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Mom will kill me if she knows what we did up against the kitchen counter as I attempted to make us coffee. But what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.
He smiles—an honest-to-god smile—as he stands and takes my hand. “What’s good here? I’m starving.” But the way his eyes leisurely rake down my school uniform tells me it isn’t the pancakes he’s hungry for.
I still can’t believe he wouldn’t let me touch him, but part of me loved that he’s willing to punish himself for hurting me.
What can I say? Ace makes me crazy.
We enter the diner and a server tells us to find an empty booth. Ace slides in right after me, slinging his arm over my shoulder, and reads from the menu in my hand.
“I like this you,” I say, gazing up at him.
“Yeah?” He leans in, brushing his nose over mine before stealing a kiss. “Good fucking job, because you’re stuck with me now.”
“I’ve been thinking, maybe we should talk to your uncle.” Peeking up at him, I try to gauge his reaction. I don’t want to push, but after everything he’s been through, he deserves some answers.
Ace is stiff, his jaw clenched impossibly tight. “Hey.” I run my hand along his arm. “We can do it together. I’m not going anywhere.”
His eyes flicker to mine, swirling with so much pain I want to take it from him and make it my own. “Shit, Princess, you can’t ask me to...” He drags in a shuddering breath and then says two little words that make me believe we can weather the storm.
“Yeah, okay.”
“Okay?” Hope blossoms inside me.
“But I’m only doing this for you. To prove to you that I want to change. That I want to be the kind of guy you deserve.”
“Ace, that’s not—” His pierced brow quirks up, and I swallow my protests. “Thank you,” I whisper.
The server comes to take our order and Ace orders one of nearly everything.
“Hungry?” I ask, and his nostrils flare.
“I’m beginning to think I should have fucked you in the shower after all. This sucks.”
My cheeks heat as I glance around to make sure no one is within earshot. “I know something I can suck, if you want to drop this self-punishment act you’ve got going on.” I lift a finger to my lips and draw it into my mouth.
Ace yanks my hand away, gawking at me like I’ve grown a second head. “Do you want me to pounce on you right here?”
“Maybe.” I grin.
“Fuck, I’ve created a monster.”
I tuck myself into his side, soaking up the good vibes between us. “Only for you,” I let out a little sigh of contentment.
I know no one will understand why I’ve forgiven him so easily, but sometimes love makes no sense. It doesn’t come with a set of predefined rules or a playbook. It’s messy and raw and chaotic.
Love is about finding light in the darkness, those little slices of quiet in the noise.
Ace Jagger might be everything I shouldn’t want, but he’s everything I never knew I needed.
He might be cold but his touch burns.
He might be cruel but his kiss is sweet.
Ace might pretend not to care, but it’s only because he doesn’t know how to love.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” He whispers the words against my hair.
“Just thinking.”
