Over Joyed

by Jeannette Winters

  But he made her feel…desirable…perfect…just the way she was. No one had ever made her feel that way before, at least not at the level Ace did. But everything was moving too quickly. You’d have thought they’d been dating for months with the way they went after each other. She could lie and say he’d pressured her, but truthfully, she might have made the first move. Once again, out of character for her.

  Joyelle wasn’t shy at all. She couldn’t be. When working as a tattoo artist, she had inked some very private places. But in the bedroom, she’d never been comfortable telling someone what she wanted, liked, and needed. And no one had ever delivered like Ace had.

  She should’ve made an iced coffee, because if she was going to spend her morning thinking of what a master Ace was in the bedroom, she was going to be so hot, she’d melt the frosting off the cupcakes. Not good for business.

  Like clockwork, the chime sounded and Betty walked through the door. “Good morning, Joyelle.”

  With a smile, not as bright as usual, she responded, “Good morning, Betty. I have your scones all ready for you.”

  Betty handed her the money and said, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Enjoy and have a great day,” Joyelle replied. Betty stood there staring at her. “Is everything okay? Did you need something else?”

  “Is something wrong?” Betty asked.

  “No. Why?” Joyelle had showered and made sure she looked like she always did.

  “Well, you’re…”

  “Looking tired?” She knew that rejuvenating serum crap didn’t work on the bags under her eyes. They were puffy and dark. And worth it.

  “I was going to say quiet. Usually you tell me all about the scones. You know where you got the fruit, what you tried differently this time, or how they smelled. Today, nothing.”

  Joyelle nodded. “I guess I do a lot of talking. But you’ve been coming so long, what else can I tell you about the scones? You probably could bake them yourself at this rate,” Joyelle teased.

  Betty laughed. “I don’t know if you’ve realized this yet, but I don’t bake. Not one thing. That’s why I come here every morning. And I actually like listening to your baking stories.”

  “Makes you want to give it a try?” she asked.

  Shaking her head, Betty replied, “Makes me enjoy every morsel even more. You know, we can tell that you put your heart into it. Maybe that’s why they’re amazing.”

  It felt good knowing that someone appreciated her hard work. Returning customers spoke volumes, and it was refreshing to hear that her usual long-windedness was a selling point for some, rather than a turnoff.

  But Ace didn’t seem to mind last night. Of course, they were speaking a different language. Moans, groans, and screams were mostly what had filled the night air. She blushed slightly, thinking of how she had clung to him, unable to even say his name as her releases rippled through her again and again.

  Joyelle’s legs trembled and she fought to compose herself. Pull it together. Turning her attention back to Betty, she said, teasingly, “If you’d like, I can tell you where I purchased the cranberries.”

  Betty raised her hand and said, “Too late. I can already smell them through the box. I can’t wait to get home and serve them up for breakfast. Good thing my husband refuses to do any shopping, or I might have to worry you’d steal him away with your baking.”

  “I promise, if he ever shows up, I’ll be sure to sell him something stale,” she joked.

  Betty grinned. “Maybe burnt too and then he’ll think I’m working here.” She gave Joyelle a wave and was out the door.

  Customers like Betty became more than just a customer, more than just a routine too. Not enough to call a friend, but someone you enjoyed having in your life. Someone you wouldn’t mind getting to know better.

  She chuckled to herself. That’s what Ace had said last night. Get to know you better. Oh, he learned a lot, all right. And so did I. It wasn’t all about sex, although amazing, but talking to Ace about her childhood, her mother, had done her a lot of good, too. Joyelle always had a smile on her face, but so much was bottled up inside that it was…unhealthy. Ace might not know everything, but he now knew more than most. And more surprisingly, she was the one who’d told him.

  Her cell phone rang and she knew exactly who it was going to be. Without even checking the caller ID, she answered, “Good morning, Grandma.”

  “You sound tired. Didn’t sleep well?” she asked.

  Sleep? Ha. It’s so overrated. “Actually, I overslept.”

  “That’s not like you. Are you feeling well?”

  “Yes, Grandma.”

  “Should I assume that this means your date with Horace went well?”

  “It was nice. We had pizza and talked.” That’s all the information she was sharing.

  “Good. And are you going to see him again?”

  “We are neighbors. I’m sure we are going to see each other.” Now stop asking, please.

  Grandma huffed. “He’ll be back. He promised to help find the photo. Horace seems like the type of man who keeps his word.”

  “And you got all that from one brief meeting?” Joyelle asked.

  “I’m a good judge of character. Besides, I saw how he looked at you. And it wasn’t neighborly. He likes you. It just might take him time to realize it. You know men aren’t always good with things like that.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “Saying how they feel. They get in their own way and stumble around and sometimes only figure it out when it’s too late.”

  “Grandma, you have been reading too many romance books lately. Not everyone is looking for a long-term relationship.”

  “Looking? You’re right. But sometimes what you’re looking for is not what you need.”

  Joyelle was glad Ace wasn’t here to overhear this conversation. Nothing chased a man away faster than the words long-term and commitment. “Well, I can tell you what I need.”

  “What is that, dear?”

  “To get back to work, because I have a customer coming in. I’ll call you tonight. Love you, Grandma.”

  “Love you too, Joyelle.”

  Slipping the phone back into her pocket, Joyelle forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand: greet customers and sell product. Last night was wonderful, but that was all it was, one night. Tasty Treats & Sweet Brews was her future.

  That didn’t mean she wasn’t disappointed when Ace didn’t stop by. They had a plan to see each other on Sunday. But tomorrow seemed so far away right now. Longer without being in his arms.

  The chime of the door was exactly what she needed to distract her. Hopefully she’d be so busy she wouldn’t have time to even think of him.

  As the customer walked up to the counter, Joyelle heard the roar of Ace’s motorcycle go by the front of her shop. How was it she could like him, but still hate his motorcycle?

  And when my tables are set up in front, I’m going to hate it even more.

  * * *

  Ace hated slipping out while she had been asleep, but Joyelle needed her rest. Besides, he had needed some time alone himself.

  He wasn’t worried that she’d have regrets today. Neither of them should. They were adults who had made a decision to have sex. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had a one-night stand before. Go to the bar, meet someone, end up screwing. No one had expectations about ever seeing each other again. No exchanging of phone numbers. It was nothing more than sex.

  That wasn’t the case with Joyelle. He really had every intention of getting to know her better. They were neighbors and there was nothing wrong with being friendly.

  Yeah. Friendly, my ass. He ended up asking her out on a date. Ace had no time for such shit right now. He had so much work that he really should consider taking on an employee to help out. But Ace didn’t trust anyone to do things the way he wanted them. So Wild Custom Rides was going to remain a one-man show.

  That’s how he liked his life. No commitments, just busine
ss contracts. Very simple. It made him wonder again why he was bothering to complicate it by getting to know Joyelle. But he knew the moment he laid eyes on her, there was nothing ordinary about her. She’d be complex and nothing but trouble, even if it was in the sweetest way.

  It wasn’t supposed to be Netflix and chill. It was supposed to be pizza and leave. Even though he knew he was attracted to her, a lot, Ace prided himself on knowing he was one who never lost control. That was no longer the case. The way she had looked at him, kissed him, and damn it, how she touched him, had broken what little resistance he had.

  It wasn’t as though he was blaming her, but in a way, he was. Why couldn’t she be less interesting? Why couldn’t the sound of her voice make him think of fingernails on a chalkboard? And worst of all, she was so trusting with her heart. Ace knew it hadn’t been easy for her to open up and share her childhood pain with him. Yet, she had. It only proved there was a connection between them. One that he needed to understand before things went too far. Not sure how much more involved I can get. I spent the night in her bed.

  He could go back and pull out his old psychology books and it still wouldn’t give him the answer he wanted. He and Joyelle were different in every way, from what they liked to eat to the things they enjoyed. So why the hell couldn’t he stop thinking of her? He liked her. It was that fucking simple. Now what the hell was he supposed to do about it?

  He’d thought about calling or texting. Both were too impersonal after last night. He sure in hell wasn’t a flowers-and-candy guy either. Ace wasn’t about to change just because he liked her. Romance wasn’t his thing and she probably figured that out already. And if not, she would - and quickly.

  Ace looked out the window that faced her shop a few times. Joyelle seemed to have a constant flow of customers. Even stopping in for a coffee would be more of a disruption than he wanted to be. They were going to see each other tomorrow. That was the reason he was out today instead of working on one of the bikes in his shop. No way in hell was he ever going to get her to agree to take a ride on the back of his bike, and his Jeep had been out of commission for more than two months. It had over three hundred thousand miles on it, and the seats were pretty worn, but hell, he liked that Jeep. It was the first vehicle he ever owned. Too bad it was running so rough. He needed to rectify that, and fast.

  Ace had ordered the parts from Pete, but hadn’t picked them up. Pete had bitched a few times about it, but Ace ignored him as usual. The last thing he needed was any more parts in his way at the shop. At least not ones he wasn’t planning on using anytime soon. How quickly that changed. Now he wished he hadn’t procrastinated so long on getting the Jeep fixed. If Joyelle knew it wasn’t up and running, she probably would’ve shot him down.

  Maybe that would’ve been better.

  Not that he wasn’t looking forward to seeing her again, but he asked her out for a drive to do what? Ace normally would hop on his bike and ride for hours with no destination. You couldn’t do that on a date. She probably was going to ask him where they were going, or what they were doing. So not only did he need to repair the Jeep, he needed to come up with something…not motorcycle related.

  But none of it would matter if he didn’t get to Pete’s and grab those parts. Ace knew it would only take a couple of hours once he got started, but the way things were going, he didn’t want to take a chance on anything else going wrong.

  When he arrived at Pete’s, the sign on the door said CLOSED. Pete never closed his shop on a Saturday. Ace pulled out his phone and dialed. It went to voicemail.

  What the fuck!

  He knew where Pete lived, mostly because Ace had dropped his drunken ass off there more times than he could recall. Pete was about to get up, hung over or not. Ace needed those parts now.

  It was only a few minutes down the road, and Pete’s truck was parked in the driveway when he arrived. Damn good thing. He rang the bell, but there was no answer. Ace wasn’t leaving. Making a fist, he pounded on the door.

  “Pete, wake your ass up,” he barked, then banged again. He didn’t hear any noise from inside, but at least a light turned on. He was making progress.

  A few minutes later, Pete answered the door looking mighty green. “What the hell time is it?”

  “Time for you to get your ass dressed and to work,” Ace snapped.

  “Yeah. That ain’t going to happen. My head is killing me,” Pete said, his eyes half closed.

  A lot more is going to hurt if I don’t get those parts. “Pete, I need to work on my Jeep. I want those parts.”

  “You’re going to have to wait till Monday, cause I’m not opening up today.”

  Ace let out a deep grumble. “You don’t get it. I need to have the Jeep up and running tonight. It can’t wait until Monday.”

  Pete leaned against the doorjamb. “If you want, I can give you the keys to my truck. You can bring it back later.”

  That wasn’t going to work. Pete had a Super Duty truck filled with tools. Definitely not a vehicle for a nice Sunday drive. “That’s not going to work for me. I need those parts now.” They were already paid for; he’d just delayed months in picking them up.

  “Since when? They’ve been sitting in my storage room all this time. And besides, it’s going to be a gorgeous day out tomorrow. You know you’re not going to be stuck in any Jeep. You’re going out on your bike.”

  He hated the fact Pete knew him so well. But he promised Joyelle a ride and she was going to get one, even if he had to kick the door in on Pete’s shop.

  “Not tomorrow. Now are you getting dressed, or do I need to” Just then, Pete covered his mouth and dashed back into the house. That answered the question. Pete wasn’t going anywhere.

  Ace walked back to his bike pissed, not just at Pete for being a grown-ass man who still partied like he was in college, but at himself, too. His word meant everything, and to Joyelle, it meant even more to him that he kept it.

  Although Ace was angry, he was not going to go and vandalize Pete’s property. But he needed to come up with an alternate plan. He knew she had a vehicle, but no way was he going to cop out and ask her to do the driving. This was his idea, and now his problem, and he was going to be the one to solve it.

  Driving through the city, he knew instantly what he had to do. Rent a car. Why hadn’t he thought of that first? It’d have saved him hours of working on his, when he wouldn’t need it for another month or so when the weather started to change.

  One quick stop turned into hours, but it was final. He was driving home in a brand new fully-loaded Jeep Gladiator. One major difference, it wasn’t a rental. Ace hadn’t planned on making such a large purchase like this, but if he was going to be dating someone who wouldn’t even look at his bike, he was going to need reliable transportation. And I believe, go big or go home.

  At least if it didn’t work out with Joyelle, he still could use his new Jeep off-road. There was nothing like a mountain adventure in Colorado. He would just need to stop working long enough to actually do it.

  One date and here I am thinking about a vacation, buying a vehicle. What next? Damn it Joyelle, what have you done to me?

  Chapter 7

  Joyelle wished Ace had provided her a bit more detail when he finally texted her last night. The only information he’d been willing to share was what time they were heading out. No matter how much she hinted, it must have been lost in the text, because he never answered as to what they were doing. She even had said, “A girl needs to be prepared.” His response? “Dress comfortable and wear sneakers.” Better than nothing, but she wasn’t fond of surprises and there was a reason she didn’t read mysteries, either. Joyelle never went into anything without having all the facts.

  So when she got into his Jeep and he still wouldn’t tell her, she was tempted to direct him to bring her home. But she couldn’t bring herself to say goodbye so soon.

  “Really not going to tell me?” she tried one last time.

  “We’re almost there, so you’l
l see very soon.”

  She had lived in Denver for ten years now, but as far as exploring, she hadn’t done much of anything. She’d spent long hours working in a tattoo shop, and after that didn’t pan out, even longer building her own business from the ground up and busting her butt every day to make it a success. Joyelle took in her surroundings as they whizzed by, and nothing looked familiar. What she did know was they weren’t in the city any longer.

  Once again, it wasn’t wise for her to have gone off with a man that she’d only started talking to a few days ago. Things between them seemed to have a mind of their own, and whatever this was turning out to be, it was moving at the speed of light. It was hard not to question everything. It was her nature. That’s why she talked so much. Asking questions led to conversations. Somehow with Ace, the conversations went wherever they wanted to. And sometimes, they didn’t speak at all. Even in silence, she was just enjoying herself.

  Boy, if my friends could see me now. They’d never believe it. Me on a quiet Sunday drive. And really being quiet.

  She must’ve snickered out loud, because Ace asked, “Did I miss a joke?”

  Joyelle shook her head. “I was trying to think of the last time I’ve done this.”

  “Done what?”

  “Go out on an adventure. It’s nice. Exciting.” She wasn’t going to say what she was really pondering. He didn’t need to be reminded how much she loved to talk. She had a few tattoos, but more than once people said she should have one that said chatterbox.

  “I hope you still feel that way in a few minutes,” Ace replied.

  “Ace, we’re in the middle of nowhere.” She should’ve mentioned that these sneakers were comfortable, but not meant for hiking. “I’m not sure I’m ready to take on the great outdoors.”

  He grinned.

  “Okay, am I missing the joke this time?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “I was just thinking that if you did take on the great outdoors, you’d probably come out the victor.”