by Livia Lang
"No, being a social pariah in high school kind of limited my dating options," Martina said dryly, shaking her head. "Don't make fun of me though. I apparently did pretty well for a beginner." She pointed down at his crotch, where the large bulge of his cock was very visible.
"I wasn't making fun. I mean, I've only kissed like two girls and it was so bad both times that I just made excuses to avoid it for the last couple years."
"So I'm your first good kiss?"
Ace nodded, running a finger down her face. He couldn't get over how Martina was tying him up in knots on the inside, just by saying the smallest things. "Yeah. You’ll be my first of a lot of things."
“What do you mean?”
“Besides those two terrible kisses, I haven’t done anything with a girl. I didn’t entirely know what I was waiting for before tonight, but now I get it. It needs to be with you.”
A slight blush spread across her cheeks, and it only made her cuter. “Really? I’m a virgin too. But I would never have thought the big football star stud would also be one.”
He bent to give her another kiss. She tasted so good it was like crack – he wanted to just stay there in the car forever, enjoying her sweetness. “All these years, my heart’s just been waiting for you, because you feel right.”
Ace's phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out reluctantly to check the screen. His father was calling, no doubt because he should have been back from the lake already. Clete was obviously taking no chances with his parolee son.
"Damn, I should probably go inside. My private policeman is on my ass."
"And I should go give Azul his nightly snack before he rips up the couch. But, thanks for inviting me out tonight. And for saving me from that asshole. And for –" Martina waved her hands around the car. "– whatever happened here."
"Thanks for going with me. We'll talk more Monday, ok?" Ace leaned in for a last quick kiss. As their lips connected, he deeply took in the way Martina smelled. It was earthy, with hints of sage, and absolutely perfect as far as Ace was concerned. Just like Martina. “I’m definitely not done with this conversation.”
"Me either. I'll see you later." Martina suddenly looked embarrassed, but Ace tried to give her a warm smile as he hopped out of the car.
Ace wanted to reassure her that everything was going to be fine. He could almost hear Martina's inner trust issues screaming away about how sharing a kiss with an employee was some terrible mistake. Well, Ace had been around the block and knew plenty of things about bad decisions. And the magical moment that they had just shared was the opposite of a mistake. In fact, it was the best thing to happen to Ace in years.
He gave a final wave and began walking up the short pathway to his family's one-story home. He smiled to himself the entire time, feeling like an idiot but not caring enough to stop himself. Who knew kissing Martina would be better than any drug he had ever tried?
CHAPTER 15
He entered the darkened house quietly, but found his father waiting up for him in the living room. Clete was sitting in his favorite big green recliner, reading a thick paperback. Knowing his father, Ace had a good guess that it was a mystery novel. Apparently solving crimes during the day wasn't enough action for the old man.
"Hey, I'm home."
"About time. You are a half hour late."
Normally Ace would have gotten defensive and surly, but the aura of happiness was still surrounding him and he could only sigh and shrug his shoulders. "Martina and I got to talking to and lost track of time. Sorry, Dad."
Clete looked up and Ace noticed his dad's knowing grin for the first time. "Oh, did you have a good talk?"
"Oh god, tell me you weren't spying on us."
"I wasn't looking out the kitchen windows with a binocular or anything. But it was a little hard to miss the romance happening right in the driveway."
Ace groaned and flopped onto the old couch next to the recliner. "Way to kill the mood, Dad. Are you going to lecture me about how terrible it is to kiss the girl responsible for keeping me out of prison? Because I don’t regret a thing that just happened."
"Son, you look ridiculously over the moon. I doubt even I could do anything to kill your mood right now." Clete put the book down on the small wooden side table next to him. "Martina is a good woman, and while I wish you had waited until after you were out of the work program, I can't say I'm surprised it's finally happened. The tension between you two has been noticeable for weeks. Just try not to flaunt your relationship until all the paperwork is signed." He smiled indulgently at his son. "But I'm happy for you. Your mother would be too."
The mention of his mother made a jolt of guilt strike Ace’s heart and he trembled from the sensation. He wished he could think of her without it being painful. She was his mother, after all, and thoughts of her kindness should have made him feel protected and loved. But even at his best moments, he couldn't think of her without wincing.
He had been close to explaining this to Martina, to revealing the black secrets that haunted him. If anyone could help him understand the prison his heart was in, it would be Martina. However, those were thoughts for another time. Right then, he just wanted to enjoy the lingering taste of beer and Martina's lips. So he shoved all the negative feelings away, right into the tight mental box he usually stuffed them into.
"Thanks. I didn't really expect anything to happen, but then Bruce started talking shit and it somehow brought Martina and I together."
"What did Bruce do? You know how I feel about that wastrel." Clete’s face hardened instantly.
"Yeah, well, you were right. He was fucking terrible to Martina. Tried to hit her and brought up her mom. And I just…lost it." Ace looked up, expecting to see the normal disappointment in his dad's eyes. "I may have hit him. A lot. And shit, I just realized how badly that could affect my work program stuff."
"You hit him? While you were protecting Martina?" Clete took a big breath, bracing himself.
"Yeah, I wasn't going to let Bruce touch her!" Ace clenched his fists at the very thought, ready to go to battle all over again.
"And were there any witnesses to what happened?"
Ace grimaced. "Yeah, unfortunately about thirty people saw. But they also saw him being a total douche who deserved it. I swear, Dad, this isn't just me fucking up again. I really didn't mean to mess up."
Ace suddenly realized what could happen if he was reported: he’d go straight to jail. And be separated from Martina. For the first time in his life, he had something to lose and he desperately wanted to make sure he could stay near her.
"I know, calm down, Son."
"Really?" He stopped short. Ace couldn't remember a time when his dad had been on his side. There was usually a lot of yelling and reprimanding by this point in the conversation. Instead his father seemed nothing but concerned.
"Ace, I've watched you mature over the past several weeks and it’s made me very proud. You aren't the same belligerent jerk who I pulled over that night. Even if you are still quite a mouthy handful," his father added, raising his eyebrow. "If Bruce was trying to hurt Martina then you were right to step in. And if he even thinks about making this an issue with the police, I'll give him a very serious lecture on violence toward women – I don’t think he’ll feel very confident taking this public by the time I’m through with him."
Ace looked down at his shoes, at a loss for words. It felt good to have his dad's approval, and to not have to fight to explain himself. His father had his back, and would help protect him. It was perhaps the best night of his life – his relationship with his dad was great, he’d kissed Martina, and he got to punch Bruce in the face. It really was a win-win-win night.
"Speaking of the legal process, your work program will end soon, you know. Have you thought about what you want to do afterwards?"
Ace shrugged and sunk back into the couch. "Shit, not really. I guess I was just hoping I could keep working at the sanctuary."
"Dating your boss might be a bit difficult."
&nb
sp; "Yeah, and Martina is such a freak for rules. I like the place though, and she's finally letting me work with the animals themselves so it'd suck to stop now. Although, who knows if it'll even be open for long anyway."
"What do you mean?" Clete asked sharply, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Well, Martina is really stressed out about money. Apparently donations haven't been coming in like she’d hoped, and the visitor ticket sales aren't enough. Those animals eat crazy amounts of food, and it’s really expensive. You should see the piles of meat needed for the wolves alone."
"I didn't know that. It'd be a darn shame for the community to lose the animal sanctuary. Does she plan to go public with the information? It's been such a beloved idea, I really think people would rally around her if they knew how much the place was struggling."
"I don't know. I don't think she's told anyone, maybe because she’s ashamed. She seems to be just holding it all inside."
"Well, nobody can make it on their own. Asking for help isn't a bad thing." Clete looked meaningful at Ace.
"Yeah, yeah, point taken. I'll talk to her about it. I don't know if I should talk about me having a permanent job right after kissing her, though. It probably won’t go well. This whole emotions thing is crazy and confusing."
Clete's face lightened and he made a loud guff. "I remember thinking the same thing about your mother when she first swept me off my feet. One look from the right woman and a man will never be the same. Now, I had better get to bed. I'm doing a community outreach program tomorrow at the YMCA, so I have to be up early."
"Heaven forbid you take a day off," Ace teased, although it was much more light-hearted than his normal pissy interactions with his father. He watched Clete get up from the chair and begin to head back to his bedroom. "Night, Dad. Thanks for talking with me."
“Night, kid. You did good today.”
Once Clete had retreated to the back of the house, Ace was left alone to digest everything that had happened. His feelings about Martina were a jumbled mess and he had no idea where to even start. He just knew that Martina was the brightest spot in his life, and being around the woman made him not want to self-destruct. Ace didn't believe he was able to keep anything beautiful for long without messing it up, but god damn, did he want to try now. He was going to try with everything he had to hold onto the feeling of completeness he’d had when he first pressed his lips to Martina's.
CHAPTER 16
M onday morning could not have come any slower for Martina. She’d had to go all day Sunday without seeing Ace, and it was driving her insane. They had texted constantly since the night of their kiss, but it wasn't the same as seeing him laugh in person. And it certainly wasn't as good as the steamy embracing they had done Saturday night.
"A few months ago and I wouldn't have wanted to spend five minutes alone with Ace Bennett. And now here I am dying after one day apart. This is ridiculous," Martina murmured as she paced her front porch, waiting for Ace to arrive.
It was ridiculous, and the normal, reluctant part of her brain was screaming for mercy. Martina was too head over heels to listen, however. She was a goner, and she knew it; she just hoped her heart wasn't going to get as badly hurt as she feared.
The crunch of tires finally came up the lane and her heart began to beat wildly. She tried her best to lean casually on the edge of the porch, looking nonchalant and relaxed. However, her body kept fidgeting wildly and she knew she probably resembled an over-eager puppy.
"Down boy," she said wryly as Officer Bennett's cruiser pulled up.
The passenger door sprung open before the car had pulled to a stop, and Ace quickly got out, flashing a grin. Martina's heart lurched – at least she wasn't the only one who was still grinning stupidly. Ace then quickly made his way up to the house while his father drove away.
"Hey," Martina called out when Ace reached the steps.
"Hey." Ace ran a hand through his hair, the smile still on his face. They stood awkwardly for a moment, then Ace moved close and put his hands on Martina's face. He bent down and gave Martina another toe-curling kiss, his mouth tender and sweet. When they broke apart, he gave a sly wink. "Good morning to you, sexy."
"Definitely still as good as I remember," Martina said, running a hand down Ace's chest. "Although, I've been thinking a lot about this, and I'm not sure we should kiss in public. At least, not until you go back to the judge and get all cleared."
"Yeah, my dad said the same thing." Ace grimaced. "And I guess he is probably right. Unfortunately."
"You talked to your dad about us?" The word 'us' felt strange on Martina's tongue, and she stuttered a bit when she said it. She and Ace had barely kissed, so maybe it was too early to think of the two of them as an 'us'. She looked nervously at Ace to see how the handsome man would react.
"Yeah, a little bit. I couldn’t help it. He's fucking nosey, and figured us out within seconds. I guess that’s why he’s such a good cop."
Martina relaxed a little. Ace obviously didn't care about there being an 'us'. In fact, he was telling his family about it. Which was more than Martina had been brave enough to do, considering how her sister would explode. The knowledge that Ace wasn’t ashamed of being with her made a little dart of pride shoot through her heart.
“I did want to make one thing clear,” Ace said seriously, cutting into her thoughts. “I want you to know that while I think you are hotter than fire, I don’t want to rush the physical stuff until you are ready. I don’t want you to feel pressured, or like this is moving too fast, ok?”
Martina nodded slowly. She’d been waffling a little bit about that issue all morning. Part of her wanted to rip off her pants right then and there, letting Ace fuck her on the porch. Another part of her was still getting used to the idea of a relationship, and needed careful handling. “I don’t feel pressure. Want to just work on dating for a little while, and see where we are in a couple weeks?” She asked it tentatively, biting her lip.
Ace ran a hand gently down her back. “Sounds good. We’ve got all the time in the world, as far as I’m concerned. I’m still going to be checking your ass out constantly, though, just a warning.”
She giggled, relief washing over her. He was so patient and gentle, exactly what she needed. "I was hoping you still would. Should we get started with the chores now, though? We can discuss more about…us…later today?" Martina looked past Ace to the yard. As much as she enjoyed standing around with her handsome worker/boyfriend, she knew there were a lot of hungry animals waiting on them.
"Sure thing, boss." Ace gave her a saucy look and then went over to the shed to start loading up the cart with food.
Their initial awkward hesitation began to melt as they did their daily routine. They got the golf cart packed and ready to go in record time, working in a seamless fashion together. Martina proudly noted how well Ace had learned the business in the weeks he had been there. Not only did he have all the animal's diets memorized, he had also mastered the art of quick cleanup, leaving the shed spotless by the time he was done packing the food.
Martina drove the golf cart around the sanctuary while Ace sat in the passenger seat. This allowed Ace to quickly jump out and drop off the food at each pen. They chatted easily while they made their rounds, mostly about video games but also about music and movies. It was relaxing, and Martina soon felt just as comfortable as always around Ace. In fact, she even slid her hand across the cart at one point, just for a quick handholding session.
I'm like a teenager at prom, she thought as her heart beat wildly from holding Ace's strong, wide palm in her own. But, I honestly don't care. This is perfect.
After the morning feeding they had to split up to do various chores around the yard. Martina dealt with the park’s small trickle of visitors while Ace worked on fixing some burnt out lights in the reptile house. And even though they were apart, Martina felt a small thrill knowing that Ace was out there, wanting to kiss her.
* * *
There were no visitors at lunch, so t
he two were able to grab their lunches and settle down on the front porch of the house, seated side by side on the swing. A comfortable silence enveloped them as they munched, but Martina kept having an intrusive thought that she couldn't shake. She didn't want to spoil the mood, but eventually she couldn't hold her curiosity in check any longer.
"Ace, what were you going to tell me at the lake before we got interrupted? Were you going to admit your feelings towards me?"
Ace's face got stony and he stared off towards the animal pens. "No, it's wasn't that. And I don't really want to tell you now. Things are really nice and I'm afraid you won't like me if I let you see a dark part of me."
Martina put a hand on Ace's leg reassuringly. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to. But while I am very new at this whole romance thing, I'm pretty sure I'll still like you. Unless you murdered someone, because that might be a bit tough to take."
Martina said the last part as a joke, but as soon as the words were past her lips she knew they had been a mistake. Ace rapidly turned white, then a pale shade of green. He also started wheezing a bit, and Martina could only hold on tighter to his leg to try and calm him down.
"Hey, it's ok. It's ok. I was joking." Martina tried to be reassuring, but when Ace turned and met her eyes she saw nothing but deep despair his gaze. "You didn't murder anyone…did you?"
Ace took several deep breaths before he was able to answer, his voice low and raspy. "Not intentionally, but it was still my fault. My mom…" His voice hitched and it seemed to take all of his control to keep from breaking down. "I don't like talking about it."
Martina gently began to rub Ace's broad back, staying quiet and allowing Ace to find the words on his own. She didn't want to press, but it seemed like Ace had been holding something inside of him for a long, long time, and it was trying to burst through his skin to be exposed to the air.
Finally, Ace was able to grind out the words. "We had a fight. I was just a kid, but I was mouthing off and being a brat. I'm not even sure what it was about anymore. I just remember telling her that I hated her, and then she stormed out of the house. She said she was going to the grocery store and we'd finish the conversation when she got back. But she never returned." He turned and looked into Martina's eyes, his shoulders slumped. "I never got to tell her I was sorry and that I loved her. I'm such a fuck up, and I don't deserve the happiness I feel right now with you. I don't know how you can even like me, considering how much I hate myself."