Hot Piece of Ash (Paranormal Dating Agency Book 28) Read online

  It was exactly four o’clock when Valentina opened the front door to find Smoke standing there with a single daisy in his hand. He shuffled from foot to foot, almost shy and extended his hand to her. “I brought you something.”

  She grinned and took the flower. His gaze was riveted on her face, then moved over her body slowly. Something intense flared in his eyes.

  They stood at the doorway staring at each other. “Thank you,” she replied quietly. “Come on in.” She held the door open for him to enter. “Let me put this cute thing in some water.”

  She went to the kitchen and pulled a glass out of the overhead cabinet.

  “You look comfortable enough for what I’ve got planned. I hope you don’t mind a little walk.” He watched her every move. She wondered what he was thinking. To her, it seemed as if he was trying to memorize how she looked at that moment.

  “I figured since we were going on a tour that we’d be walking for a while. I didn’t want to slow us down with inappropriate shoes.”

  She finished putting the flower in water, came out of the kitchen, grabbed her little backpack off the counter, and headed for the door. She always carried it when she went for walks. A girl never knew when she would need a bandage or a snack.

  “Let’s go.” He raised his brows when she pulled the backpack over her shoulder. “That’s a tiny bundle,” he said, his lips twitching and a chuckle sounded from him. “packed to the max.”

  She scrunched her nose but laughed. “I like to be prepared.”

  When they went outside, she spotted a big truck in front of the bungalow. “I thought we were going on a hike.”

  “We are, but we need to get to the trailhead, which is a good way down the road, almost on the other side of the volcano.” He stated matter-of-factly. “We’ll be walking far enough without having to add that distance to the hike.”

  When they were settled in the truck, Smoke started the engine, and the truck lurched forward. They traveled several miles before he pulled over to what looked like an old parking lot overrun with weeds.

  “I don’t remember seeing this on my map. “

  “Probably because it isn’t.” He stated with a cheeky grin that made her want to lick his jaw. The guy was so fine, and it was hard to not be distracted by his sexiness. “Come on, I want you to see something.”

  They hiked through thick woods, which looked healthy compared to some on the other side of the volcano.

  “At least all the vegetation looks greener over here.” Her eyes moved slowly, taking in the breath-taking sight. They were on a hill overlooking the valley on one side and the volcano on the other.

  He was constantly staring at her, but it didn’t bother her. There was both genuine interest and desire in his gaze. It made her revel in the feelings his watching evoked in her.

  “You actually find the island interesting, huh?” he asked. “It’s certainly different to see a woman that’s not talking just for show. You ask real questions and are genuinely curious.”

  She frowned. “Do women normally fake interest in things to get your attention?”

  “Sometimes.”

  She shook her head and sighed. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t fake anything if I tried. My face speaks for me.”

  When they stopped, he turned to her. “This is what I wanted you to see.”

  He pointed across the area to a spot of blue like the ocean with sandy beaches in the middle of a forest. How could that be there?

  The scene was so breathtaking that she actually shivered at the sight. While she stood there enjoying the wonder of the lake, she felt him come up behind her and breathe warm air on her ear. “Beautiful isn’t it.” His hands moved to her arms then slowly slid down. Goosebumps broke over her skin.

  “Yes, it is,” she said breathlessly. His hands began to move over her body while she stood there admiring the view. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. God. This man was making her feel things. Ash made her feel things. Both men. This was insanity.

  They were quiet while he stood close behind her. She was afraid to move, afraid to break that spell that his touch caused. He gently turned her around to face him. Her head bowed to her chest. His fingers tangled in her hair. He pulled her head back and stared into her eyes. “I’m going to kiss you unless you don’t want me to.”

  She gulped and let out a soft moan. “I kind of really hoped you would. What took you so long?”

  He chuckled, then the next second his lips were pressed firmly against hers. He deepened the kiss, claiming her mouth. He stroked his tongue over hers, lovingly and then with more aggression, making her lose her mind in the process. Damn, she wanted to get him naked. That was so unlike her. But, between Smoke and Ash, she was going to go up in flames.

  “I’ll be right back.” He turned from her and adjusted his pants.

  “Where are you going?” she shouted after him as he rushed off.

  “Forgot something in the truck.” He ran back in the direction of the parking lot when she turned back to gaze at the blue water of the lake.

  It only seemed like a few minutes when he was back in their lookout spot. “Here we go, love. It wouldn’t be a date if I didn’t make sure you had something to eat.” He held up a gigantic picnic basket. “Hope I brought something you like.”

  “My goodness, that has got to be the biggest basket I’ve ever seen. What do you have in there? Did you bring the kitchen sink?” She chuckled.

  He laid out a large blanket on a grassy area and struck his tongue out. She laughed harder at his silliness.

  He chuckled and winked at her. “I didn’t think about the sink. Not sure it would have fit anyway.” She loved feeling so relaxed with Smoke and could see from the laughter in his eyes he felt the same. Then, to make the date even more spectacular, he pulled out all kinds of wonderful things from his magical basket.

  First, he set down fried chicken—you can never go wrong with fried chicken. Then came potato salad, a cold bean dish, cheese, cold cuts, and excellent smelling garlic bread. And last, a bottle of wine and two glasses.

  “You thought of everything, didn’t you?“

  “Baby, I even have chocolate cake for dessert in there. Nothing too good for my princess.”

  She frowned.

  He raised his brows in confusion. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

  “No.” She glanced down and then met his gaze. “I’m just not used to anyone calling me such nice things.”

  “Well, you are a princess to me. Get used to it.” He pulled a plate from the basket and put food on it for her.

  It was perfect. They ate their picnic supper and enjoyed a glass of wine. Though it was strange having red wine with fried chicken. Oh well, who said they had to be conventional?

  After they ate, Smoke cleaned up and refilled the basket. Setting the basket to the side, he lay on the blanket and gazed up at the sky as it started to darken. “Lie here beside me, and let’s watch for the stars to come out.” Hesitantly, she lay close to him. He pulled her closer and had her place her head on his muscular arm. “You can see the stars better out here, away from the lights at the resort.”

  He rolled to his side, facing her. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” He slowly pulled a stray strand of her hair away from her face. “You understand I don’t need to lie to you, right?”

  She blinked. “Yes.”

  “So when I say you’re beautiful, I mean it, Valentina.”

  She gulped and licked her lips. “I guess.”

  “No guessing here, love. Don’t take away from what I see. The beauty you have is unique to you.” He slowly bent his head to take her lips. He ran his tongue over her lips and she sighed into the kiss. Her whole body and soul were in agreement that Smoke could call her beautiful whenever he wanted and she’d believe him.

  When they reached the bungalow after enjoying a quiet time on the blanket, Smoke found himself not wanting to leave her. He cleared his throat and shuffled from one foot to foot,
feeling like an awkward kid after his first date. “I guess I’ll see you in a day or so. Hopefully?” He let out a breath. “I hope that you want to see me again. Do you?”

  She grinned, her smile was bright and full of sunshine. Then she stood on tiptoes and placed her lips on his cheek, leaving a tiny scorching spot where she kissed him. “You know darn well I do. I can’t even imagine waiting for a day to see you again.”

  Sighing, she stepped back.

  His dragon puffed his chest out with happiness. He’d done good and now his mate would want to spend more time with him.

  “Okay, princess, that’s an invitation I’ll hold you to.” He gave her a final kiss that made him ache to the deepest parts of his ancient soul and hope sprang in his heart that he and Ash would finally have their mate. “Think about me tonight, sweetheart. I’ll be thinking of you.”

  She licked her lips and he had to fight the urge to rip her clothes off. “You know I will.”

  He strolled away and turned to see her standing on her porch, her smile wide and a hand up, waving him goodbye.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Valentina woke with a jolt, sitting straight up in bed. Everything was quiet. Then her phone rang again. She breathed out a hard breath and leaned over to the nightstand.

  “Val, it’s Kristin. Sorry to call so early, but we’re having a meeting in an hour, and we’d like you to join us. Are you busy today?”

  Valentina laughed. “I was prepared to start working immediately, so no, I have nothing important going on.” Besides, she had a lot to think about.

  “K,” Kristin replied, “see you in an hour.” When Valentina hung up, she glanced at the clock to see it was nine-thirty. Damn, she’d never slept this late.

  Valentina jumped out of the bed and into the shower. As she showered, her thoughts went back to the previous day and her date with Smoke. God, he was so funny, but yet could be serious. He tried to keep telling her she was beautiful, even called her princess. And his kisses. Goodness gracious! Fire went down her body and woke long thought dead feelings every time he stroked his lips over hers.

  But the problem was how could she possibly have such strong feelings for two different men. Both were gorgeous, model-worthy looking, vibrant men. Both seemed to find her beautiful, which would take some getting used to. Not even her parents told her she was pretty. Could she do what Gerri had hinted at? Could it be possible that these two men could be hers?

  One problem, though, how would they feel about her wanting another man? Well, damn, that probably wouldn’t work. How could she choose only one of them? Only time would tell. She was going to be here for a good long time, she hoped anyway.

  When she walked out of the front door, Mark stood behind a cart with a huge box on it.

  “This is for you, Ms. Lombardi.”

  She recognized the box she’d packed with her diving gear and other things she’d shipped from her previous home.

  “My scuba stuff is here. Thank you, Mark.”

  He lifted the container, which had to be thirty pounds. “Where do you want it?” he asked.

  “Just set it here by the door.”

  After stepping through the doorway, he placed the box on the floor. He stood and wiped his hands together. “Don’t worry about giving me a tip,” he said in a serious tone, “you haven’t been paid yet. You can give it to me then.”

  Mimicking his sober expression, she replied, “Thank you for understanding. Since I’m new here, I don’t know what to tip you.”

  “A twenty would be fine.”

  Valentina bit her tongue to keep from laughing in his face. She spun around and coughed, slapping her chest. With a deep breath, she turned back to him.

  “You got it Mark. I get that to you with my first paycheck.” He walked out the door like nothing strange had transpired. Boy, that kid was something. At that rate for a simple delivery, he would get rich quickly.

  She thought about opening the box, but the meeting would start soon, so she hurried out the door to the office.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Valentina rushed inside the office building and realized she didn’t know where they were meeting. Luckily, she had time to walk through the whole place if she needed to.

  Behind her, a door opened, and her salivary glands went into overdrive. Ash stood there in a suit made for him. He made every single one of her horny sexual cells wake up and take notice. So it was decided. She was a slut. For real this time.

  A grin lit up his face when he saw her. Her heart soared knowing she put that there. He backed her into his office and closed the door. Smashing her against the wall, his lips covered hers. He took her hands in one of his and held them above her head. His tongue searched for hers as she opened her lips slightly.

  Her breathing became erratic, arousal taking over her body. His free hand moved down her face to her neck. Feather like touches slid down the open neck of her blouse. His fingertip dipped between her breasts.

  She gasped. His fingers reached inside her bra to tease her nipple. “We can’t be doing this here. What if someone walks in?” she asked, her body burning with need, but logic and embarrassment pushed it away. She pulled away from him, trying to get free from his grasp. The thought of someone catching them cooled her hormones and stopped her from allowing him to continue.

  “No one will bother us here. This is my office. They know this is a private matter between you and me.”

  “What the hell does that mean? They know what we’re doing in here?” she asked, her voice becoming higher pitched. “How can they? Seriously, we have to stop.”

  She tried to pull farther away. It was no use. He had her pinned against the wall even harder than before. She’d need a damn crane to move him now.

  “Not like that. They know I needed to meet with you.” He kissed her jaw. “They don’t know what we’re doing. Just relax, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” He pressed his body closer to hers. The bar of his cock let her know just how badly he wanted her. She hadn’t expected that kind of reaction from him. He. Was. Huge. Holy crap.

  And to make matters worse, she started thinking of what it would feel like as it entered her. Him taking her. Fucking her. Oh God. Him making her come. Why was she letting her mind run away with thoughts of sex with Ash? Not just sex, amazing sex. Multiple orgasms. Her body flamed, and her pussy went slick with need. She had never had that much of a reaction to a man before.

  “I need you now, Valentina,” he groaned, his voice hoarse and deep. So gritty and rough, she barely understood him. It sounded like he was losing control of himself, and that thought made her hornier, if possible. “Please, say you need me as much as I need you.”

  Sex in an office? Had she truly stooped so low? It’s not stooping low. It’s an adventure. When’s the last time you had one? Live a little, you boring woman. The gorgeous man wants you, and he’s definitely not faking that hard-on. When’s the last time you did something spontaneous? When’s the last time a man made you wet?

  “Yes,” she mumbled, her hips wiggling, and her breaths coming out choppy. “Don’t stop. I can’t believe this, but I don’t want you to stop.” Before she knew it, he picked her up. He acted like she weighed nothing more than a feather and took her to the couch in the corner of the office. After laying her down, he removed her clothes piece by piece. She closed her eyes when he finished, nerves taking over. He stared at her nakedness.

  Moment of truth. Would he still want her? Would he still be turned on? Fear tried to overrun her desire, but his voice broke through the crazy insecure talk.

  “Don’t close your eyes. I want you to see how much I love your beautiful, luscious body.” He knelt on the end of the couch and bent over her. “Such perfect breasts, perfect for a man to suckle and lick.” He licked and nipped at her breasts and nipples. She moaned loudly. He snaked his tongue down her body, across her belly, and straight to her sex. He licked a trail along her pussy.

  “God, Ash. I…please…” she mumbled. He continued
to lavish her clit with his tongue. Fire raced to her core. Unconsciously, she raised her hips off the couch and pushed into his mouth. The sensation was unlike anything else. His tongue worked magic, making her body tremble and shake with each lick.

  His gorgeous gaze met hers. “What do you want, baby girl? I’m here for you.”

  She yanked on his clothes. “I need these off you. Don’t tease me anymore, Ash.”

  She could barely believe she’d uttered those words. Who was she? Ash had pulled a part of her to the light she didn’t even know existed. It was different, daring, and she liked this version of herself. Her emotions ran rampant, side by side with the blazing need for Ash.

  No man had ever made her feel so much. And no man had ever gotten so deep in her blood in such a short time frame. It was crazy. It was scary. But she wasn’t going to think about it now. Hell no. Now was the time to enjoy the moment.

  He stood and unbuttoned his shirt, then stopped. She unbuckled his belt and went for his zipper.

  He groaned, the sound warming her to the soul. “Hang on, baby. I’m getting to it.”

  “Not fast enough,” she whispered, her voice huskier than she’d ever heard. “Move faster.”

  He slipped out of his pants and briefs in a swift move. A shiver ran through her at the same time she caught full sight of his magnificent form. Her own heat made her slick and wet. She needed him. In a blink, he was between her thighs. His mouth and teeth were on her breast a second after he lowered himself to be cradled by her body.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked, hesitation in his voice.

  “God yes,” she said. She was once again surprised with the firmness of her tone. “Don’t stop, I want more.” She tilted her hips to meet the head of his cock. A soft groan escaped her when he rubbed his hardness over her folds. “Please,” she pleaded.

  He entered her slowly, inch by tantalizing inch. She sucked in a breath and groaned at the same time he thrust deep, filling her with his cock.