Before Danielle could defend herself, Ace stepped around the chair he’d been sitting on. “Take your shit and get out.”
Mike’s jaw dropped before he glared at Ace. “Who the hell are you to tell me to get out of my own—”
“You don’t live here anymore,” Ace reminded him. “And we all know why. So I suggest you get the hell out of here before I teach you a lesson you won’t soon forget about how to treat a lady.”
Danielle couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Ace was ready to step up and defend her honor? Why?
“Please,” she said, stepping between the two men. “I don’t want this to escalate. Mike, you need to take your stuff and go before I call security.”
“How did you two even meet?” Mike asked, rubbing his forehead. “When? Was this going on when we were together? Were you—”
“The fact that you could even ask her that proves that you don’t know her at all,” Ace said, his contempt thinly veiled. He rested his hands on Danielle’s shoulders, making those damn butterflies reappear for an encore performance. “You were too stupid to realize you had it better than you deserve when Dani agreed to marry you and—”
“Dani?” Mike quirked an eyebrow when he looked at his ex-fiancée. “You told me the only person who ever called you that was your ex-boyfriend. That you didn’t want anyone else calling you that because…” He narrowed his eyes before shaking his head. “Wait a minute. Is that how you two know each other?” He looked at Ace. “Were you the guy—”
“Get. Out,” Ace repeated, his annoyance morphing into obvious anger as his grip on Dani tightened marginally. “The lady’s made it clear she wants nothing more to do with you, and we sure as hell don’t owe you any explanation after what you did to her. But if you’re smart, you’ll take my advice and stay the hell away from her.”
“It’s like that, is it?” he asked Danielle. “You want nothing more to do with me because you’re honestly naïve enough to believe you could have a future with a pro ball player? Come on, Danielle. He could have any woman he wants. Why would he choose you?”
“Listen, you little bastard,” Ace said, stepping around Danielle. “You don’t know me, and you sure as hell don’t know how I feel about Dani. So don’t make me tell you again.” He was in Mike’s face before he picked up the box and shoved it in Mike’s chest, forcing him against the door. “Out!”
“Fine.” He looked at Danielle over Ace’s shoulder before he muttered, “But don’t come crying to me when this guy dumps you for someone hotter.”
Danielle’s jaw dropped as Ace grabbed the back of Mike’s shirt and shoved him out the door before slamming it.
“Seriously?” he asked, turning to face her. His rage was evident in the hard set of his jaw when he spit, “You agreed to marry that asshat?”
She burst out laughing at his apt description of her ex. She couldn’t help it. Ace was absolutely right, and it had only taken him five minutes to figure Mike out. It had taken her two years.
“He was good to me in the beginning,” she said, shaking her head as she remembered how he’d pulled out all the stops to get her to go out with him. “In fact, throughout our relationship, he was a pretty good boyfriend. If he wasn’t, I never would have agreed to live with or marry him.”
“Pretty good?” Ace asked, looking confused. “He was a pretty good boyfriend? And that was enough for you? Don’t you know that you deserve the best?”
She was touched by the sentiment, but she’d given up on the idea of finding the perfect relationship. She wasn’t sure such a thing even existed. “I don’t want to be alone forever. Do you?”
“I’d rather be alone than settle.”
He had a valid point, but she suspected it would be a lot easier for someone like Ace to chase perfection than it would be for her. He had gorgeous women throwing themselves at him every day, willing to modify their behavior until it suited him, no doubt. All because they wanted to be a part of his world. The wife or girlfriend of the Ace Phillips.
But when she looked at him, she didn’t see the famous athlete. She still saw the shy kid who’d showed up for their first date with a bouquet of hand-picked wildflowers and twenty bucks for fast food in his pocket.
He frowned when she didn’t respond. “What? What are you thinking?”
“I was just thinking about our first date.” She smiled. “You were thinking fast food by the lake, but I talked you into going to the drive-in. Remember?”
He laughed. “I didn’t have enough for admission and food, so you talked me into letting you pay for the snacks.”
“You hated that,” she said, smiling. “Because you thought the guy was always supposed to pay for everything.”
“I still do think that,” he said with a mock scowl. “No way am I letting my date pick up the tab for anything. If I ask her out, I pay.”
She and Mike had split everything right down the middle in their relationship, and she hadn’t minded. Of course, Mike didn’t earn millions of dollars a year, like Ace. “That would never fly with me,” she said, returning to the sofa as she wondered whether he would follow or tell her it was time for him to go.
To her surprise, he rejoined her in the living room and sat beside her on the sofa instead of reclaiming the chair. “Are you saying if we were dating, you’d embarrass me by insisting I let you buy me dinner?”
Her lips twitched with amusement as she brought her glass to her lips. “Would that threaten your masculinity?”
“Yes!”
She knew he was teasing, so she said, “Good to know.”
His eyes softened as he looked at her bare leg. “But it would be a small price to pay for a chance to date you again.”
She sucked in a breath, daring to ask him, “Is that what you want? A chance to date me again?” Did she really have the courage to tell her family that she’d not only forgiven Ace, but was willing to give him a second chance to be her boyfriend?
“What if I said I did?” he whispered. “Would that be totally out of the question?”
“I don’t know.” She’d never expected him to lay his cards on the table tonight and hadn’t been prepared with an answer. “My parents—”
“I know,” he said, nodding. “They’d probably disown you if they found out you were spending time with me again.”
She didn’t think they’d take it that far, but given the way they felt about Ace, there were no guarantees. “It would cause problems for me. And we can’t pretend we could ever go back to what we had before the accident. Too much has happened.”
“You’re right.” He ran his fingertip up her thigh, giving her a cocky half-smile when goose bumps accompanied his touch. “But maybe you could get to know me. The guy I am today, not the boy you remember. I’ve changed a lot, Dani.”
“I know you have.” She could see he wasn’t the same wild, reckless kid who’d gotten behind the wheel drunk after a fight with his girlfriend. Now he was a man who’d paid his debt to society and found a way to give back in honor of her brother. She knew he was sorry. But could she learn to let go?
“I wanted to see you again to apologize.” He looked up, his eyes meeting hers. “I never expected we would still have this connection, not after everything that happened. And honestly, I don’t know what to do about it. I’ve already caused you and your family enough pain. And the last thing I want to do is cause a rift between you.”
“You’ve given me a lot to think about,” she said, knowing this wasn’t a decision she could make on the spur of the moment. There was too much at stake.
He leaned in slightly, his mouth barely brushing hers as he whispered, “Maybe I can give you one more thing to think about.”
There it was again. Another one of those kisses that made her remember… and want to forget.
Chapter Eight
Since Ace had given her two tickets, Danielle was sitting in the stands with Rosanna, Tenley, and of all people, Stacey. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Ace’s ex—she d
id—but she thought it was awkward, given their recent history.
“I forgot how much I missed this,” Tenley said, rubbing her hands together. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved having Rowan home with me during the off-season, but there’s nothing like watching him out on that mound.”
Stacey giggled. “There’s nothing like it? Come on now. You can’t tell me that’s the mound you’d most like to see him on, given the choice.”
“Stop!” Tenley said, blushing slightly as she elbowed her best friend.
Danielle smiled at them. Their friendship reminded her of her relationship with Ro, and Danielle felt an instant camaraderie with the other two women.
“I guess it’s been a long time since you’ve seen Ace play, huh, Danielle?” Stacey asked.
“Not since high school,” she said, reaching for her soft drink as her mind drifted to those carefree days before her world fell apart. She had been in love, dating one of the most popular guys in school, and believed nothing or no one could destroy their happiness. How wrong she’d been.
“I’ve been bugging her to come to a game with me for ages,” Rosanna piped up. “I couldn’t figure out why she wouldn’t. I guess now I know.”
Danielle knew Ro was hurt she hadn’t told her about Ace sooner, but prior to seeing him, it was difficult to even utter his name without getting choked up.
“I hope you don’t hate me for keeping you in the dark about Ace being at the wedding,” Tenley said, wincing. “I felt so guilty being dishonest with you, but Ace and Rowan swore me to secrecy. Ace didn’t want to risk you bailing if you found out he’d be there.”
“I wouldn’t have done that,” Danielle said, thinking about how much fun she’d had planning their wedding. It was exactly the kind of wedding she’d imagined for herself… should her day ever come. “Working with you and Rowan was a pleasure.”
“And seeing Ace again…?” Tenley asked, raising an eyebrow. “Was what? A small price to pay?”
“Seeing Ace again was…” There were no words to describe how that had made her feel. “Confusing.” She’d thought she knew how she felt about Ace, but seeing him again stirred up feelings she’d never expected.
“Does that mean you still have feelings for him?” Stacey asked gently. “Because I’m pretty sure he never really got over you.”
Her ex-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend was acknowledging he still had feelings for her? This was by far one of the strangest conversations Danielle had ever had.
“Ace was my first love,” she said, hoping they would understand what that meant. “But after everything that happened, it’s not like we could just pick up where we left off before the accident. Too much has happened.”
“I didn’t know him then,” Tenley said, appearing thoughtful. “So I can only speak about the man he is now.”
“He’s incredible,” Stacey piped up. “Not only as a boyfriend, but as a friend.”
Danielle watched the players jog onto the field, stretching before preparing to take their places in the outfield and infield. The opposing team was up to bat first, which meant Ace was positioned at second base. There was no denying how sexy he looked in his tight uniform, his tattoos partially hidden by a layer of spandex.
“I can’t pretend,” Danielle whispered, then bit her lip. She couldn’t pretend she wasn’t still attracted to him, that a part of her didn’t want to forget the past and believe that Ace was a different man now.
“Can’t pretend what?” Tenley asked.
She hadn’t expected anyone to hear her, given the excitement of the home crowd, but when she realized someone had, Danielle said, “That I’m over him. I’m not. For years I hated him. I was so hurt and angry. But seeing him again reminded me that my brother loved him and wouldn’t want me to go on punishing him.”
“But you’re worried about how your parents would handle it if they found out you were seeing him again?” Tenley asked, leaning in to be heard over the applause as the players were announced.
Danielle sighed. “I know how they’d react. They’d be crushed. They already lost my brother. How could I do that to them?”
“Sounds to me like you’ve spent a lot of time trying to make your parents happy to compensate for your brother’s death.” Before Danielle could interject, Tenley said, “Didn’t you tell me that you only went on that first date with your ex-fiancé because your parents thought he’d be perfect for you?”
As their friendship evolved over the course of planning a wedding, Danielle had eventually come clean with Tenley about her engagement and the reason she’d broken up with Mike. “Well yeah, but—”
“Maybe they don’t know what’s best for you,” Tenley said, touching Danielle’s forearm. “I know they mean well, but shouldn’t you be the one to decide who you date?”
Tenley was right, but how could Danielle tell her parents to back off without hurting their feelings? “I guess.”
“Can I ask you a personal question?” Tenley asked while Stacey and Rosanna cheered the first strike Rowan threw. “Feel free to tell me to mind my own business, but—”
“Just ask.” They’d developed a good rapport while they were working together because they both had an affinity for straight shooters. “If it’s none of your business, you know I’ll tell you.”
“What advice do you think your brother would give you… about seeing Ace again?”
“Good question,” Danielle said, applauding when Ace caught a line drive to throw the runner out at first base. “I’ve been asking myself that a lot lately.”
“And?”
“He’d tell me not to let anyone run my life and that I have to make my own decisions, no matter the fallout.” Because no matter how much Linc loved and respected their parents, he’d always danced to his own tune, even if no one else could hear it.
“I know you’re close with your parents,” Tenley said. “I’ll admit, I can’t relate. But I am close with my brothers and I know how hard it would have been if one of them didn’t like Rowan, so I kind of get where you’re coming from.”
“Imagine if they had a legitimate reason for hating him,” Danielle countered, determined to make her new friend understand her perspective.
“I hear you,” Tenley said, nodding. “I do. But let me ask you a hypothetical question.”
“Okay,” Danielle said, sensing it wouldn’t be an easy one to answer.
“Imagine today is the last day you ever see Ace.” She pointed at him on the field. “From now on, you can only see him from this far away, or on TV. How would that make you feel?”
Danielle was grateful for the sunglasses she wore when she felt the prickle of tears sting her eyes. “That would suck.”
Tenley smiled. “Then I think you have your answer. You need to pursue your feelings for him.” She touched Danielle’s arm. “Your parents love you, honey. They want you to be happy, right?”
Unable to answer, Danielle thought, If only it were that easy.
***
Ace was standing in the lobby of Dani’s building, questioning his sanity. She’d left immediately after the game, telling the girls she had an early morning meeting the next day. Yet there he was. He’d been halfway home when he finally acknowledged he couldn’t go on wondering whether forgiveness was in the cards for them. He had to know for sure.
He punched in the three-digit code that would connect him to her apartment and took a deep breath, wondering whether she would answer.
“Hello?” Her voice sounded sexy and raspy, confirming she’d fallen asleep shortly after returning home.
“Dani, I’m sorry to wake you, but I need to see you. Can I come up?”
“Ace?” She cleared her throat, and he could imagine her sitting up in bed. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk. Please. Buzz me up?”
She sighed, making it sound as though she was facing the same internal struggle he was. “Fine.”
He quickly hung up the phone and made it through the glass do
or as it opened. He hurried to the elevator, grateful the halls were empty. He didn’t feel like signing any autographs tonight. He was usually able to go anywhere during the off-season, but once the regular season geared up again, baseball fever swept the city and all the players on his team were treated like celebrities again.
Ace checked his phone inside the elevator, trying not to fixate on what he would say or do when he saw Dani. He’d been thinking about her all day. He’d almost collided with a teammate on a routine pop fly in the infield because his head hadn’t been in the game when he should have heard the call for the ball. Thankfully the Skip hadn’t reamed him out, because Ace had made up for the error with a single run homerun and two RBIs to lead their team to a 5-4 victory.
Like last time, she met him at her door so he didn’t have to knock. But this time, her attire was very different…
His mouth went dry at the sight of her. Her long hair was tousled, and she was wearing a cropped black tank with spaghetti straps and cotton sleep shorts that showed off her toned legs.
“Hey,” he said, sounding gruff. His eyes traveled over her body because, well, there was no way he could take his eyes off her in that get-up.
“Hey, yourself,” she whispered, reaching for a fistful of his shirt before hauling him back into her apartment and slamming the door.
Before he knew what hit him, her tongue was in his mouth and he was lifting her up, turning her back to rest against the closed door. Within seconds, clothes were flying and he was kissing bare skin.
“Dani…”
“Sssh,” she responded, gripping his hair as he kissed her neck. “No talking. Not tonight. I just want”—she grinded against him, raising her breasts so they were level with his mouth—“you to make me forget.”
He knew this was a mistake. Sex wouldn’t solve their problems, but there was no way in hell he could turn her down. He carried her down the short hallway, kissing her the entire way. He tossed her in the middle of her queen-size bed, smirking when she bounced just enough to make him even harder.
Hit and Run (Summer Rush #2) Page 7