Page 137 of The Fire We Make

“I’m so proud of you,” Ace mumbled against Joy’s lips before kissing them again.

They laid diagonally across Ace’s bed, their limbs tangled. “We make a good team,” she beamed.

“Damn right we do,” he replied.

He didn’t pull away just lingered there, his forehead resting against hers like he didn’t have anywhere else to be.

Joy exhaled softly, her hands still braced against his chest.

Once she'd allowed herself to feel the weight of her accomplishment, she'd been on a high.

For once, she'd accomplished something that had nothing to do with her father. Nothing to do with the Cartel. Nothing to do with proving herself to people who were determined to break her.

“You were so cold in there,” Ace said, voice low and a small smile on his lips. “You tore that nigga up.”

Joy giggled. “That was the goal, wasn't it?”

"It was, but damn baby, you didn't come up off his neck until we left."

"And didn't," Joy said with a roll of her neck.

Ace chuckled.

"Did I do too much?" she asked, biting her lip as she awaited his answer.

"Nah," he pulled her closer. "You were perfect, Rose."

Joy simpered. "Okay."

They sat in silence for a few moments, Ace caressing her arms and back.

"I like it here," Joy thought out loud.

"Here with me or here in New York?" Ace asked.

"Both," she smiled. "I didn't think I would like it so much but I feel different here."

"Is different good?"

"I'm starting to think so, yes."

"Hm," he hummed.

“So what now?” Joy asked on an exhale. The past few months had been fast paced and now that Blue's case was over, she was anxious to find her next assignment.

Ace shrugged, leaning back and bringing her body down with him.

“I don’t know…” he hesitated, then continued, “things should be slowing down a little.”

Joy raised a brow. “Slowing down?”

“Yeah. No trials. No chaos. Just…” he flicked his eyes up to look at her, “…this.”

They hadn't discussed anything after the night they shared together.

Between the detective, the trial, and them tiptoeing around each other, they'd thrown themselves into work without addressing the shift in their relationship.

"And what is this?" Joy asked.