Chapter 12
12
I turn to Ace, my heart racing as the realization sinks in. I’m free. The nightmare is finally over. The running, the hiding, the fighting to prove my innocence—it’s all behind me now. He looks at me, a smile playing on his lips, and asks, “Where to, Alicia? You’re a free woman now. I can drop you anywhere you want.”
I hesitate for a moment, a million possibilities swirling through my mind. Downtown, where my office is? I could waltz right back in and reclaim my position, rubbing it in the faces of those who turned their backs on me and never gave me the benefit of the doubt. On the beach to watch the ocean? The salty air and crashing waves would be a soothing balm after all the stress. But no, there’s only one place I want to be right now. A place I’ve longed for during this entire ordeal.
“Take me home,” I say softly, my voice thick with emotion. Home, where I can finally let my guard down and feel safe again. But as I look into Ace’s eyes, I realize I don’t want to be alone, not anymore.
The question is, do I really forgive him for doubting me?
“And maybe… maybe you could come up for a bit? We could celebrate my newfound freedom.” The words tumble out before I can stop them, but I don’t regret them. I’m done running, done hiding. I want to see what life would look like with him by my side.
Ace raises an eyebrow, his smile widening. “Celebrate, huh? What did you have in mind?”
I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks, but I forge ahead. “I might just have a good bottle of wine tucked away in the fridge. We could share a glass or two, if you’re interested.”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “I’m more of a bourbon guy, to be honest.”
My heart skips a beat, but I play it cool. “Well, as it happens, I have a bottle of Macallan stashed away for special occasions. I know it’s not Bourbon, but you think you could make an exception?” I bite my lip, waiting for his response.
Ace’s eyes light up, and he leans in closer. “For you, Alicia, I’d drink just about anything if it means spending more time together.”
My breath catches in my throat, and I nod, unable to hide my smile. “Then it’s settled. Take me home, Ace.”
Ace drives us home, navigating the noon traffic until we reach my condo. He parks his car in the adjacent parking lot and we walk to my building hand in hand.
The doorman nods as we walk to the elevator bank and we ride to my floor with a bunch of college students who must have found a seasonal rental for spring break. Thankfully, they’re not on my floor.
I lead Ace down the hallway and open the door. We step inside and I wave toward the sofa. “Make yourself at home,” I say. “I will get our drinks.”
While I take out glasses and the bottle from the open kitchen, he first walks to the window to check out the view and the mementos of my life on my shelves. His eyes soften as he takes in the family pictures. He pauses, a hint of curiosity in his expression as he nods to the wall of framed photographs of my adult life. Finally, he reaches the couch and trails his fingers across the wooden coffee table.
“I see. You’ve got a lot of smiling faces here. Lots of memories.” He glances at me, a gentle smile on his face.
I nod, a lump forming in my throat. “Yeah, my childhood was bliss until cancer struck. First my mom and then my dad.” I take a deep breath, pushing the pain away, focused on the present. “But that’s the way life goes.”
Ace takes the glasses from my hands, sets them on the coffee table, and steps closer to me.
“It’s time for you to finish healing, and get to pick a new family,” he says.
“Is that what you did?” I ask.
He nods and brushes my forehead with his lips.
“Tell me,” I whisper. “Tell me more. We barely know each other.”
“I know enough,” he says, looking into my eyes. “I knew the second I saw you. That’s why I went fucking crazy when you tried to run.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I was being an ass.” He sits on the couch and lifts me so I straddle him. “You see, when the family you’re born into turns out to be a shitty family, you bide your time and, as soon as you can, you move on. It’s not your fault; it’s just the luck of the draw. But it’s different when it’s the family you picked.”
Lightly, he kisses me again, a simple brush of his lips that moves me more than I can tell.
“And I have picked you,” he says. “Just like I picked the Iron Tornadoes when I left the police. They are my brothers, and because they are my family, if you come with me, they’ll be your family too.”
“If I come with you?” I ask unsure about what he’s asking.
“Is there anything holding you back in Miami?” he asks. “Do you want to go back to work for Blackwell?”
I shake my head. I hadn’t thought about it yet, but he’s right, there’s no way I’m going back to my old job.
“You could start over in Point Lookout,” he says. “You could do anything you damned please. I mean, you’ve got a fucking million dollars as seed money.”
I close my eyes and think about it: start my own construction company? Flip houses? Go back to school to learn something new?
Mistaking my silence for a refusal, Ace sighs and adds, “But if you want to stay here, I know we can find a way to make it work. After all, Point Lookout is not so far from Miami. I could…”
I cut in. “Yes.”
“What do you mean yes?”
“I mean yes, I’ll go with you. Yes, I’ll move to Point Lookout. Yes, I’ll figure out what I want to do… with you.”
“I swear you’ll never regret it,” he says pulling me tight against him.
Ace’s lips meet mine, and the intensity of our connection ignites a spark deep within me, sending a jolt of electricity coursing through my veins. His hands roam my body, exploring every curve with a hunger that leaves a trail of fire in their wake. I’m lost in the moment, consumed by the passion that has been building between us like a wildfire since I first set eyes on him.
I know it was only yesterday but time is irrelevant. I don’t need weeks, months, or years to know that he’s the one.
Our bodies entwined, we move together in a dance as old as time. He picks me up as if I weigh nothing and we stumble from the couch to my bedroom. Our kisses grow more urgent with each step, as if we’re trying to devour each other whole. As we reach the edge of the bed, Ace gently lowers me onto my soft mattress, his eyes never leaving mine. The way he looks at me, with a mixture of desire and tenderness, makes my heart race and my breath hitch in my throat. He takes a moment to drink in the sight of me, his gaze filled with a hunger that makes me feel desired and cherished all at once.
With a gentle touch, Ace begins to undress me, his fingers tracing the lines of my body as if committing them to memory. I feel cherished, adored, and for the first time in a long time, truly seen. I close my eyes, savoring the warmth of his touch, the way his fingers linger a moment longer on my hip, the way his hands mold every curve and line of my body. As we lay skin to skin, the connection between us deepens, transcending the physical and becoming something far more profound. It’s like a tidal wave of emotion crashing over me, washing away all the fears and uncertainties from my life.
Ace’s touch becomes more tender, and I respond in kind, my hands roaming over his muscular frame, reveling in the feel of his warm skin against mine. I’m drawn to the strength in his shoulders, the way his muscles ripple beneath my touch, the way his heart beats against my chest, a steady rhythm that grounds me in the moment. Our breaths mingle, our hearts beat in sync. He is the one. The man I’ve been searching for my entire life. Someone who sees me, truly sees me, someone who loves me for who I am even though he barely knows me. It makes no sense and yet it’s perfect.
In the height of our passion, Ace’s voice, rough and laden with emotion, whispers sweet nothings into my ear, promising love and devotion. I find myself clinging to him, my body shaking uncontrollably as the intense wave of release washes over me. In this moment, I surrender myself completely to the exquisite sensation and the man who holds me close.
Later, we lay tangled in the sheets, our limbs entwined as we bask in the afterglow of our lovemaking. Ace’s fingers trace lazy patterns on my skin and I feel truly at peace. I’m filled with a sense of hope and dream about possibilities I never considered before.
As I gaze into Ace’s eyes, I know that I’ve found my safe haven.
“I love you, Alicia,” Ace murmurs, his voice filled with a sincerity that brings tears to my eyes.
“I love you too, Ace.”
Ace smiles. “You deserve to be seen, Alicia. You deserve to be loved and cherished, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure you know just how much you mean to me.”
As we drift off to sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms, I know that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be, with the man who holds the key to my heart.