Her body grips my length, spasm after spasm, squeezing and releasing, while a strangled scream erupts from her. I flip us over and raise onto my straight arms for better leverage, pumping into her while she digs her nails into my back, and her entire body curls in on itself. Her orgasm pushes me over the edge. I've reached the summit, and now I'm tumbling backward in free-fall, letting out a long, hoarse cry while I pump into her a few more times until I'm finished.
We're both struggling to breathe and sheathed in sweat. I just lie here held up by my arms, gazing down at Ashley while my pulse gradually slows, and finally, I can breathe somewhat normally again.
Her mouth slides into the sexiest smile I've ever seen. "You are more explosive than your land mines."
"Thank you, lass. And you are the most passionate woman I've ever met." I catch her lip with my teeth and release it slowly. "Not an uptight stalker after all."
She slaps my chest with the back of her hand. "I was never uptight."
I still have my cock inside her, but I don't want to move yet. Besides, I need to tell her something. So I look into her eyes and say it. "All right. I'll be your partner on your barmy expedition."
"Are you saying that because we just had sex? I didn't do that so you'd help me."
"I know. And I'm not saying yes for that reason." I reluctantly pull out of her body and sit back on my heels. "What we just did reminded me of how much I love being reckless. My mission with Magnus and Piper made me think I'd never find another adventure that could live up to that one. But I was wrong."
She climbs onto her knees and waddles closer to me. "The Grand Canyon treasure could be the greatest adventure either of us has ever undertaken."
I didn't mean that, but I won't explain the truth to her just yet. We have an expedition to prepare for, and besides, it would be madness to tell her I've never felt more alive than when I was fucking her. We hardly know each other. So for now, I'll let her believe I meant that the treasure excites me. It does, just not as much as the lass herself.
She picks up her ruined bra. "Thanks for destroying this."
"You're thanking me?" I say with a laugh. "You are a bampot, for sure."
"That means I'm crazy, right? Well, I can't deny that. Only a lunatic would search for a treasure everyone thinks is a myth."
"Not everyone. And yes, a bampot is a lunatic." I hand Ashley her shirt. "I'm assuming this expedition isn't entirely legal."
"Do you care if it isn't? I mean, your land mines can't be legal either."
"Not strictly speaking." I crawl on my knees until I find my kilt and belt, then I hop to my feet to get them on again. "Sometimes a bloke needs to skirt the law to get things done. I'm not a criminal, though. I've never stolen anything or hurt anyone, not even Royce Hammond."
Ashley has her clothes on again, but her hair is a tangled mess and has bits of grass in it. She glances at my backside. "You have grass stains on your ass. I saw that before you got your kilt back on."
"You must have some grass on your erse too." I point toward her head. "You have it in your hair, for dead sure."
"I guess we'd better take a shower."
"Aye. Dùndubhan has a large bathroom on the ground floor."
"Sounds perfect." She sets her hands on her hips. "But we're showering together strictly to save water."
"Ah, of course. It's the environmentally friendly way to get clean." I wink. "You're not just desperate to get your hands on me again."
Though she tries not to do it, her lips twitch into a slight smile. "This is business, Errol. The sex was fun, but from now on, we are strictly partners in the expedition. Agreed?"
"Aye, we're partners." We didn't explicitly state what the term partners means, so I can interpret it however I like.
We make our way into the house and share the large shower, though Ashley keeps her back to me and stays on the opposite side of the stall. I imagine she has never done anything as wicked as what we did on the green, so she can't reconcile her all-business attitude with the way she rolled about in the grass with me and begged me to make her come. Do I want to get involved with her? In a personal capacity? Not sure. I've never had a serious girlfriend, and Ashley Hartman is very serious—most of the time. Well, I'll get to know her much better during the expedition.
Cannae believe I'm doing this.
The drive home is quiet since we're both too jeeked to talk, and Ashley falls asleep. Luckily, I'm driving. I'd have to back out of this cockeyed adventure if she turned out to be a narcoleptic.
Once I've pulled into the driveway of her house, I give her shoulder a gentle shake. "Time to wake up, lass."
She opens her eyes partway, but still seems very sleepy. "Mm, what?"
"Never mind." I get out and go around to her side to open the door, but her eyes are closed again. So I unhook her seatbelt and pick her up, about to carry her into the house, but I hesitate. "Ashley, is the door locked?"