Chapter 10 Ace
TEN
ACE
I followed Dallas as he led me through the museum, listening carefully as he talked about the exhibits, the pieces he’d acquired for the museum, the ones he loved, and the ones he hated.
His interests, it seemed, were an interesting combination of ancient and contemporary, a mix of the oldest pieces in the museum and exhibits about the recent history of Port Grandlin. As he spoke, I watched his face light up, clearly finding joy in his work.
“This piece is actually a water vessel. It’s an alpaca giving birth,” he said quietly, pointing at a very, very old pitcher encased in glass.
“That’s pretty cool,” I murmured, hesitant to raise my voice. The museum was much quieter than usual without patrons. The only noises were the sound of our shoes on the tile floor and the soft hum of our voices.
We stopped to admire the pitcher for a few moments, and as we did, Dallas took a tentative sidestep closer to me.
I was able to feel his body heat through my shirt from the press of his palm and my heart began to race.
Very gently, Dallas placed a hand on my lower back.
I swallowed hard and looked at him, offering him a reserved smile. Inside, I wanted to celebrate.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Great.”
“Good,” he whispered.
We looked for a few moments longer and as I moved to look at the next piece, his hand trailed along my back to my arm, his hand clasping mine. Nerves raced through me, excited, ready for the next thing. “What else?” I asked.
Dallas led me around the room before we stopped in front of a collection of tiny carved stones, each with a different symbol on it.
“Tell me about them?” I trained my gaze on his face, watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed and he nodded before speaking.
“They’re weights and measures. It’s not super exciting, I know, but it shows how intentional and deliberate their transactions were. It wasn’t ‘oh, you owe me some corn,’ it was ‘this is the exact amount we’re exchanging to make things fair for everyone.’ It’s significant because it—”
I couldn’t wait another second. I pulled Dallas close by the hand and pressed my mouth to his, gently but eagerly. My free hand moved to cradle the back of his neck and pull him to me.
Dallas gave a surprised inhale before tightening his grip on my hand and parting his lips.
He slid his tongue into my mouth and we were kissing, really kissing.
His opposite hand gripped the small of my back and pulled my hips flush against his and as he did, I groaned softly.
The sound must have startled him, because he broke the kiss, leaning away ever so slightly.
“I’m sorry,” I said immediately. “I hope that wasn’t—”
He shook his head, his fingers on my back tightening in my shirt. “It wasn’t. It really wasn’t.”
“Good.” A quiet, nervous chuckle escaped me. “Because I want to do it again.”
A smile spread over his face. “Me too.”
With that, he leaned in and we kissed again.
We stood there, in the near-dark of the hall of ancient history, surrounded by priceless artifacts, and kissed for a long time, lust surging through my body.
I moved my fingers up to tease his short, blond hair and he held me close, grip tightening on my shirt.
Eventually, he pulled me closer, moving both hands to rest on my lower back until our bodies were flush against one another and I could feel his growing erection between us, mirroring my own.
After a while, Dallas pulled away again, breathless. “I don’t usually…” He trailed off, leaning his forehead against mine. “I don’t usually do this on the first date.”
I smiled slowly. “Date?”
He looked down before meeting my gaze again and furrowing his brow. “Isn’t it?”
“I don’t know,” I teased. “You never asked me for a date. You asked me to dinner to discuss a project.”
“I was afraid you’d say no.”
“So you decided to trick me into a date?” I smirked at him.
Dallas’s face went red and he opened his mouth to speak, words tumbling out in a hurry. “No, not at all. I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I—”
I quieted him with a quick press of my lips to his. “It’s okay. I’m glad this is a date.”
He nodded. “Okay then.”
“Okay.” After a moment’s hesitation, I cleared my throat. An idea had formed in my mind, but I didn’t know if he’d go for it. “Let’s head back.”
“You don’t want to see the rest of the museum?”
I shook my head. “There are other things I’d like to see, actually.”
He frowned, brow creasing. “Other things? In my office?”
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me before I dipped one hand down between us to grip his belt. “Other things.”
Dallas’s eyes went wide. “Oh. Are you—I mean—here?”
“Not here here. In your office.” I dropped my voice to a low whisper and leaned in close. “If you want me to, that is.”
“Yeah,” he breathed. “Yes. Okay.”
“You sure?” I rocked my hips forward, against his.
Dallas groaned and dropped his forehead to rest on my shoulder, breath hitching before he spoke. “Very sure.”
“Lead the way.”