Free Under Pressure by Kira Sinclair Page A

from the recording.
    The second time she’d just wanted to double-check before deleting it permanently.
    By the fourth time she’d stopped lying to herself.
    Watching Asher on the small screen of her computer got her hot. He was gorgeous, but there was more.
    Things she hadn’t picked up on when they were in that room together. Like the intensity pinching his face when he’d been rubbing her shoulders. The tension that had invaded his body, inch by inch, while she’d closed her eyes in bliss as he’d worked the painful knot from her muscles.
    The memory of his mouth on hers, demanding and masterful. The slide of his wide hands across her back.
    The more she’d watched the video, the more her body had burned. And the harder her brain had worked to convince herself this was okay.
    She’d kept her distance for a long time because she didn’t think Asher liked her. The evidence on that video proved he might not appreciate her as an employee, but he wanted her as a woman. And right now, she was okay with that.
    She could enjoy Asher, just as she’d seen him enjoy countless women since coming to Jacksonville, and not feel one iota of remorse.
    And if it helped him deal with his stutter, gave him something else to think about when the cameras were rolling, so much the better. She needed the documentary finished without any delays if she planned to make it to Seattle. Asher’s issues could present a serious problem. Two birds, one stone and all that.
    After sleeping for a couple of hours, Kennedy woke with more energy than she should have. It hadn’t taken her long to track down Daniel in the mess. He was still a bit bleary around the edges, cradling a steaming mug of coffee in his hands.
    “How do you handle living on such a small ship?” he groused, the skin around his eyes pinched tight.
    Actually, the Amphitrite was a fairly large ship for her class and purpose. But she wasn’t a cruise ship, which Kennedy would bet money was the kind of ocean experience Daniel was used to. They had stabilizers, but the ship still responded to the pitch and roll of waves.
    “One of the guys doubles as our medic on board. If you need something for seasickness, ask Tyson. He’s got a bag of tricks.”
    Daniel shook his head. “That’s not the problem. I fell out of bed. Twice.”
    Kennedy had to smother her laughter. Most of the crew were sharing berths, which meant beds that were no doubt much smaller than what they had at home. She and Asher were two of the few who had scored individual cabins. For a minute, Kennedy felt guilty...until she remembered how handy hers had been last night.
    “Sorry. Hey, I need to talk to you about the schedule.”
    “What now?” Daniel’s gaze narrowed as he peered up at her. Pressing her advantage, Kennedy rested her hip against the edge of the table close to him and gave him a reassuring smile.
    “Just, we’re still scheduled to film some underwater sequences with the dive team today, right?”
    Daniel’s gaze narrowed even more. “I’d thought about rearranging.”
    Kennedy’s stomach dropped. No, that’s not what she needed. Being underwater would give Asher a chance to get used to having cameras in his face without having to speak.
    “Look, Asher needs a day to get accustomed to being on camera. I’ve seen some test footage. I promise, he’s exactly what you want for this documentary. You saw him last night. He’s the perfect combination of power, presence and irreverence. He’s exactly the kind of man women fantasize about. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that several of the major news networks wanted to air this documentary as a prime-time special.”
    Kennedy dropped her voice down to a conspiratorial whisper and leaned closer. “You know, the story of the Chimera has become a real-life action adventure. With Asher headlining, I promise you’ll be able to sell it to anyone and everyone.”
    “Fine,” Daniel groused. “We’ll get some underwater footage today, but I