I studied her, and I had noticed a small change in her recently, but I'd just thought it had to do with the self-confidence that working brought her.
"Reggie asked me out."
"He did?" I shrieked, "What did you say?"
"I don't know. I told him I had to think about it."
I bit my lip, "How did he take that?"
"He said he'd ask again tomorrow, which is today, and I really am freaking out."
"Do you think you're ready?"
"I mean, watching you makes me think I can do it. I mean, look how easily you've started to date again."
"Trust me, it hasn't been that easy. That's why we're stalled at dating and nothing else."
"Maybe he's waiting on you?"
"I'm guessing you're right, but I thought we were supposed to be taking my mind off of Ace."
Erin shrugged and moved down the bar to hand one of the guys a beer.
I thought about what she said. "Erin," I called. She walked back down to me after throwing away the bottle top.
"Don't compare yourself to me. We've all been through our own separate share of crap. We're all going to deal with it differently. If you're not ready, that's okay. Don't feel pressured."
She was silent for a moment, "The thing is, he's really cute."
I laughed. There was a certain charm about Reggie.
It was then, over my laughter, that I heard the pipes and knew that he was back. I briefly deliberated, if I should wait on my stool for him to come inside, but I was too excited to see him.
"Go!" Erin shouted at me, knowing I needed to get to him.
I bounced off my barstool, and ran out the front door.
"Whoa, sis," Gunner said, as I nearly knocked him over.
"Hey, Gunner," I called out while still on the move. Ace had just swung his leg over his bike and was turning to me when I launched myself into his arms.
His arms flew around me, and he squeezed, giving me such a welcoming hug. But a hug was all it was.
Ace chuckled, lowering me to the ground. "It's nice to see you too, Princess."
For some reason, this infuriated me. I didn't want it to just be a nice hug. I wanted a heck of a lot more than nice.
Once my feet were on the ground, he kissed the top of my forehead, still holding me close to him. It was intimate, just not as intimate as we should be.
We should be way past this. I think we'd been out maybe thirty times. We spent a lot of time together.
To hell with it. I knew how to get what I wanted. The new me didn't need to be shy. Maybe Erin was right, and he was waiting on me to show him that I was ready.
"Missed you, Ace," I spoke into his leather vest.
"I see that. Missed you too."
"Ace?"
"Yes, Princess?" he asked with amusement lacing his voice.
"Would you kiss me?"
"Whatever you want, Princess." He dipped his head low, and I raised my chin up. Our lips met in a soft, sweet peck on the lips, and then he was pulling back.
"No, I'm done with that, Mierda," I swore in Spanish. I wasn't going to let him pull away. Not this time.
I pulled him to me, and I kissed him. It was nothing like I'd ever experienced before. It was deep, and his lips parted as my tongue moved inside his mouth. It felt a million times more intimate than anything we'd shared. His hand moved to my hair, and he quickly took over. I wanted to meld my body to his. I could feel his muscled body against my own, and my hands began to roam. This kiss was everything. It was so much deeper than any kiss we've ever shared. My world felt like it was vibrant and filled with color. The two of us seemed more than just a kiss. When our mouths came together, it felt infinite. It felt explosive.
Ace pulled away, and his eyes seemed to darken even more than they already were.
"Get on, Princess." There was no humor to his voice. What there was, was a desperate need. "It's been nearly two years? Are you giving me the green light?" He looked at me, waiting for an answer.
I didn't use words. I didn't need any. He swung his leg over his bike, and I climbed on behind him, eagerly waiting for what would come next.
We pulled away, and it was only then that I registered several catcalls from a few of his brethren. I shook my head and laughed, then I squeezed my thighs tight around Ace. I bent forward and held on to him.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Ace
I couldn't fucking believe she kissed me like that. It took me off guard. I'd been fending off a constant case of blue balls for weeks, thinking I was doing the right thing by giving her time. It was by far the best kiss of my entire life.
Alex was right when she said she had changed, and the way she had was by letting go. There didn't seem like there was a weight being carried around by her any longer.
She clung to my back on the short ride from Scars to my home. I felt like I was white-knuckling it the entire trip.
I didn't pull into the garage. I didn't want to waste time. I got off the bike and dragged her behind me, unlocking the door in record time. The minute the door closed behind us, it was on.
"Last chance, Princess," I breathed as I pushed her against the wall. She wrapped her leg around my thigh as I kissed her hard.
I released her lips and began to kiss her neck. I felt her hands tug at my vest and drop it to the ground.
"I want you, Ace, and I want you, now." Her hands moved to my shirt, and we became a frenzied mess trying to undress each other as quickly as possible.
She was down to her black lace underwear and bra, and I was in just my jeans, which she'd already undone the buckle on when I decided the foyer wasn't going to cut it. I grabbed both of her thighs and hauled her up over my hips then held her to me as I walked us down the hall towards my bedroom. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she gently nibbled on the skin at my throat. I paused at the doorway. She was too fucking sexy.
I pressed her back against the doorframe and peeled down her bra, exposing her nipple. I licked my lips. It had been so long since I'd seen her beautiful dark nipples. I sucked a nipple in my mouth, making her moan and arch her back.
"Yes," she cried out.
Tearing my mouth away, I swore, "Fuck, you're gorgeous. I need to taste you." I dropped her legs, feeling her body slide against mine as I did so. I went to my knees and stared at her eyes while I peeled away her panties. I wanted to be sure that this was all right—that she was all right.
She seemed to be unprepared for my tongue to hit her clit because she arched away and jerked, then lifted her hands above her head and held onto the doorframe. I went at her again, licking and sucking on her nub, making her moan loudly. My dick was achingly hard against the zipper of my jeans. I needed to get these things off, but first, I needed more of her. I'd endure. I tapped the back of her thigh, signaling for her to lift it. She seductively slid it over my shoulder, and I was certain she did this on purpose. I grabbed the backs of her toned ass and brought her pussy to my face, feasting on her.
She continued to moan and writhe. I needed her to come and fast, because there was only so much more of this I could take. It was by far the sexiest thing I'd ever seen. I moved my hand from kneading her ass and slipped a finger inside of her drenched pussy. I curved my finger and only had to move it a few times before she panted, "I'm coming, Ace Don't stop."
I didn't stop, I kept going as her body quaked and shuddered over me. So fucking sexy. Once her tremors had stopped and I tasted her cum, I released her ass and let her leg down, then picked her up and brought her to the bed, and laid her down. Her hair fanned out around her. she laid there watching me as I stripped out of my jeans.
I watched her face as my thick shaft sprang free and she bit her bottom lip with a devilish grin in her eyes. I was glad as hell that it was still light outside. I didn't want to miss a second of this because of the dark.
"You like that?" I asked, pumping my hand over my cock.
Her soft pink tongue darted out and licked her bottom lip that she had just
been biting. I wanted to bite that lip. Then, as seductively as she could, she spread her legs and swirled her fingers over her clit. It was an invitation.
I moved on top of her, careful not to crush her with my weight. Just the feel of her body below me made me feel so incredibly masculine that I wanted to roar in triumph. I kissed her. I did it long and hard. I kissed her to the point that her nails were raking down my back. Her legs wrapped around the back of my thighs, and her pleas began to come out in soft moans.
I lifted myself from her and ran the tip of my cock along her crease.
"You're so big," she breathed, "I want you inside of me. Don't make me wait."
How could I argue with that? I pushed my dick against her entrance and felt a little resistance since I had a big dick. Her eyes stayed on mine as I continued to slowly push all the way in. It was fucking heaven being buried in her warmth.
"You good?"
"Absolutely," she breathed.
I lifted her leg and began to move. She wrapped her arms around me and met my rhythm. Pure fucking bliss.
I lifted her knees, bringing them higher.
"Remember I promised I'd get deep in you, Princess?" I asked, stilling before I thrust in as deeply as my dick could go.
We looked into each other's eyes, and she nodded. I moved in her, deep and hard, and she moaned out, calling my name. Her eyes were fixated on me. I could tell by the way she held my eyes, that I was not only buried hilt deep, but I was in there in a way I knew was permanent.
This was too good. It was too much. I was so lost in her that when her orgasm began, it caught me off guard. The way her muscles squeezed me instantly sent me right there alongside her.
We lay together, panting, spent from our activities, holding one another.
"Ace?" she whispered.
"Yes, Princess?"
Her face suddenly changed, and I couldn't quite read it. "You know you're the only man I've ever wanted, right?"
I cupped her cheek and kissed her tenderly.
"From the moment you stepped into my villa in Colombia, I wanted you."
"Alex," I cooed, she was being so sweet, and it was a rare softness.
"Thank you for showing me that this could be all this."
I kissed her again. "It's going to keep being this, and it's only going to get better the more and more in love with you I fall."
"You're in love with me?" she asked like this surprised her.
I squeezed her tight to me, "You really don't know?"
She silently thought about it for several long seconds and finally responded, "I know."
I kissed her again, and even though our bodies were spent, we found our way to connect again, making love well into the night.
My eyes were half-closed, and she was pressed tightly to my side when I heard her whisper, "You know I love you too."
I did. I knew.
Epilogue
Alex
"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" I asked Erin, who knelt in the soil beside me. We were at Ace's house, where I was working on planting the most epic garden. I had such a wide array of butterfly-attracting plants as well as a mix of perennials and annuals.
"Jessica is going to move in in three weeks. I'll be fine."
Erin and I had talked a lot about the fact that I was going to move in with Ace. I pretty much already was, but still, I knew my girl didn't like to be alone.
"Are you positive?" I asked again, hating that I felt guilty.
"I am. I think working is really beginning to help me, and I'm still meeting with my counselor twice a week."
"I'm proud of you," I said, then cursed under my breath as I scratched myself on my recently planted roses.
"Me? Look at you and all of this beauty you've created. It was just dirt and grass. Now, look at it."
I stood and took a step back to see all of the fruits of my labor. She was right. It was spectacular. The house looked quaint; the kind of place you would want to sit out front with a glass of tea and relax. It looked nothing like the barren landscape that it was when I first met Ace.
The sun was beating on the back of my neck, making me sweat, but it was a good sweat, the kind that was earned with something to show for it. I marveled at what she said. It was beautiful, and I had created it. That felt good. It was another reminder that I was free, and I was learning how to be truly happy It also didn't hurt that I had a man that I was madly in love with.
"Did you say yes to that date with Reggie, yet?" I asked, breaking from my thoughts.
"Nope, not yet. But he's persistent."
"That he is," I laughed, and grabbed another tray of purple and yellow pansies to put around the base of the bed.
I WAS ON MY HANDS AND knees, and Ace was pumping in and out of me from behind.
"God, you feel so fucking good, Princess."
"Yes," I moaned and felt myself start to lose it when he grabbed my hair in a fist and bent over me lightly, biting me on my shoulder. It was so fucking good.
His body slapped against mine twice more when my body lit up. He was right, it kept on getting better. I screamed out, light dancing behind my eyelids, filling up my entire world.
"I'm going to take you there again before I cum."
Oh, yes. I liked the sound of that.
His thrusts became more and more powerful, and each one reminded me of how deep he was, how fucking explosive this thing between us was.
I detonated under his demanding thrusts, and he came, gripping my hips hard. I loved it.
He slid out of me, dropping down onto the bed next to me and pulled me in tight to him.
"Love you, Princess."
"Love you, too. Sweet dreams."
"I'm sure I will since you're here." He kissed me and was soon fast asleep. I fell asleep with a smile on my face knowing that since we'd been back together, Ace no longer woke in the middle of the night with bad dreams, and that I had helped with that. My eyes began to drift shut, and I was filled with all the freedom and love because Ace taught me how to do that. He fought for me and taught me that I needed to love me, and in doing so, I was free to love him. Freedom was a fickle thing, and I understood the value of that. My eyes drifted closed, and I thought, not for the first time, how incredibly happy I was.
SHANE
Shane watched his brothers, feeling bittersweet happiness for them. Charlie and Gunner were kissing in the corner of the bar. Their kids were with a sitter, and he knew from all the ballbusting everyone was dishing out to Gunner, it was only a matter of time until he got her knocked up again. There were actually some small wagers placed on it, which he thought was funny as shit.
Ace and Alex sat on the same side of a booth together. Neither one of them were really drinking too much. It just looked like they were making googly eyes at one another.
He shook his head and took a long swig from his Bud. He shouldn't be jealous. They'd all been through so much shit. He was happy for them... still.
His phone vibrated, and he looked down to see it was her.
Will I see you tonight?
He knew he should ignore it. They couldn't ever truly be, but he was a sucker. He made sure no one was watching him. He didn't want anyone to know that he had someone if you could even call her that.
Give me an hour. Shane typed back, already feeling like shit that he'd been keeping this secret from his brothers for so long.
HADES
He sat in the old beat-up hooptie. He was crouched down low, watching his daughter from across the street. He didn't want to be seen, not that they'd recognize him after what Sokolov did to his face.
He thought briefly of Alejandra's mother, and how he once cared for her. Now, all he could taste was bitter resentment. They did this to him.
All of them.
He had no money and no longer held the loyalty of his men, but that didn't matter to him. He would find a way to enact revenge. He had to.
The End
Acknowledgments
Hello,
thank you for taking the time to read Explosive. To the readers who have read and loved Cut Wide Open, thank you for waiting patiently for this book. I know it has been quite some time in between. This past year was an especially difficult year, so thanks for sticking in there. Thank you to all the fabulous readers in my reader group, Abby’s Awesome Allies! Thank you to all the wonderful bloggers who continue to help share any sales of mine or new releases. Thank you to my Blushing Babes, Louisa, Nicole, Tera, Christina, Sandy, Kerry, Dawn and Stephanie. Thank you Hang Le for always designing fabulous covers. Thank you Chrissy Weston. Thank you Katie for being the first eyes on this and giving me good feedback. Thank you Melissa for just being you. Thanks, Erin Mikolic. Thank you Shana—I love you. Thank you Jessica—what a fucking year—I love you. Thank you Misty, my momma partner! Thank you Emily Kidman and Social Butterfly PR! Thank you Tabitha. And thank you to my babies, who help inspire all of my kids in my books.
About Abby McCarthy
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Abby McCarthy is reader and a lover of words. She is a blogger turned author and released her first novel in May of 2014. She is a mother of three, a wife and a dog person. She has always written, sometimes poetry, sometimes just to vent about failed relationships, however in parenthood she has found her voice to help keep her sanity. Words have flowed from her, and with the support of amazing friends in the Indie community she has decided to pursue her dream of writing! She loves to write and read romance, because isn't that something we all yearn for? Whether it be flowers and hand holding or just the right tug on your hair. Isn't that what life is about? The human connection?
Other books by Abby McCarthy
The Bleeding Scars MC
Cut Wide Open
Explosive (A Bleeding Scars MC) Page 22
