“Oh.” She went back to eating. If she was going to die, whatever else happened until then, she was going to enjoy life’s pleasures. She cast a sideways glance at Ash—all of them. She didn’t think he was angry anymore, but she’d never met a man who was so good at hiding his feelings. He raised a brow when he caught her studying him.
“You want some?” She held out a forkful of chicken.
He shook his head and she ate it. The meal was delicious and she didn’t pause again until she had cleared the plate. Then she sat taking stock. Actually, she felt okay. No headache, which was a relief.
She picked up her own beer. It was icily cold, and she drank it slowly, savoring each swallow. Finally, she looked back at Ash. “How’s Tara?”
He shrugged. “Good, I presume. I’ve not seen her since shortly after we got back.”
“Why doesn’t she like you?”
She thought he might not answer, but in the end, he shrugged again as if to say—why not? “Until six months ago, I thought Tara had perished with her mother. We were separated. I blamed Christian Roth.”
“Why?”
“It doesn’t matter now. But I blamed him, and when I got the opportunity to exact a little revenge, I did so.”
“How?”
“He’d taken those I loved. So, I did the same to him. Unfortunately, a friend of Tara’s was taken by mistake.”
“What happened to her?”
“She died. And not well.”
“You killed her?” She held her breath. She really wanted the answer to be no, but what did she know of Ash except that he could kill with ease and show no sign of remorse.
“No. But I was responsible. And Tara blames me—quite rightly.”
“Yes, I can see how she might blame you for that. Is that why you’re working here? To be close to her?”
“Partly. Partly because I owed a debt and working with the new Council was suggested as a way I might repay it.” He placed his empty beer bottle on the tray and took hers from her hand. “Enough of the past.”
Suddenly, she wished she’d put the robe on. She felt very aware of the fact she was naked beneath the sheet. Her body grew heavy and an ache started low down in her belly as his gaze roamed over the tops of her breasts.
His eyes darkened. He was going to make love to her and her whole body yearned for his touch. Something to take her mind off all that she had discovered. To take her mind from the fact that the past might be all she ever had. There was no future for her. Just the past and the here and now.
And Ash.
She stroked a fingertip down over his cheek. He had that delicious designer stubble again and her palm rasped over his rough skin. He held himself still as her finger traced the line of his mouth, the perfect sculpted shape of the upper lip, the passionate curve of the lower.
His tongue flicked out to lick her finger and a jolt of lightning shot though her. She pulled her hand away and stared at him.
This sort of desire was new to her.
The intensity scared her, but really what did she have to lose? Something told her that the little time left to her was running out. She didn’t want to die without experiencing this just once.
Her other hand still clutched the sheet and one by one, she loosened her fingers from their tight grip. The material pooled at her waist leaving her breasts bare. She shivered but not from cold. As Ash’s gaze fixed on her breasts, her nipples stiffened almost painfully.
She’d never thought of her breasts as impressive, they were too small. In fact, she was too skinny all over. She expended too much nervous energy ever to put on weight. Ash seemed to like them well enough though. He reached out with one huge hand and cupped her breast.
“You’re sure?” he murmured.
Why was he asking? At his first touch heat rushed through her veins. Of course, she was sure. She wouldn’t be sitting here naked if she wasn’t sure.
Maybe Ash was the one with doubts.
“How about you?” she said. “Are you sure?”
A slow smile spread across his face; his eyes turned sleepy and hot. “I was having this fantasy earlier today.” His voice was a low, velvety purr that caressed her ears.
“A fantasy?” The words came out as a whisper.
“Yeah. When you were cuffed. I liked that.”
“You did?”
“I was going to take you to my home, strip you naked, and chain you to the wall.”
The hand on her breast tightened and a jolt of pleasure shot to her groin.
“Then what?”
“Then, darling, I was going to fuck your brains out every time the thought crossed my mind.”
That really shouldn’t have turned her on. But an image flashed in her mind of her tied and helpless, Ash’s long, hard body pressing her into the wall behind her.
Moist heat flooded her sex and she pressed forward into his touch.
He leaned in closer. “You like that idea?” He breathed in deeply. “Oh, yeah, I’m guessing you like that idea a lot.”