Dark Desire: Earning Hope's Submission [More Desire, Oklahoma 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic)

by Leah Brooke

  “In one of the privacy booths?”

  “No, Hope. I’m not about to become the subject of gossip, and I’m certainly not going to let your parents hear from someone else that I took you to one of the booths. You know better than that.”

  * * * *

  Hope winced at the censure in his tone. “You really do think I’m spoiled, don’t you?” It hurt, but it hurt even more to realize that he might be right.

  Ace sighed and put the SUV in gear. “I know you’re spoiled. I knew it when I married you, and I accepted it. Hell, I’ve even contributed to it.” He smiled and took her hand in his. “The difference is that I don’t expect you to change.”

  Hope sucked in a breath, the last remnants of the champagne dissipating.

  “I’m not woman enough for you, am I?”

  “I didn’t say that, Hope.”

  “I’m saying it.”

  She’d married a strong man, a man who’d made it clear to her from the beginning that he thought she was too young and sheltered for him.

  It had taken time, but she’d convinced him that she was strong enough to handle him, even the dark desires that he hadn’t wanted to subject her to.

  Turning onto the street, Ace shot her another dark look. “Stop making problems where there are none.”

  “So I’m making problems?”

  She knew she was acting liked the spoiled brat he’d accused her of being, but fear drove her words. “You think you should have married someone tougher—someone who could handle your job without crying about it.”

  “I knew who I was marrying, Hope. I can handle your temper tantrums.”

  She sucked in a breath at the insult. “Temper tantrums?”

  With another sigh, Ace turned away from the restaurant and down the street toward their house. “Temper tantrums. I’m not going to deal with one in public, though.”

  Hope shivered at the ice in his tone, and despite her anger, she couldn’t deny that his mood aroused her.

  Unable to prevent herself from reacting, she lifted her chin, narrowing her eyes at him. “What are you gonna do? Spank me?”

  Ace pulled into their driveway, his calm, cool demeanor infuriating her. “At the very least.”

  Hope whipped her seat belt off and turned in her seat to slap him, only to have him catch her hand in his lightning-fast movement, which pissed her off even more. “I hate that damned control of yours!”

  Ace’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Right now, you should be grateful for my control. Very grateful.”

  When Ace got out and closed the door behind him, Hope scrambled from her seat and started toward him, stomping her foot when he calmly began to get their purchases from the back. “Damn it, Ace! I’m talking to you.”

  “You’re yelling at me, Hope, and I can hear you very well.” He closed the door, barely glancing at her, and with his hands filled with bags, Ace started inside, not slowing his strides as he usually did, leaving her to run after him.

  “Don’t walk away from me!” Spoiling for a fight, she raced in the door after him, her emotions all tied up in knots.

  Fear of losing him and anger at herself for her insecurity combined into something that wouldn’t allow her to stop.

  Ace set the bags on the counter and turned to her, his eyes flat and cool. “I think the champagne is affecting your judgement. Why don’t you go take a nap?”

  He reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of water, twisting off the cap off as he straightened.

  Slamming the refrigerator door closed with enough force to make the bottles in the door rattle, Hope crowded him. “I don’t want to take a nap! Listen, you son of a bitch, we’re going to have this out right now!”

  Leaning back against the counter, Ace took a sip of water and studied her as he would a suspect, his eyes giving away nothing.

  “Exactly what would you like to have out?”

  “I hate that you think I’m not woman enough for you.”

  “I never said that. You did.”

  “I hate that you’re always so damned controlled.”

  Ace’s lips twitched, and he set his bottle of water aside to open the refrigerator again. “It’s part of who I am. Just as being ruled by your passions is who you are.”

  “And you think it’s immature, don’t you?”

  Ace straightened and tossed several packages of lunchmeat on the counter before reaching for a bottle of the spicy mustard he favored. “At times. At times, I think it’s adorable, and at others times, it’s a challenge, especially in the playroom. Do you want a sandwich?”

  “No, I don’t want a damned sandwich. I want to fight!”

  “What you need is another spanking.”

  Hope lifted her chin, knocking the bread from his hand. “I dare you!”

  She needed a reaction from him more than she needed her next breath.

  Her heart pounded furiously, her breath coming out in sharp pants as she watched him and waited.

  When his eyes became unreadable, she braced for him to bend and put her over his shoulder and carry her to the playroom.

  Instead, he sighed and put the bread and lunchmeat away. He recapped his bottle of water as he bent to touch his lips to her hair and strode past her. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

  “No way! You’re not leaving in the middle of an argument!”

  Ace grabbed Hope’s keys from the basket by the door, not wanting her to drive in her current mood. “I’m not the one arguing. Since you don’t want a sandwich, and you need to eat something, I’m going to the hotel restaurant to get the dinner we were supposed to eat there. Hopefully, by the time I get back, you’ll have calmed down enough to eat and have a rational conversation.”

  Once Hope settled down and ate, he planned to spend the evening working out their issues and hopefully making her feel better about his work.

  He loved his job, was damned good at it, and didn’t plan to give it up so he could spend his time pushing papers.

  Hope grabbed his arm and rushed to keep up with him. “No. I’m going with you.”

  Pausing next to his SUV, he turned to her. “You make a scene and you won’t like the consequences.”

  Hope’s eyes flashed, her jaw clenching. “I have no intention of making a scene. I live here, too.”

  After unlocking and opening the door, he lifted her by the waist and set her in her seat. “Since when has that stopped you from making a scene? You live to make scenes.”

  He pulled out of the driveway, not even glancing at her as they drove the short distance to the hotel restaurant.

  She didn’t speak for several minutes, apparently lost in thought.

  Suddenly, she turned to him, her arms crossed over her chest. “You make me sound like a damned child.”

  Ace smiled and turned to her. “Your passion and inability to take crap or walk away from wrongdoing are some of the things I love best about you.”

  Hope blinked. “Really?”

  “Really. You’d be the first person to walk up to someone and give them shit for treating someone badly. It gives me some bad moments, especially when you charge fearlessly into dangerous situations, but I’m very proud of you.”

  He pulled into the parking lot of the hotel restaurant, noting that business seemed to be good.

  “You are?”

  “Of course, I am. I love you, Hope. We all have our faults. You’re impulsive, and I need to be in control. I thought you understood that.”

  With a sigh, Hope laid a hand on his arm. “I do, and I did when I married you. I thought it was sexy as hell, and it always makes me feel safe. I just can’t stand the thought of you rushing into danger.”

  “I’m a cop, Hope. The sheriff. What the hell did you think I would do—run away?”

  Spotting one of the new sheriff’s department SUVs, he lifted a hand in acknowledgement of Marshall Garrison’s nod.

  “No.” Hope blew out a breath. “I’m glad you hired the Garrisons.”

  “So am I. I w
as lucky to find them.” Ace had hired Marshall and his brothers as soon as he realized that not only were all three men more than qualified but that they’d been in a ménage relationship that had gone bad—very bad—and therefore understood problems and prejudices they might encounter and have to deal with in Desire.

  He pulled into a parking space and glanced at his wife. “Why don’t you wait here while I go get the food?”

  “No. I’ll come in with you. Is that Jesse, Clay, and Rio leaving the restaurant? Nat or Brenna must be working at the store. I need to talk to Jesse about her display at the club. We’re damned near sold out of the stuff she already brought, and we need more for the display.”

  Walking across the parking lot, Ace kept his wife’s hand in his, smiling faintly when he saw that the Ericksons had paused outside the door, obviously waiting to greet them.

  Clay grinned. “We heard what happened with Lucas and the others. Sounds like Stormy’s got all three of them tied up in knots.”

  Jesse sighed. “I’m just glad everyone’s okay. That was scary.”

  “You were well protected, darlin’. We’d never let anything happen to you.” Rio chuckled and pulled Jesse close. “I’m enjoying watching the others have their world turned upside down, though. Especially Lucas. Nothing like a good woman to knock you on your ass.”

  Hope gripped Ace’s arm and leaned into him with a smile. “What’s this about having their world turned upside down? You don’t seem to mind being knocked on your ass.”

  “That’s because I don’t.” Running a hand down Jesse’s back, Rio smiled down at her. “Best thing that ever happened to me, but God knows you women can be a handful.”

  Laughing, Jesse poked him in the chest. “Oh, and you don’t think you two are a handful?”

  Clay smiled down at his wife, his love for her glittering in his eyes. “Oh, I know we are. You tell us all the time how bossy we are.”

  Rio laughed and bent to kiss his wife’s head. “But she knows it’s done out of love. I heard you took a week off, Ace. You and Hope going anywhere?”

  “Not sure yet. Maybe.”

  Aware of Hope’s questioning glance, he slid an arm around her. “Why don’t you talk to Jesse while I go inside and order the food? I’ll be right back out.”

  “Okay.” Hope held on to his arm for several long seconds before releasing it, the distress in her eyes tugging at him. “Hurry.”

  Smiling faintly, he bent to kiss her hair, determined to get things straightened out when they got home. “I’ll be right back.”

  He held the door open for the elderly couple on their way out, his mouth already watering for the surf and turf he planned to order.

  He acknowledged their smiles of thanks with a nod and faint smile and started inside, pausing when his cell phone rang.

  Stepping back outside, he dug his phone out of his pocket, frowning when he saw the display. “Linc? Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine, Ace. Just wanted to give you a message from your new FBI friend. She said to tell you that she appreciated the heads-up, and that you made her look good to her superiors. Said that if you ever needed a favor, all you have to do is ask.”

  Pleased to have someone in the FBI willing to help him if he needed it, Ace smiled faintly. “Good to know. Everything running smoothly?”

  Linc chuckled. “Yes, Sheriff. We haven’t destroyed the town in the last twenty-four hours. We’re saving that for Wednesday. Have a good vacation.” Still laughing, he disconnected before Ace could reply.

  Shaking his head, Ace couldn’t help but chuckle at his deputy’s teasing.

  He admitted that he needed to be in control, and every one of his friends and family knew it.

  And for some reason, they all liked to tease him about it.

  But they accepted it—something his wife would have to learn to do.

  Glancing back at his wife again, Ace stilled as several things registered at once.

  Turning toward the sound of squealing tires, he saw a car heading straight toward the entrance where Hope and the others stood.

  Clay and Rio seemed to also realize it and tackled both women to the ground just as Ace leapt in that direction.

  One part of his brain registered the fact that the women and his friends were safe while another part realized that he’d leapt into the path of the car and wouldn’t be able to avoid being hit.

  He tried to jump out of the way but already knew he wouldn’t make it in time.

  He barely got a glimpse of the horrified look on the elderly man’s face before the car crashed into him and through the glass door of the hotel restaurant, taking him with it.

  He heard the crash of glass and Hope’s scream of horror as the car hit him and knocked him back several feet before it ran over him, pinning him underneath.

  Pain exploded in a dozen different places at once, but what hurt worse was the sounds of his wife’s terrified cries.

  Aware that the car had been stopped by the concrete walls on either side of the entrance, Ace closed his eyes against the view of the undercarriage of the car, relieved to hear several masculine shouts, followed by the sound of the car doors being opened and the engine being cut off.

  He was alive.

  He would hold Hope again.

  It was his last thought before he lost his tenuous grip on consciousness.

  Chapter Seven

  Crying her husband’s name, Hope struggled to break away from Rio, not able to until he released her to open the passenger door of the car on top of Ace.

  Her heart pounded nearly out of her chest with a horror unlike anything she could have imagined.

  No. No. No.

  Please, God!

  Clay pulled the elderly man Ace had just held the door for out of the car and shut off the engine, cursing as he rushed to the front of the car just as Brandon and Ethan came running out of the restaurant and into the now destroyed lobby.

  With tears streaming down her face, she kept calling Ace’s name as she dropped to the ground next to his head, tears blurring her vision. “Ace! Please talk to me.”

  Swiping the tears away so she could see him, Hope crawled under the car to him.

  Horrified that his eyes remained closed, Hope ran a hand through his hair. “Please, baby. Please open your eyes.” A sob escaped, and another tried, but she ruthlessly swallowed it. “Please don’t leave me. I can’t live without you.”

  Hope held her breath when his eyes fluttered open, wiping away fresh tears. “Oh, thank God! Talk to me, baby.”

  “Hope. You’re okay.”

  “I’m fine. Please be still. Where do you hurt?”

  Ace glanced above his head with a groan. “Ethan, get her the hell out of here.”

  “No!” Hope fought Ethan as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back against him.

  “Stop it, Hope. Look. Clay, Rio, and Marshall are gonna lift the car so Brandon can pull Ace out. You need to stay back. We don’t need any mistakes that could get you hurt or Ace hurt worse.”

  Hope stopped fighting and nodded, taking a shaky breath. “You’re right. We need to get him out of there.”

  Marshall held up a hand. “Wait.” He disappeared, coming back within a minute with a back brace. “Let’s get this under him and secured first.”

  Between Clay and Marshall, they managed to get the back brace under Ace and secured it before sliding out from under the car again.

  Clay shot a look at Jesse. “Get back, Jesse.”

  Watching in astonishment as Clay and Rio lifted the car from either side by the front tires while Marshall lifted the front, Hope held her breath while Brandon gripped the back brace and pulled Ace free.

  Ace groaned once, closing his eyes until Brandon gently released him again. “Everyone okay?”

  Clay and Rio knelt next to him while Marshall called Talia, the dispatcher, to check on the status of the ambulance.

  Clay nodded. “All except you. Where do you hurt?”

/>   “I’m fine.” Ace blinked several times and attempted to sit up, but Clay and Rio each put a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from doing so.

  Clay’s eyes, hard and cold, raked over Ace. “Just be still. You’re belted into the back brace.”

  Hope rushed to Ace’s side, gripping his hand, shaken at the amount of blood covering his shirt and jeans. “Ace? Where do you hurt?” She began to help Clay gently unbutton her husband’s shirt, fighting to keep her voice and expression calm.

  Despite the pain darkening and dulling his deep chocolate eyes, Ace smiled faintly. “I’m fine, baby. Don’t worry. Probably have a hell of a headache, but I’d be fine if these two would get the hell off of me.”

  Rio smiled and shook his head, his own eyes dark with concern. “Not a chance. We don’t know if you’ve got any broken bones. You did just get run over by a car.”

  Relieved when Ace tightened his hand on hers, Hope tuned out the conversation between Marshall and the elderly couple and reached out to wipe a trickle of blood from Ace’s chest. “I can’t believe this happened.”

  Clay caught her wrist before she could wipe the blood away, surreptitiously shaking his head. “He’s got glass all over him. We don’t want to cut him up even more.”

  Ace sighed, glancing at Clay and Rio as they moved slightly away. “In a damned shootout, I know the danger. Didn’t plan to get plowed over walking into the restaurant.”

  Hope leaned over him, touching her lips to his, attempting to smile through her tears. “I’d die without you.”

  Ace’s hand tightened on hers, and with another sigh, he let his eyes flutter closed. “I’m not going anywhere any time soon, baby. Calm down. I’m fine.”

  “Just be quiet. The ambulance is here.”

  Opening one eye, he stared at her, his lips twitching. “Bossy little thing, aren’t you? Don’t get used to it because I’ll be on my feet again soon, and you won’t be so bossy anymore.”

  Swallowing heavily, Hope nodded and fought back tears. Bending to whisper to him, she held on to his hand like a lifeline. “Looking forward to it, Sheriff.”