Ace's Key: Book 1 Read online

  “Turn over, baby,” he asked softly.

  I started to raise up on all fours, but instead, he asked me to lie flat with my legs together. When he entered me again, it was the most erotic feeling I’d ever experienced.

  As he lay on top of me, penetrating me deeply, I felt the beating of his heart against my shoulder. He thrust his hips forward in a slow, sultry motion, slipping almost out on each return.

  With his lips next to my ear, he whispered, “I love riding you bareback. You’re fucking me senseless, and I can’t help myself.”

  Moaning my name, he writhed in pleasure, filling my pussy with his hot cum, pulse after pulse after pulse. He went limp and crashed on top of me, our bodies’ slick with sweat and sex.

  He pulled out of me and rolled us onto our sides, keeping me in touch with his body. He ran his fingers up and down my arm with a soft drag.

  I listened to his breathing as it slowly returned to normal. “The throaty moans you make when you come consume me,” I said softly.

  He didn’t respond, and before too many more moments passed, I was asleep.

  * * *

  When my alarm went off, I rolled over to find my bed empty of any signs of Lucas. Instantly, it saddened me to be away from him. Even though I wanted to try the “non-commitment” route, it still pained me deeply to have him leave without even a goodbye.

  I showered and dressed for what I was sure would be a “fun” day at work. With the holidays behind me, I knew I had to focus.

  When I walked into my office, I discovered that someone had redecorated over the holidays…and removed most of my stuff. Seriously? Where was workplace etiquette? I looked for my laptop and remembered I’d given it to Jim before I left on vacation.

  When I walked to his office, I noticed his assistant, Emily, was looking at me with a peculiar expression.

  “Good morning, Emily. Is Jim in yet? I want to get my laptop from him.”

  “Um, Jim is no longer here. He resigned without notice. Didn’t you get the company wide email?”

  I looked at my phone and checked emails, but there wasn’t anything about Jim’s resignation on it.

  “No, I don’t have any email. In fact, I don’t have any emails at all. What’s going on?”

  About that time, Rugger Sota exited the conference room. “Ms. Kennedy, may I have a moment of your time?”

  “Absolutely.”

  We stepped into Jim’s old office, and Rugger motioned for me to take a seat. He sat on the corner of the desk in front of me. When I glanced around him, I noticed my files on the shelf to the side of him. I looked back and met his eyes; he was smiling warmly.

  “Let me be the first to congratulate you as our new Vice President of Marketing.”

  “Thank you, but I don’t understand.”

  “Ms. Kennedy, when a VP sends me documentation and isn’t even intelligent enough to remove your information from the files, I don’t need that person around. I consider that theft and insulting, quite frankly. We’ve known for some time that Mr. Wicker wasn’t performing and he was difficult to work with. Welcome to your new position. You’ll find your new comp plan in your inbox. Emily will report to you and can get you anything you need, and we’ll update your email, seeing as how Mr. Wicker hacked it as well.” He slipped from the desk, extended his hand, and when I took it, he winked before exiting the room.

  I covered my mouth with my hand and sat in a daze of astonishment. I knew Jim was a ball-buster and a pain, but I never considered he would be fired, especially for stealing my work. If I’d known giving him my laptop would accelerate his demise…I’d for certain have done it sooner.

  “Congratulations, Mia,” Emily said behind me. When I turned to her, she wore the most beautiful smile.

  “Did you know about this?” I asked, approaching her for an embrace.

  “Yes, but I was sworn to secrecy. They’re hanging your door plaque today, and I’ve got your list of meetings and appointments for next week.”

  “Is there anything specific for today?”

  “Champagne in the conference room. Let’s go.”

  We walked arm-in-arm to join the rest of the marketing team in the conference room all ready to celebrate with mimosas and a brunch buffet.

  For one simple moment, I forgot about Lucas…

  * * *

  “You what?” Claire squealed into the phone.

  “I got Jim’s job. They fired him over the holidays.”

  “We have to celebrate and you know just the place.”

  Shit. I should’ve anticipated she’d want to celebrate at Bluestone. I’d looked at my phone several times throughout the day, hoping for a message from him, but only encountered disappointment.

  “Yes, we’ll celebrate at my place. I’ll call Ashley.”

  “Mia?”

  “Claire?”

  “Everything was great last night. What happened? Why are you shutting him down again? Are you nuts? He’s in to you.”

  “One question at a time. Yes, it was great. He slipped out in the night without a word. I can’t do the ‘fuck-buddy’ thing, and no, I’m not nuts.”

  “Without a word, huh?”

  “Yup.”

  On the way home from work, I stopped at the liquor store and bought liquid encouragement. While I was changing clothes, I heard the chime of a cell phone. I studied mine, but it wasn’t the one making the noise. After a bit of searching, I found Ace’s phone between my nightstand and my mattress.

  Damn, I would have to return to Bluestone…like it or not.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ace

  I listened to her soft, rhythmic breaths and welcomed holding her in my arms as she slept. I saw her face in the soft glow of light filtering through the small crack of her window covering. Studying her, I wanted to know what her dreams consisted of, curious if they included me.

  I found myself treading emotionally deep water. For the first time since Niccola’s death, I considered what it would be like to be in a relationship again. Something more substantial than sex. Something… No.

  Internally, I fought that thought process and needed to find something that would clear my mind.

  Slipping from her bed, I quickly dressed and, for a moment, considered slipping away, but I felt the pains of guilt flood me like a giant river overtaking its banks. Mia deserved something more, something real. Something I couldn’t give her. Spending time with me kept her from finding her true life, but I was a selfish bastard and couldn’t let go of her.

  Breakfast came to mind. It was only four-thirty, but I decided to slip to the bar, start the bread for the afternoon crowd, and slip over to Eatzi’s in time to pick up some things for breakfast. They would be open by the time I finished with the bread. After which, Mia would be awake for work, and I could ravage her body one more time, momentarily satisfying my hunger for her.

  When I got to the bar, the police and fire trucks were just arriving. The security company had notified them of the smoke alarm… Bluestone’s kitchen had caught fire.

  After several hours, they cleared me to enter the building. I was grateful there wasn’t much damage, but it appeared my grandmother’s oven had cracked in shipping. The wood above it had been smoldering, until it finally broke out in a blaze.

  “Sir, you’re lucky this place has so much stone in it, or we’d be fighting a three-alarm fire about now,” the fire chief said.

  “Yes, I see. May I step inside to use the phone? Seems I’ve misplaced my cell phone.”

  “Absolutely. We’re all clear.”

  I spent the rest of the day working with the insurance claims department, contractors and the like to start the repair process. Bluestone would be closed for at least a week, while the repairs were completed and the inspections took place.

  By the time I’d finished the fucking mountain of red tape, I needed to backtrack my steps starting with the day before to find my phone. After leaving Eatzi’s, I headed to the only place it could be…
/>   “Could you ring Mia Kennedy for me please?” I asked the concierge of Mia’s building.

  “Is she expecting you?”

  “That, I seriously doubt.”

  The gentleman observed me as if I were a stalker. When I looked over myself, I realized I was still in yesterday’s clothes and had flour all over the front of my black t-shirt.

  “I’m sorry. Ms. Kennedy is unavailable. Care to leave a message?”

  Without my cell phone and the main number on remote for Bluestone, I had no number to leave for Mia, except my private number to the apartment at the club, which I never gave to anyone. I came to an impasse… I had to break the rules. With her, I seemed to be stepping out of my routine. Instantly, I thought about how it felt to be inside her bareback. My cock stirred in my jeans.

  “Sir? Do you care to leave a message?” the concierge repeated himself, bringing me back to reality. I gave the guy my private number and asked that she call me as soon as possible.

  The bar was only a few minutes from Mia’s apartment. I parked in my reserved spot on the lower level of the garage and entered through the private entrance in back, expecting the fresh smell of the fire to burn my nostrils, but I was taken aback when Mia rounded a corner and ran right into my chest. “Mia!”

  “Um, Lucas, you’re… Thank God, you’re okay.” She wrapped her arms around me and shuddered as she gripped me.

  “I’m fine. What’s this all about?”

  “I found your phone and came to return it, but when I pulled up, I saw the police tape outside and the door wide open. I didn’t know what to think.”

  “I see how that could be confusing. Come with me.”

  I led her to my apartment upstairs and poured us both a glass of wine, which was dutifully deserved by that point. We took a seat on the sofa, and I pushed a stray blonde curl from her eyes.

  “Where do I start? Hmm, oh yeah, breakfast.”

  “Huh?” she asked.

  “I awoke early this morning and thought breakfast with you would be delicious, so I decided I’d come here first and start the bread, run by Eatzi’s and grab something for breakfast we could enjoy in bed, and wake you up with something delicate and tempting.”

  “Okay, so you caught the place on fire trying to cook me breakfast?”

  “I love that you’re a true blonde sometimes. No, when I got here before five o’clock, I found the police and fire here. They’d been notified by the security company. We had a small fire in the kitchen above the oven, and we’ll be down for at least a week. The rest of my day got away from me, and you have my phone.”

  “Yes, I found it beside the bed. You might want to check your messages. Francesca has called a dozen times since I found it, and you have over a hundred missed calls.”

  Shit. Francesca was the last person I’d wanted to discuss with Mia.

  “I have one question. Is Francesca a tall, lanky blonde with a huge engagement ring?”

  I froze. This was so not supposed to happen this way. I didn’t want to lie to Mia about Francesca, and at the same time, I needed to clear the question before Mia spun out of control.

  “Yes, Francesca is a tall blonde. Have you met her?”

  “No, but your fiancée was sitting out front talking to someone on her phone when I came in. I need to go now.” She flew from the sofa and grabbed her purse from the chair before I could stop her.

  “Don’t leave, not like this.”

  “Look, Ace, I get it. You don’t do relationships, you said so. That would probably be because you’re engaged and already in some sick, twisted relationship. I want more from my life, and I’m quite sure I can find more great sex out there. Please don’t call me again.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mia

  The drive to my apartment couldn’t have been any longer. My fingers were numb from gripping the steering so tightly in anger. How could I have been so stupid? My mother always said, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” So, I supposed I owned number two, but for damn certain…there was never to be a third.

  When I opened my apartment door, Ashley, Sean, and Claire had the champagne flowing.

  “Drinking without me?” I teased, trying to bring about my best chipper voice.

  “Where the hell have you been, missy? And why do you have that just-fucked look?”

  “Filter, Claire, filter. Ace left his phone here from last night, and you’re very wrong about the second part. They had a fire in the kitchen. They’re closed for at least a week he said.”

  “So, is he coming over to celebrate?” Ashley asked.

  “No.” Hashing out the sordid details of my non-romance was the last thing on my agenda for a Friday evening and the celebration of my promotion that we’d planned.

  “Claire, will you take my card and order a car service, so no one has to be a DD? I’m gonna go change, and then we can all go out. Is Mason coming?”

  She followed me to my bathroom. “Mason was going to meet us at Bluestone. I’ll call him. Where are we headed?”

  “Anywhere, I don’t care. Ask Ashley and Sean where they want to go.”

  I curled my normally straight hair and pulled on a short black dress, threw on some long, sparkling necklaces, pulled out my best pair of Christian Louboutin pumps, and called it even. If Ace could get some on the side, so could I.

  “Damn girl, that’s what I’m talking about,” Claire uttered through the hand loosely covering her mouth. “We’re clubbing at Crush tonight.”

  * * *

  By the time we arrived at Crush, the club was in full dance mode and very crowded. I was grateful Sean had pulled some strings and got us a table reserved; otherwise, we would’ve had to fight for elbow room at the bar.

  Claire pulled us all into a group dance, and it wasn’t long before it became sorely obvious that I was odd-man out, sans partner. When the first guy asked me to dance, I sent him packing, then I made eye contact with a cute guy at the bar. When he approached and asked me to dance to the Cupid Shuffle, I couldn’t resist.

  One dance turned into several. I learned his name was Zane Copperman, and he was in town for a bachelor party. He joined us at our table for a drink.

  “What do you do, Mia?”

  “I work for a pharmaceutical company. And you?”

  “Criminal law.” He paused to study me. I suppose he was awaiting a reaction. “I’m part of a firm in Vegas.”

  “Criminal attorney in Vegas. I bet there’s no shortage of clients there.”

  “No, I suppose not. I need to get back to my party, but I’d… I’m not leaving town until Monday if you want to go get coffee. Here’s my card.”

  I put his card in my bag and smiled when he touched my arm softly before walking away.

  “What are you doing, Mia? What about Ace?” Claire bit at me.

  “Ace doesn’t do relationships…his story, not mine. I want more.”

  The bar may have been noisy, but my table was quiet. I noticed Ashley’s eyes got really big.

  “What? I’m free to do—”

  A firm hand grasped my right arm and pulled me around so quickly, I nearly fell out of my shoes.

  Connor.

  “What are you doing here crashing my party?” he asked angrily.

  “We’re out celebrating my promotion. What are you doing here?”

  “The guys and I…um…we’re out together.”

  It was then that some of the other guys with him joined us at the table, including none other than Zane Copperman.

  I looked at Connor and then back to Zane. “Zane, how do you know Connor?”

  “Fraternity brothers. He’s the guy getting married. You two know each other?” Zane asked before chugging his beer.

  “Something like that,” I uttered.

  Zane’s eyes bounced between Connor’s clenched jaw and my angry stare. “Oh no, I’m sorry. I just made the connection. You pronounce your name as Mee-ah and Connor always said it like My-ah. I’m really sorry, I…u
h…I feel like an idiot, I had no idea when we were…um, when I gave you my card.”

  “Don’t.” I put my hand up to silence him.

  Movement occurred beside and behind me, and that’s when Claire and Ashley surrounded me, silently joining force.

  “Go away, Connor. You’re not welcome here,” Claire said.

  “Claire, it’s my party. I’m not leaving, but you three bitches are free to take your trash-asses to any other joint in town.”

  There was an immediate scuffle, and Connor hit the ground. I’m not sure if Sean or Claire threw the first punch, but Claire was holding her hand and smiling, and Sean had Connor pinned to the floor.

  Connor was a mouthy wimp and no match for Sean.

  When Crush’s security team arrived, both parties were tossed out of the club, but it was worth it to see Connor sporting what looked like a broken nose with blood all over his face and his expensive cashmere sweater.

  Zane tried to speak to me as we got in our hired car, but I told him to get lost. I had no interest in shagging Connor’s friend in order to get even.

  Happiness was definitely going to be the best revenge.

  I was still holding the bottle of champagne I’d grabbed from our table, and I took a swig before passing it around.

  “They let you walk out with that bottle?”

  “With the commotion, I don’t think anyone saw me. Cheers to whoever plastered his face. I loved it.”

  “That would be me,” Claire laughed as she soothed her knuckles.

  Connor is getting married? Why the rush, I wondered. Then it hit me, Connor hated condoms, and I came to the quick conclusion that Laci had to be pregnant.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next couple of weeks flew by in a blur, as I was buried under a mountain of to-do’s at work and a business trip to New York. I started my days before sunup and finished them long after sundown. Communication was minimal with Claire and Ashley, which had less to do with my schedule and more to do with them spending time with their new significant others.