Her plan had been to keep him at arm’s length. Keep things casual. Self-protection was her only hope. The problem was, her emotions didn’t follow the boundaries that she’d put in place. They were a runaway train headed straight to Heartbreak Station and she wasn’t sure how to pull the brakes or if she even wanted to. So, she could either stop seeing Ace altogether or risk the inevitable fallout that he would leave in his wake. Neither path seemed like one she wanted to go down.
In an attempt at distraction, Stephanie lifted her brush and ran it through her hair. Her strategy backfired when her sister’s objections to her attire once again came back to her. Never in her life had she worried about how she looked. She’d just never had that luxury.
So here she was, wearing a dress that had garnered a less than impressed reaction from Simone, going on a date with a man that she was trying to keep an emotional distance from but was falling in love with.
Good times.
“No.” She shook her head as she mumbled to herself, “You look fine. It’s going to be a good night.”
Whether those things were true or not, didn’t really matter. It made her feel better to say the positive affirmations out loud. None of her fears, or worries were going to be alleviated tonight. She reminded herself that she didn’t have a crystal ball to see the future. There was no way she could predict what was to come. And one thing her life had taught her was that control was an illusion.
She may not be participating in Misty’s case study, but there was nothing to say that she couldn’t take the principals and put them to good use. If she was following the system, they would’ve only been at the callback stage. She still had one more step, three means free before things got serious. This wasn’t serious.
Her internal pep talk was just wrapping up when she heard a knock on her front door. On her way to answer it, she grabbed her purse and a sweater. As her hand wrapped around the doorknob, she took a deep, cleansing breath. She wasn’t casting her leading man. This was just fun. With renewed determination to be in the moment, the here and now, and not worry about what tomorrow brought, she opened the door.
The moment she lifted her eyes to Ace’s baby blues, all of her pre-date anguish and inspirational rallying became about as useful as a lifeguard at the Olympics. Before he even spoke a word, the heated male appreciation in his eyes made it clear that he thought she looked better than fine. All of her insecurities about the relationship, the future and the past all scattered like a house of cards in a windstorm. He made her feel safe, protected and cherished without even opening his mouth.
“Damn, you look…beautiful.”
There was so much emotion built into that one word. Ace had a way with words, and his Southern accent didn’t hurt either. She could feel her cheeks warming, the way they had a tendency to do whenever Ace was around.
Glancing down at her dress, she tugged at the fabric. “Thanks, I wasn’t sure what to—”
He leaned forward and captured her mouth with his, stealing her breath away. His fingers threaded through her hair and tipped her head up. Her lips parted and his tongue slipped inside, sending shivers of desire racing down her spine. His tongue and lips caressed hers in a tantalizing rhythm that electrified every single cell in her body. Their kiss set her ablaze with burning need.
She was lost in the delicious realm that only Ace could take her to when, without any warning he stepped away from her, ending their kiss just as abruptly as it began. Lifting his arms he let out an audible breath as he ran his fingers through his hair and Stephanie couldn’t help but admire the rounded backside of his bicep.
Was there any part of this man’s body that wasn’t mouthwateringly sexy? No. No, there wasn’t.
“I’m sorry. I had to do that. If I didn’t stop we wouldn’t be making it to dinner.” The sexy threat in his deep voice sent a tremor through her.
Dinner was overrated. She was hungry, but it wasn’t for food. So she pointed out, “We don’t have to go to—”
“No. Don’t finish that sentence. If you do…” He took her hand and tugged her out of her doorway, shutting the door behind her, and stating firmly. “We’re going to dinner.”
Stephanie couldn’t help but smile. Ace was a true Southern gentleman. He was adamant about wanting to take her out on a real date. To do this the “right way.”
As they made their way down the walkway to his truck, he placed his hand on her lower back and it was as much a turn on as their passionate kiss had been just moments before. When he opened the door for her and held her hand as he helped her in, it was all she could do not to swoon.
Then, when he got in, she saw the corners of his eyes crinkle as he settled into the driver’s seat. She knew it was too soon to be doing this even though he’d insisted he was fine.
“Are you okay? We can just order in, or if you need to rest, we can do this another time—”
“I’m fine,” he assured her as he started the truck and they made their way down the street. He glanced towards her before redirecting his attention to the road. “You’re not going to get out of this that easy.”
She smiled but was still worried that he was doing too much too soon.
“How was your day?” She knew that he’d seen the doctor this morning for a follow-up. But since she’d been asleep after working all night, she didn’t know how it went.
“It was good. I got the all clear, stopped by Elite to let them know I was back in the game. Then had a meeting at The Plate with Riley and Dax, and got to spend a couple hours working on my bike.”
“Wow. You’ve been busy,” she tried not let anxiety bleed into her voice.
Stephanie wasn’t sure how she felt about him returning to work. She knew, of course, that he would have to. But now it scared her to think about what might happen to him.
“Oh, and I talked to Grant,” he mentioned casually.
“You did?” Now she tried not to let shock bleed into her voice. “You talked to your brother?”
When Ace had told her what happened, she’d tried to just listen and not react. No matter what his brother had done, he was still family. He was blood. That complicated things.
“Yeah,” he confirmed.
She stared at his profile, trying to get a clue about how it had gone. His expression was unreadable. So she asked, “How did it go?”
“Good. Better than I thought. He apologized and told me that he loves her.”
“Are you okay?” He sounded so calm, but she had to imagine that finding out your brother not only had an affair, but was also in love with your ex-fiancée would sting.
Ace nodded. “I am. In some strange way, it made me feel better.”
“Good. I’m so happy that you talked and that it went so well.” Stephanie was impressed at his reaction. She loved Simone to death, even when her sister tested her patience and drove her crazy, which was most of the time. But she wasn’t sure she’d be able to forgive a betrayal of that magnitude.
“I also talked to my parents.”
“Whoa, you really have been busy.”
“They want to meet you.”
He’d mentioned her to his parents?
She could feel his eyes slice towards her as he pulled into a parking spot in front of a lighted sign that read Corkscrew Italian Dining. It was a new restaurant that had opened up on the river, and was Ace’s direct competition.
Deciding to ignore his last statement she figured that she would stay on safer ground. “I thought we would be going to The Plate.”
He grinned the grin that she was sure had gotten him out of trouble as a kid and into trouble as a teen. “I didn’t want to be interrupted.”
Oh boy.
As he shut off the engine her phone buzzed. She wanted to ignore it. So bad. But she knew that she couldn’t. It didn’t escape her that it wasn’t healthy that she couldn’t shut it off. Her sister was an adult and it was reasonable to assume that she could take care of herself. Her brother was in a top-notch facility. When she
was at work there were times she would go hours without being able to check her messages. But for some reason when she wasn’t, she couldn’t ignore it, no matter how badly she wanted to.
“Sorry,” she apologized as she pulled the device from her purse.
It was Brookside. Her stomach sank as she answered it. If she knew her brother needed her, there was no way she could enjoy dinner. Not if her brother was in distress.
After speaking to the nurse on duty who informed her that Scott was having an episode and asking for her, she told her she would be there soon and hung up.
“Is it work?” Unlike Stephanie, Ace didn’t hide the disappointment in his voice.
She hated hearing it and hated that she was the one responsible for causing it even more. But it was just one more reason she knew that this wouldn’t work. “No. It’s my brother. I’m sorry, but I need to go. If you could take me home an—”
“I’ll take you,” he cut in.
She shook her head. “Oh no, you don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t have to.” He reached over and covered her hand. “I want to. I’ve met Simone and I’d love to meet Scott. But, if you don’t think that’s a good idea then I’ll just wait in the car.”
“No, that’s ridiculous,” she argued. “It could be hours.”
“Okay.”
“You want to sit in a parking lot for hours?”
“No. I want to go meet Scott and spend that time with you and your brother. But, I will sit in a parking lot for hours. Did you forget I’m a Marine and professional badass, you think a parking lot is going to scare me off?”
The smile that spread across his face had the force of a lit stick of dynamite, it demolished every wall she was trying to keep built around her heart. She had no idea where this ride was going to take her, but she made the decision then and there to strap in, hold on tight and try not to throw up.
“Okay. Take Main to Evergreen.” Her voice quivered as she gave him directions.
Before starting the car, he leaned over and pressed a light kiss to her mouth. It didn’t take all of her fears away but it sure didn’t hurt.
Chapter 20
Ace could feel anxiety radiating off of Stephanie as she signed them in at the front desk. The entire drive over he’d tried to make small talk to get her mind off of whatever was causing her to stress. It hadn’t worked. When they’d pulled up in the parking lot he’d offered to wait there, but she’d shook her head no and said that he could come in. She’d also looked like she was about to be sick.
The last thing he’d ever want was for her to be upset or feel pressured to move things faster than she was ready for. He hadn’t missed the flash of horror that had crossed her face when he’d mentioned that his parents wanted to meet her or how quickly she’d changed the subject.
He watched as her hand shook while she was writing their names and it broke his heart to see her so unnerved.
Ace covered her hand with his and whispered in her ear, so that none of the staff that was passing could hear him. “I would ask if you’re okay, but I think I know the answer. I don’t want to be here if it’s upsetting you. I don’t mind waiting in the truck.”
She closed her eyes briefly and inhaled through her nose. When she opened them, there was a determination burning in her golden brown gaze. “It’s fine. This is my life and if you want to be a part of it, you might as well see what you’re getting into.”
He’d been on countless successful missions in his time in the Corps, and one since he’d been out. Every time a mission was over and everyone made it out alive the victory rush of adrenaline was a high he’d never thought could be replicated. Until now.
To anyone else, anyone who didn’t know Stephanie, what she’d said wouldn’t be that big of a deal. To him, it was more than just a big deal. It was even more than a declaration of love, it was her letting him into her life. That was bigger than any win, any victory he’d ever had.
He also knew what it cost her and he didn’t take it lightly. “Okay. But if anything changes just say the word.”
Her lips were pursed tightly as her spine straightened and without responding she started walking down the hall to their left. As he followed beside her, he rested his hand on her lower back and her body relaxed slightly beneath his touch. He hadn’t even meant to touch her. When she was around him, he was drawn to her like a magnet.
They took a sharp right and he could feel the tension creep back into her posture. When they were about halfway down the hall, she stopped up short and shifted so she was facing him. Leaning in, her voice was barely above a whisper as she explained, “Scott usually does okay with strangers, but when he’s having an episode he may say things, throw things. Just ignore it. Also, he doesn’t like to repeat himself. So if he says something just answer him. And he might not want you to be here, so if he tells you to leave…
“I’ll leave,” he assured her. “I’m not going to do anything to upset you or Scott.”
Her head nodded up and down slowly as she let out a breath. Then she turned, took a few steps and opened a door. Ace was right behind her and as they walked in he saw a young man, on the floor, his arms cradling his knees which were against his chest, rocking back and forth, repeating, “No. No. No. No.”
A nurse was posted beside him and held a respiratory mask that was attached to a nebulizer. Stephanie calmly walked to her brother’s side and bent down. She spoke quietly, Ace couldn’t hear what she was saying. He kept his distance, not wanting to interfere or aggravate the situation.
For the first few minutes it seemed like whatever Stephanie was saying wasn’t working. In fact, her brother seemed to be growing more and more agitated. Even from across the room, he could hear Scott’s oxygen exchange becoming increasingly labored. His wheezing was audible and he knew that it was going to get worse the more upset he got. It was everything Ace could do to stay in place.
His medic training wasn’t the only contributing factor to his overwhelming desire to intervene. Seeing Stephanie handle the situation with such grace and poise was heartbreaking and making it difficult to not be at her side. Yes, she was an adult and a medical professional and they were in a facility with staff trained to help her, but that’s not what Ace saw when he looked at the scene playing out in front of him.
All he could see was her dealing with countless situations exactly like these as a teenager, or even younger. When she was alone. Scared.
He couldn’t begin to imagine all of the experiences that she’d had to go through to be the woman that she was today. The woman that picked up her phone when she was on a date, even though he saw that it was the last thing she wanted to do. The woman that put everyone else’s needs before her own. The woman that took care of everyone else without asking for anything in return.
He’d known he was falling in love with her for a while now but in that moment he knew, without a doubt, that he was all in. He knew he loved her and that he felt more for her than he ever thought was humanly possible. His chest ached and he was sure it was because the human body wasn’t built to handle the magnitude of what he felt for her.
After several more minutes of coaxing, he watched as she successfully placed the mask on Scott, tucking the rubber bands behind his ears before her shoulders slumped with relief.
“That’s good.” She praised him before lowering down to the floor next to him. “Just keep that on for a few minutes.”
When the treatment was complete, Stephanie removed the mask and handed it to the respiratory therapist who mouthed a silent, “Thank you” before collecting the machine and leaving.
As the door closed, Scott got up from his curled-up position on the floor and Stephanie did as well.
She smiled in Ace’s direction. “Scott, I want you to meet my friend Ace. Ace, this is my brother Scott.”
Stepping forward, Ace lifted his hand. “Hey, man. It’s nice to meet you.”
For a moment he wasn’t sure if Scott had heard his sister o
r if he was choosing to ignore the introduction, as he was standing still and staring down at the ground. But then he lifted his head and reached his hand out. Ace followed his lead and shook his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Stephanie’s eyes widen as she looked between the two men.
“You like my sister,” Scott stated flatly.
It wasn’t clear to Ace whether that was a question or not, but he answered it just in case. “Yes. I do.”
“Are you why she smiles with her eyes?” Scott followed up.
Ace almost asked “what” because he wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but thankfully he remembered that Scott didn’t like to repeat himself. Instead he said, “I hope so.”
“Okay, bud. Do you want to watch TV? Or read?” Stephanie asked holding the remote in one hand and a Harry Potter book in the other.
Scott still held Ace’s hand in his and was still shaking it up and down.
“Scotty. Do you want to read or watch TV?” Stephanie repeated.
When her brother still didn’t answer, Ace figured he’d give it a shot but come at it from a slightly different angle. “I’ve never read Harry Potter.”
“You haven’t?” Scott released his hand and took the book from his sister and gave it to Ace. “As you wish.”
Ace took the book and noticed that Stephanie had tears in her eyes. He wasn’t sure what was so significant about the exchange, but he could see that it had affected her. Scott moved over and climbed into his bed as a yawn claimed him. Stephanie sniffed as she sat in the chair beside her brother’s bed. When Scott was settled they both stared up at him expectantly.
So, he opened the front cover and began reading aloud. He’d never had any desire to read any of the Harry Potter books, but he had to admit, the story was pretty good. He was so engrossed in what he was reading he didn’t even notice Scott had fallen asleep until Stephanie tapped him on the knee and held out her hand to take the book back. He had no idea how much time had passed.
All He Needs – Ace & Stephanie (Crossroads Book 10) Page 17