Ace's Key: Book 1

by Abbie St. Claire

  “I don’t indulge in dessert very often, Katarina.”

  “Well, that just seems criminal, no wine, no dessert? What do you indulge in, Damon?”

  His eyes light up, and a wicked smile spreads across his face. “I can assure you that I indulge, however, my tastes are slightly more unconventional. I’m sure that they are very different from yours. Enjoy your chocolate,” he says in a dismissive way.

  “That sounds intriguing,” I say, wanting to explore the subject further.

  “Yes, it does, doesn’t it?” His wicked smile disappears as he sips his coffee. I get the feeling that we are not talking about dessert.

  Our conversation is interrupted as the master of ceremonies begins to talk. Damon leans over and whispers in my ear “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back.”

  He rises at the mention of his name and walks to the podium. I am completely mesmerized. He looks at ease and immediately takes control of the room. Not a sound is heard throughout the ballroom; everyone is waiting to hear what Damon Noble has to say.

  “Ladies and gentleman, thank you for coming out to dinner tonight. This fundraiser is near and dear to my heart. Over 10,000 children and young adults are diagnosed with some form of cancer each year. The five-year survival rate has increased from fifty-eight percent to nearly eighty percent since 1970. Your generous donations to research keep us moving forward in our search for a cure. I stand before you and ask you to give generously. Your dollar could be the one that saves a life.”

  Damon steps down from the podium; the thunderous sound of applause is deafening. The master of ceremonies steps up to take his place.

  “We hope that you have enjoyed your dinner tonight. I want to personally thank, Mr. Noble, and his mother, Rose, for their commitment to Los Angeles General Hospital, and their continued support of cancer research. Please stay and enjoy the live music and dancing.”

  So, Rose is Damon’s mother. The information bounces back and forth in my head. Looking at her, I can see the resemblance between the two. She has similar blue eyes, although her son’s are brighter and bluer. Her hair looks almost silver, but I can see that it was probably a very light blond when she was a younger woman. Feeling warmth spread across my back, I turn and find him staring at me. Can someone actually warm you with a look?

  “Damon. Katarina. I will be leaving you to enjoy the music. It’s been my pleasure to meet you young lady.” Looking straight into Damon’s eyes, his mother says, “I would like to see her again.” Damon leans forward and kisses his mother’s cheek. “Good night mother, I’ll talk to you soon.”

  After Rose leaves, I ask Damon, “Why didn’t you tell me she was your mother?” It seems odd that he didn’t introduce her as such.

  “It didn’t seem important at the time.” He shrugs my question off with a tip of his shoulders.

  “I like her, she’s very nice.”

  “She has her moments. Would you like to dance?” He stands and pulls me up next to him. Shocked by his invitation, I am left speechless and a bit confused. I was certain the night had ended,, and I would be sent on my way.

  “You do dance, don’t you?” His eyes raise in question.

  “Of course I dance. I didn’t suffer through two years of ballroom dancing for nothing. My mother guaranteed me that each time Jimmy Horner stepped on my toes, there would be a payoff later in life.”

  Damon escorts me onto the dance floor, where he takes control. He twirls and dips me until I’m dizzy. Expecting to stay for a song or two, I am shocked when Damon insists that we stay longer. Damon pulls me close to his chest as the song ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ by Michael Buble is played. We dance in the center of a crowd, and yet I feel that Damon and I are the only people in the room. For the next two hours, there is nothing but him and I.

  “Are you ready to leave, Katarina? I think we have outlasted nearly everyone here.” I look around and see that we are the last couple remaining in the room. The band is packing up and the hotel staff is tearing down the room around us.

  “I didn’t even notice how late it was. I had such a lovely time. Thank you. I’ll regret this tomorrow when I have to be up at six for work, but for now I’ll bask in the glow of contentment.” Sadly, I feel like Cinderella just before the clock strikes midnight. I’ve met prince charming and I can’t have him.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I’m also glad that I had the opportunity to meet you. As my mother mentioned earlier, you are a breath of fresh air.”

  We walk out the front door and down the steps. The car is waiting and I’m expecting him to help me in and send me on my way. I enter the car and situate myself for the ride home. Knowing that Damon will close the door, and I will ride home alone, I remove my shoes from my aching feet. Damon remains standing with the door open. He peeks in the car to see me and then stands up and steps back. The door begins to close. I feel a sense of sadness as it shuts. Just before the latch clicks, I hear a groan and the door is opened wide. Damon enters, and takes a seat beside me.

  “I thought we already said goodbye,” I say. He sits so close to me that his body is touching mine from shoulder to thigh.

  “Is it okay if I escort you home? I’m not ready to let you go yet.” Damon closes his eyes and rubs his forehead. This is the first time that I have seen his confidence waiver. Holding his breath his cheeks blow out as he releases the air in his lungs. “I don’t normally do this, I usually just send my companions home on their own.”

  “I heard that. I also heard that we would be leaving hours ago. I’m glad we stayed though, it would have been a shame to get all dressed up and not dance.”

  Looking down at my discarded shoes he asks, “Do your feet hurt?”

  “Yes, I’m pretty sure high heels were designed by a man. They look great on, but after several hours of standing in them they tend to get uncomfortable.”

  Damon slides back slightly to make room and then reaches down to grab both of my feet. He shifts my body so that my feet are in his lap. His long skilled fingers begin to rub the soreness out. The feeling is divine. I let out a satisfied groan as he massages the balls of both of my feet.

  “What if I asked you to accompany me again someday? Would you be interested?” He leans forward, quirks his brow and smiles at me.

  “Damon, I’m not the escort, I’m the fill in. I only did this because my best friend needed my help. I’m sure that Emma will never double book again.”

  “Katarina, I don’t want Emma, I want you, and I’m willing to pay you for your time.” At the mention of money, Damon stops rubbing my feet and pulls out his wallet. He flips through his money and pulls out several hundred-dollar bills. Folding the money in half, he places it in my palm. The crisp bills feel uncomfortable in my hand. Although they are new, they somehow make my hand feel dirty. Before he can put his wallet away, I hand the bills back to him.

  Pulling my feet from his lap, I resume my sitting position next to him. “Thanks for a lovely evening, but I can’t take your money. It’s just not me. Emma may be able to justify selling her time for money, but it makes me feel dirty. I’m flattered that you would like me to escort you again, but I’m not that girl.”

  His face lowers in a look of disappointment as he nods in affirmation. “I understand. You’re a candy and flowers type of girl; walks in the park and movies with popcorn. Am I right?”

  “You are so good at summing me up in so few words. I wish I was different, but I want the popcorn and movies.”

  “Yes, but sadly, I’m not that guy. Out of curiosity, what are your prerequisites for dating?”

  I ponder this for a few moments and respond, “You can’t be a serial killer, and you must have nice teeth.”

  “Wow, nice teeth? You’re standards are pretty high there, Ms. Cross.”

  “A girl has to has to set the bar somewhere.” He thinks I’m joking, but nice teeth are important to me. He has a beautiful set of pearly whites.

  We both lean back against the seat and sit in s
ilence for the remainder of the trip. I think about how nice dating Damon would be before I fall asleep with my head on his shoulder. “Katarina? Wake up. We’re at your house.” I slowly open my eyes and realize that I am nearly wrapped around his body.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.” I feel awful and I also feel cheated. I wasted fifteen minutes of time sleeping, when I could have spent them with this man.

  “No worries. You’re exhausted. Work and school can be quite taxing.”

  He walks me to my door and kisses me gently on my forehead. As he turns to leave, he says, “Call your mom and tell her thank you for the dance lessons. I had a great time. Take care of yourself, Katarina.”

  Emma opens the door and yanks me in. “Where have you been?” Her voice is almost frantic. “I was so worried about you. I thought that maybe you had an accident. You know how people drive in L.A.”

  “I’m fine, contrary to your belief, Damon does like to dance. We stayed and closed the place down. He was a perfect gentleman and I really enjoyed myself. Thanks, Emma, I never thought I could have so much fun.”

  “You like him, don’t you?” She is standing in front of me with her hands on her hips trying to act concerned, but she hasn’t been home very long herself. She’s still wearing the blue dress.

  “Yes, I like him, but he’s way out of my league. I’m not an escort, and I would have a tough time separating my feelings from my job. How do you do it, Em?”

  “I’ve never connected with any of my clients. I have been attracted to some, but ultimately I have never felt anything more than a tingle between my legs.”

  I blush at her candor, but it is one of the things I love about her. She is an open book and she always tells it like it is.

  “He asked me to accompany him again,” I mention.

  “Really? What did you say?”

  “I told him that I wasn’t the escort, I was the fill in, and if he needed a companion in the future, he should call you.”

  “I watched you two tonight, and there’s something there. I don’t think you’ve seen the last of Damon Noble. He’s into you. Actually, he probably wants to get into you.” She bursts out laughing at her own ribald joke as I wave her off and head to bed. Six o’clock will come much too soon.

  Just Dessert

  Coming in May, 2014