Page 150 of Match Me if You Can

“I’m sensing that,” I tell him as he tosses his cell on the nightstand. “Same as I’m sensing she’s wearing some pretty thick armor of her own.”

“That she is.”

I push up on his chest. “You seriously slept with her?”

He winces. “Baby⁠—”

“I mean, she’s gorgeous and smart, so I can see the attraction. But, Ace!” I swat his chest. “She’s your agent. Talk about shitting where you eat.”

“In fairness to me, she wasn’t my agent then.”

I sigh. “It’s a good thing you invaded my office and demanded my services.”

“No,” he murmurs, cupping my jaw. “It was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

“Charmer.”

He takes my hand, presses it to my chest, right over his heart. “Told you I had many skills.”

I laugh then inhale, sinking into the warmth of his deep brown eyes, loving the way the golden specks have gone soft and melty.

Loving that I can call this man my own.

Loving that he bought me heels and tended my scrapes and turned off the air conditioning because he thought I was cold.

Loving that I’m just Violet with him and he’s just Ace.

Loving all of that and much, much more…but also knowing that we have one more thing to do.

Because we can’t start building an us without it.

“We need to make one more call, honey.”

“To who?”

I nibble at the corner of my mouth. “Well, first, I need you to know that Ally’s not going to like it.”

He sits up a little straighter.

“Like really not like it.”

And, somehow, just like I knew he would, Ace just reaches over me and snags my phone from the nightstand.

He presses it into my hand.

“Anyone. Anytime. Anything.”

Fuck.

But I love this man.

And I want to show him exactly how much, all over again. But I focus, batten down the hatches, and I hit the number I’d programmed in only a few days ago.

It rings once. Twice.

Then, “Hello?”

“Hi, Evelyn?” I say, holding Ace’s eyes. “It’s Violet.”