Page 48 of Captive Hearts
Nineteen
Gina was pretty sure she was hitting on Ashley.
She hadn’t really meant to, it was just happening. Maybe because the Ashley that Gina had started the day with was not the one who was trapped in this cupboard with her. The worst time and place in the world, but Gina couldn’t seem to help it. ShewantedAshley. She was sexy, childlike, hard, soft, sensitive, a brick wall. Gina was into the contradiction that was Ashley Quick. She really couldn’t say if the reverse was true. She was pretty sure that Ashley only saw her as a dumb camera operator.
But then Ashley turned with a very focused look in her eye. ‘Gina,’ Ashley said.
‘Ashley?’ Gina replied with a small grin.
‘I like your arms and your bum,’ Ashley told her.
Gina was thrown pretty hard by that. The only reaction she could find was a nervous chuckle. ‘Yeah?’
‘Yes,’ Ashley said through slight embarrassment. ‘I thought so earlier, but I didn’t think you would end up liking me very much, so I was… I think I attacked you right off the bat to make it easier for myself. That was childish. But I think that things… Well, things have changed. Between us.’
‘I think they have too,’ Gina told her, her head spinning a bit.
‘I’m ready to stop playing games if you are?’ Ashley asked nervously.
Only that wasn’t really what she was asking, Gina could feel it. ‘I’m ready,’ she told Ashley, looking her right in the eye. Ashley nodded, and Gina thought she was going to say something else. That was what Ashley did. She was a talker.
But the answer wasn’t verbal, though it was expressed through Ashley’s mouth. Her very warm, soft mouth. She didn’t kiss the way Gina would have expected. There was nothing aggressive or pushy about it. It was soft, gentle, almost passive, yet… electric. Gina felt the kiss shoot through her entire body, lips to toes and everywhere in between.
Gina reached her hands out and grabbed Ashley by the shirt lapels and pulled her tighter. Ashley got the hint and twisted around to get closer. But they were still sitting side by side, so Gina kept pulling until she’d slid onto her back and Ashley was astride her. That’s when things began to get blurry, hot, sweaty, and so very, verygood.
Until a voice said, ‘What the fuck is this?’
Gina and Ashley’s heads swivelled to the door that had opened without either of them noticing. Rick was standing in the doorway, gun in hand as ever. ‘Hi Rick,’ Ashley said, from on top of Gina. ‘Umm, how’re things going out there?’
‘Not as good as in here, obviously,’ Rick noted. For a horrid moment, Gina thought he might be thinking that porn had taught him correctly and that catching two women snogging was some sort of invitation to a three-way. But he didn’t look at all like he was thinking about that. He seemed a bit envious, actually. She understood why in a flash. He was pining for Kara Malone, who was outside and yet still far from his reach, and here Gina was, getting some hot reporter action. It had to sting Mr Big-Shot-With-a-Gun.
‘We were just…’ Gina began but really, what could she say? That she’d been choking, and Ashley was giving her mouth to mouth? What Rick was looking at was undeniably the latter stages of foreplay.
But as ever, Ashley was ready to take up the baton. She began to clamber off Gina, standing up and straightening her clothes. ‘I’m sorry. I just needed to… I needed to relax,’ she said with a cheeky shrug. ‘You know how it is?’ she said, giving Rick a woman of the world wink.
Gina was startled. Did she mean that? Was she just blowing off steam? The way Ashley had been talking earlier, it had seemed like more. But maybe Gina misinterpreted things.
Rick shook his head. ‘Whatever.’ And then his face broke into a big grin. ‘Oh, I see.’
Ashley cocked an eyebrow. ‘See what?’
‘That was…’ Rick stopped and chuckled. ‘That’s what that look into the camera was all about, right? Signalling her? Giving her the oldwait till laterlook?’
Ashley and Gina swapped a quick glance during which a crucial agreement was formed.Run with whatever Rick wants to tell himself.
Ashley started to laugh. ‘Oh, yeah. That’s why I… You didn’t think it was anythingelse, did you?’
Rick laughed along with Ashley. ‘Oh, no, I didn’t think anything else at all. Actually, I think I knew all along what was going on,’ Rick blustered. ‘It was obviously just a bit of flirting. Right?’
‘Yes,’ Gina and Ashley agreed in harmony. ‘Flirting,’ Ashley added. ‘Yup,’ Gina concurred.
Rick’s relief was palpable. ‘Yeah. Knew it. Right, Ashley, you’re needed. The fucking copper won’t stop ringing, and it’s doing my head in. I need you to deal with her.’ He turned from the door and stomped off.
Ashley turned and gave Gina a lingering gaze. ‘I better get out there,’ she said.
‘Yeah,’ Gina agreed.
But before she walked out, she grabbed Gina’s hand. Just for a second, she squeezed it. Then she let go and was gone.
Gina followed her out, trying to shake what had just happened. Her entire being still crackled, sparks of electricity jumping through her body, but she ignored it as best she could. Because it seemed like Ashley was about to go into the next round of negotiations on Rick’s behalf. Thank god he’d decided to rewrite what had happened, that he would rather blind himself to the truth than think his lieutenant had betrayed him. It was a miracle, one everyone in Jimmy’s Pizza needed, whether they knew it or not.
But Gina could only hope there were no further incidents like that.Because even a man like Rick could only fool himself solong. But she had faith. Ashley had barely made a wrong move all day. Especially in that cupboard…No! None of that, Gina told herself, as Rick handed her camera back to her in the dining area. There was no time for those kinds of thoughts.
She watched Ashley and Rick slide into the booth with the phone on the table, readying themselves to talk to the detective. Gina sat down across from them and did the only thing she could think to do, the only thing she was good at; she switched on her camera, framed up Ashley and Rick, and focused her lens.
‘Action,’ said Rick.
Gina hit record.
