by S. Nelson
“Hey,” she greeted when she saw me staring, her steps faltering for a moment before her legs carried her closer. I hadn’t been paying much attention to what she wore when I’d seen her earlier, too worked up when I’d arrived, but having the time to take her all in right now made my heart speed up. While still upset, I could appreciate the view.
Chelsea’s blonde hair was pulled half up, the pink coloring underneath showing when the breeze lifted some of the strands. Her plain black shirt was molded to her body, accentuating her perfect tits. And her matching short skirt, while turning me on, irritated me at the same time. She had male clients, and I could only imagine what an eyeful they got if any of them came in to see her today. As my gaze traveled downward, I saw she wore plain black sneakers.
Her eyes followed mine. “What? You said come right over. I didn’t have time to change.”
Instead of telling her I didn’t care what she wore, I dove right in. “Why is your phone off?” I couldn’t help the bite to my tone. She’d left me here for hours, worrying about her, leaving my imagination to run wild.
“Nice to see you, too.” Her tone matched mine now. “If you’re gonna be an ass, I can turn right back around.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
“Then stop being a jerk. I told you I’d come over and here I am. I had a late customer.” She stood at the bottom step, looking up at me, her eyes roaming over me only to stop on my side.
“Why is your phone off?” I asked again, clenching my teeth while waiting for her response. Her eyes finally snapped back to mine.
“It died. And I left my charger at home.” We stood there staring at each other for ten seconds, which didn’t seem like a long time at all, but it certainly felt like forever. “You gonna back off now?” she asked, breaking the tension-filled silence.
“You need to make sure you phone is charged at all times. I need to be able to reach you. Get one for your car and leave another one at work.”
She mock saluted me. “Yes, sir. Anything else?” The fire in her eyes excited me, even though I was upset with her.
“Get in the house.” My voice softened with the demand. When she walked up the steps and brushed past me, I grabbed her hand. “Please don’t make me worry.” She didn’t respond, but the gentleness in her eyes told me she understood. At least, I hoped that’s what I saw in them.
Typically, Chelsea would tell me to go to hell when I asserted myself, making what she called unbelievable demands on her or her time, to which I’d storm off rather than get into it with her. The only time one of our fights got physical was when she misinterpreted a comment I made about Natalie. We both had too much to drink, and things got out of hand. Kaden and Linc had come to break things up shortly afterward, an occasion both had reminded me of several times already.
But right now, she was being rather agreeable, and I wasn’t sure whether I should be worried or not. Was it possible she understood the severity of the situation and therefore was choosing not to give me a hard time? Or was this simply one of her moods. Reading the woman was impossible. I’d tried to do it many times and had failed with each go around.
Once we were tucked safely inside, I locked the door and walked toward the living room, my steps slower than I would’ve liked. I was a healthy guy. I exercised and ate right most of the time. But being in the best shape of one’s life didn’t stack up against a bullet. And even though my wound wasn’t fatal, it was a reminder I was human and given the right, or wrong, circumstance, I could be snuffed out as easily as anyone else.
“How are you feeling?” Chelsea walked up behind me and took a seat on the couch, crossing her legs and showing more skin when her skirt rode up her thighs. I might be injured, but I wasn’t dead, my dick twitching in my pants just from the sight of exposed skin. Although, to be fair, I hadn’t fucked her in what felt like forever and I was more than ready to go, bullet wound or not. I’d just make her get on top.
Ride me.
Use me.
Take everything from me.
Lost to my recollections of sex, her voice startled me when she spoke, repeating her question.
“I’m okay. Addy met us back at the club and stitched me up. She gave me an earful, and I had to promise her not to get upset while I recovered.” I cocked my left brow.
“Don’t blame me for you getting all in a tizzy.” She waved her finger up and down at me. “That’s all you.”
“Because you’re impossible. You don’t listen to me when I tell you to do something.”
Chelsea scoffed, and when normally she’d start right in on me, she pressed her lips tightly together and shook her head.
“I don’t want Addy yellin’ at me, so I’m keeping my mouth shut.” A hint of a smirk appeared on her face, but she turned away before the grin fully developed. I rooted through a few of the entertainment stand’s drawers, mumbling as I went along. “What are you doing?”
“I need to write this down.” I finally found a pen and a small notebook that I’d thrown in here I didn’t even know when. Tearing off a sheet, I scribbled across it. “Time. Date. ‘I’m keeping my mouth shut.’” When I finished, I passed the proof over to her. “Sign this, please, and use your full name for verification. Chelsea Nicole Leeds. I need to make sure you acknowledge you said this.”
She laughed and pushed the piece of paper back toward me. “Get outta here.” A chuckle popped out of her mouth when I brought the paper to my lips and kissed it, then folded it and stuck it in my back pocket.
Times like this with her were what kept me hangin’ on. I saw all sides of Chelsea, and even in the times I wanted to strangle her, I still wanted to be with her. Not everything between us made sense, namely why we kept coming back to each other, but I didn’t believe it was supposed to.
There was an innate pull we had toward the other, and while we sometimes worked to sever that connection during times of anger and spitefulness, the bond only strengthened. Like I said, I didn’t fully comprehend it, so to try and explain such a thing or even dissect it in my brain enough to extract even a fraction of the reasoning was near impossible. I just knew it existed, and I stopped fighting against it when I finally told her I loved her.
Ideally, I would’ve confessed my feelings under better circumstances but there was nothing like a bullet to force a guy to man up.
I realized when I told her that, she wasn’t gonna say it back, although I had an inkling she felt the same way. And if she didn’t, she was on her way to.
Speaking of, I had to inform her I didn’t plan on being without her from here on out. She could try and push me away, but I wasn’t going anywhere. Ever.
She was mine for good.
And it was time I clued her in.
23
The moment I laid eyes on Ace when I arrived, I realized the walls around my heart were crumbling, no matter how much I tried to distance myself emotionally from him. He had an unnerving way of sneaking into the fortress I’d taken years to construct, and just one smile, one moment of sincerity from him, and I could hear the splintering of the cracks.
The man was fierce when he wanted to be, had showed me that side of him too many times to count since the day we started messin’ around, him standing on his porch earlier when he started in on me about my phone a prime example. He was upset. Or maybe he was worried. Perhaps it was a mixture of both.
As I followed him inside, I couldn’t believe we hadn’t even known each other a year. We’d met when Riley invited me to one of their family cookouts, this one in particular being nine months back. Ace had showed up with Linc, and the second we saw each other, the chemistry sizzled between us. He was one of the sexiest guys I’d ever seen, his hint of cockiness a trait and not a fault like it would be on most others. I gave him my number, but he didn’t call for five days, and while I’d hate to admit such a thing, I checked my phone umpteenth times waiting for him to contact me. When he finally did, I refused to answer simply on principle. I did return his call th
ree days later to which he answered. And I supposed from then the back-and-forth remained between us, each vying for the upper hand. We pushed each other’s buttons, but the connection between us was undeniable, albeit confusing at times.
“I have to talk to you.” Ace slowly lowered himself to the sofa, sitting beside me, adjusting himself so he faced me. Apprehension kicked my pulse into overdrive. Was he gonna rehash our conversation at the salon, mainly the part where he told me he loved me? Because I wasn’t sure what to say to him if he did. It was bad enough I didn’t say anything back on the topic when he initially voiced the words, how would it be if I refused to say anything a second time?
Schooling my expression to hide my anxiety, I kicked off my sneakers, swiveled my body toward him, and tucked my leg beneath my other.
“Now I can’t concentrate.” His eyes darted to the hem of my skirt, then back to my face.
“Why?”
“Because I can see your underwear.”
“So?” I fidgeted even though it was pointless because my skirt wasn’t budging. “You’ve seen them before.”
“Yeah, I know. But now I want to take them off.”
I wasn’t shocked in the slightest with his confession. We were either fighting or fucking, with a sprinkling of real stuff mixed in for good measure. But even though I craved his touch and the feel of his body against mine, we needed to be smart, for multiple reasons.
A part of me had been crushed when he seemed to walk away so easily from what we had, even though I wouldn’t admit as much to him. Then another part was pissed I allowed myself to get so attached to him.
No attachments.
No hurt.
No problem.
Until now.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” I responded, gesturing toward his side. “Not while you’re healing. No exertion.”
The grin that slipped onto his face was wicked. “You can get on top.”
I didn’t say anything at first, envisioning that very same position, one which I thoroughly enjoyed, when he allowed me the control to do so, which wasn’t often. Most times, Ace needed to be the dominator, the one who took charge. Only occasionally he’d relinquish and give me the reins.
Adjusting my position, I couldn’t get comfortable, so I stood and tugged on the bottom of my skirt, but before I could sit back down, he reached for my hand and pulled me toward him. I didn’t resist.
He tugged me closer, and I almost tripped over his feet. “What are you doing?”
“Straddle me.” How could two simple words heat my blood so quickly?
“No.” I tried to yank my hand from his, but it was futile. His hold was too tight, without hurting me. “Ace.” I shook my head but still he didn’t relent.
“I just wanna talk.”
“And you need me to sit on you to do that?”
“Yes, because I need you close.” A swirl of vulnerability twisted his words and it was enough to make me comply. I couldn’t begin to imagine what he went through when he’d been shot. The least I could do was give in this once.
“Okay. But no funny business.” Deep down I prayed for some of that funny business.
Why did I wear such a fitted skirt today? Shoving my annoyance with the piece of clothing aside, I lifted the hem as I positioned myself over his lap. He could clearly see underneath at this angle, and while his eyes roamed over the area, they connected with mine seconds later.
“You need a shave,” I said, my fingers brushing over his jaw. He often rotated between having a beard, at various lengths, and being clean-shaven. I never knew how he was gonna look, surprising me all the time with his appearance. Nothing drastic, just enough to keep it interesting I supposed. I couldn’t decide which way I preferred, though, because he was gorgeous with and without facial hair. Although when he shaved, the faint dimple in his left cheek was more visible when he smiled and he used that damn thing to disarm me, usually when I was pissed at him for one thing or another.
The feel of his scruff jolted me into a memory of his stubble tickling my inner thighs, the warmth of his breath against the neediest part of me making me twitch on his lap. I was gonna be the one to instigate if I didn’t stop thinking about the way his tongue could—
“You okay? You look flushed.” He smiled when I swallowed, nodding because I couldn’t find my words yet.
Eventually, I answered. “I’m fine.”
“Fine,” he mimicked. “I wish I was fine. I’m anything but.” His hands landed on my waist, his fingers flexing and making me crave more.
“Is it your side?” I shifted to move back, but his hold anchored me in place.
“Yes… and everything else.”
Not wanting to dive into the possibilities of what his statement meant, I asked him another question. “Can you tell me anything about what happened?”
“Other than someone shot me?”
“Yeah.”
“No.”
Ace was secretive about most of his dealings with the Knights, more so as of late, and I’d never cared before. But now things had changed and him holding back information irked me. I had a right to know how much danger I could possibly be in, but if I asked him again, I’d get the same answer.
With a roll of my eyes and an elongated sigh, I asked, “What did you want to talk about?”
“Don’t be like that.”
“Like what?” I played dumb, but he saw right through me.
“You know I can’t tell you certain things about the club, and this is one of those instances.”
“Fine.” My shoulders bounced in a lazy shrug.
“If I wasn’t in fear of popping more stitches, I’d throw you over my shoulder and punish you for being so….”
“So what?” He struggled to find the words this time, so I tried to help him out. “Inquisitive? Worried? Curious?”
“Curious is the same as inquisitive.”
I ignored his correction and finished with “Scared?”
Ace pulled me closer. “Please don’t be scared, Chels. I won’t let anything happen to you. Which brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about.” A moment passed, then another. “I think it’s best if, for now, you stay here with me.” He gently clamped his hand over my mouth when I started to interject. “Let me finish before you start in on me. I’d feel much better if you lived here with me until we can settle all this shit that’s goin’ on. This house is secure and yours isn’t. On top of you movin’ in, like I said at the salon earlier, I don’t want you goin’ anywhere without either me or one of the other guys. I’ll do my best to take you back and forth to work myself, but just in case, we have help. And you need to make sure I can reach you whenever I’m not with you.”
I grabbed his wrist and shoved his hand away from my mouth, careful not to jostle too much because of how close my body was to his. I didn’t want to injure him any more than he already was.
“Anything else?” I asked sarcastically.
“Yes.” He inhaled a breath and suddenly what he was going to say next seemed to have the power to make me dizzy with anticipation. He could utter anything in the world at this point, make more demands of me, and what was I gonna do? Refuse? Because that wouldn’t go over well at all. I prepared myself for a massive argument when our little “talk” was complete, even though I didn’t believe I possessed an ounce of pushback tonight. Not after trying to come to grips that Ace could’ve been stolen from me for good, and all while I was being a stubborn pain in the ass toward him.
The silence continued until I leaned back on his lap, putting a bit more distance between us, just in case I didn’t like what he said next, which I doubted I would if I knew anything about the obstinate man beneath me.
“Are you gonna tell me?” Why did I ask the question? I should’ve just let it go. Maybe he would’ve forgotten or let it go altogether.
Apparently, I loved being delusional.
His fingers dug deeper into my waist, then he shifted underneath me, and
it was all I could do to not let him know how turned on the simple movement made me.
“I know I gave you an ultimatum, and when you didn’t give me the answer I wanted, I said it was over between us. I wanted to stick to my guns and forget about you, but I couldn’t. I can’t. I was comin’ for you even before I got shot.” Ace moved his hands to cradle my face, pulling me so close his lips were a whisper away from mine. “I love you. You’re it for me. You’re mine. I’m not letting you go, and more than that, I’m not letting you push me away anymore.” I closed my eyes because I didn’t want to see the disappointment in his when I couldn’t reciprocate. “Don’t do that, baby. Look at me.” He gently pressed his mouth over mine, then pulled back. “Look at me,” he repeated, stroking his thumbs over my cheeks. “Please.”
His plea sliced me in two, my heart stuttering when I finally pried my lids open. In his uncertainty, his teeth harassed the corner of his bottom lip, the sight tugging at the deepest part of me.
I didn’t want to admit it, but I did love this man. I just couldn’t tell him, not yet. I hoped one day I could, but the walls were still raised too high for me. There was too much at stake. I couldn’t risk it. I gave someone my heart once before and he’d trampled it when he betrayed me. Dealing with the issues I had toward my father was enough, then to add a broken heart in the mix only served to shove me into the world of detachment and avoidance… which was where I lived now.
“I don’t know what to say,” I confessed, making a move to get off him but he wouldn’t allow me to just yet.
“You could say the words.”
“What words?”
“Tell me you want to be with me.” I parted my lips but remained quiet. “You don’t have to tell me you love me yet, but I want you to acknowledge that we’re together now. For good. Just you and me.”
The last bit of hesitancy evaporated when I gave life to my next words. “Yes.”
“Yes what?” He smirked.
“Yes, I agree we’re together.” I mirrored his expression. “Just you and me.”
