Page 186 of The Fire We Make

“Fuck,” Joy moaned as he filled her. Her eyes fluttered closed, overwhelmed by the stretch and weight of him behind her, but snapped open when Ace’s hand smacked her pussy.

“Don’t you fucking look away,” he gritted. “Look, Rose. Look how perfect you are,” he demanded. He gripped her chin and forced her to look at their joined bodies in the mirror.

Joy did as she was told and choked on a sob. The complete devotion and desire in Ace’s eyes as he rocked in and out of her confused her. To be seen wholly, in all of her madness and still desired made her want to weep.

His strokes remained slow, forcing her to feel every inch and hear every word he spoke into her skin.

“Tell me,” he demanded.

“Tell you what?” Joy whined, her hips swiveling involuntarily to meet him.

“Tell me you’re perfect.”

Joy scoffed, her eyes roamed everywhere but her reflection, but Ace’s palm coming down on her again made her attention snap back where it belonged.

“Don’t piss me off, Rose. Look at yourself and tell me how perfect you are.”

Joy opened her mouth but no words escaped.

Ace went impossibly deeper, like he thought he could push the words out with his dick.

“Say it,” he demanded, settling deep within her and staying still until she gave him what he wanted.

“I’m perfect,” Joy panted, making eye contact with herself.

“Yes you are, baby,” he encouraged, giving her shallow strokes. “Again.”

“I’m perfect.”

His strokes sped up a fraction. “Mhm. Again.”

“I’m perfect!” Joy cried, the pleasure and affirmations pulling more tears from her.

“That’s right,” Ace groaned softly in her ear. “Fucking perfect.”

“I fucking love you Joy,” he rasped, staring into her soul through the mirror. His forehead pressed lightly to her temple as he held her there.

“I’ll tell you as many times as I have to. I’ll show you as many ways as I can.”

Despite the horrors she'd inflicted, he touched her so tenderly and gazed at her so reverently, tears streamed down her face and Ace immediately wiped them away.

“I have no interest in fixing you. I want every version of you. I want it all,” he affirmed in her ear, slowing his strokes so she heard every word and felt every inch.

“You gon’ give it all to me, Rose?” he asked, speeding back up to pound into her from behind. Joy’s legs began giving out and her hand shot out to hold onto the side of the mirror.

“Yes,” she cried. “Yes, you can have it all.”

“Then let go and give it to me baby,” he coaxed.

Joy let out a shaky breath, her body finally giving in, finally letting go of the tension she’d been holding.

Later, under the steady stream of hot water, Joy stood still as Ace washed the blood from her skin.

She watched the water run red at her feet then disappear down the drain. She waited for the ache of shame to settle on her chest but it never came.

Ace rolled his eyes up to the ceiling while keeping his soothing pace of caressing Joy’s bare back.

He thought about the look on her face when Cleve had called her Lil Demon. There was anger there but also shame.