Eleven #2
“Who said I’m going on another date with you?”
“You didn’t have to.”
I snickered, “you got a big ego.”
“Nah.” His thumb moved across my knuckles. “I just know this ain’t the last time I’m taking you somewhere.”
I didn’t argue with him. After breakfast, we changed and went swimming. Ace jumped into the water first while I stayed on the deck. “Kema, get in.”
“I already jumped off one cliff for you. You’re asking for too much.”
“You put on a swimsuit to sit on the deck?”
“Yes. It’s called fashion.”
Ace climbed the steps. I backed away. “Don’t.”
He kept coming. “Ace, I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
I tried to run, but he caught me around the waist and lifted me over his shoulder. “Ace! Put me down!”
“You should’ve listened.”
“If you throw me in, I’m taking you with me.”
“That’s the plan.”
He jumped before I could say anything else. We hit the water together. When I came up, I pushed wet hair from my face and splashed him. “You play too much.”
“You love it.”
“I tolerate it.”
He caught me around the waist when I tried to swim away. I wrapped my legs around him to stay above water, and his smile slowly disappeared. “What?”
“You wrapped around me in that swimsuit and expect me not to stare?” I felt him hardening between us and smiled.
“You’re supposed to be taking me on a wholesome date.”
“We had breakfast. That was the wholesome part.”
I laughed and pushed away before we forgot we had an entire day ahead of us. We spent the afternoon swimming, lying in the sun, and walking along the beach. Without everyone else around, I learned things about Ace that had nothing to do with his money, bar, or friendship with Markel.
He liked old R&B music more than rap. I found it interesting that he hated tomatoes but loved ketchup.
That was just weird to me. His grandfather taught him how to invest at sixteen, and Ace bought his first rental property before he could legally drink.
“Why didn’t I know any of this?” I asked as we sat near the water.
“You never asked.”
“But you never tried to get to know me either.”
“You were Kel’s woman.”
“Was.”
“I know.”
Our eyes met. “Did you really want me back then?”
“Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“What was I supposed to say? Leave my best friend and come fuck with a real nigga?”
“Maybe.”
Ace laughed. “You wouldn’t have.”
“No, I wouldn’t have.”
“That’s why I kept that shit to myself.”
I drew a line through the sand. “Does being with me feel wrong?”
“No.”
“You didn’t even think about it.”
“Because it doesn’t.” He shifted closer. “The only thing that felt wrong was watching you settle for less than you deserved and pretending I didn’t care.”
My throat tightened. “Ace…”
“I’m not asking you for anything right now. I know this shit happened fast.”
“Very fast.”
“But I meant what I said last night. I’m having a hard time pretending.”
I looked at him. “Me too.”
His fingers brushed sand from my leg. “What happens when we go home?” I asked.
His hand stilled, and my heart immediately started beating harder. “Actually, don’t answer that.”
“Kema.”
“I don’t want to think about home yet.”
Ace studied me before nodding. “Then we won’t.”
He didn’t push. That made me want him even more. We returned to the bungalow before sunset and showered separately because sharing one would’ve ended with us missing dinner.
When I stepped onto the deck, another table had been prepared near the water. Small lights glowed along the railing while candles flickered beside plates of grilled seafood, vegetables, and rice. Ace stood nearby in a black shirt and matching shorts. “You planned dinner too?”
“I told you this was a date.”
“You’re showing off now.”
“Is it working?”
“Yes.”
He pulled out my chair. The sun lowered over the water while we ate, orange and pink spreading across the sky and reflecting against the ocean.
For once, I didn’t have a smart comment. “This is the nicest thing anybody has ever done for me,” I admitted.
“You deserve nice things.”
“I know I do.”
Ace smiled. “Good.”
“But this is a lot to take in.”
“It’s only a lot if I didn’t want to do it.”
“You always have an answer.”
“Only when I know what I’m talking about.”
After dinner, music played softly from the bungalow while we finished the champagne. Ace held out his hand. “Dance with me.”
“There’s no dance floor.”
“There wasn’t one on the beach either.”
I placed my hand in his. He pulled me against him, one arm wrapping around my waist. I rested my head against his chest as we moved slowly beneath the lights.
There was nobody watching. No reason to perform. Still, Ace kissed my temple and held me like I belonged there. “You know what scares me about you?” I asked.
“What?”
“How easy this feels.”
His arm tightened around me. “It’s supposed to.”
“No. Nothing is ever this easy.”
“Maybe you’ve been dealing with the wrong niggas.”
I lifted my head. “You think you’re the right one?”
“I know I could be.”
Ace wasn’t asking me to promise anything. He was only asking me to let him show me. I slid my arms around his neck. “You like driving me crazy,” he said. “You like when I look at you like this.”
“I do.”
His eyes moved over my face. “You know I crave you, right, Kema?”
I blinked. The way he said it wasn’t only about sex. I heard that in his voice, and for once, I had nothing smart to say.
My eyes dropped to his mouth before I pulled him into a kiss. His hands tightened around my waist as the kiss deepened slowly. Ace kissed me like he had nowhere else to be. “We don’t have to do anything,” he whispered against my mouth.
“I know.”
“I didn’t bring you here for sex.”
“I know that too.”
His eyes searched mine. “What do you want?”
“YOU.”
That was all it took. Ace kissed me again and lifted me into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me through the open doors.
He lowered me onto the edge of the bed and stood between my legs. He untied the front of my shirt, squeezing my nipples lightly as he eased my shirt from my shoulders keeping his eyes locked on mine.
The first time we had sex, everything happened fast. I remembered it but today it felt like he was trying to carve his name on every inch of my body. When, Ace touched me it was like he wanted to remember every inch of my body. His fingers skimmed my waist beads.
I was about to remove them when he moved my hands. “I want this to stay on.”
I smiled. “You like them?”
“I like everything on you.” He kissed my stomach before lowering himself between my thighs. My fingers slid into his locs as his mouth moved across my skin. “Ace," I moaned.
He inhaled my scent before moaning, “yes baby.”
It was something about how he said baby that had me ready to swipe my pussy across his nose. And the way he was looking up at me sent a shiver down my spine.
“Come here.” He stood, and I pulled his shirt over his head, tracing the tattoos across his chest before pressing my lips against his skin. Ace let me undress him as slowly as he’d undressed me.