Redeemed (22 page)

Evan swallowed his excitement. He could think of nothing better. Ashley would be so relieved. “Excellent plan. Ashley will thank you immensely. And I do have men who work for me that could be at our disposal if you need guys to do the field work.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. But, it may be that we’re venturing into more dangerous territory now. I believe it’s time to hire armed professionals. Hunting Damon Parkfield was relatively innocuous since anyone in their right mind would expect you to be after him. Opening a larger can of worms as we start researching other women and their possible involvement raises the bar to a whole new level.

“As soon as the ringleaders of this operation catch wind of our intentions, things could get ugly.” Jerard paused. “Please be as prudent as possible now. We don’t want anyone to figure out what we’re doing until absolutely necessary. Take a few months to do the legwork. Track down as many people as you can on paper first. Then we’ll reconvene and stake a hit on several all at once. The second anyone realizes our intentions, there’s a chance it will get more difficult to prove anything.

“These drugs don’t stay in the body very long. Within a few days they’re untraceable. We were lucky anything was detected in Ashley. The best plan is to try and corner several possible victims at once, catching them all unaware and running blood samples quickly.”

“You have a point, sir.”

“Okay, then we’re in agreement.” Jerard stood and reached out a hand to shake Evan’s. “I’ll send the files I have on several people by FedEx. You get back home to your mate.” He smiled warmly. “Congratulations. I wish you the best.”

“Thank you, sir.” Evan’s chair scraped across the floor as he pushed it aside. A giant weight lifted from his chest.

“We’ll be in touch. Use my private line if you need to contact me and keep me updated every few days.”

“Will do.”

•●•

“I’m home.” Evan dropped his overnight bag and his briefcase by the front door and took large steps through the living room.

“In here,” Ashley called from down the hall.

What was she doing that she didn’t race out to greet him? That was so unlike her.

He heard female voices as he headed down the hall and stopped at her studio. He leaned against the door jamb and took in the scene. Ashley stood at the easel. She peered around at him and waved, but her paint brush was poised in the air. Various colors dotted her face and paint shirt.

He loved when she worked. It was the most carefree he ever saw her. If she kept up the pace she’d had lately she would be able to open her own gallery before long. He might be biased, but he thought her work was amazing.

“Give me a second,” she said, her gaze returning to the canvas he couldn’t see.

“My cue to leave.” Samantha stood from the stool she’d been sitting on behind Ashley. “I have a case I need to finish up.”

Evan walked her to the door. “Thank you so much for coming over.”

Samantha touched his cheek. “Any time, you know that. Ashley and I are getting to be close friends. Anything I can do to help I’m there.”

It was Saturday. Luckily Samantha had been able to come over and spend the day with Ashley until Evan could get back. He owed her family a huge debt of gratitude for everything they did for him.

His own parents were much older and lived so far away he only saw them when he made a point of it. Since they’d moved to Florida four years ago to retire, he’d seen them only about once a year. He needed to visit them soon. They were chomping at the bit over the fact that he’d mated and not brought Ashley to see them. It wasn’t as though Ashley easily fought crowds and could jump on a plane and go vacationing. And Evan hadn’t gone into all the details about Ashley’s life with his parents yet. His mother would freak and worry herself sick.

Evan made his way back to Ashley’s studio after he saw Samantha out and set the alarm.

She was dipping her brush in a jar of water as he entered. “Just finished. Wanna see?”

He stepped farther into the room and kissed her messy forehead, sure to have smeared blue and yellow paint on his face. How did the woman manage to make such a mess of herself when she worked?

He turned toward the canvas and gasped. “Ash, that’s fantastic.” A park scene on a sunny day. A child ran through the grass, his little head tipped back to watch the kite streaming behind him. His parents sat on a bench nearby, his father’s arm around his mother as they watched with obvious love and admiration.

It was so alive, colorful, perfect.

“Do you like it?” She nibbled on her lower lip when he turned toward her.

He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her in close even though he knew his clothes would be ruined. “Love it. It’s so expressive. It seems like the child is actually moving through the scene.”

“You have to say that.” She slapped his chest with one hand. “But I’m glad you like it.”

He backed her up until her ass hit the edge of the desk. “It seems to me I promised to paint you one of these days.”

“Ah, that’s too bad. I don’t have any free canvases available right now.” She giggled.

“I never intended to use a canvas.” He leaned in to take her mouth in a thorough kiss that past experience told him would leave her mind spinning. When her eyes glazed over, he knew she would be putty in his hands.

Hardly breaking the kiss for one second, he pulled her smock over her head and dropped it on the floor. Next he tugged her T-shirt out of her jeans and whipped it away to join the paint shirt.

Each time he settled his lips back on Ashley. She moaned into his mouth. He could taste her need. She was always so quick to bring to the edge. Not that he was any different. His cock ached. It seemed like he’d been gone a week instead of twenty-four hours.

Evan popped the button on her jeans and lowered the zipper. The sooner he got her naked, the sooner he could make a canvas out of her body. She had no idea what ideas stirred in his mind.

Ashley wiggled her hips as he tugged her jeans down and off. Her feet were bare underneath and as soon as she stood in nothing but her matching pink lace panties and bra he held her away from him for a moment. “You’re so gorgeous, baby.”

Her stomach dipped as he let his gaze wander over her entire frame. “You aren’t so bad yourself,” she muttered.

He lifted his hands to cup her breasts and then expertly popped the front clasp and whisked the lace away.

“We never make it to the bedroom,” she teased.

“I don’t care. Do you?” He lifted one brow and glanced at her face.

Her cheeks were their usual aroused pink. Her eyes were starting to glaze with lust. She shifted on her feet and he knew her pussy would be wet for him. “No.” She whispered that one word with some effort.

Evan dipped his fingers under the thin lace of her thong and slowly, deliberately removed the scrap of material until she stood completely bare to him.

“You’re always dressed and I’m always naked,” she mumbled. She grabbed his T-shirt and pulled it over his head.

When she reached for his fly, he stopped her, wrapping his hand around hers and pulling it up to his chest. “Not ready for that yet. I can’t go slow when you let my dick out. It’s too hard.”

She laughed as his unintentional pun. “Isn’t that the idea? And who said anything about going slow?”

He tapped her nose. “I did.” He lifted her onto the desk with both hands at her waist. It was a huge surface. The mahogany would be protected from what he had in mind by the glass top covering the wood. “Lie back, baby.” He watched as she gingerly lay against the cold surface, flinching as the glass touched her skin.

“What…?”

He set a finger on her lips. “No talking. Just feel.” He turned to the paint pallet behind him and grabbed a brush from the jar next to the bright colors.

“You wouldn’t.”

“Shh,” he admonished, trying to arrange his face in a stern look and sure he failed miserably. “I said I was going to paint you.”

He dipped the brush in the pink and held it over her navel. With the tip angled straight down, he waited, watching the drop of paint as it collected at the very end of the brush. Ashley flinched.

“Hold still, baby. Don’t move.”

She did as he said, but she screamed when the drip finally broke off and landed in her belly button. It was so erotic the way it affected her even though she’d known what was coming.

“Lift your arms over your head.” He watched her comply with his wishes. Her shaky hands drifted up above her and landed in the spray of her curls where they lay spread against the desk.

Evan dipped his brush into the drop of paint in her navel and painted a spiral out from the center.

Her stomach hollowed as he worked, and her head rocked back and forth. She squirmed, but not enough for him to admonish her yet.

Loving the look of the deep pink against her skin, he reached for more. This time he started under one breast, slowly swirling a circle of rose around the entire globe, working his way painstakingly toward her nipple.

“Evan…” She gasped as he teased the areola, not quite touching the tip. Instead of giving her any satisfaction there, he gathered more of the acrylic and switched to the other breast. Even without touching the gorgeous tips, they stood more erect than he’d ever seen them. She was the sexiest creature alive.

Her arousal filled the room, her scent making him breathe through his mouth to avoid coming in his pants. He could still taste her on his tongue, but it wasn’t as intense. He licked his lips, drawing in the remainder of her flavor from their kiss.

Finally he flicked the soft bristles directly over her nipple. Ashley screeched and bucked her chest. He repeated the action on the other side and then switched back and forth, coating both nipples until all he could see was dark pink paint, made deeper by the rosy color of her areolas underneath. The tips stood tight and firm. He wanted to suck them into his mouth, but not now. Now was for creating his masterpiece.

“Spread your legs, Ash.” He dragged the brush in gentle stroked down her thigh as he spoke. “Open for me, baby. I bet this pink will look lovely next to your pussy.”

Ashley moaned. Her knees shook as she parted them. The desk wasn’t long enough to accommodate her entire body, so her feet remained settled against the glass only a few inches from her center. When she splayed her legs, she opened like a butterfly to his gaze.

She was already so wet, he could see her moisture running down toward her rear hole. Had she ever been taken there? He hoped not. He wanted that tight bud for himself. If it was a trigger for her, he would never force the issue, but he prayed she hadn’t been violated in that way. Later. This sexual escapade of theirs was just beginning. They had their whole lives to experience everything they could.

Evan painted a stripe down the inside of both thighs, watching her flinch with each stroke of the brush. He loved the way she remained as still as she did. Even though she thrashed about, her movement was marginal and expected.

He painted the dip behind her knees next, making her lift and lower the butterfly wings of her legs. “Ah ah ah. Stay still. Your canvases don’t move around while you work, do they?”

He chuckled and took a moment to watch her face. He adjusted his cock and tried to ignore the demands it screamed in aggravation. The fellow could wait. He was busy.

Another dip into the pink paint and Evan traced a half moon around her pussy on her thighs. He didn’t dip too close, knowing she would come the instant he touched her clit. He wanted her to writhe first.

“Evan… God…”

He grinned and painted her outer lips, tiny strokes, just the tip of the brush barely touching her skin. Her pussy grew a deeper pink by itself from the blood that rushed to the surface. He didn’t need more paint. The brush strokes alone drove her crazy.

With one hand, he peeled her outer petals apart until he could see her glistening entrance. She panted heavily as he stroked his brush against the sides of her channel. And then he released her.

She heaved for air. “Evan, please…”

“What, baby?” He reached for more paint.

“I need to come so bad. Please.”

“Soon. Not yet. I’m not done.”