Chapter 4
Chapter Four
M aggie found a parking spot just down from Ace’s house in Buena Vista. His place was nestled between Buena Vista Park and Corona Heights Park.
The night she’d been here, she’d had a few drinks and had been so wrapped up in Ace that she hadn’t really paid much attention to his house.
Walking down the steep street, a faint, uneasy feeling welled up inside of her. It was a grown-up street, with nice, grown-up houses.
She had a crappy apartment. The same place she’d lived in since she’d gotten out of the Navy.
She paused in front of his place.
Shit . It was nice. Really nice.
It looked modern and architectural. It was covered in redwood siding, with long, sleek windows, and black, metal accents. She was sure it had cost a pretty penny.
Vander paid well, and his brother Easton was a billionaire businessman. She knew that Easton helped the Norcross guys invest, and he’d given her some pointers, too.
She looked down at her shoes. She was wearing flats and jeans.
She’d changed five times tonight, cycling through jeans, pants, a skirt, and back to jeans.
She wore her favorite dark jeans, a cute blouse, a nice, navy-blue blazer and a pretty, emerald-green scarf.
She didn’t belong in this fancy house. Maybe she should’ve dressed up, after all.
Up the set of metal stairs, the front door opened, and Ace stood there in jeans that fit his sexy body, and a tight, gray Henley. His hair was out, brushing his shoulders.
Heat pooled in her belly. She loved his hair. It was sexy as hell tied back, and even sexier loose.
“Are you just going to stand there on the sidewalk?” he asked.
She scratched her ear. “Maybe.”
“Don’t you like my place?”
“I like it too much. It’s a grown-up house.”
“I am older than you.”
She scoffed and walked up the stairs. “Yes, you’re ancient. Seven years is a huge gap, Oliveira.” She stopped in front of him.
“Hey,” he said quietly.
“Hey.”
He took her hand and pulled her inside. His feet were bare, and she found that sexy as hell.
No, no finding him sexy. She was here to discuss the baby, and that was it. Maggie couldn’t afford to get sucked back into Ace’s vortex. She had enough to deal with without dealing with a broken heart.
Her gaze dropped to his ass and she stifled a groan. She was blaming the baby hormones.
He towed her up some interior stairs. Color hit her cheeks because she remembered exactly what they’d done on that staircase.
She looked around the open plan living, dining, and kitchen areas.
The floors were a warm wood, and he had a funky-patterned, black-and-white rug under the long couch.
A wooden table was set against one wall, with the cute kitchen at the back.
It had a white island, white cabinets, some cool open shelving, and a fun, patterned, gray-tile backsplash.
But as she turned, it was the huge floor to ceiling windows and the view beyond that caught the eye.
The city sprawled down the valley and, in the distance, she saw the water. Wow .
She looked back into the living room, and her gaze snagged on the bold art on the walls.
Huge paintings hung on several walls. One was large with interesting textures that made her think of trees. Another was a wild explosion of color and shapes.
“You collect art?” she asked.
He circled the island. “You sound surprised.”
“I guess I expected you to have keyboards or monitors on the wall.”
His lips quirked. “I’m not all techie, you know.”
Oh, she knew that. She had the positive pregnancy test to prove it.
“I like collecting art.” He nodded at the colorful painting. “That’s by an up-and-coming, young, Brazilian artist.”
Maggie had a Funko Pop figure of a Star Wars Rebel pilot a friend had given her. That was about the extent of her art collection
“Drink?” He paused. “Nothing alcoholic, of course.” He had a bottle of Anchor Stream beer open.
“Sparkling water.”
“On it.”
The smell of something delicious hit her. “You’re cooking?”
“I hear more surprise in your voice, gatinha .” He poured some San Pellegrino into a glass with ice. “I can cook.”
Her uncomfortable feeling grew. She realized she didn’t really know him as well as she thought.
“I’m making caldinho de feij?o . A good, tasty Brazilian black bean soup. It’s my father’s recipe.”
Maggie sat on the stool and sipped her drink. “Your father cooks?”
“Yup . Minha m?e is very bad in the kitchen. She tries and fails miserably.” A fond smile hit his face. “We all pretend to like it.”
Maggie snorted. “My father only steps into the kitchen to mix drinks. He believes it’s a woman’s domain. My mother does all the cooking.”
Ace eyed her. “He’s traditional?”
Another snort escaped. “More like a little rigid. Women should get married and have babies.” She wrinkled her nose. “They shouldn’t join the Navy, or start their own business.”
Ace frowned. “I take it you haven’t told him that you’re pregnant?”
She shook her head. “I wanted to tell you first. Maybe come up with a plan for how I was going to deal with work and a baby.”
He reached for her hand. “I am sorry I really reacted badly.”
She sighed. “I hadn’t intended to spring it on you the way I did. It just blurted out. I’ve had a week to adjust to it, and I’ll admit I’m still a bit freaked out.”
“But you want the baby?”
She nodded, throat tight.
“I never thought much about kids,” he said. “Mostly had nothing to do with them, except distant kids of cousins.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure I’m a good option for a dad.”
There was something in his eyes. A real pain. What the hell was he talking about? Ace was a smart, decent guy.
“And you really want this baby, Maggie?”
She swallowed and looked at his serious face. “Yes. I…can’t even comprehend other options. I’m not too young. My business isn’t as established as I would like, but yes, I want this baby.”
He nodded. “Then we’ll work it out.”
She bit her lip, a confusing tangle of emotions inside her.
An alarm beeped, and he turned to the simmering pan on the stove. “Dinner’s ready. We can eat on the roof deck.”
“You have a roof deck?” She watched him scoop the thick soup into two bowls, then garnish it with fried bacon and parsley.
“It’s what sold me on the place. I bought the house a year ago. I was ready for a change from apartment living. This place was built by an architect and his husband, but they were leaving town, so I got a good deal.” He nodded his head. “Grab the drinks.”
They went up some stairs and stepped out into the brisk night air.
Maggie sucked in a breath. Oh, she loved this.
The deck was all redwood with iron railings, but the sweeping view of the city was beyond incredible. There was a wooden table set up with a brazier burning nearby. Ace set the bowls down.
“Eat.” He waved a hand.
She sat across from him. They ate, keeping talk to work and other light topics. The soup—filled with blended black beans and bacon—was great.
“Hopefully I won’t come down with food poisoning tomorrow,” she teased.
He kicked her under the table.
Maggie swallowed a spoonful of soup. “Or morning sickness. I was a bit queasy this morning.”
He froze with his spoon half way to his mouth.
Her stomach lurched. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have that brought up.”
He grabbed her hand. “You’re not alone. I just need a bit more time to get my head around it all. We’ll work things out.”
She nodded. Topic change. “Did you find anything on my drone?”
His face hardened. “I’m running some more tests. It was definitely hacked, but I don’t know by whom, or why.”
“I’m guessing that’s nearly impossible to work out, especially if it was just kids.”
He made a sound.
She cocked her head. “Did I just insult the great Ace Oliveira?”
“I have some tricks up my sleeve.”
They finished the meal, and he led her over to a built-in wooden bench.
There were some blankets folded nearby and he wrapped one around her. The lights of the city twinkled like jewels.
This was a little too cozy. She needed to keep things businesslike between them. She couldn’t afford to get lulled by romantic rooftop views, or his damn sexy cologne.
“Warm enough?” he asked.
“Yes.” Her gaze snagged on his shadowed face. His lips were full and sexy, and she loved them. Loved what they could do.
“Maggie, if you keep looking at my mouth like that…”
“I’m not.” She turned her head, staring blindly at the view.
He grabbed her hand and pulled it up to his stubbled jaw.
“Ace—”
“Missed you. So damn much.”
Her heart lurched in her chest. “Look, now more than ever we need to keep things friendly and—”
He sucked her finger into his mouth and everything inside her pulsed. She wrestled with a rush of desire. “Ace, we aren’t doing this.” Her voice was a little husky.
He shifted closer. “That’s the way you murmured my name when I slid inside you.”
She whimpered.
Then he pulled her close and pressed his mouth to hers.
No. Yes. Everything inside her struggled. Getting too close to this man was bad for her.
The hell with it. Maggie threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
* * *
Maggie was in his arms, kissing him.
Right where he wanted her.
Desire surged through Ace and he leaned over her, pushing her back on the bench. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, cupping the back of her head.
Her fingers shoved into his hair and she moaned into his mouth. She undulated against him, wrapping one long leg around his hip. She rubbed against his rock-hard cock, making him fight back a groan.
That’s what he remembered most. Maggie was highly sexual, letting it all loose as they’d loved each other. She touched and kissed him like she’d never get enough. Hell, she’d sucked his cock like she’d enjoyed it more than he had—and he’d fucking loved it.
She made a hungry sound and he deepened the kiss. When she rubbed against him again, he thought his cock might break, or that he might come in his jeans—something he hadn’t ever done.
“ Ace ,” she breathed, her tone soaked in need.