He continued all of his oral and manual ministrations, slowing them as she came down, giving her a gentle landing as she fell back to earth. He knew that she was back with him again when he heard her breathe, “Oh, God, Ace. That was…amazing. That was so good.”
Finally, then, he lifted his mouth away from her breasts, now glistening with saliva, and smiled a smile full of sensual promise. “Not was,” he corrected. “Is.”
Before she could even get the words out to ask what he meant, he hooked his thumbs on the hem of her panties, and tugged them firmly down her hips and off her legs. Then, he grasped her knees and pushed her thighs apart, and kneeled in front of her. He began outlining her still swollen lips with his finger. Gently, ever so gently, he ran his tongue up and down against her slit, licking the arousal that coated her seam. He didn’t get close to her pleasure button, yet. He knew she wasn’t ready. Even the softest touch would feel too intense, too rough at that moment. Closer to pain than pleasure.
“Oh, okay…um…Ace?” she said, a trace of anxiety evident in her voice. “I don’t think…I mean, I think it’s too soon…I don’t think I can, you know….”
He lifted his mouth away and looked up at her knowingly. “You can,” he said confidently and then went immediately back to his work. Between licks he promised, “You can. Trust me, baby. You can.”
It took a few moments for her body to relax and her breathing to grow shallow. His tongue glided slowly, sensuously up and down as he ran his fingers beside it. With each pass he moved closer to the hood of her sex, but never made contact. When her fingers once again tangled in his hair and her hips lifted, pressing her core more against his open mouth kisses he knew that he was going to fulfill his promise. She’d trusted him and given herself over to the pleasure that he could bring her. Nothing was better than that.
* * *
Stephanie’s back arched and she closed her eyes as Ace moved between her legs. She concentrated on the pleasure that was whipping through her. Ace constantly surprised her and this was no different. He’d brought her from—Don’t get me wrong, this feels nice but it’s not going to happen. Cut to a few seconds later—I mean, yeah, I guess…oh, wow. It does feel nice. In fact…it feels really nice. Like, really, really nice. Like…oh, yes. Oh, wow. Right there. Yes.
Not wanting to miss a moment, she opened her eyes and peered down. She wanted to watch Ace as his mouth moved between her legs. When she did, she was struck by how incredibly sexy, erotic and arousing the view was. Seeing and feeling his tongue lick her center as his fingers explored her folds was sensory overload. Before she knew it, every muscle in her body was burning and her second orgasm in under ten minutes tore through her.
It took her by surprise. As shocked as she was by the whole thing, there was one part of it that stood out to her as being the most surprising of all. The thing that she never could’ve predicted, not in a million years. And that was that the second orgasm was even stronger, even better than the first one was. It went beyond simple pleasure to a complete loss of control of her mind and thoughts. She was spinning and didn’t know how to stop. Not that she wanted to.
Her eyes closed as near intolerable pleasure shattered her into a thousand pieces. Rhythmic convulsions rolled through her as wave after wave of ecstasy crashed over her. She did her best to both let go and hold on for the ride. She tried not to control her body and yet milk every ounce of pleasure out of her release.
When, finally, whimpering and trembling, she became aware of her surroundings again, Ace was standing up in front of her, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her towards him. He kissed her. She could taste herself on his mouth. She had never imagined that would be such a turn on, but oh, boy—it was.
He trailed kisses along her jaw line until his mouth was against her ear. “I love you,” he whispered roughly. “More than anything in the world. Forever.”
She froze. It wasn’t that she didn’t love him, too. She did. It was just that she was scared. She felt exposed. Vulnerable. But she wanted to push past that. She wanted to tell him that she loved him too, that she wanted and was ready for more. But when she opened her mouth the words got stuck in her throat.
He leaned back, his eyes twinkling, and that wicked half smile she loved painted on his face. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything now. I know you love me,” he teased, brushing her sweaty hair back from her face. “You told me when you were sleeping.”
“I did?” she asked.
“Yeah, and don’t try to take it back now. Everyone knows a person can’t lie when they talk in their sleep.”
She laughed and pressed her lips back to his as all of her fear and anxiety faded away. Just like it always did with Ace. He always knew the right way to make all of those feelings go away. He wrapped her in his arms and she felt protected, safe and loved.
As their kiss shifted from teasing to desperate, she pleaded, “I need you. I need to feel you.”
At her provocative request a growl ripped from his chest and the sound shot electricity straight to her core.
He picked her up as if she weighed nothing and carried her to the couch. She expected him to throw her down. In fact, the primal part of her was kind of hoping that he would. But he didn’t. Instead, he laid her down on the cushion so softly and gently that it made her tear up a little bit.
Her sentimental emotion morphed into pure, undiluted desire as he stood and began removing his clothes. The entire time his hungry eyes roamed her body. She felt his stare like a physical touch as she lay completely bare before him.
He quickly undressed and took care of protection. She watched as he slid the condom over his erection with a speed and fluency that was impressive and hot.
“Wow,” she teased, “that was smooth. Must be those badass special forces skills.”
But she realized that he was too turned on to even respond to her joke and his reaction caused yet another flash of arousal to spark deep in her belly. Without saying a word, he knelt between her knees, quickly positioned his engorged tip at her entrance, and drove into her with power that was a revelation. He impaled her with a primal force, claiming her, owning her.
Her muscles felt like they were electromagnetically charged. Every cell in her body felt alive with tingling awareness. He thrust in and out of her, his passion evident in every movement, every pump. She’d never felt anything like it.
It’s like she was completely at his mercy, she thought. And something about that phrase—at his mercy—stirred something deep in her core and she felt it build and build until…she felt the now familiar stirrings of another orgasm.
She clung to him as he moved in and out of her. Her nails raked up his back as her inner walls began milking his shaft. She lost herself in the sensation of his body filling her completely.
His lips brushed her ear as he whispered telling her how good she felt, how tight she was, how wet she was, how hard she made him. That was all it took for her to climax with a soul-shattering intensity. As she reached her peak she felt his body tense as he plunged into her one last time.
He collapsed on top of her and their movements slowed together until finally they were lying still, arms and legs entangled, the rhythm of their breathing in perfect time with one another, not moving at all except for a small caress here and there.
After what could’ve been a minute or an hour, she couldn’t tell because time now seemed to stand still, he stood, but she tightened her arms around him, holding him in place.
“I just want to feel you, like this.” She loved that he was still inside of her, loved the weight of his body on hers. She loved him. She just needed to tell him, while she was awake. And she would, but first she just wanted to live in this moment, this perfect moment for a little longer.
Chapter 24
Ace got out of the shower to find breakfast on the table. There were pancakes, eggs, bacon and toast. The spread looked like it could be a buffet at a restaurant.
After he and Stephanie had mad
e love once more on the couch, he’d heard her stomach rumble. He’d promised to make her pancakes after he took a quick shower. Apparently, she didn’t want to wait. And she’d seen his pancakes and raised him eggs, bacon and toast.
“I told you I was going to do this. You should be resting.” She was feeling better but he didn’t want her to overdo it. That might seem hypocritical considering the activity that they’d just engaged in, but he drew the line at making breakfast.
“I’m fine.” She beamed as she poured orange juice into two glasses. “Better than fine. And not just from, you know…the amazing sex.” A blush crept up her cheeks and he loved that even after all they did, how intimate they were with each other, she still got shy when she talked about it. “In the past few days, I’ve slept more than…I don’t even remember when. I feel more rested, more alert, more alive than I ever have.”
“Good, I’m glad.” Pride swelled in his chest. He’d been the one taking care of her so she could rest and he had been her partner in the amazing sex. He was responsible for the healthy glow she was rocking and he couldn’t be happier about it.
They sat down and ate in a companionable silence. Until he took his first bite he hadn’t realized how hungry he was. Over the past few days, he’d been so preoccupied with taking care of Stephanie he hadn’t been able to eat as much as he normally did.
As he poured syrup on the stack of fluffy pancakes she’d prepared he wondered how many times she’d skipped meals because she was too busy putting other people before herself. If he had to guess, he would say a lot. That was going to change. He was going to make sure that she was taken care of and that her needs were considered and catered to. She deserved for someone to put her first and he wanted to be that guy.
His plan had been to take things slow, to go at her pace. But when they were making love that plan had gone up in smoke. He hadn’t meant to tell her he loved her so soon, but he couldn’t say he regretted it. Even though she hadn’t returned his declaration, he knew that she loved him. And not just because she’d told him during one of her fever dreams, he knew because she was letting him in. Not as fast as he’d like, but he wasn’t about to complain.
Knowing what she’d been through in her life, the betrayals from her parents and Mason, he considered himself lucky that she was letting him in at all. If slow was what she needed then that’s what he was going to give her, even if it killed him.
As Stephanie buttered her toast she said, “Thank you for going to see Scott yesterday. You didn’t have to do that. Simone could’ve gone.”
“It wasn’t a big deal.” He shrugged. “Simone offered, but I said that I wanted to go. I like Scott and I wanted to spend more time with him. We had fun.”
The bread was halfway to her mouth when her hand stilled midair. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” He smiled. “Scott’s a good kid. He was having a little bit of trouble when I got there, but I told him about how I was recently in the hospital too, and that I didn’t want to get treated either, but you said you would stay with me. Then I told him if he wanted I would stay with him while he took his treatment.”
Her brows lifted causing a wrinkle across her forehead. “And he took it?”
“Yeah.” He nodded.
“And you stayed.”
“Yep. When he was done we put together a puzzle of a jungle. He told me about his favorite animals and I told him which ones I’d seen in real life. Then we watched Family Feud, and when he got tired I read more Harry Potter. It’s actually a really good book. I’m invested. I finished reading the chapter I was on after he fell asleep.
Stephanie stared at him, her expression blank. He couldn’t get a read on what she was feeling. She didn’t say anything and he wasn’t sure if she was happy, upset or shocked.
When a tear appeared in her eye and slipped down her cheek, he leaned forward and brushed it away. He knew that he should be her “crying board” as Grandma Lulu called it, but it broke him to see her upset. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”
Her chin trembled. “Ace I…I love—”
Before she could finish what she was going to say, which he hoped was you, a loud knock sounded, interrupting their moment. They were both startled by the noise and looked towards the front door. A moment later the doorbell rang. Whoever was there wasn’t going away.
“Seriously?!” She let out an exasperated sigh as she pushed back from the table and stood. “I’ll be right back. Hold that thought.”
He would, he didn’t need a reminder.
“I swear, Simone has a sixth sense for when I make breakfast.” She started towards the door. “It’s like her super power.”
“How do you always kno—” her words trailed off and Ace stood, expecting to see Mason at the door. Every protective cell in his body roared to life. A shot of adrenaline rushed through him, ready to once and for all put a stop to this asshole’s harassment.
But, it wasn’t Stephanie’s ex standing on the porch. It was a woman that looked to be in her early forties. She had short brown hair and big brown eyes that reminded him of…
“Mom?” Stephanie breathed.
His protective instinct kicked into overdrive as he stepped to Stephanie’s side and wrapped his arm around her waist. He had a feeling this woman was much more of a threat to Stephanie than Mason ever had been and he wasn’t about to let her face her on her own. She’d never have to face another challenge alone as long as he drew breath.
* * *
Over the years Stephanie had imagined what she would feel like if she ever saw her mother again. Would she be sad? Would she be angry? Would she cry? Would she scream?
She’d played out what she would say. The original script included a lot of why’s and how’s. Why had she left? How could she have abandoned her children? As she got older all she wanted to do was tell her mother exactly what she thought of her. That she was a horrible, selfish person that didn’t deserve the title of mother.
She’d considered what she’d want her mother to say to her. Would she want her to apologize? Would she want her to tell her she’d made the biggest mistake of her life and she regretted it every day? Would she want her to tell her that she loved her, that she’d always loved her, that she never stopped loving her?
Now that she was face to face with the woman that gave birth to her, she didn’t feel any of those things. She didn’t want to say any of that or hear any of that. She didn’t have anything to say to her and she honestly had no interest in listening to anything her mother had to say. All she felt was numb. She just wanted her to leave and not come back.
Maybe this was what closure felt like?
“Surprise!” Her mother threw her hands up in the air. “Happy Birthday!”
It’s not my birthday. Stephanie didn’t waste time correcting her because whether or not her mom actually thought it was her birthday today didn’t matter, she knew that’s not why she was there and she didn’t care to find out what her real reasons were. “You need to go.”
“I missed you.” Her mother took a step towards her, reaching out her arms, but Stephanie stepped back.
Ace tightened his hold around her and she appreciated the support. Her voice was calm as she repeated, “You need to leave.”
“Don’t be silly, I just got here.” Her mother turned and for the first time since she’d opened the door, Stephanie noticed suitcases sitting on the porch behind her.
“You’re not staying, you need to go.”
Her mother ignored Stephanie completely and reached her hand towards Ace. Smiling from ear to ear she said, “Hi, I’m Connie. Stephanie’s mom.”
Ace didn’t shake her mother’s hand. “I think your daughter has made it clear you’re not welcome here.”
Stephanie couldn’t help but get a small thrill out of having Ace stand up for her. She’d assumed that his southern hospitality would dictate he at least complete the introduction, but apparently his loyalty to her trumped that. She could definitely get used t
o having him at her side.
In true Connie Holland fashion, her mother totally ignored what both Ace and Stephanie were saying and continued to live in an alternate reality that only she inhabited. “Oh my, is that an accent I detect? Are you from the South?”
This was getting ridiculous. Stephanie knew it was only going to get worse. Her mother had always lived in an alternate universe and she had no desire to follow her mother to Oz. Stephanie tried to make herself as clear as possible. “I’m going to shut the door. You need to leave and don’t come back. You have no right to be here. You gave up that right.”
“Stephiebug, it’s your birthday! I’m here to celebrate. I have a present for you!” Her mom bent over and started rummaging through her bags.
“Goodbye.” Stephanie didn’t feel guilty at all as she began closing the door on her mother. She would’ve happily closed the door on that entire part of her life, if she hadn’t heard what she did right before it latched.
“Mom?!” Her sister’s voice rang out.
Pulling the door back open, Stephanie saw her sister throw herself into their mother’s arms.
“Simmy! My Simmy girl!” Her mother exclaimed.
Her sister hugged their mother tightly and Stephanie saw tears glistening in her eyes as she mouthed silently to her sister, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
“Fuck,” Ace cursed under his breath.
Yeah. Fuck.
Simone was thanking Stephanie because she assumed she had something to do with their mother showing up. She probably thought after the talk they’d had, Stephanie had found her and asked her to come. She hadn’t.
“I can’t believe you’re really here!” Simone stepped back and covered her mouth with her hand as she shook her head.
Their mother ran her fingers through Simone’s hair, lifting up the ends. “I can’t believe how grown up you are. You’re too beautiful! I bet the boys are lining up.”
All He Needs – Ace & Stephanie (Crossroads Book 10) Page 20