Page 64 of Hidden
“Does it show anything useful?” Asher asked.
“It shows the intruder. Unfortunately, not in enough detail to get an ID,” he answered, then repeated what Ellie had already told them about the person’s appearance.
“How did they get here?” Asher asked. He didn’t live in a populated area, and Ellie would have heard a car.
“We think they parked on the road and walked over. Probably at that pullout by the state trail,” Chad answered. There was a trailhead not far from the entrance of his driveway, and it had a small parking area.
“Any chance there are cameras there?” Asher asked.
Chad shook his head. “Not at the lot. But there are a few in the area that are run by Fish and Wildlife as part of ongoing research studies. We’ll request access this afternoon and see if we can find anything.”
“The good news is I think we can officially rule Harry and Ricardo out,” Sabina said. “They could have hired someone, but their behavior isn’t in line with being a part of this. They are both still in LA, getting ready for their trip. Neither their spending habits nor their activities are unusual.”
Ellie didn’t react to this news. She’d believed all along that her two employees weren’t involved. He was glad for the confirmation, though. It narrowed the suspect pool, but mostly he hadn’t wanted Ellie to experience that level of betrayal.
“But the bad news?” Asher asked.
Chad grunted then met Asher’s gaze. “The bad news is they were our best lead.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Tia texted and wants us to stay at their place,” Asher said, standing in the open door ofhis room. Ellie looked up at him from where she lay in bed, curled under the cozy duvet. After everyone left, he’d ushered her upstairs for a shower and a nap. She’d been able to forget the face—and the fear—for a short time. But they were due at HICC in less than an hour, and she wouldn’t be able to hide out much longer. Maybe, in the time since Sabina and Chad had left Asher’s, they’d been able to whittle down the pool of suspects to a few. Or even better, just one.
“Why would she want us there?” she asked, motioning for Asher to join her. He didn’t hesitate and walked in.
“They flew to New York yesterday to finalize some design stuff on the apartment they bought. Their house is empty and, other than Gramps’s place, has the best security. Even better than Chad and Sabina’s.” As he answered, he stretched out beside her and gathered her to his side. She cuddled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder and her arm over his stomach. She liked being held by Asher. She liked his steady energy. She liked how his touch calmed the million thoughts bouncing in her head.
“Seems overkill,” she said. “We agreed that the person likely came today because my car wasn’t in the driveway, and it looked like no one was home. Do you think they’d come back knowing someone is here?”
“I don’t want to find out is more my thought process,” he answered, rubbing his hand down her back.
“At the risk of sounding like every cliché out there, I can’t stay locked up forever.”
He chuckled. “Not forever. But maybe until HICC figures things out.”
“I’m an introvert by nature and don’t mind being alone, but even I might go a little stir-crazy holed up inanyhouse for a long period of time. Especially since you can’t be around to entertain me all day.”
She lowered her hand and brushed it over his zipper, his immediate response eliciting a satisfied smile from her. When he didn’t stop her, she unbuttoned the jeans he’d changed into earlier, lowered the zipper, and slid her hand inside.
“What do you think?” she asked, stroking him firmly. “Maybe we can see what Chad and the team have to say this afternoon before making any decisions.”
He still didn’t respond, but she was enjoying the feel of him in her hand too much to really notice. The next thing she knew, she was on her stomach, Asher pressing her into the mattress. He slid her pajama bottoms down to her knees but not all way off. With her legs held together by the waistband, he lifted her hips and positioned her on her knees.
She looked at him over her shoulder as he freed himself from his boxers. “We’re done talking for now,” he said. Then, without another word, he slid inside her. The intrusion was sudden, though not unwelcome. Even so, it took her a moment, a moment Asher didn’t give her, to adjust.
His guttural curse, though, turned her on enough that before she knew it, she was racing to the edge.
“Asher,” she said. Pleaded. He stopped. Just stopped, mid-stroke. She squirmed, trying to encourage him to move again. “What are you doing?”
“I said we were done talking.”
She looked at him again. He still had his clothes on. He’d only freed himself as much as needed. The material of his jeans felt stiff and rough against her sensitized thighs. She didn’t know what to do, so she nodded. That seemed to appease him, and he started moving again. Thank god.
She curled her arms under her head and buried her face. If Asher didn’t want to talk, she was more than fine with that so long as he kept doing what he was doing.
“Just feel, El. Just feel,” he commanded.
And feel she did. Not only was Asher demanding, but he also had more stamina than any man she’d ever been with. He brought her over the edge twice before joining her the third time. With her body damp with sweat and the silk of her top clinging to her skin, she fought to catch her breath. Asher, still buried inside her with his hands gripping her hips, breathed heavily behind her. She had no desire to move and thankfully, Asher didn’t seem to, either.
