Page 25 of The Fire We Make

She nodded, leaning into his touch. Ace was sure she didn’t realize what she was doing but he did. He savored it. Delight and a hunger for more springing up inside him.

Ace sighed. “Me too… And I’m not gon’ lie, I’m not ready to go back to that just yet.”

“Me either,” she whispered, her lips almost grazing his. It wasn’t until then did Ace realize how close their faces had gotten.

Ace’s gaze flicked to her full, red mouth. The desire to taste it, to taste her, took hold of him.

Instead of succumbing to it right away, he lifted the blunt to his lips and took another drag, holding the smoke in his lungs as he leaned forward.

His hand slid to the back of her neck.

When he exhaled, he blew the smoke slowly into her waiting mouth.

Ace grinned when she inhaled the smoke instinctively, her eyes fluttering closed as Ace closed the space between them.

He descended his mouth to meet hers. She reciprocated immediately, her hands gripping the front of his shirt as their mouths married and their tongues tangled. Ace pressed closer, his body crowding hers against the ledge until she was wedged between the cool concrete and the heat of him.

His hands moved from her waist to her wide hips and slid down her thighs but snagged on something hard.

Ace stilled and glanced down to see that her dress had ridden up, exposing her thick, toned thigh. The glint of metal reflecting the rooftop light caught his eye and it didn’t take him long to realize he was looking at the barrel of a small gold pistol peeking out from under her dress.

Ace felt his body respond in arousal to the sight.

“That’s a nice piece,” he said, his finger lightly tracing a path from her knee to the firearm in question. Even with her stockings serving as a barrier between their skin, Ace felt shockwaves course through his body at the contact. He felt her shiver under his touch.

“Whatchu doing with that?” he asked, his brow quirked.

“It’s pretty,” she answered breathlessly. “And New York is a dangerous city.”

Ace smirked at the irony of her being worried about safety while pressed against one of the most dangerous men on the east coast. The sight of the gold metal against her brown skin made him harder and the thought of her being armed only made him want her more.

He took her lips in another kiss before he pulled back just far enough to speak.

“Come home with me.”

Ace’s heart skipped a beat when she nodded.

He opened his mouth to speak again but was interrupted by the door to the roof opening followed by Ray’s voice.

“Sir. We have a problem,” Ray started but paused when he saw the woman in Ace’s arms.

Ace looked up, his irritation rising as he felt the woman slide out of his grip.

“What’s wrong?” Ace asked.

Ray’s gaze flicked to the woman then leaned in close to Ace. “The cops are here. Someone called about bodies outside before our cleanup could get there. We should go.”

Ace nodded. He wasn’t responsible for those bodies but his knuckles were slightly bruised from his altercation with Tyrell the day before and he didn’t want to be anywhere near when the cops made their rounds. Detective Harris and the NYPD were always looking for a reason to take a King down and he didn’t plan on giving them one tonight.

He went to tell the woman it was time to go but when he turned, he saw her curls slipping through the door.

“Wait—” he started but was cut off by the slamming of the door behind her.

Chapter Seven

With sirens wailing in the distance and the cold biting at her ill-covered legs, Joy found herself walking the New York streets for a second time that night. This time, she wasn’t floating, she’d crashed back to reality.

As much as she’d like to think otherwise, in her reality, getting back to the old, normal Joy wasn’t as simple as flipping a switch. The woman that she’d become still haunted her. Tonight was proof enough.