Chased - A Titan Novella (Titan (Novella)) (9 page)

“Chips?” She grabbed a bag from the cabinet. “Sorry. Not supposed to talk. Got it.”

Maybe if he thought of her as a friendly captive, he’d be less likely to kill her. Food seemed to work with most men. Chips and dip and good manners were the best options she could come up with.

“Sit down. Eat your chips.” He handed her an envelope and a cell phone then walked out of the kitchen.

Her eyes went wide as she sat in the dark, ignoring the chips and dip. What was up with the phone? Was the note for her to read? If she made a call, would her building blow up? Confusion racked her brain. What was happening?

Jenny looked over her shoulder when the front door shut.
What is going on?

Did he just leave her here? With a phone?

“Hello?” She pivoted in her seat, scared this was a trick or a test. “Excuse me, Mr. Maxwell?”

Silence.

She listened.
Nothing.
All this grief only to be taken home? She wanted to scream. Instead, she picked up the small envelope and held it toward the window like she would be able to read its contents.
Nothing to see
. She slipped her finger under the edge and opened it. Cardstock fell out.

Dear Congressman McIntyre,

I’m done watching and waiting. Now you know what it feels like when someone steals from you. Last chance, right your wrong. It’s almost Election Day. Consider that your deadline.

Best wishes,

Maxwell

Maxwell had no intention of hurting her? He just wanted to scare Asher? Well, screw him.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Asher’s phone had five percent charge left, which was more than he could say for his energy level. Hours passed like years. He had seceded control of his day to the FBI and his campaign team. And what little part remained his had been ramrodded by Molly, Sugar, Jared, and Titan. Asher’s head spun, and he would’ve passed out, but that required too much energy.

The FBI and campaign had spun the incident as an unfortunate false alarm and failed fire safety system. No mention of Jenny’s kidnapping. They wanted to keep her out of the public’s eye for any number of reasons that Asher didn’t agree with. The FBI insisted it was safer for her, and his campaign consultants had no problem with that.

The only problem was he did, and not a single person listened to a thing he said. If anyone ever accused him of having power and using his influence to get his way, Asher would laugh to the brink of insanity. Because that was where he was now— on the verge of losing his mind. So exhausted and drained that he could barely function, yet unable to close his eyes or walk away in case something turned up.

His phone rang. The number came up unknown. Maybe Maxwell was in the mood to talk. Asher needed a cell phone charger if that was the case.

He accepted the call. “Yeah. McIntyre.”

“Ash.”

“Jenny?” Relief washed over him. Asher could finally take a deep breath. “Where are you? Are you okay? What—”

“I’m in DC. At home, by myself—”

Asher waved his arm. Someone had to be paying attention to him. A kid of an agent walked over. Maybe an intern. Didn’t matter. “Find Murphy. Jenny’s at home. And get an update to Jared at Titan. Now.” He took a breath and said a thanksgiving prayer. “You’re okay? Are you hurt? Are you alone?” So many questions rushed out of his mouth.

“I think I’m okay.”

“You’re whispering.”

“He just left me here. I don’t understand. I’m scared it’s a trick. There are things on the windows. But he gave me this phone and a note.”

“What’s on the window?”

“I don’t know. Wires. Blocks. Stickers.”

“Don’t touch a thing. Sit still and don’t touch anything. Do you understand?” He covered the phone and jumped toward the kid he’d sent to find Murphy. “Send a bomb squad and get me a cell phone charger.” He checked his phone. The red light flashed. “Sweetheart, if I lose you, I’ll call you back in a minute. Where are you calling me from?”

“The phone Maxwell left me.”

No. What if it was rigged to explode when she hung up? Another agent ran over with a phone charger. He plugged in and was given an update that Titan was tapping into the line.
Now that was something that Titan could do off the books that a federal agency couldn’t touch without a year’s worth of paperwork.

A minute later, Jared joined the call. He walked her through a series of questions, and by the time he was done, the bomb squad was at Jenny’s door. A nuclear attack couldn’t have gotten Asher off that call. After this debacle was said and done, he was going to find Jared Westin and shake his hand. Jared had kept Jenny collected and evaluated the situation.

Titan’s opinion was the setup on the window was a complete middle finger to the congressman. Jared’s language had been more colorful, and Asher liked the guy more and more. But what he didn’t like was a confirmation that Maxwell Bowie knew what he was doing and wanted to show off. He had set up several explosives and charges but hadn’t armed a single one. It was strictly a look-at-what-could-have-happened move.

The bomb squad confirmed everything that Jared had figured out over the phone, and damn if Asher wasn’t impressed. They took the phone Maxwell had given her into evidence. Jenny said she would finagle a new one and call him back after talking to Sugar.

He used that quick minute to make arrangements for a private charter to DC. He would have Jenny in his arms tonight, no matter what he had to do.

His phone rang again. Again, he didn’t know the number but knew it was her. “I’ll be there in a few hours.”

“Awesome.” She sounded exhausted. “But there’s a hundred people in my living room.”

“Then I’ll make one hundred and one.”

“I wasn’t saying I didn’t want you to come over.”

He could hear her smile, and it warmed his heart. “Get some sleep, sweetheart.”

A heavy pause hung on the line. “Ash?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you’re coming here.”

He nodded. “Nothing could keep me away.”

Silence still hung on the phone. He didn’t want to hang up. It killed him to be so far away.

“Ash?”

His chest ached, and he wanted to hold her. Kiss her. Make everything better. “We’ve had a crazy couple of days. Whatever’s on your mind, you can say it now, say it later. Just know I’m coming for you. I’ve known you most my life, sweetheart, and I’m an ass that it’s taken me this long to figure it out: I need you. I crave you. You’re a requirement to function. Take that for what it’s worth, and I’ll wake you up when I get there.”

“I—”

“I will see you soon enough. Sleep tight.” Whatever was on her mind could be said to his face.

***

The sunshine shone through her windows when Jenny woke. She smiled. Asher was under the covers and had cradled her into the crook of his arm. How could she not have awakened when he arrived? When he’d taken off his shirt and slipped under the covers?

She smiled even bigger. And how was it possible that Asher McIntyre was asleep past the break of dawn? Maybe she was rubbing off on him.

Her hand drew lazy circles under the blanket and over his stomach. “Good morning.”

He shifted and tightened his arm over her shoulder. “Careful. That’s a dangerous way to wake a man.”

She giggled and flattened her palm, sliding to the waistband of his boxers. “What? Saying good morning seems harmless enough.”

He covered her roving hand and moved it over him. “Your pleasantries weren’t what I was talking about.”

Asher’s mind might have been waking up, but the rest of him was raring to go. He hooked his other arm over her back and brought her to lie on him, legs straddling him. Jenny rested her cheek on his chest, and his lips pressed to the top of her head.

“I was scared I lost you, sweetheart.” He kissed the top of her head again then flipped them over. His jawline had a rough shadow, and his perfect hair was messy. Asher’s gaze burned through her until he broke and kissed her tenderly. “Lots of things have been put in perspective now.”

“Like?” Her throat ached from saying one simple word. There was so much that could be hanging on that question.

“You.”

“Oh.” She bit her lip, unsure what to say. “Meaning?”

“It means…” His forehead dipped against hers. “It means I’ve always cared about you. Always wondered how you’d taste and what would make you scream.” He kissed her lips. “I never let myself wonder…”

Her heart raced. “About?”

“Anything but me. Selfish politician, huh?” He chuckled softly. “But now I’m wondering what you want. If you want me. If you want to make love.”

She nodded as her world spun. He could love her in any way, and it would be amazing.

Asher kissed her, deeper and longer. His tongue probed her mouth, but then he softened the intensity. His eyes blazed. “I need to know if you have that same ache that’s been plaguing me.”

“For far too long.” Her heart banged in her chest, and she slipped off her panties. His boxer-covered erection flexed against her mound.

“God, I need you, Jenny.
Need.
”

“You do?” Jenny snagged his boxers and pushed them over his bottom, and he took care of them the rest of the way down. The thick emotional tension that hung on their words made it hard to breathe, even as it cocooned them together. She needed him too, in more ways than she could describe.

“My head, my heart, they’re both saying the same thing. I love you, sweetheart, and I have for a long time from a distance.”

Her heart sang. Fireworks exploded in her mind. It was everything she’d ever wanted to hear, and their lips met. A touch. A kiss. A confirmation. “I love you too. Have since I probably shouldn’t have.”

“There’s nothing more I want to do”—he reached for his wallet, removed a condom, and sheathed himself—“than hear you say that again.”

Asher pressed against her sex, and her eyes closed. “I love you.”

He inched in then out. Kissing her. Holding her. Jenny wrapped arms and legs around him and let him work them both together. He was thick. Forceful, but still taking his time.

Asher explored her mouth. His hands caressed her curves. They moved as one. Breaths interchanged, interweaved. His heart beat against her breasts. His scratchy cheek rasped her neck, and hot breaths crawled across her skin.

Perfect pressure and precision. Wrapped into his embrace, she’d given herself over to him completely. He owned her body, even if he didn’t know it. But he did know she loved him, that he loved her. That magnitude hit with each stroke and drive. His words burned into her memory. She could recall them forever; that she knew.

Jenny caught his mouth, bit his lip, and a tornado of bliss swept her into a frenzy. Her muscles clenched; a climax so deep and emotional wracked through her. Her sex spasmed, and her hopes exploded.

“I love you.” She moaned while she came. She cried his name, and he stole her breath, finishing with her. Asher collapsed over her, and they lay, spent, connected, together on so many levels.

Drifting to sleep, he said it again. “I love you too.”

CHAPTER NINE

Six weeks later

The lights and the crowd were enough to make Asher hot under the collar. As were the impending election results. He’d gone into Election Day knowing that polling and nightly tracking were on his side. But, despite what his consultants said, there was always the chance that voters wouldn’t behave as they should. Asher didn’t trust that he was a shoo-in.

He didn’t trust anything today. Today was Maxwell’s deadline, and Asher hadn’t heard a thing from the man since Jenny had been abducted and released. Even if he had, he wouldn’t negotiate through threats, and he had no control over the highway expansion or government’s claim of eminent domain that had seized the Bowie Estate.

The FBI hadn’t found any sign of Maxwell. The silence ate at his nerves, and he tried to trust in his resources. Titan had focused on Jenny. She’d been under constant surveillance. They handled her transportation between Washington and New York and oversaw security for
Tassels and Tangos
.

Jenny was flustered by Titan’s attention, even if they blended into the background. She was also amazed by the response from her new fans. Life had changed quickly with the massive success of
Tassels and Tangos
—fan mail, phone calls for interviews, and an agent who returned her e-mails—but Jenny hadn’t changed at all.

Asher looked at her talking to a woman outside a polling location. Jenny gave the woman’s kid a
McIntyre for Senate
balloon and sticker, and the little kid squealed. Asher knew Titan had eyes on her as well, but he was hesitant every time Jenny stopped to talk to someone. It was only a matter of time before Maxwell struck.

Once they made it through the day, he had a big surprise for her, and he couldn’t wait.

Jenny waved to the kid and walked over, taking Asher’s hand. “Ready to go? Polls close in five minutes, and that was the last stop before we head to your party.” She swung his hand and smiled brightly. “Come on. Don’t be so serious. Everything is fine.”