Page 132 of Ace My Heart

Joel looked away, running a hand through his short hair. “Okay, so let me get this straight. You came around here to accuse me of murdering my father, and to tell me that you want to … what, start a relationship with me?” He turned his icy eyes on me then, and the world came crashing down around me.

“Um, well, yes … maybe? But … also Ben.”

Joel glared at me. “What about Ben?” His voice held a warning, and involuntarily I took a step towards the door.

“Well, Julie told me about Ben threatening you, trying to blackmail you into giving him access to the money in the trust for Shaun. I just thought that you might have … you know … to protect Shaun?” My voice shook.

I’d never seen Joel look so angry. He stood up and towered over me. I took another step backwards but Joel caught me by the arm. He held on tight enough that I wouldn’t be able to shake him off. I stared down at his hand on my arm, paralysed with fear.

Joel’s other hand snaked up and tilted my chin until I couldn’t help but look up at him. He flinched when he saw my expression. “You’re afraid. You’re actually afraid of me.” I didn’t like the hurt in his voice.

“Stink, do you actually believe that I could have killed my father and my uncle, no matter how selfish and … and greedy they both were?”

I didn’t respond, but he could see the answer in my eyes. Hesighed, but he didn’t let go of me. Instead he stepped closer, until the fronts of his thighs pressed against the fronts of mine.

I couldn’t think straight when he was that close to me. I was stranded somewhere between fear and desire. I had no idea which one would win out.

Joel didn’t give me the opportunity to figure that out. He gripped me by the back of my neck, kissing me fiercely. I was stunned momentarily, but it didn’t take long for my body to take over and reciprocate.

I could feel a lot of things in Joel’s kiss. Frustration. Fear. Need.

My mouth mirrored his need. I needed to be closer to him. It was never going to be enough. An overwhelming emotion was brewing in the pit of my stomach, but I pushed it away. It was just too complicated to deal with right now.

I gave in and let him draw me down.

He hadn’t answered all my questions. I started to realise that the answer didn’t matter to me. That if he’d done it, I would never tell another living soul about it. I would do that, for him, I realised. Oh shit!

“Melanie Black!” Joel growled at me and my attention snapped back to him.

“Don’t be afraid of me, please, Mel,” he whispered, his hands stroking my face gently. He leaned down and kissed the hollow at the base of my throat. I moaned and arched myself towards him, my body responding automatically to his expert touch.

Everything felt raw … intense … altering. His hands undressed me, roved over my skin. His lips trailed down from my neck to my stomach and between my legs, his tongue making slow, sensuous love to my pussy, my clit, until I rocked to his mouth, crying out and knotting my fingers into his hair.

His body was a warm comforting weight as he crawled up, fitting himself against me, the expression on his face as he pushed into me like a homecoming.

Afterwards we lay naked on his bed, my legs still entwined with his and his arms encompassing me, holding me against his chest. It was then that I realised that my suspicions were stupid. This wasJoel. He was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a killer. How had I ever even entertained that thought?

As if he could read my mind, Joel spoke very softly against my hair. “If I tell you now – and I promise you that I’ve never been more serious in my life, Mel – that I would never,couldnever, kill my father or anyone else for that matter, would you believe me?”

I gazed into his eyes and I answered him truthfully.

“I feel stupid for even letting myself think it in the first place. I’m just so confused about so much.”

“Me too, Stink. Believe me. But let’s try not to think about all those confusing things for now, okay?”

He turned me so my back fitted against his chest, my butt tucked against his cock. His hand stroked over the curve of my hip and around to my stomach. I could feel his heart beating steadily and strongly against my back. My own slowed, changing pace to match his.

Oh, God! I’m in love with him! And not just in a let’s see where this goes sort of way, but in a want to spend the rest of my life with him way – a let’s move in together and get married and never spend another night apart again sort of way.

I must have gasped aloud with the sudden revelation, because Joel shifted behind me, his fingers moving away from where they’d been stroking my belly. He turned me until he could look at me properly. “What’s up?” he asked.

I looked up to face him, but I found the sentiments that had seemed so true in my head just a moment ago, were suddenly terrifying when I opened my mouth to voice them.

I tried; my mouth opening and closing over and over like a goldfish that had just jumped out of its tank. Joel grinned and my heart ached at how beautiful his smile was.

“Spit it out, Stinky, whatever it is.”

I leapt off the bed, climbing back into my clothes with lightning speed.

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