Love is Only a Whisper (Whisper Series) (18 page)

She smiled. “It called an ultrasound.”

“Yeah, that too. I’m not letting up on this.”

“You need to stop being territorial and a bully.”

“Do you want me to apologize?”

“No, because I know it won’t change who you are…an
egotistical, stubborn and a conservative jer—”

Color flushed his face. “Whoa. I know what I am but do you
have to be brutal about it?”

Nicole laughed. She’d hit a nerve. It was good. It made Ashton
seem more normal—human like the rest of his species. Finally, a small chink pierced
his armor, not much, but a tiny dent. That was all she needed to help her make a
decision. Knowing that underneath that rough exterior was a man with a heart
was good.

“Did I hurt something?” she said, still laughing.

He drew her closer. “Only you could. Give us a chance.” His words surprised her. What did they really have between them? She didn’t deny their sexual compatibility. It was combustible and sometimes frightening. She believed he may even care about her a little. But it would take baby steps to build the relationship. Right now it didn’t matter if he loved her because she loved him enough for the both of them.

Ashton’s tongue ran across her lips. “Open your mouth,
sweetheart. I want to enter.”

On demand her mouth opened and he entered, kissing her thoroughly. She moaned. He licked and sucked until she thought she would pass out from the emotions he was afflicting. Finally, he let go and she stumbled within his arms. Luckily, he held fast to her, smiling at what had just happened.

“You did that on purpose.”

“We are good together.”

She cleared her throat. “We need to…”

He stroked her. “To what?”

“Slow down. No sex. It seems to be the only way we
communicate. It confuses everything.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” His sexy smile caused her breath
to catch in her throat. “If so you’re going to have to enlighten me because I
don’t get it.”

“Even though I’ve been around you for years, you never
really talked to me. Usually if I said something to you, you answered back with
a grunt.”

“Did you ever wonder why?”

“No. It’s just who you are.”

“One day you’ll understand how we got to this place in our
relationship.”

“Really? I doubt it.”

“We see. Anyway, you were always a worthy opponent.”

“All we did was argue…debated about politics, women’s issues
and your archaic, ultra-conservative views on domestic topics.”

“Are you calling me a stuffed shirt?”

“If the shirt fits, wear it.”

He threw back his head and laughed. Again she was amazed at
the freedom he exuded with the sound.

“It’s if the shoe fits, wear it.”

“Whatever. You know what I meant.”

With laugh lines at the corner of his eyes, he placed his
hand over his heart. “You’ve wounded me.”

“Will you be serious?”

“Okay. So ask me anything. Let’s open up the line of communication.”

Frustrated, she retorted. “It’s shouldn’t be forced, but natural. We need to find mutual interests. First, we should try… and…date.”

“Date? Really?”

She felt her face burning. She’d never asked a man on a date
before, not even Brent. She was definitely out of her element.

He grinned and kissed her. “I like the sound of that. “What
else?”

She watched with suspicious eyes. “You agreed too fast to
that.”

Ashton’s expression softened. “I’ll say yes to us dating
before and after we marry, but I won’t agree to not making love to you.” His
lips curled. “It’s hard to break an addiction by going cold turkey.”

“Ashton, please…”

He whispered in her ear. “Meet me halfway, sweetheart. You’re
in my blood. But we’ll not make love until we are married or unless you
initiate it. How’s that?”

Nicole leaned back and squinted at him. “What’s the catch?”

“I plan for us to be married before we leave San Francisco.”

She glared at him. “Really? And just how do you propose to achieve that feat? Because where I’m standing, it looks like you’ll be in San Francisco for a very long time.”

“Here’s the deal. If I can be around you for one week and
not attempt to make love to you, you’ll marry me.”

“You abstain?” Nicole snickered. “You’ll not last
twenty-four hours.”

“I haven’t touched another woman since you and I made love.”

“That’s hard to believe,” she stuttered.

“Believe it. This is too important for me not to take the
time to show you how good we are and that we belong together.”

“You’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Free time isn’t a
factor,” she said stubbornly.

Ashton’s arms tightened around her, bringing her closer.
“You said it, love, I’m the CEO. I can create as much time as I want or need.
Do we have a deal?”

“This is ridiculous.”

“How about I follow your lead. You make the first move.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I won’t initiate it and
we sleep in separate beds.”

“Not happening.”

She laughed and clapped her hands. “Then I know I’m going to
win.”

“Don’t bet on it.

She squinted. “You’re going to lie beside me each night and
not make love. That defeats the purpose.”

He grinned. “I know.”

###

Just like every morning, Ashton’s human clock told him it was five-thirty in the morning. He could hear faint sounds of the seagulls on the beach. He lay there looking through the open window. The early sun was struggling to break through the sky but a thin shroud of darkness still held it back.

His turned to the beautiful woman lying beside him. His gaze ran over Nicole with unabashed adoration. All guards were down and it felt good. The baby must’ve taken all of her energy because she hadn’t moved when he softly kissed the side of her face or when his fingers grazed her pouty lips. A breath caught in his chest, when her tongue slipped out her mouth and casually licked his finger.

Seven days had passed and no lovemaking. The ice cold
showers hadn’t quenched his desire. The little minx was testing him. The
freedom she exhibited when she crawled over him as he laid unmoving by her side
left him hard and irritable.

The lady was trying to break him and win the bet. But he was
made of stronger stuff. He’d never let sex rule his head but he was close. If
she knew she held his heart in the palm of her hand, he would be putty right
now. When she planted her butt against his groin last night, he’d become
instantly hard. It had taken two cold showers in the middle of the night to get
his erection to go down. Damn. He would make it and for good measure, he needed
to go one more day. So there would be no doubt that the he won and that she
belonged to him. She would be his wife…his mate for life. Now all he needed to
do was to make sure that fate and destiny remained on his side.

He gritted his teeth when she threw her leg across his. Damn. This shit was getting difficult with each passing minute.

This little slip of a girl had more power over him than she could ever imagine. He loved her. Words of love resonated through his brain. It came as natural as breathing to him now.

Granted it took some time for him to grasp what was happening to him. Some might even call him a control freak but it didn’t matter when it came to Nicole. His control was practically non-existent and he didn’t care. He was determined to be everything she needed and wanted.

He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close. Sighing
with contentment, he kissed her hair, rested his chin upon her head and whispered,
“I love you.”

He slipped back into sleep.

A few hours later, his eyes opened to the bright sun shining
through the window. He reached for Nicole but only found her pillow, which was
cool to the touch. She must’ve been up for a while.

The smell of bacon waffling through the house tantalized his
nose. His stomach growled. Hunger had come to visit. He threw back the sheet
and headed to the bathroom.

###

Nicole was at the stove placing eggs on the place when she
heard Ashton entered the kitchen. Although there was no sound on the hardwood floor,
which only indicated that he was barefooted, her nostrils picked up his clean
scent mixed with soap and his aftershave.

He walked up to her, wrapped his arms around her waist—
causing the spaghetti strap mini nightgown to rise— and bestowed a heavy kiss
on her neck.

She threw him a slow smile. “Why don’t you sit? Breakfast is
ready,” she said. “The coffee pot is on the table.”

“Hmm. Thanks. Everything smells good.”

A serving tray of bacon, toast, and a carafe of orange juice
were already on the table. She brought the plates with the eggs over and sat
across from him.

He’d practically come to the kitchen half dressed. She tried
not to acknowledge his state of dress, but she couldn’t stop herself from sneaking
peeks at his naked, muscular and sexy chest or his smoldering eyes that were
too sexy for this time of morning. The man was a walking magnet. He had thrown
on the black jeans from the night before but left the top button open.

It had taken all of her willpower not to make the first move on him last night but she would be damned if she would let him win. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the plate aside.. She was instantly mad at herself for letting him unnerve her this way. Frustrated, she stood quickly and moved to the sink. She scrapped the remainder of her breakfast into the garbage disposal before rinsing the plate and putting it in the dishwater. Without a word, he came and did the same.

“Why don’t you go and put a shirt on?”

He touched her gently until she faced him. He was smiling
and Nicole held back the urge to say something to wipe the smirk off his face. She
silently countered to ten.

“You want me,” he said matter-of-factly and without shame.
“Do something about it.”

Nicole frowned at his audacity. She pressed a hand against her stomach to calm the butterflies caused by his words. He was up to something. Ashton never lost at anything and she knew he wasn’t about to in this situation.

He placed a hand at the back of her head and pulled it forward for a kiss. She allowed it.

“Is this part of the game?”

His brows furrowed. “It never was a game, Nicole.”

“I’m glad.”

She devoured his lips as if she was starving trying to get
her fill with one gulp. He groaned deep in his throat but let her continue the
journey of control. Nicole whimpered softly. The kiss was desperate and needy.
They hadn’t kissed like this in a long time. Ashton stopped the ravage and
lifted his lips from hers. She objected and tried to recapture his.

“Nicole?”

He gulped in huge amounts of air. Nicole’s heart was
beating so rapidly, she thought sure he could hear it.

“Yes,” she said hoarsely.

“You’re intoxicating and I want to make love to you
desperately.” He ran his tongue down her neck followed by a kiss on her smooth
shoulder.

Nicole trembled at the touch of his lips, taking deep breaths to calm the flutters in her stomach. She moved closer. She wanted him more than anything at that moment. He lifted his head and brought his eyes back to hers. “But it’s your decision.”

“I know,” Nicole whispered, with her lips against his bare chest. “I’ve never felt like this with anyone.” Nicole’s tongue scaled his chest, drawing a nipple into her mouth.”

His breathing became harsh and choppy. “I’m so glad. You
know I want to be your first in many things…your only lover, your only husband,
the only father to
all
of your children.”

“I know.” Somehow she knew he wanted it all. All these years while she viewed Ashton as insignificant, she realized now that it was because she was in awe of him. But also his ability to make her see things she didn’t want to acknowledge scared her. She always felt so exhilarated in his presence.

She snuggled deeper into his chest seeking comfort and peace. The gentle thump of his heart against her face induced a sigh of contentment.

Ashton’s hands threaded through her hair. He lifted her head and held it between his hands. “You mean so such much to me. I don’t want you to ever think you can’t share yourself and your feelings.”

“That will be a first.”

“As will a lot of things with us. We’ll be equals in our marriage. Of course, we’re passionate creatures, which mean we are destined to fight. But just think how great the make-up sessions there will be. We’ll always resolve whatever issues there are between us. Nothing will remain dormant. That could ruin us and I won’t allow that. When I become overbearing and impossible, I want you to put me in my place.”

“No doubt about it.”

He smiled. “ I’ll depend on it, alright?”

She tipped her head to one side and squinted. “What do you
get out of this?”

“I get the grand prize, you and our baby.”

He kissed her. Her hands wandered over the hard core of his arms and then slowly glided down to his stomach. His mouth continued its assault, hot and consuming. The slight roughness of his stubble grazed against her skin, sending excitement to her core. He tore his mouth from hers, lifted Nicole onto the counter and buried his face between her legs. She gasped at the sweet invasion of his tongue. At first, he teased her with nibbles but then latched on and drank her nectar.

Control was quickly fading. Her body shivered as hot fluid seeped from her onto his tongue. He came to his feet, grabbed her chin and brought her mouth back to his, fusing them together. She tasted heat and her essence on his tongue while her body screamed for release.

Ashton slid her body to the edge of the counter, unzipped
his pants and let them fall around his ankles, all the while keeping his eyes
on hers. She glanced down and caught her breath when she realized he wasn’t
wearing boxers or briefs but his cock was hard and ready.

“Place your hands on my shoulders and hold tight.”

Instinctively, she did. “Bed.”