Rhea had a bad feeling Dagmar meant testicles, but in the mood the Czech woman was in, Rhea wasn’t about to correct her.
Joe opened another door in the rear of the room, which led to one of the theme rooms. It was a garish red, gauzy place that looked even tackier under the bright fluorescent lights that were only turned on for Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
cleaning.
Ace sat on a bench with his back to her. His hands were cuffed behind him.
And he looked awful.
“Oh, good grief,” Rhea said as she surveyed the mess that was Ace dressed in a PVC teddy and fishnets. The black wig on his head did nothing for his features, which were outlined in grotesque, overdone makeup. He looked like a cross between Gloria Swanson and Bozo the clown. “If Bender thought for one minute that you were a woman, I am seriously offended on behalf of every member of my gender.”
Ace turned around to see her. “You okay?”
“Her?” Joe asked disgustedly. “It’s your own ass you should be worried about, Krux.”
Still, Ace’s concern for her made her strangely weepy.
Ace’s intense blue gaze never left hers. “Before you fire me, shoot me, or hand me over to German custody, could you give me a few minutes alone with her, Joe?”
“Sure.” He walked out and shut the door.
Part of Rhea wanted to kill Ace for what he’d done. “Why did you do this, Ace?”
He frowned at her. “Don’t you know?”
“No. I can appreciate the fact that you didn’t want me hurt, but this is what I do. It’s what we do. You can’t just go off half-cocked and pull a stunt like this. What if Bender had gotten away?”
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Ace let out a tired breath. “Look, Rhea, I never wanted to feel like this about anyone. But there was no way on earth I could have stood there and let that bastard hit you. I don’t care if they lock me up for the rest of eternity, I will never allow another man to hurt the woman I love. So I figured it was either this or I kill him.”
Rhea couldn’t breathe as she heard those words. It couldn’t be true. “You don’t love me, Ace. How could you?”
He looked aghast at her. “Look at me, Rhea. Do you think anything other than love would ever have me in this godforsaken outfit?”
Tears welled in her eyes as she closed the distance between them.“Really?”
“Yes, baby, really. You’re all I’ve ever wanted.”
How could any woman ever hold that against a man? Cupping his face in her hands, Rhea kissed him soundly. She broke off the kiss a few seconds later, laughing.
“What?”
“You have no idea how confusing it is to kiss a man dressed as a woman.”
He grimaced at that. “I don’t know how you wear this stuff. The hose alone are killing me.”
Laughing, she pulled the wig off his head and unlocked the cuffs.
Ace seized her then and held her close as his tongue explored every inch of her mouth. Rhea sighed at the kiss and held him tight.
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She laughed again. “You lookso ugly as a woman.”
He joined her laughter.“Yeah. This stuff definitely looks better on you.”
The door to the room swung open.
“Ugh!” Joe snapped. “I’m blind and repulsed.”
Rhea tried to move away, but Ace held her close.
“What do you want, Joe?” he asked gruffly.
“I only wanted to remind you that this room is wired and we’re still recording everything the two of you are saying.”
“Did you hear?” Rhea asked.
“Everyword, and I have to say that in all the years I’ve known Ace, I’ve never known him to say that to another living woman, except for his mother.” He shook his head at them. “Fine, Ace. Since we got Bender, I’m going to let you off this time. But if you ever do this stunt again…”
“I know. You’ll cut off my testicles.”
Rhea laughed at Ace’s imitation of Dagmar.
“Exactly.Now as you two were. Just don’t forget you have a debriefing in an hour and a plane to catch Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
in three.” Joe started out of the room.
“Hey, Joe,” Ace called.
Joe paused.
“Thanks,bud. I owe you.”
Joe nodded,then quietly left.
Ace gave her a devilish grin. “So, we have an hour…”
Cocking her head with attitude, Rhea stepped back and seized a whip.
“What are you doing?”
She cracked the whip near him. “I want to make an honest woman of you, Ace.”
“Huh?”
“Get on your knees and propose.”
Ace laughed. “You’re not serious?”
“Are you?”
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He sobered.“Yeah. For the first time in my life, I am.” Without hesitating, he got down on his knees.