I wake with a start. Sitting up, I push unruly curls out of my face and get my bearings. I’m in the pool house still, and it’s late. I can tell from the way the moonlight is streaming in through the window.
Ace sleeps soundly beside me, his hand curled possessively around my hip. For someone who likes to repeatedly remind me he isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, he’s doing a pretty impressive job of pulling me deeper under his spell.
Grabbing my cell off the nightstand, I check the time. One-thirty. Jesus. Mom is going to ask questions tomorrow, a lot of them. But I’ve already given Hadley a heads up that she’s my cover, should anyone ask.
Restless, I check my messages and have a quick glance at social media. I’m about to put down my cell when something catches my eyes.
What the hell?
It’s a photo of the beach, where the volleyball court is, and right there, bound, gagged, debagged, and tied to one of the posts is… “Bexley?” I shriek.
“Uh, what?” Ace’s voice is heavy with sleep.
“What the hell?” I zoom in to read the marker scrawled across his chest. “I suck Seahawk dick.” My eyes fly to Ace. He’s still asleep beside me. “Tell me this wasn’t you?”
Bexley is already gunning for revenge, and I don’t want to think about what he might do if Ace was responsible for this.
“Ace,” I snap, grabbing his nipple and twisting.
“Ow, what the fuck?” He bolts upright.
“Tell me you didn’t?” I thrust the phone in his face and he frowns, rubbing his jaw.
“What the hell is that?”
“It’s Bexley, look…”
He explodes with laughter. “Stupid douchebag had it coming to him.”
“So it wasn’t you?” I narrow my eyes, looking for any trace of guilt. Before I can make a decision, he flips me onto my back, pinning me to the bed.
“What can I tell you, Princess? I wish it was me. Fuck only knows I can’t wait to get him for ever putting his hands on you. But it wasn’t me.” He runs his nose along my jaw, letting his lips ghost over mine. “How could it be when I was here all night, getting you off.”
My stomach clenches. “I fell asleep,” I murmur as he begins to grind into me. “You could have… snuck out.”
Ace hitches my leg around his waist, driving deeper. Only the thin cotton of my panties and his boxer briefs separate us. “Why would I sneak out when I have you in my bed?”
“It really wasn’t you?” I can’t imagine anyone else is stupid enough to take on Bexley.
“Let me fuck you,” he whispers against the shell of my ear, making my stomach coil. “I need inside you, Remi, baby.” He rolls his hips, showing me just how ready he is.
“Ace, I’m…”
“You’re a virgin?” He doesn’t look surprised, just curious.
I nod. “This, us, I like what we have going,” I slide my hands over his broad shoulders, “but I’m not sure I’m ready to—“
He gives me a tight nod. “I can wait.”
“Geez, thanks.” I drop my eyes. Part of me wants to give it up to him. It isn’t like I’ve been holding onto my V-card for that special someone. I just didn’t ever want it to be something I’ll regret.
Ace grips my chin, pulling my face back to his. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“There’s some stuff… stuff you don’t know about me. Stuff I’ve never really dealt with.”
His eyes flash with concern, his muscles tensing. “What stuff?”
I nudge him gently, and Ace rolls off me. He slips his arm around me, pulling me into his side.
“After my mom found out about the affair, she went off the rails. Drinking. Hanging out at bars looking for attention. I guess she needed to know she still had it or whatever. Anyway, she met this guy. She was so smitten, but I never liked him. There was just something about him.
“Things started to get serious, and he started coming around the house. I was so mad at her. We’d barely gotten settled in and she had already moved on, or at least, that’s what it felt like.” I knew now, that wasn’t it at all. She was hurting, and she needed something—or someone—to help numb the pain.
“Anyway, he turned out to be a total jerk. He’d get drunk and order her around as if it was his house. She didn’t let him stay over often, but when she did I always dreaded those nights.” I inhale a deep breath, blocking out the memories.
“Princess, you’ve gone awfully quiet over there.” I sense Ace watching me. “Did he do something, Remi?”
Anger laces his words, soothing something inside of me. Ace cares. Whether or not he’s willing to admit it, I know he does. But like me, he hasn’t had a typical upbringing. The people he was supposed to be able to count on, to teach him about love and family and forgiveness, let him down.
And now we’re here.
Two lost souls bound together by stolen touches and toxic kisses.
“Tell me about you,” I say, changing the subject. I’ve already said too much about mom’s ex. I don’t want him to come between any more than he already is.
“There isn’t much to say,” Ace grunts. “Dad died when we were young. Mom tried, and failed, to hold it together, and I had to grow up fast to take care of my brothers.”
“And that guy, Donny? How did that happen?”
“The Heights is a jungle, Princess. If you’re weak, you get preyed on. And if you’re strong, you have to prove your worth. Lucky for me, I was always strong and I had something to fight for.”
“Your brothers?”
I feel him nod. “It’s why I’m here, for them…” Ace hesitates. “They deserve a chance at something better. Conner is smart, he could do anything he puts his mind to, and Cole has a real shot at football.”
“And you?” I lean up to look at him. “What do you deserve, Ace?”
He looks at me and says ten little words that make my heart ache. “There’s only one place I’m going, Princess. Straight to Hell.”
Iwake to the feel of Ace’s lips trailing over my collarbone. “It’s almost ten.”
“What?” I shriek.
“Yeah, we overslept. Conner just texted to say your mom just got here.”
“Shit.” I bolt upright, catching Ace in the face with my elbow.
“Motherfucker,” he grinds out, rubbing his cheek. I duck down to kiss him better.
“I’m sorry, but if my mom finds out I’m—“
“Sorry to burst your bubble, Princess, but that ship has long sailed.”
“She knows?” My brows furrow. “And James?” He nods. “Why do you seem so calm about this?”
“Because,” Ace flips me, rolling me beneath him, “it doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to be doing very bad things to you tonight.”
“Yeah?” I grin.
“Yeah.” He kisses me, letting his tongue slowly twirl with mine. The news that my mom and James both know about me being here melts away until I’m drowning in nothing but the feel of Ace’s lips on mine.
“We should probably go face them.”
“Okay.” He’s acting too cocky, as if he can’t wait to see his uncle’s reaction.
“You know,” I say, climbing out of bed and searching around for my clothes. “James really isn’t so bad once you get to know him.”
Ace freezes, anger flashing across his expression. He storms into the bathroom, slamming the door.
Okay then.
I let out a small sigh. Maybe there’s a way to go before Ace forgives James.
By the time I’m dressed, Ace comes back into the bedroom and pulls on some sweatpants and a clean tank. “Come on.” He holds out his hand, and I take it.
We walk the short distance to the house in silence. He says he’s not bothered about them knowing, but with every step we take his walls inch down until my Ace is gone.
“Uh oh, the princess and her frog are in trouble,” Conner teases as we walk into the kitchen.
“Fuck off,” Ace grunts, releasing my hand and going to the refrigerator.
“My mom,” I say, “is she—“
“Right here,” she frowns. “You have some explaining to do, young lady.”
James strides into the room, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Conner, you can leave. This doesn’t concern you for now.”
“Damn, I had my popcorn ready and everything.”
I scowl in his direction and he grins, mouthing, ‘good luck,’ before ducking around his uncle.
Ace leans back against the counter, a bottle of juice in his hand. He takes a long swallow, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
“Nothing comes to mind,” he replies coolly.
“I told you explicitly to stay away from Remi—“
“You did?” I gasp, feeling betrayal coil around my heart. Ace never said a word.
“What I think James is trying to say, sweetheart, is that we’re concerned about your new… friendship.”
“We’ve been hanging out, so? It’s not a crime.”
“And this weekend,” James adds. “Did you stay over in the pool house?”
“I’m almost eighteen—“
“Not the point, Remi.” Mom frowns. “We’re worried about you. Cutting class, stopping out all night and lying to me. It isn’t like you, baby.”
“You told me to make new friends and to live a little.” It’s a futile argument, but I feel like I need to defend what Ace and I share.
Because god only knows, he’s making zero effort to do it.
“It’s one thing to sabotage your shot at something good,” James levels his nephew with a hard look, “but to drag Remi down to your level is inexcusable.”
“Because of course it’s me corrupting the good little princess, right?” He stands straight, animosity rolling off him in waves. “She couldn’t possibly want to hang out with me, could she?”
“Ace, that’s not what we’re saying.” Mom’s voice softens. “But Remi needs to focus on school. She needs to make some serious decisions about her future.”
“I’ve already told you, I won’t take his money. If I don’t get offered a scholarship, I’m done.”
“Remi,” she gasps, touching the side of her face. “You don’t mean that.” Her eyes flick between me and Ace as if she knows he’s to blame for the change in me.
And maybe he is.
But it isn’t that simple.
Ace hasn’t changed me—he’s just unlocked something inside me.
Something I’ve spent a long time trying to hide.
“Sarah, you should take Remi home. I need to speak to my nephew alone.”
“I won’t stop seeing him,” I blurt out, because it feels like we’re already hurtling toward the end of whatever this is, and I’m not ready for it to be over yet.
“Yes, well, we’ll see about that.” James’ tone is scathing. “I refuse to let Ace taint your future, Remi.”
I suck in a harsh breath, and Mom rushes to my side. “Come on, sweetheart. I’m sure James and Ace have lots to talk about.” She wraps her arm around me.
Staring at Ace, I plead with him to look at me, but he’s fixed on his uncle.
“I’ll speak to you later, okay?” My mom says to James as we pass him. She grabs his arm and leans on her tiptoes. “Don’t be too hard on him.”
With one final glance at Ace, I let Mom lead me away, hoping I didn’t just land him in a whole heap of trouble.
When we pull up to the house, Mom cuts the engine and turns to me. “Ready to talk about it?” I’d given her the silent treatment the entire ride home. “Remi, work with me here, please.”
“What’s to say? You’ve both made up your minds.”
“And just like that, you’re going to listen to your mother for once?” Her brow rises, and I press my lips together. “Hmm, thought not.”
“So, I like him. Is it really that big a deal?”
“James seems to think it is. He cares about you, sweetheart, and he knows those boys better than you or me.”
“Does he?” I sneer. “Because something doesn’t add up, Mom.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“He was so excited to bring them to the house, but it’s like they can’t stand each other. Ace talks about him like he’s to blame for something.”
“Ace is angry at the world, baby.” She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “And he’s lashing out at the one parental figure he has left. James told me Ace harbors a lot of hatred toward him over what happened with his mom. But he tried to help. Unfortunately, Maria wouldn’t allow it.”
“Yeah, maybe.” But I didn’t buy it. There was something else.
There had to be.
“Does it really bother you so much, the idea of me seeing him?”
“Every parent wants the best for their child, Remi, and honestly, I’m not sure Ace is what you need. Bexley however—“
“Are you kidding me right now? You just found out I like Ace and you’re going to sit here comparing him to Bexley?” I reach for the door handle. I need to get out of here.
“Sweetheart, that’s not what I meant.”
“You know, Mom, you of all people should know that good looks and a charming smile are only skin deep. It’s what on the inside that counts, and Bexley Danforth is nothing more than another devil in sheep’s clothing.”
With that, I stumble out of the car and take off toward the beach.
