With him.
“Come for me, angel. Come on.” His hoars whisper is nonetheless commanding, and my body clenches and releases in response.
The waves of pleasure I’ve been fighting off, holding back, releases and my second orgasm of the early morning hours almost wipes me out. I scream, letting loose a stream of sound I can’t control.
Ace’s answering grunt of pleasure is the only warning I have before his body jerks above me, releasing his seed inside me.
He drops onto me, his body heaving and hot, his warm breath coasting across my face.
“Ace,” I whisper into the darkness. “Was that real?”
He silent for a moment before he answers me. His lips brush against my cheek, my brow bones, my chin.
“You’re not real,” he murmurs. “You’re too good for me. But as long as you’ll have me, Naima, I’ll be here.”
Pulling him closer, I meld my lips to his.
For as long as I want him? He doesn’t know what he’s just offered me.
I might want forever.
Twenty-Three
NAIMA
“Why won’t you tell me anything about what’s going on tonight?” I chew on my bottom lip as I stare at Ace.
We’re standing in the bright morning sunshine. It’s the first brisk morning we’ve had in Charlotte, the crispness in the air a warning that fall is well underway. The wind whips up little tufts of leaves that have fallen from the live oaks surrounding front steps of the campus Student Center, and his hair stirs in the breeze. Our hands are clasped together in front of us. This morning, he took me by the sorority house and waited downstairs while I showered and changed. The strange and curious looks he received from my sisters were classic, and I’m going to have so much explaining to do later when I get home.
I did introduce him to Rose, who I could tell held more questions back than she actually let fly.
Everything changed last night. The tether, the connection that we felt before is now a thick, binding network of emotions. We’ve woven a patchwork of unity that’s going to be impossible to forget or erase. I can feel it in every glance, every touch, every searing kiss.
He stares at me, and his expression scares the shit out of me. “Because ever since this whole thing started, I’ve been trying to keep you out of it. I’m not going to stop now. Especially now.”
“I want to help.”
“Baby, you’ll be helping me by staying away. I need to know you’re with Carson. That way I can keep my head in the game.”
“What game?”
He shakes his head, his sandy hair moving with him and his eyes going mossy. “I’ll call you.”
I’m not a clingy girl. I’m not needy, and I don’t wait for a guy to call.
But Ace isn’t just any guy. He’s mine now. And some strong, instinctual feeling deep down inside tells me I don’t want him to do whatever it is he’s planning.
I level my gaze at him. “I will hunt you down if you don’t.”
His full lips curve into one of his true grins, the one I’ve never seen him use with anyone else. “Yeah. I got that.”
Leaning down, he kisses me. It’s heat, pure fire. I melt into the connection, losing myself in a way I think I always will when I’m around Ace. He’s just wrapped one arm around my waist, pulling me closer, when there’s a whistle from a few feet away, and we pull apart to see Bryn standing on the sidewalk, her mouth wide open, staring at us from beside Jaxon’s car. Jaxon and Noah aren’t far behind her and judging from the dark cloud brewing in Noah’s expression, they saw our entire interaction.
“Get a room!”
I glare at Bryn, before grabbing Ace’s face for one more blazing kiss. Backing away from him, I use my eyes to tell him how I feel.
He answers with his.
Walking into the Student Center for coffee with my friends, Bryn’s voice is full of curious excitement. Her thrill-seeking nature is almost a relief after the past twenty-four hours, and I grab her and pull her to me.
“So, last night went well.” She laughs as I link my arm through hers.
“I don’t kiss and tell, B.”
Noah’s eyebrows furrow as he scowls. “What the fuck, Ny?”
I glance over at him. “What?”
Noah gives a disgusted shake of his head before striding in the opposite direction. Jaxon kisses Bryn on the cheek before giving me a wave and following his friend.
“He’s not taking it well.” Bryn leans over and speaks conspiratorially. “Pretty sure he wants to kick Ace’s ass.”
Reaching the coffeehouse line, I order my standard hazelnut latte. “That’s so stupid. Noah and I were never really a thing. And he can just move on to the next chick. It’ll be no problem for him.”
She leans against the counter, raising her brows. “Sure, he could. But he doesn’t want to. Noah’s intense. And he wants you.”
Why do I seem to attract the intense ones? I’m thinking of Ace, who’s once of the most intense people I’ve ever met, with the exception of my father.
“Well, he can’t have me,” I snap. “And he should get used to it. Ace and I…”
Her eyes go wide, realizing where my thoughts are headed. “Really?”
Accepting my coffee from the barista, I snag my bottom lip between my teeth and glance at her. “Yeah. Really.”
She leans in closer, now a little wrinkle between her eyes. Their blue depths are filled with concern. “The way he rode in last night like some kind of knight…that kind of manliness could mess with a girl’s head. It’s no wonder you’re falling too fast. But, Ny…is he good for you? What kind of trouble is he in that you’re now a part of?”
Sighing, I lean back against my counter while she orders her caramel macchiato. After what Bryn saw
