ACER: A Stand Alone, New Adult, Friends To Lovers Romance

by A. Hargrove

  “No worries. I’ve got this.” But did I? I had been the one to screw up. What I should’ve done was tell Acer we needed to leave, or better yet, drove on and not stopped at all. I saw the cars and the potential danger staring us in the face. Yet I parked and we went in through the back, where it was equally as dangerous, if not more so. I even told Acer myself it was. I had cautioned him about everything but hadn’t heeded my own advice. Look where it got me. Damn, Isla, didn’t you learn anything in Quantico? You were at the top of your class for what? To land you in a shit pile of trouble.

  “Ugh.” I groaned out loud.

  “What?” Acer asked.

  “Art’s right. I should never have taken you in there. When I saw what was sitting out front, I should’ve kept on driving and not given in.”

  “It’s time to take your own advice,” Acer said.

  “Oh, and what’s that?”

  “The past is past and you can’t change it. The only thing you can affect is the present and future.”

  “Haha. You’re funny.”

  “Not trying to be. What Brax said hit me hard. And he has nothing else to go on but my past behavior. But I’m going to show him. I’m going to prove to everyone that there’s another Acer inside of me. One that’s willing to work hard in order to achieve something. I can do this if I only get the chance. And you can go in there and make a strong case for answering those questions. What if… what if Paulie had been lying there hurt and no one had checked on him? That was the assumption we went on. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t have lived with myself. Even if he wasn’t the best person, not saving someone is the same as murder to me.”

  He just blew me away. “Wow, you’re right. Thank you. I’m going to persuade them to my way of thinking.”

  “You will. I have all the confidence in the world you can do it.”

  The only thing left was I needed to believe it myself.

  Chapter Ten

  ACER

  Three weeks passed and Christmas was in two days. I’d finally had it with the safe house.

  “We’ve been here for all this time and nothing. My parents are visiting for the holidays and I want to see them. They’ve brought the rest of my things with them.”

  Isla was restless too. She and Art had gone back and forth over this same issue. Their arguments had gotten quite explosive. After the directors had questioned her for hours, and then me, they had determined that she would be placed on leave with pay until a decision was made. They hadn’t made one yet and I was sure this was affecting her mood as well.

  “Dammit, Art, I’m not doing any good locked up here. If something doesn’t happen soon, you may as well lock me up in a psych unit.”

  I don’t know what he said back to her, but she ended the call and threw her phone across the room. Luckily, it didn’t break the thing.

  “Hey, we both need to calm down.”

  “Oh? Got any brilliant ideas on how we can do that?”

  “Yep. Let’s go for a run. We need to release the tension.”

  So we did. Two feds accompanied us and we took off down a country road. The safe house was in the middle of nowhere, about an hour north of Atlanta. With miles and miles of empty roads around, we had plenty to choose from and we did just that. An hour later we came back, feeling much better.

  We sat in the kitchen, drinking water while the guys who accompanied us went to shower.

  “Feel better?” I asked.

  “Thanks, yeah. You seem to know me pretty well.”

  “Not really. But we have been living together for a few weeks. It’s easy to read when you’re frustrated.”

  She tugged on her ponytail and rolled her head around. “I’m so tired of being stuck here.”

  “Is it the company? I’ve noticed you’ve been avoiding me lately.”

  Her hand reached for the neckline of her shirt and tugged. “Actually, it’s the opposite. I’ve been staying away for a completely different reason.”

  “Oh?”

  She busied herself with her water bottle and acted timid.

  “What is it? Have I done something wrong?”

  “No. It’s just… nothing really. Stress, I suppose.”

  “If you need to talk, I’m here.”

  The desire to help her overrode everything. But there was something else. I was hugely attracted to her and it had become difficult to ignore. I hated she didn’t want to be around me. Running through all the scenarios in my head, I couldn’t come up with a single thing I had done to push her away.

  “Thanks. Don’t think I’m not appreciative. And I’m sorry you’re stuck here with me.”

  “Isla, if it’s any consolation, I’d rather be here with you than anyone else.”

  She paused and I figured she would respond, but no. She walked away and I was left standing there. We’d been in such close proximity for the last few weeks it was hard not to recognize all the amazing things about her. She was selfless and caring. I loved how she was so into her dog, Ruffles. She adored that pup. As an animal lover myself, I never appreciated it when others didn’t care much for them. I could see if you didn’t want a pet, but not giving a damn about them was a hard no for me. Ruffles and I had bonded instantly. And Isla was happy about that.

  Another thing I respected about her was her love for her family. They had a closeness, much like my family did. Even though her dad wasn’t in the picture, her mother nurtured their relationship and they were all very tight. She spoke to her mom almost daily. After abusing my parents’ love and support, to see this made an even greater impression upon me.

  There were many other attributes I liked about her, but I couldn’t discount her looks. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Huge green eyes complemented by a cute little nose and a mouth with lips I dreamed about kissing. Her long brown hair that I wanted to run my fingers through, was slick and glossy. But it was her endless legs that constantly drew my attention. I’d love nothing more than to have them wrapped around my hips as I thrust deep inside of her.

  Shaking myself out of those thoughts, I headed to the shower. It never occurred to me to knock on the closed bathroom door, because it was usually locked when it was occupied. Except this time the room wasn’t empty. Isla stood there naked with a shocked expression on her face. And me, I was frozen in place, ogling perfection. The real deal was even better than I’d imagined and it would’ve taken God Himself to get me to look away.

  Turned out, it was Isla who did it. “You just going to stand there and stare or are you going to join me?”

  I swallowed the clump of cotton that threatened to choke me. “Did I hear you—”

  “Yes, but if you’re going to make a huge deal out of it, I might rescind the offer.” Her eyes were bright, reminding me of priceless emeralds as one hand reached for mine. “Well?”

  “Let this man drink in your beauty for a second.” And that was what I did as I slowly undressed. When there were no barriers between us, I approached her and placed both hands on her shoulders. “Are you sure because if I get under that water with you, I make no promises on what happens afterward.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  One finger massaged the crease between her eyes. “I mean that I’ve been wanting this since we got here and if we get in there together, I’m going to fuck you, Isla. Is that what you want?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “It’s what I’ve wanted too.”

  After the water was the right temperature, I took her hand and we walked in together. Thankfully, it was a large shower and not just a bathtub. I soaped her up and then washed her hair. As she was rinsing it off, I quickly scrubbed myself clean. When she opened her eyes, she grinned. That was when I kissed her. I swallowed her moan and backed her against the tiled wall. Her mouth made me lose my sanity. I couldn’t imagine what the rest of her would do.

  My hands wanted to learn every inch of her body, discover all the hidden secrets it held. Unfortunately, my cock had other
ideas. As soon as I knew she was ready, I inched inside of her. She was slick with her need and moaned my name as I sunk in all the way.

  God, was she ever tight. It could’ve been the fact I hadn’t been with a woman for a while. But the grip she had on my dick was enough to make me want to shout her name.

  “Isla, Isla, Isla.” I couldn’t stop saying it. I needed to get in as deep as possible. I lifted her beneath her thighs and held her against the wall, banging her. Thump, thump, thump. Our hips collided with each thrust and every time they did, she murmured, “More.”

  “Come for me, baby. I want you off before me. Use your hand.” I was using both of mine to hold her so that wasn’t an option.

  “Almost there.” The words came out in a rush of air as she gyrated her pelvis against mine. “Again. Just like that,” she said.

  I gave her what she asked for, and she was right. Her tightness clenched around me in a series of explosive waves.

  “Fuck. I’m gonna come. I don’t have on a condom.”

  I pulled out fast and finished the job with my hand. She grabbed my dick from me, and continued to jack me off, as I collapsed against the cold tiles and groaned. When we glanced at each other, I pulled her in for a kiss. We devoured each other like we were the only two people on Earth and the world was ending.

  “Now my tension is gone,” she said.

  I let out a chuckle. “Let me rinse off. The water is already cool.”

  “Oh? I hadn’t even noticed.”

  I smacked her ass and she looked at me over her shoulder. “You into that, huh?”

  “Are you?” I shot back.

  She only smirked and left me alone in the shower to finish. I joined her a moment later.

  “Hey, what do you think the guys are going to say?”

  “To you? Nothing. To me, they’re going to ask why it took so long.” She wrapped a towel around her and twisted her hair in another.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because both Thomas and Scot have asked me when I’m going to let you knock one off. They said I needed to get laid because I was being too bitchy.”

  I took a step back and looked at her in the mirror. “Is that why we just did what we did?”

  She whirled around so fast her towel fell off and she made no move to pick it up. “If you think that, Acer Kent, then I just made a huge mistake.”

  “I had to hear those words. I know how close you are to those guys, but I didn’t know you talked sex.” I bent to pick up her towel and handed it to her.

  She shook her hair out and began brushing the tangles loose. It was mesmerizing to watch.

  “Your hair.”

  “What about it?”

  “It’s really pretty.” That was the dorkiest thing that ever left my mouth, and I’d never considered myself to be a nerd. “I mean, it’s so shiny and everything.”

  “And everything?”

  “So it’s like this. I want to bury my face in it while I fuck you.” Her cheeks turned pink.

  “I see.”

  “Do you?”

  “Maybe?”

  “Let me lay it out for you. I’m extremely attracted to you and my dick has been hard for three weeks now. Let’s talk about tension, Isla. I’ve jacked off more times, thinking about how it would feel to fuck you, than I can count. You have an exquisite body. I’m trying to be polite, but that’s over. I want to bang you senseless, kiss you until your lips are bruised, and one other thing.”

  I watched her throat bob as she swallowed. “Wh-what’s that?”

  “I want to eat you out until you pull my hair so hard I want to shout.”

  “Um, is that all?” she squeaked. Good. I was making an impression.

  “No. Don’t be telling your buddies out there what we did or I’ll have to spank that sweet ass of yours until you can’t sit down. You may be the one who carries a weapon, but I wear the pants around here. And if you think this is a one and done, think again.” I aimed my finger at her and continued, “You and I have just begun this relationship. Next time we shower, I’ll be sure to wear a condom because that’s the last fucking time I’m pulling out when we fuck.”

  I picked up my clothes and walked out.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  “What?”

  She walked over to me and kissed me. “That will have to hold you until tonight. For your information, if you couldn’t tell, I’m extremely attracted to you too.” Then she shoved me out the door. Good thing this house had a Jack and Jill bathroom that only the two of us shared.

  Chapter Eleven

  ISLA

  We were released from the safe house. That didn’t make me as happy as it once would have. The past two days had been nothing but Acer pushing me into any room he could, and teasing me unmercifully. He ordered me around like a drill sergeant when it came to sex. Thing was, his voice was always soft, yet demanding when he did. It was impossible to refuse, and besides, why would I want to? With Acer, it was pleasure times a thousand.

  “Stop wearing panties.”

  “Get yourself ready for me.”

  “I need your mouth on my cock.”

  But my favorite was, “Bend over, one knee on the bed, and spread your cheeks. One sound from you and I stop.” This usually required the use of a pillow.

  The man’s fingers were pure magic, not to mention his dick.

  Yesterday afternoon, he said, “I want you to get the hood of your clit pierced.”

  Wait. “What?” This time I was genuinely shocked. “Why would I do that?”

  “Get it done. Then you’ll know.” He used what I started referring to as his smoky tone, and then ran a finger from my lips to the hollow at the base of my throat.

  “And how do you know so much about pierced clits?”

  “I read a lot.”

  Acer was a mixed bag of goodies. Kind, considerate, and a gentleman everywhere but when it came to sex. Then he became my pure bossy alpha. I’d never had a man like him before and I succumbed to his dirty talk like caramel did to heat.

  It was Christmas Eve as we were dropped off at the office where our cars were. I went inside to check my computer and grab a few things. When I came back out, he was waiting for me.

  “I want to see you tonight.”

  “That may be difficult with family obligations.”

  “We can make it happen. We’re two resourceful people.”

  “I’ll follow your lead.”

  He grabbed the waist of my jeans. “I didn’t say it would be easy, and it may be late, but I will have my Christmas gift in the form of a fuck.”

  My core clenched at his words. I had a feeling neither of us would get much sleep tonight.

  “Call me then,” I said as I got into my car with Ruffles.

  My dog whined as we drove off. She was a traitor. “I know. I’ll miss him too. He sure is a sight for our eyes, isn’t he?”

  Two loud barks were my answer. Crazy pup.

  My house was quiet. Too quiet. After the time spent in the safe house, living alone was going to take some getting used to. I had never noticed it before, but it was Acer’s absence that gut-punched me. His large presence had always been a given. But now, this empty space seemed oddly cold.

  I had a couple of phone calls to make so I might as well get started.

  “Hey, Mama, I’m home.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful news. Just in time for Christmas. We’re going to celebrate dinner tonight at the Kents’ home.”

  “How nice. What time?”

  “Six. I’m taking a couple of casseroles and a sweet potato cake.”

  “Ah, I love you, Mama.”

  “I’m extra glad I made it now.”

  Sweet potato cake was my favorite. And my mother’s was the best, particularly her buttercream icing. It had a touch of sour cream in it and it was to die for.

  “Mama, I’m sorry, but I didn’t do a whole lot of shopping beforehand so my gifts are limited.”

 
“Sweetie, having you home is the best gift you can give. And nothing could be better than that.”

  “Thank you, Mama. I can’t wait to see you.”

  “Same here. Now you get some rest and I’ll see you at the Kents’ tonight.”

  My next call was to my brother. “Lennie boy, what’s up?”

  “Hey, sis. You good?”

  “Yep. I’m home and I hear there’s a party tonight at the Kents’ place.”

  “Wait. You’re out of jail?”

  “Yes, and it didn’t cost me anything!”

  His loud chuckle had me joining in. “That’s so awesome. I’m sure Brax already knows if Acer is out too.”

  “They sprung us both since there was no activity. I’m happy, not only for me, but for the guys who were on that assignment. Now they get to spend Christmas with their families.”

  “Truth. You’re coming tonight then, right?”

  “You bet. Mama made sweet potato cake and I’ve eaten nothing but frozen dinners for the last month.”

  “Gross. Plan on packing it in. Brax is making not one, but two beef tenderloins.”

  “How many people will be there?”

  Lenox laughed again. “Just us. With the two of you added, it makes nine.”

  “Uh, who’s the ninth?”

  “Just a girl, baby sis. Don’t get all touchy on this.”

  “Yeah, but what kind of a girl?”

  “What kind of question is that?”

  “You’re not stupid, Len.”

  “She’s just someone I hang out with every now and then.”

  “A fuck buddy?”

  “Jesus. That’s none of your business.”

  “Maybe not, but I want to know if I should like her or not. Do I need to run a background check on her?”

  He groaned. “Fuck no.”

  “I have my answer. She’s just a fuck buddy.”

  “All right. You sure are nosy.”

  “No, I’m not. The thing is, I don’t want to invest time in someone you’re going to dump in a week for another fuck buddy.”

  “When you put it like that, it’s fair, I suppose.”