The beach house is incredible. I don’t know how Ace managed to pull this off, but I can’t deny the butterflies that flap wildly in my stomach as I watch him dig around in the refrigerator.
“Are you okay in there?” I ask.
He looks so out of place here in his ripped jeans, military boots, and a black tank that shows off his tattoo sleeves. But I wouldn’t have him any other way. What a person wears or how they brand their skin doesn’t define them. I know that better than anyone.
A person’s worth is more than just designer clothes, a prep school education, and a sizable trust fund. It’s the choices they make and the scars they bear. It’s their integrity and unwillingness to conform just because society tells them to.
It’s love.
Unconditional, irrevocable love.
“Ace,” I say quietly, my pulse racing and blood ringing in my ears.
He glances at me and smiles.
Oh God, that smile.
It makes me melt.
It makes me want things.
A future and promises and a life I never saw before he barged his way into my world.
“Yeah, Princess?”
“I’ve got something to tell you.” Nervous energy vibrates inside me, and I curl my hand around the edge of the counter to steady myself.
“Fuck,” he breathes, running a hand over his head and down his neck. “It’s too much, isn’t it? I didn’t know it was going to be this flashy. I just thought it was—”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “It’s not about this… this is perfect. It’s everything, Ace, and I’m so excited to be here with you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I say, unable to hide my smile. “But there is something you should know. Two things actually.”
His brows knit, his stone mask sliding into place. My heart aches for him, knowing that he probably expects the worst.
I hope he’ll feel differently when I’ve told him. At least, about one of the things.
“After you left last night, James and I talked. I think he needed to get everything off his chest and I wanted to understand his side of the story. But I couldn’t say nothing… so I told him about Charlie being alive.”
I brace myself for the flash of anger I’ve seen so many times in his eyes, but it doesn’t come.
“You told him?”
“He needed to know.”
“You’re right.” Ace releases a heavy sigh that I feel all the way down to the pit of my stomach. Closing the refrigerator door, he stalks toward me, his eyes dark and hooded.
“That’s one thing. What was the other?” His arm hooks around my waist, drawing me close. My hands go to his chest as I stare up at him.
“That’s it? You’re not upset?”
“I told you last night, I have all I need. James. Charlie. This shit with my mom, none of it can touch me with you by my side. So what’s the other thing, Princess?” He drops his head to mine. “Because unless you’re about to tell me that we’re done, nothing you say is going to matter.”
“I love you,” I blurt out, instantly regretting my timing when Ace goes as still as a statue.
“You… love me?” The words get stuck as his breath catches.
It’s a wonderful sight to behold, this big scary guy rendered speechless, but I can’t deny there’s a part of me terrified that I should have waited to confess what I’ve known for a while.
“I do.” I smile. “I don’t really know when it happened, but it did. I know you think you’re this unloveable guy with a dark past, but I see you, Ace. I see you.”
A beat passes, the weight of my words thick between us.
“Say something…” My voice trembles as we stand there, my heart in the palm of Ace’s hands.
And only he can decide its fate.
“Fuck, Remi, I… fuck.”
Dejection snakes through me. He doesn’t feel the same. Ace doesn’t—
The air whooshes from my lungs as Ace scoops me up and carries me through the beach house. “Ace, what the hell?” I shriek, hitting his chest.
“You think you can just say that to me and everything goes back to normal?” His eyes narrow. I can’t look away. I’m lost… drowning in two pools of crystal blue water.
I don’t even notice we’ve arrived in the bedroom until Ace lowers me to the floor and pulls me around so that I’m pressed up against him, my back to his solid chest.
“Oh, wow…” I flush. The bed is huge. Bigger than any bed I’ve ever seen, draped in crushed silk sheets and facing the patio doors that open onto a terrace overlooking the sea.
“I can’t undo what happened that night.” His voice is a soft murmur in my ear, sending shivers zipping through my body. “I wish I could. I wish I could turn back time and give that night a different ending. But then we wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t be in my arms, telling me you love me.
“I’m a fuck-up, Remi. I’ll probably always be a fuck-up. But I’ll never fuck up with you again, and I’ll spend forever trying to erase that night from your mind, starting with right now.” Ace’s hand glides up my neck, gently coaxing my face to his. His mouth fixes over mine, his tongue sliding between my lips. He doesn’t say the words, but I feel his love wrap around me and take hold.
This is how Ace speaks, with actions and touches and possessive glances.
“Does this mean you’re done punishing yourself?” I murmur against his lips, not wanting for a second to break the kiss.
“Hell yes.” He turns me in his arms, cupping the back of my neck as he traces letters of love over my jaw and down the slope of my neck.
I can feel him hard and ready at my stomach, but he isn’t in any rush to take care of himself—it’s always about me. About him taking care of my needs, making sure I’m satisfied.
Part of me thinks it always has been, even during the games, the constant push and pull.
“I’m going to get you naked now, and then I’m going to spend my time loving every single inch of you.” His thumb brushes my jaw, running over my swollen lips. “Because I do, ya know? I love you, Remi. I love you so fucking much it hurts.”
Ace’s eyes glitter with promise as his words bury their way into my soul. “I don’t deserve you, but I fucking love you, Princess. And I’ll never let anyone hurt you ever again. Myself included.”
“Ace.” His name falls from my lips in a soft whisper as I push myself against his body. Catching my drift, he picks me up, forcing my legs around his waist.
“I had all these plans…”
“They can wait. I need you. I need you so much.”
He carries me to the bed and we land in a tangle of limbs and laughter. “I need you naked, now.” Ace starts stripping me, kissing my skin as he goes. My fingers twist into the bedsheets when he closes his mouth around one of my nipples. His warm breath against the cool scratch of the lace has my body squirming beneath him.
“You like that, baby?” he teases. “Already wet for me?” Ace dips one of his hands to my pussy, hooking the lace aside. His finger glides through my wetness. “Fuck, that’s hot.”
He begins to work me with his fingers, slow and deep, mimicking the drag of his thumb over my clit. My legs lock around him as I ride his hand, desperately chasing the high I know is coming.
“Fuck, Remi, I can’t wait to be inside you… I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything as much as I do you.” The words dance over my skin as I sing his name over and over.
“Ace, oh God, more… I need…” Everything grows small as I drown in sensation. I can feel Ace rocking against me, the hard bulge in his jeans rubbing on my leg, but I’m too lost to do anything about it.
But suddenly, he slows the motion, almost stopping.
“What are you doing?” I pant, the waves of pleasure ebbing away, leaving me frustrated.
“Patience, Princess.” He smirks, flicking my clit. Once… twice… until I’m crying his name.
“Ace, please… I need… oh God.” Arching up, I desperately try to rub against him, but he pulls away again.
“I like you like this. Needy for me. Desperate.” Ace nips my bottom lip, soothing the sting with his tongue.
“I know what you’re doing.” I narrow my eyes at him.
“Me? I’m doing… nothing.” He pushes a single finger inside me, slow and deep, stealing my breath. But it isn’t enough.
“Stop teasing me.”
“Your wish is my command.” Ace grins, kissing me so hard I’m not sure where he begins and I end. “Come for me, Princess.” He licks inside my mouth, his tongue darting in and out the way his fingers work me. I arch my back, my head rolling to the side as pleasure starts to rise inside me.
Ace chuckles, tracing his lips down my neck as one of his hand squeezes my breast. “Look at you,” he drawls. “You. Are. Mesmerizing.” Curling his fingers inside me, I begin to tremble.
“Ace…” My fingers clutch the sheets, my body a writhing, needy mess.
His lips find my skin again, his teeth grazing the faded bite mark. “Please,” I cry. I don’t even know what I’m asking for, everything is so intense.
The second his teeth sink into my skin, the waves crest, crashing over me with such force I scream his name.
“You’re mine, Remi. Always.” Ace licks the bite mark, sealing it with a kiss before dragging his eyes to mine. “Hi.” He smiles.
“Hi.”
Suddenly, the air shifts, the pain of our past lingering on the periphery. “Fuck,” he grits out.
“Hey.” I rest my hand against his cheek. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not, I should never have fucking—”
“Ace, don’t do this. Don’t let the past define our future.” My hands find the hem of his tank, pulling it away from his cut abs. He takes over, working it off his body in one smooth glide. He eases off me, shucking out of his jeans. My eyes drop to his tented boxers as he begins fumbling around with his wallet.
“Wait,” I say, a slight tremor in my voice. “I don’t want anything between us.”
“For real?” His Adam’s apple bobs against his throat, heat blazing in his eyes.
I nod, a shiver working through me at the very idea of feeling him bare inside me.
Hovering at the end of the bed, Ace slowly pushes his boxers down his hips, roughly palming himself. “The things I want to do to you.”
“I’m right here.” I smirk, letting my hands trail down to the waistband of my panties. But Ace is quicker. Diving at me, he rips them clean off me before covering my body with his.
“You sure?”
I don’t answer with words. Instead, I dip my hand between our bodies and grasp him, guiding him to where I need him most.
“Fuck, Remi… fuck,” he breathes, as I slide his cock over my clit, teasing us both. “You’re going to be the death of me, baby.”
Ace grabs my hands and pins them above my head before driving into me in one smooth glide. We both cry out as he stretches me.
“Jesus,” he chokes out.
“It feels… God…” My legs anchor around his hips, urging him to move, and he does.
Strong, powerful strokes that I feel all the way down to the tips of my toes.
Ace curves his hand around my throat, pinning me to the mattress. He’s everywhere. His tongue pushed deep in my mouth, his big body pressed up against me as he grinds into me, filling me with every thrust. My hands fight against his hold, desperate to touch him, to feel his muscles ripple beneath my fingers, but it only makes him go harder. Faster. Until I can barely breathe and my vision starts to blur. He isn’t making love to me. He isn’t fucking me. He’s branding himself on my soul, carving his name permanently on my heart.
“Ace, it’s too much,” I whimper, completely overwhelmed by the sensations he’s unleashing on me.
“Ssh, baby.” His mouth is at my ear, his words a hot growl. “I’ve got you.” He releases my hands, letting me grip his shoulders as he begins to ride me slower, deeper, until I don’t know where I end and he begins. My legs fall to the mattress, letting his pelvis bump against my clit, sending bursts of pleasure racking through me.
“You feel so fucking good.” He murmurs the words, painting them onto my lips with his tongue. Our kisses grow frenzied. Hot, wet, dirty kisses as we both race toward the edge.
“You ready to come for me, Princess?”
I mewl some inaudible reply, my heart hammering inside my chest as Ace hooks his arm underneath my thigh and grinds into me at a new angle.
“Fuck… Fuck…” I chant like a girl possessed, a girl ready to sacrifice herself for the cause.
“I’m close,” he rasps, “I’m so fucking close.”
Without warning, Ace pinches my clit hard and my orgasm hits, my pussy convulsing around him as he continues to pump inside me.
“Fucking love you, Remi.” His body tenses, and I know he’s close. I wrap myself around him, locking my ankles around his back as he jerks inside me.
Silence settles over us, nothing but the sound of our ragged breaths and beating hearts. “You good?” he asks, his voice raw.
“More than good.” My lips break into a full smile. “I love you, Ace Jagger.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever tire of hearing that. Or having your tight pussy wrapped around me. It feels like fucking heaven.”
“So romantic.” I roll my eyes playfully.
“If you wanted romance, Princess, you picked the wrong guy.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” I lean up, brushing his nose with mine. “You don’t do so bad.”
