I’m grinning ear to ear when we leave the pizza place. Ace is intimidating as hell, but feed him pizza and beer and he’s actually a pretty fun date.
Not that that’s what this was. I doubt Ace is the kind of guy who dates. But still, it was nice. And he picked up the check, which was a bonus, although after our little trip around his old neighborhood, I really don’t want to think about what he does to make money.
We almost reach his bike when my cell vibrates. “Oh, shit,” I say, scanning the message from my mom.
“Problem?” Ace asks.
“We’ve been busted.” I show him my mom’s demand for us to return to the house at once.
“I’d better get the princess home, then.” He stares down at me, the air growing thick around us.
“What?” I grow self-conscious under his intense scrutiny.
“I want to kiss you so fucking bad right now.”
“But?” I swallow, heat flashing through me. Ace just ate a huge pizza and he still looks ravenous.
A knowing smirk tugs at his mouth. “It wouldn’t be a good idea, not here. Come on.” He motions toward his bike.
I try to ignore the dejection pulsing through me, but it’s right there, coiled around my heart.
Ace tries to help with my helmet, but I snatch it off him. “I can do it myself.”
“Whoa, what’s gotten into you?”
“Nothing,” I bite. “We should probably go.” My mom and James are going to be pissed.
Ace rests his butt on the seat of the bike, folding his arms over his chest. “I’m not moving until you tell me what’s wrong.” I’m relieved the helmet shields most of my face, because I know my expression is probably betraying me right now. “Spit it out, Princess. I’m waiting.”
“Ugh,” I release a frustrated breath. “Fine. I can’t figure out why you brought me here is all.”
His brows furrow. “You didn’t have fun today?”
“I… that’s not what I mean,” I sigh. “Do you have a girlfriend here? Is Kelsey—“
Laughter crinkles the corners of his eyes. “You think me and Kelsey… fuck, no. She’s no one to me. But you’ve seen what I do, the kind of people I hang out with. It probably wasn’t the smartest move bringing you here.”
“I see.”
“Listen, I want nothing more than to kiss you. To strip you bare on my bike, bury my face in your sweet pussy and eat you out.” Lust floods me, making my knees weak. “You drive me in-fucking-sane, Princess.”
“Oh,” I breathe.
“Yeah, oh. Now get on the fucking bike before James calls the cops on me for endangering his precious Remi.” He throws his leg over the bike and grabs the handlebars.
It’s a strange thing to say, but I don’t question it as I slide on behind him, tucking myself into his back.
“Ready?”
I nod, and Ace revs the engine. Before I can say another word, Sterling Heights is disappearing behind us in a rush of warm air and exhilaration.
All too quickly the landscape changes to the familiar postcard perfect scenery of Sterling Bay, but Ace surprises me by pulling off at a rest area before we hit town. “Off,” he orders, and I slide off the bike, wondering what the hell he’s playing at. Roughly grabbing me, he tugs me around to him and shifts his body to the back of the seat. Then he gently pulls the helmet off my head.
“Get on.” He drops his steely gaze to the sliver of space in front of him.
“Excuse me?”
“I said,” he hooks his finger into the loop on the waistband of my jeans, “get. On.”
With a quick glance around to make sure we’re not being watched, I maneuver myself back onto the bike. Ace tracks my every move, using his big hands to fit my legs around his hips until we’re impossibly close.
“We need to—“
“Just shut the fuck up a second,” he growls, sliding one of his hands around my throat. “You look so fucking hot like this. Got all kinds of bad things running through my head right now.” He leans forward, dragging his tongue up the side of my neck. “One day,” he murmurs against my skin.
I want to ask him what he means, but I’m too blissed out. He’s barely touched me and I’m already losing control.
“Ace,” I murmur, pressing myself closer. He pushes gently, making my back bow against the handlebars.
“Fuck, Remi, the things I want to do to you.”
Delicious sparks of anticipation zip through me. And the thought hits me square in the chest.
I want him.
I want Ace Jagger.
But there are things he doesn’t know about me. Things that could get in the way of whatever this is growing between us.
He continues his exploration of my skin, licking and nipping until I’m a writhing, pent-up ball of nerves. I’m about to ask him to touch me, to make it all go away, but then he’s there. Kissing me. Devouring me. His tongue delves into my mouth, so deep it’s like he’s trying to crawl inside me. I kiss him back just as forcefully, sucking and biting his tongue.
“Fuck, yeah,” he hisses.
I can feel him rock hard beneath me, and I can’t resist dipping my hand between us, feeling the outline of his cock. My fingers creep to the zipper of his pants but a car flies past us, honking their horn. “Get a fucking room,” someone yells, and I bury my face in his shoulder. The sudden disruption is like a bucket of ice cold water, dousing what seems to ignite between us every time Ace touches me.
“Oh my god,” I breathe, soft laughter spilling from my lips.
Ace curves a hand around the back of my neck and coaxes me out of his chest. “You’re right, we should probably go before we get arrested for indecent exposure.” Hunger burns in his eyes, and there’s something so heady, knowing that Ace wants me as bad as I want him.
He leans in, kissing me again. But this time, it’s a soft brush of his lips against mine. “You’d better move, Princess. My restraint won’t last forever.”
Fighting a smirk, I scramble off the bike and pull the helmet back on. It’s less that a ten-minute ride to his uncle’s house. Anyone from town could drive past and see us. But as I curl myself around Ace’s body, I can’t find it in myself to care. Because for the first time in a really long time, it’s like someone gets me.
He sees me.
And I don’t want to give that up for anything.
Sure enough, when Ace pulls into his uncle’s driveway, James’ town car is sitting there, like a warning sign, and next to it is my mother’s second-hand Corolla.
“What do you think they’re going to say?” I ask Ace as we climb off his bike.
“Don’t really care,” he grumbles, raking a hand through his hair. “Do you think your mom will flip?”
“I don’t think she’ll be too happy, no.”
“Well, you’re almost eighteen, right?”
I nod. “My birthday is in a couple of weeks.”
“So you’re almost an adult.” He shrugs as if it’s nothing. But then, I know Ace has probably been used to a lack of parental figures in his life.
As we approach the house, I want to believe nothing has changed between us, but I can already feel Ace’s walls coming back up. Whatever there is between him and his uncle it isn’t good, and part of me wonders what we’re about to walk into.
The house is quiet as we step inside, but then a deep voice shouts, “Ace, kitchen. Now.”
Without thinking, I reach for Ace’s hand but catch myself at the last second. Anger rolls off him in waves, and I’m not sure the Ace I just spent the day with is here anymore.
“Remi, thank god,” Mom says the second I step into the kitchen. But the relief in her eyes is short lived, turning to disappointment. “You have some explaining to do, young lady.”
“I’d like to hear Ace’s side of the story first, Sarah.” James looks murderous. “Imagine my surprise when I received a call from Principal Vager saying you had skipped out of school—two days in a row. Really, Ace, I expected you to rebel, but pulling Remi into your games is not—“
“It wasn’t his fault,” I blurt out, and my mom’s brows pinch with disbelief.
“Remi?”
“Look, something happened this morning… with Michaela.” I take a deep breath, anger licking the inside of my stomach. “I couldn’t stay in school. My uniform was ruined and I just needed to get away, so I asked Ace if he’d give me a ride.”
“You asked Ace if he’d give you a ride… on his motorcycle?” she splutters.
“I wore his helmet,” I say, as if it makes a difference.
“Is Remi telling the truth?” James asks Ace.
A beat passes, and I think Ace is going to admit everything. But then he surprises me by releasing a long breath. “Yeah, some girls pulled a cheap stunt on Remi and soaked her through. She asked me to give her a ride home to get changed, and I guess time just ran away with us.”
“I bet it did,” James says coolly. He’s not buying it, and I’d pay to be a fly on the wall to the conversation I know they’ll be having later.
“Well, I’m just glad you’re both safe.” Mom levels Ace with a classic mom-look. “And I’d like your reassurance that, next time, you’ll encourage Remi to do the right thing.”
I smother the laughter building in my chest. She’s so far off the mark it’s ridiculous.
“Off course, Ms Tanner. I’ll be sure to keep Remi on the straight and narrow.” His eyes flick to mine, full of dirty thoughts and reckless decisions.
“I suppose we’ll leave you boys to it.” Mom curls her hand around James’ arm and leans up to kiss his cheek. “I’ll call you later.”
He gives her a dismissive nod, too busy glaring at Ace to really notice.
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say to Ace. “Thank you… for today.” My eyes lock on his as I pass him, and I see the faintest of smiles crack over his face.
The second we leave their house, I turn to Mom and say, “I’m sorry, okay? I made a bad choice.”
“Don’t, Remi,” she says, jabbing her finger in the air. “It’s the second day of semester and you didn’t just cut class, you skipped out the entire day. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was, taking that call from Principal Vager?”
“Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was, standing there, in front of the entire class, while Michaela deliberately sprayed that puddle all over me? Even my underwear was wet, Mom.”
“Remi,” she exhales a shaky breath, “this war with your step-sister has got to stop. I know she’s difficult—“
“Difficult?” I grab the handle and yank it open, climbing inside the car. “She’s not difficult, Mom. She’s a bitch.”
“Language!”
“Sorry.” I sink back in the seat, letting out a small huff. “She just drives me crazy.”
“You need to let it go, sweetheart. She can only hurt you if you give her the power.” Mom turns the key in the ignition and starts backing out of the driveway.
“Right, because if I just ignore her, she’ll disappear.”
“Not what I’m saying, Remi, but all this hatred isn’t good for you. I know she hurt you…”
I tune her out. Mom doesn’t get it. She never has. After her ex-boyfriend left and she got sober, Mom changed. She became all about good vibes and positive thoughts. But she doesn’t know what it’s like to be the social pariah. I can’t just forget about that.
I won’t.
She’s toxic. An insidious creature that gets under your skin and poisons you from the inside out.
Michaela Fulton ruined my life.
One day, I’ll figure out a way to ruin hers.
The next day at school, I’m hardly surprised by the whispers and wagging fingers as I navigate from class to class. Principal Vager hauled me and Ace into his office separately. He was more than shocked to hear my version of events, but I refused to let Ace take the fall for saving me in my hour of need.
I have detention for the next three afternoons, and I have to write a paper on the school codes of ethics and why skipping class is an unacceptable way to deal with ‘student disagreements’.
What a fucking joke.
But I guess that’s what you get when the student you were disagreeing with is head cheerleader, student council president, and has one of the most prominent names in Sterling Bay.
“Hey.” Hadley flounces down beside me on the bench hidden around the side of the building. It isn’t really in bounds at recess, but I like to avoid eating in the cafeteria whenever I can, and no one usually bothers me back here.
“What’s up?”
“No way.” She shakes her head. She’s gone for cheer-issue braids today that sit tight to her head. “I want to hear all about what happened yesterday. A little birdie told me you skipped out with Ace Jagger?”
Just the mention of Ace has my stomach flipping. I hoped to see him this morning and find out what his uncle said, but our paths haven’t crossed yet. That, or he’s avoiding me.
I frown at the thought.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I snap myself out of it. Ace has no reason to avoid me. Especially not when I took the fall for him.
“So… yesterday…” Curiosity glitters in Hadley’s eyes.
“He gave me a ride home and then we hung out.”
“You hung out with Ace Jagger?”
“Yeah.” I shrug. “Is it that hard to believe?”
“Well, I guess not. But he’s so… and you’re so…”
“Nice, Hads.” My lips mash together as I pick at the bag of chips in my lap.
“Oh, come on.” She nudges my shoulder. “You know I don’t mean it the way it sounds. But I’ve heard the rumors. He’s bad news, Remi.”
I can’t disagree with her there, but a person isn’t always defined by the choices they make. Sometimes life molds you into who you become.
I should know.
“I didn’t see anyone else chasing after me yesterday to make sure I was okay.”
Guilt creeps into her expression. “I’m sorry. But you know I can’t—“
“Yeah, I know.” Hadley has her own secrets, and she needs to keep her place on the team, which means keeping the peace with Michaela.
“I’m sorry she did that to you.”
“It’s nothing new. I constantly try to rise above it, but one day, she’s going to push me too far…”
“Just don’t do anything stupid, okay?” She cuts me with a concerned look. “Michaela is next-level crazy.”
Don’t I know it.
“So you and Ace, is it a friend thing or is there something there? Because I’ve got to admit, the guy kinda terrifies me.”
“He’s really annoying,” I say. “And so bossy. But he gets me, I think. It’s all very confusing.” I avert my gaze, remembering what it was like when Ace touched me yesterday. How he gave me exactly what I didn’t know I needed. A slow tingle starts in my belly.
“You like him, don’t you?”
Reluctantly, I lift my eyes to hers and smile weakly. “Yeah, I think I do.”
