Asher unlocked the motel room door, and they stepped inside. The smell of age, mold, not to mention old, smelly carpeting that gave off a cigarette odor rose up and struck her senses like a slap in the face. She wrinkled her nose and glared at Asher. He shrugged.

“Best we can do for now. There’s a hamburger joint across the road on the corner. You hungry?”

She shook her head. How could he even think of eating after everything that had just happened?

“I think I’ll take a shower,” she mumbled. Maybe a shower would help ease the tension in her muscles. She felt horrid. Not just physically, but emotionally. Guilty. Worried that she’d not only truly stepped in the shit this time, but dragged someone else into it with her. Her mind reeled with questions. She knew things had changed. That her life had changed. Without warning, without notice.

She’d tried to hide her fear and uncertainly from Asher, but by the looks he’d been sending her the entire drive, she hadn’t been successful. She didn’t like these feelings, these emotions. They were foreign to her, and she hated them. Weak. They made her feel week and vulnerable, and she despised every moment of it. Usually, when on the trail of a hot story or an important discovery, she felt nothing but excitement, that surge of adrenaline that comes when you’ve finally found something that you’ve been looking for. This time? No, this time, she felt nothing but an increasing sense of dread.

Ellie no longer had control of her own life. She was at Asher’s mercy and didn’t like that either, not one bit. Tears burned in her eyes, and she quickly turned her head and blinked them back. She wouldn’t cry in front of him. Wouldn’t appear weak, even if it felt like that inside.

Asher saw them anyway. She could tell by the way his expression softened. That annoyed the hell out of her too. She didn’t need his damned pity. She brushed past him as she rounded the bed and headed for the bathroom, but inadvertently bumped his arm as she did so. A sensation she could only compare to an electrical shock jolted through her, warming her in ways that were good and bad, and scary as hell, all at once. Shit.

Asher reached out and clasped her arm, preventing her from going further. He pulled her back toward him, so close her breasts nearly touched his chest. Heat blasted from his body. Before she could react from the surprise of his touch, he wrapped his arms around her and just held her. Ellie’s eyes fluttered closed, and for that one brief moment, she allowed it. She even allowed her head to dip forward, her forehead to rest against his chest, reveling in his heat and comforted by contact. The scent of laundry soap, fabric, and an even slighter hint of manly sweat wafted toward her, and she resisted the urge to melt against him.

She couldn’t let her guard down. Not ever. Not even with Asher. And yet she wanted to, so, so badly.

After allowing herself those few seconds, Ellie abruptly pushed away, blinking back those stupid tears that once again threatened. She glanced up at Asher, him looking down at her now, a slight frown marring his brow. “You know I don’t want to be here, you do get that, don’t you? That I—”

She felt the gentle pressure of his lips against hers. Ellie froze for several seconds, amazed at the softness of those lips. And then, God help her, she relaxed into him, lifted herself slightly on her toes, and returned that pressure, tentatively at first, and then deeper. From out of nowhere, heat bubbled and grew deep inside, her blood carrying the heat to every part of her; first her belly and then into her core, racing through her body, causing her nipples to harden and her cheeks to blossom with it. She would allow this, relish the physical contact, if only for another moment or two. She deserved a bit of comfort, didn’t she? These feelings; this sense of almost-desperation was nothing more than the aftermath of an adrenaline surge. Her reaction to stress.

The thought sobered her. Despite the tingle in her nipples, the blood thrumming through her veins, and the surprisingly tender touch of Asher’s lips against hers, Ellie broke it off and stepped away. She gestured lamely toward the bathroom. “I need . . . I need some alone time.” Her voice sounded funny. Then again, her entire body felt off-center. How the hell had he generated such feelings of desire in her? This was no time for . . . her pussy clenched with desire, and she felt a surge of dampness. Damn it.

“I probably shouldn’t have done that,” he said.

She didn’t say a word. Not that she could have, even if her throat didn’t have a gigantic lump growing in it. She didn’t regret it. Not the comfort, not the kiss, not even the surprise of her obvious desire for him. Her body told her to give in—to step back into Asher’s embrace, to wrap her arms around his waist and indulge in the warmth and strength his body offered. Yet another part of her told her to turn away, to run into the bathroom, to close the door, and lock it securely behind her.

Ellie chose the latter, but her body didn’t move, her mind screaming for her to remember how that caress felt, how his hard body felt against hers. Reminded her of the flame that she’d felt, deep inside . . . No cold shower would squelch those feelings. But as she stared at him, praying her expression didn’t display her deepest thoughts, Ellie couldn’t help but notice the way his T-shirt clung so snugly to his chest, or the musculature of his arms . . . her mind drifted . . . what did his cock look like fully aroused? Likely huge and bulging with veins, a head glistening with moisture. Would his balls feel full and firm under her exploring grasp?

She stood frozen, half turned to the bathroom door as her imagination ran wild. The sensations of his lips suckling her nipples, his tongue swirling, making them harden and pucker beneath his . . . his warm palm cupping her breast, or the sensations of his fingers stroking down her abdomen and dipping beneath the waistline of her jeans. And those—

Stop it!

She gestured toward the bathroom. “I’m going to take a shower. If you want to go get something to eat, go ahead.” Asher said nothing in reply, and she forced herself to step into the bathroom and close the door. She leaned against it, her face flushed with heat and her pussy throbbing with desire. No, this couldn’t happen.

Knees trembling, Ellie stepped toward the shower. She ignored the streaks of rust stains around the faucets. She ignored the cracked tiles around the soap dish. She wanted . . . needed to feel hot water skimming over her skin, washing away his scent. Washing away her desire. Her knees trembled. The thought of a cold shower was not appealing, though it might have been more effective. She turned the faucets, adjusting the temperature, then quickly undressed, placing one of the bath towels from the rack above the toilet onto the floor, then stepped over the rim of the tub.

Warm water caressed her skin. Ellie closed her eyes and eased her head back, relieving the tension at the back of her neck and upper shoulders. Water coursed down her breasts, her belly, and her legs. It felt so good. More relaxed, she turned around. The warmth pounded against her back, further relieving both sexual tension and fear—for a few precious moments. Then she opened her eyes and reached for the shower curtain.

And froze.

Asher stood in the doorway, staring. His mouth fell open, as he gaped before finally speaking. “I thought you might need . . . umm, I have . . .” his words trailed off as he lifted his hand with what looked like one of his T-shirts clutched in it. A clean one.

Ellie would have laughed at the expression on his face, if she hadn’t been standing there completely naked. Her face burned more the longer Asher stared, the look on his face morphing from embarrassment to something . . . else?

She should’ve shouted at him, should have told him to get the hell out, yanked the shower curtain closed to hide her exposed body, but she didn’t. Couldn’t. She returned his stare. Every fiber in her body was more than aware of what he wanted, what she wanted, too. So she allowed him to look his fill, his gaze sweeping her body, taking his time, forging a trail of heat everywhere his gaze traveled over her body. Of course, he saw her nipples hardening. Of course, he saw the pulse that throbbed in her throat. Of course, he saw her mouth drop open and heard her breath escape in a sharp gasp and still she didn’t—couldn’t—move.

She watched, unsure if he would clasp his hand tighter around the doorknob and pull the door closed, or drop it and step further into the bathroom. He didn’t close the door. Asher stepped over the threshold, his gaze locked on hers. Until he dropped the clean shirt he was carrying and yanked his own over his head. Now she looked. Admired his broad shoulders, his biceps, that chest . . . and it took everything she had to pull her gaze from his muscled abs, to watch him quickly divest himself of the rest of his clothes.

His arms danced with rippling muscle, veins threading their way through his biceps and forearms every time he so much as twitched a finger. He was barefoot. She stared and watched with fascination as his hands reached for his pants, his fingers quickly unbuttoning that single button, then unzipping, shoving the pants down to his knees, and then kicking them off.

No tightie-whities for Asher, no sir. Good old-fashioned boxers, which soon followed the pants to the floor. His cock already stood at full attention, reaching toward her, pulsing with a life of its own. It was only when he moved toward the tub that she forced herself to pull her gaze from his cock, up that broad expanse of chest and up toward his face. Not sure why, she extended a hand. He took it and stepped over the rim of the tub. They stared at one another for several seconds as the water cascaded around them. Then, once again, she was wrapped in his embrace, his lips on hers, this time with his naked erection pressed against her belly.

They played tongue tango as her nipples hardened. His cock wiggled, bumping against her, and another wave of heat rushed through her body, matching the heat of the water pounding down her back and ass. She sank into his embrace, giving herself up to the strength of his body. Asher’s hands stroked along her back, pausing at the slight dip in her lower back before venturing beyond, his palms skimming along her ass and then cupping it, urging her closer to him. Her hands also roamed and explored, tracing the bumps of his abs before caressing his wide chest. She looked down. Could she? Ellie sucked in a breath as his hand slid around her hip and moved upward, traveling along wet skin until his huge palm cradled a breast, his thumb flicking over her nipple.

The kiss broke off. Close to gasping for breath, every cell and muscle in her body on high alert and thrumming, she rested her head again against his chest, her hands now wrapped around his lower waist, listening to the pounding of his heart, his hard body pressed against hers.

Asher dipped his head, and then his mouth found the crook of her neck. His knees bent, and he crouched lower, half-lifting her until his lips could latch onto her nipple. She groaned as he suckled and swirled his tongue, her hips pressed close to his. With a mind of its own, her right hand stroked his thigh only to trail inside to cup his balls. Her other hand slid between them, her fingers grasping his cock, wrapped tightly around his shaft, the veins on its surface engorged, the skin smoothing under her palm, velvety soft on the outside, hard on the inside. Her thumb stroked the top of his head, eliciting a bead of warm, liquid heat.

The water pounded against the porcelain tub. Her ears caught his hitch of breath, his low groan of pleasure. Their hands seemed everywhere at once, and then one slid between her thighs and cupped her pussy, his fingers tentative while they explored. She spread her feet apart to give him access and then gasped as he slid a finger toward her core and dipped inside. Her muscles clenched around it, sending the first waves of pleasure outward through her body. Asher responded. His finger slowly dipped deeper while his palm caressed her nub. Sliding in, sliding out. Waves of pleasure filled her. She forgot everything except the sensations raging through her body. Her hand stroked his cock, almost automatically, with the rhythm of his finger inside her. Her hips pumped gently and her breath came harder, faster. So did his. So did her strokes along his shaft, her other hand cradling his balls, massaging. She heard the rumble of pleasure erupt from his throat. His finger moved faster, as did her hand. Her head fell forward, and she rested her chin against his chest. His warm breath caressed her lips. She opened her eyes and watched him watching her, his pupils dilated, his mouth slightly open. He grinned, his own hips moving now.

She wanted to feel him inside her, wanted to feel his shaft surging upward inside her, but she didn’t have any protection, and she sure as hell wasn’t about to break the moment by asking if Asher did. Ellie pushed her thoughts away and focused on the rhythm they shared, the building sensations of his palm swirling around her clitoris every time his finger dipped deep inside, her hips rocking faster and harder now, her hand tightening around his cock with each stroke.

She felt her orgasm rising, and he must have sensed she was close, speeding up the pace of his finger sliding in and out of her pussy. She heard a gasp and a low, mewling sound, realizing afterward that it came from her own throat. The pressure and pleasure rushed over her, and she came with a cry. Asher covered her lips with his own, their tongues again swirling together. He sucked on it as his palm stroked her nub over and over again, prolonging her pleasure. Her muscles contracted rhythmically around his finger. Ellie closed her eyes and let the waves of pleasure take her away, her hand still stroking his cock . . . and then his hips pumped harder, faster, his body pressing ever closer. She felt the rippling upward, and then the hot splash of come squirting rhythmically through her fingers, onto her belly, immediately washed away by the water.

Then it was over, both now leaning against one another, one of his hands braced against the tiled wall beneath the shower head as they stood gasping for breath. They stood quietly for several moments, she didn’t know how long, her head spinning, her pussy still enjoying the rhythmic contractions that gradually ebbed.

As the bliss cooled, Ellie suddenly felt awkward. She didn’t want to glance up at him, didn’t want to see the look in his eyes, but she did anyway. At that very moment, as their gazes locked, the hot water disappeared, replaced by lukewarm, and just mere seconds later, that too was gone. Cold water pelted her back. She stiffened and squealed, prompting Asher to wrap his arms around her wet body. He lifted her over the lip of the tub and onto the floor, quickly following. They both reached for the folded towels at the same time. He wrapped one around his waist, water dripping from his hair and his chin while she wrapped her towel around her shoulders like a shroud.

His hands cupped her face and urged her to look up at him. He studied her face for a moment and then smiled.

“No regrets,” he said softly.

She agreed. “No regrets.”

Without another word, he nodded, stepped toward the door, and left the bathroom, closing it softly behind him. She was alone again.