Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
The next day at the office, Ace studied Joy with new eyes.
When Joy had been gone too long, he’d followed her back into the warehouse to make sure she was okay. Curtis had been hostile with her in his presence so he could only imagine how he would be alone.
The last thing he expected to find was her pistol-whipping Curtis with that little gold gun and a foot on his neck. He’d gone back to the car before she could catch him watching but her display of power, violence, and rage stayed with him all day.
They stood together in the staff kitchen making coffee before they started their day and Ace couldn’t take his eyes off of her. With her back turned to him, he perused her athletic frame for evidence of another life.
The dainty way in which she poured the coffee and slowly stirred in the sugar and milk. Her rod straight posture and defined legs. The stealth grace with which she moved.
To the untrained eye, all were simply the signs of a woman of class. Likely years of etiquette lessons and practice but Ace knew better. The pearls around her neck and sweet smile on her lips were simply a distraction for the knife in her bra and Glock strapped beneath her skirt.
Ace’s intuition had never been wrong, and his told him that Joy Thibodeaux wasn’t who she tried to appear to be. Behind her shifty eyes was a fire she’d been trying to smolder but Ace saw straight through it.
He leaned onto the island beside her, catching a whiff of her mouth-watering fragrance.
“Extra sugar in mine,” he requested, his mouth near Joy’s ear. She tried to suppress the shiver that went through her at his proximity but it was too late. Ace smirked.
He liked that he could elicit such reactions from her. Whenever people shivered around him it was usually out of well-informed fear. Joy’s body’s reaction to him wasn’t that of fear but need and he didn’t think he could ever get enough of that.
He watched as she dumped another spoonful of sugar into his cup, stirred it, then slid it over to him. Joy leaned her butt against the counter and shook her head. “Why don’t you just cut out the middle man and snort the shit instead.”
Ace chuckled around his cup of coffee then took a few sips. “You and that smart ass mouth.”
Returning to his position leaning onto the counter, Ace watched as she cut her bagel down the middle.
“Let me get that knife when you’re done,” he requested.
Joy completed the clean slice then without looking, flipped it in one swift motion to offer it to him, handle first.
Ace’s fingers closed around it.
Interesting, he thought.
She hadn’t even looked up, handling the knife with practiced ease and ensuring the blade never pointed at someone with the instinct of a soldier. Like she was accustomed to dealing with weapons beyond the little gold gun she always had on her.
Ace spread the cream cheese onto his bagel without taking his eyes off of her.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway as someone passed.
Joy’s eyes flicked to the kitchen entrance for just a second before returning to her routine.
The action was quick, a small moment of awareness.
A few moments later, another set of steps passed and Joy tracked it with the same quick glance.
She wasn’t startled or even assessing, just impeccably vigilant in a way that goes beyond nature, but is trained.
His grip tightened on his mug.
People who expect danger learned to account for every threat, staying ready in case they needed to become the danger.
Joy grabbed a mug from the cupboard and the brown sugar, then turned to retrieve the almond milk from the fridge.
Ace shifted slightly, his elbow nudging the ceramic mug to the edge of the counter.
When Joy turned back around, the mug wasn’t where she’d put it, and her miscalculation made her bump it with the carton of milk.
The mug tipped, tumbling towards the tile.
Before Ace could reach for it, Joy’s hand shot out, catching it just inches before it shattered.
Her movements were clean and swift. Smooth without an ounce of panic or fumbling. She righted it on the counter before returning to assembling her coffee like nothing happened.
Ace stared for a moment before he spoke. “Good reflexes,” he mused.
“I was an athlete,” Joy tried to explain without meeting Ace’s eyes.
“Yeah? What sport?” He eyed her.
“Tennis.”
“Hmm. Were you any good?”
“No Serena, but I did okay,” she shrugged.
Ace simply stared, a smirk creeping onto his face as he drummed his fingers against the counter.
“How did you feel after yesterday?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”she asked, turning to him after getting a spoon to stir her drink.
“Curtis.”
Joy’s hands stilled for a fraction of a second before she turned to him.
“He got a little out of hand yesterday,” Ace continued.
Joy’s jaw tightened. “It’s fine, I’ve dealt with worse.” Her tone stayed even but those eyes gave her away. For just a moment that heat and fury creeped back in before she tucked them away.
Ace caught it. He’d caught it all.
He had a feeling that something darker lurked beneath the polished surface she offered to the public.
He made it his mission to uncover it. He told himself it was for the sake of the business, not needing any mysterious characters lurking—especially during this time of uncertainty.
But if he was honest, he’d admit that the darkness he sensed in her called to the darkness in himself.
Like a moth, he was drawn to the flame he saw flickering in her eyes.
“Did you deal with people like Curtis often back home?”
Joy narrowed her eyes at him. “Why are you always psychoanalyzing me?”
Ace didn’t hesitate. “You don’t give much away, so I have to dig.”
“Or you could just mind your business.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “I’m tryin’ to make you my business.”
Something in Joy’s expression shifted.
The air between them tightened.
“That’s your problem,” she snapped, pushing off the counter. “You think everything is yours to figure out, to control. I’m not one of your cases and I’m damn sure not something for you to play with when you bored.”
Ace’s brows lifted slightly, but he didn’t move.
“You’re snappy today,” Ace observed. There was no offense or judgement in his words but concern. Joy was usually better at concealing her emotions and today she seemed extra angry. Extra vigilant. Extra on edge.
He didn’t mind it but the last time her mask was so transparent was the night they met and she’d clearly been at a low point then.
Joy sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just not in the mood today.”
Ace’s eyes darkened. “What’s wrong?” he asked. His hands clenched at the thought of someone harming or bothering her. He’d confirmed his suspicions that she could handle herself but that only made him want to protect her more.
What had she gone through that made her comfortable pistol-whipping a man twice her size?
What in her life had made that skill necessary?
Joy looked at him and he saw the frustration and anguish in her eyes. For a moment, he thought she was going to tell him when Stephanie entered the kitchen.
“Good morning,” she damn near sang.
Joy returned the greeting with a grumble while Ace turned back on his charm to turn to the woman.
“Good morning Stephanie, how are you this morning?” he asked, flashing her one of his disarming smiles.
“I’m doing great,” she beamed. “It’s starting to get warmer, the sun is rising earlier. Spring has sprung.”
Ace kept the smile pasted to his face but saw Joy roll her eyes out of his periphery. He wanted to do the same.
“Mr. King, you always have the most impeccable suits,” she said, running her hand up and down the fabric on his bicep.
Ace could see the fire in Joy’s eyes. Perhaps it made him toxic, but a part of him was thrilled by her jealousy. Add it to the laundry list of his unsavory character traits.
“Thank you Stephanie.”
“You’re welcome,” she smiled up at him through fluttering lashes. Ace’s gaze drifted to Joy and as if she could feel his attention slipping, Stephanie spoke again.
“You know, I’m so glad I caught you.”
Ace looked down at her. “Yeah? Why is that?”
“I was wondering if I could pick your brain about something when you have the time.”
Ace flicked his eyes up to Joy. “Joy and I have a full day but I have a minute or two now if you can make it quick.”
Stephanie flicked her eyes over to Joy as well, as if only now noticing her presence and the displeasure with their audience was written clearly on her face.
“I was actually hoping to speak to you alone.”
“Maybe Joy can help,” Ace said. “She’s very knowledgeable.”
Stephanie peered over her shoulder at Joy. “So I’ve heard. How are you, Joy?”
“Great,” Joy returned blandly as she lifted her coffee cup to her lips.
Stephanie turned to Joy and gave her a once-over, which Joy met with a hard stare. “Girl, why are you always wearing all black? You look so… dreary.”
Joy’s eye contact didn’t waver. “Hides the blood splatter,” she said with a straight face.
Stephanie burst into a fit of giggles that quickly dissipated when she realized Joy hadn’t joined her.
“Kidding,” Joy finally offered, flashing a smile that couldn’t be mistaken for friendly.
“Oh um… okay,” Stephanie cleared her throat, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of Joy’s stare. “Funny.”
She picked up her cup and slowly began backing away from Joy whose face still hadn’t split from the hard mug she wore.
“Well you both have a good day,” she said as she retreated.
After a few moments, Ace and Joy turned to each other and fell into a fit of riotous laughter.
“You wrong as fuck for that, you know that right?” Ace wheezed between laughs.
“Man whatever,” Joy waved him off, wiping the tears of laughter from the corner of her eyes. “Jolly ass bitch gets on my nerves.”
“Did you see her face? Looked like she thought you were gonna pounce on her.”
“Ain’t nobody finna touch that girl. If anyone should be concerned about getting pounced on, it's you. She was looking at you like a steak dinner in front of a man on death row.”
“I’ve heard my impeccable suits have that effect.” He flexed and the muscles protruded beneath his suit.
Joy rolled her eyes but he saw the way her eyes lingered on the bulge of muscle in his arm and the way she bout her lip.
“They ain’t all that. Ole girl is just thirsty and annoying.”
“You sound snappy and jealous.”
“Please. I have no need to be jealous.”
“No?”
“No.”
Ace grinned and Joy just rolled her eyes.
“I’ll be in my office if you need me,” she said before following the same path that Stephanie had minutes ago.
“Aye,” he called to her before she could fully exit. “You good?”
Joy nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Will I see you at the anniversary party?”
“I’ll be there.”
Ace continued to watch her back until he couldn’t see her anymore.
He hadn’t lied to Stephanie about their packed day. It was filled to the brim with meetings, briefs, and evidence collection.
Joy was on point as always, but Ace couldn’t focus.
The image of her violence and beautiful rage played in his head over and over throughout the day, making his hardest task of the day being to conceal his steel erection.
Under the spray of the shower that night, Ace’s hand found his hard shaft. Lubricated by soap and water, he gripped it firmly at the base and tugged, finally giving himself some relief.
“Mm” a groan released from the back of his throat. Visions of Joy played behind his closed lids, giving him all of the ammunition he needed to bust.
Her furious eyes.
Her sharp red nails balled into fists.
The cruel smile that stretched her pretty lips.
Her viciousness was alluring. It was familiar.
She was beautiful and dangerous. And to Ace, that made her more alluring. He hated that she felt the need to hide it.