Her body recognized who was behind her even before she turned her head and almost drowned in the azure pools of Ace’s baby blues. They drew her in like a magnet. Her body swiveled like a puppet being controlled by a puppet master. As she pivoted his hand fell off of her shoulder and she immediately missed his touch.
Thankfully, she was distracted from the loss. Ace was wearing black slacks that looked like they were tailor made for his lean, muscular build and a button up shirt that was just a couple shades darker than his crystal blue eyes. He looked like a walking, talking, breathing Armani ad.
“Did you forget something in your car?” He spoke loudly over the music.
His question triggered a dozen of her own. Was she supposed to have something with her? Had she agreed to bring something to this event? A casserole? Wine? No. That was silly. This was a restaurant and a bar. They probably had the food and alcohol covered. Was there an invitation or a ticket that she was supposed to have?
Since she had no idea what he was talking about she just answered honestly. “No.”
Leaning down, his hand brushed her forearm as he spoke close to her ear. “Then where are you going? You just got here.”
The sound of his deep voice rumbled through her and caused her knees to wobble once again. This time, Ace’s warm, thick fingers wrapped around her arm to steady her. Since she was a medical professional, obviously she knew that it wasn’t his voice that had caused her legs to turn to noodles. Her jelly limbs were most likely the product of a large dose of adrenaline that the timbre of his voice activated. Voice activated adrenaline. That was a thing, right?
“Are you okay?” Concern filled his words.
“It’s been a long day, I’m just tired.” She spoke and didn’t even recognize her own voice, causing her to blush with embarrassment. On the plus side, her throaty breathlessness proved that if she needed to make more money, phone sex operator was a viable option.
The only thing that was saving her from total and complete humiliation over her sultry response was that she doubted he could hear her over the music. Still, her cheeks heated as she glanced up to see if he’d noticed her inadvertent Marilyn Monroe impression. But the second she did, any worry over whether or not he had, evaporated. Their eyes locked and she forgot about…everything. She lost herself. The only thing registering in her consciousness was how his stare made her feel like she was so light she could float away and the only thing anchoring her was him. His gaze erased all the worry, all the stress, and all the responsibilities that she was drowning in.
“Hey, guys!” A male voice boomed beside them.
Stephanie blinked and just like that their private bubble, the one she’d have happily stayed in forever, burst.
“We have a problem.” Dax Archer, who Stephanie had met a handful of times, was addressing Ace but since he had to speak at a volume to be heard over the music, she was able to hear him. “No one has seen our surprise guest since she arrived over an hour ago. Her manager is freaking out.”
“She’s in the back. By the offices.”
“She is?” Dax asked, his confusion clear.
“She needed to make a call.”
“Okay.” Dax shrugged, still looking a tad bewildered. “Thanks man. I’m going to let her manager know.”
“Just give her a few minutes.”
It wasn’t a suggestion, it was a command. The authority in Ace’s tone did a lot more than make her legs go weak from adrenaline rushing through her. It lit her entire body up like a hotel on the Vegas strip.
“She’ll be out when she’s done.” His tone softened slightly and held a protective edge.
The change in his demeanor opened up a whole can of insecurity that she hadn’t felt since she was a pre-teen. She started wondering if Virginia Valentine being in town might have more to do with Ace and less to do with Chase. If you believed the tabloids she was dating Derek St. Vincent, an actor who was better known for his bad boy behavior off set than he was for his work on the big screen. But that didn’t mean anything. Stephanie knew that you couldn’t believe everything you read in gossip magazines.
Dax didn’t question Ace. He just nodded and slapped Ace on the shoulder before making his way back through the crowd. His reaction supported her suspicions. Dax was one of the owners of this place, why would he listen to Ace? Come to think of it, why would he ask Ace about Virginia Valentine in the first place?
Stephanie leaned in to ask, “Do you know her?”
Her shift in position was necessary to be heard, but that didn’t mean it was a smart move. The closer she got to him, the more her body exploded with lust. The more her body exploded with lust, the less she was capable of rational thought. The less she was capable of rational thought, the more likely she was to give into what she was feeling. That’s when mistakes were made. She didn’t have time or room in her life for mistakes.
“No.” He shook his head. “Not really.”
Even in heels Ace stood a good six inches taller than her. Lifting her chin, she searched his eyes to see if she could pick up on any deceit. Not that she was a walking lie detector, but she’d gotten pretty good at sniffing out untruths during Simone’s teen years. No alarm bells were going off, but that could be because they were silenced by the arousal screaming through her.
“Then why did Dax tell you they couldn’t find her?”
“Because I’m his partner.”
“His partner?” Her mouth went dry.
Simone was right. He was gay. She was having emotional whiplash. First she was sure he was involved with Virginia Valentine, now she was convinced he and Dax were a couple.
“Yeah.” Ace tilted his head slightly to the side, a crease appearing between his brows as he stared down at her. “He probably told Riley, too.”
“Riley…” Why would he tell Riley…? “Oh, business partner.”
“Right. What did you think I meant?”
“Um…I just…” Stephanie’s cheeks heated with even more intensity which meant that instead of a delicate pink blush they were a bright shade of red effectively squashing any chance she’d had to play it cool. This interaction was just one of the many reasons she didn’t date. She was bad at it. Really bad.
This wasn’t even a “date” and she was crashing and burning. Just one more reason not to participate in Misty’s study.
Stephanie’s breath caught as Ace’s arm snaked around her lower back. Slowly, he leaned down and spoke close to her ear. “Do you have any idea how adorable you are?”
She couldn’t speak. She wanted to, but when she opened her mouth nothing came out.
He lifted his head and stared down at her and since she couldn’t answer verbally she shook her head back and forth. The left corner of his mouth turned up in a lop-sided grin that showcased the deep dimple that lived there and the sight was so sexy she wouldn’t be surprised if her panties melted off her body right then and there.
This time when he leaned down to speak he got close enough that she felt the warmth of his breath down her neck. “Well, you are and I like it. I like it a lot.”
Oh boy. When she’d nicknamed him trouble, she hadn’t had any idea how right on the mark she’d been. Other guys had hit on her. Told her that she was pretty. Beautiful. Sexy, even. But those compliments had always seemed so impersonal to her. Adorable felt…personal.
“You’re here!” She heard Simone’s scream just seconds before she felt herself being ripped away from Ace and crushed against her sister. “I’ve been waiting for you all night! I was so worried.”
Stephanie seriously doubted that. Her sister wasn’t the waiting or worrying kind. The only explanation for this sudden burst of sibling love and public display of affection was that she needed something.
Simone pulled back and smiled brightly. “Sissy, do you think I could borrow your car? Allie, Spencer, Jules and I want to go to the city. We need to work on that project you and I talked about. You know find some audition material.”
“Toni
ght?”
“Yeah, it’s only ten. It’s early.”
Ten was past Stephanie’s bedtime, but she knew the night was young for her sister.
“Don’t they have cars?”
“Spencer got a DUI, Allie got into that fender bender so hers is in the shop and Jules rides her bike to work and school, remember she sold her car for tuition.”
Right, she did remember that.
Her next thought was safety. “Have you been drinking?”
“Yeah, but Jules is driving. You know she never drinks.”
Jules was one of Simone’s oldest friends and Stephanie’s favorite. She’d spent a lot of time at the Holland house because her dad liked to drink and when he did he was mean. As far as Stephanie knew, the girl had never touched a drop of alcohol because of it. She was by far Simone’s most responsible friend, which was part of the reason Stephanie liked her the best.
With a sigh she grabbed her keys from her purse and held them up. When her sister reached for them Stephanie pulled them back. “How am I supposed to get home?”
She wasn’t asking because she didn’t actually know how she would get home. The room was filled with people she knew and even though she felt like an outsider, she wasn’t. There were at least a half-dozen people here that would give her a ride. She was only saying it in hopes that her sister would realize that she should think about what she was asking. Consideration had never been Simone’s strong suit.
“I’ll give you a ride.”
Both Stephanie and Simone’s heads spun towards Ace. The mental image of him “giving her a ride” that popped in her head had nothing to do with a car.
“Oh no, I wasn’t…I don’t need…you don’t have to…” Stephanie tried to explain but ended up bumbling over her words and not making any sense because all she could picture was her going for a ride. On Ace.
“Great!” Simone accepted on Stephanie’s behalf as she snatched the keys out of her hand. “I’m so glad you made it. You look too hot to go home and eat ice cream in sweats alone.” With that she kissed Stephanie on the cheek and disappeared in the crowd.
Wow. Was she that predictable? Apparently so.
“I agree.”
Ace once again wrapped his arm around her, this time tugging her closer to him. “You look way too hot to go home and eat ice cream in sweats alone. But you said you’ve had a long day, so if you want to go home and eat ice cream in sweats, you should not be alone.”
A lump formed in Stephanie’s throat. His compliments felt like…more. More than just shallow, surface observations. It felt significant…in the scariest way.
Before she really had the opportunity to process that, the floor lights dimmed and then the stage lights came on. Dax stepped onto the wooden platform, thanked everyone for being there and introduced Chase to the stage.
“So what’s it going to be? Concert and dancing or sweats and ice cream?”
Stephanie knew he was offering to leave and take her home. This was his big night. The grand reopening of the bar and grill that apparently, he was the co-owner of. Chase Malone and Virginia Valentine were getting ready to perform and he was still willing to leave.
Trouble with a capital T.
Chapter 7
Ace’s hand rested on Stephanie’s lower back and his thumb made lazy circles against her bare skin as they swayed together in a secluded nook of the dance floor. He was still confused about what he was feeling, how from one second to the next he’d known something so profound. Maybe that’s how it happened to everyone, or maybe he was just losing it. He couldn’t be sure, but he was sure that he didn’t want whatever was happening to stop and he wouldn’t change it for all the money in the world.
They’d been on the dance floor for Chase and Ginny’s entire set. The duo had started with some up-tempo songs but had slowed things down about halfway through. He owed them big time.
As much as he’d enjoyed watching Stephanie let loose and have fun during the faster music, especially when she rolled her hips seductively against him, nothing compared to holding her in his arms as they slow danced to love songs that were being sung live by two Grammy-winning musicians. It was surreal. It was perfect.
He wasn’t familiar with any of their original material, since he’d never been a big country or pop fan. He was more of rock guy. But after tonight he would definitely be downloading their albums. He was officially a fan. He knew every time he listened to the songs he’d remember this night.
“How long have you lived in Harper’s Crossing?” he asked.
Unlike the beginning of the night, the music was at a volume that they could speak and hear each other. They’d been making small talk and he’d learned a little bit about her. Unfortunately, not as much as he’d like. She was really good at giving one-word answers, elaboration was apparently not her style. But hell, he’d take what he could get.
“All my life.” Her tone was flat. “I was born here.”
Unlike other people he’d met that were born and raised here, she sounded less than enthusiastic. Every resident that he’d gotten to know waxed poetic about the charming small town. Since that wasn’t her reaction, he wanted to dig deeper.
“Have you ever thought about living somewhere else?”
She let out a small huff of air. “Yeah. All the time.”
“What’s stopping you?”
“Life.” She nuzzled her head closer to his neck, like she was trying to hide.
Her simple but seemingly complicated response had all of his protective instincts on full alert. His hand spread across her lower back and he pulled her even closer to him. Every cell in his body wanted to shield her and never let anything hurt her.
Leaning down his lips brushed the top of her head as he inhaled the sweet scent of strawberry and mint. He’d never thought of a scent as being sexy, but this one was. Although he had a feeling it had more to do with the person he associated with the aroma than the actual smell itself.
Shifting her position so that she was looking up at Ace, Stephanie bit her lower lip before saying, “Can I ask you something?”
They’d basically been having a Q&A for the last hour so the fact that she was asking permission before her next inquiry made him think it was significant. He wanted significant. “Yeah.”
Her voice was small and quiet, almost a whisper. “Do you know why so many people, or um women, are staring at us?”
All of Ace’s attention had been so laser-focused on Stephanie that for all intents and purposes he’d forgotten anyone else was in the room. Snapping out of his haze, he lifted his head and glanced around. Sure enough there were quite a few pairs of eyes directed at them and none of them looked happy. The daggers being shot at them were mainly coming from women that had asked him to dance earlier in the evening.
He didn’t really think Stephanie wanted to hear about him getting hit on all night long, so he went with a different, equally plausible explanation. “It’s the dress.”
Lines creased her forehead as she lifted her brows. “The dress?”
“Uh huh.” He nodded. “That dress could cause a riot. Actually no, you in that dress could cause a riot.”
A wide smile filled her face as she playfully swatted his shoulder while a pink flush rushed up the creamy skin on her cheeks. “Stop it. I’m serious.”
“So am I,” he said sincerely. “You’re dangerous in that thing. Thankfully, I’m trained in personal security so you couldn’t be in better hands.” To emphasize his point he flexed his fingers, letting the tips dig into her hip and back. The intimate contact sent shots of arousal exploding through him like fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Her lips parted on a short gasp and he suspected that she felt something too. Her chestnut eyes peered up at him beneath a fan of thick, dark lashes and the light blush turned a deeper shade. The way she was looking at him made him feel like Conan the Barbarian, Jack from Titanic and Superman all in one. No other woman had ever made him feel like a savage-romantic-hero wit
h a simple glance. No other woman had made him feel anything close to what she did. He wanted to throw her over his shoulder caveman-style, take her to the closest private location, strip her out of the dress that was driving him insane and then kiss her softly from head to toe, memorizing every inch of her body.
“When you look at me like that it makes me want things I shouldn’t.” His warning came out as a growl.
Her eyes widened and her voice held a shaky quality as she asked. “Like what?”
Since he couldn’t exactly tell her what he wanted in detail, he summed up. “Like you.”
Her lips fell open as she breathed, “Oh.”
Raw desire surged through him at her seductive innocence. She was so different than anyone else he’d ever met. A dichotomy. One second she was an old soul, strong and independent and the next she exuded a refreshing naivety that was filled with vulnerability.
The energy crackling between them was so electric he was surprised that there weren’t sparks flying off the two of them. His instinct was screaming for him to lean down and kiss her. Pressing his lips to hers felt like it was the right thing to do but he hesitated.
After dancing with Stephanie tonight, spending time talking with her, he knew more than ever that what was happening between them was different. Special. More. And he was leaving tomorrow. There was a possibility he’d be gone for weeks. If it was a normal assignment through Elite, he might’ve asked to be reassigned. But this was different. This was a military contract that Elite had gotten specifically because of Ace’s skill set. He had to go, which left unanswered questions.
Was it really a good idea to start something and then just abandon it? What if she felt discarded or used? What if his absence made her doubt that anything between them could be real?
Or he guessed the opposite argument could be made.
Was it a good idea to leave without acting on what he felt? What if some guy swept her off her feet while he was gone? What if he missed his window?
All He Needs – Ace & Stephanie (Crossroads Book 10) Page 6