ACE (The Trident Series Book 1)

by Jaime Lewis

  Diego grinned and gave Ace a fist bump before walking away.

  Ace couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to serve with. He was looking forward to hanging with them over some beers for the evening.

  ◆◆◆

  “So, Ace doesn’t know you went to the doctor today?” Tenley asked over the loud music in the club.

  Alex gave her friend a mischievous look, then took a sip of her fruity drink and set it down on the table. “Nope. I was going to surprise him tonight. He’s going out with the guys, and I thought you and I could head over there after we leave here. But neither one of us are in any shape to drive,” she said with a giggle as she eyed the six empty glasses on the table.

  They were each on their fourth cocktail and feeling no pain.

  The owners, Ron and Sal, were awesome guys. Each of them personally donated five-thousand dollars to the foundation and told her that anytime she wanted to use the club to hold fundraisers that it was hers. Both men were in their mid-forties with ties to the military, which was why they got in touch with her when they heard about the foundation.

  Their nightclub: Club B&W was an upscale club that held headliner events one night a week. Tonight, the club was featuring a drag show, and both Alex and Tenley were amazed at the talent for this evening’s performance. The high-top table where they sat was near the entrance to the club.

  The club itself was decorated with an upscale modern flair with clean lines made up in the color scheme of black and white, hence the name of the club. It reminded Alex of a club she went to in South Beach a couple of years ago.

  Charlie, the head security manager of the club, approached the table, smiling. After talking with Ron and Sal, Alex learned that Charlie was a police officer with the local police department. All the bouncers the club hired were all either current or former law enforcement officers. They had explained that the safety of the club’s staff and patrons were the most important.

  Charlie stood at their table, and Alex smiled at him. He was over six feet tall with blond hair that reminded her of a surfer. “Hey, Charlie!”

  Grinning, he asked, “Are you ladies enjoying yourselves this evening?”

  “Very much so. Ron and Sal have outdone themselves.”

  “Yes, they have. We have a steady crowd the four nights we’re open.” He eyed their empty glasses. “When you ladies are ready to leave, do you have someone coming to pick you up, or do you need us to call you a cab?”

  Alex thought about it. If they called for an Uber, Ace would go ballistic. Decision made, she fetched her phone from her purse and sent off a text to Ace, only to receive a message back within seconds. She smiled and looked at Tenley and Charlie. “Ace said he’d be here, and he’s bringing one of the guys, so they can drive your car home,” she told Tenley.

  Tenley smiled. “That means we can have another drink.” She looked to Charlie and batted her eyelashes at him, which made him laugh.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  The show was starting to wrap up. With the alcohol flowing through her veins, she was feeling really horny and couldn’t wait to get to the next part of the evening. She wondered what Ace’s reaction was going to be when she told him that she was officially medically cleared. Would he be gentle, thinking he could still hurt her, or would he ravish her body and take her hard? She had been so wound up the past few weeks that at this point, she’d settle on either. Then she remembered how yummy he looked this morning when he got out of bed. The light scruff along his jaw was so sexy, and how she imagined what those prickly whiskers of his would feel like rubbing against her inner thighs. She felt her clit tingle in anticipation. She wiggled on the bar stool. Christ, I’m so horny I almost got myself off sitting on a bar stool in a club.

  “Damn girlfriend, I would love to know what just went through your head. Your cheeks look like little gala apples,” Tenley said as her eyes twinkled with amusement.

  “Ahh…” That was about all Alex could say, and she felt her face flush with embarrassment even more.

  Tenley waved her off, “Let me guess…You’re thinking about how ‘little’ Ace gets to take a ride in your pink canoe tonight. Am I right?” She asked, raising one of her eyebrows.

  Leave it to Tenley to refer to her lady bits as a pink canoe. Alex shook her head and laughed. “Christ Ten, how in the hell do you think of these things?”

  Tenley started laughing right along with Alex. “If I’m not mistaken, I’ve heard some pretty good ones come from your mouth over the years.”

  As they were laughing, Ron approached their table and pulled over another barstool to join them. “Ladies, might I say the two of you seem to be enjoying yourselves this evening.”

  Alex spoke up, “We are, thank you again for your hospitality. The show was phenomenal, and the club is amazing. Tenley and I were reminiscing how back in the day, she and I used to sing karaoke at Bayside. But we don’t have anything on the talent you had performing here tonight.”

  Ron gave them a warm smile. “A lot of the acts we hire are from out of state. We bring them in from Las Vegas and New York. We were at capacity tonight.”

  “Wow! That’s awesome.”

  Ron gave Alex’s elbow a nudge, “You know, we are getting ready to start a little karaoke session up on the stage in a few minutes. What do you say that you and your pal here,” he hooked his thumb over at Tenley, “show these fine patrons what the two of you got?”

  Alex’s eyes widened. Oh shit. He wants us to sing, up there on a stage in front of about three hundred people. Tenley bounced up and down, clapping her hands together like a child who was just told she was going to Disney World.

  “Oh, come on, Alex. It’ll be like old times. Who gives a shit what these people think. Pleaseeee. It will be so much fun. We can do our number one song, ‘Dancing in The Street’.” She stood and started shaking her hips. Alex laughed when she wobbled and almost fell over, but Ron caught her.

  Alex looked at Tenley as she pleaded with her and then smiled. “Oh, what the hell. Can I do a shot first?” She turned to ask Ron.

  Ron let out a deep laugh and walked over to the bar and came back with two shots. “Hope you ladies like Tequila.” He set the drinks down and spoke into a tiny microphone clipped to the front of his shirt. When he finished, he turned toward the two of them with a grin, “It’s showtime.”

  ◆◆◆

  Ace strode into the club, letting his eyes adjust to the dim lighting. He scanned the layout of the club, looking for any sight of Alex or Tenley. As he glanced over to the bar just to the left of the entrance, he saw a man walking toward him. He was well-built, close to Ace’s height with short brown hair. As he approached, he held out his hand. “You must be Ace?”

  Ace eyed him over, then shook the man’s hand: a firm handshake, outspoken, and someone who looks like they held a position of authority.

  “That would be me.”

  “I’m Ron, welcome to Club B&W. We noticed the girls had a little too much to drink, so we made sure they had a safe ride home. Alex said to keep a lookout for you.”

  Ace breathed a little easier, knowing this was one of the gentlemen who invited Alex here tonight. He introduced Potter, Frost, and Stitch. Potter had come along to drive Tenley’s car home, while Frost and Stitch just wanted to see the inside of the club.

  “Where are the ladies anyway?” Ace asked as he scanned the club’s patrons, noting there was a good mix of people.

  Ron laughed and pointed toward the stage as a man dressed in a tuxedo announced the next act. A duo that called themselves Lucy and Ethel. Ace snorted a laugh. He couldn’t wait to hear what this sounded like. The beat of a familiar 80s dance song blasted from the speakers and drew the crowd to their feet.

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” Frost mumbled, followed by Stitch’s laughter.

  Ace went to ask Frost what the problem was, but then he listened, and all he could do was shake his head and smile.

  As he listened to them sing, he w
as surprised at how good they sounded together, not to mention dance. The song ended, and the crowd roared. He and the guys were clapping and cheering along with the crowd.

  As Alex and Tenley stepped down from the stage, they were swarmed by people, giving them hugs and kisses on the cheek. Ace started to move toward the stage, but then Ron stopped him.

  “They’re fine, see the big guy down there with them?” Ace looked in the direction to where Ron pointed, and he noticed the large man. Christ, he looked taller than Potter with even broader shoulders.

  “That’s my business partner, Sal. He’s bringing them back up here.”

  He squinted as he watched them approach. Who in the hell was with them? Ace swore the woman in tow looked just like Dolly Parton? He shook his head and tried to get another look to confirm but then caught the sight of the petite, brown-haired, full of life woman barreling towards him. How the fuck women could run in what looked like four or five-inch heels amazed him. Bracing himself for the blow, he opened his arms, and Alex leaped into them, wrapping her arms and legs around his body.

  “What’s this all about? Not that I’m complaining because I love having you in my arms,” he said to her with a grin.

  Her eyes twinkled with admiration as she looked over his face. “I missed you,” she said with a giggle. She was so fucking cute when she drank. That is, unless someone pissed her off, then all bets were off.

  He nuzzled her neck. “Baby, how many drinks have you had tonight?” He watched her think about it. Seeing her scrunch up her nose made him chuckle.

  “I don’t know, about four, maybe five, I think. Oh! And a shot of Tequila.” She looked over at Ron and winked.

  Ace was getting ready to respond when a bundle of blonde hair came running across the club, squealing like a little girl. The woman stopped right next to Alex and grabbed her arm.

  “Oh, doll face, is this the hunk you’ve been gushing about all night. Oh, my heavens, there are eight of you scrumptious men.” The woman’s eyes glazed over the eight SEALs.

  Ace watched as ‘Dolly’ fanned her face with her exceptionally large hands. It couldn’t be? She looked like Dolly in the face, chest, and hair, but the rest of her body was more like a man’s physique. From the deer in the headlights look on the rest of his team’s faces all but confirmed, the Dolly standing in front of him was indeed a man.

  Alex giggled, causing Tenley to double over in laughter. “Dolly, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Ace.”

  Ace set Alex down on her feet and extended his hand out. “It’s nice to meet you.” I think.

  Dolly grasped Ace’s hand, smiled. “Dang, sugar, you’ve got a hell of a handshake, but with arms like yours, it’s to be expected. What do you do for a living? Construction?”

  “Oh, he’s in the Navy.” Alex blurted out, and Ace covered her mouth with his hand before she could reveal any more information. She was so going to pay for this. When “Dolly’s” eyes lit up, he knew he was screwed.

  “My, my, my…I just love a man in uniform,” Dolly said, licking her lips and eyeing Ace like he was tonight’s dinner special. “Tell me, Sailor, do you enjoy ‘riding’ the waves and playing with big ‘torpedoes and guns’?

  What the fuck? Ace was speechless, as were the others. Hearing the laughter coming from Alex and Tenley, Ace had a suspicious feeling they’d been set-up. He looked at Alex, narrowed his eyes, and crooked his finger in a ‘come here’ motion. When she obliged, he cupped the nape of her neck and brushed his thumb over her pulse point, feeling the fast, strong beat.

  He bent down, so his lips were touching the shell of her ear and whispered in a low but deep voice, “Baby, is there something you want to tell me?”

  God love her; she looked like she was busting at the seams. When another giggle bubbled up her throat, she took a step back, and Dolly approached and patted his cheek. “Don’t worry, sweet cheeks, the guns I was referring to are your arms. However, I wouldn’t mind getting a peek at the weapon you’re packing below.” She glanced down at Ace’s crotch, and Ace swore that his dick deflated to the point that it was going to take an air pump to get it up and working again.

  He heard the snickers coming from the guys, and when he looked at Potter with an angry expression, Potter threw his head back and laughed. The fucker was actually laughing at him. Well, we’ll see who is laughing come Monday morning during PT.

  He reached out and snagged Alex around her waist and pulled her into him, knocking her off balance. He had a good hold on her, so she wouldn’t fall. Grasping her chin with his free hand, he tipped her head back, and he stared into her eyes as he stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “Baby, you know that you are in so much trouble, right?” He grinned as he heard the faint gasp that escaped her lips. “I should spank your ass right now for this little act you pulled.”

  He watched as her bright green eyes dilated, and her breathing became more rapid. The look of lust and desire she was giving him made his dick come back to life. Thank God, the damage done by Dolly wasn’t permanent.

  She took her hands and placed them on his face, urging him down, so he was eye level with her. She took a deep breath and released it. “I think I’d enjoy that spanking,” she whispered low enough so only he could hear.

  He squeezed her tighter so that she was now pressed against him. “Sweetheart, you don’t want to tease me right now. I’m so close to saying screw waiting for your doctor and throwing you over my shoulder, taking you home and fucking you until the sun comes up.”

  ◆◆◆

  Alex’s breathing was so heavy she was practically panting. She had a feeling she had awoken the beast. Her body felt on fire. His dominant words alone had her wanting to strip both of them right here. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself. Tonight was going to be magical.

  When she opened her eyes, those blue eyes held hers. She leaned forward and kissed him. It was a quick brush of her lips, “What if I told you that I’d have no complaints if you threw me over your shoulder, took me home and made love to me till the sun came up.”

  Ace’s nostrils flared, and she heard his deep inhale. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck. He smelled so good. She kissed his neck, then his jaw, then his lips before pressing her forehead against his. “Well? What do you say, Lt.?”

  Alex felt the tenseness in Ace’s body. He swallowed hard and shook his head, “Alex, I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She silenced him with another kiss. This time, she took it further, kissing him deeply, exploring every inch of his mouth that she could reach.

  “You won’t hurt me. I got the green light from the doctor this morning. I wanted to surprise you tonight.”

  Alex watched in fascination as Ace’s eyes went from baby blue to dark stormy blue. He squeezed her tighter. “I hope you’re ready because you and I are leaving right now. Turn around now and say goodbye to everyone.” His low dominant voice told her he wasn’t asking. It was an order.

  Turning quickly, she said her goodbyes and made sure that Tenley would get home safely with one of the guys. Hopefully, it was Potter. Maybe tonight they could break the ice and get to know each other a little better.

  Before Alex could concur, she thought she heard Ace mumble something about taking too long and then felt her body being lifted and thrown over his shoulder. She let out a squeal, and everyone laughed as he stomped out the door with her.

  ◆◆◆

  Ace pulled his truck into the driveway. It was late. On their way home, they had to make a detour because Alex was hungry and craved pizza. He wanted to say the hell with food and just take her to bed, but when Alex grinned at him and reminded him that he intended to keep her satisfied until the sun came up, she would need energy—then having to sit at the local pizza joint and hear her mewl and moan over how good the pizza tasted made his dick even harder.

  Putting the truck into park, he looked over toward Tenley’s driveway and snorted when he saw Potter’s silver truck in her driveway. Potter was a love e
m’ and leave em’ type of guy. He knew how close Tenley is with their group of friends, so he knew his best friend wouldn’t go down that path. Over the last couple of weeks, he had noticed the interest growing between the two. Maybe there was romance in the air for his second in command.

  Romance? When the fuck did I start thinking about romance and my best friend and teammate in the same sentence? God, help me.

  He glanced over and saw Alex gazing at him. Even after all the food she ate, it hadn’t sobered her much. She was a happy, sexy little drunk that he couldn’t wait to bury himself in.

  He reached over and pulled her towards him across the seat. Giving her a wicked grin as he pulled her out of the truck and lifted her in a cradle position, he said, “I have waited very impatiently to see you tonight. Ever since Tenley sent me that damn picture of you earlier with you wearing this sexy outfit, I’ve been hard as a steel pipe.” He dipped his head and gave her a scorching kiss. Not holding back, he ravished her mouth before nipping her bottom lip and making her gasp. “Let’s get you in the house because I believe I promised you an entire night of pleasure.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Alex blinked her eyes open as the warm sunlight filtered through the beige sheer window curtains. Hearing the shower running in the bathroom, she looked over at the clock on the bedside table and saw it was a few minutes past ten.

  Knowing she needed to get up since their friends would be arriving in a few hours for the barbeque she and Ace were hosting this afternoon, she wanted to spend a couple of minutes burrowed in the comfort of her and Ace’s bed. She rolled over and snuggled into Ace’s pillow, inhaling his scent. Her muscles protested, but she smiled, remembering just how good of a workout those muscles got last night. Glancing around the room, some of the candles that were placed around their bedroom still flickered.

  When Ace had carried her into their bedroom last night, she felt as if she had entered her very own fairy tale. The room had been transformed into a scene you’d read about in a romance novel. The soft light that illuminated the room was from the hundred or so white candles in various shapes and sizes that were placed on every available surface. Soft ocean sounds played through her Bluetooth speaker mixed with the flickering lights from the candles gave the atmosphere of the room a tranquil feeling. The winter white sheets and brown comforter had been turned down on the bed as an invitation to climb in, while white rose petals dotted the bottom half of the bed. The bedside table held a chilled bottle of champagne and two flute glasses, though she didn’t need any more alcohol.