Page 76 of Power and Possession

I pulled her into my arms, smoothing the hair back from her forehead. I owed so much to this woman. I couldn’t believe she’d stabbed her father. I looked at the knife on the concrete floor of the warehouse, dripping with blood.

It was one of the knives I’d hidden in my dresser.

Leave it to my Ashlynn.

She was my first priority in everything, but Cooper was in bad shape. He’d refused to give up any information about me, Ashlynn, or my financial holdings. I kissed her hand then reluctantly let go as I turned to Cooper. Mario had him untied, but he still wasn’t conscious.

“Take him to the hospital,” I commanded. “I think he’s too injured for our team. I’ll take Ashlynn home and then I’ll come and see him.”

“Like hell,” she piped up, her eyes flashing in warning. “I’m coming with you.” She moved to my side to emphasize her point.

I wasn’t going to argue with her. Not this time. She’d disobeyed me, negotiated with her father and brought his men into my townhome and put her life in danger…but she’d done it for me. This remarkable woman had saved my life twice. I’d never underestimate her again.

Cooper was loaded into a van to be taken to the hospital, and I escorted Ashlynn to the backseat of one of my town cars. I was bleeding pretty heavily still, so Mario got in the front seat and I crawled in the back with Ashlynn.

She fussed over my lip and the injury on my forehead, but I couldn’t care less about that. Instead, I just wanted her. I unbuckled her seatbelt and drew her onto my lap.

“Hey!”

I stopped her protest easily when I sealed my mouth over hers. She moaned, running her soft fingers through my hair. I was instantly hard. It had been over a month since I’d had any action, and my body was more than ready.

It would have to wait, though. Now that everything had changed between us, and she chose me, I wanted us to have a new beginning. I wanted to make love to her in my bed, pressing her into the mattress and worshiping her body.

But that didn’t stop me from kissing her thoroughly in the back seat of the car.

She pulled away. “Steele, are you sure you’re okay?”

I rubbed her shoulders, my thumbs pressing into her muscles. She was wearing my shirt, the one she wore to bed, and a pair of my sweatpants, rolled several times at the waist. Her feet were completely bare, and I marveled at her courage. Borrowed clothes, no shoes, yet she’d managed to hide a knife and single-handedly save me and Cooper. She was strong. And now, she was mine.

I tried not to shake with the excitement of it. Over the past couple of months, since almost the second she was in my life, I’d wanted this woman.

“I’m more than okay. Everything I’ve ever wanted is right here with me.”

Cooper was rushed into emergency surgery. He had significant internal bleeding, along with a skull fracture. I didn’t want to leave the hospital, and Ashlynn refused to leave me. I called Quincy and had him bring us both a change of clothes. A nurse bandaged me up, and Ashlynn watched carefully, her eyes narrowing every time the nurse touched me or flirted with me.

It was a nice change of pace to see her as the jealous, possessive one.

We sat for several hours, waiting for word on Cooper. I knew Cooper was tough, but I was still nervous. A lot could go wrong, and he’d lost a lot of blood. I felt obligated to call someone, to let his family know what was happening, but I realized I had no clue about his family. I’d never asked him questions, never gotten to know him outside of working together and scoping out women in bars.

I’d been an asshole. I resolved to be a better friend, hoping that if he came out of this, I could finally open up to him and have him reciprocate.

“He’ll be okay.” Ashlynn whispered in my ear, and a flash of affection overcame me. She held my hand tightly and then rested her head against my shoulder. I stared straight ahead, waiting for the doctor to come out. It had been over five hours, and I was more anxious than ever.

The doctor finally passed through the double doors, and I gently removed Ashlynn from my shoulder. She’d fallen asleep on me.

“Ash, the doctor’s here.”

We got up and walked towards him.

“He’ll survive,” the doctor said, scanning Ashlynn and I briefly. “We managed to stop the bleeding and repair the damage. He’s resting now in recovery, but we’ll move him intoanother room later this evening. You can see him quickly now, but then I suggest you both go home and get some rest. We’ll call you if anything changes.

I sighed in relief, the tension leaving my muscles. “Thank you, doctor.”

We both knew what was going to happen the second we got home. I couldn’t wait for the pretenses to be dropped. Ashlynn knew she loved me, and she knew I knew it too. I didn’t need her to say it, because I felt it in my entire body. Every touch, every glance she gave me conveyed exactly what I wanted her to finally admit to herself.

She’d finally let herself love me.

Quincy delivered my car to the hospital garage, so I was able to drive us both back to my townhouse. I noticed right away that the front door was replaced as well as the door to my bedroom.

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