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“What if this all goes wrong?” she asked.
“We plan for it to go wrong,” Ace told her. “That way we aren’t taken by surprise. He will lose this battle, because his rage and pride will take him down as much as I will.”
“You are hoping for that outcome,” she told him. “He might be thinking the exact same thing, while working with a cool head.”
“Criminals aren’t rational, Dakota. He doesn’t have someone like I have you, like I have my brothers. The people in his life are his employees. They are only loyal to him when times are good. They will turn on him quickly to save their own skins. He has no true allies. I have something to live for other than rage and pride. I have my family . . .” He paused, and she felt his steady heartbeat against her ear as she snuggled closer, wanting to hold on to him forever. “I have you,” he finished in a whisper.
Her own heart thudded hard at his words. She wanted to ask him what he meant by that. But she was afraid to open that can of sweet peas at this moment. Some things just needed to stay tightly sealed where they were safe.
“I’m not planning on going anywhere. Just promise me you’re not going to sneak off without telling me.”
“It might be better if you don’t know when this is going down,” Ace said.
His hands were rubbing up and down her back. He was trying to get her mind off this conversation. She hated him a little for it, but he was beginning to succeed. His passionate words were making it hard for her to concentrate on the dangers of this mission.
“Don’t do that to me, Ace. You owe me more than a note on the nightstand when you disappear,” she said.
He sighed, his warm breath cascading over her head. “I won’t sneak away,” he promised.
“And you need to promise to come back to me. Don’t let this man win,” she insisted.
He stilled in her arms, and she wondered what she’d said to catch his attention. His hands resumed their languid movement on her back, slipping lower to feather over her butt and then drift back up to her hair.
“You want me to come back to you, huh?” he said, a smile in his voice.
“There’s that pride,” she told him, a smile in her own voice.
“When a woman as amazing as you is begging me to come back to her, I can feel a little bit of pride,” he insisted.
“You’re hopeless, Ace,” she said, but she leaned back to look into his eyes.
“And you’re unforgettable,” he said.
“I take pride in that,” she told him.
“Nothing is going to happen tonight, so why don’t we try to forget about it for a while?” he suggested.
“I think those are the best words to come out of your mouth all night,” she told him.
He winked at her before taking a step back and looking at her. The need to be in his arms was so great, she had to force herself not to take that step forward to get close to him again. She really did need him too damn much.
“I’m taking a bath,” she said with a smile meant to entice him. She turned and began moving toward the bedroom, hearing him right behind her. Taking off her shirt as she walked, she enjoyed the intake of breath from him as he admired her back.
She had always taken pride in the person she was, deciding from a young age that if she didn’t like something about herself, she was the only person who had the power to make the change she needed. She’d maintained that philosophy her entire life. If she wanted to have long hair, short hair, muscles, extra weight, or a lean build, it was all up to her. She respected herself, and she was happy because of it. She loved the look of awe in Ace’s eyes as he gazed at her. She knew the same look was on her face as she looked upon him.
They entered the bathroom together. Dakota turned on the tub and added some lightly scented soap. Then she turned to find Ace bare of clothes. Damn, he took her breath away.
Looking into his eyes, she stripped the rest of her clothing away, feeling vulnerable and needy all at the same time. Ace pulled her to him, their hot flesh scorching each other. He finally kissed her, taking the rest of her worries away as pure need shot through her.
His hands stroked her flesh until the tub was full. She turned the faucet off as he stepped into the water and sank down. He held his hands out to her. She took them and slipped into the hot water, leaning her back into him.
Ace immediately pulled her tightly to him as he slipped his arms around her waist. She sighed as he kissed her neck, his thickness resting against her, making her squirm in front of him.
“I can’t seem to get enough of you, Ace Armstrong,” she said.
“I know exactly how you feel, Dakota Forbes,” he replied.
With his arms wrapped around her middle, his fingers splayed on her stomach, and his thumbs pressing against the undersides of her breasts, Dakota was quickly losing the ability to speak. He moved up and rubbed the bottoms of her breasts, making them feel heavy and achy.
