Page 79 of Until Ace

I wait, holding my breath for what Ace will say.

As my words register, his face clouds over so much that, even in the dim light that’s coming in from outside, I can see it.

He leans down until we’re nose to nose, his palms squeezing my face, and he growls, “You’re not going anywhere, Mandy. I told you, you’re mine. There’s no going back. And I’ll take care of it. This shit ends for you now.”

His eyes gleam, and his whole body vibrates with his fury.

“Ace,” I breathe.

He slams his mouth down on mine, his tongue pushing past my lips.

It’s a violent kiss.

And I love it.

I take the half step separating us and mold my body to his. Grabbing his T-shirt, I pull it up and sneak my hands under it.

With my nails, I scorch a path down the skin of his back, feeling goose bumps rise.

Ace grunts into my mouth but doesn’t break the kiss. He starts walking, pushing me backward until my back hits the cold glass.

One of his hands travels down my neck and chest until he stops at my lower belly. His other holds me behind my neck, his thumb under my chin, making me look back up at him.

“No more running around dealing with other people’s shit. No matter who they are,” he commands. His voice is low, stern. “And especially no more trying to talk to bad guys, Mandy. Promise me.”

“I just....” I swallow. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

His breath fans across my face. “I won’t, baby. This is what I do. Dealing with shit other people make of their lives and bringing them to justice—it is my job.”

My jaw clenches. I don’t want to be a part of his job. But it was unavoidable that, somehow, I would be. The shit Jim got tangled up in is getting scarier by the day. It’s only a matter of time before something serious, or worse, happens.

“Ace, I—”

He cuts me off with a quick, hard kiss. Against my mouth, he repeats, “Promise me.”

I nod, and that’s all it takes. It’s the last thread I held that bound me to my family. And I let it go.

“Good,” Ace says before he lets my neck go, both of his hands going to my waist, and he makes quick work of opening the buttons of my jeans, dragging my panties down with them as he sinks to the floor, pulling them off my legs. “Good,” he repeats almost to himself before he leans forward and sucks my clit into his mouth.

My hips buck in response.

“Oh, God,” I whisper, already out of breath.

“Fuck, never tasted anything sweeter,” he says against my pussy. All I can see is his dark hair as he feasts on me.

“Ace.” I tangle my fingers into his hair as his hand glides up from my calf, over my knee, and to the middle of my thigh, where he grips and lifts, throwing my leg over his shoulder and opening me more to him. “Ace,” I groan again. Why? I have no idea.

He stops and looks up. “Right here, baby.”

The sight of him, kneeling in front of me, the phantom feel of his mouth on me, makes my core clench.

“I need you,” I blurt the words that mean so much more than just in this moment.

He smiles a devilish smile, and says, “Then it’s really fucking good that you have me, Mandy. Any way you want.” He then proceeds to eat me out.

I’m climbing higher and higher until I know that just one more lick from Ace will shatter me into a million pieces, but it’s not what I want.

Not tonight.