“Can we play with my Hot Wheels, too?” He asked it with all the enthusiasm of a five year old.
He chuckled and his eyes sparkled as he looked over to me. “Only if your mom doesn’t mind.” Ben turned to me with that little bottom lip flipped out.
Big eyes pleaded with me. “Please, Mama.”
“We’ll see.” I’d cave. I loved watching them sitting on the living room floor playing with the Hot Wheels set my parents had bought him. My parents knew that Julian had been spending time with us. Mama looked at me like she knew what was going through my brain. She’d even tried to talk to me about it once or twice, and I shook it off.
Ace lifted his arms out to the side. “Come here, bud. Let me give you a hug.”
Ben wrinkled up his little face with all the authority he could muster. “Men don’t hug.”
“Well…” he chuckled, pointing at himself, “this one does, so come give me one.”
Ben couldn’t help the giggle that dropped from his lips, but did as Julian asked. Ace bent down on his knees and Benjamin ran right to him, wrapping his little arms around Julian’s neck. As he stood there holding our kid, Ben whispered something too soft for me to hear in his ear.
I let my eyes roam, taking in the silhouette of a guy bent over the engine of another car in the back of the shop. I wondered if that was the mysterious Darryl. Focusing back on the guys, I see Ace looking over, giving me that wicked smirk that promised all the dirty things.
I narrowed my eyes. What were they planning? He raised to his full height after they finished whispering, and he came over to me. Leaning in, his breath fanned over my neck, and I couldn’t help the shiver it created. “I can’t wait to taste you again.” My core tingled in remembrance of the last time he spoke those dirty words into my ear. And, heaven help me, I wanted him to. I was trying to stand firm, but pretty soon I’d give in. It was inevitable. So, maybe I should just stop torturing the both of us and let him in.
My cheeks flushed. “You can’t stay overnight.”
He nuzzled against the side of my neck. “Baby, I don’t need all night to make you come, but I’m really hoping I can convince you to let me stay.” After tonight, Ben would know Julian was his father, so was it really so bad letting him see Julian sleeping over? The verdict was still out for now.
Stepping away from me, I fought the urge to follow and beg him to just touch me. He kicked his shoe against the ground. “So, I’ll probably be a little late to dinner. I need to call up a buddy who owns a dealership in Virginia Beach, see if he can give me a deal on a car for Kennedy Scott. I know she’s been looking for one ever since her car ended up in the jaws of life. Still don’t believe that wreck was an accident.”
I jerked my chin in agreement. “You aren’t the only one. Well, we’ll see you later then. Come on, Ben. You still want to go swimming at Nana and Pawpaw’s house?”
“Yes!” He yelled with his little first thrown into the air.
“All right, bud. I’ll see you later, okay?” Julian said to Ben before ruffling up his dark hair and walking away.
ChapterEleven
“What are you doing?” She whispered to me as we snuck over the moss covered stone bridge down by the Old Mill. The only ones around to witness it were the River Birch trees that stood guard around it. “My parents are going to flip if they find us out here this late.”
“I had to see you. It’s my last night in town. I wasn’t leaving without telling you goodbye.” I backed her up against the outside of the Mill, my arms surrounding her as I leaned in and brushed my lips against her soft ones. I loved everything about this girl. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to come with me?”
“Ace… you know I can’t. I wouldn’t fit into a life like that, but I’m also not holding you back. You’ve been dreaming of racing since we were kids. You’ve made it. Don’t waste it because I won’t go with you. Besides, I’ll be here ready and waiting when you come back.”
“You’re going to wait for me?” I asked, shocked because I wasn’t planning to ask for her to do that. I couldn’t ruin the possibility of her finding love without me. The thought of it also had me fisting my hands. I didn’t want anyone else to get her. She was mine. Always had been, always would be. We’d been each other’s first everything. She was more than just a first crush. She was my forever, but we wouldn’t talk about that now.
“Of course, Ace. Do you…” She bit her lip. “Do you not want me to?”
“Fuck yes, I want you to, but what if you find someone else?”
She reached up and spoke against my lips. “I won’t. It’s only you, Ace. It will only ever be you.”
Our breathing was heavy as we stood staring into each other's eyes. Fuck, I wanted her. “Let’s go inside.” I moved my hand to the small of her back and pushed her toward the door. It was late at night, and there was no light inside the mill, so when I ran into the old equipment inside used in the good old days, I groaned.
“Oh, my God, Ace, are you okay?”
“No, you want to kiss it better? I can show you exactly where it hurts.” I winked at her and knew she saw it when a beautiful blush started to cover her face.
“You know you’re a perv sometimes?”
“I’m a guy, comes with the territory. I’ve been thinking about this all day. Getting you alone in here with me; little red riding hood with the big bad wolf.” I leaned into her and nuzzled my nose against the pulse in her neck. “Mmm… do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are with the moonlight shining through the window painting your silhouette on the wall. This sexy little body is all for me.”
She moaned as I ran my hands over the curves of her body and slipped them up underneath her tank top, feeling the softness of the skin as I ran my fingertips right along her waistline. She jumped, and I had to laugh because I knew she was ticklish. Always had been. “I love the way your skin feels against my fingers. Tell me, babe. Are you wet for me right now?”