Page 89 of The Fire We Make

“And did you?”

Joy chuckled mirthlessly. “Yeah. For a little while… And then they took it away.” She said the last part on a whisper, like she was still in disbelief.

Ace eyed her. His chest felt heavy as he watched the woman beside him, so beautiful and brilliant, become dragged down by sadness. A stark contrast to the woman he’d seen less than an hour ago command the attention of the most powerful people on the east coast and beyond. His trigger finger itched to take the life of everyone who’d made her this way.

A breeze blew and wafted Joy’s scent into Ace’s nose. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and a soft growl rumbled in his throat.

“God, you smell so fucking good,” Ace murmured, his eyes closed.

Joy giggled. “Thanks,” she whispered back. She turned her gaze back to him, and the sadness that was in her glossy, low eyes a moment ago was replaced with something else.

Ace admired her openly and Joy didn’t seem to mind, doing the same to him. He took the time to appreciate every feature on her face. Cataloguing it for his dreams later. “And you’re beautiful,” he let slip.

Joy broke their eye contact, looking at her fingers in her lap. “That’s twice you’ve complimented me tonight. I must’ve really put that shit on,” she chuckled.

“I bet that usually works huh?” he asked, bringing his hand up to stroke her cheek with his thumb. He felt her lean into his touch and inwardly glowed.

“Using your charm to deflect and distract…”

That pulled another chuckle from Joy. “I’m not charming.”

“Yeah… you make jokes, you flirt, …. But it’s all just smoke and mirrors.”

Joy gulped.

“You ain’t gotta do all that with me Rose. I see you.”

Joy scoffed. “Oh yeah? And what do you see?” She held his eye contact defiantly, challenge in her gaze.

“I see a brilliant, strong woman that’s trying to hide a lot of pain and anger… and loneliness.”

She was lonely. Ace could see it in her as clearly as it was in him. Whoever hurt her, the people who took their acceptance away, they’d left her isolated and her spirit crushed. She tried to deflect and hide behind practiced poise and charm but Ace saw straight through it.

Joy’s breath hitched and he leaned closer.

“I don’t know who told you that you had to hide and perform to be accepted but I see you. And I think you’re beautiful.”

“If you really saw me, you wouldn’t say that,” Joy whispered, her voice barely audible over the sounds of the night. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears that tore at the unused organ in Ace’s chest.

He didn’t know how to refute her claim. Whatever demons she carried, he was sure his could rival them. However bad she thought she was, he was sure he was worse. Her demons didn’t scare him. He welcomed them. Maybe their demons could hold hands and sit for a while.

Instead of speaking, Ace gripped her by the chin and pulled her closer. Closing the distance between them, he lowered his lips to hers claiming them in a kiss he’d been thinking of for weeks. Joy immediately reciprocated, bringing her arms up to wrap around his neck.

Their lips synchronized, moving together in tandem as they tasted each other and shared air.

Ace flicked his tongue out, teasing the seam of her lips and filled his hands with Joy’s full hips. He tasted the champagne on her tongue mixed with the almond cake and her and he wanted more.

The taste of her. The scent of her so close.

They intoxicated him and when Joy moaned out her pleasure, Ace swallowed them.

In true Joy fashion, she only allowed him to lead for so long. Somehow, she ended up guiding the kiss and Ace happily went along for the ride she wanted to take him on. He moved his grip from her hips to her ass, hoisting her up into his lap.

That was a mistake.

Her dress bunched up around her thighs, baring more skin for Ace to caress while their lips continued to dance.

Their centers were aligned and Ace could feel the heat of her core against him. When she began a slow grind in his lap, Ace groaned, the sound seeming to only spur her on. Her pussy dragged across the erection straining his zipper, the delicious friction and heat making Ace warm all over despite the nippy air around them.