Emma breathed in deeply, and he nodded as the doctor went on.
“But your shifter body absorbed most of the bullets. One or two nearly penetrated your kidneys. You are very lucky, Mr. Moretti.”
“Thank you, Pietro,” Ace said. “I have more of a reason to live now, so I mean it. Truly.”
Pietro’s wrinkled eyes moved to Emma, then back at Ace. To his surprise, he smiled, looking almost half his age.
“Oh, young love,” he crooned. “It is enough to make you survive even the deepest cuts.”
Emma swooned, smiling and giggling like the doctor wasn’t there. Dr. Pietro took the cue and left the room, but not before he made one last remark.
“Make sure you lay off the naughtiness for a few days,” he said, amused by his words. “You may be a shifter, but you still need to heal. Boat rocking can come later.”
He shut the door before either of them had the chance to reply. They simply looked at each other and burst out laughing, leaning against each other’s forehead with rapturous ecstasy.
“Lord, he is something,” Emma said, wiping away tears.
Ace pulled her in close, then kissed her lightly. It was difficult not to pull her in deeper, to ignite their passion right there in the recovery room, but old Pietro was right. He needed to take it easy.
“Emma,” he whispered. “I want you to know something. I am, deep down, a wild animal. But you have shown me that’s not all I am.”
Emma stared at him, lifting her hands to his cheeks again, her chest heaving up and down.
“Tell me more,” she purred.
“You’ve shown me that I am a man,” Ace continued. “I can feel love. I can express love. I am so much more than just a violent shifter. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
She grinned widely, her hands wandering his face and cheeks.
“You don’t need to repay me. You love me and promise to love me forever, and that is all I want. I want you, all of you.”
Ace’s heart beat a mile a minute, and he couldn’t help himself when yanking her in by her butt. She gasped, which made him feel even more lustful for her.
“I promise I will never hurt you. I will never exploit you. Everything I do from now on, I am doing for you.”
Emma bit her lower lip, driving him crazy. He moved both hands and cupped her ass, despite the bolt of agony that shot through his back.
“Ace,” she murmured. “You have made me so much more confident. I am not afraid anymore. I know what I want, and I am not afraid to say it.”
Ace groaned, loving the way his lips were lingering near hers. She was so close, yet so far.
“And what is it that you want?” he growled.
“You,” she replied. “I love you, and I want all of you, always.”
Neither could hold off anymore. They kissed deeply, passionately, their tongues finding one another with a heated urgency Ace had never felt. He wanted to rip her clothes off and taste every inch of her. He wanted her to feel how much he loved her.
But as his muscles tensed, a sharp wash of pain moved through him. He grunted as they kissed, and Emma moved away.
“I think we should follow the doctor's orders,” Emma said, smiling. “As much as I want you right now, I don’t want you to be hurting, baby.”
Ace let out a long, deep sigh. She leaned against his shoulders, curling herself up onto the bed as he stroked her hair.
“Is Benny … dead?” he asked after a long quiet moment.
Emma nodded against him. “You don’t remember ripping him to shreds?” she replied.
Ace had seen red when he blasted into the warehouse. He had attacked Benny, but his main focus had been saving Emma.