Page 103 of Sentinel's Kiss

They stared at each other in frustration.

“Please?” he mouthed.

She was surprised enough to nod. Maybe all of their arguments should be done with a plate of glass between them. Ashley pointed to the waiting room.

Josh gave her a tight nod.

It could have been a few hours or a few minutes. But she stood up when Josh came over to her. “Sarah would have been proud of you.”

“I don’t know about that. I told you what type of man I am. I’m a killer. An unrepentant one.” Josh’s sensual lips pressed into a thin line.

At least he no longer flinched at his sister’s name. Knowing Stan had died in front of her had horrified her, but it gave Josh peace. She wouldn’t mourn one less evil prick in the world and she was glad Warden wasn’t going to get in trouble for killing him.

Ashley sighed. “Ryder brought me over on her bike. I don’t know what she thought it would accomplish. This doesn’t change anything. You can’t afford to have a reporter snooping around your sketchy bar. And I promised my father to settle down with a nice man.”

“I cuddle AIDS babies. You don’t get much nicer than that,” he pointed out. “Besides, a nice man isn’t going to fuck you in the elevator.” Josh grabbed her arm and walked her over to the elevator and pushed the button.

“What are you doing?” she hissed. “We can’t do that here. You’ll get banned or arrested or something.”

He shrugged. “I noticed you didn’t say no.”

“I’m not an idiot,” Ashley said. “Well, maybe I am. But I’m not going to turn down a chance to have you again, Josh.”

Josh grinned. “And that was your last chance to get away.”

“We’re a train wreck together. There’s so much messy baggage, I can’t see over the carnage.”

The elevator door opened and Josh stepped inside. “So take the next elevator then.” He pressed the down button.

Ashley scooted inside before the door closed.

Sentinel pushed her against the wall, picking up her legs and wrapping them around his waist.

“You’re crazy,” she muttered before his lips claimed hers.

Unshed tears filled up under her eyelids. She had missed this. Missed him. After their last fight, there was Stan, her father, and that awful argument. There should have been hugs and kisses that lasted all night.

He fumbled with the buttons on her pants when the elevator slowed. She unwound her legs from him and gave him a shove. Josh stepped back just as the elevator came to a stop. The doors opened and a doctor walked in. He was frowning at a clipboard as he hit the next floor’s button.

“You’re going to give my father another heart attack,” she said, wondering if there was any chance for them.

“He’s not my type,” Josh quipped.

“You’re not his either.” She sighed, but she reached down to grip his hand. “But you’re mine and we’ll figure out a way to make this work.”

“I love you, Ashley,” he said.

Now the tears fell. “I love you too. You big jerk.”

The doctor harrumphed as they fell back into each other’s arms. It had been too long. It had almost been too late. Ashley was dimly aware of the elevator doors opening and the doctor hurrying out.

She wrapped her arms around Josh’s neck. His hands went for the button on her jeans.

“Are you crazy?” she said against his mouth.

He hit the button for the top floor. “There aren’t any cameras in this elevator.”

Pulling up her shirt, he nipped at each of her nipples.