“I won’t hit you, I promise.”
His smile widened and it softened the very rough edge of his chiseled jaw. His cheeks and chin were darkened with stubble and his unruly hair won the struggle against being held back. More strands fell over his eyes.
Ace took a step forward and then another one, until he stood right in front of her. He lifted a hand and touched a lock of her hair before pushing it back behind her ear. The move made his calloused fingers touch the top of her ear and she shivered.
“I don’t know if it was your song or the way you dress, maybe it was even the way you hit, but I haven’t been able to get you outta my head since the first instant I saw you.”
His breath played over her face, his nose only a few inches away from hers as she became mesmerized by him—a man who at first had seemed so average, yet proved to be mysterious. He was striking in a way she’d never imagined a man could be and she’d had plenty of men in her life. Seducing men of many walks of life was another part of the job, one she hadn’t been expected to fulfill since being promoted. But the memories of some things never faded.
The way he made her feel was different too. He didn’t seem to see her as an object or a piece of meat he’d paid for in order to satisfy him in some way.
“Well, what do you think?”
Ely didn’t trust herself to answer. The way she felt right now, she could say just about any ridiculous thing that popped into her head or nothing at all. She thought it better not to tempt fate and instead pushed his hair away from his face so she could press her lips against his.
Ace responded instantly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling the front of her body flush with his. Still wearing her heels, she was only a few inches shorter than he.
She snaked her arms around his shoulders, her fingers lost in what was left of his curly ponytail. Pulling the leather cord away from his hair, it spilled over his shoulders. She lost her fingertips in his curls and her mouth in his kisses. The softness he’d exerted at the market was abandoned. Their kisses were long and rough, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. His tongue plunged in and out of her mouth. His hands followed the curve down to her hips.
She didn’t stop him. Not even when his fingers started to gather the slinky fabric of her dress up along her hips and she felt exposed. He stopped for a second, glaring into the mirror, and his breath came faster.
Ely knew what he’d discovered. “I don’t like having panty lines on my dresses.”
“That explains it,” he said, sounding short of breath. His hands massaged her bare cheeks, forcing her even closer to him. “You’re so fucking perfect. How does someone have such flawless skin…everywhere?”
Ace held her ass tight and lifted her onto the dresser. Several things rolled and tumbled off the sides but neither of them cared. Her legs were now spread out in front of him and the warm air around them climbed up between her legs, only enticing and putting her in the mood. He kissed her, his tongue stabbing into hers as his fingers once again traced the line of her dress. This time he paused on one of her breasts and massaged it with his palm. Her nipple hardened at his touch but he continued downward, his fingers tracing a warm line down the inside of her thigh and gradually moving inward. When his fingertips caressed her sex, she shivered and a moan escaped her.
“You feel so silky. I just want to see if it feels the same everywhere.” His fingers were suddenly between her legs, dipping into her slick walls. He was exciting her, making her so horny she could hardly breathe properly. Having his fingers inside her wasn’t doing anything to calm her breath. “Mmmm, yeah, it feels the same.” His thumb stroked her clitoris and she shuddered.
It had been a long time since anyone had touched her there. Jenks wasn’t the kind of lover who wasted time on getting his partner off. Well, only the first time. The first time he’d seduced her on the way to this planet of his, he’d made her climax with his fingers and mouth so many times she’d been positive that maybe the sacrifice of being swept off-planet would be worth it for a life of constant pleasure.
Yet, even then, his touch had never felt like this.
Ace dipped his fingers inside her, drew them out, back in again, all to the rhythm of his mouth. With every stroke within her, his tongue mimicked the motion until she held on so tight to his shoulders she was positive she would bruise him. She cried out as an orgasm rose to the surface and hung there, bubbling and ready to overflow. After another rub of his thumb, she screamed out. The sensations raced up and down in every direction across her body, but the feeling of pleasure didn’t fade because as soon as she’d come, Ace entered her.
She’d been so blinded by the orgasm that she hadn’t even noticed him pulling down his pants. Yet, there he was, thick and hard inside her, pushing in and out at a steady but gentle pace, rocking the dresser. She tightened her grip around his neck and kissed him, dominating each stroke of their tongues this time.
“I want to make you scream,” he whispered in her ear, sniffing her hair. “I need to make you scream.”
She wanted him to know she was screaming on the inside but couldn’t speak. She pressed her face to the nook of his shoulder and enjoyed each new thrust.
Ace gripped her ass tighter, keeping them so close that another orgasm sprang out of nowhere. She angled her hips to maximize the sensation and rode it, crying out louder than she’d intended. Her toes curled from the insanity of it.
Ace threw his head back and howled. His movements had ceased but he was still inside her. When the howl stopped, he met her eyes and they were shiny and darker than they were before. Something looked different about his face, almost as if the bone structure had shifted slightly, making him look more angular. The long curls framing his face only added to the look, but instead of scaring her, it made her want him even more.
“Ely,” he whispered. Ace pressed his face against her chest and kissed her skin. “Oh, Ely, what have you done to me?”
“The same thing you did to me.” She tried to calm her breathing but it was no use. Not when he was still so close. She didn’t want to let him go.
He held her face in his hands and said, “I’ll never forget this.”
“Neither will I.” Who forgot explosive orgasms? She could count them on one hand, and this one had hit the top of the list.
He squeezed her face in his palms. “You don’t understand. Ely, I’m not like other guys. Now that we’ve done this…” Ace looked away, lifted his face as if listening to something she couldn’t hear yet. He sniffed the air. “I just want you to know that I now consider you mine. This won’t be our first and last time together. I’m coming back for you.”
“Why do you have to come back? Don’t go anywhere, you’re here right now.” The possessiveness in his words and tone should’ve made her angry. The fact Jenks considered her a possession to conquer enraged her, but somehow, what this man had said didn’t bother her. Was it because she was so far from the arena and the influence of her boss? Or was it something else, something deeper than she’d ever experienced before?
Ace kissed her softly and held on tight. “I have to go now.” He looked over his shoulder and called, “Colt, Brynn, don’t come in, I’ll be out in a second.” Ace turned back to Ely and kissed her again. “My friends are here. We’ve got some business to take care of tonight but after that, I’ll be back. Nothing will keep me away now that I know how you feel.”
She looked over his shoulder, just now noticing the shadows in the corridor.
Shit, anyone could’ve dropped in and interrupted their encounter. The door was still mostly open and Tan always lurked outside, but she hadn’t cared.
Ace stepped back, untangling himself from her arms and slipping out from between her legs. He zipped his jeans up and kissed her one more time before he walked out the door without another word.
Ely jumped off the dresser and headed for the tiny bathroom, still trying to figure out what he’d meant. How could Ace know how she felt when she had no idea?
All she knew for sure was that the experience had come and gone too quickly.
She knew she wasn’t supposed to be riding on this cloud of pleasure and should be concentrating on the way he’d howled when he’d come. But, at the moment, bliss was the only emotion she wanted to feel. It felt right and natural.
I deserve that much.
As she passed by the couch, she noticed the cowboy hat was still sitting on the table. She’d forgotten to give it back to him. Oh well, maybe she was meant to keep it for a while longer.
After all, he said he would be back.
Chapter Six
“I’m ready for this, what about you guys?” Colt slapped Ace on the back, almost making him lose his balance. “Nothing’s going to stop us now.” He grabbed Brynn around the waist and kissed her hard on the lips. When he stepped back, he looked from Ace to Brynn with a confused expression on his face. “Well, what’s up with you two? You’re not ready? ’Cause this is our big chance to right some wrongs.”
“Sure, I’m ready,” Brynn said with a slow nod. “But I’m not as enthusiastic as you are. Make sure your enthusiasm doesn’t turn into cockiness and gets us into more trouble than we can handle.”
Colt draped an arm loosely over her shoulder. “Brynn, you’re talkin’ to me.”
“I know. That’s what I’m worried about.” She shook him off and hit his arm. He faked being hurt with a groan and a grin.
Ace tried not to laugh but caught Colt’s attention anyway. The cowboy said, “Are you sure you’re up to it? What were you and the singer doing in her dressing room earlier, anyway?”
“Colt, that’s none of your business,” Brynn said with her mouth gaping. “Don’t answer him, Ace.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going there. I refuse to answer any of your prying questions.” Ace stood up off the rickety chair inside Brynn and Colt’s motel room. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned. These two might like to make as much noise as they could when making love and not care what others heard, but he was keeping his mouth shut about his personal business.
What had happened in Ely’s dressing room was his to chew over. No one else needed to know how satisfying it had been.
“I thought I heard you howl. I’m just trying to figure out if you were in pain, buddy.” Colt flashed a toothy grin. “That’s all.”
“I wasn’t in pain.” Yet, he was in a mild state of obsession at the moment because he couldn’t shake the experience. He longed to touch Ely again, but next time he didn’t want to rush things. Ace needed to taste every bit of her—to satisfy the man and the beast. The need was so deep that his skin itched.
“How sweet, you’re a gentleman,” Brynn said with a smile. She turned to her lover and pouted. “Maybe you could take a lesson or two from him, Colt. You like to flaunt what we do in the bedroom.”
He shrugged. “What? Is it wrong to be proud of who I’m with and what we do?”
“You’re an exhibitionist.”
“Maybe I am, but you don’t seem to mind—”
“Okay, guys,” Ace interrupted, raising his hands in the air. This discussion could go on for hours, and they didn’t have that kind of time. They needed to get in and out of the Clash Arena on schedule, while co-coordinating a successful escape for everyone within its cavernous interior. If they didn’t get there within the hour, they’d have to hang around this shitty planet for another week.
Not that he’d mind spending more time chasing after Ely.
Don’t think about her, don’t think about her… Too late. An erection lengthened inside his pants as the memory of taking her raced through his mind for the hundredth time since it had happened only hours ago. She was so delicious to look at and even better to taste and touch, and stick his… Okay, you need to cool down. What was the point of reminding Brynn and Colt to focus on their mission if he couldn’t do the same?
“Let’s go through everything one last time,” he added quickly, turning away so neither would notice his painful erection.
Earlier, they’d returned to the market for some last-minute supplies. Colt and Brynn had purchased two horses for Ace and Brynn to use. They were already positioned in a back alley, ready for their getaway.
The main part of their plan revolved around Colt maneuvering Maine’s ship directly into the arena successfully, without anyone knowing it wasn’t Maine inside. If he managed to go undetected, he could plant the first explosive device, and then infect the ship’s computer with a virus that would spread to every terminal in the arena. All computers, communications and most cameras would be disabled.
After Maine’s ship blew, the cowboy would make his way to the upper floors of the arena attaching other explosive devices to the walls, while Ace and Brynn did the same below. It was Ace’s responsibility to get to the dungeons and enter the actual arena so he could plant his lot of devices. Whether he ended up culling more of the Recast and the other prisoners below wasn’t his aim. The main thing was to bring down the arena, burn it to the ground so that all the technology, as well as the venue in this pathetic and barbaric place was destroyed.
Once that happened, the fighting pit would be demolished. But more importantly, there would be no more imprisoned Recast to dump on Harrow.
Without Maine to coordinate a defense plan, the arena and its personnel would be useless. This would make it easier for Brynn to ensure she got all the staff out of the place before it exploded, and Colt could do the same with the audience. All Ace had to do was secure as many explosive devices as he could.
At least, that was the plan.
Colt had also purchased a small two-person ship from the markets and stashed it on the outskirts of the desert to get them off-planet when everything was done. The cowboy certainly knew how to plan an in-and-out operation. It was probably why he’d been so successful wrangling Recast across the galaxy.
Whatever the outcome, he was ready to do this.
Brynn was talking, but Ace hadn’t heard a single word. “Huh?”
“I said these things are pretty nifty.” She was inspecting her communication device, squeezing it between her fingers.
Colt had one, and Ace had the other two in his pocket. “I’m just glad they work.” Staying in a separate room had been a great way to test them.
“Brynn, let’s stay focused,” Colt said, narrowing his eyes.
She rolled hers and pocketed her device. “Fine, shoot.”
“Okay, Bronco’s hidden, positioned and fully functional on the outskirts by the canyon. No one goes out that far.”
“Hold on a sec, you’ve already named that rust bucket of a ship? You just got it!”
Colt shrugged. “Brynn, it’s a functioning ship and I’m down an escape pod”—he glared in Ace’s direction—“so I’m keeping the rust bucket on the Stallion II. You kept your metal-head long after its expiry date.”
Brynn winced at Colt’s insensitive words.
Why did Colt have to keep mentioning the AI whenever he got the chance? Ace decided to continue the conversation before they got into the old discussion of Young, the AI Brynn cherished until its destruction, and Colt resented because of her connection to him.
“The horses are fed, well-rested and hidden just outside the arena,” Ace said. It had cost him most of the “expense” gold he had left, but he’d managed to secure a nice stable for a few days. He only needed it for several hours but had paid for two full days. No point in giving away their timeframe.
“I’ve got the chippies.”
Colt snorted. “Seriously, that’s what they’re called? Are you sure they actually work?”
She rolled her eyes. “You can laugh all you want, but these explosives are worth a lot. In one particular gambling planet, they’re virtually currency.”
“Ah, I get it,” Colt said with a grin. “Chippies, as in gambling chips, right? Gotcha!”
“Anyway…” Brynn turned her back on Colt long enough to grab a bagful of multicolored circular pieces, which indeed resembled g
ambling tokens. She handed a sizeable amount to each and kept the rest. “These babies are leftovers from my wild days of crime. I’ve used them more than once and although they’re small, the explosion radius they cover is amazing. What we want to do is plant every single one we have and set them to blow in ten-minute intervals. That should give each of us enough time to get the hell out of each section before it blows.”
“It also means they’ll all go off at different times,” Ace pointed out. On closer inspection, he could see a tiny microchip in the middle.
“Exactly, that way it’ll have a domino effect and everyone will be lost in confusion. This is the perfect weapon of chaos. Once you break into the dungeons and disturb the gladiators in their holding cells, all hell will break loose so you need to get in and out as quickly as you can. We can’t afford to waste time on saving them.” She turned to Colt. “But you need to get as many of those rich pricks out as you can.”
“Wow, Brynn”—Colt yanked her closer—“you’re making me hot. You sure are good at handing out orders.”
Ace didn’t miss the dark gleam in his eyes. This couple had a long, complicated history he didn’t want to know about. None of it mattered to Ace, but something about this definitely bothered the cowboy. It couldn’t be the violence, so was it the inevitable fatalities? As hard as they would try to save as many people as they could, some casualties would be unavoidable.
“There’s no time for what you have in mind.” She gently pushed Colt away with a hand to his chest. Brynn grabbed a handful of her golden hair and braided one side as she talked. “Most of the people inside that place are employees, slaves or spectators. As horrid as the Recast operation is, and no matter what part they each took in it, we’re not going in there to kill them. Our objective is to bring down the arena and nothing else. This is as much a rescue mission as it is an attack.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about us,” Colt said with a snort. “We’ll do just fine.”
Brynn watched Colt for a second, while she secured her braid. She nodded. “You just make sure you get out of there alive too, okay?”
Clash Page 7