Winning Ace: A Winning Ace Novel (Book 1)

by Tracie Delaney

  Isaac opened her door, and she climbed out, her eyes darting everywhere, trying to take it all in. He lifted her weekend bag from the boot, shaking his head instantly when she held her hand out.

  “Allow me, Miss McKenzie,” he said with a bob of his head.

  Tally stifled a giggle as the front door opened. Cash strode out and pulled her against his chest. He kissed the top of her head. “Finally,” he muttered. “Thanks, Isaac. I’ll take it from here. Enjoy your weekend off.”

  Isaac passed her bag to Cash. “Are you sure you don’t need me to take Miss McKenzie back to the airport on Sunday?”

  “No. I’ve got it. See you Monday morning.” He draped an arm over her shoulder. “Come on. I can’t wait to show you around.”

  His boyish enthusiasm was infectious as they moved through the house. Cash briefly pointed out each room, giving her little chance to linger. When he opened what felt like the twentieth door, she grinned.

  “Don’t you prefer to play outside?” she said, nodding at the indoor court.

  “This isn’t London,” he replied with a smile. “We have about fifty per cent more rain, and it’s bloody cold most of the year. I wouldn’t get much use from an outside court.”

  She followed him into a large hallway different from the one she’d seen earlier. He led her up a sweeping staircase with walnut treads that seemed to float in mid air and a glass balustrade with a light oak bannister. She brushed her hand over the polished wood, which felt smooth beneath her fingers.

  He quickly showed her around the guest bedrooms on the first floor. As they reached the top floor, Cash opened a door at the end of the hallway and ushered her inside.

  “The master suite,” he said, following her gaze, which had fallen upon an enormous bed in the next room. He grinned. “I’ll pop your bag down here. You can unpack later.”

  Driven by an overwhelming urge to tease him, she rested her hands low on her hips and raised her eyebrows. “Somewhat presumptuous, don’t you think? I did notice three other guest bedrooms on the floor below.”

  For the briefest of moments, he appeared surprised, and then his arm shot out and he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her close to his body. “There’s a lock on the door to this area of the house, and I’m not afraid to use it,” he said with a brilliant smile that made her knees tremble and a swarm of butterflies set up camp in her belly. He bent his head, his lips hovering over hers without touching. She held her breath. The anticipation was almost painful.

  “God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

  She expected him to kiss her then, but he simply looked into her eyes, his gaze darting from one to the other before he bypassed her mouth altogether and locked his lips onto her neck. Her head fell backwards as wave after wave of desire consumed her. When he finally reached her lips, she was ready, immediately opening her mouth beneath his. She was out of breath when he stopped.

  “What do you want first? Food or sex?”

  She glanced down at his crotch.

  He chuckled. “Good choice.”

  * * *

  Tally turned onto her front and rested her chin on her hands. Cash was lying on his back, his arms casually behind his head. His eyes were closed, allowing her the luxury of exploring every inch of him.

  “Have I passed?”

  She slowly lifted her gaze until her eyes met his. He was watching her from beneath half-closed lids.

  “With flying colours,” she said, leaning over to plant a kiss on his chest. Her belly grumbled painfully.

  “Hungry?”

  “Very.” She kissed him again, moving lower with each touch of her lips to his warm skin.

  He stretched and groaned softly.

  “I could do this all night,” she said.

  “I could let you, but your rumbling stomach is deafening me, so I think I’d better feed you.”

  She pouted. “It isn’t that loud.”

  “Sorry, what?” Cash said, holding a hand behind his ear. Tally took a swipe at him, but he was too quick. He jumped out of bed and picked up her bag then removed her clothes and laid them on the bed, sifting through them with a frown. “Where’s your nightwear?”

  She hugged her knees to her chest and flashed him a cheeky grin. “Didn’t bring any.”

  “Oh, baby. You’re my kind of girl.” He disappeared through a set of oak doors on the far side of the bedroom, returning with a crisp, pale-blue shirt. “Here. Save you getting dressed. I quite like the idea of you wearing my clothes.”

  She slipped the shirt over her naked body and lifted her arm to sniff the sleeve. “Mmm, it smells of you.”

  A hiss of air shot from between Cash’s teeth. “What are you trying to do to me?”

  He pulled the sides of the shirt together and slowly fastened it, his fingers lightly brushing her skin as he threaded each button through its matching buttonhole. When he’d finished, he turned back to her small pile of clothes and threw her some clean underwear. “Put these on too. Otherwise, I won’t be able to concentrate over dinner.”

  She couldn’t help wearing a triumphant grin all the way downstairs. It did her confidence no harm when Cash showed her the depth of his attraction.

  Inside the kitchen, Cash pulled out a chair at the breakfast bar and indicated for her to sit as he poured two large glasses of chilled wine. As the cold liquid slid down her throat, a warm glow spread through her insides. Cash slipped on a pair of oven gloves and removed the most wonderfully fragrant casserole. He placed it on a mat in front of her.

  Her empty stomach growled appreciatively as the smell reached her. “Did you cook that?”

  “If I said yes, would you believe me?”

  “I would have if you’d just replied ‘yes.’”

  He laughed and reached for a ladle. After spooning a healthy portion of the beef casserole into two deep dishes, he handed one to her. “You have Anna to thank for that.”

  “Anna?”

  “My housekeeper. She’s a legend.”

  As a spike of jealousy hit her, she looked down and couldn’t help wondering if she’d have the same reaction with every woman associated with Cash, because it was starting to get on her nerves. She dug her fork in a piece of beef, murmuring approval as the meat fell apart in her mouth. She might be jealous of Anna, but boy, the woman could cook.

  “I couldn’t cope without her. She’s an absolute rock.”

  Tally glanced over at a wooden block full of kitchen knives and wondered if she should pass him one so he could shove it hard between her shoulder blades.

  “Natalia.”

  She met his gaze. He was grinning and shaking his head at the same time.

  “Anna is sixty-two. A fox in her day, no doubt, but I don’t think toy boys are her thing.”

  A warm flush crept over her cheeks. Annoyed at how easily he read her, she dropped her head and stabbed another piece of beef.

  “Natalia.”

  This time she kept her head bent. “What?”

  Cash nudged her chin upwards with his forefinger until she had no choice but to meet his gaze. His eyes held a softness that did funny things to her insides. He leaned over the breakfast bar, brushed his lips against hers, and whispered, “Don’t you get it? There will only ever be you for me.”

  FORTY-THREE

  Cash was as surprised as Natalia looked, although he kept his feelings hidden beneath a cocky smirk. He’d as good as told her he loved her without actually saying the words, and even he didn’t know yet if that was true or not. He was miserable when they weren’t together, he still hoped to persuade her to move in, and he couldn’t imagine a future without her.

  But love? Was he even capable of feeling that deeply for someone? He’d always firmly believed he’d lost the ability to love when his life turned to shit just before his sixteenth birthday. And he wondered how he could love her when he couldn’t share his deepest secrets, long-buried ones about his mother and bastard of a father.

  “I adore your bouts of jealo
usy,” he said, aware that neither of them had spoken yet.

  “Yeah, me too. A red-hot poker twisting in my gut feels sooo good.” Natalia attempted to keep a straight face but failed miserably, a high-pitched giggle bubbling between her lips.

  Cash’s stomach clenched. She was fucking adorable. What had started as a purely physical response to a woman far removed from his normal stereotypical type had turned into something he’d never imagined having: a real relationship with a real woman who wasn’t any more perfect than he was but was fucking perfect for him.

  He picked up Tally’s fork, pierced a tender piece of beef, and fed it to her. She kept her eyes trained on his as her mouth closed around the fork, and Cash dug fingernails into his free hand as desire flooded his gut.

  After they finished dinner, Natalia insisted on clearing away. Cash sipped his wine as he watched her move about his kitchen, more sure than ever that this was where she belonged. He’d rushed it last time, but this time, he’d play a little smarter. He needed to show her how amazing their life could be if they weren’t living hundreds of miles apart.

  He put on some music and settled onto the sofa, tugging Natalia between his legs. She let out a soft sigh and snuggled into him.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Cash said, stroking her hair with the back of his hand.

  “Me too. It’s been a long week. I hated being so far away from you.”

  Hope soared within him. Perhaps giving her the space she’d asked for would prove that being apart wasn’t what she wanted after all.

  “I thought you were looking forward to going back to work.”

  “I was.” She paused then blew out a long breath. “But it wasn’t the same. Or maybe it’s because I’m different. Oh, Cash, I don’t know. My career means the world to me, but so do you.” She twisted her head around to look at him. The conflicting emotions flickering across her face made him want to kiss her troubles away, but unfortunately, life wasn’t that simple.

  “I feel like each of you has an arm and is tugging in opposite directions.”

  “That’s because we are. Look, baby, I promised I wouldn’t push you, and I meant it. Let’s enjoy this weekend and see what happens.”

  Natalia sat up and straddled him, her face bright with excitement. “So what have you got planned?”

  He tapped the side of his nose. “That would be telling.”

  “You’re such a tease. As long as you’re not taking me skydiving, I’m game for pretty much anything.”

  He snorted. “Skydiving? I’m bad enough getting on a plane. You think I’d voluntarily jump out?”

  She laughed. “Good point. But what if I haven’t brought the right clothes for what you have planned?”

  “How do you know I’m not planning to keep you here all weekend and the only clothing you’ll need is your birthday suit?”

  Her eyes sparkled, and she ran the tip of her tongue over the edge of her teeth. “I’d say that sounds like an awesome weekend.”

  His desperate, constant need for her punched hard in his stomach. The remarkable change in her confidence was awe-inspiring and so goddamn sexy. He sat up until their noses were touching, and he grabbed her hands, holding them tightly behind her back. The position made her breasts push forward, and he smiled wickedly.

  “Well, if you’re offering…”

  He used his free hand to unfasten the top few buttons on her shirt. His shirt. He sucked one ripe nipple into his mouth. Natalia groaned and arched her back. He was instantly hard, and she knew it too, writhing against him in a way that drove him absolutely crazy.

  He tugged at the elastic on her knickers, cursing his earlier insistence that she wear them.

  “Take ’em off,” he said, barely recognising the husky tone of his voice.

  She stood up and hooked her thumbs into her knickers before slowly removing them. “What about this?” she said, tugging on his shirt where the tails graced her fabulous legs.

  “Leave it on.”

  She climbed astride him and trailed her index finger inside the waistband of his jeans. He shuddered as her nail scraped tantalisingly along his skin. She unbuttoned his jeans and slowly pulled down the zipper. As he tilted his pelvis to make it easier to remove them, she shook her head. “No, you leave them on.”

  A smile stole across his face as she reached inside his jeans and teased his cock through the gap in the front of his boxers. His heavy erection fell into her hand, and as she wrapped her hand around his girth, he groaned, his eyes rolling back in his head. Her fingers delved into the front pocket of his jeans, and she pulled out a condom.

  “Once a scout…” Natalia grinned as she tore open the packet and rolled the condom onto his erection. She lowered herself slowly until he was balls deep inside her. They both groaned. She raised herself again before lowering herself once more.

  “Christ, you feel good.” Cash sat up and wrapped her legs around his waist, which made it easier to increase the pace. His T-shirt stuck to his damp skin as they both began to move in harmony. His hands gripped her waist, and she clenched her muscles tightly around his cock.

  “Don’t wait for me,” she whispered in his ear. “Let go.”

  His whole body trembled as he shattered around her. He buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent as he waited for his orgasm to abate. Once he’d finished coming, he stayed inside her, unwilling to separate them just yet. He lightly nipped her bottom lip. She smiled, slow and sexy, and moved her hips in a perfect circle.

  “Do that a few more times, and I’ll be ready to go again,” he said.

  Her tongue flashed out to dampen her lips. “You’re insatiable,” she said, doing as he asked.

  Cash grinned. “Can’t get enough, baby.”

  “Then take me to bed. I want to finish what I started earlier.”

  * * *

  Natalia’s hair lay in a tumble across the white pillow, her face turned towards him. One arm rested above her head and her breathing was deep and steady. He couldn’t resist touching her open palm with his index finger. Her hand closed around him, and for a minute, he thought he’d woken her, but he hadn’t. She was still fast asleep, her lips slightly parted—lips that had spent a considerable amount of time covering every inch of his skin with soft kisses that had driven him to the edge of madness.

  It would be so easy to reduce this to something purely physical, but what he had with her was so much more. He cherished every moment, in and out of bed. Her laugh made him laugh. Her smile brightened the darkest of days. Her selflessness humbled him. She was the half that made him whole. He might not have been sure before, but now, he couldn’t ignore the voice screaming in his head.

  He’d fallen in love with her.

  FORTY-FOUR

  Tally came to slowly, her eyes refusing to open more than a crack. For a minute, she couldn’t work out where she was, and then she remembered: Cash’s place in Northern Ireland. Rubbing her eyes, she brushed away sleep that had gathered in the corners, and she finally managed to open them properly. She was alone in the middle of Cash’s huge bed.

  With dawn breaking outside, casting slivers of light through the blinds, her mind turned to Cash’s declaration about her being the only one for him. She couldn’t stop the tiniest trace of hope nibbling at her insides that perhaps, one day, he could love her. Maybe this adventure wouldn’t end in a broken heart. She dared to dream but, at the same time, was fearful of where that dream could lead.

  She swung her legs out of bed and made her way into the adjoining bathroom. She still couldn’t get over the size of it. The shower was enormous, with powerful jets that would pound her skin from every angle if that was her desire, but she opted for a normal spray, trying to keep her hair out of the water. It took too long to dry, and she didn’t know what Cash had planned for them yet.

  She wrapped a fluffy white towel around herself and wandered back into the bedroom to find Cash lying in the middle of the bed, his head propped up on one hand and a red rose betw
een his teeth. In front of him was a tray crammed with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and a pot of coffee.

  “You’re nuts.” She walked over to him and carefully removed the rose from his mouth. She sniffed deeply. “Smells amazing.”

  “So do you. Come and eat something.”

  “Is Anna here?”

  “No. I made it. Eggs and bacon I can manage. Anything else is a stretch.”

  Tally smiled at his obvious pride in being able to make her breakfast and accepted a mug of coffee from him. It was strong, giving her the shot of caffeine she always craved first thing in the morning. She sat cross-legged on the bed and dug a forkful of scrambled eggs.

  “These are yummy,” she said, helping herself to more.

  “I think you’d probably call bacon and eggs my signature dish.” He laughed. “Make that my only dish.”

  “Works for me.”

  “Well, eat up. We have about half an hour before we need to leave.”

  Good thing I didn’t wash my hair. She picked up a piece of toast. “Still not telling me where we’re going?”

  “Nope.” He leaned forward and took a bite out of her toast. “I know that look. You’re wasting your time.”

  “But I don’t know what to wear.”

  “Already sorted.” He pointed to an armchair where a pair of jeans, a thick jumper, and a waterproof jacket had been laid out. She shook her head, but couldn’t help a smile stealing across her cheeks.

  “I’m surprised you haven’t picked out which underwear I should wear.”

  Cash grinned. “I can if you like.”

  Tally rolled her eyes. “I think I can manage. Whose is the jacket?”

  “Yours. I guessed you wouldn’t bring anything like that, so I bought it this week.”

  “You’ve thought of everything.”

  Cash finished his coffee and piled the plates onto the tray. He picked it up and nodded at the clothes. “Get dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs.”