My breath hitched in my throat. My heart hammered in my chest.
He was talking about Sierra. He must be. Did he find out I went to see her? To get information about him?
No, no. Even if he did know of my visit, how could he know I had any kind of suspicion of him? I could visit her for any reason, right? She was my friend, after all.
But that wasn’t the matter of concern right now. Sierra was in danger. He could harm her at any moment. And I couldn’t let this happen. I had to do something for her.
What secret of his did she know for him to want her dead?
When he put the phone down and put it into his pocket, I whirled around and left as fast as I could without making any noise. Thank God for the thick handcrafted carpet that covered the floor. Otherwise, my heels would announce my presence even if I took a single step.
With my heart in my throat, I ran down the empty corridor and turned to a hallway that didn’t lead outside.
Glancing over my shoulder as I took another turn, I slammed against a hard chest and the blow threw me backwards. But a pair of strong arms shot out to me and pulled me back, securing me in their hold.
For a second I almost stopped breathing, assuming I got caught, but then I looked up. Narrowed stormy grays met my eyes, they held concern.
“What’s wrong with you? You could get hurt if I wasn’t here to hold you!”
Yes, I could. But you saved me.
I took a deep breath. Relief washed over me. I subconsciously stepped closer to him, casting a glance at my back. No matter what I said, I wasn’t brave enough to be alone with that man in those eerie hallways. Not when there was a whisper at the back of my mind that he knew what I was up to. Though it didn’t make any sense, he couldn’t have known about my suspicion. Still, after hearing his phone conversation, fear etched in my mind.
But that wouldn’t stop me from exposing him.
“Rosebud?” Cupping my face, he made me look into his hard eyes. My fists were now clenched around his black shirt. “What happened? You look scared. Is everything all right?” He looked behind me. “Did anyone do or say anything to you?”
Gulping, I shook my head. “Nobody said or did anything. I’m fine, don’t worry. I kind of got lost. I was just looking for the exit.”
He didn’t look convinced. “You know this house quite well, Rosebud. You can’t just get lost here so easily. What are you hiding?”
“I’m not hiding anything.” Now that I had his arms around me, I felt safe. His mere presence gave me security. “I was just looking around out of boredom and got a bit lost. There are so many hallways, after all. Anyway, you came? I thought you weren’t going to join tonight’s dinner.”
Even if he was aware of my subtle way of changing the subject, he let me. His tight jaw and steely glances over my shoulder were the evidence.
“Ace?”
His head snapped to me. “Yeah. I was busy with a meeting.”
What Caleb said back at their engagement party floated into my mind. My heart clenched in my chest.
“It must be difficult, isn’t it?” I whispered.
“What?” His head tilted to the side.
“Coming here,” I said. “It must be difficult for you to come to his house. The house that only brings you hurtful memories.”
His shoulders tensed as an unknown emotion flashed across his eyes.
I placed my palm against his cheek, feeling his dense stubble. “I’d say you shouldn’t have come here. But I won’t. Because you’ve to move on, Ace. Besides those ugly memories, you also have one of the most beautiful memories of your life here. So don’t let the negativity overcome the positive sides. Until you let go of the past, you won’t be able to be happy in your present.”
I didn’t want him getting hurt like this. Though he didn’t say anything, I could see it in his eyes. The emptiness, the pain. Something was eating him alive, and he couldn’t express it. And there was a fear in there. Behind those gray pools. Fear of something I couldn’t figure out.
“Let go of it, Ace. It’s time to move on. Don’t let the past hold your happiness and peace,” I murmured, stroking his jaw.
Heaving a breath, he pressed his forehead against mine. “Shouldn’t it be applied to everyone, Rosebud?”
I frowned. “Everyone who?”
Then it hit me. He was talking about me.
I averted my eyes.
He sighed. Taking my hands in his, he kissed each of my knuckles. “Come with me.”
“Where?”
Not answering, he led me down the hallway. Once we were on the terrace, he turned to me.
“I have a surprise for you.”
“What?”
Taking his phone out, he typed something and then put it back inside his pocket.
“You’ll see.”
Hugging myself, I rubbed my arms from the chilly night. “We should go downstairs. Everyone must be looking for me.”
I should be angry with him, right? After our argument in his office, I should give him a cold shoulder. But here I am, standing on the terrace with him alone.
Shrugging off his jacket, he secured it around me. “Here, it’ll keep you warm. Though I was enjoying looking at you in that dress.”
Heat crept up my cheeks as I tucked a strayed strand behind my ear. I didn’t wear anything fancy. Just a simple sleeveless blue sundress with a pair of black heels.
Cupping my chin, he made me meet his intense gaze. “Never hide your face from me, Rosebud. I love to see those cheeks turn all red.”
My cheeks were on fire, heart fluttering. Damn! Would his words ever cease to affect me that much?
A cough snatched our attention towards the terrace doors. Carter stood there with an awkward stance at the entrance with a box in his hands.
I took a step back from Ace, pulling the jacket closer to me.
“Uh, boss. Here’s the parcel you told me to get from your car,” Carter said.
After taking the box from him, Ace nodded. “You can go now.”
Flashing me a smile, he walked away.
“What’s in that?” I eyed the box curiously.
Standing before me, he opened it, putting the contents inside on display.
“Chocolate cupcakes?” With wide eyes, I looked up at him. A wide grin spread across my face.
A soft smile tugged at his lips as he nodded, watching me intently. “You like them, don’t you?”
“I like them? I freaking love them!” Taking the box from him, I took a sniff. Sweet aroma wafted to my nostrils, making my mouth water.
“Come here.” Taking my hand, he took me near the railings.
A squeal left my mouth as he gripped my waist and placed me on the wide surface of the railing. I didn’t dare look down. I was sure I would have a heart attack.
“What are you doing?” I tried to get off, but he only parted my knees and stepped between them, wrapping his arms around me.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall.” Placing the box beside me, he took out one cupcake and held it against my lips. “Now you can eat comfortably.”
When his grip tightened around me, I relaxed and took the cupcake from his hand, biting into it. A moan slipped from my mouth as soon as it melted in my mouth. There was chocolate cream inside it. It was so damn delicious!
“It’s so good! Where did you get them?” I put my phone beside the box and occupied my other hand with another one. While I devoured them like a woman hungry for years, he just watched me silently. Those stormy gray orbs held serenity. And that did serious damage to my heart.
“I didn’t buy them from anywhere. I made them myself.” He wiped the corner of my lips with his thumb before slowly putting it inside his mouth.
A shiver ran down my body.
Ignoring his act, I focused on his words. “You made them? For me?”
He chuckled. “Who else would I spend my precious time to do these efforts for?”
I just stared at him.
Leaning in, he grabbed my hand and made himself have a bite of the half-eaten cupcake. “Only for my Rosebud.” Eyes didn’t move from mine.
My breath hitched in my throat when he took my thumb into his mouth and sucked the chocolate cream off it. His hot tongue circled my thumb while his teeth bit into my skin gently.
“Delicious,” he rasped. Letting it go, he took my index finger next in between his lips. Somehow, he was closer than before, inches away from me. One of his hands brushed the side of my knee, gradually rising high, inching closer to my inner thigh.
I tried to close my legs, but his form didn’t let me. Something tugged at my lower region with his heady scent around me, his mouth around my finger and his burning touch against my skin.
“W-what are you doing?” I somehow managed to stutter out, breathing heavily. Pulling my finger from his lips, I removed his hand from my thigh. But his other hand squeezed my hip on the other side.
“Touching my Rosebud.” Moving my hair away from my shoulder, he put his head in the crook of my neck and took a deep inhale.
Forgetting the cupcakes, I now squirmed in his hold as his big, callused hand squeezed one of my thighs. Another heat shot through me.
“S-stop,” I whispered, biting my lip.
Letting out a groan, he palmed my inner thigh and my treacherous body let him.
“I can’t.” He slammed his mouth against me, capturing my lips into his scorching ones.
Not caring about my ruined hands, I clutched his collar and pulled him closer, wrapping my legs around him.
He didn’t waste any time to thrust his tongue inside my mouth and nor did I hesitate to join him in the battle. He explored every corner of my mouth and I let him, shivering in ecstasy. Suddenly I felt hot in the cool weather. Too hot to be normal. I could feel my dress riding up my mid thighs, and his hands roaming and feeling them. A desperate moan left my mouth. I needed more. I wanted more of his touch. I wanted to feel his skin against mine. Slipping my hands under his shirt, I ran my hands over his taut abs and hard, sculpted chest.
Letting out a rough groan, he pulled me to the edge of the railing, and I tightened my legs around him. And then I felt it. Him. Right against me. Hard and hot.
A gasp slipped through my lips as he pushed his hips against mine, emitting a loud moan from me.
“My rose,” his husky voice murmured against my neck as he sucked on my sensitive skin. “I need you. I need you so fucking much!”
I let out a shaky breath, my hands tugging at his hair. My lips parted when he left some more marks on my throat. They would definitely leave hickeys. But I didn’t care at that moment. I was too lost in his touches and kisses.
Until my gaze fell on his knuckles.
I tried to push him away, but he ignored me. So I used more strength. And this time, he did pull away. With a confusion etched into his darkened eyes, he watched me.
“What is that?” I pointed at his knuckles. There weren’t any cuts like the other day, but they were bruised. “You hurt yourself again?”
His gaze hardened. “I didn’t realize.”
My jaw clenched. “You didn’t realize? Are you even hearing yourself? You hurt yourself again and again and you don’t even realize? What’s wrong with you?”
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Don’t worry, these are nothing. It happens sometimes when people do too many workouts.”
I shook my head. My blood ran hot through my veins. Not because of his touch, but because of his careless behavior towards himself. “They aren’t there because you workout too much. They’re there because you’re careless! Because you don’t even care if you’re hurt! You do this on purpose, don’t you, Ace? I told you to stop this, but you didn’t listen. Why do you do that? Why do you hurt yourself like that?”
His gray pools were intense. “Once you’re in my arms forever, it won’t happen again.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ll be always there to keep me sane and in check.”
I didn’t understand it. Why would he hurt himself to keep himself sane?
He loses himself so much into his work out that he doesn’t even care if he’s hurt or not. And only I can keep him sane?
He cupped my cheeks. His eyes now held desperation. “Give us a chance, Rosebud. Give me a chance to be a part of your life. Give me a chance to hold you in my arms for the rest of my life. Just one chance, baby. I promise, I’ll make it worth it. I know I hurt you. But I’ll spend my whole life making it up to you. I promise I’ll spend myself whole just to bring a single smile to your lips. I’ll never make you cry again. Just,” he gulped, “give me a chance. I love you so fucking much, my Rosebud. Without you in my arms, I had spent the seven years in living hell. I can’t do this anymore. Please forgive me. I beg you. Just give me a chance, Rosebud. Just one chance.”
A tear rolled down my cheek. With my heart thudding inside my chest, I fisted my hands into balls. Fierce emotions slammed into my chest in hefty waves.
“Will you forgive me, Rosebud? Will you give me a chance?” he asked again, his eyes searching mine for answers.
