▪️Ace▪️ Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed his laptop and ran out of Simone's office, not stopping until he entered his own and shut the door behind him. His heart pounded, and he couldn’t catch his breath. Goddamn it. More than anything, Ace wanted to throw the computer at something, but instead he sat behind his desk, shaking. “What the hell is he planning?” He should’ve known the turnaround in Pryce’s behavior was a farce. What could he do? Frantic, he drummed his fingers and thought. When his gaze fell upon the sticky note with Amber's number, he immediately called her. As Emily’s former assistant, she’d know what to do. “Ace?” “Yeah, hi. How’re you doing?” “Feeling like a slug and wishing I could get out of this bed, but coming along. How’re you doing? Tell me everything.” “Busy. I’m working on some campaigns and loving it.” “And you and Emily are getting on well?” Oh, you could say that.
▪️ Emily ▪️ As she spoke, she pulled Ace into her office and shut the door. White-faced and visibly shaking, Ace hugged himself. “Liam. H-he’s been hurt. They were riding the Vespa, and somehow, according to what Olivia told me, a truck cut them off and he crashed.” For a moment her heart stopped. At least she thought it must have, because she couldn’t hear it beating or feel anything. She’d gone totally numb. “Olivia,” she whispered. “Is she hurt?” “She said she’s fine. I spoke to her, so she must be. But Liam…” Ace’s voice broke, and Emily’s heart jerked hard. She pulled Ace into her arms and buried her lips in his hair. “Tell me. He’s not—” “No,” Ace choked out, trembling violently. “But he’s hurt. Bad. We didn’t talk for long, and I can’t get through to my parents. When she couldn’t reach us, she called them, and they’re on their way to the airport. I’m so fucking scared, Emily.” “It’s going to be all r
▪️ Emily ▪️ Ace settled into his side with a sigh. “Right now, that’s forever. It’s crazy, but the only person I can imagine being with me through this horrible ordeal is you.” Emily’s heart turned over. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m exactly where I want to be.” Ace slid an arm across her, pressing his face into Emily’s neck. “I’ve been running this back and forth in my head, figuring I’d wait…afraid to say what’s on my mind for a while now.” A chuckle shook Emily. “Since when are you afraid of anything?”Ace sat up, handsome face wary, and Emily hated seeing the strain of the past few hours replace the laughter in his eyes. “Since I never told anyone I love them before.” Hope, almost as fiery as the passion between them, sparked something painful in her chest. “You love me?” Ace grinned. “Crazy, huh? Even I can’t believe it.” Serious once again, he cast his gaze downward, as if afraid. “But it’s not a joke. Not to me. Everything’s chang
▪️Ace▪️ “Your sex monster returns—” Too late he saw Emily sitting and motioning for him to be quiet, then burying her head in her hands. “Is that Ace? Ace is there with you?” His mother’s voice sounded from the phone lying on the bed. Oh, fuck. Speakerphone. He set the bowls and beer bottles on the dresser. “Hi, Mom.” “What are you doing at Emily’s at three in the morning?” Thinking fast, he opened the beer and took a quick gulp. “I couldn’t sleep and figured Emily would be up too, and I was right.” “I see. I guess that’s why there was no answer when I called your phone?” “Yeah. I was in the kitchen, making us a middle-of-the-night snack. How was the flight? Have you seen Doug?” “Yes. My poor son.” He heard her grief-stricken voice, and his hand shook. Emily took the bottle from him and set it on the night table. “What do the doctors say?” “They’re hoping to do X-rays today to see if there’s a skull fracture. He had a quiet night, and he’s stable. Other than that…
▪️ Emily ▪️ Emily caught Simone on his return from walking Hollister out. “My office. Now.” With a confident step, Simone sauntered inside but jumped when Emily slammed the door. “Sit.” She waited while Simone chose a seat at the conference table, but Emily remained standing by the closed door, arms folded. “Care to tell me what that was all about?” As livid as she was with Simone for bringing Selle to the office to expose and embarrass Ace, she was angry with Ace for hiding it from her. Angry and hurt. “What?” Simone tugged at his suit-jacket sleeve. “Don’t play fucking innocent with me. I’m not in the mood. You set Ace up.” “Why would I?” “That’s what I want to figure out. Why was Sele here today?” “We were having lunch together, or we were supposed to until you kicked him out. He wanted to say hello to you. How would he know Ace would come to your office?” Emily itched to punch the wide-eyed look of i
▪️ Emily ▪️ Her shoulders slumped. “That’s another thing I don’t know anymore.” As expected, Ruth's brows shot up. “What? What’re you talking about? What don’t you know? You love him, and he loves you.” “Sometimes love isn’t enough.” “That’s nonsense. What happened? Did you have a fight?” “No. Nothing like that.” Even now she yearned to go to Ace. “Some disturbing news about him came to me today.” “Disturbing? What do you mean? Spit it out already.” While she felt uncomfortable revealing something so private, Emily valued Edith’s discretion and her opinion of people. “Remember I told you Ace worked on Taylor Croft's superyacht?” “Yes. As her assistant. Like what he does for you now. Minus the benefits.” She smiled, but she couldn’t return it. “No. Including.” Breaking eye contact, Emily finished her drink. “Turns out he was sleeping with Croft when they worked together.” “And?” Her gaze shot to hers. “What do y
▪️Ace▪️ “Because…it was a part of the past I no longer felt connected to. Almost like it wasn’t the real me who lived that life, not anymore. I don’t regret it because that’s a futile thought process, and more importantly, it’s brought me to this point with you. And that’s one thing I wouldn’t change at all.” “I’m trying to make sense of it all. You worked for Taylor and slept with her. You’re working for me and sleeping with me. How is it any different?” “You can’t see it?” The words fell from his numb lips. “I’d like to hear it from you,” Emily said softly. “I don’t want to think one thing and have it be something else.” In business, Emily might be decisive and controlling, but in her personal life, her innocence and vulnerability shone through, and Ace could see Emily’s internal struggle to find her footing. Seeing this human side of Emily only he’d been privy to made Ace love her more.“Haven’t you grown from when you were younger a
▪️ Emily ▪️ “Have been with girls, sure. But here today and gone tomorrow. A couple of months and we grew bored. That’s how it always was. They weren’t real relationships. Maybe…” He stopped and chewed his lip, looking sweetly vulnerable. “Maybe because I was always comparing them to you.” “Me?” she repeated. “What’re you saying?” Ace, who hadn’t removed his hands from Emily’s shoulders, now slid them around her neck. “I’ve already told you I had a crush on you. From the first time I saw you at my parents’ apartment, standing a step or two behind Liam, looking all nervous and out of place yet so damn sexy, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” “And now here we are.” Emily framed Ace’s face with her hands. “All these years later and I’m not much smarter than I was back then.” “You didn’t need to be. I was the one who had growing up to do. And I know what I want and who. You.” “I’m right here.” “So am I. I’ve never b