by Melody Anne
“What if this all goes wrong?” she asked.
“We plan for it to go wrong,” Ace told her. “That way we aren’t taken by surprise. He will lose this battle, because his rage and pride will take him down as much as I will.”
“You are hoping for that outcome,” she told him. “He might be thinking the exact same thing, while working with a cool head.”
“Criminals aren’t rational, Dakota. He doesn’t have someone like I have you, like I have my brothers. The people in his life are his employees. They are only loyal to him when times are good. They will turn on him quickly to save their own skins. He has no true allies. I have something to live for other than rage and pride. I have my family . . .” He paused, and she felt his steady heartbeat against her ear as she snuggled closer, wanting to hold on to him forever. “I have you,” he finished in a whisper.
Her own heart thudded hard at his words. She wanted to ask him what he meant by that. But she was afraid to open that can of sweet peas at this moment. Some things just needed to stay tightly sealed where they were safe.
“I’m not planning on going anywhere. Just promise me you’re not going to sneak off without telling me.”
“It might be better if you don’t know when this is going down,” Ace said.
His hands were rubbing up and down her back. He was trying to get her mind off this conversation. She hated him a little for it, but he was beginning to succeed. His passionate words were making it hard for her to concentrate on the dangers of this mission.
“Don’t do that to me, Ace. You owe me more than a note on the nightstand when you disappear,” she said.
He sighed, his warm breath cascading over her head. “I won’t sneak away,” he promised.
“And you need to promise to come back to me. Don’t let this man win,” she insisted.
He stilled in her arms, and she wondered what she’d said to catch his attention. His hands resumed their languid movement on her back, slipping lower to feather over her butt and then drift back up to her hair.
“You want me to come back to you, huh?” he said, a smile in his voice.
“There’s that pride,” she told him, a smile in her own voice.
“When a woman as amazing as you is begging me to come back to her, I can feel a little bit of pride,” he insisted.
“You’re hopeless, Ace,” she said, but she leaned back to look into his eyes.
“And you’re unforgettable,” he said.
“I take pride in that,” she told him.
“Nothing is going to happen tonight, so why don’t we try to forget about it for a while?” he suggested.
“I think those are the best words to come out of your mouth all night,” she told him.
He winked at her before taking a step back and looking at her. The need to be in his arms was so great, she had to force herself not to take that step forward to get close to him again. She really did need him too damn much.
“I’m taking a bath,” she said with a smile meant to entice him. She turned and began moving toward the bedroom, hearing him right behind her. Taking off her shirt as she walked, she enjoyed the intake of breath from him as he admired her back.
She had always taken pride in the person she was, deciding from a young age that if she didn’t like something about herself, she was the only person who had the power to make the change she needed. She’d maintained that philosophy her entire life. If she wanted to have long hair, short hair, muscles, extra weight, or a lean build, it was all up to her. She respected herself, and she was happy because of it. She loved the look of awe in Ace’s eyes as he gazed at her. She knew the same look was on her face as she looked upon him.
They entered the bathroom together. Dakota turned on the tub and added some lightly scented soap. Then she turned to find Ace bare of clothes. Damn, he took her breath away.
Looking into his eyes, she stripped the rest of her clothing away, feeling vulnerable and needy all at the same time. Ace pulled her to him, their hot flesh scorching each other. He finally kissed her, taking the rest of her worries away as pure need shot through her.
His hands stroked her flesh until the tub was full. She turned the faucet off as he stepped into the water and sank down. He held his hands out to her. She took them and slipped into the hot water, leaning her back into him.
Ace immediately pulled her tightly to him as he slipped his arms around her waist. She sighed as he kissed her neck, his thickness resting against her, making her squirm in front of him.
“I can’t seem to get enough of you, Ace Armstrong,” she said.
“I know exactly how you feel, Dakota Forbes,” he replied.
With his arms wrapped around her middle, his fingers splayed on her stomach, and his thumbs pressing against the undersides of her breasts, Dakota was quickly losing the ability to speak. He moved up and rubbed the bottoms of her breasts, making them feel heavy and achy.
She pushed herself even more tightly against him, loving the feel of his erection pressed so tightly against the softness of her behind. Her only thought was how simple it would be to lift up and sit on him—and of how good that would feel for both of them.
She reached out and touched his legs on either side of hers. The bathwater was hot, but his flesh was downright scorching, making her breathing uneven and labored. Ace finally reached his hands up and cupped her breasts. He groaned against the back of her neck as he squeezed them, his palms pressed against her hard nipples.
When he opened his mouth and sucked her neck, she arched up, a moan escaping her lips. She ached so badly for this man that she couldn’t think of anything other than him—as long as he was touching her, her worries floated away. She was filled with need, and he wasn’t moving quickly enough for her.
“Please love me,” she said. She arched into him and his hands squeezed her breasts in utter reverence before he moved a hand down the plane of her belly and slipped it over her slick flesh below. She moaned again as she opened her thighs to him, not easy to do with his legs pressed against the outsides of them. He dipped a finger inside her, her heat and wetness making his access easy.
Dakota turned her head. He took her lips while his hands played with her body. She was eager, ready, and she knew beyond a doubt that she was his. She wasn’t at all frightened at how easily she surrendered to him. He tasted her lips before deepening the kiss, driving their excitement to unbearable levels.
Finally, she needed more. She twisted in his arms, wanting him inside her. He pulled her over him to straddle his lap, and he deepened their kiss. She teased him with her tongue, passing it into his mouth before retreating in slow, lazy sweeps until she was ready to explode.
Dakota pressed down on him, her slickness sliding along his erection, and he thrust upward, wanting them to be connected as much as she did, but she pulled back, teasing him as she bit down on his lower lip. He reached between them, finding her breasts again and squeezing her nipples hard in punishment.
She gasped into his mouth in pleasure and ground against him again. All traces of frustration were gone from both of them as they played with each other, stoking their desire to incredible heights.
“I need you so much, Ace,” she told him before her lips trailed down his jaw. She sucked the flesh of his neck before biting it. She quickly soothed the sting by licking him.
“You have me,” he assured her as he reached into her hair and tugged her back so they could see into each other’s eyes. She felt a thrill of passion. She knew she brought that look of lust into his eyes, and only she could sate his need.
“Then take all of me,” she demanded.
There was no more teasing, no more hesitation as Ace pulled his hips back and grabbed her behind with one hand, positioning her over him. He thrust upward and sank fully into her slick body. Not even the water could wash away their desire.
Dakota screamed as he filled her, and Ace grabbed her mouth and absorbed the sound before he gripped her hips and began moving her up and dow
n over his thickness as he thrust into her.
Her breasts bobbed against his chest, her nipples rubbing his skin as he slid in and out of her. Their moans were swallowed up by the splashing water, and Dakota felt her head spinning as she climbed closer to the climax she so desperately needed.
“Yes, Ace, make me come,” she cried before leaning down and biting his shoulder, where she stayed anchored as her body began clenching around him.
“Yeah, baby, let go with me,” he demanded.
She cried out again as her orgasm ripped through her, clenching his arousal. Ace let go with her, their pleasure one as they pulsed together with the intensity of their release. She shook in his arms as he held her tight, until finally she collapsed against his chest, her breathing erratic.
She was exhausted. He held her tightly in his grasp, his arousal resting deep within her heat. She didn’t want to ever move from this beautiful place. She relished the feel of his hands moving along her back.
“Remember your promise to me,” she told him.
He was quiet for a moment. She wanted to know exactly what was going through his mind. If she could have any superpower, it would be to read thoughts.
“I will,” he promised again.
They sat in the tub until the water cooled, then he took her to the bedroom and made slow, sweet love to her, sealing his promise with much more than a kiss.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Ace was busy over the next few days, having meetings with Bill and a special team along with his brothers. The more he met with this group, the more nervous Dakota became. He had made a promise to her that he wasn’t going to put himself out there as bait without telling her. Yet she feared he was so confident in his plans, he might go through with the mission quietly and only tell her it was over when all the danger had passed.
This made her watch him all the more. Still, they fell into a comfortable routine as the two of them retreated to Coop’s cottage each night. It seemed that the longer this danger went on, the more they clung to each other. Dakota knew it was only because it was a high-stress situation, but that didn’t change her feelings about Ace.
She’d resisted falling in love for a very long time. She’d never found a man who stimulated her, made her feel like she was free-falling, and made her want to follow him wherever he chose to lead her. But this thing with Ace had been so intense from the beginning that she knew she was falling for him, knew that she most likely was already in love with him. The thought of anything bad happening to him made her entire body ache with a panic she couldn’t quell no matter how badly she tried to push it back down. So each night as she snuggled into his arms, laughing, watching movies, talking for hours, or just silently being together, she fell a little bit deeper and deeper beneath his spell. And the longer this went on, the less she was frightened by it.
Dakota had a feeling she was getting to see a side of Ace not many people were fortunate enough to experience. He was in control and most certainly the king of his domain, but he was also tender and passionate. She loved all sides to his versatile personality.
The man insisted on holding doors open for her, making sure she was seated before he took his seat. He brought her morning coffee if she took too long to climb out of bed, and he made her meals that rivaled those of a gourmet cook. She wanted to know where he’d learned all these skills. She also noticed he didn’t alter his behavior when his siblings were around. Attentiveness just seemed to come naturally to him.
Dakota had always been reliant on herself. Of course, she had a loving family she could depend on at any time, anywhere, and she had her best friend, who would drop everything to help her. But she’d never depended on a man before. Men had come and gone from her life. With Ace, it wasn’t like that. She couldn’t imagine a day without him. That frightened her, because she was losing some of her independence, which she had always clung so tightly to.
Who was she becoming? Would she like this new person if she were to analyze her too deeply? She wasn’t sure. She’d been more than happy for Chloe when she’d fallen in love with Nick and had decided to marry him. Maybe she wasn’t so frightened to be in a relationship anymore because she was with the right person.
With all the danger going on, she had agreed not to go to her cheer practices. It was her last year, and she might get cut from the team for not showing up. That hurt her pride a lot. But having been attacked a couple of times now, and with the FAA finding evidence that their plane had been tampered with, Dakota felt lucky to be alive. Still, the lack of freedom felt oppressive.
Ace stepped into the room she was sulking in. She turned to him with a forlorn look on her face.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, carefully approaching her.
“I’m fine. I know Bill is waiting on you, so you should go,” she told him.
“I have time for a kiss,” he assured her.
Before she could even think about stopping him—which was actually the last thing on her mind—he grabbed her, knocked her off balance, and smoothly pulled her body against his. Even though they’d made love for hours the night before, one scorching touch of his chest against hers had her melting into him, her head thrown back to give him easy access to her lips.
Dakota didn’t even try to hide the sound of approval that escaped her tight throat. She loved the spark of life in his beautiful light eyes. The attraction between the two of them was beyond hot, and she didn’t see it ever fading.
“I hate walking away from you,” he told her before kissing the corner of her mouth, making her squirm against him. She wanted so much more than a light peck from him. “And I hate it when you walk away from me,” he added.
“But then you get to see me return,” she pointed out, her hand slipping into his silky hair as she caressed his head.
“True,” he said. Then he stopped trying to have a conversation and simply lowered his head, his mouth consuming hers in a kiss so hot, it was a wonder the floor didn’t melt. She clung more tightly to him as she got lost in his touch, her body swaying. Ace’s embrace was the only thing keeping her on her feet. She felt the evidence of his arousal against her stomach, making her squirm even more to draw closer to him.
Maybe she should just quit cheering, since she would most likely be fired anyway. Then she could have even more time with Ace.
As soon as she had that thought, she felt panic seep in. She’d promised herself her entire life she wouldn’t be one of those women who gave up their dreams for anyone. If a man couldn’t accept who she was, or didn’t think her life was as important as his, then she had no business associating with him.
Though she didn’t feel Ace treated her this way—at least not when there was no danger—she still pulled away from him. Maybe she needed to do some thinking. This thing between them continued to burn so fast and hot, she didn’t know how to think about it.
“You have to go. They are waiting,” she said when he leaned toward her again. He slowly opened his eyes, and though disappointment was obviously there, she knew they had to respect each other’s obligations.
“Sorry. That was supposed to be a quick good-bye kiss,” he said with a sheepish smile. “For some reason, the second I touch you, I lose all rational thought,” he added with a laugh. “You might actually be a witch who has cast a spell on me.”
“That might be the case. I have many talents I’ve yet to share with you,” she told him with a wink.
He stepped closer to her, and she took a retreating step while she laughed.
“You shouldn’t be allowed to get away with a statement like that,” he told her.
“Oh, but I am,” she said, taking another step back. “Because we will finish the conversation later . . . in the dark.” She winked at him again, enjoying the glow filling her, even if it did scare her at the same time.
Dakota watched him walk away and felt an ache travel through her. What she needed now more than anything else was a small break to be by herself.
Changing clothes, sh
e rushed from the cottage, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one would stop her. She needed to take a walk and get her head clear before Ace came back. He was officially messing with her life if she couldn’t think of anything other than him.
She made her way through the quiet streets of Cooper’s neighborhood, knowing she couldn’t go too far. She didn’t want to get back late and then have to hear all about the dangers of being out on her own. It just wasn’t worth the lecture. But she figured she had a good hour or two to herself before she had to drag herself back and wait for Ace.
It wasn’t that it was a hardship waiting for him, it was that she wanted him around her all the time. Knowing that was what she wanted made it clear just how stubborn and foolish she was being. She wasn’t a weak woman, and she didn’t need to lean on anyone. But with Ace’s professional world leaking into his personal world, she was dealing with an element she’d only ever heard about. She’d never had any real-life experience with monsters before—not until they’d entered her house and threatened her because of her relationship with Ace.
She wasn’t too far from the house when she heard someone behind her. Fear trickled down her neck and sent a shiver through her. It was light out, and she was sure it was some person who was also doing nothing more than taking a stroll. She had nothing to worry about.
She continued telling herself this until she was grabbed from behind. She let out one high-pitched scream before her mouth was covered and true fear invaded her all over again.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Ace pulled back up to the house, cursing that he’d forgotten his phone. He needed to have it on him in case Dakota wanted to call. He avoided considering what it meant that he had to stay in constant contact with the woman.
He walked into the cottage and found her gone. He didn’t like that one little bit. She had to be at the house. He moved quickly up to the main place and found she wasn’t there, either. Where had she gone?