She held his gaze and refused to back down at the cold amusement in his eyes. The loud, slow tick of the windup alarm clock filled the room. He may not like it, but passion flared in his eyes, convincing her that he, too, remembered the hot sex they’d once shared.
He came toward her in the dim light. “People will talk,” he whispered.
The sexy huskiness in his voice sent a thrill straight to her belly. “You think I give a damn?”
“You sure?”
“I’m tired of the way we’ve been circling each other. We’re adults now. We know what we want.”
His mouth curved into a smile. “Hot sex?”
She shook off the feeling that the smile held a hint of sadness. “You remember. Back then it was more than that.”
He knelt on the floor beside the bed and stroked her cheek with fingers still cold from being outdoors. “And now?”
“I don’t know,” she lied.
Ace captured her hand and brought it to his lips. Her breath hitched at the wet warmth of his tongue on her palm. He released her wrist and kneaded her shoulders. “You’re beautiful. Back then you were a girl. Now you’re a woman.”
“And you’re now a man, no longer a boy.”
His mouth twisted in a half smile before he buried his face in her hair. He trembled against her. The hands clutching her body gave away his need. Did they have another chance at love?
Ace trailed kisses down her neck to the necklace that hung in her cleavage before returning to her mouth. His kiss held the same hint of sadness as she’d seen in his smile. The kind of kiss that had once seen a hot fire and now hoped to fan the burning embers.
She drank in his kisses, an occasional moan of pleasure escaping. Just when she thought she’d explode from want, his fingers burrowed beneath the blankets and closed around her hips. She kicked off the covers, craving cool air on her overheated skin. Ace bent and trailed his tongue across her navel.
Need overwhelmed her. She swallowed the sob that rose in her throat. “Ace, please.” Her fingers clutched wildly at his hair.
Without warning, he tugged her to the floor. She scrambled to her knees so they knelt, facing each other. Her stomach somersaulted at the intense hunger in his eyes. Their gazes locked. Her heart beat in time with his erection throbbing against her.
Ace feared detonation any second. His erection pounded, demanding release. He forced himself to loosen his tight grip on Brenna’s shoulders. Surely, she’d have bruises. Such soft skin, never meant to be treated harshly.
His body screamed to hurry and plunge deep inside this woman clinging to him as if she’d die if he didn’t. His brain sang a different chorus.
“Been there, done that, jerk. Look where it got you the last time.”
“This time’s different.”
“Right. That’s what they all say.”
“Ace?” Brenna’s soft voice interrupted the mind battle, and he realized he’d stiffened in her arms.
“No talk,” he muttered and claimed her mouth, toppling her to the floor. The floor better suited his mood.
His lips feathered her belly, tasting the slightly salty skin. In the yellow glow of the kerosene lantern, he focused on the myriad of thin, spidery scars above her bikini panties. From carrying their child. Joy and pride rushed to his head and quickly vanished, as cold anger pumped through his bloodstream. She’d tossed their daughter to the wolves. Given the infant away without even a glance. Ace rolled away.
“What’s wrong?” Brenna’s hoarse voice revealed her hot arousal. “Ace?”
The small hand touching his shoulder burned. He shook it off and got to his feet. “I can’t do this. There’s too much bad history between us.”
Brenna got to her knees. “That’s not true. We can work around the past. As long as we’re together, anything is possible. Don’t make me responsible for what my father did.”
Was she crazy? The Brenna he’d known would never act like giving away their child was of no consequence.
“Ace?” He focused on her face. Confusion dimmed the warmth in her eyes. God she was beautiful. He still wanted her. Wanted to grab the hand she stretched toward him and pick up where they left off.
His words came out more brutal than he’d intended. “No. It’s impossible.”
“I don’t understand. Why are you so hostile? It’s almost as if you hate me.”
“Hostile? Believe me, you don’t know the meaning of the word.”
She maneuvered away from him, leaned against the bed and hugged her knees, head slightly bent. “Get out. I want to be alone.”
His fingers itched to stroke the graceful shape of her bowed neck and tangle themselves in the black silk of her hair. For long moments he simply stared, then without a word, he left her.
Outside, Ace pressed his forehead against a tree trunk and gulped the cold night air. The frigid temperatures soon brought him to his senses. He’d been unfair, both to himself and to Brenna. She must know why he was so bitter. He had a hard time understanding why she didn’t know already, but if she needed to hear the words, he’d give them to her. Pushing away from the tree, he walked back inside.
He entered the cabin and moved to where she still sat on the floor. “How could you give away my child?”
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The Enchanted Inn Page 10