They were settled in her mother’s house but he was still fuming. How had she survived a so many years of living with that woman? She must have run for her life the day she turned eighteen. Caroline had not relented in her insults and Lucy had not agreed to leave the hospital until he had pled exhaustion. His dad might have been gone most of the time, but he had at least loved Ace. He wasn’t sure the same could be said of Lucy’s mother.
“Will you get angry if I want to leave after everything you did to get me here?” Lucy asked out of the blue.
“No, of course not. I’ll even hold your hand tomorrow while you tell the dragon.” She slumped in relief at his words. “But,” he added, “you‘ll never forgive yourself if you leave before making sure she is properly cared for.”
Groaning, she admitted, “I know, but I had forgotten how much this place sucks all the happiness from me.”
“Just wait one more day,” he cajoled. “I‘ve called in reinforcements.”
“Who?” she asked, wary.
“You’ll see,” he answered mysteriously.
“No, please,” she begged, “my mother can be really nasty when she puts her mind to it. I’d rather no one else had to deal with that.”
“Don’t worry,” he told her, “this is an expert in dealing with difficult people."
Sparky Sparks was even more outrageous-looking than his son was, and his name was strangely fitting. Even though Lucy had seen him on television, nothing had prepared her for the real life version of him. He was built like a bull, seeming to fill the room, and his eyes sparkled with devilment. Pulling her into his embrace, he hugged her tightly, making her glow inside. She didn’t like people to touch her, but he felt so much like a parent, she had been drawn in right away. Lowering his voice where only she could hear he told her, “My son has never asked a favor of me. Thank you.” Pulling away, he said loudly, “Now where’s my victim, I mean patient?”
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?’ she asked, unsure of what to expect.
“Of course. I’ll have her back on her feet and taking over the world before you know it.”
“Alright,” she said weakly. Then she squared her shoulders, leading the way into her mother’s room. “Hey Mom. How are you feeling today?”
Caroline ignored Lucy’s question, instead asking, “Who is this guy?”
“This is Sparky Sparks, Ace’s father. He‘s come to help you with your recovery.” Waving an arm at her mom, she told Sparky, “This is my mother, Caroline Worthington.”
They were opposites in every way. Sparky had hair that was part red, part yellow, and all spiked. His clothes were stretched to their limits across his broad body. Her mother was reed thin with slightly graying hair. She also looked like the cat that had eaten the canary. She obviously relished the thought of having a new person to bring to their knees.
“What kind of name is 'Sparky'?” Caroline asked haughtily.
“A good American one,” he answered, sounding so much like Ace that Lucy couldn’t help but smile. Taking the seat next to Caroline’s bed, he told her, “From what I understand, you’ve really let yourself go.” At Caroline’s horrified gasp, he continued, “But don’t worry. I’m on the case now, and we’ll have you whipped back into shape in no time.”
“Whipped back into shape?” Caroline echoed in a horrified whisper. Then to Lucy she asked, “Why is he here, really?”
Sparky smiled brightly. “Your daughter loves you, and she wants you healthy. Now as soon as the doctor has cleared you to start your new exercise regimen, we’ll start working on your heart. We’ll also be working on those flabby buns.”
Lucy was forced cover her mouth in order to smother her giggles. Ace was watching his feet, but she could tell by the set of his shoulders that he was laughing.
Her mother had taken on a wooden look, her back as straight as an arrow.
Reaching down between his feet, Sparky pulled a clipboard from his briefcase.
Looking over the top of his paperwork, he asked, “You’re about seventy, right?”
“I’m fifty-five,” she answered in a hollow voice.
“Okay, just so you realize that I’m not a miracle worker or a plastic surgeon.”
That was the last Lucy could take. Spinning on her heel, she retreated to the hall where she could give in to her laughter. She felt Ace move up behind her. “What’s he doing now?” she asked without turning.
“Probably trying to sell her a juicer,” he answered, wrapping his arms around her. She allowed her head to fall back onto his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she absorbed his heat.
“She’ll never forgive me for this,” she told him.
“It’s for her own good. Nobody can bully like my dad, but if it makes you feel better, think of it as tough love.”
Turning in his arms, she hugged him, asking, “How long will he stay?”
“Until she’s better or he can find someone to take over her treatment.”
“Thank you so much for this. Can we go home now?”
“Gladly,” he answered, his relief evident.
CHAPTER THREE
Panic was rising in Ace’s chest. He should have sent Lucy to Washington alone. He should have stayed behind to get in a few more days of practice. He felt as if he was scrambling and it was psyching him out. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, but doubt had set in and that was a fighter's worst enemy. He had won two rounds, but he had lost two, and they were down to the final round. He had gotten a couple of good kicks in, but the guy was hammering him. Keeping score in his head, he knew when the blow landed that lost him the fight.
Lucy watched the door for Ace while trying to act as if she wasn’t.
“He’s not coming,” Paul told her when she looked up for the hundredth time.
“Who?” she asked feigning ignorance.
At Paul’s knowing look, she sighed, “Fine. I bite. Why isn’t he coming?” she asked, giving in to her curiosity.
“He fought last night, and Bryant doesn’t allow people to train for five days after a fight. Your body needs time to heal, and he doesn’t want to risk aggravating any injuries sustained during a match.”
Lucy gasped. “He had a match last night?” At Paul’s nod, she added, “I didn’t know.”
“I’m not surprised. Ace keeps to himself. The only reason I know about it is because I had gone to size up the competition for my next match up and I caught his.”
“You saw it?” she gasped out. “Did he win?” she asked hopefully.
Paul shook his head, “It’s was a near thing, though.”
Lucy’s chest tightened. As ridiculous as it seemed, she hated knowing he had been alone when he lost. She mumbled her thanks to Paul and went in search of Bryant.
“I need Ace’s home address,” Lucy said without preamble when she found him.
Bryant showed no surprise at Lucy bursting into his office or her request. Instead, he said, “I don’t know, Luce, a loss is hard for most guys to swallow, but for Ace it’s even worse. I’d give him a few days to calm down first.”
“I’ll wait,” she lied.
“No, you won’t,” he grumbled, but still he wrote down the address. “He lives in a gated community.”
“Of course he does,” Lucy said dryly.
“So,” Bryant continued over her sarcasm, “you’ll need this code that’s written on the bottom to get past the gate.”
Lucy snatched the paper triumphantly. “Thank you so much. I’ll never forget this.”
“Yeah, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She smiled cheekily at his wry tone as she skipped from the room.
The house was gorgeous, but Lucy stilled breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of it. Considering everything else she had seen of his, she had almost expected a mansion. When it turned out only to be a large house, it was a pleasant surprise. Parking in the driveway, she followed the sidewalk around to the front stoop. The walls were stone and she spent a few minutes admiring the high arched
windows before ringing the bell. Ace answered wearing only a pair of old workout shorts. Every other delectable inch of him was bared to her, including his toes. He propped his forearm against the door frame. “Hey,” he grunted down at her.
“Hey,” she said back absently, while staring at his pierced nipples.
As the silence stretched on, Ace sighed. “Come on in,” he said, sounding more as if he’d rather throw her into the street. He turned to lead the way, showing her his back. It was covered with a large tattoo of a hand of cards, all aces.
The cards flexed with the muscles in his back as he moved with a panther-like grace across the floor. She barely took notice of any of the furnishings as they passed them by. His body kept her in thrall. He’d led her into a sitting room, but he made no move to sit.
“Are you okay?” she asked tentatively.
“Of course I am. I still get to live in the house my dad paid for, drive the car he bought me, take his plane anywhere in the world I want to go. What difference does one loss make, right?” he answered snidely.
Her brow furrowed in confusion. “You make all that sound like a bad thing. Do you have any idea how blessed you are? You don’t have to worry that one day you’ll be homeless or if your father loves you. He showers you with it.” She didn’t want to be jealous of that, but a small part of her was. Her own father had run for his life when she had been two years old, leaving her with a bitter mother who’d tried to crush her at every turn.
Ace made a sound of disgust, then looked at the ceiling. “See this is exactly what I didn’t want. I didn’t want to be distracted by someone else’s bullshit, because I knew it would hurt my career, and it did. I don’t want someone in my life lecturing me about how damn lucky I am, but here you are. I should have fucked you and got you out of my system instead of letting you suck me into your problems. If I had, then I would have been here training like I should have been instead of screwing around in Washington.”
Oh, that hurt. She felt herself flinch at his words. She knew disappointment fueled his anger, causing him to lash out, but that didn’t make it hurt any less or make it any less true. Hurt and longing pooled together and made a volatile mixture inside of her.
“Fuck me and get me out of your system, huh?” she asked, allowing her temper to show.
She saw a flash of regret cross his face before he quickly masked it. She began pacing the floor in front of him, her anger increasing with each pass. Watching her feet, she thought, Even his carpet is wonderful. Damn him, why couldn’t he appreciate that he had been given all of this? Why couldn’t he appreciate that he had her? Coming to a decision, she stopped, standing toe to toe with him. “Fine. You want me out of your system? Well, I want you out of mine! Plus, I owe you right? Since I sucked you into my problems and screwed up your chances of winning.”
“What are you trying to say?” he asked, nostrils flaring.
“Get me out of your system,” she taunted.
Acting so quickly that she almost didn’t see the motion, he reached, snagging her shirt. He towed her towards him, his eyes flashing with anger. “You don’t know what you’re asking for. I’m not some mid-west choir boy you can toy with, and I’m in no mood to play games. Be damn sure that this is what you want because I won’t take it easy on you.”
A spark of fear tried to ignite inside of her but she stamped it down. Any sense of self preservation she had went out the window at the thought of losing this chance. She knew deep down that if she backed down now she’d never get another shot. So against all good judgment, she closed the distance between them. Going up onto her toes, she whispered, “I’m not afraid,” before she melded her lips with his.
His kiss was hot and blatantly carnal. “You’re a fool,” he told her against her skin as he began tugging the clothes from her body.
She pushed his shorts downward, saying, “Truer words have never been spoken.” Those were her last coherent words for a good long while. He’d been deadly serious in his intent. He hadn’t lied about not being easy on her, and as much as she had feared just that, she reveled in it when the time came. He pulled her to the floor, licking every bare inch of her skin leaving her panting and crying out for him. She’d always wondered about the tongue piercing, but no more. Never would she have begged for any man, but for this man she knew she would be shameless and when it was over, she’d just be shamed. She knew it all; she couldn’t claim ignorance. It didn’t matter because right now, in this moment, he was all that mattered. When begging him to stop his torture didn’t work, she was forced to take control of the situation by forcing him onto his back. She crawled up his body stopping at the spots she found interesting along the way. He made no attempt to hide his passion for her. He sucked in a hiss when she got to a tender spot, and he moaned aloud when she hit a spot he clearly enjoyed. But Lucy was after her own prize so taking him in hand she guided him towards her and began slowly taking him in inch by inch. Throwing her head back, she panted for breath and Ace took control. Twisting until she was underneath him, he hooked her leg over his hip thrusting forward with a force that caused her to slide upward. Lucy dug her elbows down into the carpet to keep herself in place. There was a twinge of pain letting her know she was getting carpet burn, but she didn’t care; the pleasure over rode any pain. She came so quickly it caught her by surprise, ripping a scream from her throat, but Ace was nowhere near being finished with her. Moving away, he turned her onto her stomach then reentered her in one swift motion. She made a mewling sound that she couldn’t stop. She tried but every time she snapped her mouth closed, he thrust deeply, leaving her moaning again. Finally, she gave up and gave herself over to the pleasure. He swirled his tongue around the back of her neck causing a tingle at the tip of her spine. So much pleasure was washing over her, making her lightheaded. When he sent her over the edge once more, she swore the world went black for a second. His grip tightened on her arms almost painfully. As he found his own release, a sound came from deep inside his chest, causing her heart to skip a beat. She had caused him to make that noise. It was as empowering as it was heartbreaking.
They stayed on the floor for hours before moving to his bedroom sometime in the night. He had done things that made her blush and others that had stolen her heart. It was a hell of her own making and she had to get out. There was no way she could have known the way her heart would shatter. She wanted to curl into him. She wanted to fall asleep in his arms, but she knew what the morning would bring. He would look at her with something she couldn’t stand. Not hatred, or remorse, but something much worse: indifference. She would retreat to the life of solitude she’d known for the past couple of years, but she allowed herself one more moment of watching him. She wanted the memory of his sleep-softened face to be burned forever into her memory. Once she was sure she’d never forget, she slipped from the bed and into the night.
A shaft of sunlight fell across his face, waking him from a dreamless sleep. He laid there in confusion before the night's events slammed into him with perfect clarity. He knew before he looked that she was gone. It had been in her touch the last time he had reached for her. He could feel her pulling away from him, keeping a part of her from him. He wanted to tell himself that it was for the best, but right now, it didn’t feel that way. This was what he had really been scared of: loving someone else who left him alone.
CHAPTER FOUR
Five long weeks had passed without Ace in her life. She felt the loss of him so keenly in her heart that she continually caught herself reaching up to rub her chest in an attempt to work out the pain there. This is what came of her wanting things. She’d gained a night of memories, but she’d lost a friend. If he hadn’t hated her before he would now. She’d immersed herself in work trying to pretend nothing had happened, but now she couldn’t avoid the truth any longer. With old files and paperwork stacked precariously around her, she tried to decide what she should do. That’s how Parker found her when she came into the office that day.
“Why ar
e you crying? Did something else happen with your mom?” Parker asked, her concern evident.
Lucy stared at her blankly before she remembered her mom. “Oh, no,” she answered absently. She swiped at the tears that she had barely noticed were falling. It seemed as if she had cried so much in her life that she shouldn’t have any tears left. Did a person have a limit? she wondered.
Parker moved to her side and wrapped Lucy into her embrace, asking, “What’s happened?”
Lucy leaned into her, recognizing it for the rare occurrence that it was for Parker. “I’m so stupid,” she admitted in a small voice.
She was avoiding him. He couldn’t hide from the truth any longer. He’d been coming to the club twice as often as usual hoping to catch her, but she hadn’t been there. He knew he could search her out. It was not as if he didn’t know where she lived and worked, but it smacked too much of begging to hunt her down. Realizing he was staring at the door again, he went back to practicing when the sound of raised voices caught his attention. He saw Parker moving in his direction. Her stride was purposeful but he didn’t understand her intention until his head was snapping back from the impact of her right hook. Luckily for him, Walt snatched her from behind with a force that brought her feet off the ground, saving him from further damage.
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