6. Sheri
6
SHERI
I look at the time on my cell phone for the millionth time in the two hours since Ace left and sigh.
Sleep is the furthest thing from my mind right now. My body is humming with desire, hot and heavy from two simple kisses. That’s it. Kisses. Well, to be fair, they weren’t actually just “simple kisses”. They shifted the axis of my world and got my hormones careening around like an F1 car on race day.
They also have my mind in complete disarray.
A zillion jumbled thoughts zoom around my brain, all vying for attention as I try to figure out what comes next, the implications of tonight’s revelations, and how we’re going to navigate the minefield of a relationship under the radar.
Since we never got a chance to talk about things this evening, I didn’t tell Ace how I feel about sharing our news with the team. That I’m terrified history will repeat itself. And I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that losing the guys would cripple me emotionally.
Rolling onto my side, sighing yet again, I briefly consider hauling out my trusty vibrator. Weirdly enough, the idea of getting myself off with it doesn’t appeal. I crave Ace’s touch. Since that isn’t going to happen tonight, I reach for my E-reader instead. It’s going to be a while before I can sleep, so I may as well get some reading done.
I give myself over to the pleasure of reading, immersing myself in the story, and before I know it, it’s three thirty, I’m bleary-eyed and only have three hours left before my alarm goes off. Turning the light out, I snuggle down and close my eyes, praying sleep will come quickly.
Apparently it does, because what feels like only five minutes later the harsh jangle of my alarm rudely yanks me out of a very tantalizing dream. One involving Ace, me, and some quality alone time. A girl can dream, right?
As always with Luke and James, it’s a little chaotic getting through the morning routine and trying to get them out the door. But eventually we hit the road, and I drop them off at school. I’m halfway back home when my cell phone rings.
Using the handsfree system in my car, I answer the call.
“Hey, Sheri, it’s Merlin. Just checking in to see how you’re all doing?”
We chat for a bit, catching up.
“So, I also wanted to let you know the team’ll be heading out in a couple of hours.”
As always, my stomach knots at the single phrase. Like it has ever since the day Maverick joined the SEALs. I won’t sleep easy until they’re all back home safely. Especially now, with how things have changed between Ace and me in the last twenty-four hours.
“Be safe out there. Come home to us, you hear? All of you. Safe and in one piece. Tell Leila I’ll give her a call later. And remember, I love you guys.”
“Yeah, I’ll tell her. Love you too. See you on the flip side.”
The call with Merlin is barely over when my phone rings again. This time, I have a feeling it’s Ace. Connecting the call, I discover I’m right,
“Hey, gorgeous. How are you?” My heart beats a little harder simply hearing his voice.
“Hi there, handsome. All good, just on my way home from dropping the boys off.”
“So, um — I have some bad news about this weekend.”
“Yeah, I figured. Merlin called to say you guys were headed out in a couple of hours.”
“That’s another reason I was calling. I was hoping I could stop by for a bit before I have to gear up and head out.”
This time, the treacherous little organ skips a couple of beats. The warm and smooth tones of his voice washes over me, making me feel like I’m his sole focus in this moment. A delicious feeling to be sure, having been on my own for so long. I miss that — being the sole focus of a man’s attention.
“Sure, that would be wonderful.”
“Have you eaten yet?” I frown. Not exactly a question I was expecting.
“No, not yet. In fact, I was going to grab something now when I get home. Why?”
“I’ll pick something up on my way over then. I like the idea of eating breakfast with you.” His voice drops an octave, and my ovaries drop right alongside. “See you in a bit.” And with that, he hangs up.
I’ve barely parked my car in the garage when I’m scrambling into the house to freshen up for my visit. I look like every other mom doing the early morning school run, in their sweats and a T-shirt, and I want to look a little nicer than that for Ace.
When I’m done, I dash downstairs to tidy the kitchen before putting on a fresh pot of coffee in anticipation of his visit. Everything done, I take a seat at the breakfast table to wait, absurdly nervous about his visit.
I mean, this is Ace. I’ve known him for years. It’s silly to be so ridiculously jittery.
My body jerks at the unexpected peal of the doorbell, loud in the silence. Smoothing my top out, I take a deep breath and go over to the front door. Pretty sure it’s Ace, I check the security peephole anyway. Something Mav drilled into me many years ago.
Ace simply stares at me, not moving a muscle. Watching a smile spread across his face, I have such a physical reaction to it I have to squeeze my legs together and hope he doesn’t notice. That beautiful smile reflected in his eyes, his warm gaze gives me a thorough once-over.
“You look amazing,” he finally says, his voice husky.
Unbelievably, I feel a blush heat my cheeks. Good Lord, I can’t remember the last time I blushed. At my age, a widow and mom, I’m reacting like some untried schoolgirl.
“Thank you,” is all I manage, stepping back to allow him to pass.
I close the door, and when I turn back toward Ace, he steps into my personal space, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me into him; our food neatly placed on the floor beside him. His gaze has turned intense as he looks into my eyes, as if searching for an answer to an unasked question.
Without a word, he leans in and gifts me with another one of those toe-curling kisses from yesterday. But it’s over before I’m ready for it to be.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” Ace murmurs. He takes a deep breath. “Before the pastries spoil, let’s eat, shall we?” he says, not making any move to let me go.
Unable to bite back a mewl of disappointment, I feel myself blush all over again. Clapping my hands over my heated cheeks, I nod and make to move past him. But Ace tightens his arms around me.
“Don’t be embarrassed. You’re not alone in feeling that way. I’m trying desperately hard not to throw you down on your sofa and have at you like some unschooled savage.”
I’m a little taken aback by his words. They’re not exactly what I’d expected him to say, but my body, apparently, is one hundred percent on board with being thrown on the sofa and savaged.
“And if I didn’t object to that?”
In the process of reaching for my hand, Ace stops, and his eyes shoot up to mine. For long moments, he does nothing more than stare at me. I’d pay good money to know what he’s thinking as the silence between us stretches.
“Babe ...” He stops. Clears his throat. “Sher, I want you like nobody ever before. I ache for you. So be very careful how you answer this question. Okay?”
I nod, nervous at what he’s about to ask, but almost sure I know what it’s going to be.
“As much as I want you — need you — I don’t want to rush you into anything. So, we have two options. We can go into the kitchen and share breakfast together, spend some time talking before I have to leave.”
“Or?”
“Or I can put the food in the kitchen, you can take me up to your bedroom, and I can do what I threatened to do to you on the sofa.”
Ace’s words hang in the silence that follows, as he gives me time to process them.
Except, I don’t need to. Everything in me clamors for option number two. Food be damned. There’ll be time to eat later. Right now, in this moment, I want to be with Ace in a very biblical way. My body demands it, and my heart begs for it.
“You. I choose you. The food can wait.”
“Yeah?” The hope in his voice is humbling.
“Yeah. One hundred percent, yes.”
Gently, almost carefully, Ace takes my hand in his. He leads me over to the kitchen, where he puts the bag with our breakfast down on the counter, before leading me over to the stairs. Once again, he stops.
“Last chance, babe. If you’re going to back out, now’s the time to do so. You place a foot on that first step and there’s no going back.”
Feeling slightly hysterical, but still all-in, a ridiculous silliness comes over me and, before I can think better of it, I hear myself blurt out, “Last one to the bedroom is a slow poke.” And with that, I dash up the stairs, slightly winded by the time I reach the top. Yeah, I’m definitely not as fit as I used to be.
I hear Ace’s throaty laugh from behind me. “Ready or not, here I come,” he says through his laughter. That’s when I realize he let me win. I mean, come on. The man’s a lean, mean, fighting machine at peak physical fitness.
That’s also when I realize I’m about to get naked in front of this sculpted Adonis. I, however, am far from fit or sculpted. I’m a woman in my thirties, with two children to my credit and a body that shows that.
Ace comes to a stop in front of me where I’m standing at the foot of my bed. I’m guessing my face says far more than I wish it would.
“Hey now. You okay? What’s with the sad face?” Damn perceptive man. My hands clasped, I unconsciously pick at a thumbnail. His smile fades. “You having second thoughts? I promise I won’t be mad if you are. Disappointed, sure, but not mad. Okay?”
I nod, touched by his sweet words. “Not second thoughts, per se,” I reply. “More regrets than doubt.”
“Regrets? About what, babe?”
I hesitate for a second, about to make myself vulnerable to this man. “Circuitous route to get here, but the bottom line is, I’m not a young girl in the first bloom of womanhood anymore. I’m a thirty-something woman, who was comfortable in my marriage. I’ve had two kids...” My words falter, and I can’t maintain eye contact.
After a beat of silence, obviously waiting for me to continue, Ace says, “Sherilynn Henderson, look at me.” He waits for me to comply. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me. I love that you’re soft to my hard. That you have curves in all the right places. And that luscious ass? Damn thing gets me hard, every single damn time I get an eyeful.
“You’re beautiful just the way you are. You’ve grown two humans inside of you. Give yourself a break. Besides, you’re perfect in my eyes, and frankly that’s all; that’s the only opinion here that matters to me. So, at the risk of sounding crass, get naked so I can appreciate all the gloriousness that’s you, gorgeous.”
Tears well at his words. Without a word, I do as I’m told, feeling somewhat better but still self-conscious as my clothes come off. Until I’m standing fully naked in front of him. Ace takes my hand and guides me into a twirl. His low whistle of appreciation has me blushing for the umpteenth time but feeling scads better about being bare-ass nude as the day I was born.
Coming to a stop facing him again, I relax at the heated look he gives me. “Hot, with a capital H, babe. I repeat, absolutely perfect. Now, hop up onto that comfy-looking bed and let me do what I’ve been dying to do since forever.”
Nodding, I scramble rather gracelessly up onto my bed with bated breath.