Dark Desire Read online

  After dinner the other night, he’d driven her home in relative silence, his expression thoughtful as they made their way back to town. He’d walked her to her door and kissed her on the forehead, looking a little preoccupied.

  “I’ll be in touch. Be good.”

  She’d long ago come to grips with becoming aroused at an order to be a “good girl.” Although she didn’t let herself be ordered about and had never been a doormat, hearing such a command in a sexual connotation never failed to excite her.

  With him, it made her practically orgasmic.

  She’d known it would be different with Ace, special, but she hadn’t counted on just how strongly she’d react to even the most casual touch. Thinking about how it would feel when he finally touched her intimately kept her on edge, so needy and frustrated she snapped at the people around her.

  She just didn’t know how much longer she could wait until he did something. Not even masturbating could ease her torment. It only made it worse.

  She absolutely ached for him.

  “Since there’s nothing else here that needs to be done, I’m going to the bookstore. Do you want to come with me?”

  Hope turned at her sister’s voice and shook her head. She and Charity devoured erotic romances like they were candy, but she just couldn’t read any right now. It would only make the ache worse. “No. Go ahead. I’m going to leave in a few minutes anyway. Maybe I’ll go down to Indulgences and see Jesse and Kelly. I know Kelly’s been upset.”

  “Yeah. But Blade won’t let her dwell on it. The doctor said because of all the scar tissue, it might be difficult for her to get pregnant, but not impossible. If I know Blade, he’ll do everything humanly possible to get Kelly pregnant.”

  Hope dropped in her chair. “The doctor told her to give it a little more time. They haven’t been trying for very long. The dads went to the club to play cards and said Blade’s quieter than normal and that he’s doing his best to keep Kelly’s mind off of it.”

  Charity smiled. “Knowing Blade, that ought to be interesting. Speaking of handsome, dominant men, have you heard from the sheriff?”

  “No, but when I do, I’m going to kick him in the balls.”

  “Brave words.”

  Hope gasped and looked up, stunned to see Ace moving into the doorway behind her sister. “I didn’t know you were there.”

  Ace’s lips twitched. “Obviously. Hello, Charity.”

  Charity smiled back, winking at Hope. “Hello, Sheriff. I guess I’ll be going. I was trying to convince Hope to come to the store with me, but she’s too busy sulking.”

  Hope glared at her sister. “I never sulk.”

  Charity laughed, earning an indulgent smile from Ace. “Sure, you do. It’s part of your charm. See you later. I’ll lock the front door on my way out.” Waving her fingers, she walked past Ace, leaving the two of them alone.

  As soon as the front door closed, Ace lowered his big body into the seat in front of her desk. He sat there watching her thoughtfully, his eyes hooded, for what seemed like forever, tapping his finger on his chin. “Come here.”

  Taken aback at a tone she’d never heard from him before, she hesitated.

  He leaned back, his arms on the armrests stretching his uniform tighter over his hard chest as he waited her out. After several seconds, one arrogant brow went up, but still he said nothing.

  Excitement made her heart beat faster as she waited for him to make his move. She couldn’t wait to have his hands on her.

  Still silent, he stood and turned toward the door.

  Where the hell was he going? Panicked, she jumped out of her chair. “Wait!”

  Ace stopped and turned, but still said nothing.

  Taking a deep breath, she slowly approached him, looking up to meet his eyes. “I thought you would touch me.”

  He inclined his head, a small, cold smile playing at his lips. “That was my intention.”

  When he turned again to leave, she ran up to him and grabbed his shirtsleeve. “But you didn’t come after me.”

  “I don’t tolerate topping from the bottom.”

  “What?”

  “When I tell you to come to me, you’re supposed to come to me. You want to be dominated but balk at the simplest instruction. Don’t waste my time, Hope, pretending to be something you’re not.” He smiled sadly, running a finger lightly down her cheek. “Don’t sell yourself short. I’m not the right man for you, and trying to be what you think I need will only end up making both of us miserable.”

  Terrified, Hope gripped his arm. “No, Ace. Please. You don’t understand.”

  “Hope, stop it. You need a man who’s capable of a hell of a lot more tenderness than I am. If that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t find it with me. If you were mine, you’d have no say in what I do to you and would be expected to obey my commands without hesitation. I told you that this won’t work. I don’t think you know what you want.”

  Hope ran to block him from leaving, knowing how easily he could brush her aside. “No, damn you. I’m trying. I want this, and I’m willing to fight for it.” Why couldn’t he understand her need for him to just grab her and take what he wanted? Damn it. She wanted to tell him but didn’t quite know how. What would he think if he knew she had desires even darker than his?

  He stared at her for so long, fear knotted her stomach. If he ended this now, she didn’t know what she would do. Finally, he sighed and reluctantly nodded. “Think about what you really want, Hope, before we do this again. I’ll be in touch. Be good.”

  A large lump lodged in her throat when he turned and started to walk away. “Ace, it’s not over, is it?”

  He paused, not turning around. “I don’t think you’re up to this, Hope, and I think you’re going to be severely disappointed.”

  Hope closed her eyes as a wave of need washed over her, her eyes snapping open when Ace continued.

  “You have to think about that. Is that something you want to do?”

  The lump got larger, threatening to choke her. She couldn’t let him walk away now when she’d finally convinced him to see her. Damn her stubbornness. If it got in the way of getting what she wanted, she’d never forgive herself. “Please. Don’t give up on me. One more chance. I know what I’m doing.” She wanted desperately for him to come back and give her what her body and her heart craved.

  The second hand of the clock in her office ticked loudly as she waited breathlessly for his answer. She swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat as her stomach turned to ice. Tears pricked at her eyes, and she hurriedly blinked them away, not wanting to miss the slightest nuance of his expression.

  Finally, he turned to her, the look on his face so cold and forbidding it weakened her knees.

  In all the years she’d known him, she’d never seen him like this.

  He nodded once. “One more chance. That’s it. You either do what I say or you’ll have to admit that this will never work.”

  Letting out the breath she’d been holding, she smiled tremulously, only to have her smile fall when he turned and walked away.

  Listening to the sound of the front door opening and closing again, she moved back to her desk and dropped into her chair.

  “Patience, he says. Okay. I can do patient.” Dropping her head in her hands, she cursed herself. If she’d done as he demanded right away, she’d probably have relief from the torment raging inside her. She needed to feel close to him and knew that with a man like Ace, a physical connection would be of utmost importance.

  Looking up, she stared toward the front door. “Patience is not one of my strong points, Sheriff, but I’ll be damned if I let you get away.”

  Sighing, she gathered her purse, resigned to spending another night alone.

  This was definitely not working out the way she’d planned it.

  * * * *

  Dressed in comfortable sweats and thick socks, Hope reclined on the sofa, flipping channels. She occasionally glanced at Charity, who sat cu
rled in a nearby chair reading one of the books she bought this afternoon. “There’s nothing good on television.”

  Charity never looked up as she waved a hand toward the impressive stack of erotic romances on the coffee table. “Read one of those.”

  Still flipping channels, Hope shifted, seeking out a more comfortable position. “No, thanks.”

  Reading one of those right now, while she still thought about Ace, would drive her nuts. After several more minutes of searching unsuccessfully for something to take her mind off of him, she stabbed the off button in frustration and tossed the remote onto the coffee table. Sitting up, she reached for the book on top.

  “Hell with it. How much worse can it get?”

  A half-hour later, Hope had already become engrossed in the story.

  When a knock sounded at the door, she frowned at the interruption and looked up at her sister. “Did Mom and Dads say they were coming over tonight?” Since the apartment she and Charity lived in was right above the diner their parents owned, they sometimes stopped in after they closed for the night.

  Charity shook her head, glancing at the clock. “No. They closed an hour ago. It’s probably Ace.” She started reading again, leaving Hope to answer the door.

  Hope had already had that thought and just as quickly dismissed it. “No. Ace won’t be here tonight. He’s a little upset with me.”

  Charity lifted her head and blinked. “I’m not surprised. You could drive anyone batty. So, are you going to answer the door or not?”

  Hope grinned and shook her head as her sister’s nose disappeared into her book again. Standing, she flipped the book she’d been reading face-down on the coffee table.

  “Damn it, Hope. Use a friggin’ bookmark.”

  On the way to the door, Hope looked over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue. “You should have answered the door.” Laughing softly, she swung the door open, her laughter dying when she saw Ace standing outside. “Ace?” Glancing at her sister, she kept her voice low. “I thought after this afternoon—”

  He stepped forward, forcing her to step back into the apartment. “Do you always open the door without checking to see who’s standing outside?”

  Hope rolled her eyes. “I live in Desire, Oklahoma, Ace. There are no strangers here—” She turned to walk away, yelping when Ace grabbed her arm and pulled her up short. “Hey!”

  He shook her once, glaring at both her and Charity, who looked up in surprise. “Haven’t you heard about the women being hurt around here? We haven’t taken care of them the way we should have. All that’s changed. If I catch either one of you opening that door without checking, I’ll tan your backsides. Are we clear?” He closed and locked the door behind him before ushering her into the room.

  Hope rubbed her arm when he released it, not because it hurt but because of the delicious tingling where he’d touched her. A quick mental flash of him turning her over his lap made her involuntarily clench the cheeks of her ass. “Ace, we’ll check, but you really don’t have to get all caveman on us.”

  Ace’s smile sent a chill through her as turned her and lifted her to her toes. “You live in Desire, Oklahoma, remember? You’ve lived here your entire life. You and your sister know the rules of this town,” releasing her shoulders, he gripped her chin, “and by God, you’ll abide by them.”

  Charity stood with her book and smoothed a hand down her robe. “It’s nice seeing you again, Sheriff. I’m going to my room and leave the two of you to fight this out.”

  Ace’s eyes narrowed. “I’m serious. You’ll be over my knee if you don’t look before opening the door. Unless Beau wants to do it.”

  Charity’s eyes flashed as she opened her mouth to say something, only to snap it closed again. Smiling serenely, she lifted her chin and turned. “Good night.”

  Hope waited for Charity go into her bedroom and close the door behind her before turning to Ace and gripping his arm. “How did you know about Beau? Did he say something? Is he interested in claiming Charity?” She smiled as music came from Charity’s room, secure in the knowledge that she and Ace wouldn’t be disturbed. “Come on, tell me. She won’t hear you.”

  Ace chuckled. “I try to know everything that goes on in my town. Whether he said something or not is none of your business. Stay out of it.” Moving to the sofa, he reached out and picked up the book she left on the table. “Hmm.”

  Damn it. She reached out to snatch the book out of his hand, but he deftly avoided her, blocking her attempt without even looking up.

  “You make sweet tea like your mother, don’t you? I’ll take a glass of that.”

  Cursing under her breath, she turned away to go into the kitchen to get his tea, knowing she’d only embarrass herself with a useless struggle for the book. Pouring his drink, she looked toward the living room to see him reading the book where she’d left it open. Remembering the part she’d been engrossed in, she shook, spilling tea on the countertop. “Damn.” The heroine had been in the process of getting a sound spanking for arguing with her lover. Hope had a sneaky suspicion the hero would be taking the heroine’s ass very soon.

  Ace looked over his shoulder toward the kitchen. “Something wrong?”

  Averting her eyes to wipe up the mess, she shook her head. Nervous as hell, she had to clear her throat before speaking. “No. Just clumsy.” She carried the tea back to him, wondering what he thought of her reading material. “Why did you come by tonight? After this afternoon I didn’t expect to see you.” The low arousal she’d endured for days flared to life as soon as she opened the door and just kept growing stronger, but she was nervous as hell, hoping he hadn’t changed his mind. He’d come over, at least that was something.

  Accepting the tea, Ace took a sip and murmured his approval before setting it on a coaster on the coffee table. He still had the book in his hand open as he patted his thigh. “Come here.” He kept reading, not even looking at her.

  Her pulse leapt. Not about to give him an excuse to walk away again, she hurriedly sat on his lap, thrilling at the shift of hard muscle beneath her thighs. Trembling at being held by him for the first time, she gripped his shoulders, only to have him take her hands in one of his and put them in her lap.

  “Do you and your sister read these often?”

  “All the time. I should tell Beau the kind of books Charity reads. Maybe it’ll give him some ideas.”

  “Hmm.” Ace set the book aside and reached for the remote control.

  “There’s nothing worth watching.”

  “I didn’t come here to watch television. I don’t know yet how much noise you make when you’re aroused, and I don’t want Charity to think I’m killing you.” He turned on the television, adjusted the volume, and tossed the remote aside.

  Jeez, he had to know how saying something like that would affect her. Hope shook in earnest now, her excitement growing by the second. Although her body had become overheated, she shivered when he reached for the hem of her sweatshirt and lifted it over her head, never taking his eyes from her breasts as he tossed it into the nearby chair. She was glad that she hadn’t worn a bra underneath, but worried that he might be disappointed with her less than full breasts. Damn it, she’d never cared what anyone ever thought before, but with Ace she wanted to be perfect.

  He took her hands in one of his and lifted them over her head as he laid her back against the arm of the sofa next to him. With his other hand, he began to lightly run his fingers over her stomach.

  “Beautiful.”

  She felt beautiful in his arms, her need growing at the flash of heat in his eyes as he ran his fingers between her breasts and over her chest and shoulders. “I’m small.” She hadn’t meant to blurt that out and regretted it the moment the words left her lips. Damn it, she couldn’t remember ever being this nervous.

  Ace’s huge hand covered a small mound and massaged gently. “Delicate.” His expression softened, a sign that he understood that her trembling came from more than arousal. A smile curved his lips w
hen she gasped. “And very sensitive. We’ll have to be careful.”

  Testing his hold, she writhed with excitement to discover she couldn’t break his grip. “Not too careful, I hope.”

  Still holding her wrists firmly, he reached for the iced tea on the table and took a sip before touching the bottom of the cold glass to her erect nipple.

  Fisting her hands, she closed her eyes on a moan as he moved the cold glass back and forth over first one nipple and then the other, taking his time, his gaze going from her breasts to her face and back again. Despite the cold, fire raced from her nipples to her pussy, and she dug her heels into the sofa, rocking her hips to try to relieve the pressure. Doing that also moved her ass back and forth over his cock, which seemed to grow larger with each pass.

  Ace groaned harshly and slid from under her, lying down against the back of the sofa and, still holding her hands in his, covered her thighs with one of his thickly muscled ones. “You keep teasing me with that ass, you’re going to find yourself in a lot of trouble.” Leaning over her, he put the glass back on the table and watched her with gleaming eyes as his fingers traced over her cold nipples, running them up the underside of her arm to her wrists which he held firmly in his other hand, and back down again.

  “Ace, the light.”

  Restricting her struggles, he strummed his fingers over a nipple. “I want it on.” The steel in his low tone as he caressed her was better than any fantasy she’d ever had and reignited some of her trepidation. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t draw enough air in her lungs. The sophistication she’d tried to adopt fell away under his caress, until she became nothing more than a trembling mass of need, a woman vulnerable in her man’s arms.

  Keeping her eyes tightly closed against not only the light, but against Ace seeing too much, she squeezed her thighs together, overwhelmed by the exquisite throbbing of her pussy and clit. She hadn’t worn panties either and wanted so badly for him to strip off her sweatpants and fuck her. Oh, God. For the first time in her life, she wondered if she could handle what he wanted from her. Already she burned uncontrollably.