, beautiful,” he said, stepping around a pile of coolers. I looked back, watching the cute seagulls land around them, hopping from one to another, tilting their heads back and forth as they assessed how to get the fish inside. A few of the fishermen called out their greetings. Some whistled at us and some clapped.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” a boat captain hollered. “Caught yourself a beauty, boy!”
With heated cheeks, I groaned and buried my face in Ash’s neck. “Can you put me down now?”
“No.”
“Ash—”
“I’ll bend you over the hood of my truck and redden that ass if you ask again,” he warned in my ear, his voice low. “Been waiting for years to take care of you. Let me have this.”
Goose bumps scattered across my skin, my nipples puckering underneath my dress. I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth, listening to my heart pound in my ears as my bodyhummed with desire. All I could do was nod, and just as the sky opened up, the first raindrop landing on my arm, Ash stopped in front of a black Ram pickup. He brought his hand to the handle, and a faint click echoed through the air. Then he pulled open the passenger door and set me inside. My bags were gently placed in my lap. Then his hands cupped my face and his lips were on mine.
This kiss was different from the other five we’d shared over the last week. His lips moved softly against mine, as if we had all the time in the world. My fingers wrapped around his wrist, feeling his strong pulse, the heat of his skin. My tongue shot out, touching the top of his lightly. A heavy, dark grunt left him, and he pulled me closer, angling my head, his tongue diving into my mouth. He drank from me with greed unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I turned in the seat, my knees resting against his side as my arms snaked up and around his neck, my fingers locking. My back arched, my breasts against his chest, our tongues dancing. By the time he pulled away, one of his hands was at the base of my throat and the other had let my hair down and was fisting it.
My eyes dropped to his lips, loving how swollen and wet they were.
Because of me.
We were both out of breath, unsure of whether we should take more or give it up.
I wanted more.
I yanked him back down, his mouth colliding against mine. He let me take control, my teeth taking his bottom lip, nibbling it.
“Fuck.” He pulled back, removing his hand from my hair. It fell around my shoulders as I stared up at him, hungry for more.
I tried bringing him back down, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he chuckled, the sound raspy and heated. “You’re gonna do me in, Angel Howell.”
My hands dropped down his chest, feeling his heart underneath my palm. “You started it,” I shot back, breathless.
He grinned and dropped his head. We were both silent, our bodies trying to calm down. “I’ve never felt this way before,” I confessed, savoring the feel of him.
“Yeah,” he whispered, as if he could feel it too.
Before I could say anything more, he lifted his head, gave me a quick peck while putting my legs back into the truck, and shut the door. As he got behind the wheel, I saw Margo walk out of the Buoy, an old man in overalls trailing behind her with his head down. She raised her arm and pointed toward Main Street and barked something at him.
“I see Richard is back on his bullshit,” Ash muttered, chuckling. He started the engine, and Margo’s head snapped in our direction, her black hair flying around her. Her green eyes landed on me, and she gave me a two-finger wave. I smiled and gave her one in return.
When Ash pulled out onto the street, I asked, “Is this a new truck?”
“Sorry?”
I gestured to the fancy leather seats, the large touchscreen on the dash, and all the fancy buttons. “I’ve never seen this before.”
He glanced at me, one hand on top of the steering wheel, the other holding mine. “This is my work truck,” he told me, pausing for a moment. “After tonight, I may have to drive to Portland, so I switched them out.”
“Why? Did Grayson give you another assignment?”
His eyes remained on the road. Astoria was quiet this afternoon. There were no signs out on the sidewalks, and the flowers hanging from the lampposts were limp, their beautiful petals curled downward. To my surprise, Rossy’s Bookstore was closed. As we drove by, shadows loomed over the bookcases, nota single lamp on in the window. “Rossy closed the shop out of respect for Margie,” Ash explained.
I nodded. “I figured.”
“And to answer your questions, no, Gray didn’t give me another assignment. I have to go check on my apartment. I haven’t been there since I got home from my last job.”
“What? Why?”
