Ace (Men of Rapture #2) Read online

  Ace

  Men of Rapture

  Book Two

  Faye Byrd

  Edited by Christine V.

  Cover Image from ©prometeus - Can Stock Photo Inc.

  Beta Read by Ceara Therrien and Cheryl Edmonds

  Copyright 2019 ©Faye Byrd

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the author.

  All trademark references mentioned in this book, including movies, movie characters or television shows, are the property of the respective copyright holders and trademark owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE Blast From the Past

  CHAPTER TWO Catching Up

  CHAPTER THREE Who I Am

  CHAPTER FOUR Finally

  CHAPTER FIVE The Past is the Past

  CHAPTER SIX The Past is the Present

  CHAPTER SEVEN Mommy Issues

  CHAPTER EIGHT Sloshed

  CHAPTER NINE Not Today

  CHAPTER TEN Elderly Wisdom

  CHAPTER ELEVEN Therapy

  CHAPTER TWELVE Fourteen

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN Progress

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN Summer Heat

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN Us

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN Epiphany

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Whole Again

  BOOKS BY FAYE BYRD

  CHAPTER ONE

  Blast From the Past

  “Ace?” a feminine voice calls, drawing my attention from Alyssa, who’s come to Rapture looking for Rush.

  I turn, my eyes widening as I spot the woman. “Rowan?” Overcome with an unusual urge, I wrap my arms around her and take a deep inhale of her sweet coconut smell. “Jesus Christ, it’s been ages,” I say, pulling away to get a good look at her.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting.” She glances past me, but I can’t take my eyes off her.

  “Not at all,” Alyssa says from behind me. “Ace and I were just talking about a mutual friend.”

  “See that table right there?” I point to one close by so I can keep my eye on her. “How about you grab a stool, and I’ll be right over with a pitcher? We have some catching up to do.”

  She licks her plump lips, and my dick twitches. “Sure thing.”

  I watch her fine ass until she slips onto the stool before returning my eyes to Alyssa. “Holy shit,” I say, my eyes wide as saucers. “I haven’t seen that chick since high school.”

  “An old girlfriend?” Alyssa lifts a curious brow.

  I shrug, not sure that’s the right word. “Eh, more like a summer fling, but it had potential. She moved away just before school restarted.”

  “Looks like you have a second chance,” she responds as I spare another glance at Rowan. “No point wasting time with me.”

  My gaze snaps to Alyssa, and I grab my chest, wounded. “You don’t pull any punches, huh?”

  She takes a swig of her beer. “I call ‘em like I see ‘em.”

  “Damn right you do.” I stick out my hand, other priorities calling my name. “It was nice to meet you, Alyssa. When you do catch up with Rush, tell him I owe him an ass whoopin’ for disappearing like this.”

  “I sure will.” She nods, giggling. “After I give him my own earful, that is.”

  “No fucking doubt.” I give her a thumbs-up.

  As I strut toward Rowan, I shake out my sandy blond shoulder-length hair, giving myself a pep talk. That strange sensation from earlier vibrates through me, and it isn’t a bad one, just new. Life’s been feeling more and more like it’s missing something, and my recent encounters have left me emptier than usual, but right now, I feel a spark.

  Seeing her has lit a spark.

  My heart thumps in my chest as I whip out a stool and slip onto it as smoothly as possible. “Wow,” I say, propping my elbow on the table. “It’s been years.”

  “Many,” she responds with a cute smile. “I’d say I’m surprised to find you still here, but I’m not.”

  I shrug, memories from summer fifteen years ago running through my mind. “I’m doing what I always knew I would.” A pang develops in my chest, but I push it down. “Things didn’t quite go how I thought, though.”

  Her smile falls, and she reaches over and places her hand over mine. “I heard. I’m so sorry.”

  I tilt my head, confused, while also enjoying the feel of her soft skin against mine, paint stains and all. “You heard?”

  She glances away, looking uncomfortable. “I stopped by your house and spoke with your mom.”

  “What?” I breathe, surprised she went to such lengths to find me.

  Don’t get me wrong. We were tied at the hip for a whole summer back in the day, but I haven’t seen her since. Two days before the beginning of senior year, sophomore for her, she stopped by to inform me that her grandfather had become ill and her family was moving to Boston so her mother could help her grandmother. It sucked, but we were young and not looking too far into the future anyway. We said our goodbyes, with a few tears on her part, and that was that.

  Her eyes fall to our hands, and she slips her fingers around to hold my mine. “I’ve missed you. And besides …” She pauses, swallowing. “We have unfinished business.”

  “Oh?” I chuckle, leaning closer. “And what might that be?”

  Before she can respond, Melissa interrupts with a pitcher and a couple mugs. I pull back to give her space to set everything down, and it already feels like I’m too far away. I don’t know what kind of spell Rowan’s weaving over me, but I can’t say I don’t like it. It feels pretty damn good.

  Fresh. New. Exciting.

  I smirk as I wave off Melissa and lift the pitcher to pour us each a glass of stout. “To unfinished business,” I say, lifting one of the mugs. “May it be productive.”

  She lifts hers and clinks it against mine. “Ditto.”

  As she takes her first sip, her nose scrunches at the taste, and her eyes hypnotize me with their beauty. If mine are the sky on a bright sunny day, hers are the shallows of the ocean, clear and light green. Long red curls hang down her back in tight spirals, as opposed to the chaotic frizz she used to keep bound in a rubber band, and her skin is as creamy as it’s always been. I don’t know what I did to earn her visit, but she’s more beautiful now than I ever imagined she’d become, and I’m delighted to see where this might go.

  “So, how long have you been back?” I ask after downing half a glass of liquid courage. I’m off my game tonight, but her appearing is the best thing that’s happened to me in a long-ass time.

  “I’m not back, technically,” she responds, licking her lips as she sets down her glass and moves it to the side. “I think I’ll pass on the beer. I’m not really into the whole craft thing. Do they have wine here?”

  “They do.” I whistle, catching Melissa’s attention and waving her over. “What would you like?”

  “A Chardonnay would be lovely.” She’s so damn breathtaking, sitting there looking unsure and timid, like she doesn’t belong here in this grungy bar.

  “Can I get ya something, sugar?” Melissa pauses at our table on the way to the bar.

  “The lady would like a glass of Chardonnay.” I motion to Rowan. “Maybe just bring the bottle.”

  “Sure thing.” She gives Rowan a quick smile before heading toward Niko.

  “So what does technically mean?” I ask casually before I down the rest of my stout and pull her glass over to finish off. “Are you coming back?”

>   “Yes,” she answers, her eyes lighting up as Melissa sets a long-stemmed glass in front of her and leaves the bottle on the table. Rowan takes a sip, humming. “I’m here to look for an apartment this weekend, though I’m not moving back for another couple of months.”

  “From Boston?”

  “You remember.” She smiles wistfully.

  “Of course I remember,” I say, setting her empty mug on the table. “We had a great summer, if I do say so myself, and I missed you after you left.”

  She looks to the side, blocking her eyes from view, and takes a deep breath before turning back my way with a cynical expression. “We were dumb kids.”

  “Hey,” I murmur, reaching over and taking her hand. “What’s that all about? We were amazing kids.”

  She brushes me off, taking her hand from mine and lifting her wine to take a long swallow. After emptying the glass, she sets it down and grabs the bottle of Chardonnay. “Maybe we were,” she finally says, shrugging. “Maybe we should’ve been better. I don’t know, but we’re not kids anymore, are we?”

  “Damn straight.” I lift my newly refilled mug in the air. “To adults.”

  She tilts her head, taking a sip of her wine. “May they be wiser than their younger counterparts.”

  “That’s a given for me,” I say, shaking my head. “I had to grow up pretty damn quickly when Pop passed.”

  “How old were you?”

  “I’d just turned twenty-one.” I pause, pushing down the hurt that always comes when I think of him. “He had a massive heart attack in the middle of installing a motor in a ’57 Chevy Truck. It was a gift for me. I was supposed to graduate community college with an Associate’s Degree in Business Management the following month, so he wanted to have it ready by the time I took my official place in the family business. As you can imagine, that degree took a little longer to obtain.” I shake my head, annoyed that I’ve allowed the conversation to veer off this way. “Anyway, enough about me. I want to hear about you. What kind of work do you do? Did you go to college? Are you single?”

  A sweet giggle bursts from her pretty red lips, and the entire atmosphere around us brightens. “I am,” she replies, batting her long lashes excessively. “And yourself?”

  “Free as a bird.” I smirk, lifting my mug. “To consenting adults.”

  Her eyes burn into me as she lifts her glass. “To one too many toasts.”

  “Touché.” I chuckle, tilting my head. “So what brings you here, then?” I set down my mug. “Here. To Rapture. Looking for me.”

  “I …” She takes another sip of her wine. “I wanted to reconnect with old friends before I made the move back.”

  “And was I the first to come to mind?”

  “Maybe,” she says coyly, her clear green eyes hypnotizing. “Or maybe I was most eager to see how you turned out.”

  I swallow, caught up in her stare. My breaths are choppy and my lips are dry as I sit and desperately wait for her to sum up the past fifteen years. “And?”

  One minute, I’m sitting in Rapture, hanging on her every word, and the next, we’re in the parking lot with her pressed against my truck. In the far back corner, the lighting is nonexistent and the city sounds drown out our mutual moans. Her curves are supple beneath my fingertips, and she tastes like sin and heaven all wrapped in one tight package.

  She lifts her foot and hooks her high heel around my calf, urging me to step closer, to fill the empty space between her thighs, and I oblige. We’re both eager and desperate, thrusting our tongues deep into each other’s mouths while our hands roam, constantly seeking skin. Her shirt used to be tucked neatly into the waist of her short pleated skirt, but now it hangs loose with only three buttons left clasped.

  She slips her fingers beneath my T-shirt, and her nails dig into my sides, eliciting a feral growl. Damn. I pull back, breaths heavy, and dig into my pocket, retrieving the key FOB. With a flash of lights and a beep of the horn, the doors are unlocked. I reach for the handle, and she jumps into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist. Our tongues clash again, and my fingers work to pull open the back door of my satin steel, four-door Silverado.

  “Ace,” she pants, her nails scratching against my scalp. “Hurry.” Her voice is a raspy whisper, and I’m a fumbling mess, unable to get the door open fast enough.

  “Fuck, Ro,” I curse, frustrated with my own inability to function. I stop all movement, pressing my forehead against hers. “Give me a minute.” Very deliberately, I hook my fingers on the handle and pull, blowing a breath of relief when the door clicks open.

  “Finally,” she sighs, snaking out her tongue and tracing it along my earlobe. “Let’s get inside, baby.”

  Shit.

  I’m not sure we’re doing the right thing, but at the same time, I don’t have the willpower to stop and question her. I’m more turned on tonight than I have been in a long time, and I want this. Her. I want it badly. I just hope we don’t regret it tomorrow.

  Feeling emboldened by her urgency, I take her hand and pull her into the back seat of my truck. It’s a large, roomy space, but she isn’t taking advantage of that aspect. She’s all over me. Her hands are reaching and pulling, tugging my tee up and over my head. The frenzy returns, and we’re a mess of teeth and lips and tongues and hands. Clothes get pushed aside or completely removed, and the world outside this truck disappears.

  Her lips close around my dick, and I nearly weep at how fucking fantastic it feels. This isn’t the fumblings of a couple of inexperienced teenagers screwing away their summer. This is the expertise of a grown woman as she brings a man to his knees. My eyes fall closed, and my fingers grasp her hair, unsure whether I want her to cease all movement or continue to torture me ever so slowly. Tighter and tighter I grip as momentum builds, and I thrust my hips to send my dick slipping farther down her throat.

  “Damn it,” I growl, attempting to pull her away, but she’s having none of it.

  She twirls her tongue around the head of my dick, sending me spiraling into spasm after spasm of orgasmic bliss. For a single moment, it feels like I’m floating on a cloud sent straight from heaven, but the inevitable fall comes quickly as she sits up and wipes her mouth with a cheeky smirk.

  “This isn’t over,” I grumble, cupping her nape and yanking her lips to mine.

  She tastes just like before with a touch of musk, but that’s me, and there couldn’t be a bigger turn-on. I growl into her mouth as I grip her thighs and flip her to her back. Her skirt hikes to her ass, and I don’t waste a second before I grip her thong and remove the flimsy lace with a single tug.

  “Ace,” she moans.

  The breathy quality of her voice causes my returning hard-on to throb as it grows thicker. I’m careful with her shirt buttons, mindful that she still has to be seen in public and eager to reacquaint myself with this more fully developed version of her chest.

  Jesus.

  Freckles still dot her creamy white skin, and fire still graces her pubic bone. My mouth waters, but I’m somehow still aware of where we are and how I hope to have her over and over in the future. I run two fingers through her soaking pussy, circling her clit, and down to slip inside. Her thighs clench and I pull back, too eager to wait any longer.

  “Condom,” she murmurs, her fingers tweaking her pert nipples.

  “Shit.” I snag my wallet. “Sorry.”

  Her eyes follow my every movement, and her body shifts and arches and practically quivers in anticipation. My arm shakes as I perch over her and stare into her sea-green gaze. I guide my dick through her wetness and thrust inside, driving myself deep.

  “Ugh,” I grunt as I settle between her thighs.

  She locks her fingers on my shoulders, her nails digging in. “Fuck me, Ace,” she whispers, and hot damn, it’s on.

  Drawing my hips back, I slam into her. Again and again and again. My lips attack hers as I seek to dominate her in every way. My tongue battles while my dick thrusts deep, over and over, steady and fast, pushing her hig
her and higher. Her hands are locked onto my arms and her body has gone rigid. She’s teetering on the precipice, and with three strong thrusts, I send her scattering into the wind.

  She’s beautiful as she comes undone beneath me. Her lips are slightly parted as low, sensual moans escape. Her beautiful eyes are closed, and her long lashes cast shadows across her sex-tinted cheeks. A light bead of sweat runs across her brow. Her back is arched as she pulses around me, causing my abdomen to tighten until I’m exploding once again.

  “Rowan,” I growl, burying myself as deep as I can.

  I’m not sure how long it is, but the next thing I know, we’re both sitting up and she’s straightening her clothes. As she finishes the last button on her shirt, she leans over and kisses my cheek.

  “Thanks, Ace,” she says, winking. “That was amazing.”

  I’m still too stupefied to respond, and by the time I realize what’s happening, she’s already out of the truck. With a little wave, she’s off across the parking lot and out of my sight. By the time I’m in the right frame of mind to chase after her, Skunk informs me she’s already grabbed a cab.

  Crap!

  I didn’t even get her number.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Catching Up

  Disappointed I let Rowan escape with barely a goodbye and nothing to show she was ever there at all, I go home. I don’t have a phone number, the name of her hotel, how long she’s in town for, or when she’s moving back. All I have are generals like for the weekend and in a couple of months. It all feels almost like a dream as I lie awake in bed, restless.

  I wake the next day, hoping like crazy she’ll seek me out before leaving town, but it’s to no avail. She disappears as quickly as she appeared. The days pass, and I start to feel like it was nothing, that it meant nothing, but that ache deep in my gut convinces me that it was—it is—something.

  I will see her again.

  The days turn into weeks, and I put my nose to the ground, ignoring everything around me. Niko texts me twice to let me know Rush has finally crawled out from whatever rock he’s been hiding under, and I don’t even have it in me to go kick his ass. That’s how fucked I am over Rowan and her disappearing act.