Page 38 of Sentinel's Kiss

Chapter 10

Sentinel was outside Ashley’s apartment at 10:05 a.m. She glared at him as she stormed out. He hoped she had slept as crappily as he had last night. Her roommate, that snooty bitch Tasha, gave him a look from the doorway like she suspected he had jacked her hubcaps. To put Tasha’s panties in a twist, and because he really wanted to, he cut Ashley off by swooping her into his arms. He put in the frustration he still felt from her walking out on him last night before they got to round two into the kiss he gave her today.

The logical part of his brain said it was the perfect arrangement. When he left the bed at two in the morning, Sentinel didn’t have to tell her he was going to cuddle babies at the hospital. Not only was it a little embarrassing, but it was always a mood killer because it brought up memories of Sarah. The caveman portion of his brain, however, had wanted to fling her over his shoulder and bring her back into his bed and fuck her until she was too exhausted to move.

“Good morning, sunshine. Sorry I’m late. I got coffee and doughnuts. Chocolate ones,” he whispered in her ear, licking it as he met Tasha’s scandalized look.

Stick that up your tight ass.

“You’re a lucky fellow,” Ashley grumbled. “I hate being late.”

“I’ll get you there.”

When they got to his Jeep, Sentinel opened her door and helped himself to another kiss. This time, just for him. “I like how you taste,” he said.

“It’s my cherry lip balm.”

“No, sugar, it’s all you.” He dragged his lips over hers again. “I want you.”

He caught her pleased smile and a slight blush. Hopping in, he started up the Jeep. If he had had his bike he’d have let the pipes roar. But since he didn’t, Sentinel settled for a mocking wave at Tasha.

“I don’t think she likes me.”

“Who?” Ashley said, barely looking up from her phone.

“Your roommate.”

“She’s not as bad as she seems. Just like you’re not as bad as you seem.”

Sentinel smirked. Let her think that. It could keep her off the trail of anything the SOBs had to do for the Judge. After all, the whole purpose of this road trip was to get her out of town while Warden and Ryder took care of their missions, and to see what they could find out about Stan and the murders. The fact that she was completely up for wild and fantastic sex was a bonus. He had to admit, though, that it still rankled that she had gotten up and left him last night.

She rummaged around in the bag. “No napkins?” She picked up a Boston cream doughnut and took a big bite. Before he could stop her, Ashley opened up his glove box. His 9mm and a couple of mags were in there. Sentinel braced himself.

“I’m going to assume two things,” she said. “One, you have a permit to cross state lines with that, and two, there aren’t any napkins underneath it.”

“Napkins are in the center console.” He lifted the lid of the compartment between the seats and tossed her a few. Technically, the pistol should have been in the locked container. And if he had needed to leave it behind instead of taking it with him, that would be where it would have gone. But he liked the easy reach of it while he was driving, just in case. As for the concealed-carry permits, he had them if he needed to show them to anyone.

“Are there any other firearms in here I should be aware of?” she asked.

“Nope,” he said. He didn’t think she needed to be aware that underneath her seat was his sniper rifle in a custom case, or that he had a .38 on his ankle. “Do you carry?” She didn’t freak out or do something stupid like take the pistol out of the glove box, so it stood to reason she was familiar with firearms.

Ashley shook her head. “No.” She tucked the napkin into her shirt like a bib and gobbled up the doughnut.

He waited for her to ask a question about his weapons or continue on with the conversation, but she was more interested in her breakfast and what was on her phone.

Normally this would be bliss for him. Sentinel didn’t like chatty women or chicks who wanted to discuss their feelings or anything like that. But after the casual way she was treating him, he was starting to wonder if all he was to her was a hard dick.

And why that bothered him, he was damned if he knew. Was this how the girls in the VIP lounge felt when he passed them by without a second glance? They knew he was all about the sex and nothing else. So that raised the question, did he want to offer something more to Ashley than casual sex? He watched her text with her rapid thumbs, a lock of hair falling over her forehead.

Yeah, he damn well did.

He sighed. Why couldn’t she have been a bar babe instead of a reporter?

“That was a big sigh,” she said without looking up.

“What’s so interesting on your phone?” he asked. “Is another one of my friends being questioned by the police?”

Her gaze snapped up to him and she slipped her phone back into her purse. “Not that I’ve heard, but that Evil guy looks like he’s one bar fight away from a felony.”