Ace took off her shorts and eased her thighs apart before gliding a finger over her silk panties. “Have you been thinking about this all night? Fantasizing about all the things you want me to do to you?” She closed her eyes as he stroked her through the thin fabric. “Tell me what you want.” When she didn’t respond, he said, “Let yourself go, Dani. It’s just you and me, sweetheart. Anything you want, you just need to tell me.”
“Kiss me,” she whispered so quietly he barely heard her. “Like you used to.”
Ace could tell himself she was just a sweet memory wrapped up in an irresistible package, but the truth was much more frightening. She was reminding him of the things he had no business remembering, triggering feelings he'd believed had been dead and buried for years.
He turned her face toward his as he slipped a finger inside her panties and stroked her. His tongue slid inside her mouth, and he felt it throughout his body, his nerve endings humming. He deepened the kiss as he eased a finger inside her, followed by another. He was determined to make her explode again and again tonight, because there was no telling what tomorrow might bring for them.
His tongue swirled around hers, reveling in her taste. Since Dani, kissing had only been a prelude for him. She’d always made it an experience. She didn’t just kiss him; she reached deep inside, touching places only she could.
Moaning into his mouth, she forced him to move his hand from between her legs as she straddled him. She ran her fingers through his hair, tugging lightly as she teased his tongue with hers. She was getting crazy, which turned him on to no end, grinding against him and using the friction of the material between them to get herself off.
“That’s it, baby,” he whispered, kneading her bottom. “Let me watch you…”
She was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Something in his chest tightened at the sight of her coming apart in his arms. He tried to ignore it, but when a tear slid down her cheek, the feeling only intensified.
He knew she was questioning what she was doing, so he said what she needed to hear. “It’s just you and me tonight. No thoughts of anyone or anything else.” When she hesitated, he murmured, “Just give me that. Please.”
She trembled as she kissed him again. “Why does being here with you feel so right?”
He wanted to tell her it was because they belonged together, but instead he said, “Don’t question it. Just enjoy it.”
Ace scooped her up, knowing if he didn’t, there would be more questions, more hesitancy. His job was to make her feel and forget, until he could make her remember all the good times they’d shared.
He kissed his way down her body, and she moaned when he tickled her with the tip of his tongue before dipping inside her. She was delicious and so responsive. She was like a raging inferno as his tongue glided over her, savoring the taste of her, the feel of her, everything he’d missed about her.
“Ace…”
For the first time since he’d adopted the nickname, he wanted his old name back. He wanted her to be making love to him, to be moaning his name.
“You taste so sweet,” he whispered, forcing back any pang of regret as he blew on her. “I could do this all night.”
“Hmmm… yes…” She gripped the sheet in her fists as she dug her heels into the mattress. “Don’t stop. I need more. I need you.”
I need you. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted to hear her say that until she did. He craved it, just as he always had. Things were getting complicated. She was drawing him in again, and any control he thought he had was quickly slipping away.
“I’m not stopping, sweetheart. Don’t worry.” He stroked her with his tongue, basking in the gasps and cries that told him he was giving her exactly what she needed.
“Oh God, I’m going to…”
Without giving her a moment to catch her breath after her climax, he made his way slowly up her body, licking a path to her breasts.
“Ace, please,” she whispered.
“Sssh.” He kissed every inch of skin. “Just let me love you, baby.”
She whimpered, lifting her hands above her head when she realized it was pointless to fight him. He swirled his tongue around her nipples before he nipped them, followed by the brush of his lips to distract her from the sting.
“Yes, just like that,” she said, arching her back. “Oh, God.”
When he was satisfied he had her primed for another orgasm, he reached into his pocket for a condom. He hated that he had to wear it. He wanted that primitive connection with her that they used to share, but he knew a smart woman like her wouldn’t have unprotected sex. They’d been kids then, dumb enough to think a pill was enough to protect them from anything. Now they knew better.
“Please,” she whispered, taking his mouth and giving as good as she got. “I need you.”
Those words again. Only three others would please him more, and he was starting to crave those almost as much as her body. Without even realizing it, she was throwing him way off course. Or maybe they were just charting a new course together…
Ace wasted no time shedding his clothes and sheathing himself. He couldn’t wait to plunge inside her, to touch her in places she hadn’t been touched in years. He knew he could give her the kind of pleasure no one else could. His eyes locked with hers as he pushed back her legs. He entered her in one deep thrust and tipped her knees to just the right angle to maximize her pleasure.
“Oh my God,” she cried, gripping his biceps. “That feels incredible.” She sighed. “Yes, deeper, harder…”
“Harder, faster, deeper” had been her mantra back in the day. He was thrusting so hard the headboard was beating a staccato against the wall, probably waking the people next door. But he didn’t care about them. He cared about her and her pleasure. That was the only thing that mattered to him. Not his pleasure or his orgasm. Only hers.
“Come for me, sweetheart.”
“Hmmm, I can’t come like this.” She lifted her hips, inviting him to rub her. “I need more.”
“Yes, you can. Just let go. Get out of your head and focus on how good it feels.” He’d proven to her that she could get off this way, and talking dirty always did it for her. “Focus on the way I feel… filling you, stretching you, driving into you so hard, so fast, so deep…” He prayed she would let go soon because he didn’t know how much longer he could last. He’d been without her for too long, and it had been years since he’d been so turned on.
“Oh God, I’m gonna…”
“Yes, that’s it, angel.” He guided her through her climax, giving her pressure where she needed it, letting her scale the peak before leading her back down. “You’re so beautiful.” He leaned in to kiss her. He didn’t know when he would get another chance to love her, if ever, and as aroused as he was, he wasn’t ready for it to end.
“That was amazing,” she whispered into the crook of his neck, kissing him as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. “I haven’t felt like this in… so long.”
His heart swelled. He had been convinced that his self-loathing made it impossible for him to feel what he was feeling—bliss in the arms of a woman. Sex had been meaningless since prison, just satisfying a need. But with Dani, it was what it had always been—a soul-deep connection.
When she tipped her head back to kiss him, locking eyes with him as she did, he fell a little deeper. He felt as if he were sinking in quicksand with no lifeline to hang on to, but still he kissed her. He slowed his pace to make love to her, revering her body in a way that satisfied his soul.
They kissed for ages, their bodies and mouths moving in perfect harmony until he felt another orgasm building inside her. He sensed it in her breathing, her rapid heartbeat, and the way she clenched him. When he felt her squeeze him as the first tremors shook her, he let go, freefalling with her and trusting her to catch him. It had been a long time since he’d trusted anyone, but after everything, she still inspired that in him.
He laid still on top of her, careful to suppo
rt his weight as their breathing returned to normal. He kissed her cheek, then her hair. He didn’t want to let her go. He wanted to stay wrapped in this cocoon, satiated and enjoying the afterglow with this amazing woman. He feared as soon as the reality of what she’d done set in, she’d be gone.
Chapter Nine
Danielle rolled over and smiled at the sight of Ace sprawled out across her bed. He’d stayed. She wasn’t sure he would. She’d feared he’d wake up in the middle of the night, plagued with indecision, and sneak out so he could avoid the talk. It was coming. After what had happened last night, they had to talk about what it meant, about where they could possibly go from here.
“Morning, beautiful.”
She’d been so lost in her thoughts she didn’t realize he was watching her. “Hey,” she said, resting her hand on his bare chest. “Sleep well?”
He picked up her hand and kissed it. “Better than I have in years. You?”
“Same.” There was something so comforting about being wrapped in Ace’s big, strong arms. He’d always made her feel as though he could protect her from anything… except the effects of alcohol and an old car.
He pulled her closer and kissed her on the forehead. “I’m glad I stopped by last night. But I have to know… any regrets?”
She had so many regrets, but not about what happened last night. “No.”
She felt his lips curve into a smile against her skin. “Good.”
Dani glanced at the clock. She had to shower in a few minutes. “What’s on the agenda for you today? Game tonight, right?”
“Yup. I have to be at the ballpark around four. I’d like to get in some extra batting practice before the game. The hitting coach is helping me work out some things with my swing.”
“Looked like you were swinging the bat pretty well last night,” she said, tipping her head back to look at him.
“I guess, but I usually get off to a slow start early in the season. It takes me a while to find my grove. I’m a free agent after this season, and I’d like to at least be on pace to do this year what I did last year by the All-Star break.”
“Think you’ll get the nod for the All-Star team again?” Even though it had been too painful for her to follow the game she’d once loved, she’d heard all about Ace’s illustrious career from radio and sports news sound bites over the years.
“Who knows?” he said, absently running his hand up and down her arm. “I’m surprised and honored every time it happens.”
“Still humble, I see.” He’d always been humble about his talent, believing it was God-given and his only job was to be grateful and never take it for granted. He believed that working hard was his way of honoring his blessing.
“You gotta stay humble,” he said, running his hand through her hair when she laid her head on his chest. “I see too many guys in this game get cocky, thinking they’re indispensable. That’s the beginning of the end for them.”
Dani couldn’t believe they were talking about baseball with so much at stake. But maybe it was their way of delaying the inevitable, continuing to live in their warm, safe bubble in each other’s arms for just a little while longer.
“Can you make it to the game tonight?”
“No, sorry. It’s my father’s birthday, and my mother’s making him a special dinner. I can’t miss it.”
He sucked in a breath. “How are they? Really?”
She didn’t know how to answer that. On the surface they seemed okay, but the loss of their only son never left them. It was like a chronic ache they’d learned to live with, trying their best to ignore it so they could live some semblance of a life. “They’re okay, I guess.”
Her father watched too much TV, according to her mother. Her mother volunteered too much of her time in an effort to stay busy, according to her father. Instead of finding solace in each other, they’d both looked elsewhere, making them virtual strangers except for their common pain.
“How do you think they’d react if I tried to apologize?”
She closed her eyes, trying to imagine how that scene would play out. Her father would shout, her mother would cry, and Ace would leave feeling even worse about her brother’s death, if that was possible. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“They need to know how sorry I am.”
They’re too bitter and resentful to believe you. “I should get ready for work. I have an early meeting with one of my clients and her mother.”
He grabbed her wrist before she could get up. “When can I see you again?”
“Um, I’m not sure.”
“Dani, please don’t tell me after what happened between us last night that you’re still questioning me.”
“You have to understand how hard this is for me,” she whispered, fighting back tears. “I know you’re sorry. I know you’d bring my brother back if you could. But I’m all my parents have left. If they found out I’m seeing you, it would feel like a slap in the face to them, like I’d dishonored Linc’s memory somehow.” She hated the flash of pain that crossed his face, but she had to be honest with him.
“So what are you saying? Where do we go from here?”
“I’m not sure. I just need a little time to think. Can you give me that?”
“Yeah, sure.” He sat up, giving her his back. “Take all the time you need.”
***
“Here you go, chica,” Ro said, handing Dani a cup of tea as soon as she walked into Dani’s reception area.
“You are an angel.” Dani froze when she remembered Ace calling her that last night when they were making love.
“What’s wrong?” Rosanna asked, frowning.
“I’m just a little tired, I guess,” she said, walking into her office with Ro hot on her heels.
“Didn’t sleep well?” Rosanna sat at the conference table in the corner of Dani’s office, setting down her tablet.
“I slept like a baby actually.” She debated whether to tell Rosanna about what happened, but in the end, she decided she needed advice from someone who cared to help her through this. “But I wasn’t alone.”
Rosanna’s jaw dropped. “Please tell me it wasn’t Mike. You said he was coming by to pick up his things. Did he convince you—”
“No! God, no!” Dani shook her head. “How can you even think I’d be stupid enough to take him back?”
“I’m sorry. I just know how vulnerable you’ve been since Ace…” A slow smile spread across her face. “It was Ace, wasn’t it? That’s who you were with last night?”
Dani shook her head slowly as color bloomed on her cheeks. “Am I crazy or what?”
“No, you’re not crazy.” Ro chuckled. “If you ask me, you’d be crazy to turn a guy like that down.”
“But he’s not just any guy,” Dani said, sitting across from her friend.
“I know that, honey.” Rosanna sighed. “But you deserve to be happy. I say if Ace makes you happy, you should go for it.”
“It’s not that simple and you know it. If my parents found out I was seeing Ace, it would crush them.”
“I know you do your best to look out for you parents, but you have every right to live your own life and do what makes you happy.” She took a sip of her coffee before asking, “So the question is, does Ace make you happy?”
“Yes.” He always had, but could she really just forgive and forget everything that had happened and ask her parents to do the same? “But talk about baggage, Ro. How the hell are we supposed to work through everything that happened? It seems impossible.” She rubbed her forehead. “It’s exhausting just thinking about it.”
“Relationships are never easy, you know that.” A tap on the door made Rosanna jump up. “Hey, Mom, I’m glad you’re here. I need you to help me convince Dani to give this hot new guy in her life a chance.”
Dani hadn’t told Ace that her client meeting was with Rosanna and her mother, mainly because she didn’t want him to ask her to reschedule so she could linger in bed with him a little longer. The more
time they spent together, the harder it was for her to deny the truth—she was falling for him all over again.
“Hey, Deb,” Dani said, getting up to give her second mother a hug and a kiss. “Don’t listen to her. We’re here to talk about your daughter’s wedding, not my love life.”
“I have time for both,” Debra said when Rosanna left the room to get her mother a cup of coffee. “So tell me, who is he?”
Debra was everything Dani’s mother wasn’t: positive, energetic, fun-loving. She exuded good vibes and people sensed it, making them gravitate to her.
Dani groaned. “You don’t want to know. I still can’t believe it myself.”
When Ro returned with the coffee, Debra said, “Thanks, honey.” Then she turned back to Dani, taking a seat between the two ladies and slipping off her pink cardigan to reveal a floral dress. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense, Danielle. Tell me who he is.”
When Dani didn’t say anything, Rosanna piped up. “Ace Phillips! Can you believe it? Dad’ll go crazy when you tell him.”
“Ace Phillips?” Debra repeated, looking at Dani for confirmation. “How did you meet him?”
“Actually, we knew each other back in high school.” She took a deep breath. “He was my brother’s best friend.”
“Your brother’s best friend?” Debra frowned. “But I thought you said your brother’s best friend was driving the car…” Her eyes widened when Dani nodded. “Oh my.”
“Yeah,” Dani said, sinking back in her chair. “So now you see my dilemma. My parents would never forgive me if they found out I was seeing him again.”
“Their feelings aside,” Debra said, leaning in as she curled her hands around her purple coffee mug, “how do you feel about him? I mean, have you gotten past everything that happened? Have you forgiven him?”
Debra was a religious woman who often preached to Dani and her family about the power of forgiveness, and while Dani knew there was merit to the healing power of forgiveness, she didn’t think her parents were open-minded enough to believe it.
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