The Summer I Fell (The Six Series) by Sonya Loveday

stomach. I pushed my hand against my belly and willed it to settle as I put one foot in front of the other. It was just Ace. The same guy I’d been friends with for most of my life. The same one who had wiped my tears and had my back, and my front and my… I slammed the door on where my thoughts headed and made my way back to his room.
    When I stepped into it, he was plugging his cell phone in and then grabbed my charger. He braced his hand on the nightstand and leaned over to plug it in. The muscles in his arm flexed, and the memories of this morning flooded my mind. His arms braced alongside my shoulders. My hands traveling up them as his muscles tightened and then relaxed with each move against me. I opened the closet, unzipped his bag, and shoved the small bag I’d just emptied inside of it. As I closed the closet, I heard the drawer to his nightstand squeak as he pulled it open and then closed it.
    I forced myself to turn around as he crossed the room and closed the bedroom door. Walking over to the dresser, he pulled a pair of shorts out. I chided myself for being nervous to be alone with him.
    “You okay, Riley?” Ace’s arm came past me as he pulled the closet open and tossed the boots he had been wearing inside with the others, then reached down and grabbed a pair of flip-flops. I moved out of his way and tried to take a breath, but it seemed shallow and forced.
    “Riley?” Ace turned around, took one look at my face, and dropped his flip-flops. He stepped closer, and my breath caught on a gasp. “Breathe, Riley.” His finger trailed along my lip. He had no idea that it only made it worse when he did things like that.
    My eyes fluttered closed, and I melted into his touch.
    Ace’s hand slid along my hip, sending pinpricks along my skin. “Ah, I think I understand.”
    I held my breath.
    “It’s overwhelming to you, isn’t it?”
    I nodded. To say it was overwhelming put it mildly.
    “Riley, open your eyes. Look at me.”
    I released the breath I’d held, shuddering when my eyes met his.
    “Just be my Riley. The one you’ve always been, only a little wilder when it’s just you and me,” he said with a wink.
    The wilder me was what made me feel like I would combust when we stood with our bodies so close, yet so far apart.
    My entire body jittered, flashing hot and then cold. I wanted to melt to the floor. I wanted to attack him. He had me to the point of where I didn’t know if I was coming or going.
    I stepped back to gather my wits. Ace tilted his head and squinted his eyes as he searched my face.
    “I… I can’t think with you so close.” I clasped my hands together and ducked my head.
    He chuckled, and my head snapped up. “It’s not funny, Ace.”
    His eyes crinkled and his mouth kicked up at the corners, creating a devastating smile. I had to get away from him, away from his effect on me, and clear my head.
    I made it to the door and turned the knob as Ace’s hand shot out, stopping me from pulling it open. His other hand swept my hair off my neck and he leaned in, blowing a warm breath along my skin. Moaning, I tilted my neck to give him better access. He blazed a path of kisses in between the gentle nips he took. I felt myself sinking as his hand came up to my stomach and pulled me into him, holding me upright. His hand fisted in the material of my shirt, and I whimpered. A rumble from his chest vibrated into me, causing my hips to arch back and ground against him. I found myself spun around, his body pressing me into the door. His hands slid down my hips and grabbed my thighs, lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around him and laced my fingers behind his neck, pulling him as close as possible, frustrated with the material between us.
    Ace turned us towards his bed and came to an abrupt stop. His eyes changed into slits as he stared at the bedroom window. His grip on my legs loosened until I stood on shaky legs. When I had my footing, he caught my hands up in his and placed them on his