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  Her vision blurred, her voice nearly gone until she no longer even had the strength to hold on to him anymore and dropped her arms to her sides. When she finally began to come down, she buried her face in his neck, breathing in his wonderful scent as she tried to catch her breath.

  He murmured softly against her forehead. “You were wonderful, baby. That’s my girl. Nice, deep breaths. Easy, honey.”

  His kiss brought tears to her eyes once again, making her wonder if she’d ever stopped crying at all. She’d just had the most erotic, the most beautiful and fulfilling experience of her life, and she found herself saddened that it had come to an end.

  Her body, however, probably couldn’t have taken any more.

  Slumping in his arms, Hope lifted her face to kiss his jaw, thrilled when he bent his head to take her lips with his own. Opening to him completely, she sighed as his lips moved over hers possessively, but with a gentleness that melted her heart.

  Lifting his head, his eyes were tender and indulgent as they moved over her face. “Let me take care of you, baby, and then you can sleep.”

  Hope kissed his shoulder, reveling in the heat and strength surrounding her. “You already did take care of me. You turned me into a pile of wet noodles.”

  Ace chuckled and bent to kiss each of her nipples as he slowly withdrew from her. “That’s not what I meant. Stay put and I’ll get a warm cloth.” He rolled her limp body to her stomach before Hope knew his intention. He put a hand at her back to keep her in place when she would have rolled back over, sliding it down over her bottom. “Stay put or I’ll redden your ass again.”

  Hope froze, stunned when he gently, but firmly, parted her legs and separated the cheeks of her bottom. Struggling to her elbows, she looked back over her shoulder in alarm. “Ace, what are you doing?” She panted, her hands fisting on the pillow as he gently worked the plug out of her ass.

  Ace ran a hand over her bottom again and bent to lightly kiss her shoulder. “Taking care of you. Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

  Wide awake now, Hope squeezed her legs closed, moaning softly at the tenderness between them. Dropping back to the mattress again, she lay there hugging the pillow and listening to water run in the adjoining bathroom. When the water went off, she turned, looking over her shoulder to watch Ace’s return.

  He came to sit on the edge of the bed beside her and flipped her to her back. A warm cloth placed over her breasts immediately began to ease the ache in her nipples. Spreading her thighs, he used another cloth to clean her gently, his hand between her thighs keeping them open until he finished wiping her juices and the lube from her.

  Uncomfortable, Hope held on to the cloth covering her breasts. “Ace, I’d rather do that myself.”

  Ace lifted his head as he finished, looking at her expressionlessly. “I take care of what belongs to me. It’s part of the package that you said you wanted so badly. Have you changed your mind?”

  Hope stretched, smiling as his eyes flared again. “I thought you said you weren’t tender. That seemed awfully tender to me. None of the men I’ve had sex with ever—”

  Ace took the cloth from her breasts and stood, all traces of tenderness gone. “I don’t want to hear about any of the other men who’ve fucked you. I’m not tender at all. I’m possessive. I told you already that I take care of my possessions.” He threw a light blanket over her and strode from the room without a backward glance, probably with the intent to show her what an unfeeling bastard he was.

  But she’d seen his eyes.

  Smiling to herself, Hope snuggled under the covers, confident that he loved her. Not sure why he tried so hard to deny it, she knew she had a lot of work to do and would have to be patient, definitely not her strong suit.

  She would do whatever she had to do, though, in order to have Ace.

  A delicious awareness of being thoroughly taken pervaded her slit and breasts and made her limbs heavy. Hearing the shower start, Hope turned to her side and huddled into the covers. She would just rest a little before she had to get up and get dressed for Ace to take her home.

  Chapter Eleven

  When the sound of the howling wind penetrated her consciousness, Hope automatically snuggled into the warmth surrounding her. Remembering that she didn’t have to be at the club until later in the afternoon, she kept her eyes closed and dozed again.

  “Get out.”

  Hope jolted at what sounded like a door closing, and started to sit up, only to have hard bands tighten around her. Blinking her eyes open, she lifted her head, shocked to find herself staring down into Ace’s face. Frowning, she blinked and looked around in confusion to see that morning had come. The last thing she remembered was closing her eyes for a minute while she waited for Ace to get out of the shower.

  “This is your bed.” Remembering, she frowned. “Did you just tell me to get out?”

  The faint morning light that crept into the room allowed her to see everything clearly, but was dim enough to create an intimacy reserved for lovers. Somehow she’d ended up on top of Ace, her legs on either side of his hips, her face still warm from being pillowed by his chest. Naked, she shivered slightly as she sat up, straddling him, the cool morning air causing her nipples to pebble.

  Tousled and sexy, Ace smiled tenderly, running his hands from her thighs and up to her waist before continuing upward to cover her breasts. “This is definitely my bed. And since you’re in it, you’re at my mercy. I definitely did not tell you to get out.” His eyes sharpened, already alert.

  Leaning forward, she held on to his shoulders, moaning in lethargic pleasure as he massaged her breasts. The friction of his palm moving slowly over her tender nipples slowly built a heaviness low in her abdomen. Rubbing her slit against his flat abs, she moaned again, smiling when his hard cock touched her bottom. She went willingly as he lowered her to his chest, snuggling into him as his hands came around her to massage the cheeks of her ass. Smiling innocently, she wiggled.

  “Since I’m at your mercy, what are you going to do to me, Sheriff?”

  Sliding his hands slowly up her back, he pulled her higher. “I’m going to sink into that tight pussy again and listen to your whimpers.” He pulled her down for a kiss, his lips warm and firm beneath hers. His hands moved back down her body, pausing to investigate sensitive spots along the way that had her writhing against him.

  She threaded her hands into his thick hair, moaning into his mouth as his fingers grazed her slit. When one thick finger circled her damp opening, she shuddered and tightened her hold.

  “I love those soft little whimpers you make when you’re aroused. You’re wet already.” Ace wrapped his arms around her and sat up, bending his legs and positioning her to lean back against them. Keeping one hand on her stomach, he reached out to retrieve a condom from the nightstand drawer.

  Hope couldn’t take her eyes from the sight of his erect cock, which seemed to grow right before her eyes. Sitting up, she wrapped her hands around it, thrilled when it jumped. A drop of moisture appeared at the tip, making her mouth water to taste it. She ran her hands up and down the thick heat in her hands, captivated by its velvety texture.

  Ace handed her the condom. “Put it on me.”

  She accepted it with a grin, shifting restlessly when his hands went to her hips, caressing gently. “I’m on top now, big guy.”

  Ace sat up and lifted her by the waist until they were at eye level. “No matter where I put you, I’m bigger. I’m also meaner.” He nipped her bottom lip, making it sting. “Put it on so I can sink into that tight pussy. If you give me any lip, I’ll bend you over and fuck your ass.” He lowered his legs to set her back down on his thighs, his eyes hooded as he reclined back against the pillows.

  Smiling mischievously, she leaned forward to kiss him, teasing him by running her tongue over his lips before she began to work her way down his body, kissing and licking a trail to his naval and beyond, making a space for herself between his thighs. “I want to lick you first.” Opening h
er mouth wide, she took the head of his cock inside and swirled her tongue around it. Reveling in his taste, she took more, keeping her eyes on his the entire time.

  Reclining on the pillows, Ace watched her, looking every inch the dominant male. He reached out a hand to caress her hair. “Did I say you could do that?”

  Hope shook her head and began to suck him gently, needing to make him feel good, needing to submit to him, but at the same time struck by just how powerful it made her feel when his thigh muscles quivered beneath her hands.

  “Enough.” Bending, he helped her sit up and took his cock in his hand. Even though his eyes twinkled, the threat in them was unmistakable. “Be careful. You’re trying my patience this morning.”

  Her hands shook, causing her to fumble as she rolled on the condom. Her nipples craved his attention, tingling under his watchful gaze as she completed her task. “You can’t get very far threatening me with something I already want.” She held on to his forearms as he lifted her again and guided her, lowering her onto his cock. Hope shuddered as he filled her, still slightly tender from the night before.

  “Do you really want Law and Zach to hear you scream when I open that tight ass?”

  Hope’s eyes flew open, and she whipped her head around, relieved to see the door to his bedroom closed. Keeping her voice at a whisper, she gripped his forearms tighter. “They’re here? How do you know they’re here? Oh, hell. I woke up when I thought I heard you tell someone to get out. It was them, wasn’t it? Did they see me naked?”

  Ace ran his hands up her sides to stroke her nipples with his thumbs. “I heard them pull up about an hour ago.” He lifted her and lowered her again, smiling at her moan. “I made sure you were completely covered before Law poked his head in. Now be quiet so my brothers don’t hear the sounds you make when you come.”

  She had no idea how she could be on top and still be dominated, but Ace’s hold left her in no doubt as to who was in charge. When his hands went to her hips and he caught her clit between his thumbs, Hope cried out, unable to hold it back.

  Ace chuckled softly. “You’re going to need a lot of training. How are you going to handle being in the hotel restaurant in one of the privacy booths if you can’t keep from making all that noise?”

  Biting her lip as his cock stroked over a particularly sensitive spot inside her, she held back another moan. Leaning forward, she flattened her hands on his chest. “Will you take me there?” She clenched on his cock as he continued thrust into her, throwing her head back in abandon. The pressure on her clit nearly undid her several times, but each time Ace seemed to know it and eased his grip. Remembering in time to keep her voice low, Hope groaned. “Ace, please.” Rocking on him, she had no choice but to let him control her movements.

  He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, one hand at her back easily holding her in place while the other covered her abdomen, using his thumb to separate her folds and stroke her clit. “Please what, baby? Please fuck your ass? Please take you to a privacy booth? Or please make you come?” His cool, almost disinterested tone sent a shiver through her and might have fooled her if not for the tortured look on his face and the glitter in his eyes.

  He used one arm to support her weight until she lay suspended on his thighs and impaled by his cock. She had nothing to hold onto as she couldn’t reach his shoulders. “Yes. All of it.”

  Ace’s eyes narrowed. “Still making demands?” He circled her clit repeatedly with his callused thumb, stopping each time she started shaking.

  Restlessly shifting her legs, Hope felt like a feast laid out before him. Whimpering as he started moving her on his cock again, she clenched at him in desperation, his attention to her clit and his forceful thrusts keeping her on the edge. Shaking her head, she reached for him. “Begging. Please, Ace. Let me come. Please.” Her voice sounded small and needy to her own ears. She didn’t care. She needed to come and would do anything to get Ace to let her.

  He rewarded her by applying more pressure to her clit. “I like how you beg, baby. I think I’ll have to make you beg a lot in the future.”

  Hope’s stomach muscles quivered, her abdomen tightening as he took her higher and higher. She didn’t comment on his reference to the future, ecstatic that he’d even thought about it. “When I—Oh! When I get used to this, it’s not going to be so easy to make me beg. Oh! I’m gonna come, Ace.”

  “I know, baby. Come for me.”

  Her body tightened as she came, the pleasure not as sharp as the night before, but the slow warm swell was just as satisfying. While still in the throes of orgasm, she watched Ace’s face, thrilled when he thrust himself deep and threw his head back, closing his eyes on a deep groan. Knowing she could bring such pleasure to him gave her as much satisfaction as her own orgasm did.

  Still deep inside her, he gathered her close, rubbing her nipples with his chest as he bent her head back and covered her mouth with his.

  Finally having the chance to touch him, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. When he lifted his head, she buried her face in his neck, closing her eyes as he ran his hands up and down her back. “I could stay like this forever.” Just then her stomach growled, and she grimaced at Ace’s chuckle.

  Hugging her, he brushed her hair aside to kiss her jaw. “I don’t think so. I’d better feed you before you waste away to nothing.”

  Hope nipped his shoulder playfully. “Is that another reference to my stature?”

  Ace stood, and with her legs still wrapped around him, carried her with him into the bathroom. “I’ve got to get my entertainment where I can find it.”

  Wiggling on his cock, Hope laughed. “I know how to keep you plenty entertained, Sheriff.”

  Ace withdrew and slowly set her on her feet. “Yes, I believe you do.” Sobering, he gestured toward the shower. “Baby, you mean a lot to me, but I don’t want you to get hurt. You’re not the type to put up with me for long.”

  Stepping into the shower, Hope smiled. “That’s what you think. Come and join me. I’ll wash you.”

  Ace got rid of the condom and shook his head. “No. I’ll shower in the other bathroom. Take your time. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

  Hope nodded sadly and watched him go, already feeling the distance. Every time they seemed to be getting closer, Ace put this wall between them, and she couldn’t help but wonder why he thought she would get tired of his possessiveness.

  She adjusted the spray and began washing. If she hurried, she could talk to Law and Zach before Ace finished his shower. Maybe they could give her some of the answers she needed.

  * * * *

  She hadn’t taken the time to dry her hair, not even knowing if Ace owned a blow dryer, and ran out to the kitchen. She smiled when Zach met her at the doorway with a steaming cup of coffee. “Ah, a man after my own heart.”

  Zach grinned and gestured toward the table where he and Law had a big breakfast waiting. “Don’t let Ace hear you say that. He’d start pounding on me, and I’d hate to have to hurt him.”

  Law turned from the stove, carrying a large pan filled with scrambled eggs. “Good morning, honey. I’m waiting for him to come out and pound on me for poking my head in this morning. I’m sorry, Hope. I didn’t know you were here.”

  Zach pulled out a chair for her and started to pile eggs on her plate. “Ace never brings women home. None of us do. I think we’d better get that house built fast. It looks like you may be living here soon.”

  Hope looked from one to the other. “What house?”

  Zach grinned. “We bought half of the old Sheldon property. There’s still a house there, but we helped get the land subdivided, so we’re taking the half that’s vacant.”

  “Mr. Sheldon used to have the ice cream shop, didn’t he? He’s the one who asked my mother how she could go to church when she lived in sin with three men. Fucking asshole.”

  Zach nodded, his face grim. “Yeah, he wasn’t the nicest of people. I felt sorry for his wife and kids, t
hough. When we ran him out of business, they suffered, too. His wife was a nice woman, a little timid, and we always wondered if he beat her. She denied it every time one of us asked. Ace talked to her a lot, but she wouldn’t stay behind when her husband was forced out of town.”

  Hope had been too young to remember much about that but could well remember her mother crying and her fathers’ outrage. “What about the house? They didn’t want to sell that?”

  Law brought over a plate piled with toast. “The attorney said that wasn’t for sale yet, at least until they figure out what they want to do with it. Old man Sheldon would never come back to Desire, so we’re gonna keep pressuring until they sell us the whole thing.”

  Zach buttered a piece of toast and handed it to her. “In the meantime, we’ve got an architect drawing up some plans. We’re going to have Boone, Chase, and the Madisons build it for us. We’ve got to get out of here to give you and Ace some privacy.”

  Hope sipped her coffee and shook her head. “I don’t know. I wish I could believe that. But your brother is the most hard-headed man I know.”

  Zach sat and filled his own plate. “You’ve got that right, but you spent the night. That has to mean something.”

  “Yeah, it means that we both fell asleep.” Ace’s gruff tone stabbed her heart. He reached across the table for her coffee and downed it. “Don’t be filling her head. She’s already going to get hurt as it is. That’s on me. Don’t make it worse. I got a call I have to take. Somebody shot out some windows in town. It looks like they started with the men’s club and moved on to yours, Hope.” When they all jumped up, horrified, he tossed Hope her jacket. “Come on. Your dads are already at the club cleaning up glass.”

  Hope nodded and rushed to put on her jacket and shoes. Halfway to the door, she looked over her shoulder to see Law and Zach watching her sadly. “Goodbye. Thanks for breakfast.”

  Zach lifted a hand. “Next time maybe you’ll get the chance to eat it. We’ll be there in a few minutes to help you clean up.”