Page 13 of Defender (Omega Sector: Under Siege #1)

He didn’t look like he believed her.

And she was standing here feeling like her insides might incinerate any minute. Part of it was anger, sure—she was pissed at what he’d done.

But more of it was the attraction she’d felt for him for the past seven months, since he’d first walked through the door. She’d let herself get convinced that she wasn’t really the type of woman he wanted—since he was so shy , he would want someone more demure, less outgoing.

He wasn’t shy. She wasn’t demure. The urge to throw him down on the couch again and have her way with him was damn near overwhelming.

And he was looking at her as if he didn’t believe she was attracted to him.

“Ashton, for months I’ve looked for every possible thing wrong with this condo to bring you back over here. I didn’t actually break anything myself, but I have to admit, I thought about it.”

He smiled a little at that. “I wouldn’t have minded fixing it, if you did.”

“That’s just it. I thought you were a shy, tongue-tied handyman who was raised on a farm. Who was nice enough to come over whenever I called. Just being polite.”

“I’m not shy. Not really tongue-tied. I just didn’t want to lie to you so I thought saying the least I could about anything having to do with my job was better. That’s why I stuck to stories about growing up.”

Thank goodness. This all would be a nonstarter for her if he’d been lying to her the whole time. Or probably if he was really that shy. “I see that now.”

“And that’s not the kind of man you want? The shy, kind-of-bumbling guy?”

She took a step closer. “No. I was attracted to you despite the shyness. Not because of it.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Good. I never minded being here, you know. I wanted to. I always hoped you would call.”

She took another step forward like a magnet pulled her. Her fingertips itched to touch him.

“And, of course, I wanted to help. Because I knew...” He trailed off, looking down at the ground. “I knew what happened with Tyler.”

The heat building inside her completely dissipated with his words.

She should’ve known, of course. Should’ve guessed that he knew about Tyler. Omega Sector wasn’t that big. Ashton obviously knew Joe and so it made sense that he’d know about Tyler’s death.

She could feel something inside her shriveling. Shy or confident, Ashton still hadn’t been here all these months because he wanted her.

“Summer, what? What just happened? Tell me.”

She took a step back, studying the ground. She couldn’t say it. It was too hard. She shook her head.

But he just stepped closer. “What, Summer? Tell me.” He slid a finger under her chin, the first time he’d touched her since he’d walked into the condo.

“I thought you were here because you liked me, okay? Me . Everybody else in my life knows about Tyler. Knows how he died. Thinks of me—to at least some degree—as the poor young widow and single mom who lost her husband tragically.” She threw up her arms, volume rising again.

“I thought you were the handyman who didn’t know anything about me! Who was just too shy to ask me out.”

“Summer—”

She stepped back farther. “But instead, just like everyone else, you were just here because you felt sorry for me. Wanted to make my life easier. I just want someone to want me for me . For that desire to be completely untainted by the ‘poor young widow’ scenario.”

He threaded a hand through his hair. “It wasn’t like that at all. Was never like that.”

“But you knew about Tyler’s death before you started your handyman duties.”

He took in a deep breath. “Well, yeah. Everyone knew.”

Exactly. Everyone knew. She turned her face away, letting out a sigh.

“And that’s always going to be the case, isn’t it? You’re never going to be able to see me without it being through the widow filter. You’re never just going to see me as Summer, the woman.”

Vaguely aware she was being unreasonable, fussing at a man who’d done nothing but help her for months but seeming unable to stop, she turned toward the kitchen.

“Summer—”

She didn’t turn back to look at him. Couldn’t look at that gorgeous face, those brown eyes. “I get it, Ashton. I really do. You’re a decent person. You don’t want me to struggle. But I don’t think it’s me you really want.”

She walked into the kitchen but barely made it two steps before his large hands snaked around her waist, spinning and pushing her up against the counter.

She gasped, unaware he could move so silently or quickly, although she shouldn’t be surprised. She grasped his biceps to keep her balance.

“Our history will always be complicated because of my involvement with Omega, but you damn well can put away any doubts that I don’t want you,” he said, leaning in so their faces were just inches apart.

“Because mistakes or no mistakes, secrets or not, I have always wanted you with a ferocity that eats through me.”

Then he kissed her, his hand reaching to curl around her neck, the hold possessive. His tongue traced her lips before thrusting into her mouth.

Heat coursed through her instantly.

He pulled her hard against his body in a way that could leave no doubt whatsoever that he wanted her. His mouth was hot, wet, open against hers, gentleness nowhere to be found.

Good. She didn’t want gentle. Didn’t want to be treated as if she was fragile, breakable. Gripping his waist, she pulled him closer, her tongue dueling with his.

He kissed her like he planned to never stop, kissed her in a way she never dreamed shy, handyman Ashton was capable of.

But this Ashton—the real Ashton—was capable. His breath gusted hot along her jaw as he shifted slightly, grabbed her waist and hoisted her up onto the counter. His hands moved to her hips as he slid her forward until they rested against each other, her hips cradling his.

Summer moaned as his lips moved down to her neck, sharp little nips by his teeth immediately soothed by his tongue. One of his hands moved up, fisting a handful of her hair to keep her in place.

All Summer could do was hang on. She felt her hips thrust against his of their own accord. She wanted him. Wanted this man. Right now.

“Ashton.” She groaned his name out as his lips moved back up to hers. Could feel his movements becoming as frantic as she felt.

“Don’t ever doubt I want you,” he said against her lips. “I’ve wanted you every hour of every day since the moment you showed me this garbage disposal.” He hooked a thumb toward the sink right next to them.

He slid his hands under her buttocks and pulled her all the way off the counter. She hooked her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom and proceeded to show her exactly how much he wanted her.

* * *

S UMMER ROLLED OVER in her sleep, scooting closer against him. Ashton smiled. If the woman got any closer, she’d be sleeping on top of him.

Which would suit him just fine.

He rubbed a hand up and down her back. By whatever means he’d managed to dodge a bullet in this situation, he’d thank his lucky star and whatever other mixed metaphor. He slid his hand down to Summer’s naked hip and pulled her closer.

Pity was the absolute last emotion he felt for her.

It had nothing to do with why he’d come around here.

And yes, he’d been willing to settle for less, to be a sort of silent guardian.

He’d wanted to help out wherever he could—not just with handyman stuff, but any part of Summer’s life where she’d needed help.

He still hadn’t told her about Tyler’s death. That he’d been there. That he’d had a shot.

He doubted very seriously she’d be lying here so trustingly with him if she knew. He brought a hand up to his face and rubbed his eyes. He never should’ve let things get so far without telling her the entire truth.

And he’d wanted to, had planned to ease into it. Trying just to break one piece of bad news at a time. But then she’d looked so distraught at the thought that he’d only been hanging around her because he felt sorry for her.

Proving that wasn’t true had taken priority over everything else. He’d honestly just meant to kiss her. To pull her up against him and prove there was no way he didn’t want her.

Because he had. He’d wanted her from the first moment he met her. Hadn’t been interested in another woman since the first time they’d spoken.

He’d known of Summer for a long time, since the day her husband was killed. Joe—feeling even more guilty than Ashton had about Tyler’s death—had started a friendship with her. Ashton had sort of watched that from afar.

But then when that psycho had taken Summer and Chloe, and Ashton had carried them out of that burning warehouse.

..something had changed for him. It was like once he’d had actual contact with Summer, he couldn’t force himself to stay away any longer.

So when Joe had asked him to deal with her maintenance problem, Ashton had been happy to.

He’d never spent one minute with her because he’d felt obligated.

It had always been because he wanted to be with her.

In whatever capacity she would allow. The team had teased him for months about the friend zone.

But the friend zone hadn’t bothered him.

At least he’d gotten to see Summer and Chloe regularly.

He’d hoped it would turn into more over time. But even his hopes for a romantic future with her could never have lived up to this. He’d never dreamed he’d be holding her sleeping body next to his after the hours of mind-blowing lovemaking they’d just discovered together.

First in her bed, then in her shower.

Hell, he’d almost taken her right on the kitchen counter where they’d started, when he’d realized at what perfect height that had placed her. But he hadn’t wanted that to be where they first made love, so he’d hustled her to the bed with very little finesse.

Summer hadn’t been overly concerned about finesse either, ripping both of their clothes off as soon as he’d had her in the bedroom.

She’d had a few moments of insecurity—it had been a long time for her.

She’d had a baby since she’d last been in any sort of physical relationship with a man.

But proving how breathtakingly beautiful she was to him had been no hardship.

Showing how perfectly they fit together had been an easy task.

And he’d be damn sure to take advantage of that kitchen counter in the near future. Maybe right after breakfast in the morning. And again in a couple of days.

The future. He never thought he’d even be thinking about a future that included Summer. But what had happened between them tonight? He knew this physical relationship wasn’t something either of them took lightly.

Before it went any further, he needed to make sure she understood all of the connections between them. That she knew he’d been there the day Tyler died. About the shot he didn’t take. She wouldn’t forgive him if he didn’t tell her, not after what he’d already kept from her.

If by some miracle she could forgive him for that, then maybe they truly could have a future together.

Tomorrow, he promised himself, everything would be clean between them tomorrow.

Ashton stretched a little, raising one arm over his head. The woman in his arms murmured something in her sleep before flipping herself over so her back was pressed into him.

Her very naked back. Ashton rolled onto his side, spooning her, and pulled her closer, forcing himself not to do anything else.

Certain parts of his anatomy were having more trouble with that directive than others, but they both needed sleep.

The sweet smell of her hair and curves in all the right places lulled him into closing his eyes.

The silence awoke him.

Ashton’s eyes opened and his body tensed, senses immediately aware that something wasn’t right.

Summer still slept against him, her back to his chest, her head resting on the crook of his elbow. She’d tucked her small feet between his calves.

Had she done something to wake him? Ashton wasn’t used to sleeping with his body in a constant state of contact with someone else. Maybe she’d had a dream or sudden movement and woken him.

But soon Ashton realized the silence was too crisp. Too encompassing. There was no hum of electricity whatsoever. The power had gone out again.

Then he heard it. The soft sound of someone forcing a lock open. As best he could tell the sound was coming from her garage.

Someone was in the house.