by Melody Anne
Dakota launched herself across the tiny space between them, her arms circling his neck as she clung tightly to him. She thanked him over and over again. Ace didn’t hesitate as he put his arms around her and squeezed.
Her scent was enfolding him, and he wanted to be somewhere a hell of a lot more private than a public hangar. Dakota pulled back, and then her lips were only inches away from his. He wasn’t going to resist the temptation of her sweet mouth. Not giving her a chance to protest, he gripped the back of her neck and pulled her to him, his mouth covering hers in sweet, sweet relief.
Dakota gasped into his mouth, her lips opening to his hungry tongue. Then, like she did with everything in life, she embraced him with hunger and excitement. Her fingers dived into his hair as she pressed more tightly against him and kissed him back with as much hunger as he felt.
By the time the two of them broke apart, Ace was ready to explode in his pants. This woman was twisting him apart, and he didn’t even care.
“Let’s go back to my place and celebrate your first flight,” he said with an attempt at a smile.
Dakota looked at him as if she was trying to decide. Ace’s heart pounded as he awaited her decision. If she said no, he might actually die. But if she said yes, he might burst with excitement.
She licked her lips in the most enticing of ways, and his thickness pulsed. Then she bit her bottom lip, and he thought about stripping them both down and just going for it right then and there. To hell with anyone who might walk in.
“Not yet.”
It took a moment for Dakota’s words to process in his befuddled mind. She was telling him no, but she wasn’t telling him never. Hot damn!
“Any time, anywhere,” he said huskily.
She smiled at him, her tongue darting out to wet her lips again.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said.
He was thinking seriously of pulling her back to him when she let him go and opened the door, quickly jumping from the plane. Ace leaned back in his seat and concentrated on his breathing techniques for several moments. His body was pulsing so painfully he was afraid of even moving.
“I’ve gotta run, Ace. Thanks again for a great day,” Dakota called to him.
He turned in time to watch her tight ass sway as she exited the hangar. Then he leaned back and closed his eyes. With Dakota around, he would never be bored, that was for sure. He also didn’t have time to be stressed. She was a ray of light in a dark world. And he was falling for her more and more by the second.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dakota paced her house as she fanned her hot cheeks. She couldn’t quit smiling. She’d had such an exciting first flying lesson, not to mention being pressed close against Ace’s side all afternoon. It had been a thrill in so many ways.
This man was getting under her skin unlike any man before him, and she wasn’t in the least bit afraid anymore. It had scared her a little bit at first, but she’d gone beyond that to now being excited for her next visit with him.
She could tell herself all day long that it only had to do with her wanting to help him, that her instincts had kicked in and she knew he needed the kind of therapy she was known for giving, but her connection to him went way beyond that.
She was attracted to Ace in the most basic of ways. Her instincts were to follow through on that attraction. When he’d invited her to spend some private time with him, she’d been more than willing to say yes in a big, bold, exclamation-mark kind of way.
But part of the fun was the anticipation. She’d waited so long to get to this point, and she was terrified of being let down if things didn’t turn out as she expected. Still, Dakota wasn’t sure how long she was going to be able to hold out. She wanted this man—and she knew she was going to have him.
Her energy on high alert, Dakota cleaned her place from top to bottom, working up a good sweat as she blasted music and danced her way through her house. Life without music would be a tragic thing. It didn’t matter what the task was—if there was music playing, it was always better.
When her doorbell rang in the late evening, Dakota almost missed it. When it rang again, she sighed as she tried to decide if she was going to answer or not. She was on a roll and didn’t feel like stopping. At the third ring, she decided the person wasn’t going to leave.
She left her music on high as she floated through her place and swung the door open. It drove Chloe crazy that Dakota never checked who was on the other side before opening it. Dakota figured she’d just drop-kick a person if they were up to no good.
As soon as she saw the wicked smile and sexy dimple on the face of Ace Armstrong, she felt her heart thunder and her knees shake. He was standing on her doorstep with a bottle of wine and a dozen roses. She grinned at him as “Pour Some Sugar on Me” played loudly in the background.
“Nice choice in music,” he said as he leaned in her doorway.
“It’s my motivational music,” she said, unable to help but grin back at him.
“I brought wine,” he told her.
“I can see that,” she said, her lips turning up even more. “I suppose you’re hoping I’ll invite you in?”
“That’s the plan,” he said. She had to respect the man for not trying to barge through her door before she gave him permission.
“I could just take the wine and close the door in your face,” she pointed out.
“But I have flowers too,” he pointed out.
“I’m more of a lily type of girl,” she said, trying to sound unimpressed.
“I’ll remember that,” he assured her.
“I suppose you can come in for a few minutes,” she said, swinging her door wide open. He didn’t wait for her to change her mind. He stepped into her place with confidence, immediately making it seem much smaller than it was.
When Dakota cleaned, clutter took over. It always appeared as if a tornado had swept through the room before she got things organized. She was still in the things-strewn-all-over-the-place phase of her cleaning day.
“I like it,” he said as he looked around and laughed.
Dakota moved over to her music player and turned down the volume so they wouldn’t have to keep shouting. Then she led Ace into her small kitchen and pulled down two wineglasses.
He uncorked the bottle and then waited as she poured them each a generous amount. Her first sip was heaven on her tongue. The crisp white wine was cold and refreshing. She most likely looked a mess, but he didn’t make her feel self-conscious. Even though she was sure her hair was sticking out in every direction and there was probably sweat beaded on her forehead, he looked at her as if she was the most beautiful woman on the planet. He was certainly good for her ego.
“What are you doing in this neck of the woods?” she asked him.
“I haven’t stopped thinking about you all day. I decided I’d rather see you in person than picture you in my head,” he said, taking a step closer.
Dakota knew she could retreat, but there was nothing inside her that wanted to. Instead she closed the space between them, meeting him halfway. Ace’s eyes flashed in delight as he took her wineglass away and set it on the counter, then slowly slipped his arms around her back.
“You aren’t an easily forgotten woman,” he said, almost sounding angry about it.
“It’s always better to leave them with a . . . happy face,” she said, and he laughed.
“Yes, a happy face works for me,” he said before leaning down and kissing her on the corner of her mouth before his tongue traced her bottom lip.
“You know this is a bad idea, right?” she said, her voice already husky.
“Yep, I do,” he assured her.
“Okay,” she said, drawing out the word. “Since we have that out of the way, kiss me like you mean it.”
Fire flared in Ace’s eyes, and Dakota felt the burn all the way to her toes. He gripped her hips tightly as he pulled her up against him and his mouth crashed against hers. This was no exploratory meeting of the mouths. This was
pure possession at the deepest levels. Dakota was immediately lost in his embrace.
Ace backed the two of them up against her counter, then easily lifted her up, pulling her to the edge and pushing himself against her. She felt his thickness pressing on her, and she wanted to reach forward and feel him. She was sure he wasn’t going to disappoint her.
Ace groaned against her mouth before releasing her swollen lips and moving down her jawline to suck on her neck. She arched her back as his hands slid from her neck to her butt and back up again while he sucked on her skin.
She reached between their bodies and slid her fingers over the bulge in his pants, making him tense as he shook in her arms.
“You can’t touch me like that—I’m afraid I might go pure predator,” he warned through clenched teeth.
“Ooh,” she said, heat flooding her. Instead of backing away, she squeezed him through the denim of his pants, and he bit into her shoulder, a warning nip that only served to turn her on that much more.
She reached for the buttons on his pants, finding it difficult to undo them. His thick erection had drawn the material tight. She was up for the challenge, though, and after a few fumbles, she managed to get his pants undone.
She slipped her hand into his boxers and then felt his velvety-smooth hardness. Her core pulsed with need. Her body knew exactly where she wanted this to end. Her nails traced over the head of his arousal, and his excitement dripped out, making her squirm on the counter.
Ace leaned back, and she whimpered. Their eyes met. She could swear she saw fire in his expression. That only made her wetter. She leaned forward and kissed along his solid jaw, reaching around and sucking on his ear.
He tugged on her shirt, and she felt the material give beneath his strong touch. Her T-shirt was shredded down the middle in seconds. Dakota wondered if she was going to orgasm from the excitement of his obvious hunger for her.
“Damn, Dakota,” he said in awe as he leaned back, his gaze focused on her barely covered breasts, which were hardly contained in her bra. Her nipples hurt from rubbing against the lacy material.
He quickly solved that problem by undoing the bra and flinging it somewhere behind her. She didn’t care where it landed. He leaned down to suck her peaked nipple into his warm mouth. She cried out as her fingers dug into his hair, holding him right where he was.
He moved from one breast to the other until she was a puddle on the counter, barely able to hold herself up. When he pulled back, she tried tugging him forward again, but he shook his head. He lifted her from the counter, and she wrapped her legs around him.
“Bedroom!” he said, his voice almost unrecognizable.
“Down the hall, on the right,” she said, her own voice husky and weak.
Ace carried her the short distance down the hall into her room. Her bed was a mess, the blankets twisted, the pillows halfway off. Ace set her on the edge, then swept all of it to the floor before he gently pushed her back and then climbed on top of her.
His mouth connected with hers again, even hungrier than before, as he devoured her whole, his throbbing package cradled in the safety of her thighs.
“I need you now,” he said.
“Then take me,” she begged.
Ace leaned away only long enough to shed his clothes and grab a condom, quickly slipping it on. She was thankful, because she hadn’t even taken a moment to think about protection. They didn’t really know each other, and they were jumping into this fast. She didn’t have time for regrets, though—didn’t want them.
Ace pulled off her pants, and then he was on top of her again, his thickness poised at the entrance to her heat, his heart thundering against hers, his fingers gripping her face. He didn’t move forward, didn’t lean down and kiss her, didn’t move so much as a toe as he gazed into her eyes. His look had such intensity, she felt too exposed under his gaze. She tried to turn away.
“Don’t do that. Look at me,” he demanded.
She wrenched her eyes back to his and felt the sting of tears prickle. This was too much for her to handle. It was just supposed to be sex—nothing more. But Ace wasn’t allowing her that freedom.
“Ace,” she said, her tone holding a warning.
His gaze never broke from hers as he surged forward, his thickness breaking through the barrier of her body and filling her completely. Pain shot through her for only a moment, and then the intimacy and fullness of him inside her was all she could think about.
But Ace stopped as his eyes widened, understanding dawning in his expression. He began to pull from her, and Dakota panicked. She’d been hoping he wouldn’t notice she’d never gone this far with a man, that it could simply happen without any fanfare. She was too old to be a virgin, too confident. She was a cheerleader. Everyone just assumed she’d been sleeping with everyone for years. She didn’t care what people thought.
“I’m sorry,” Ace said, his voice strangled.
“Don’t leave me like this, Ace,” she warned, her hips tipping up as she moved against him, the friction causing her to burn in new ways. “I’ve done things before, but I’ve just never felt the need to complete the act,” she told him, hesitating. “Until now.”
He groaned as he held on to her hips tightly.
“We can’t do this,” he said, though she could see her movement was pushing him over the edge of sanity. Good.
“We already are,” she told him, wrapping her legs around his back and wiggling against him.
It was obviously too much for him to take, because his eyes went wild again. He leaned down and captured her lips, thrusting in and out of her body. His powerful erection seemed endless as he rubbed against her sensitive walls while his tongue did the most delicious things inside her mouth.
Beautiful pressure built and built as he moved faster and faster within her. She felt sparks igniting, and she began shaking as her orgasm drew closer.
“Harder, please,” she begged.
Ace lost control as he gripped her hips and slammed inside her body. And that was all it took. She shattered in his arms, squeezing him deep inside her. He cried out at the added pressure, and then she felt him pulsing within her as she clung tightly to him.
The pleasure lasted forever—and yet it ended entirely too soon. Ace collapsed against her, their bodies wet with sweat, their breathing loud in the small room. Dakota was in no way ready to let him go when he pulled against her hold.
He turned them so they were on their sides facing each other, and she felt almost bereft as he pulled out of her.
“You should have told me,” he said, his voice much more controlled now. He looked angry.
“You wouldn’t have done what I wanted if I had,” she said.
At least he didn’t try to lie to her. “You should have told me.” He repeated that a few more times.
“You are killing my happy buzz,” she said with a glare. He looked at her in surprise. “If you’re going to keep grumbling, then you can leave.”
“Are you kidding me?” he said, seeming to grow as irritated as she was now.
“Nope. Matter of fact, you leaving is a great idea. Then I can lie here and relive this moment of ecstasy, leaving out this after-sex talk, of course.”
He glared at her. She gave him just as stern a look right back. They faced off for several moments before he let out an exasperated sound and jumped from her bed, snagged his clothes, and stalked off.
Dakota leaned down and grabbed her blankets, covering herself as she sat up, wondering if he was even going to bother telling her good-bye. For his sake, he’d damn well better do that.
When he appeared in her doorway, he was fully dressed. She tried not to show her disappointment. If he wasn’t going to let her savor this moment, it was better for both of them if he left.
“I guess this means there won’t be a round two?” she said with an innocent smile.
He looked at her again as if she was insane. She probably was. After all, look how long she’d waited to have sex for the first
time. A sane woman wouldn’t do that.
“No,” he snapped. Then, he turned to leave and paused, facing her again. “At least not tonight.”
He didn’t say anything more after that, just turned and walked away. Dakota should have been furious, but she couldn’t keep the grin from spreading across her face. That had been the single most incredible moment of her life. And she wanted to relive it again and again and—
There was a knock on her door, and she smiled. He’d been gone for less than an hour. Guess he wanted round two after all. She thought about going to the door naked, but though she was confident, there might be some neighbors passing by, and that was a lot more of her than she wanted to show the world.
Grabbing her silk robe, she threw it on, barely taking the time to loosely tie the sash. She should make him wait, but she was too excited. She thrust open the door with a big grin that quickly fell away.
Maybe she should have checked to make sure it was actually Ace standing on the other side of her door so late at night.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ace had never been one to kick himself. He didn’t believe in wrong decisions, or regrets. Everything happened for a reason. But what he couldn’t figure out as he drove away from Dakota’s place was how he couldn’t have known how innocent she truly was.
He felt as if he’d taken advantage of her, and he really didn’t like the feeling. He wasn’t a man who slept with women who didn’t know the score. Sex was as natural to the body as food and water. He didn’t like going too long without it. But that’s why he was always with women who believed that as much as he did.
He’d never have guessed Dakota hadn’t been with a man before. And while he felt shame at having taken her so fast and hard, he also felt an immense sense of possession over her, which was making his brow furrow. She was now his—only his!
Ace wanted to push those feelings away, wanted to think of her as nothing more than a good time, but no matter how hard he tried to reset his mind, he couldn’t do it. He cared about this woman. She’d just given him a gift unlike any he’d ever been given before. It wasn’t something he could look at lightly. But there was still the problem of him having to leave again to get back to work. How could she be his, when he wouldn’t be around to be hers? When in the hell had he developed a conscience?