Defying Asher (Knight Security 1) by Carole Mortimer Read Free Book Online

to.’”
    “Gabriel?”
    “No.”
    Her heart rate increased. “Asher?”
    “Yes.”
    “And do you always do what your big brother tells you to do?”
    That smile became a hell no grin. “Only when he has that murderous look in his eyes.”
    Lissa’s brows rose. “And does Asher have that…look often?”
    “Yesterday was the first time,” Ethan acknowledged ruefully. “Until then, I always thought Ash was one of the most laid-back people I know.”
    Lissa remembered that from the first night she met Asher. Not only had he been laid-back, he had also been rude and insulting, all while regarding her with mocking brown, jade-flecked eyes.
    Ethan was right, the tense and abrasive Asher she had met yesterday wasn’t the same relaxed I-don’t-give-a-fuck-what-you-think-of-me man she had met a year ago. Or the passionate one who had made love to her all night. He was now the man who claimed he had owned her that night.
    Lissa had no problem admitting the truth of that statement to herself. She knew there had been no barriers between the two of them when they made love, nothing they hadn’t done to and with each other. Her cheeks warmed just thinking about the depth of those intimacies.
    Ethan gave her a considering glance, making Lissa feel even more self-conscious in the knee-length robe she wore over the white nightgown she had slept in. It was Sunday morning, and she didn’t have work. She also didn’t have any plans for the day, so there was no reason for her to rush showering and dressing. She probably wouldn’t be up at all if Sherlock hadn’t woken her up so she could feed him.
    “Liam tells me you and Ash have met before?” Ethan prompted.
    Warmth colored Lissa’s cheeks as she wondered what else Liam had told Asher’s brother. “We have mutual friends in Prince Alexandre and Princess Anastazia of Androcco.” She still found it a little odd to think of her best friend as being a princess of anywhere, let alone that beautiful island paradise in the Mediterranean.
    “Right.” Ethan didn’t look in the least convinced by that explanation.
    Lissa wondered if Ethan and Liam were friends. If so, Ash’s brother knew far too much about her than she was comfortable with his knowing. “I—”
    “Well, isn’t this fucking cozy!”
    Lissa gave a guilty start as she turned to see Asher powering down the hallway towards them, those jade flecks in his eyes gleaming more prominently than usual, dark hair ruffled, his jaw and cheeks tight. His body was tense, seeming to quiver with anger beneath the ubiquitous black suit, gray shirt, and striped tie.
    She bristled at the accusation she could see in his eyes. “What are you implying?”
    “I stopped by on my way home from working all night to check in with Ethan, and I arrive to find you standing out in the hallway wearing only your nightclothes. So you tell me, what am I implying?”
    Lissa’s head tilted back as Ash came to a halt mere inches away, towering over her in the confines of the hallway, his eyes glittering accusingly. “Go to hell, asshole!” She turned on her heel and walked back into her apartment, slamming the door behind her.
    At least she attempted to slam the door behind her, but Asher grabbed hold of it before it closed. Her eyes widened as she turned to see him stepping into her apartment and closing the door behind him.
    Lissa took a step back as he carried on walking toward her with long, predatory strides. “What is your problem, Asher?” Where was a pair of four-inch stiletto heels when she most needed them?
    “You are my fucking problem.” He glowered down at her as she came up against the wall. “Just how cozy did you and Ethan get last night?”
    “You have a foul, disgusting mind, did you know that?” She glared. At the same time, she felt her body responding to his proximity. Her nipples were tightening to hard and tingling buds, a warmth centering at her core before spreading through the rest of her body.
    “Answer