“No, not TV.” Picking up my pace, I tow him the rest of the way to the bedroom. Once we reach it, I pull him over to the bed, jerk my chin at the mattress, and say, “Sit.”
Puzzlement creases his brow. “What’s going on, Yara?”
“I don’t want to sleep. Or watch TV. Or have snacks.” Reaching for the hem of my shirt, I lift it up and over my head, leaving me in one of the new lacy bras I ordered once sex with Ace became a possibility. “I want?—”
A surge of nerves steals my breath.
Ace’s gaze moves to my chest. His eyes widen. “Yara?”
“I…”Get it together. I’ve done harder things than this.
Except, is baring yourself for the very first time to the man you’re falling in love with such an easy thing? Or is it scarier than any mission?
Taking a deep breath, I start again. “I want you.”
He blinks. “Oh.”
Nervous butterflies careen wildly in my stomach. “I mean, I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to be with you. Unless… Did I read things wrong?”
Surprise jerks his features. “Read things wrong? Shit, no. Of course not.” His hand comes to my side, setting off sparks of heat across my skin. “But you’re still healing. I don’t want?—”
“You won’t.”
“But…” His lips thin. “I’m so much bigger than you. Heavier. I could hurt you.”
Bending over slightly, I wriggle my way out of my pants. Now I’m only in a sheer bra and panties that barely hide anything. “You won’t hurt me,” I reply. “My bruises are almost completely gone. All the stitches are out. And my hand—” I raise my splinted fingers for emphasis. “I don’t need to use both for this. I’d like to, but it’s not necessary.”
“Tink,” Ace breathes. His gaze sweeps up and down my body. His erection presses hard at his pants, stretching them. “Fuck. You’re so damn beautiful.”
My heart jumps nervously. “Do you want me?”
“Yes.” His pupils dilate until there’s nearly no blue left around them. “Are you sure, though? You have to tell me the second anything hurts. I mean it.”
“I will.” My hands reach for his waistband. “But you need to promise me something.”
“Okay?”
“Don’t hold back. I want to be withyou. Not a scaled-back version because you’re scared of hurting me. You won’t. Okay?”
Indecision flickers in Ace’s gaze, but only for a moment. Then he closes the distance between us and captures my mouth, kissing me hard. His hands come to my hips and he turns me so my back is to the mattress. Then he gently pushes me onto the bed, lies me down, and just stands there, looking at me.
No. Not looking. Devouring.
While he stands there, devouring me with his eyes, he yanks off his shirt and tosses it across the room. His pants follow, leaving him only in a pair of tight black briefs that cling to his muscular thighs and straining erection.
My eyes go wide as I take him in.
Since I’ve been living here, I’ve seen Ace without his shirt on, his broad shoulders and thickly muscled chest on glorious display. I know he has a dusting of golden hair across his chest that my fingers itch to touch. And I know he has a tattoo of the Blade and Arrow insignia on his left shoulder; two arrows criss-crossing over a blade.
So I already knew Ace looked good without clothes on. But with just a thin layer of fabric covering his evident desire, a damp spot showing just how excited he is…
My core clenches, feeling desperately empty and aching to be filled.
Ace pulls his briefs down, leaving himself naked before me. His erection juts towards me, long and thick and just as big as I imagined.
Ace notices my gaze lingering beneath his waist, and his lips curve up. “Do you like what you see?”
“Yes,” I reply. “But you know what I’d like even more?”
