Steele: Into Your Heart (Carolina Bad Boys #3 (21 page)

“He’s also my boyfriend, so you better watch your mouth and watch your step”—she leaned back to peer at his badge, making it clear she had no frigging clue who the wet-behind-the-ears noob was—“Collins.”

“Yes, ma’am! Sorry, ma’am. Won’t happen again, ma’am.”

“Since you’re no use to anybody around here, please take my daughter to the break room.”

Fuck. I hoped they hadn’t started a heated debate about my dick piercings in there already.

“Don’t leave her for an instant or your badge is gone.” Ashe gave another order.

Hang on. Rewind. Her boyfriend?

Ashe had never said those words before. Not out loud. Not to me. And never to anyone else.

Cara gave me two thumbs up when her mom’s back was turned as Collins escorted her out of the lobby.

I scratched the back of my neck. “Boyfriend, huh? Because we broke up . . .”

“Hey, Kingston? You got a minute to look over this statement?” Another fucking young buck asked. In a suit, all fresh-faced and clean-shaved.

Ashe looked between the Boy Wonder and me before taking a step closer to me. “Actually, can you give me twenty minutes?”

“Sure thing. Rightio.”

Rightio?
“Who’s that?” I watched the cop disappear into the innards of the station.

“Davies. My partner.”

My mouth dropped open before I slammed it shut to grind my teeth together. “Isn’t he a little young to be watching your back?”

I wanted someone like Detective Old Fart aka Sipowicz from
NYPD Blue
—strained shirts, polyester suits, cigarette stained fingers, and a potbelly. Not some preppy-looking twenty-year-old in something made by Brooks Brothers or whatever.

“Davies is older than you. He’s thirty.”

“Looks like a preschooler.”

“Brodie?”

“Yeah.”

“Shut up and come with me.”

Ouch.

Aaaand
yet I followed Ashe without question. She led me through a maze of hallways and into a room. An interrogation room. Despite my bad rep, I’d never been arrested before. The set-up was totally taken from a script of
SoA
. Or vice versa. Heh. Ashe was now The Vice.
Nice.
Metal table in the center of the room. Shackles bolted to the floor. Hard chairs. No extras, except those cameras in the corners.

Wary. Caged animal wary, I paced. “The cameras off in here?”

Ashe rapped her knuckles on the door and waited for someone to appear. When a bland face shoved against the tiny square window, she did some super Secret Service sign language, motioning to the cameras.

Ten seconds later she turned to me. “Video feed off. Okay?”

“Fine. What’s this all about?” I turned one of the chairs around and plunked down in it.

Ashe fiddled with her suit. She took a seat across from me and fidgeted her leg. She focused on her hands, folded in front of her. In other words, my very professional, extremely cool detective-not-girlfriend was nervous.

My heart softened and slowed for her. “Ashe?” I touched her cheek, running my fingertips to her neck before pulling away.

She sucked in a huge breath, and her tear-filled eyes met mine. “You hurt me.”

“I know. I lashed out. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said. But you kept cutting out on me, and it all built up. I pushed you too hard and too fast.”

“You can’t say sorry to me. I don’t deserve it.” She pressed her folded hands against her lips. “It wasn’t too much or too fast. I got scared.” Her eyes lifted. “You’re not what I expected, Brodie. You’re so much more.”

“Ah, shit. You’re killin’ me here, Ashe.” The table separated us along with a huge amount of bad blood between us but I wanted to take her into my arms.

“There’s more.” Tears that didn’t drop spiked her eyelashes. “I’ve been eaten up with guilt about your parents since they died. I knew it was only a matter of time before it all blew up in my face.”

I grabbed one of her hands, holding it inside both of mine. “Goddammit. I never should have said that shit.”

“But you’re right. I tried to make peace with it. That’s why I’ve kept a close eye on Cat, why I’m so proud of you for getting on with your life.” She swiped beneath her eyes as my stomach tangled inside. “It’s been killing me not to fall in love with you.”

“Why? Why can’t you fall in love with me?” I choked out.

“Brodie, please.” Ashe jerked her hand away and fell back into her seat. “How could you ever love me when you blame me for your folks? I knew, I knew one day this would happen. I protect myself. I always protect myself, but I didn’t do a good enough job with you.”

“I don’t blame you anymore,” I snarled.

“You threw me out of your house!”

I stood, kicking the leg of the table. “Because you told me to get lost from your life.”

Ashe rose in front of me. “After you forced me to admit to my feelings.”

I greeted her rage with more of mine. “I’m oh-so-sorry about having feelings for you. I forgot our negotiations. Is that what you want to hear? I could get laid in an instant, Ashe, by any woman I wanted. Guess what? I don’t want anyone but you.”

She breathed in a ragged breath. “I want you too. Only you.”

“Then what the hell is the problem here?”

“Cara.”

“Fuck’s sake. Cara is not a problem. You’ve told me that a million times, and I’ve shown you I can be there for her. I want to be there for her. I want to be here for
you
.”

“I’m not ready.” She paced away from me.

“Figured that. So I’m supposed to wait? How long? At least think about your daughter if something happens to you!” I shouted.

“Don’t you raise your voice at me, Brodie Steele. I’m trying to do my best and make a living, and you were not part of my plan. I told you so that first night in Myrtle Beach.”

“Christ. You are such a ballbuster.” I stalked to the door and rattled the doorknob. Locked, from the outside. Of course. “And I don’t have time for another shouting match with you. If that’s all you’ve got to say to me, I’m outta here.”

“You don’t get to walk out on this!”

I spun around. “Shut up already, Ashe.”

She clamped her mouth closed as I stalked to her.

“You have used me. Broken up with me more times than I can count. Given me rules to play by—and heads up—I don’t do rules, in case you haven’t noticed.” I grabbed her around the waist, lifting her against me. “Now you listen to me. I’m not going to ask you to quit your job. It’s part of you. Sure, it freaks me out. But I’m a big man. I can take it. And I’ll do anything I can to help with Cara. You know that. I want to fucking
be with you
.”

Her sudden kiss on my lips felt too good to be true. I met each of her lunges, grabbing onto her. I broke off to sample the sweet taste of her neck.

“
Oh,
” Ashe moaned.

“Yeah,” I gruffly said.

“Why are you so sweet sometimes?” Her voice purred, all velvety.

“And such a jackass other times?”

“I wasn’t going to say that.” She melted in my arms, slinking against me.

“
Hmm
.” I curled around Ashe, bringing my hands up her back and into her hair.

“I give in. Come home with us tonight. My shift ends in half an hour.”

I set her free and crossed my arms over my chest. “You know what? I don’t want the possibility of
us
to be about you giving in for me, or thinking you’re giving something up. If that’s what this is, forget it. Not interested.”

Her eyes flashed silver as her gaze locked on mine. “Okay. How about this then? I love you.”

Back In The Saddle

WE WERE IN A tight, brightly lit police station cubicle—not exactly the stuff romance was made off, but holy fuck.

“What?” I asked, my brain trying to catch up to speed with my heart that
ba-bammed
against the wall of my chest. “What did you say?”

Ashe pulled my face down and pressed her lips against mine. “I love you.”

Leaning back, I narrowed my eyes at her. “Fuck, woman, took you long enough.”

“Brodie!”

“What?”

Ashe dipped her head against my chest. Her fingers curled into my shirt. “Don’t you have something to say to me?”

“Who are you and what did you do to my woman?”

“Brodie!” She reared back and I thought her eyes were going to spit flames.

“
Hmm
. Come to think of it, I do have a few things to say to you.” I squeezed her ass with both hands, laughing when her eyes flared even brighter. “I really like you in a suit, sexy.” I twirled a lock of blonde hair around my fingertip. “And your hair looks pretty today.”

“Brodie,” she groaned.

“Wait. I think there’s somethin’ else.” Running a thumb along the swell of her bottom lip, I closed the space between us. “I love you, Ashe Kingston. I love you as a woman, as a mother, as a badass detective, and as a biker babe. Love every single gorgeous, infuriating, wild part of you.”

Her arms wound around my neck as her smile grew. Then I was too busy kissing her—the kind of kisses I’d missed. Her tongue leaped into my mouth, and I sucked it slowly, bunching her hair in my hands to force her harder against me.

Pulling away from her sweet luscious mouth, I teased her neck with my tongue and lips, rasping her delicate skin with my whiskered chin.

She moaned so lowly the sound settled right in my cock. With a little sigh, she flicked her hands against my chest, pushing me off her.

“You told me to shut up,” she huffed.

“I know. But then you said you love me so I figure you forgive me.”

“You’re infuriating.” Ashe hauled me down for another hungry kiss.

When her moans turned to whimpers and I was in danger of dropping her onto the floor for a quick dirty screw, I dragged myself away from her.

Panting for breath, she stood in front of me. Her gaze wandered down my body and when she hit my bulging crotch, she lifted her eyebrows.

I groaned in response to her leering look. “We can’t fuck on this table, can we?”

“Cameras are off.” She shrugged.

“What about the evidence?” I asked in a hoarse voice.

“Well, that would be inside me if you do your job right.” Approaching slowly, she trailed a finger down the center of my chest until she cupped my cock in her palm.

I gripped her wrist and drew her hand away. “I can do my job no prob, but this time I’d prefer it to be in your bed where I’ll be staying all night long.”

“Bossy.”

“Those are
my
terms.” Let her take a slug of her own medicine.

She surveyed me all over with her smoking gray eyes, a small quirk to her lips. Finally, she said, “Deal.”

“No backing out. No walking out. No running scared.” I checked one last time.

“Yes.”

We sealed it with a kiss that spun quickly out of control. A sharp knock on the door thrust us apart, and I gave a throaty chuckle.

Ashe held out her hand for me. “We should probably go.”

“Yeah. Before we get arrested.”

While Ashe collected Cara, I waited in the lobby taking measure of all the police officers in the house. I took special note when an older dude appeared dressed in a rumpled, possibly-from-the-eighties suit. He had hard, unforgiving eyes set inside a worry-wrinkled face. When he entered the room, everyone stood at attention.

Sipowicz
. So she did have one after all.

Ashe and Cara caught up with me, and I pointed at the man. “Him. He should be your partner.” At least he looked old enough to watch my woman’s back.

“That’s the chief,” Ashe said.

“Exactly.”

She patted my cheek. “What am I going to do with you?”

Everything, hopefully, tonight, and totally naked.

Ashe slid her arm around my waist, mentioning to Cara, “Brodie’s coming home for dinner.”

Cara walked out of the station ahead of us, stopping only to call back, “’Bout darn time.”

“You’re grounded!” Ashe and I said together.

In the parking lot, Cara scrambled into the passenger side of the car while I opened Ashe’s door and waited for her to climb in. “You need me to pick up anything from the store?”

“Nope. Just grab some clothes for tomorrow so you can spend the night,” she said all matter of fact.

Suddenly Cara’s head popped up next to her mom’s. She held out her fist to me with a loud, “Booyah!”

Ashe peered between her daughter and me before settling her glare on me.

“What?” I asked with my hands up as I backed toward my truck. “You can’t blame that shi—that stuff on me. You raised her.”

It didn’t take me long to feed the cats, give them some love, and throw my stuff into a bag at my house. I texted Boomer and locked up behind me. I opted for the Harley instead of the truck. I wanted to make tracks to Ashe’s before she changed her mind.

Dinner prep was in full swing when I walked inside—Cara singing off-tune as the iPod jammed out something terrible, Ashe working away at the stove. She’d switched into cutoff shorts and a tank top. When I caught a glimpse of her round ass hugged by the denim I had to remind myself to keep my hands off.

Strolling up behind her, I placed a kiss on top of her head. She swatted me away with the spatula.

I grinned. I could definitely get used to this.

They made dinner while I set the table and poured some wine for Ashe and me. Afterward, I handled the cleanup, and they set up the board games tournament in the living room. Carrying another glass of wine in to Ashe, I settled on the couch next to her. I rubbed her shoulders as we played a round of Monopoly. Cara accused me of cheating because I scooped up the railroads just like I told her I would.

All the while, Cara wore a very smug look on her face. I didn’t blame her one bit. I probably spent the whole night gloating myself.

Before Ashe sent her off to bed, Cara swooped down to kiss my cheek. “’Night, Brodie. See you in the morning.”

My voice suddenly grew too gruff to speak. I simply nodded and messed up her hair a little.

“You’re really good with her.” Ashe turned in my arms, crawling into my lap.

I played with the frayed edges of her shorts. “That’s because she’s easy. You done good. Except for that noise she calls music. Oh, and did you know she’s been pestering me to take her out on my bike?”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“That’s what I said.”

Ashe became quiet, burrowing her face against me. When she spoke, her voice was low and soft. “What if I’m not . . . if this isn’t . . . exciting enough for you?”

“Are you crazy, woman?” I lifted her face from where it was tucked against my shoulder. “You have gunshot scars. You ride a bitching Triumph. You’ve got a sweet kid, and a good home, and hell, I do not need any more excitement in my life. I just need you.”

“Do you want to have children, though? Of your own?”

“Christ.” I cuddled Ashe closer. “Here’s the thing. I think so. But not if it’s a deal breaker with you. I don’t know, Ashe. Shit, I’ve already got Boomer and Cat, you and Cara,
and
the fucking cats. But . . . can we just not talk about this yet? Can’t we enjoy one night without having A Talk?”

“It might not be a deal breaker with me,” she whispered.

Goddamn.
I wanted to get that signed in writing. Instead I caressed the nape of her neck, where the skin was velvety as flower petals. “Really?”

She nodded. “But we do have to have A Talk.”

“’Bout what?” Alarm bells went off, louder than the metal detector at the station.

“You honest to God cannot say anything about what I’m about to tell you.” Moving to the opposite side of the couch, Ashe stared at me and I had the feeling she was measuring me up.

“Talk.”

“There’s another reason I broke up with you—tried to anyway.” She drained her wineglass. “I couldn’t be seen to be sleeping with the enemy on my first investigation as detective.”

“Hold up. Enemy?”

“Brodie, I’m investigating Retribution. That’s why that shitheel Collins asked if I was bringing you in today.”

Shock ran through me like an electric current. “What the fuck? My club is clean.”

“Some members are not.”

“Who?”

“I can’t disclose that information.” Ashe stood and headed to the kitchen.

Following right after her, I poured her some more wine and grabbed a beer for me. I swigged it fast.

“I’ll fucking kill anyone who dirties the club.” I slammed the bottle on the counter. “It’s Boomer’s baby, for fuck’s sake!”

“I need you to keep your mouth shut and let me handle it.”

I gritted my teeth. “I’ll find out who it is. I’ll take care of it.”

“You absolutely cannot get involved. I shouldn’t have told you in the first place, but I wanted you to understand.” Slipping her arms around my waist, Ashe leaned into me. “I want you. I have wanted you. I am in love with you. Cutting you out of my life just about broke me, Brodie.”

“Me too,” I whispered roughly.

“But you are a civilian here,” she said with finality.

Jerking back, I scowled. “Retribution is
my family
.”

“And it’s my investigation.” Her chin took on that stubborn tilt. “So you and me? A major conflict of interests.”

“Understatement.”

“So let’s really fuck everything up. Come to bed with me. I need you. I’ve missed you so much.”

My thoughts spun like tires on a wet road, but I shut that shit down. Tomorrow. Tomorrow would be early enough to figure out
the
who
and
the what
and how quickly I could destroy whoever was messing with my club’s reputation.

We washed up and got in bed. I went with full nudity. Ashe wore panties—a tiny scrap of lace—and a tight little top.

I tugged at her minimal clothes. “C’mon, darlin’. Wanna feel you.”

Her breath faltered. “Could we hold each other for awhile?”

Chuckling low in my throat, I snapped her panties against her ass cheek. “Yeah, but let’s do it naked.”

That was quite possibly a mistake. Ashe sat up, kicked off her panties and slid off the top. She lay down next to me, and skimmed her hands up my chest, over my shoulders, and into my hair to bring me to her lips.

We made out, rolling around on the bed. Pillows ended up on the floor. Sheets fell off the end.

Sometime later, I moved her onto her back, sliding above her. “Something else you missed?”

“The way we move together.” Her voice pitched high at the end as I circled the hard ball piercing on the tip of my dick against her swollen little clit.

I held her hips to the bed and thrust up and down against her wetness but never inside. We came together with yells held underbreath, our lips locked together, our bodies straining for more.

After I recovered enough to move, I pulled a sheet over us and smiled when Ashe pillowed her head on my bicep.

“If that’s how we don’t have sex, I’m game,” I said.

“Me too,” she sleepily mumbled. “Love you.”

I switched off the light and lay down with her pressed against my side. “Love you too.”

****

The next week, Cara called to me from the deck at Ashe’s house.

I hung my head out the sliding door. “Yo.”

“I got some alone time for you and Mom.”

“How so?”

“I’m going on a slee-eep-O-VER,” she singsonged.

Score
. It was official. I loved her more and more by the day. I’d been jonesing for some couple-time with Ashe. Although Cara never carried on when we snuck a kiss or two, Ashe and I were a hell of a lot more discreet with her around.

We had sex, of course we did. We were Brodie and Ashe after all. But it was quiet, contained to the bedroom, with no headboard banging the wall. I didn’t stay every night either, only three or four times a week. Not nearly enough to sate my craving for Ashe.

When the night arrived, I made my own sleepover arrangements. I’d take Ashe out to dinner, and then I’d be all about the free access to her body while she thrashed beneath me, above me, and all over me, screaming as loud as she wanted. In fact, the louder the better.

Our meal at a swanky downtown restaurant was expensive, intimate, candlelit, lingering. Ashe wore a slinky dress the same color as her eyes, which made them appear even more silvery. I’d put on a decent pair of jeans . . . with my biker boots . . . and a light blue button down shirt I’d taken the time to iron.