Under Pressure. Kira Sinclair

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СКАЧАТЬ he’d invested his entire future in.

      “I’ll believe that when I see it,” she finally said, spinning away and leaving him standing alone on the deck.

      * * *

      KENNEDY STOOD OFF to the side, arms crossed over her chest as she watched the crew work. It was intriguing, her first shoot, although she had to admit she wasn’t thrilled with the way Carmen, the makeup artist, was smiling and flirting with Asher. If she giggled one more time...

      As if the man needed makeup to look gorgeous anyway. She had no doubt the camera was going to love him. Those mesmerizing eyes, sharp cheekbones and the tiny scar running right along the side of his lips...rakish, charming with the perfect dash of dangerous.

      They’d commandeered the office. It was deep inside the belly of the ship, so a little darker than they’d wanted, but it provided a kind of professional setting the director was aiming for in these first shots, establishing Asher’s experience and expertise before following him into the water.

      She and Daniel, the director, were murmuring about the schedule when Asher’s raised voice drifted up from the other side of the room.

      “I’m not wearing that.”

      The sound of a chair scraping against the floor grated down Kennedy’s spine.

      Asher stood up, pulling out the paper towels Carmen had tucked into his collar to protect his dark navy T-shirt and threw them on the ground. “Kennedy!”

      Everyone in the room turned to look at her. Dread and frustration spun in her belly. Beside her, the director stiffened. Biting back a curse, Kennedy narrowed her eyes, preparing for the explosion she could see coming.

      The production company was already displeased that they were getting Asher instead of Jackson. She’d promised everyone involved that not only was Asher as knowledgeable about the Chimera, but that he’d be happy to cooperate with whatever they wanted to do.

      So she’d basically lied, praying that she could keep control of the situation.

      This outburst wasn’t a good omen.

      Spearing her with his gaze, Asher growled, “Get over here and fix this.”

      Throwing Daniel a tight-lipped smile, Kennedy excused herself and stalked over to where Asher stood in the corner of the room. The brunette with the brushes stared at them with wide eyes. The guy from wardrobe shifted on his feet, a suit—complete with matching vest and what appeared to be a bow tie—draped across his arms.

      Asher lived in jeans, T-shirts, board shorts and flip-flops. He occasionally bowed to convention and put on a dress shirt and slacks for business meetings. She’d seen pictures of him in his military uniform and knew he must have worn formal dress on occasion. She remembered him wearing a suit once...but it definitely hadn’t involved a vest and bow tie.

      The thought of him with that brightly colored scrap of cloth tied around his neck had laughter bubbling up inside her throat. She tried to swallow it back but wasn’t successful.

      She took one look at Asher’s angry expression and the wardrobe guy’s hopeful gaze and knew this wouldn’t end well.

      “Tell him I’m not wearing this.”

      She shook her head. If she opened her mouth, she wasn’t going to be able to keep the laughter in. And that would not help the situation at all.

      Kennedy hadn’t realized Daniel had followed her until his voice sounded behind her. “What’s the problem?”

      Crud, she needed to fix this before Asher opened his mouth and said something they’d all regret.

      Better they think her crazy. Kennedy let the laughter she’d been holding back fill the space between them.

      Every pair of eyes turned to her. Asher’s eyebrows arrowed together, his mouth pulling down at the edges, making the white slash of his scar pop into sharp relief.

      She held up a finger, pulled in a deep breath and was eternally grateful when everyone waited.

      By the time she’d regained her composure, Asher had crossed his arms over his massive chest, biceps bulging. Damn the man was gorgeous.

      Turning away, she directed her words to Cody, the wardrobe guy. “Look, I get what you’re trying to do. Does he look like a suit kind of guy? He spends most of his time wet and/or covered in sand.”

      “But surely...” Cody began, his words trailing off as he took in Asher standing like a forbidding Greek god.

      “Why don’t we compromise?” Turning to Asher, she continued, not giving anyone a chance to quash her plan. “Asher, I know for a fact this isn’t the first time you’ve worn a suit.”

      “Baby girl, the last time I wore a suit like this was for my wedding. And the fact that my ex insisted should have been a clue the marriage was doomed.”

      Kennedy tried not to react to his words. She’d had no idea he’d been married. No one had mentioned it to her, although she supposed there really hadn’t been a reason.

      That little tease of information made her want to dig for more, but she pushed the urge away, trying to focus on the problem in front of her instead.

      “One of the benefits of owning my own business is that I get to do what I want, which includes wearing whatever’s comfortable. And that—” Asher pointed at the suit “—looks far from comfortable.”

      Daniel frowned and opened his mouth, but Kennedy cut him off. She really didn’t want to know what he was going to say, because there was no way Asher would take it well.

      “Surely we can come to some agreement. I have to admit, the bow tie is a bit much.”

      “It’s trendy,” Cody countered, his voice going up in defense of his choices.

      “And might work with another man, but Asher Reynolds is an ex–navy SEAL. All the guys from Trident are. They aren’t trendy. They’re strong, dangerous, skilled. You put him in that thing, and you’re going to cover up what your viewers will fall in love with—his raw intensity and sexual charisma.”

      Turning away from Cody without giving him a chance to respond, Kennedy focused on Asher. “The slacks, the shirt. Sleeves rolled up and collar unbuttoned. Relaxed sophistication.”

      His eyes narrowed. She silently pleaded with him, unsure whether or not it would make a damn bit of difference.

      Everyone stood there, silent, as tension stretched out second by second.

      “No jacket and no goddamn vest.”

      Kennedy nodded her head, relief flooding her. Grabbing the clothes from Cody, she shoved them into Asher’s arms before he changed his mind. “Go, put these on.”

      He disappeared down the hall. The noise inside the room, which really wasn’t big enough to hold all the people and camera equipment, gradually increased to a normal level, or what she was coming to realize was normal for a functioning set.

      But it all fell off again several minutes later. Kennedy, СКАЧАТЬ