▪️Ace▪️ Ace snapped out of a dirty fantasy of Emily—dressed all in black, stalking into the bedroom where he lay naked—to stare openmouthed at Simone . It took guts to admit that, and he darted a glance at Emily to gauge her reaction, but as usual the woman remained a blank canvas. “Go ahead.” “I looked at Ace as an enemy instead of someone who could help, and I listened to gossip instead of giving him a chance to prove himself. I’ve always felt a little isolated here—I haven’t made any real friends with anyone on staff, so I talked myself into disliking him on sight, instead of welcoming him.” “And now?” Emily fixed Simone with that dark, penetrating stare. “You’ve miraculously changed your mind?” “No. Not miraculously. I already knew his ideas were good and that you were impressed with him. So when Tim contacted me and I mentioned Ace had joined the firm and that he’d worked on Croft's yacht, he fed me his version of the story about Ace’s tenur
▪️Ace▪️ “Well, now at least she has a reason.” Ace kissed her neck. “I always had a reason. Not interested being the main one. Now I have a better one.” “Excuse me?” Ace huffed and pulled away from her, outrage dancing in his eyes. “Better? I’m not just better. I’m the best.” “You tell ’em, honey.” Ruth's eyes twinkled behind her purple glasses. “Okay, okay.” Emily patted Ace's cheek. “The best. Is that better?” “No. You’ll have to make it up to me.” His lips curved up in a smile of such wicked sensuality, Emily grew dizzy. Ace leaned in. “Easy, now.” She blinked and rubbed her face. “Let’s take the dog out. Ruth, eat your food before it grows cold.” She turned on her heel and strode away to pick up the leash. Still snickering like a fool,Ace followed her. When they were out on the street, Ace took her hand. “Don’t tell me you’re really mad at me over a little teasing.” Without answering, Emily walked down the block wi
▪️ Emily▪️ Emily kissed him softly, then, as always when she touched Ace, with increasing hunger. “You don’t have to worry about that anymore. You’re not alone.” “Never.” Ace's mouth opened under his, and Emily tangled her hands in Ace's hair and pushed him down on the couch. Golden eyes glittered, and his breath came in short, hard pants. “I need you.” Emily's heart swelled. Just as she was about to pull off his tie, the buzzer rang. “Shit. Dinner.” Mason licked his lips. “I can wait. Just get it, and we’ll eat later.”Emily hit the buzzer, not even waiting for the doorman. “Send them up, Roland.” “Okay, Jude.” Smoothing her hair, Jude waited by the door. The moment the bell rang, Emily opened it, expecting the delivery man to hand her the bag, but it wasn’t their dinner. A tall woman with silvery hair and piercing gray eyes gave her a slight smile. “Emily?” The British accent sounded somewhat familiar.“Yes? Who’re you?” “I’m Taylor Croft.
“What?” Ace repeated stupidly, although he’d heard Taylor's words clearly. “Work for you? You’re kidding, right?” “Do I sound like I’m kidding? Have you ever known me to joke where business is concerned?” Hmm. The woman had a point. Taylor Croft didn’t throw words around lightly, but Ace had no idea how to respond without offending her. Taylor had left her yacht, something she’d sworn to never do, to come around the world simply to check on him. Ace might not love her, but Taylor would always be an important part of his life, and Emily would have to understand. “No.” Checking on Emily, Ace hated that cold, blank expression that had settled over her face. She’d thrown up that damn shield, as if expecting to be disappointed. “You know I wanted to come home to be with my family. And you couldn’t know this, but Liam's hurt, and I can’t leave him now.” He sketched out the facts of the accident. Taylor's face was etched with concern. “Do you need my help? I
▪️Ace▪️ “Thank you. And I’ve missed you as well, as a good friend. It’s difficult enough to find people to trust, as I’m learning the hard way.” Taylor listened to his retelling of what happened with Simone, leading up to the events of the day. Taylor remained quiet, but her eyes flashed dangerously, and Ace saw that other side of Taylor. A woman who was used to getting what she wanted and damn those who stood in his way. “Watch your back around that woman. People don’t change overnight. I’d be wary.” “I know. But I think we’ll be fine. He knows where I stand.” “And Emily? Where do you stand with her? That’s my concern. You deserve someone who will let your spirit be free.” “Right by her side. I love her. See, here’s the thing about Emily. As closed off and unapproachable as she seems to you and everyone else, that’s how open and loving she is with me. It’s always been there, that current in the air between us. Me, pushing her buttons to g
▪️Ace▪️ “A character,” Ace murmured. “Her name’s Ruth. Emily and I help her out since she lives alone. But don’t you dare say she can’t take care of herself.” “Ruth, what’s wrong? What do you need help with?” Emily asked as they approached. “Let it wait a moment.” She waved at Emily and directed her gaze toward Taylor. “Who is this handsome she devil?” “Ruth, meet Taylor Croft. Taylor, this is the one and only Ruth Edith.” Taylor lifted her hand and kissed it. “Absolutely enchanted, madam.” “Aren’t you a charmer? I was always a sucker for a British accent. Come inside. We can have some tea.” “The ladies left already?” He couldn’t imagine Taylor enjoying being swarmed by her friends. “Yes. Della’s daughter needed an emergency babysitter—something about her husband getting hurt playing basketball, so when she left, they all followed.” Emily held the door and swept her hand in front of her. “Might as well go inside. Whatever Ruth wants, she gets, so it’s useless to argue.” “I’m
▪️Ace▪️ Pleasure soaked through Ace. “Don’t worry. You couldn’t unless I let you. Then it might be fun. I have some ideas if you want to try later.” He pinched Emily's ass. Emily cupped his cheek, and their lips met in a hard, hungry kiss. “You bring me all the joy and life I never thought I’d have. And I can’t even imagine the grief we’re going to get from Liam and Olivia.” She groaned, and Ace shook with laughter. “I say bring it on.” Ace kissed her then, sinking into the taste of this woman, forever grateful they didn’t let old prejudices stand in their way. The sharp burst of the teakettle whistle broke them apart. “What’s taking you two so long?” Ruth called out from the dining room. “No funny business in my kitchen.” With her hair messed up from its usual precise style, lips swollen, and cheeks flushed red, Emily shut off the water, and Ace grabbed her again. Uptight had never looked so sexy. “Nothing funny about it, Ruth,” he call
▪️ Emily ▪️ Olivia wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away what was happening, but I couldn’t sit by his bedside and talk to him, with him having no memory, then call you and repeat the whole story again…I would’ve lost it.” It wasn’t until they’d come home that Olivia told her and Ace the truth—that when Liam first regained consciousness he was so befuddled, he didn’t remember her or his parents, and she’d left the hospital in tears. The next day, sitting with him, waiting and hoping for his memory to return, left her drained and exhausted, but the following afternoon, to everyone’s relief, Liam greeted her with a smile and an “I love you.” And she’d confided to Emily that she’d never seen Liam cry until she told him about the miscarriage. Like she’d done since childhood, Emily wished she could take away her pain and make it her own, but when she hugged him, she could feel her strength. She didn’t need her to fight her battles anymore; she wa
“Hey now,” Cole protested. “He offered me money and the apartment.” “Like you were going to take it. How long was he with you? Did he know you at all?” “We were kind of in the middle of an argument at the time.” “Right. But it’s been over a week.” It had. And Cole had told herself she wasn’t hoping for anything. Except she must have been. Because now she felt silly.Ellery kicked the tree moodily. “Stop feeling sorry for him. I expect he’s feeling sorry enough for himself. Or Lancaster’s found him a new whipping girl.” “Don’t.” “Sorry.” “Did you really come all the way to Kinlochbervie to say ‘I told you so’?” “No.” She pulled her hood up and disappeared into its shadows. “I came to ask if you want to live with me.”Cole nearly fell off the swing. “Live with you?”“Yeah. Thought I should move out. Do some shit with my life or something.” “What sort of shit did you have in mind?”She kicked the tree again. And then, apparently finding
Everything hurt. The hours seemed like wild horses. Dawn broke around Cole. She spent most of the day on the sofa, crying herself out of tears, watching the sky turn tauntingly through shades of silver and gold. She tried to be brave, to be strong, to be less pathetically embarrassing. But her inner Scarlett O’Hara was AWOL—tomorrow being another day seemed like scant consolation. And while she sometimes tormented herself with idle fantasies of Aiden coming back, of sweeping her into his arms, full of sorrow and declarations of eternal devotion, she knew it wasn’t going to happen. She wasn’t sure she could ever bear pain like this again. Later… later… later… Her phone bleeped. And, like a fool, she scrabbled for it, wrecked with hope and fear and hope. It was Harper: “I MOVED MY FOOT!!!!!” **** She slept and didn’t sleep, and the hours sped and sluggished by. And finally, she rang home. Hazel picked up. “What’s wrong?” she said before Cole even had a chance to speak.
Cole swayed exhaustedly where she knelt. “Well, I'm not. And I don't How many times is you going to ignore me telling you that I love you? Because I do. I really do. And you can think all these awful things about yourself if you must. But nothing—nothing, do you hear me—will make me believe them.” “You can’t love me. You don’t know me.” “You mean, because I didn’t know about this? That’s only because you lied to me about it.” He paced restlessly, up and down that pristine room. This lost creature in Aiden Crux's skin. “I didn’t lie.” “I asked you outright. In Kinlochbervie.” “No. You asked if someone had hurt me. And they haven’t.” “Oh fucking hell.” She rubbed her hands against her burning eyes. “I could have hurt you. Don’t you realize how completely fucked it feels looking back at all the times I’ve pushed you on sex stuff with no clue about what happened to you?” “Well,” he drawled, “I did warn you that I’m a cruel
Cole glanced up. “I'm not. I mean, it wasn’t fun. But I trusts you. With the worst of me, as well as the best, and all the squishy ambiguous bits in between.” “Thank you,” he said, unexpectedly grave. “I hope to always honor that trust.” “As I will for you.” He didn’t respond. “So, y’know”—Cole nudged him gently—“your turn.” It took a long time, but he did eventually speak. The words coming slowly and painfully, like razor blades from his lips. “If I tell you, you’ll know what Eleanor said about me is right. That I’m sick and twisted and I ruin everything that’s good.” “She only said that because she was angry.” He shook his head. “No, she said it because it’s true. You see, she learned who she was when she was fourteen years old.” “What happened when—wait. When your father died?” “After that. When she seduced his business partner. His best friend.” Cole genuinely had no idea what to say. To
Cole pulled off a truly Ellery-worthy eye roll. “One cigarette a month is hardly going to kill him,” she said. “Is that what he told you? And you believed him?” Natasha asked. Now that she thought about it… he did tend to reach for his cigarettes once they’d sexed. And he’d smoked after dinner. And during Star Wars. And just now in the gCole. Oh fuck. Fuuuuuck.Natasha shook her head at her. “You poor, sweet girl. You don’t know him at all, do you?” “I… I’m in love with him,” she said, her voice barely audible. “I can see why you’d believe that. Aiden can be quite dazzling when he chooses. But you don’t understand anything about who he is. Or the damage you’re doing to him.” She tried to reply, to protest, to defend herself. Defend him. Defend them. But she had nothing. Aiden had de-clawed her with his secrets. Left her powerless and alone. “You deserve better,” Natasha went on softly. “He’s using you like his cigarettes. You
“I love it when you hurt me. I love everything you do. And everything you are,” Cole said. And that was when Aiden turned and drew her into his mouth. It was the teeniest bit awkward—he even nicked her slightly with the edge of his teeth, suggesting maybe he didn’t do this all that often. He certainly hadn’t with her before. Not that she’d minded. He made her come just fine. But…wow. He could have been actively terrible and she wouldn’t have cared: Aiden Crux was sucking her pussy. No teasing. Only his tongue sliding tight round her, his mouth soft and hot and perfect.Ohfuckohfuckohfuck. She was…Aiden was… Cole turned her head into her shoulder in an effort to muffle her noises. Which were at least as loud as when he’d been torturing her nipples, and probably even less dignified. Pain was one thing. She could take pain. But she was pleasure’s bitch. Hone
His fingers closed around her through her dress and squeezed until she bucked and moaned. Some of the anguish faded from her face, the tight lines of her brow and mouth yielding to desire, and something tender she might have called hope. “Don’t move,” he whispered, as he stepped away. “Okay.” Her heart thumped as eagerly as a puppy’s tail. She loved the anticipation that came with his commands. And she loved pleasing him. Of course, her nose started itching almost immediately. But she was determined and ignored it and held still as he had told her to. Aiden circled the pillar, leaving her standing there like Andromeda. Well, Andromeda if she had a massive erection. Then he drew her hands behind her and she felt the cool brush of silk against her skin.It encircled her wrists. Pulled taut. Oh my God. His bowtie. He was bondaging her with his own bowtie. She made a noise of surprise and exciteme
He didn’t quite flinch but he got that look: the closed down, I am a million miles away from you look I knew all too well. “I’ll leave you to enjoy it.” And, with that, he…went away. Again. Cole bit down on a gasp of frustration. She wanted to kick him in the shins. He couldn’t just fix what was probably years of hurt and misunderstanding with a single, and very small, gesture. Also, the fucker had barely spent five minutes with her. But she pushed all that aside and turned her very best and sparkliest smile on Ellery. “So what happens next? Do we all die of the plague?” Ellery sneered at the room. “Mm, here’s hoping.” “Wow, that’s the last time I RSVP to an invitation from you.” “I don’t mean it.” She sighed and with the air of a small child being forced to eat Brussels sprouts added, “Thank you for coming.” “I didn’t know you played the violin.” Ellery shrugged. “I’m brilliant. When I’m not rusty.” “
“What do you look for?” Cole asked. “The thing nobody else sees,” He replied, propping his hip casually against a piece of furniture she didn’t have a name for—something ornate and impressive, probably a credenza or vitrine or whatever. “Society photography comes down to one very simple principle. Anyone can take pictures of Kate Middleton and Lady Gaga. The trick is getting a picture of Kate Middleton with Lady Gaga.” “And have you?” “Not yet. But she’s a long way from dead, and hopefully so are they.” Cole laughed. In a strange way, the woman reminded her a little bit of Aiden. The same conviction, the same merciless drive, although focused and expressed very differently. She guessed it was becoming pretty apparent she had a type.But mainly Cole was grateful. Now, when she looked across the room, she met smiles. Flashes of recognition in other people’s eyes. She knew faces and names. She could have joined some of the conversations. Instead of drifting around pathetically. Stil