“What happened today?”
“What makes you think anything happened?” He answered my question with one of his own, deflection a route he often took.
“Because you look beat down and you didn’t tear my robe off as soon as I let you in. So that tells me somethin’ is on your mind.” Fully awake now, I stood in the middle of the living room, watching every miniscule movement he made, from him swiping his fingers through his hair, to the slightly ragged inhale that puffed his chest.
“Just club business. Nothing I can talk about.” The only things Ace would tell me pertaining to his club had to do with the strip joints the Knights owned. He oversaw the activities with the dancers. Auditioning them, hiring them, gettin’ rid of them if they broke any of the rules, stuff like that. Otherwise, his lips were sealed as to what he did every day. I wasn’t keen on him spending so much time around naked bitches, but he wasn’t my boyfriend, so I didn’t mention my annoyance.
He finished off his beer, then slid the empty bottle across the countertop.
“If you can’t talk about what’s botherin’ you, and you didn’t come here to have sex, then I’ll ask you again. What are you doin’ here?”
“When did I say I didn’t want to have sex?” The cocky grin on his face told me he’d obviously changed his mind since walking through the door.
“It’s not the reason I’m here, Chels,” I mimicked, my voice deepening to imitate his gruff tone.
“Is that supposed to be me?” Again, he sidetracked my question with his.
Refusing to answer, my eyes flattened into a glare. “If we’re gonna go ’round and ’round, I’m goin’ back to bed.”
Ace propelled his body toward me, catching my hand and tugging me closer until I collided with his chest. His scent lit fire to my lust, and the intensity with which he studied my mouth sapped my good sense—as if I had any left.
He leaned down, his mouth at my ear. “Can I come with you?” My heart flitted in my chest as goose bumps pebbled my skin, my nipples hardening and straining against the thin fabric of my robe.
I tried to stall for time, racking my overactive brain to come up with something that would convince him to leave. But that wasn’t what I wanted. At least, I didn’t think it was. Either way, being this close to him rattled me, and for as strong and unaffected as I wanted to appear, his presence weakened me. Before I could decide which way to go, his mouth collided with mine, the kiss turning frenzied as he pushed me against the wall. His hands roamed my body, disappearing beneath the hemline and gripping my ass, pushing his arousal into my belly.
“I need you,” he whispered against my lips when he broke the kiss. “Don’t make me go home right now.” He knew me enough to realize I could’ve been headed in that direction, but when his tongue stroked mine, the only place I’d be sending Ace was to my bedroom.
With my hands placed on his chest, I tried to push him. He didn’t budge at first, but when I pulled my head back, and shoved at him once more, his arms dropped to his sides, the hurt look on his face making me want to reveal that I wasn’t telling him to go. But I didn’t say a word. Instead, I stepped around him, all while continuing to face him, taking one slow step backward after another, careful not to trip over the legs of my end table as I moved in the direction of the stairs.
When he saw the upward curve of my mouth, he licked his lips and mirrored my expression. “Where do you think you’re goin’?” His slow gait toward me made my breath stutter from my lungs, the excitement of what was to come exhilarating.
“Why do you care?” One more step back, then two.
“Are you gonna run? Because I can run faster.” Another two steps toward me. “Is that what you want?”
“And what are you gonna do if you catch me?” My robe’s belt was looser, showing more of my breasts. His eyes darted to the exposed flesh before returning to mine, heated and focused.
“Run and find out,” he growled, quickening his steps until I let out a small squeal and darted up the stairs, two at a time, tripping halfway up but catching myself before I face-planted. I heard Ace laugh behind me, but the sound quickly died once I made it to the top, sprinting down the hall, all while trying not to make too much noise so as not to wake Riley.
Just when I thought I’d escaped him, I was lifted off my feet, swung around and thrown over his shoulder, his strong hand squeezing my ass cheek right before he spanked me.
“Such a fuckin’ tease.” I barely had time to say anything before I was flat on my back, the mattress rising to mold around me. He tore at the flimsy belt and pushed open my robe, my nakedness exposed for him to feast on, the heat in his eyes all but searing through my skin. “Did I ever tell you how much I love your body?” His question was rhetorical because he’d told me countless times. Squeezing my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, he tugged, the slight wave of pain so delicious I wanted him to tweak the other. Which he did, right after wrapping his lips around the first, pulling the erect bud with his teeth this time. While his mouth and fingers worked together to make me squirm, his other hand drifted over my side, then to my belly, lower still until he parted my folds. “I could slide right in, you’re so wet.”
“I don’t think you could ever just slide right in,” I responded, catching the breath in my throat when I arched my back. He pressed the pad of his thumb against my clit, drawing slow and lazy circles as he inserted two fingers inside me.
“My fingers slide right in.” He hovered over me as he gazed into my eyes, the flecks of brown around his green irises making the color look almost blue.
“Your dick is much bigger. Which is good news for me.” I started to laugh but his lips brushed against mine before he took my mouth. There was nothing sweet in his kiss, his force adamant, punishing.
“You love my dick, don’t you?” he asked, withdrawing his mouth from mine and his fingers from my body, moving back until he was no longer on top of me but standing at the foot of the queen-sized bed. The way he looked at me made me hungry for him, but I knew better than to try and convince him to hurry up and fuck me. It was because he saw how much I desired him that he held back, teasing me to the point of frustration. “Spread your legs. Wider.” He readjusted his excitement, groaning when I complied. “All I wanna do is taste you.”
“Then do it.” I parted my thighs wider, and he hissed. He discarded his clothes and stroked himself, the heat of his stare making me wetter.
“Only if you let me go bare.” His hand stilled. “I’ve always worn a condom, and I already told you I haven’t been with anyone else since you. Plus, you told me you’re on the pill.”
Ace and I had this discussion before, numerous times in fact. Part of me wanted to believe him, but the untrusting part of me roared to life, shredding any trust I held in the words he spoke.
“I don’t believe you.”
His hand dropped to his side, his excited expression falling. Gone was any trace of desire, replaced with disbelief. I felt bad for saying those four words, but they were the truth. Well, like I said… partly.
“Why?”
“Why what?” I closed my legs and attempted to move back toward the top of the bed, but his hands wrapped around my ankles, holding me in place. “What are you doin’?”