once adored thought of the way she looked now.
The years definitely hadn’t been quite so kind to her.
But then, as if he’d seen her fears or read her thoughts,
his smile faded a little and he reached out and settled his broad palm on her
cheek. His eyes softened before his thumb traced the faint circles she wore
beneath her eyes as a constant reminder of what she’d been through. She carried
a few extra pounds, the remnants of motherhood and birth and, along with those
damn circles, her reminder of death.
“Are you tired, honey?” he asked. “I read in the newsletter
that you lost your husband a few years ago.”
It had been two years but her eyes burned. “Um. Yeah. Car
wreck.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. Scott was a great guy. I miss him.”
Ace went very still, studying her intently. “Are you doing
okay?”
Summoning her brightest smile, she drew a breath and nodded.
“Yeah. Gotta tell you though, being a single mother is hard. Never realized
until I had to do it myself.”
He smiled slowly then kicked it up a notch. “No shit? A kid?”
“Alyssa. She’s four.”
“Bet she’s as gorgeous as her mom. Please tell me she got
your sunny blonde hair and blue eyes.”
“We’re a team.”
Ace laughed. “Bet you are.” Finally he reached into her
basket and began settling the sacks inside her trunk. “Are you planning to feed
an army here?”
“Just about. The girls are getting together at the house and
hanging out for the next few days. Didn’t want to arrive empty-handed.”
“You going to be at the welcome cocktail party tonight?”
“The one at the Ambassador? Yes, a bunch of us are going
together. You?”
“Yeah, some of the guys and I planned to meet up there.”
Hmm. The guys from Hottie House? Back in the day, she and
her roommates had loved watching the comings and goings next door. And what
red-blooded young woman with a fully functioning, beating heart wouldn’t drool
over the beefcake they served up over there?
Of course, she’d had eyes only for Ace.
Despite how desperately she’d loved him, right after he’d
graduated they’d had a nasty fight. It was so long ago she didn’t recall the
details and they’d both been so young, but it had been enough to end things
abruptly. Chloe had always regretted they’d ended things so inauspiciously.
That was then and this was now.
Her insides fluttered as if a million butterflies had set up
residence. Oh yeah. She wasn’t dumb. She totally got that Ace wanted
more time with her while both of them were attending the reunion. All those
fluttery, bubbly feelings just served as a brutal reminder that her current
life was a series of one grueling day after another, with no time for anything
that smacked of romance or passion. The notion of hooking up with Ace had her
pussy practically twitching with expectation. Her panties dampened and, damn
it, she wanted to whimper.
Her life was currently a sexual wasteland and here stood
Ace, looking like a tall drink of water to her poor thirsty self.
Lame. Okay, she had to say something. “Sounds like fun. Um,
maybe I’ll see you there.”
Ace moved in, caging her against the open trunk of the car.
His sexy smile was so hot she almost melted into a puddle at his feet. He
stretched one arm high, settling his hand on the open door of the trunk, and
wrapped the other arm around her waist to pull her close. Her nipples pearled
and tightened the instant they connected with the front of his tee shirt. His
belly rubbed hers and she felt his erection press insistently against the
juncture of her thighs. Ace’s gaze settled on her lips and focused. “You can
count on it. You know, I don’t think there’s been a day in the past ten years
that I haven’t thought of you at least once.”
“Just once?” She’d wanted to joke and lighten the mood but
her question just sounded all whispery and faint. She cleared her throat.
“Sorry. Dumb.”
“I’ll tell you what’s dumb.” Ace
The years definitely hadn’t been quite so kind to her.
But then, as if he’d seen her fears or read her thoughts,
his smile faded a little and he reached out and settled his broad palm on her
cheek. His eyes softened before his thumb traced the faint circles she wore
beneath her eyes as a constant reminder of what she’d been through. She carried
a few extra pounds, the remnants of motherhood and birth and, along with those
damn circles, her reminder of death.
“Are you tired, honey?” he asked. “I read in the newsletter
that you lost your husband a few years ago.”
It had been two years but her eyes burned. “Um. Yeah. Car
wreck.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. Scott was a great guy. I miss him.”
Ace went very still, studying her intently. “Are you doing
okay?”
Summoning her brightest smile, she drew a breath and nodded.
“Yeah. Gotta tell you though, being a single mother is hard. Never realized
until I had to do it myself.”
He smiled slowly then kicked it up a notch. “No shit? A kid?”
“Alyssa. She’s four.”
“Bet she’s as gorgeous as her mom. Please tell me she got
your sunny blonde hair and blue eyes.”
“We’re a team.”
Ace laughed. “Bet you are.” Finally he reached into her
basket and began settling the sacks inside her trunk. “Are you planning to feed
an army here?”
“Just about. The girls are getting together at the house and
hanging out for the next few days. Didn’t want to arrive empty-handed.”
“You going to be at the welcome cocktail party tonight?”
“The one at the Ambassador? Yes, a bunch of us are going
together. You?”
“Yeah, some of the guys and I planned to meet up there.”
Hmm. The guys from Hottie House? Back in the day, she and
her roommates had loved watching the comings and goings next door. And what
red-blooded young woman with a fully functioning, beating heart wouldn’t drool
over the beefcake they served up over there?
Of course, she’d had eyes only for Ace.
Despite how desperately she’d loved him, right after he’d
graduated they’d had a nasty fight. It was so long ago she didn’t recall the
details and they’d both been so young, but it had been enough to end things
abruptly. Chloe had always regretted they’d ended things so inauspiciously.
That was then and this was now.
Her insides fluttered as if a million butterflies had set up
residence. Oh yeah. She wasn’t dumb. She totally got that Ace wanted
more time with her while both of them were attending the reunion. All those
fluttery, bubbly feelings just served as a brutal reminder that her current
life was a series of one grueling day after another, with no time for anything
that smacked of romance or passion. The notion of hooking up with Ace had her
pussy practically twitching with expectation. Her panties dampened and, damn
it, she wanted to whimper.
Her life was currently a sexual wasteland and here stood
Ace, looking like a tall drink of water to her poor thirsty self.
Lame. Okay, she had to say something. “Sounds like fun. Um,
maybe I’ll see you there.”
Ace moved in, caging her against the open trunk of the car.
His sexy smile was so hot she almost melted into a puddle at his feet. He
stretched one arm high, settling his hand on the open door of the trunk, and
wrapped the other arm around her waist to pull her close. Her nipples pearled
and tightened the instant they connected with the front of his tee shirt. His
belly rubbed hers and she felt his erection press insistently against the
juncture of her thighs. Ace’s gaze settled on her lips and focused. “You can
count on it. You know, I don’t think there’s been a day in the past ten years
that I haven’t thought of you at least once.”
“Just once?” She’d wanted to joke and lighten the mood but
her question just sounded all whispery and faint. She cleared her throat.
“Sorry. Dumb.”
“I’ll tell you what’s dumb.” Ace
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