Under Pressure Page 3

  He lifted a single eyebrow.

  “Yeah, I know the question is stupid, but I had to ask.” She let out a heavy sigh, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Suddenly, he could read all the little signs of exhaustion written into her face—the miniscule lines crinkling the corners of her mouth, the faint smudges of blue beneath her eyes, her drooping shoulders—and he wanted to fix it for her.

  Shit.

  “I have no intention of making your life difficult.”

  She laughed, the sound far from humorous. “We both know that isn’t true, Ash. You delight in making my life difficult.”

  “Not this time.”

  “Yeah.” She shook her head, the soft cloud of honey-blond hair swirling around her shoulders. He wanted to take a handful of it and run it through his fingers to see if it was as silky as it looked.

  He wanted to walk away from her and the weakness she caused deep inside him. That’s what he’d been doing for the past two years. Hell, that’s what he’d done his entire life. But today there was nowhere left to go. They were stuck together on this ship, and Kennedy was about to become his shadow.

  His body throbbed at the idea of her being so close. Nope, not good. He couldn’t want her. He couldn’t touch her. She was Jackson’s little sister, forbidden fruit.

  Asher had no doubt what his friend’s reaction would be if he ever touched Kennedy. Jackson was protective of his little sister, rightly so. He’d seen his friend put a fist through the face of a guy who had the misfortune of making a rather racy comment about Kennedy within Jackson’s hearing. Poor bastard hadn’t realized what had hit him until he was ass-down on the floor.

  Jackson was family, but there was no question in Asher’s mind who he would choose if forced to take sides.

  And no woman, not even Kennedy, was worth losing the only family he had and the business he’d invested his entire future in.

  “I’ll believe that when I see it,” she finally said, spinning away and leaving him standing alone on the deck.

  * * *

  KENNEDY STOOD OFF to the side, arms crossed over her chest as she watched the crew work. It was intriguing, her first shoot, although she had to admit she wasn’t thrilled with the way Carmen, the makeup artist, was smiling and flirting with Asher. If she giggled one more time...

  As if the man needed makeup to look gorgeous anyway. She had no doubt the camera was going to love him. Those mesmerizing eyes, sharp cheekbones and the tiny scar running right along the side of his lips...rakish, charming with the perfect dash of dangerous.

  They’d commandeered the office. It was deep inside the belly of the ship, so a little darker than they’d wanted, but it provided a kind of professional setting the director was aiming for in these first shots, establishing Asher’s experience and expertise before following him into the water.

  She and Daniel, the director, were murmuring about the schedule when Asher’s raised voice drifted up from the other side of the room.

  “I’m not wearing that.”

  The sound of a chair scraping against the floor grated down Kennedy’s spine.

  Asher stood up, pulling out the paper towels Carmen had tucked into his collar to protect his dark navy T-shirt and threw them on the ground. “Kennedy!”

  Everyone in the room turned to look at her. Dread and frustration spun in her belly. Beside her, the director stiffened. Biting back a curse, Kennedy narrowed her eyes, preparing for the explosion she could see coming.

  The production company was already displeased that they were getting Asher instead of Jackson. She’d promised everyone involved that not only was Asher as knowledgeable about the Chimera, but that he’d be happy to cooperate with whatever they wanted to do.

  So she’d basically lied, praying that she could keep control of the situation.

  This outburst wasn’t a good omen.

  Spearing her with his gaze, Asher growled, “Get over here and fix this.”

  Throwing Daniel a tight-lipped smile, Kennedy excused herself and stalked over to where Asher stood in the corner of the room. The brunette with the brushes stared at them with wide eyes. The guy from wardrobe shifted on his feet, a suit—complete with matching vest and what appeared to be a bow tie—draped across his arms.

  Asher lived in jeans, T-shirts, board shorts and flip-flops. He occasionally bowed to convention and put on a dress shirt and slacks for business meetings. She’d seen pictures of him in his military uniform and knew he must have worn formal dress on occasion. She remembered him wearing a suit once...but it definitely hadn’t involved a vest and bow tie.

  The thought of him with that brightly colored scrap of cloth tied around his neck had laughter bubbling up inside her throat. She tried to swallow it back but wasn’t successful.

  She took one look at Asher’s angry expression and the wardrobe guy’s hopeful gaze and knew this wouldn’t end well.

  “Tell him I’m not wearing this.”

  She shook her head. If she opened her mouth, she wasn’t going to be able to keep the laughter in. And that would not help the situation at all.

  Kennedy hadn’t realized Daniel had followed her until his voice sounded behind her. “What’s the problem?”

  Crud, she needed to fix this before Asher opened his mouth and said something they’d all regret.

  Better they think her crazy. Kennedy let the laughter she’d been holding back fill the space between them.

  Every pair of eyes turned to her. Asher’s eyebrows arrowed together, his mouth pulling down at the edges, making the white slash of his scar pop into sharp relief.

  She held up a finger, pulled in a deep breath and was eternally grateful when everyone waited.

  By the time she’d regained her composure, Asher had crossed his arms over his massive chest, biceps bulging. Damn the man was gorgeous.

  Turning away, she directed her words to Cody, the wardrobe guy. “Look, I get what you’re trying to do. Does he look like a suit kind of guy? He spends most of his time wet and/or covered in sand.”

  “But surely...” Cody began, his words trailing off as he took in Asher standing like a forbidding Greek god.

  “Why don’t we compromise?” Turning to Asher, she continued, not giving anyone a chance to quash her plan. “Asher, I know for a fact this isn’t the first time you’ve worn a suit.”

  “Baby girl, the last time I wore a suit like this was for my wedding. And the fact that my ex insisted should have been a clue the marriage was doomed.”

  Kennedy tried not to react to his words. She’d had no idea he’d been married. No one had mentioned it to her, although she supposed there really hadn’t been a reason.

  That little tease of information made her want to dig for more, but she pushed the urge away, trying to focus on the problem in front of her instead.

  “One of the benefits of owning my own business is that I get to do what I want, which includes wearing whatever’s comfortable. And that—” Asher pointed at the suit “—looks far from comfortable.”

  Daniel frowned and opened his mouth, but Kennedy cut him off. She really didn’t want to know what he was going to say, because there was no way Asher would take it well.

  “Surely we can come to some agreement. I have to admit, the bow tie is a bit much.”

  “It’s trendy,” Cody countered, his voice going up in defense of his choices.

  “And might work with another man, but Asher Reynolds is an ex–navy SEAL. All the guys from Trident are. They aren’t trendy. They’re strong, dangerous, skilled. You put him in that thing, and you’re going to cover up what your viewers will fall in love with—his raw intensity and sexual charisma.”

  Turning away from Cody without giving him a chance to respond, Kennedy focused on Asher. “The slacks, the shirt. Sleeves rolled up and collar unbuttoned. Relaxed sophistication.”

  His eyes narrowed. She silently pleaded with him, unsure whether or not it would make a damn bit of difference.

  Everyone stood there, silent, as
tension stretched out second by second.

  “No jacket and no goddamn vest.”

  Kennedy nodded her head, relief flooding her. Grabbing the clothes from Cody, she shoved them into Asher’s arms before he changed his mind. “Go, put these on.”

  He disappeared down the hall. The noise inside the room, which really wasn’t big enough to hold all the people and camera equipment, gradually increased to a normal level, or what she was coming to realize was normal for a functioning set.

  But it all fell off again several minutes later. Kennedy, talking with the set director about moving some things off the desk, looked around and nearly swallowed her tongue.

  Asher stood in the open doorway, a frown pulling at his lips as he fiddled with one of his cuffs. Damn, the man should wear a suit more often.

  The snow-white shirt was crisp and made his tanned skin pop. The pants, a dark gray with a faint black pinstripe, hugged his hips and strained against the massive circumference of his thighs.

  Beside her, she heard a soft voice whisper, “You were so right.” Glancing over, she took in Carmen, her beautiful blue eyes full of hero worship.

  That propelled Kennedy forward, although she had no idea why.

  Taking Asher’s arm, she pulled him across the room and over to the desk. The production team had debated having him sit in the chair behind the desk, but with the more casual wardrobe choice, they’d agreed to try it with him leaning against the edge, ankles crossed. As if he was talking to a buddy.

  It had taken everything inside Kennedy for her to bite her tongue during the discussion. They hadn’t wanted her opinion, even if she did have a freakin’ marketing degree with a keen eye for composition and graphic design.

  Putting her hands on his hips, she pushed Asher backward until his body folded.

  “Wh-what are you doing?” he asked, his eyes narrowed and his entire body tight.

  “Putting you where I want you,” she said, glancing up through her lashes for a second before jerking her gaze back down. Bad idea. Studying Asher Reynolds was like looking directly at a solar eclipse, likely to blind you. And she couldn’t afford that right now.

  She waited for the rude comeback—she’d given him a perfect setup—but none followed.

  Grasping the cuff he’d been fiddling with, she pulled it back down and smoothed the edges out before folding it into place. The backs of her fingers brushed against his warm skin. His soft arm hair tickled her nerve endings. He flexed, the muscles along his arm bulging.

  Had he done that on purpose?

  Satisfied with his cuff, Kennedy stepped back. She let her gaze run up him, trying to be objective. This was just like any other product she’d ever marketed. Color, composition, impact, message.

  There were things about working at Trident that she absolutely loved. But the thrill of using her skills—of doing what she enjoyed and was good at—effervesced through her body. Working for a diving company just didn’t give her enough opportunities to use her training.

  Asher looked elegantly casual. As if he’d just spent hours working a major business deal and finally had a chance to relax.

  There was just one thing wrong...

  Stepping back to him, Kennedy went up on her tiptoes. She was short and he was tall. Even with Asher leaning against the desk, she couldn’t reach what she wanted without pressing her entire body against him.

  She tried not to notice the way her breasts brushed the hard plane of his chest as she dug her fingers into his hair.

  Asher shifted beneath her. His hands landed on her hips. She felt the heat of them down to her toes.

  “What are you doing?”

  Kennedy didn’t answer but ran her fingers through his hair, rumpling the light brown strands. Whoever had done it had obviously been going for a more formal look, which might have worked before but not now. They’d slicked through a bunch of gel, trying to tame the natural wave his hair had when it grew a little too long.

  She liked the waves. They were rakish and fit his personality. She fussed and tugged, prolonging the contact a few seconds more than necessary. Yeah, so she was human.

  Finally forcing herself to push away from him, Kennedy tried to ignore the way his hands lingered for several seconds.

  “Better,” she said, her voice suddenly scratchy.

  Clearing her throat, Kennedy tried to find her professionalism. She knew it was inside, buried deep. And she needed it. Right now.

  Turning away, she gestured to the director. “He’s all yours.”

  3

  HIS HEAD WAS so scrambled. Having Kennedy pressed against his body, her hands threading through his hair as her fingernails gently scraped against his scalp had been heaven. And torture.

  Thank God no one seemed to notice the heavy bulge behind the zipper of his pants.

  All around him there was a whirlwind of activity. People speaking to each other as if he wasn’t even there. The woman with the makeup brushes just walked up and started messing with his face without even giving him a heads-up.

  The tech guys spoke back and forth in a language that sounded like something foreign, even though he was certain they were speaking English. He had no idea what a gyro camera was, but apparently it was supposed to counter the constant motion of the ship as they filmed.

  Kennedy and Daniel had their heads together. She fit right in. The gleam of excitement in her eyes and slight flush to her cheeks were difficult to miss. She was enjoying this while he was fighting the urge to vomit.

  The familiar helplessness churned in his belly. That fear and anxiety crawling up his skin, making it burn. If he thought there was any chance at all to get Kennedy banished from this room he would have done it. The cameras were going to be bad enough, but with her there... Asher wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold it together.

  But just watching her, he knew nothing short of a hurricane would force her out of this room right now.

  She’d spent months putting this project together. It meant everything to her.

  Kennedy was completely oblivious to the effect she had on people. Which only made her more dangerous.

  She wasn’t perfect. By the end of the day her makeup was often smudged, just enough to make her look adorable. When it was free, her hair usually rained down her back in reckless waves that refused to be tamed. And when she tried tying it into a knot on top of her head, pieces always escaped to curl against her neck and cheeks.

  Like now.

  Instead of using an elastic band like a normal woman, she’d found a couple of pens and stuck them in like sticks to hold the messy coil on her head.

  “All right.” Daniel clapped his hands. The room went silent, everyone stopping what they were doing.

  “We’re going to take our time here, folks. Asher is new to being in front of the camera, although Kennedy assures me he’s a natural.”

  A natural. Jesus, could she have told a bigger lie?

  Daniel smiled at Kennedy. Asher had no idea how she’d managed it, but the man’s earlier irritation had disappeared. Kennedy grinned back at him, her enthusiasm glittering and contagious.

  For a minute he wanted to believe everything was going to be okay.

  And then his gaze swung to the empty eye of the camera and panic seized him.

  His tongue swelled. His chest tightened, one pound of pressure adding to two and then more, as if he’d gone fast beneath the waves without taking the time to pressurize. The heaviness settled deep, pressing on his lungs and making it difficult to pull in a full breath.

  Closing his eyes, Asher tried to find a center of calm, but all he got was a memory of his mother. Her expression full of impatience, anger and disappointment. As if he’d been a reminder of everything that was wrong with her life.

  He’d been young when she left, just six. Those were the only memories he really had of the woman, her presence in his life limited even before his father had died and she’d abandoned him for good.

  Asher forcibly pushed the memories away. I
t had been years since his mother had invaded his thoughts, and he didn’t like her there. It bothered him that he’d let her in, especially when he was already fighting to keep his cool.

  He remembered nights out in harsh environments with only the supplies he could carry and the men beside him standing against death and disaster. He hadn’t felt this kind of panic then, not even when they’d been ambushed, lost communications with their evac team and spent hours trading gunfire and trying to figure out an exit strategy.

  “Asher.” Kennedy’s soft voice pulled him out of the mental tailspin. His gaze snapped to hers, zeroing in on those warm brown eyes. “Daniel wants you to just talk a bit about the Chimera. How did Trident get involved with hunting for the ship? Go into a bit about how you, Jackson and Knox met.”

  Asher clung desperately to the excuse she’d given him. “You know I can’t talk about our missions with the SEALs.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. Or not exactly. Just...how did you guys become friends, start the business?”

  “All right.”

  Asher took a deep breath. With Kennedy close, he suddenly felt as if he was going to suffocate sitting in this tiny room.

  She frowned at him, creases forming right between her eyes. He could imagine the disappointment that would fill them when she finally realized he was about to ruin everything.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Fine,” he gritted out, not meaning it at all. But he wasn’t about to tell her the truth.

  Her whiskey eyes toured his face. Years of practice allowed Asher to clamp down on his reactions, forcing a calm he didn’t feel to settle over his features.

  Her mouth compressed into a tight line, but before she could say anything more, Daniel squeezed between them.

  “Kennedy has explained what I’m looking for?”

  “Yes,” Asher answered, forcefully pulling his gaze away from Kennedy.

  “Excellent.”

  Everyone backed away from him, and for the first time since walking into the room, his personal space was his own. He’d wanted that, but the relief was short-lived when the people who’d crowded in scuttled off to the edges of the room.