CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
"I could strangle you," Phoebe snarled. She twisted the towel in her hand and snapped it against Ash's ass. She felt immediate satisfaction when he yelped in surprise. "I can't believe you told her I would co-chair the winter holiday market with her."
He skipped away, avoiding another hit from the towel. "To be fair, I simply said that you would like to be social." He grabbed a glass from the sink, rinsed it off, then placed it in the dishwasher. "She was the one who brought up the market idea."
Olivia had left Phoebe feeling cold. It was obvious from the questions Olivia had asked that she didn't approve of Phoebe. What college had she attended? How long had she known Ash? Were they expecting an addition to their family soon?
Phoebe wiped a dinner plate and handed it to Ash. "How am I going to wiggle out of this?"
"Why would you want to?" Ash bumped the door to the dishwasher closed, then switched it on. When he finished, he turned to rest his back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "I think it might be fun."
She turned away to hide the rolling of her eyes. She removed the tinfoil from the cabinet and pulled a strip from the box. "I guess that means you'll be volunteering right beside me?"
"Ah."
She covered the leftover roast with the foil. "If it's so much fun, then why aren't you willing to do it?" Why should she be the only one to deal with Olivia's judgmental attitude?
"Because it's a wife thing." He must have noticed the dark look that crossed her face because he pushed away from the counter. "Don't take it the wrong way, please. The military is a strange beast. I've heard stories about how fragmented it used to be, and leadership has taken steps to make things more inclusive, but there's still some level of wanting wives to be involved."
"Do I really have to join this club?" She rested her hand against her hip, watching his eyes closely. She was learning to read the subtle messages lurking there, and she was fairly certain he was being serious. "I'm not sure if I can make the commitment."
"It's not a big commitment," he said, taking the roast from the counter. He held it while she opened the fridge, then he placed it inside. "The dinner was great, by the way."
She shook her finger. "Don't try to distract me with compliments."
"Well, it's the truth. I thought Mauricio was about to lick the plate."
She smiled. "I thought he was about to ask if he could take some home." Seeing Ottinger enjoy her food had made her feel good. It was like she'd won some little victory, one that Olivia hadn't approved of.
"She wouldn't have allowed that." Ash grinned. He reopened the fridge and grabbed a beer from the door. "I should probably warn you about her."
"After I met her?"
"She's someone you need to meet in order to understand." He shrugged and opened the beer. "She's the old-fashioned sort. She's the type who thinks enlisted wives should stick with enlisted wives, while officer wives belong with officer wives. She has some strange notions on proper behavior for officer wives." He took a big gulp. "Whatever you do, don't let her convince you that you shouldn't interact with someone just because of my rank."
Walking to the sink to quickly wash her hands, Phoebe nibbled on the inside of her cheek. "I wouldn't do that. If I like a person, I like them. I don't care about their education or their job or how much money they have." She patted her chest, just above her heart. "I only care if they are a good person."
He leaned against the counter, placing his elbows on the surface. "What about me?" In an uncharacteristic move, he trained his gaze on the beer bottle cradled in his hands. "Do you like me?"
This insufferable man was hers. Her husband. And he was asking if she liked him?
"It depends on the day."
He cocked his head to the side and pointed the tip of the bottle in her direction. "Lies."
"You can be a pain in the ass sometimes."
"Fallacies." The word ended in a hiss.
"At this particular moment," she said, yanking the bottle from his hand and swigging down the last gulp, "I find you barely tolerable."
He pulled the bottle from her hand and held it to the light. With a disgusted snarl, he tossed the empty bottle into the recycling bin. "Just tolerable? After I let you drink my beer?"
She leaned against the counter and placed her hand against his cheek. "Barely tolerable."
The corners of his mouth twitched. His chin jutted forward, allowing him to grasp the tip of her finger between his lips. He sucked it further into his mouth. "What about now?"
Phoebe knew she was playing a dangerous game. Heat simmered inside her, threatening to boil over. A tiny voice in her head warned her that she needed to excuse herself and flee from the room. But she enjoyed their teasing banter too much; it was a refreshing departure from an evening full of silent condemnation.
"I like you a little better," she said instead. She held her hand up, pinching a small space between her thumb and forefinger. "Just a little bit better."
His lips parted to reveal his startling white teeth. He probably intended it to be a smile, but to Phoebe, it looked like a predatory snarl. Then he reached out and hooked his forefinger in her v-neck collar. He tugged at it, then ran his finger over the curve of her breast. "Phoebe Cooper, I think you just issued a challenge. Are you willing to accept it?"
Her heart thudded against her chest. Her limbs felt heavy, almost fluidlike. "Challenge accepted."
The smile faded from his lips. He stood there for a moment, perhaps listening to his own warnings deep in his head. Then he leaned closer to her, and she thought he was about to claim her mouth in a kiss.
Instead, he moved swiftly, grabbing her by the waist and hoisting her onto the island's counter. His hands slid up her thighs, pushing her skirt to her waist. She felt cool air breeze across her warm center as he planted himself between her legs.
"We should probably go upstairs." She kept her voice low, knowing that Reggie slept only a few feet away.
Phoebe felt the air rush from her body when he curled his arms under her legs and pulled her even closer. She bit down on her hand when she felt his teeth nibble across her neck.
"I don't think I can make it, darling." He pulled back so she could see his smile, then he brought his lips close to her ear. "So I suggest you be very quiet, otherwise you might disturb Reggie's sleep." He rocked against her, creating enough wiggle room for him to grab her panties and slide them down her legs.
"Ash," she whispered. A voice of caution echoed through her mind, but it was quickly stamped out by her anticipation. Against her better judgment, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and locked her ankles around his waist.
Reaching between their bodies, he unzipped his jeans and released his cock. Through her lower lashes, she watched as he inched closer. She closed her eyes when she felt him push against her.
His entrance was slow. Filled with impatience, she wanted to scream for him to hurry up. She bit down on her lip and thrust her hips forward so she could meet his slow drive into her. But, she couldn't hold back her gasp when his gradual thrust ended with a powerful surge.
"Shh." He shifted, allowing his hand to slide up to the juncture of her thighs. He grinned wickedly when his thumb traced circles around her sensitive nub. "I don't think you want to scream."
His strokes were firm, pushing her closer and closer to the edge. Her breathing was heavy, and she struggled to keep her moans to a low volume. With each thrust, her gasps grew louder. He claimed her lips, as if to stifle her cries.
Phoebe found the contrast between their attempts to be silent versus the power of their lovemaking to be devastating. She buried her fingers in his hair, feeling her channel begin to constrict around his length. She fell back onto the counter and arched her pelvis, and his body collided against her most sensitive spot.
When her orgasm claimed her, she lurched forward, sunk her fingers in his thick hair, and kissed him savagely, projecting the intensity of her release through the kiss. Soon, his fingers dug into her flesh as he growled and plunged into her one last time.
They remained locked together as they regained control. After a few minutes, Ash kissed the tip of her nose, then pulled out of her. She flinched, feeling swollen and bruised from his unrelenting lovemaking. She felt utterly and completely sated.
"What about now?" He grabbed her skirt and pulled it down to cover her thighs. "Am I still just barely tolerable?"
"I don't know." Phoebe slid from the counter, then wrapped her hand around his thickening cock. "I think I might need a bit more persuading."