“I ...” Ace held on to her arm much too tightly. He looked from her face and then down at the floor. He clenched his fist, and his arm trembled, and for a horrible moment, Emma thought he was going to hit her.
He let go of her arm so suddenly that she almost fell. Her knees were weak, and her heart fluttered around in her chest like a bunch of trapped butterflies. Emma reached out and grabbed the kitchen bench, barely saving herself from falling to her knees in front of him.
That thought flashed through her mind and then stuck there. She vividly imagined what it would be like to be on her knees before him, looking up into those glowing amber eyes as she opened her lips and swallowed him whole.
Worship … obey. Why the fuck am I so turned on?
Emma blinked, turning away as she tried to get herself under control. Thankfully, Ace paid her no attention. He looked at the floor, tension running through his body as if he was fighting with himself, just trying to stay still.
Maybe he’s imagining me on my knees too.
The thought was so strong that she didn’t hear what he said when he turned his gaze to her again. His lips moved, and she heardget on your knees,but it didn’t seem to match the movement of his mouth.
“What?” she asked softly. He frowned.
“I said I should teach you a lesson for that.”
Thrills ran through her from the throbbing heat deep between her legs, her clit, and in electric trails right up to her nipples. Her skin sparked with hot goosebumps, and she gasped aloud.
Yes. Punish me!
Emma realized he’d spoken again and blinked hard, trying to fight her way back to the present moment. Ace shook his head and glared at her.
“I said I would usually beat the shit out of anyone who would dare disrespect me like that. I’m trying to be nice to you.”
Then fuck me.
“Do you hear what I’m saying?” he snapped.
Emma nodded. “Yes, I do. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for disobeying, or sorry you didn’t hear?”
“Both. All of it. I don’t know.”
Ace sighed, bending his head to pinch the bridge of his nose. He muttered something under his breath that she couldn’t make out.
Emma wondered if he couldn’t hurt her, even if he wanted to. She didn’t know why, but there seemed to be an inexplicable force driving them together, something she didn’t understand.
Maybe it’s a shifter thing.
“All right,” he said, sighing, clearly wanting to move on from the subject. “This place is an absolute pigsty. If I’m going to stay here, we need to get it cleaned up. I’ll help, but honestly, Emma, this is a disgrace.”
Emma looked around. Several plastic bags were filled with trash that were supposed to go to the dumpster but hadn’t yet made it. Stacks of pizza boxes adorned the counter, along with a graveyard of empty energy drink cans.
A huddle of used mugs sat by her favorite chair. Some still had tea bags hanging out of them. There wasn’t a section of carpet not sprinkled with dust, and the tile floor was matted with grime.
Mail, brochures, and empty packaging wilted forlornly on every available surface as if they knew they had been abandoned. Her one trash bin overflowed.
“Don’t look in the bathroom,” she muttered, thinking of the green mold that was happily growing across the caulking and covering the hair-filled drains. Emma winced as she saw a cockroach dart across the floor right behind Ace. Thankfully, he didn’t see it.
“I have seen the bathroom,” he muttered. “And we’re cleaning up, starting right now.”
“Okay,” she said, immediately turning to the bench beside her to start stacking up empty pizza boxes. Ace groaned, covering his face with his palm.
“Put some clothes on first.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, meekly obeying him. It hadn’t occurred to her to ask ... she assumed that he would tell her what to do. She had to admit, it felt kind of nice.