Love is Only a Whisper (Whisper Series) (16 page)

“What are you doing here?” she
asked.

“Helping you make up your mind.”

“You’re going back on your
word.”

“Never. You need my help to make the
decision that will benefit us both.”

Nicole rolled her eyes at him. “You’re
making up the rules as you go along. You’re not being fair, Ashton.”

“I never said I would be.” His hard gaze held hers, dark and
unreadable. “Pretend I’m not here.”

She closed the door and planted her hands on her hips. “I’m
not going to argue with you. I’m busy. Besides you promised and I’m holding you
to it.”

“You’re running again, Nicole,” he stated roughly.

Did he know her bags were packed? She dropped her eyes to hide her guilt. She chanced a peep at him and he didn’t look happy but that wasn’t anything unusual. He always looked as if he was sucking on a sour piece of candy. Sugar wouldn’t have been able to soften Ashton’s face or his disposition at the moment.

“I’m not running.”

“You’re lying to my face.”

“What?”

“You’re leaving this evening.”

Her eyes widened at his words. “How did you—” Her lips clapped down tight. “You’re having me followed? How dare you!” she uttered with disgust.

He remained silent.

“You son of a bitch!”

“I dare anything when it comes to you. I won’t apologize for
it.”

“Go to hell” She wanted to scream more profanity but instead
twisted her fingers together and tried to be calm. Counting to ten, she took a
deep breath. “I won’t let you rush me. I need to talk to Brent. I’ve always
talked over things with him before I make any decisions in my life.”

“I’ll be damned if I’ll let you go anywhere near my brother.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I’m the man that asked you for a future and I won’t share
it with another man.”

“Your ego is talking.”

“Did you forget he has a wife?”

“No, I didn’t, but that doesn’t change my friendship with
him. Melissa and I know each other. Although, we aren’t what you would call
friends, we are acquaintances. She knows that Brent and I have been close since
I was fifteen.”

“That’s the problem. No wife wants another woman around who
has a claim on her husband’s heart, whether emotional or not. I don’t want you
around Brent.”

“You’re being ridiculous. My aunt and your mother are best
friends. It’s impossible for us not to see other. What am I supposed to do,
turn the other way when I see him?”

“Out of respect for Melissa and his marriage, I’m warning
you, don’t be alone with him.”

“Warning?” Nicole bridled with resentment and anger. “You’re
making a request not a command, right?

“Damn, Nicole. Why do you turn everything I say into a
battle of wills?”

“Then you need to stop making it a battle. Brent has never
been my lover. ” She threw back at him.

“And he never will be. I’m the only lover you’ll ever have,
so this conversation is pointless. You’re exclusively mine.”

The macho response infuriated her to the point it brought
her blood to a boil. She bit back a stinging response. “You’re really pissing
me off.”

He moved toward her. “Really?”

“I won’t tolerate your attitude. You got to change your ways.”

“I will. I promise.”

She shook her head.
“Ashton, you don’t know the first thing about change. Now control that’s
another matter. You eat and breathe it.”

“I promise to always
relinquish control to you.” He held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

“You probably never were a scout.” She grinned against her will. “How is it that you can make me madder than hell and then turn on the charm and I let your nasty attitude slide? Brent always told me I was a sucker for smooth talk.”

Ashton dealt her a dark look of exasperation.
“Were you thinking of Brent when you were in my bed?”

She gasped. She couldn’t believe he would ask such a question. Granted she’d told him she was in love with Brent. She knew now that she would have never slept with Ashton if she was in love with Brent.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I won’t have him in bed with us.”

Her spine stiffened with anger. “You’re crazy to think such
a thing.”

“Do you deny it?”

“Yes! I deny it,” she shouted.

“Good.”

“Let’s get something straight, right now. Brent is your brother and my friend
only
. He has nothing to do with what is happening between us. Why can’t you see that?”

“I want to make sure that it stays that way.”

His arms circled her waist and he gently pulled her toward
him. She went willingly. What was he doing to her? Just one touch and she
succumbed.

“Why are you acting like this?”

“I’m possessive when it comes to you but I told you I would never
hurt you.” His mouth closed to ear. “Do you believe me?”

She sighed and allowed him to capture her with his touch.
With both hands on his broad chest, she lifted her head. “What are we doing?” she asked.

“Becoming one,” he said in a barely audible voice. “Making
you mine...forever.” He dropped his mouth to hers with a hard kiss, leaving her
breathless and moaning from the impact. Releasing her mouth, he swept her up
into his arms and moved down the hall. “Bedroom?”

Her heart quickened, and again images surged of the times
they made and the uncontrollable passion returned so vividly in full force.
Instead of running from it, she embraced it. “You know the way.”

Stepping into the room, he placed her on her feet. Nicole’s
pulse escalated at the handsome picture he made. He wore a pair of tailored
jeans that clung to the muscles of his thighs.

He quickly unbuttoned the black shirt that hung on his board shoulders. Nicole’s eyes ran over his chest and she inhaled painfully at the full view of the rippled abs in his stomach. She must’ve been blind because she never took the time to observe him when they made love the first or second time. Now she was taking her fill.

He toed the soft Italian loafers off his sockless feet and unsnapped his jeans. The sound echoed in the room and then complete silence settled. She wanted to completely surrender.The pretense was over.

Nicole pulled the rubber band from her hair and shook her
head, letting the heavy strands fall past her shoulders in a ripple cascade of
dark clouds.

Holding Ashton’s gaze, she unbuttoned her shirt and peeled it over her breasts. She shimmed the skirt down her hips, letting it fall around her ankles and kicked it aside with her sandals.

Ashton he watched her with hooded eyes. She took off her bra and let it drop to the floor. Then she took her time removing her black laced briefs. Nicole could tell by his clenched jaw that he was exerting massive control.

But Nicole was determined tonight that she would be the one
in control. She backed up slowly, the back of her knees touching the bed. She waited
for his approach.

She trailed one hand lightly down her stomach. She heard his
swift intake of air. Lying back on the bed, her legs fell open but she allowed
her feet remain planted on the floor.

When her hand caressed her mound, he let out a strangled
groan and swiftly discarded the remainder of his clothes. He moved between her
legs and lifted them up around his waist, leaving her exposed to his will.

“Forgive me, but I
can’t go slowly tonight.”

“I didn’t ask you
to.”

Rumbles of satisfaction sounded from throat as he leaned
over and rained deep kisses to her stomach quickly licking her mound. Nicole
squirmed and moved her hips toward his mouth.

His kisses set her ablaze. She felt his finger— and then two—inside
her clit. His other hand replaced his mouth as he massaged the sensitive area
above her opening. His fingers continued to work slowly with deep strokes as
Nicole writhed with every movement. She grasped his head closer between her
thighs and felt the rush of her climax.

Ashton’s fingers abruptly
stopped. She moaned at the loss, reaching to bring him closer.

“Not yet, baby. I need for us to do this together.” He moved
her further up onto the bed and reached for the condom he’d placed on the side
of her, which she hadn’t noticed until now. “Damn! The curse escaped his mouth.
His hand shook to roll the latex on his engorged member.

She reached for
him. “Let me.”

He stopped her. “No, sweetheart. If you touch me now, it would be over before we get really started. I want come inside you.” Quickly he finished the task and sheathed his shaft.

She scooted further up the bed and he opened her legs wider. He eased his penis through the wet channel. Nicole inhaled short deep breaths as Ashton slid a couple of more inches in and then pulled , before repeating the movements.

“Ashton, more…”

“I’m trying not to hurt you,” he uttered as he started to ease into her again.

She determinedly lifted her hips. She wanted him to him lose
control and give her what she wanted.

“Damn…Nicole.” His words were strangled and gruff.
“Sweetheart, you got to let me control this.”

“Not this time
around.”

She wrapped her legs tighter around his back and pulled him
forward. He groaned and plunged deep. Ashton circled his hips; she closed her
eyes and moaned at the sensation of inexplicable pleasure.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked. She opened her eyes and saw concern on his face.

“Don’t you dare.”

A slow sexy grin spread across his mouth, causing her to
want him even more at that moment. She panted at the fire that ran through her
body and clawed at his back. He moved with deep thrusts. She threw back her
head into the pillows and screamed when her orgasm hit. Ashton joined the
descent a moment later, groaning loudly as he fell along with her.

Ashton collapsed on top of her and she wrapped her arms
tightly around his shoulders, welcoming his weight.

“Baby, let me move, I don’t want to crush you.” Trembling, he pushed his himself up and eased out of her arms. He fell beside her with a long inhale and then released it slowly.

She laid her head on his chest and ran her fingers through
the fine hairs. “You okay.”

He planted a kiss in her hair. The warmth and tenderness of
it caused her to blink back a tear. At that moment she realized she’d fallen in
love with Ashton Sinclair. She remained motionless, waiting for her heart to
escalate with pain and search for a hiding place but it didn’t. There was
serenity, a calmness she’d never experienced before. It felt good.

Ashton continued to caress her hair and leaned over her bestowing soft kisses to her forehead and face in between. “Isn’t that what I’m supposed to ask you?”

She smiled. “I’m
fine.”

He captured her
lips. “Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”

Heat warmed her
cheeks, cracking the shield around her heart. “You remembered.”

“Of course.” He gave her a deeper kiss then slid from the bed, heading to the bathroom. He stopped and looked back at her. “There’s nothing I don’t remember about you.” Ashton winked and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

She stretched. It was turning out to be a good birthday after all. She moved gingerly to the side of the bed. She glanced up with a smile when Ashton came back into the room.The stormy blaze of anger in his eyes wiped the smile from her lips. She stood slowly and wrapped the sheet around her. Something was wrong.

The wet washcloth, which was undoubtedly for her, was in one
hand the other held the pregnancy test she’d left on the tank of the toilet. 
She closed her eyes for a brief moment. She’d forgotten about it.

“What the hell is this?”

Silence shrouded the
room. Nicole chewed at her lips, “Ashton…” She took slow steps toward him. He
made no movement but glared with fury so powerful that she stumbled in her
approach.

Mouth twisted, lips pressed ominously together, he threw the washcloth across the room onto a chair, grabbed his boxers along with his jeans and slipped them on. Feeling vulnerable, she put back on clothes and briefs.

All the time he watched her in silence, waiting like a lion
to pounce on his prey. Trying to get some measure of balance, she opened the
door to the bedroom. “I’m going to fix a cup of tea.” She didn’t want a drink
but she needed time to figure in her head how to explain what he saw.

“Tea?” he laughed,
cruelly. “Is that the best you can do?”

In the kitchen, Nicole filled the kettle, set it to boil. Even in the cloudy reflection of the stainless steel kettle she saw him watching her. To avoid facing him, she pulled a mug from an overhead cupboard and dropped in a tea bag. She glanced over her shoulder. He was leaning against the doorknob in the doorway, with his arms crossed. She turned back to the kettle.

The only sound in the room was the low whisper of the water
heating. Her hand shook as she poured the hot water into the cup, sugar and
stirred with a spoon. She heard his approach.

Finally, she could delay it no longer, she faced him.

“I think we’ll be more comfortable in the den. She left the cup of tea on the counter and walked out. She heard his footsteps behind her. Once Ashton entered the room he headed straight toward the small minibar and poured a glass of the expensive brandy he’d purchased on their outing a week ago. He drained the contents in the glass and then emptied more liquor into the glass. Her back stiffened when once again he swallowed the contents in one gulp. Then he strolled to stand near her but he didn’t touch her. She stared, unnerved by his enigmatic expression.

“I know you’re angry.”

His eyes narrowed. “Really? How can you tell?” The words were
riddled with sarcasm. “You lied to me.”

She opened her mouth and clamped it tightly to keep from spewing out something she wouldn’t be able to retract.

“You can’t find the words? Well, let me help you out. You’re
pregnant.”

“I didn’t know at first. I got my period but it barely
lasted a day.”