her brown-and-white mongrel pet shot through. Whining and wiggling, he sniffed at the girl while she cooed over him. He leapt up and settled on the quilt as close to her as he could manage. Her personal bodyguard’s bloodshot eyes lovingly surveyed her and seemed satisfied.
Chapter Fifteen
Tension vibrated throughout Ash’s body as Crystal wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to pull him on top of her.
“Why are you being so stubborn? I want to feel your body over mine.” She’d coaxed him close with her wiggling finger, insisting he lean over, and had caught him neatly in her diabolical trap. A tigress in heat chagrined by his gentleman’s principles.
“Crystal, my love. Stop! You’re not recovered yet. You’re weak. We should wait until you’re fit.” He groaned the last few words with his forehead against hers. “You know I’m a puddle when it comes to you. You’ll have your way with me if you push, but I need to be sensible. You have to help me be strong.”
“Help you? You ninny. I’m trying to seduce you here. I don’t want you to be strong. I want you to undress me, kiss me everywhere your lips can reach, and take as long as you wish. Then I want you to put your...”
He quit fighting and lowered his aching body gently next to her. “I’m beginning to get the picture. Tell me more.”
She whispered her fantasies while he tried hard to re-enact them, kiss by kiss, touch by touch. His mouth latched onto her breast through her white eyelet cotton nightie, and his hot, damp breath accelerated her heartbeats.
“I love you, Ashley Parks. I love your hands. I love your mouth, and your body.” She smiled adoringly. “But now that I know you, shall we say, inside out...” They both chuckled. “I especially love your heart.”
He looked deeply into her eyes, lingering, searching, until a pained expression covered his features, and he turned away. He lay on his back with an arm over his face. His voice came out low and hesitant.
“Words are inadequate to express my feelings, sweetheart. Yes, I love you, too, but what I feel is more powerful than mere love. I can’t explain it, really, except to say that if anything ever happened to you, my heart would simply be an organ in my body, full of—of nothing, emptiness. These last few days have made me realize how much you mean to me. It scares me silly to be so vulnerable.”
“You’re probably feeling that way because of what we just went through with Arnie. We can’t let fear... Ash, who could be at the door at this time of night?”
The doorbell’s strident peal rang again. It brought Dr. Andrews hurrying from his library. Ashley slipped from Crystal’s room, closing her in safely with her canine protector. He had to see who could possibly be calling this late. The consistent ringing and thumping indicated a troubled soul on the other side.
Before the doctor’s hand reached the knob, the door flew open. A man lurched in and scanned his surroundings.
“Ash, help me! Stop him! This crazy bugger is demented.” Joey wove around in the foyer, one arm apparently forced up over his head and being held there by his other hand. He spit a cigarette from his lips, then slammed farther into the room, stumbling towards the staircase. Finally, falling to his knees, he clung to the newel post and wrapped both arms around it. He gripped his fingers together, forming an apparent shackle.
“Joey? What the hell is going on? Are you okay?” Possibly a dumb question, considering the man’s actions. A quick glance from Dr. Andrews testified to the fact that he thought it a rather silly query, also.
“No, you idiot. I’m not okay. I’m freakin’ out here, and if you don’t stop me, I’m gonna be shooting you, only it won’t be me, it’ll be Arnie, but he’s me, and there won’t be a damn thing I can do to stop him.”
“You—him? What are you going on about? I don’t get it. Who wants to shoot me?”
Dr. Andrews threw Ash
Chapter Fifteen
Tension vibrated throughout Ash’s body as Crystal wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to pull him on top of her.
“Why are you being so stubborn? I want to feel your body over mine.” She’d coaxed him close with her wiggling finger, insisting he lean over, and had caught him neatly in her diabolical trap. A tigress in heat chagrined by his gentleman’s principles.
“Crystal, my love. Stop! You’re not recovered yet. You’re weak. We should wait until you’re fit.” He groaned the last few words with his forehead against hers. “You know I’m a puddle when it comes to you. You’ll have your way with me if you push, but I need to be sensible. You have to help me be strong.”
“Help you? You ninny. I’m trying to seduce you here. I don’t want you to be strong. I want you to undress me, kiss me everywhere your lips can reach, and take as long as you wish. Then I want you to put your...”
He quit fighting and lowered his aching body gently next to her. “I’m beginning to get the picture. Tell me more.”
She whispered her fantasies while he tried hard to re-enact them, kiss by kiss, touch by touch. His mouth latched onto her breast through her white eyelet cotton nightie, and his hot, damp breath accelerated her heartbeats.
“I love you, Ashley Parks. I love your hands. I love your mouth, and your body.” She smiled adoringly. “But now that I know you, shall we say, inside out...” They both chuckled. “I especially love your heart.”
He looked deeply into her eyes, lingering, searching, until a pained expression covered his features, and he turned away. He lay on his back with an arm over his face. His voice came out low and hesitant.
“Words are inadequate to express my feelings, sweetheart. Yes, I love you, too, but what I feel is more powerful than mere love. I can’t explain it, really, except to say that if anything ever happened to you, my heart would simply be an organ in my body, full of—of nothing, emptiness. These last few days have made me realize how much you mean to me. It scares me silly to be so vulnerable.”
“You’re probably feeling that way because of what we just went through with Arnie. We can’t let fear... Ash, who could be at the door at this time of night?”
The doorbell’s strident peal rang again. It brought Dr. Andrews hurrying from his library. Ashley slipped from Crystal’s room, closing her in safely with her canine protector. He had to see who could possibly be calling this late. The consistent ringing and thumping indicated a troubled soul on the other side.
Before the doctor’s hand reached the knob, the door flew open. A man lurched in and scanned his surroundings.
“Ash, help me! Stop him! This crazy bugger is demented.” Joey wove around in the foyer, one arm apparently forced up over his head and being held there by his other hand. He spit a cigarette from his lips, then slammed farther into the room, stumbling towards the staircase. Finally, falling to his knees, he clung to the newel post and wrapped both arms around it. He gripped his fingers together, forming an apparent shackle.
“Joey? What the hell is going on? Are you okay?” Possibly a dumb question, considering the man’s actions. A quick glance from Dr. Andrews testified to the fact that he thought it a rather silly query, also.
“No, you idiot. I’m not okay. I’m freakin’ out here, and if you don’t stop me, I’m gonna be shooting you, only it won’t be me, it’ll be Arnie, but he’s me, and there won’t be a damn thing I can do to stop him.”
“You—him? What are you going on about? I don’t get it. Who wants to shoot me?”
Dr. Andrews threw Ash
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