27. The Kiss That Changed Everything
“What?” Ace asked, staring at me with a bemused look.
I swallowed. “I know you’re interested in Clara and…and…I don’t know, I guess I just got worried I was going to lose you or something—”
Ace held up a hand, his eyes squeezing shut. “Hold on. Are you telling me you ran away because you thought I was interested in another woman? You ran away because you were jealous?”
My cheeks brightened. Tears clogged my throat. He wasn’t denying his feelings for Clara.
“N-no.” Yes. “I just… I…” I felt like screaming. Why was it so hard to explain? “It didn’t help that I found out you were planning on asking her out the day you turned me down after I asked you out—”
“What?! Turned you down? When the fuck did I turn you down? When the fuck did you ask me out?”
I gave him a dubious look. “Yesterday, before gym. I asked if you wanted to go to that new steak restaurant. And you said no. You said you were busy, but I assumed you were turning me down gently.”
Ace let his head fall back with a huge groan. “Fuck. No wonder you were acting so fidgety all morning.
You were trying to tell me you had feelings for me.”
He sighed and looked back at me. His fingers began dancing along my waist. “Baby, I had no idea you were asking me on a date.”
My body shifted restlessly when he called me “baby.”
“B-but…I called it a date. I used the actual word, more than once, I think.
“And I said it would just be the two of us. And I wore the pink dress that you love so much. And I made you coffee, all in an effort to butter you up. I thought I made it pretty obvious.
“Do I just not know how to ask someone out? Oh god, did I just make a complete fool out of myself?”
“Of course not. You did everything perfectly. Fuck… fuck, you asked me out in the most perfect way.
So you and so sweet and so innocent, and I…”
He growled through his teeth. “I thought you were just asking to hang out. You have to admit, dinner together on a Friday night, just the two of us, isn’t uncommon.
“In fact, isn’t that how we’ve spent most Friday evenings since we met?
“And as for the coffee, you give me gifts all the time. That’s always been how you’ve expressed your love for people. You’re a giver.”
My heart pounded erratically against my ribs. “So, you…you really didn’t know?”
He shook his head. “No, baby. And I’m so sorry for that. It’s not an excuse for what I did to you, but I was dealing with a lot that morning and got distracted.
“I should have been paying closer attention to you, especially when I sensed how nervous you were.
I’m sorry.”
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly feeling as dry as sandpaper. “So, you didn’t t-turn me down then?”
His lips turned up slightly, and I have to say, it annoyed me a bit. Was he really amused by it all?
“No. I most certainly did not. Please, ask me again. You have my full, unyielding attention now.”
My mouth dropped open. Could he be saying what I thought he was saying? Was he really telling me to ask him out again so that he could say yes?
Or was he just messing with me? What if I asked him again only for him to turn me down once more
and then make fun of me for the rest of our lives for asking him out twice?
I couldn’t handle that. I couldn’t take being rejected by him again, especially after just promising that I wouldn’t run away from him again if something was wrong.
I would have nowhere, and the humiliation would undoubtedly consume me, just like it tried to the previous night.
Ace cupped my jaw. “My poor girl, I’ve made you question my feelings for you. I rejected you when you were being vulnerable with me. I made you feel unwanted.
Replaceable.”
He let out a deep growl. “I don’t blame you for wanting to protect yourself after I hurt you like that.”
I whimpered when his thumb brushed over my bottom lip. He tugged it down to reveal my teeth.
“And, usually, I would respect your needs and allow you as much time as you need to feel comfortable again but…” His gaze drifted down and over my body.
He licked his lips. “Knowing what I know now, I don’t think I’ll be able to wait. It nearly killed me
gety all morning. waiting these last eleven years.”
I could hear my pulse in my ears. I forgot how to breathe.
“So, how about this?” he continued. “How about I ask you out this time, and ~you~ tell me yes or no? How does that sound?”
I started to nod only to catch myself. “But…what about Clara?”
His smile dropped. “What about Clara?”
“I thought you had feelings for her.”
He dragged his hands down my hips, playing with the hem of my shirt. “Explain to me what made you think that.”
“The whole school has been whispering about it for days now. Everyone was talking about the amazing connection the two of you have.
“A-and when I asked Madoc about it, he obviously knew something I didn’t— something you told him but not me. He said Clara was going to be around a lot more now.
“And the other day, when you introduced me to her, you were pretty adamant about letting her know that I was just your friend and nothing more.”
Ace’s face fell more and more with each word I spoke until he appeared absolutely crushed.
“Doe,” he agonized, “my sweet, sweet girl. No wonder you were able to stay away for so long. You’ve had a lot on your mind, haven’t you? You’ve been keeping a lot of secrets from me.”
“I wasn’t keeping secrets from you—”
“Oh, yes, you were. And if you would have just told me what you were thinking, you would have seen
how unnecessary your worries were.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t like Clara,” he explained gently. “Not even a little bit. She might be my friend but she means absolutely nothing to me when compared to you.”eally telling me to He paused.
Then he said the words that changed everything forever.
“Doe, I’m in love with you. I’ve loved you since the day we met.”
“You…”—the back of my neck boiled. There was no way I heard him correctly—
“you love me?”
Ace’s lips tugged up. “Boy, do I ever.”
I shifted forward, trying to wrap my head around the words coming out of his mouth. “B-but, like, really love me? Because I don’t know if you quite understand—”
He grabbed my face and slammed his lips onto mine.
I squeaked as the most intense sparks I had ever felt took over my body. It was nearly too much to handle. I melted into him, my breasts flattening against his chest.
Holy crap, he was good at kissing. So unbelievably good. A hot twist between my legs made me gasp and wiggle against him.
Besides my accidental kiss with Ace a little while ago, I’d never kissed anyone before. Actually, I had never even dreamed of kissing anybody but Ace.
And yet, my tongue sought out his on its own, knowing just what to do. Ace caught on to my need and stroked his tongue over mine, licking inside and out of my lips with heady motions.
He let out a groan, and the sound caused a new wave of wetness to pool at the junction between my thighs. I scrambled to push closer against him, and he gripped my waist harder.
I could’ve sworn that I lost touch with reality. My body was floating, totally consumed with all things Ace and his mouth against mine.
He boosted me up higher, and then I was suddenly on my back, on his bed, with him above me, still devouring my mouth.
We were lost in each other, and it was so, so good. Better than I ever could have imagined.
Why did it take us so long to admit our feelings for each other? We could have been doing this so longbout the amazing ago.
He consumed me. His teeth caught my lips, his tongue mating with mine, his snarls filling the room.
His scent was overwhelming, masculine, smoky, musky.
Ace grabbed my neck and tilted it to the side so he could thrust his tongue deeper into my mouth and take full control of me. I let him do what he wanted without hesitation.
He groaned, and it electrified me from the inside out. His lips were sometimes soft, sometimes rough against mine, and I gasped, opening my eyes in time to catch a glimpse of his dark possessive gaze.
I whimpered my protest when he finally pulled away from me, trying to wind my arms around his neck and tug him back to me. I never wanted him to stop kissing me.
Ace chuckled. “I know, Doe,” he whispered, just barely skimming his lips over my jaw. “Fuck, you have no idea how long I’ve waited to do that.”
His odd purring grew louder. I let out a breathy sigh.
“But if we keep going, I will ravish you on the spot.”
That sounded wonderful. I nodded, arching my back to point my body toward his.
“That’s okay. Ravish me.”
He let out another chuckle that caused deep shivers to race down my spine. “You have no idea what
you’re asking for, baby girl. You’re not ready for me to take you.
But you will be soon.”
His subtle rejection shocked me like a bucket of ice water being thrown over me. I settled back in the bed and awkwardly unfurled my arms from around his neck.
Oh my god, I just kissed Ace. Ace just kissed me. We just kissed each other!
around his neck
you’re asking for, baby girl. You’re not ready for me to take you.
But you will be soon.”
His subtle rejection shocked me like a bucket of ice water being thrown over me. I settled back in the bed and awkwardly unfurled my arms from around his neck.
Oh my god, I just kissed Ace. Ace just kissed me. We just kissed each other!
