Defying Asher (Knight Security 1) (10 page)

He turned on the shower over the Jacuzzi bath in one corner of the cream-tiled room before sitting on the edge of it to wait for the water to heat up to temperature. There were half-burned candles arranged around the back edge of the bath. Scented, he discovered when he picked one up and sniffed it. Ash could easily imagine Lissa lying back in a scented bubble bath, the room illuminated by just these scented candles, her hair piled loosely on top of her head, with only the tops of her breasts visible above the bubbles.

The image made him instantly hard.

Damn, this woman affected him as no other ever had.

Or ever would?

Hell if he knew.

The circumstances of them meeting again were far from ideal. In fact, they were pretty shitty. But seeing Lissa, being with her again…

He’d wanted her the moment he’d seen her at the Felton Tower apartment building.

Maybe he had never stopped wanting her.

He’d never thought about it until meeting Lissa again, but there really had been a definite lack of women in his life this past year. A lack? Make that a fucking drought.

He’d been out to dinner with a couple of women, but hadn’t considered seeing them again once he’d taken them home. Nor had he accepted the invitation to spend the night.

There had been that woman in Puerto Rico last year— No, as he recalled, that hadn’t turned out too well either. Oh, he’d gone to bed with her—he was a man, and she was hot as hell—ensured he gave her pleasure, but he couldn’t remember getting off himself. Christ, if he couldn’t even remember it, then it probably hadn’t been memorable enough, or it hadn’t happened at all.

One look at Lissa two days ago and his cock had gone rock hard and became that way every time he was with her.

What the hell had happened to make her walk out on him a year ago? Admittedly, they hadn’t started the evening too well, the two of them exchanging insults until Lissa threw the champagne over him. But their lovemaking in the back of his car had been fucking amazing. The night that followed even better. He’d only left the bedroom to take a shower with the intention of starting all over again. But when he got back, Lissa had been fully dressed and—

Shit, the bathroom had filled up with steam while he was daydreaming. The water would run cold if Lissa didn’t get in the shower soon.

Except when he went to tell her the shower was ready, he found her fast asleep on the bed, still fully clothed, including those lethal stiletto-heeled boots, the demon cat curled up against her side as he looked at Ash with baleful eyes.

“You may be a warrior cat, buddy, and I respect that. But that’s
my
place you’re occupying. And just so we’re clear, I’m the one with the combat training,” Ash added challengingly as he gently but firmly moved the cat to one side.

Chapter 7

Lissa felt slightly disorientated when she woke up. Had no idea if the sun shining through her bedroom window and the time of seven o’clock showing on her digital clock meant it was early evening or morning. If she had been asleep for only a few hours or all night.

The last thing she remembered was leaving the hospital and coming back to her apartment. Then Asher went to the bathroom to run her a shower while she undressed. She didn’t remember undressing or taking a shower.

But if she hadn’t undressed or taken a shower, why was she now wearing her cream, knee-length nightgown?

And why was there an indentation in the second pillow beside her own?

As if someone had been sleeping beside her.

Quite recently, Lissa would say, when she touched the pillow and found it was still warm. It wasn’t Sherlock either, because her door was closed and the cat was nowhere to be seen in her bedroom.

Asher.

It couldn’t be anyone else.

So where was he now?

Had he reversed the roles on her and been the one to leave “the morning after” this time?

Except Lissa was pretty sure on this occasion, there hadn’t been a “night before.”

She would have known if she and Asher had made love. Her body would have told her. All she felt right now was slightly lethargic from having slept so deeply, she hadn’t even been aware Asher was in bed beside her. She would have had to have been almost comatose not to be aware of that! She had none of the pleasurable aches and pains in her body from the two of them having had sex either.

So if she didn’t remember undressing or taking a shower, let alone falling asleep, then Asher must have undressed her before climbing into bed and sleeping beside her.

Had
he walked out on her? Her apartment certainly seemed quiet enough for her to be the only occupant.

He and one of the other Knight Security employees couldn’t be too far away, though. Probably standing out in the hallway, alarming her neighbors. She really would have to talk to the other residents in the building. Explain this glitch was only temporary. At least, she hoped it was.

Lissa threw back the bedcovers and stood up. Whether it was early evening or morning, she badly needed to brush her teeth and have a cup of coffee to wake her up, followed by the missed shower and then dressing in some clean clothes. After which she would go out into the hallway and see exactly who was guarding her right now. Maybe even find out exactly when Asher had left her apartment.

She wasn’t sure who was more surprised when she padded down the hallway on bare feet a few minutes later and found herself face-to-face with not just Asher, but also a slightly older and leaner man whose short dark hair and green eyes nevertheless identified him as being another Knight brother. Gabriel, in all probability, as he was the only one of the Knight brothers older than Asher.

Gabriel Knight might be only a year older than Asher, but he also looked harder and more imposing, something Lissa hadn’t believed possible. The tailored charcoal-colored suit and white shirt Gabriel wore, with a dark gray tie knotted meticulously at his throat, did absolutely nothing to disguise the air of danger that surrounded him.

He was also an inch or so taller than Asher, Lissa realized as the two men stood up at her entrance.

Entrance?

Could a woman wearing only a short cream cotton nightgown, with her hair a disheveled tangle, and wearing what was left of two-day-old makeup, actually make an
entrance
?

Well, she could damn well
try
!

Lissa straightened, determined not to feel self-conscious about her appearance. “Silly question, but is it night or morning?”

“Evening,” the older man answered.

“I need to call the hospital and see how Jack is—”

“It was his phone call that woke me earlier.” Asher scowled at the memory. “He said he’s fine and to let you sleep.”

She shot Asher a reproving glance. Not only was her father aware Asher was in her apartment, but he had also told his brother he had been asleep in her apartment when the call came through. “You should have woken me anyway.”

“Your father said not to,” he reminded her.

She snorted. “And we all know you always do everything you’re told to do.”

“I—”

“Forget it, Asher, I’ll call Jack back shortly and explain.”

“There’s nothing to explain.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” She turned to Gabriel. “Maybe we should introduce ourselves, Mr. Knight, as your brother seems to have forgotten his manners. As usual.” She stepped farther into her sitting room, hand outstretched toward the slightly older man. “I’m Lissa Forsythe.”

Her hand was taken briefly in the man’s strong, dry grasp. “Please call me Gabriel.” He looked as if he was having trouble holding back a smile, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he glanced at his brother. “You obviously know Ash too well.”

“I couldn’t have put it better myself.” She gave Asher another scathing glance.

Ash had absolutely no idea what he had done to earn Lissa’s sarcasm. Or the saccharine-sweet smiles and insults. Or those scornful glances. He’d driven her home from the hospital earlier today. Run her a shower. Okay, so she’d fallen asleep before she’d taken it, but the thought had been there, damn it.

I also spanked her bottom in a public car park before doing any of those things.

Well, yes, because she was being pissy again, making accusations and then refusing to apologize for them.

I threatened to spank her again even
after
she apologized.

Because her apology hadn’t been sincere. She had merely been paying him lip service in the hope of avoiding another spanking.

A spanking Ash knew he had enjoyed far too much.

Oh fuck.

“Ash?”

He gave a shake of his head to clear it before snapping at his brother. “What?”

Gabriel raised dark brows at his tone. “Miss Forsythe asked us both a question.”

He narrowed his eyes on her. “Yes?”

“I asked if I could get either of you some coffee or orange juice?”

“I’d just made a pot of coffee when Gabriel arrived.”

Her eyes widened as she turned and saw the full pot of coffee on the breakfast bar. “Make yourself at home, why don’t you!”

“You were sleeping, damn it,” Ash defended. “What was I supposed to do, wake you up to ask if it was okay if I made myself coffee?”

“In the same way you woke me up to take Jack’s call!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake…”

“You weren’t
supposed
to be in my apartment to take the call
or
make coffee,” she came back tartly. “Your place is outside my apartment, not inside.”

“
My place?
” Ash’s voice was dangerously soft.

She nodded. “And what have you done with my cat?”

“I didn’t touch your damned cat— Well, I touched him so I could move him off the bed, but otherwise I didn’t lay a finger on him. He let himself out of some sort of cat flap you have in the kitchen window earlier. Which, incidentally, is a security hazard. Anyone could—”

“Ash.”

He glared at his brother’s interruption. “What?”

Gabriel steadily returned his gaze. “I think you both need to take a breath, step back, and calm down.”

“She—”

“He—”

“For God’s sake!” Gabriel raised his voice over both of them. “When I got up this morning, I never for one moment thought I was going to have to be forced into the role of a schoolteacher separating two people who are both old enough to know better.”

Lissa felt the warmth in her cheeks at the reprimand, knowing Gabriel was right. She and Asher were behaving like two schoolchildren fighting in the playground. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I get cranky before I’ve had my first cup of coffee.”

“And when she’s tired. And when she isn’t tired. And every minute in between—”

“Ash, shut the fuck up!”

Lissa’s eyes widened at Gabriel’s growled command. She was even more surprised when Asher took notice of his older brother, albeit with an angry tightening of his jaw.

“I apologize for my language, Miss Forsythe.” Gabriel gave his brother a frustrated glare.

“Asher has that effect on everyone,” she dismissed. “I really need to learn how you did that.” She mocked Asher’s silence as she moved through to the kitchen area to take three mugs from a cupboard and pour coffee into them.

Gabriel gave a rueful smile. “It doesn’t always work.”

“Fifty percent of the time would be enough.”

“When the two of you have quite finished discussing me as if I’m not here…?” Asher put in pointedly.

“Oh, there’s no mistaking your presence, Asher.” Lissa handed the mugs of coffee to the two men before taking a sip of her own brew. Just as she liked it, hot and strong. “I’m more interested in why you’re here, Mr. Knight?” she prompted the older man shrewdly.

“Gabriel,” he repeated evenly. “And obviously Ash didn’t exaggerate your intelligence.” He gave her an approving inclination of his head.

Her eyes were wide as she turned to look at Asher. “You said something nice about me to your brother?”

“Don’t get too excited, I also told him you’re stubborn and impossible to reason with.” Ash dropped down into one of the armchairs, legs sprawled out in front of him. “And shouldn’t you go and put on a robe or something before we have this conversation?” he added irritably. Personally, he was more than happy to continue looking at Lissa dressed only in a thin cotton nightgown, but he wasn’t as happy with Gabriel seeing her like that too.

Ash knew damn well she was naked beneath that nightgown, because he had undressed her and then put her in it. That nakedness was pretty obvious too, her breasts pert and full beneath the low neckline, a darker vee between her legs. Her tousled hair added to that disheveled intimacy.

“No,” she answered him challengingly.

He narrowed his eyes. “I’m sure Gabriel would feel more comfortable if you did.”

“I’m fine with the way Lissa is dressed,” his brother dismissed infuriatingly.

Deliberately so, Ash was sure. Gabriel knew damn well Ash was the one who wasn’t comfortable with Lissa’s lack of clothing in his presence. Come to think of it, Ash should just have sold tickets so all his brothers could see Lissa in her nightclothes! Ethan and now Gabriel; Caleb was the only one missing out.