Page 2 of The Riders’ Reign

“I understand that.”

Impatience crawls over me. All I keep hearing about is how on the straight and narrow Jack is in so many ways, but he’s not. I know what he did to me in the clubhouse, and during our mutual masturbation session, and I am so close to blurting it out to Ace.

Your hero finger fucked me in the clubhouse then sneaked away like a thief in the night.

“I'm not sure you do understand.” Ace taps the edge of his can with one finger. “I think you are head over heels for the prez, which means you're not being realistic when it comes to how you view him.”

“So, it’s hopeless?” I sigh.

“Nah. You want that man, and I think you're a girl who gets what she wants.” He grins cheekily at me.

My eyes widen a little in shock at his words. Does he think I’ve somehow trapped him, Rook, and Ghost into doing what I want?

“Camile, my gorgeous girl, that's not a criticism. Getting what you want in this world is a good thing. I just think you know how to twist a man around your finger. Hell, you’ve got three of us there right now.”

I shift uncomfortably at his words, because he’s not wrong, is he? I have wrapped them all around my little finger. All of them except Jack, that is. And now I want him there, too.

“Does that make me a bad person?” My voice is small.

“Hell, no. I’m only saying you might have more of a challenge with the prez, is all. In the end, you’ll win out. You just need patience.”

His face grows serious, and I sit up a little straighter, sure he’s about to say something I’m going to hate.

“The thing is, Camile, if you get him—if we get him—will it break him? Maybe he’ll choose to join us, but then what if he finds it hard to look at himself in the mirror each day?”

I nibble at a piece of dry skin on my lower lip. “Perhaps I'm just a foolish romantic, but I believe if you really love someone, it can overcome all kinds of odds.”

I’m aware I’m talking about love in reference to Jack, and it feels like such a huge word to bandy around, especially when I’ve already told both Ace and Rook that I love them.

Ace sighs. “Just ignore me,” he says. “I get freaked out.”

“What about?”

“The same old worry I always have, that if he does decide to claim you, but makes you choose, he’ll win. I’ll lose you.”

His mouth twists, and I’m up and out of my seat before I have time to think. My arms go around his neck, and I bury my nose in the spot where throat meets collarbone. His scent is so healing to me. Ace is like home.

Something profound hits me.

I pull back to look in his face. “You said earlier that we were like family, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, family doesn’t let go that easily. And, Ace, I think you were the one who decided I was your family from the very beginning.”

“From the minute I saw you,” he affirms with a quiet whisper.

Some people might say that’s crazy, but it’s just pure Ace. Impetuous, and driven by his emotions, but with a heart as deep as the ocean.

I smile. “See? There’s no way I would ever turn my back on that, not for anyone.” My smile grows cheeky and I wink at him. “And as you say, I can be very persuasive, and you can be even more persuasive. We’ll win him over, and we won’t break him when we do. We’ll heal him.”

I’m convinced of that.

Ace doesn’t look quite so sure, but he returns my smile anyway, and I get the same flutter I always do when I stare at him too long.

He’s like the sun, too bright to look at for any length of time.

I lean forward and kiss him before I can stop myself. He groans into the kiss and deepens it, our tongues tangling. I shift on his lap, wanting more, always wanting more with him, even though I’m still a little sore from being with the three of them not so long ago.