Under Pressure (9 page)

After sleeping for a couple of hours, Kennedy woke with more energy than she should have. It hadn’t taken her long to track down Daniel in the mess. He was still a bit bleary around the edges, cradling a steaming mug of coffee in his hands.

“How do you handle living on such a small ship?” he groused, the skin around his eyes pinched tight.

Actually, the
Amphitrite
was a fairly large ship for her class and purpose. But she wasn’t a cruise ship, which Kennedy would bet money was the kind of ocean experience Daniel was used to. They had stabilizers, but the ship still responded to the pitch and roll of waves.

“One of the guys doubles as our medic on board. If you need something for seasickness, ask Tyson. He’s got a bag of tricks.”

Daniel shook his head. “That’s not the problem. I fell out of bed. Twice.”

Kennedy had to smother her laughter. Most of the crew were sharing berths, which meant beds that were no doubt much smaller than what they had at home. She and Asher were two of the few who had scored individual cabins. For a minute, Kennedy felt guilty...until she remembered how handy hers had been last night.

“Sorry. Hey, I need to talk to you about the schedule.”

“What now?” Daniel’s gaze narrowed as he peered up at her. Pressing her advantage, Kennedy rested her hip against the edge of the table close to him and gave him a reassuring smile.

“Just, we’re still scheduled to film some underwater sequences with the dive team today, right?”

Daniel’s gaze narrowed even more. “I’d thought about rearranging.”

Kennedy’s stomach dropped. No, that’s not what she needed. Being underwater would give Asher a chance to get used to having cameras in his face without having to speak.

“Look, Asher needs a day to get accustomed to being on camera. I’ve seen some test footage. I promise, he’s exactly what you want for this documentary. You saw him last night. He’s the perfect combination of power, presence and irreverence. He’s exactly the kind of man women fantasize about. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that several of the major news networks wanted to air this documentary as a prime-time special.”

Kennedy dropped her voice down to a conspiratorial whisper and leaned closer. “You know, the story of the
Chimera
has become a real-life action adventure. With Asher headlining, I promise you’ll be able to sell it to anyone and everyone.”

“Fine,” Daniel groused. “We’ll get some underwater footage today, but I want him in the shots.”

Kennedy suppressed a smile. That’s what she’d been counting on. “I think that can be arranged.”

This was the part of business she loved. The maneuvering and positioning. The back and forth, crossed swords and mental chess games that were always involved. It made her blood whoosh faster, the high of victory as addictive as any drug.

“But no more delays.”

“Of course not.”

Giving the man a beautiful smile, Kennedy leaned forward and patted him on the arm, as if they were best friends and had been for years.

She turned to leave, only to stop short. Asher stood several feet away, arms crossed over his chest and eyes drilling straight into her.

* * *

H
E
REGISTERED
THE
moment Kennedy realized he was there and listening to her conversation with Daniel.

Her steps faltered, but that was the only indication that his presence affected her. The rest of her expression never wavered, which meant he was gifted with the brilliance of a megawatt smile.

The thing was, he knew it wasn’t real, even if it was radiantly blinding.

She was good. Her willingness to be manipulative when it suited her should have left him irritated and troubled. Instead, he was just awed at her audacity and confidence.

Rare enough qualities to find in anyone, but especially in a woman her age. It was easy to forget that she was only twenty-four.

Her minute falter didn’t last long before her monstrous self-confidence was back in place and had her closing the gap between them. He expected her to stop in front of him, so she was almost beside him before he realized she intended to sail right past.

Reaching out, Asher wrapped a hand around her upper arm, pulling her to a stop. Her shoulder brushed against him, and lightning crackled across his skin.

Twisting her head, she glanced up from beneath her lashes. Was that the faint stain of a blush on her cheeks? Nope, couldn’t be. Not his Kennedy.

“Where do you think you’re going, cupcake?”

Her eyes flashed. Her earlier threat to smash one in his face ran through Asher’s head, and he couldn’t suppress the grin of challenge that touched his lips.

Laying her hand over his, Kennedy twisted her body in his direction, crowding into his personal space again.

It was a move she used often, and one that probably worked well for her. He could see how her bold self-assurance would set most men firmly outside their comfort zone.

The problem was, that was exactly where he wanted her, even if he shouldn’t...as close as he could get her.

She ripped her arm from his grasp. “I was just coming to find you.” Pushing up on her toes, she gripped his shirt in her hands and tugged until he bent, bringing her mouth to his ear and whispering, “I’ve bought us a day. We need you ready to go by tomorrow.”

Wrapping his hand around the nape of her neck, Asher tried to ignore the silky feel of her hair as it threaded through his fingers. He tilted her head and brought his own mouth to the delicate shell of her ear.

He wanted to lick it, to tug the round curve of her lobe between his teeth and watch the way she’d squirm as he sucked.

“Cupcake, I’m always ready.”

Asher relished the way Kennedy’s skin flushed and her pupils dilated. Her mouth parted, those luscious lips glistening temptingly.

There was a masochistic part of him that delighted in knowing she reacted to him, even if he couldn’t let himself do anything about it.

Taking a step backward, he tried to clear the scent of her from his lungs.

“So I hear we’re going down with the dive team.”

“
You
are.”

“Oh, no, princess. If I’m going down there today, so are you.”

Almost before the words were out of his mouth she was shaking her head. “I’m not a diver.”

“Bullshit. If Jackson wouldn’t let you go without shooting lessons, I know good and well that he took you diving.”

“Yes, I’ve been, but that doesn’t make me a diver. There’ll be enough people down there, I don’t want to get in the way.”

The thing was, Asher wanted her with him. He’d seen pictures of the
Chimera
. Had watched hours of footage when they were evaluating the stability of the wreckage. But he’d never seen the ship in person.

And for some reason, he wanted to share the thrill with Kennedy. “Do you want me to dive today?”

Her answer was quick and clipped. “Yes.”

“Then you’re coming with me.”

* * *

K
ENNEDY
HUNG
BACK
, watching as the team prepped to descend for their first dive of the day. The excavation team gathered the equipment they’d need and splashed off the platform and into the water.

Three cameramen followed, carrying cameras specially designed to capture images underwater.

Asher walked up beside her. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen him in a wet suit, but that didn’t stop her pulse from speeding up at the sight. The neoprene clung to his body, outlining every thick muscle and bulge.

Her mouth went dry and her stomach fluttered.

“Quit stalling, cupcake. In you go.”

She half expected him to shove her straight off the diving platform and braced her body for the impact. Asher chuckled, the low rumble skittering across her skin in a way that made her body hum.

Hell, at this point it would be worth getting wet just to extinguish the burning need flaming through her.

She had to get a grip. There was nothing wrong with wanting the man, or even with acting on that desire. But she needed to stay in complete control of herself and the situation.

It was bad enough that she was drawn to Asher in such a physical, all encompassing way. Already, he was difficult to stay away from. If she gave in...that would be so much more difficult.

And she couldn’t afford to develop any more ties that might make leaving Jacksonville more difficult.

Checking her equipment one last time, Kennedy slipped off the platform and into the water.

It was warm and welcoming, but she’d never get used to those first few seconds of panicked breathing as water covered her head. It was mind over instinct, her lungs heaving with alarm even as she tried to take steady, even breaths.

The muted sound of a splash echoed around her. Asher’s tight body rocketed past her before stopping to glide back in her direction.

A sense of calm settled over her as she watched him, powerful and graceful in the water. Much like her brother, Asher was in his element here, which shouldn’t have surprised her but somehow did.

She’d never really thought about Asher in that way. Why he was drawn to the water. Why he’d become a SEAL. She’d always known Jackson had followed his love of diving, but had Asher?

Turning, he began to tread water only a foot or so away. Sunlight streamed through the surface above them, sparkling off his mask and making his eyes appear even darker, more intense.

A shiver raced down Kennedy’s spine.

Using hand signals, Asher asked if she was okay, and when she gave him an affirmative, indicated they should start the descent to the wreck.

A tiny flutter of panic erupted in her chest. Something on her face must have given her away because Asher grasped her upper arms and pulled her close. She could see the question in his eyes through the thin plastic masks covering their faces.

Shaking her head, Kennedy tried to tell him she was fine, although that wasn’t quite true.

She’d been diving before. Not only was her brother a master diver, but her dad and mom were both amateurs. Everyone else in her family loved to be under the water, which she’d never understood.

She didn’t like the sensation of pressure on her chest that came with descending deep beneath the waves. Whenever she was under, she had to constantly fight the panic that something was going to go wrong and she was going to drown.

But she did it anyway. She tried to push out of Asher’s hold. His fingers tightened, keeping her in place.

One hand dragged up her arm, tangled into her hair and tipped her head back so he could get a better look at her. Those intense green eyes speared her straight through.

Kennedy wanted to blink, look away, something, but she couldn’t. Not for the first time around this man, she felt bare and vulnerable from nothing more than his gaze. Asher might be brash, bold and overly confident, but he was also observant. Too observant for her peace of mind.

Kicking out with his powerful legs, Asher sent them both to the surface only a few feet overhead. They broke free, and the pressure squeezing Kennedy’s chest eased, as it always did.

Asher spit the regulator out of his mouth, letting it splash down into the water beside him, and pushed the mask onto the top of his head. Kennedy did the same, but he didn’t let her go. His fingers stayed entwined in her wet hair.

“Why didn’t I know that you’re afraid of diving?”

“Because I’m not.”

He frowned, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t lie to me, Kennedy. I’m intimately familiar with the signs of fear and could see it all over your face.”

“I’m not afraid of diving.” Because she refused to be. “It’s not my favorite thing in the world, but I’ve got plenty of hours under my belt. Not as many as you, Jackson or Knox, but enough. I know what I’m doing.”

The grooves between his eyes deepened. “Why would you spend so much time doing something you don’t enjoy?”

“Because the rest of my family does it? Because I work for a diving company? Because I don’t like giving in to anything, including fear?”

It took Kennedy a few seconds to realize just how much her response revealed. Way more than she’d intended.

Asher’s face relaxed. His hold on her gentled, not that it had been particularly harsh. But now, instead of feeling like solid bands against her skin, his fingers stroked, soothed.

Threatened to suck her into something she shouldn’t want.

“You know what? I changed my mind, you don’t have to dive with me.”

A couple of weeks ago, his statement would have pissed her off. She would have seen it as a backhanded challenge. A dig at something she wasn’t good at. Today, she didn’t see any of the underlying antagonism that had swirled between them.

Right now, Asher watched her with understanding and acceptance in his eyes.

Which only made her resolve that much stronger. “Yes, I do.”

“Why? The team is fine. The camera crew are experienced and know what they’re doing.”

“I’m fine, Asher. And I’m going down there. Now, will you please let me go, so I can do my job?”

A smile bloomed across his face. Before she realized what he’d intended to do, his mouth settled over hers. Salty and hot. Tempting and reassuring. His tongue breeched her lips, sweeping inside and sending a blast of red-hot need coursing through her veins.

How could the man turn her inside out with nothing more than his mouth?

The kiss was quick and vivid, passionate. Over when it had barely begun.

Picking up her regulator where it floated on the surface of the water, he cleared it, said, “Cupcake, you have more balls than most of the men I know,” and stuck it into her open mouth before she could even respond.

It wasn’t until he let her go that Kennedy realized just how dangerous that kiss had been. Out in the open, anyone from the Trident team could have seen them. And that would not have been good.

What the hell had Asher been thinking?

Anxiety mixed with residual desire, twisting in her belly and completely eclipsing any fear that remained.

Gently, Asher pulled the mask from the top of her head and fit it back over her face. He replaced his own mask, but it didn’t hide the cocky grin twisting his lips.
Bastard
, she thought, though there was no heat behind the word.