by Alice Ward
He grinned, and my stomach twisted again. It wasn’t that cocky grin, but one that reached his eyes and softened his features. “I am now.”
“Kiss me, Ace.”
“I will, darlin’. Everywhere.”
Then his mouth was on mine again, and what started as gentle took on an urgency I wasn’t expecting. It was as if he was trying to devour me, consume me. Feed off me. Heaven help me, I fed off him too.
Curling my legs around his waist, I held on to him with all of my strength.
His kiss. It stirred something deep in my soul. The way our tongues twisted together, his teeth nipping, taking and giving. So good.
“You have no idea what you do to me,” he said against my lips before he slid his mouth down to my ear. “You’re so beautiful, so strong and soft at the same time. Perfect.” His lips moved down my neck, nipping at my skin before tracing a path to my breast.
“You’re so responsive,” he murmured and bit my nipple until I groaned, arching into him, needing more.
“I want to taste your sweet pussy, Holly. Eat you so hard you come all over this bed.”
“Yes, please.” The words were a whisper, a prayer.
Sucking my nipple deep into his mouth, he trailed a finger down my stomach and over my hip. “Then I’m going to make you come with my fingers inside you. Then my cock. Then my tongue again.”
He was driving me crazy as his thumb circled my clitoris, his teeth biting the undersides of my breasts.
“You’re so wet.” One finger, then another slid inside me. He pulled them out and lifted them to his lips. “And taste so fucking good. Addictive.”
“Ace, please.” I was begging now, and I didn’t care. Nothing else mattered but being with him. He moved down the bed, sinking his tongue into my navel. I arched into the touch, and he chuckled. My body was on fire with need.
“Your pussy’s so pretty and pink,” he pushed my legs farther apart, “opening up like a flower for me.”
He lowered his head, and the touch of his tongue sent a jolt of electricity through me. I cried out as his lips wrapped around my clit, and he sucked hard before biting down on the sensitive nerves. His fingers were back, deep inside of me, then skimming over the place that made me moan.
He added a third finger, stretching me, making my eyes roll back in my head as I clutched at his hair. “Please,” I begged.
“Please what, Holly?”
I couldn’t answer because his teeth scraped my clit and he began to spear his fingers inside me. I exploded, pleasure assaulting me from every direction. My toes. The roots of my hair. Even as I was still screaming through the release, he didn’t let up, but thrust harder, faster, pushing me harder toward the next brink.
My vision turned white as I came again, so hard my limbs felt locked in the pleasure.
I was overly sensitive now and tried to push him away, but his tongue had replaced his fingers, now lapping softly as I recovered from the intensity of my experience.
“I want your mouth,” he said as he rose above me and climbed up my body, his tongue stroking up my neck until his lips captured the lobe of my ear. He took my mouth again, this time, my taste on his tongue. As our mouths collided, he ground into me, his hard length creating delicious friction on my clit. I cried out, and he deepened the kiss further.
This was who I wanted.
It’d been him since that first moment, no matter how hard I’d told myself it wasn’t.
I wanted to tell him how I felt, but I was afraid. Afraid of scaring him. Losing him. I knew he didn’t feel the same way.
I moaned the loss of his lips when he moved up my body even further, planting one knee on each side of my head. Moisture glistened at the tip, and I licked it away, savoring his taste, savoring his groan, the way he threw his head back at my touch.
Taking him into my mouth, I closed my lips around him, loving the weight of him on my tongue, desperate for every inch. Slowly, he fed me his cock as I watched his face hovering above me. Our eyes met as he pulsed gently in and out of my mouth, his breath heaving from his chest as he fought to not push too deep. As I watched him, I could see the strain on his face, his battle between taking what he wanted and not hurting me.
“So good,” he murmured as my tongue circled the tip. “And you’ve got to stop because I’m not ready for this to end.”
I let him go because I wasn’t ready for this to end either.
Reaching for the condom, I rolled it down his length as he settled between my thighs. Then his weight was back, pressing me down into the mattress as he nudged against my entrance.
“Open your eyes,” he told me and when I did, he thrust hard, spearing me in one long stroke, then capturing my gasp in his mouth.
This was what sex was supposed to be like. Two bodies giving and taking. I loved the sounds of our skins slapping together, the smells filling the room, our breaths warming each other.
I sank my teeth into his shoulder as I unraveled underneath him, my body responding to his hard, powerful thrusts. He slammed into me again and again, his face hard and tight with his intensity. My legs shook as pain and pleasure coursed through me. I was at his mercy. He rolled his hips, withdrawing just enough for me to feel his loss before he filled me again in a soul shattering thrust.
There was a hard edge to Ace’s hunger for me. A deep, insatiable need that was almost violent. I loved it. Loved the vibration of our bodies crashing together, the words he murmured, the look in his eyes.
When he lifted my legs and changed our angle, I cried out, my body tightening as I raced for pleasure’s edge. He moaned my name, and the word washed over me as a tide of sensation swept me away.
He wouldn’t allow me to rest. He pushed on. In and out. Harder and faster until I was building again. I was sobbing when I crashed again, just a few moments before he roared out his release.
Minutes later, I was still wrapped tightly in his arms, his breath ragged and warm.
The weight of his body pushed me deep into the mattress. My body relaxed at the sensation of his heartbeat syncing with my own, and our breathing becoming calmed and satisfied. Yes. This is why I was here.
He rolled over, kissed me softly on the cheek.
“Shit.”
Opening one eye, I looked at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Fucking condom broke,” he said, holding it up for me to see. The rip wasn’t big, but it was there. I groaned.
Shit, indeed.
***
I was too hot.
Even before I opened my eyes, I realized I was sweating and quickly understood why. It was Ace, and he felt like a heater, wrapped around me like a glove. We’d fallen asleep that way, pressed together tightly, his fingers digging into my skin.
Something was bothering him. I knew him well enough to know that something big was on his mind.
Shifting slightly, I was able to lean back enough to see his face. I always loved to see him this relaxed. He looked so young this way. None of the troubles that had been plaguing him for so long.
One of his eyes cracked open just a little, then a smile grew on his face. “Good morning.” His sleepy voice was so sexy it made me smile, I melted to finally hear it again after so many months.
“Good morning.” I worked to disentangle myself from him so I could stretch out the kinks from sleeping so confined.
“Thank you,” he whispered and leaned closer, kissing me on the tip of my nose.
“For what?”
“For being here.” Something clouded in his eyes.
I scooted up in the bed, pulling the sheet around me. “Ace, what’s wrong? You can talk to me, you know.”
He chuckled. It was his nervous laugh. I’d learned to read his moods from these little sounds. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just glad you’re here.”
I wasn’t sure I believed him. In fact, I knew I didn’t. He’d never held me so tightly before, and never for the entire night. His eyes were filled with something new, something I’d never se
en before. I just wanted to help him.
Whenever he mentioned his mom, that same sadness filled his eyes. I knew she’d been gone for years, so it had to have something to do with family. “Is everything okay at home?” I asked.
“Yeah. I have the maid service coming in twice a week.”
I smiled at the misunderstanding. “No. I mean at home. With your family.”
His head pulled back, surprised. Then the sadness and a flurry of other emotions were back. He rolled over and sat up on the side of the bed before admitting, “It’s my dad.”
One night, we’d both spoken about our families and were surprised at how much we had in common. Both our moms had died, and both of our dads were assholes. But I was fortunate to have a good relationship with my sister while he was mostly estranged from both of his siblings.
“Did something happen?”
On the night we talked, he told me about standing in the batting cage for hours, trying to please his old man. Ace had tried to make it all a joke, but I could tell how much his younger years haunted him still. How to this day, he yearned to please the man who could never be pleased.
“My sister called. She said he’s dying.” He spoke so nonchalantly about his father’s imminent death, it was heartbreaking.
“I’m so sorry.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Yeah. It is what it is.”
“Are you going to see him?”
He turned to look at me. “If he makes it until spring training is over, I guess. If not, I’ll go to the funeral.”
Tears formed in my eyes. I hated knowing he was in such pain. His tough exterior was just that, an exterior. I truly believed I was the only woman who’d ever seen the soft side of Ace Newman. Which was one of the reasons he continued to push me away.
“I think it’d be good for you to see him,” I said, knowing I was overstepping my boundary. But it was true and needed to be said. “Maybe you could gain some closure.”
He huffed and stood up, giving me an excellent view of his fine ass. He paced to the sliding glass door and shoved the curtain aside, letting the bright sun stream into the room.
Wrapping the sheet around my body, I walked up to him, pressing my face into his back. He stiffened, then relaxed and turned to hold me in his arms.
“Would you go with me?” he asked, his lips in my hair.
Tears pricked the back of my eyes, and I blinked them away. “Yes. Of course.”
I was surprised that he wanted me with him on such a personal journey. As friends, I reminded myself.
He took a long shuddering breath, and when he exhaled, I felt him change, literally transition back into the Ace of yesterday. When I looked up at him, the smirk was firmly back in place, the sarcasm in his eyes.
He slapped my ass and stepped away, heading toward the bathroom. “I gotta go, darlin’,” he said in that familiar drawl. “Order up room service, anything you want is on me.”
I sighed and turned to the window as the door clicked shut behind me, gazing out onto the blue ocean stretching to meet the blue of the sky.
The waves rushed in and the waves rushed out.
Just as Ace rushed in and out of my life.
CHAPTER TEN
Ace
The water splashed onto my face, dripped from my goatee, and fell onto the shower floor as I watched it roll to the drain. I was still surprised at how accurately Holly had read me. I’d need to be more careful about showing my emotion in the future.
The thought of laying eyes on my old man filled me with fear, pain, and… a little bit of pleasure. I made it! Surely to fuck he’d have to admit that I’d done good.
Fuck.
It pissed me off that I even hoped for that.
I turned the shower until it was at its coldest setting and forced myself to stand under the freezing sting until I no longer cared what anyone thought. I was shivering by the time I turned the water off, even though I still felt like a furnace inside.
Why did it even matter if the old man was proud of me?
Fans screamed for an autograph. Women screamed for me to fuck them. My bank account was overflowing. I didn’t need my daddy to smile at me or pat me on the head or…
“Stop it,” I said to the mirror as I toweled myself off. I was driving myself insane.
I needed to focus on baseball right now. I had four more grueling weeks of training and exhibition games that required my total focus. I needed to stay sharp. This was my first look at this season’s other teams, the other players. My chance to read them, learn their weaknesses and find ways to limit their strengths. This was war. There was no time for fear during war.
Holly had fallen asleep while I showered and pulled myself together. Her body was tangled in the sheets, her left leg sticking out. My eyes followed her shape, taking in every curve, but focusing on her face, the small smile playing on her lips.
What was it about her I couldn’t shake?
Grabbing my bag, I shut the door softly behind me and eased out into the hall. Just my luck, Luke’s door opened, and he stepped out with a barely dressed Anna who was practically humping his leg.
“Mornin’ Ace,” he said, that cocky grin firmly in place.
“Wildman,” Anna giggled, looking like she could go another round.
For a moment, I wanted to hush her like I was some damn chaperone, telling her to quiet down. But hell, I didn’t want Holly to open the door and see her, bring that sadness back into her eyes. That was the last thing I needed right now.
I relaxed a little when we stepped into the elevator and did my best to ignore Luke’s hand snaking toward her breast. The ride was awkward. I didn’t speak Spanish, that hadn’t changed, so I really couldn’t say anything to her, and I had absolutely nothing to say to Luke.
“Ace.”
I met his eyes in the elevator mirror. He was holding something in his fist. My skin began to itch, and I casually stepped backward and took it from him. A baggy of coke, from what I could tell. I slipped it in my pocket, nodding my thanks.
“Better than coffee to jump start your day.”
I looked at myself in the mirror, not liking what was reflected back. Just this once, I told myself firmly. This would put me at the top of my game.
I was finally released from the metal box from hell that had trapped me for last thirty-eight seconds of my life.
“Adios, wild man,” Anna waved as Luke put her into a cab.
I looked around for our shuttle and headed that way, not waiting for it to pull to the front.
“Wait up.” I didn’t, but Luke jogged and caught up. “So, did your girl give you hell last night? That what’s got you looking so pissed off?”
“My girl?” I snarled.
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. That Holly chick.” He laughed. “She looked like a feather could have knocked her over when she caught you nearly banging Anna.”
I was still caught back in the part about Holly being my girl. She wasn’t, of course. But I hated like hell the thought of her being with someone else.
“I’m sorry, Ace. I just thought she was your main girl, ya know. I’ve heard the guys talking, is all.”
I stopped walking and turned to him. “Who’s talking? And what are they saying?”
His face tightened. It was obvious he didn’t want to tell me. My thoughts drifted to Calvin, or even Marty. Those two sappy fuckers were always trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Just because Calvin wanted that life, and Marty craved it, didn’t mean they had to push their beliefs on me. Those two were like Jehovah Witnesses, banging on your door on a Sunday morning after you’d been out on a bender. They’d try to push their shit down your throats, not caring that all you wanted to do was watch football, scratch your balls, and nurse a hangover all day long.
The stadium shuttle pulled up beside us, and I beat a hasty retreat inside. Luke followed, and the driver pulled up to the front where several other guys were waiting, Calvin and Marty included.
Calvin squeezed in b
eside me. “So, how was your night with Holly?” he asked.
Luke chuckled. I wanted to slap the stupid outta that boy, and one day I would.
“What’s that about?” Calvin asked, bypassing Luke and looking directly at me.
“Nothing. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.” I rubbed the palm of my hand against the top of his head, messing up his hair and causing it to fall into his eyes.
“Old Ace here just about got caught with his pants down,” Luke continued, not caring about my warning.
I glared at him with all the hatred I had in my body.
“Oh yeah?” Calvin asked.
I could tell by the look in his eyes he wasn’t gonna let it go. And it was pretty damn obvious that stupid over there wasn’t going to shut up about it either. “Holly just showed up at a bad time,” I clarified.
A muscle twitched in Calvin’s jaw. “You knew what time she was coming, didn’t ya?”
“Yeah, but I forgot my watch, and my nanny didn’t tell me it was bedtime.”
Luke hooted and slapped his thigh. “He had this Anna chick naked in the hot tub, ready to pick an end when his girlfriend walked up and busted us.”
“Us?” Calvin asked, looking from Luke to me.
“Yeah,” I said quickly, not really wanting to give out details.
“You should have seen how quick our old man here was out of the water and practically begging for forgiveness,” Luke chortled.
Calvin’s expression didn’t change. “And did she forgive you?”
I smirked, raised one eyebrow, and gave him a what do you think look. “You can’t let a little thing like being caught with another woman ruin your night,” I gloated and looked out the window. I still felt sick about hurting Holly.
Marty shook his head. “Holly’s a nice girl, Ace. You should really treat her better.”
Who the fuck asked him?
“I treat Holly just fine,” I insisted. “She knows the rules and doesn’t have any complaints.”
Calvin grunted.
I scowled at him. “What was that?” I demanded.
He shook his head. “Nothing. Just clearing my throat.”
The van unloaded us at the stadium. The guys piled out and headed for the locker rooms while I slowed down to stick with Calvin. “What was that?” I asked again.
