Behind him, the blonde bartender caught my attention. She had a serious look on her face when she nodded toward the hallway, then headed that way.
Curious as to what she could possibly have to say to me, I followed her. “What you just walked in on was total bad timing,” she began, and I looked down at her hand still clutching the panties. She blushed and held them up. “This was a stupid bet, nothing more. Then Ace left and helped a homeless guy get a place to stay.”
Homeless guy? Ace helped a homeless guy?
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah. Guy’s name is Charlie. He came into the bar, and I was going to toss him out, but Ace bought him something to eat, then left with him to buy him clothes and a place to stay.”
I still didn’t know whether to believe her or not. “Ace Newman did that?”
“Yeah, he did. And because we’d had that stupid bet earlier, he came back here to return my panties, and he also gave me some money to check on Charlie once in a while. When you walked in, he was just messing with me, making me jump for them. But I swear, if you’d walked in two minutes earlier, it would have been him giving me money to make sure the homeless guy was taken care of.”
Digging in her back pocket, she pulled out several hundred dollar bills and a piece of paper with Ace’s phone number, an address, and “Charlie. Room 211.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask her, still staring at the paper.
She gave me a little smile. “Well, I guess because I didn’t want you to think I’m some slut who gives her panties to just anyone. I’m not, and I don’t. I’m a psych major at UCF, graduating in the spring. I bartend to make money and because it’s a good place to read people.”
“And…”
“And nothing, I guess. I just didn’t want you to misunderstand. He seems like a really nice guy underneath that slimy surface.”
I couldn’t help it, I laughed at her description.
“He was really cool with Charlie. It was really nice what he did for him. Most people wouldn’t.” She blushed. “I wouldn’t have.”
“Thank you,” I told her. “Really, I appreciate you telling me.”
She smiled what appeared to be a natural smile for the first time. “Sure. I’m going to go, uh, put my panties back on.”
I laughed, and she turned to rush into the ladies’ room while I stood there, pondering everything she just told me.
I knew there was more beneath Ace’s surface than what he let people see, even me, and I thought I’d seen more than most people did.
Smiling, I headed back to the bar while all the guys were joining Ace in a toast.
Whitney met me halfway. “What was that all about?”
I told her everything, watching her jaw sag a little more with each word. “Wow,” she finally said. “What are you going to do?”
I watched Ace laughing and tossing back another. Then my eyes flicked to Jack, who was watching me intently. He lifted his chin and gave me an it’s okay look. I sighed. I really needed to introduce him to my sister.
Ace said something and my focus was on him again. Our eyes met, and I smiled, and the look of relief that washed over his face did something deep inside of me. As foolish as it seemed, I wasn’t ready to give up on him yet, even if we never ended up together.
I was surprised when he left the guys and headed my way. He didn’t stop until we were toe to toe. “Come home with me,” he said, his eyes searching my face.
Placing my hand in his, I let him lead me out to a taxi.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ace
There were two types of weather in Florida. It was either hotter than fuck, or it was storming like hell.
When we stepped outside, lightning was flashing in the distance, the thunder chasing it almost immediately. The wind was blowing the fronds of the palm trees, whipping them nearly horizontal. We had about five minutes until this mother hit.
Correction.
We had less than a minute. I was still flagging down a taxi when the bottom fell out. Within seconds, we were soaked to the skin.
Holly was shivering when we finally made it inside a cab, so I pulled her close, giving her whatever warmth I had. It was still pounding rain when I paid the driver, and Holly and I ran inside. Her teeth were chattering in the elevator, and she was in full body shudder by the time we were inside my too cold room.
Taking her hand, I pulled her into the master suite but bypassed the bed. Instead, I pulled her into the bathroom and turned the knobs on the huge tub. Locating some bath salts the complex leaves for guests, I dumped them in, and soon, the entire room smelled like a girl.
But I didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything but keeping her safe and warm.
“Let’s get you undressed,” I told her, then took over when her trembling fingers tried to undo the button on her shorts. I slid them down her legs, taking her panties with them. Kneeling at her feet, I could smell her scent. It was so unique, it made my mouth water.
Later, I reminded myself.
When she was fully naked, I lifted her, and she sank into the water, all the way to her chin. Her hair floated around her. Damn. She was so beautiful. Like an angel with her hair swirling around her.
I undressed, watching her watch me, growing harder as desire flared in her eyes. I pulled my wallet from the back pocket of my shorts, leaving it close enough to the tub to grab a condom if one was needed.
I still wasn’t sure. Holly seemed okay, seemed to want me, but I could still read the hesitation in her gestures.
Was it because of what she’d seen at the bar? Or because of damned Jack?
Jealousy hit me again, just thinking of him touching her.
Pushing those thoughts away, I sank into the water behind her and pulled her close. My hands glided over her silky smooth skin. Her thighs. Her arms. Her neck. Her breasts. I touched every part I could reach.
“Holly, I’m sorry for—”
“Shhh,” she said, “you don’t have to explain.”
Damn tears pricked the back of my eyes, and I was glad she couldn’t see me. Nobody in my whole fucking life had accepted me the way this woman had. Well, not since my mom. For as long as I could remember, somebody wanted something from me. My dad. Coaches. Fans. Especially once I hit it big.
But not Holly.
She just kept giving herself to me. Her body, yes. But her time too. Her attention. Care.
I fisted her hair and turned her head until I could seize her lips, needing to taste her so bad it was a physical pain. She moaned and turned in my arms, kissing me back passionately while my hands explored her curves, her thighs. Her center.
She cried out when my fingers found her slit and plunged deep into her depths. Her nails dug into my arm as I forced my fingers deeper. I curled them, twisting and stroking her sensitive walls. Listening to the sounds she made was heady, knowing I was giving her such pleasure.
More. I wanted more.