A shaky breath passes my lips, and I find myself stroking his cheek until his smile softens.
My heart does a terrible thing, crashing around my chest as I slowly lean down. Already moving, I know there's no stoppingme now. Not allowing myself to think, to worry about if this is okay or not, I lean down to kiss him.
It's awkward positioning, but he doesn't turn away. Despite looking startled at first, it doesn't take long before I feel his fingers sliding through my hair.
Lifting onto his elbow to get closer, I shiver at the hot slide of his tongue against my lips. He lets out a low groan that he tries to keep trapped in to avoid gaining any curiosity.
Losing myself for a few minutes, I sigh against his teeth and lean into his touch.
Every time he makes contact, it always feels good. It's no wonder that I've been yearning for it so much. The more time I spend with him, the less I worry about what he does outside of this.
"Ace..." Whispering his name, I can hear it. The want and need for him. He must hear it too, because he lifts to kiss me again, taking control.
Feeling his fingers leave my hair to cup the back of my neck, there's no containing the whimper that slips through the cracks where our tongues meet.
Losing myself more and more by the passing second, I'm reaching out to cup his face, to silently ask for this to never stop. But like all good things, they have to end eventually.
Leliah's sudden clapping has us separating. Instead of breaking to look her way, we're left looking at each other.
I'm panting, slightly panicking at the realization of how right this feels. At how much I want to kiss him again and get my hands on him. I want it so badly that it hurts.
He's grinning, looking at me in a daze. A man so handsome shouldn't look so happy from a measly kiss, but here he is.
"We should get some fresh air." Suddenly sitting up, he turns. "Leliah, you like ice cream. Tell me she'll eat some. We've got a fantastic little shop that's only a few blocks out."
We've been tucked in his apartment for so long that the idea of stretching my legs has me ready to agree without even thinking.
"Yes!"
Both of us jump at the sudden agreement of Leliah's cheer. Ace looks at me with his brows lifted before getting to his feet. Unsure if he should make a deal about her being vocal, he radiates with his excitement instead.
"Sounds like a plan then." He's cheeky, moving to ruffle her hair as she gets up.
Over the last few days, she's opened up to him more. Rather than just watching him all the time, she's becoming more excited. More vocal than before. Doesn't hurt that Ace has been working to win her over, either.
He always looks so smug every time he gets a small win. I'm more surprised he doesn't pump his fist when he gets up. Instead, he swoops down to steal a peck before stretching.
I've got it pretty bad when I have to press my legs together just from the sliver of skin that shows beneath his shirt.
Ice cream is a good treat. It's cold enough to hopefully cool down this inferno that this man fills me with from doing nothing but simply being near. The kisses are the match, and every touch he sends my way is gasoline.
Is it the same for him?
"You get her ready, and then we can walk? Just give me a minute, and I'll be ready." He peels himself away, but not before squeezing my shoulder.
Nodding in agreement, I work on hunting down her socks and shoes. Thankfully, she's fully on board. Going as far as insisting on being able to put them on herself, I let her go at it. While she's shoving her feet through her socks, I'm searching for what else I could bring on a stroll to avoid any issues.
It feels like it's been an eternity since I last went on a casual walk. We'd gotten a stroller in hopes that it would encourage meto get outside more often, but with how busy my days were, I never really found time.
Wait. I'd seen that stroller rather recently, haven't I?
They'd grabbed enough to fill one of those mystery vans of theirs. While I'm sure many of them were just trying to grab whatever they could, I'm thankful to whoever grabbed her stroller. I'd seen it in passing; now I just have to find it.
Assuming it's where everything else they brought in is, I follow in Ace's direction.
Making my way to his bedroom, the room we've basically stolen from him, I walk too casually inside. It's because my guard is so lowered that I'm caught completely off guard by the sudden gun in Ace's hand.
He's in the middle of strapping it to his jeans, facing an open safe where even more weapons rest inside.
