Page 30 of Sold on You

He let out a sigh that caused his chest to rise and fall. “You’ve been through so much, I don’t want to push it. I don’t want you to regret anything. You deserve only the best.”

Her heart warmed at the words and she smiled as he pulled her sweater down, over her breasts. “Thank you.” She placed her hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes. “I don’t think I would regret it, but you’re right. If there’s even a question, I need to make sure I’m totally ready.”

He placed his forehead against hers. “When you are, I’m here, Charlee. And I’m not going anywhere.” Again he shifted her. “Let me fix your bra.”

“I’ll just slide it off.” She worked it through her sleeve and let it drop to the floor. “No need to put it back on since it’ll be bedtime soon.”

Ace moved in a way that seemed so easy and fluid. One moment she was in his lap, the next he was on his back on the couch, and she was lying on him, her legs tangled with his. She pressed her cheek against his chest, breathing in the warm scent of him on his T-shirt. She loved the way he smelled and breathed deeply of his essence.

“He hurt you real bad,” Ace said quietly.

She stiffened then tried to relax. “Yes.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” The answer came out sharp and final. Yet, she followed it by saying quietly, “Maybe.”

He didn’t say anything, just waited.

Charlee felt frozen as she thought about what had happened. “I was twenty-four, and my older sister, Jo, started seeing Tate McBride around the same time.”

“One of my cousins,” Ace said. “They’ve got kids now.”

“Twin girls.” Charlee nodded against his shirt. “I have to admit I was jealous of Jo. She’s gorgeous and was a model in New York City for a time. She worked hard though and saved enough money to start her own night club, Jo-Jo’s. I was so envious of her gorgeous red hair and how tall and elegant she is.”

“You have no reason to be jealous.” Ace stroked her hair. “You are equally beautiful, if not more so.”

“Thank you.” Charlee had to work to not brush the comment off as him just being nice. He meant it, and she appreciated it. “Of course, all the men wanted Jo. So, when this good-looking older man started paying attention to me instead of her, it went straight to my head. It was like, ‘Wow, someone wants me over Jo.’”

Ace remained silent as she went on. “So, David Smith had me. The things he’d say, the things he did—he totally manipulated me. It turned out he had overheard I’d be coming into my inheritance at twenty-five, and it was substantial. He worked me, the long con, I guess you’d call it.”

Ace made a growling sound that rumbled in his chest, below her ear.

“But Jo was on to him and he knew it. So, he tried to have her killed, and when that failed, he tried again. He wanted to keep her from changing my mind about him.” Charlee’s belly cramped as it always did when she thought about it. “I could have lost her, Ace.” She clenched her eyes tight as they ached with tears and her voice wavered. “All because I fell for a con artist who knew how to handle me so skillfully.”

“Shhhh.” Ace whispered in her ear. “It’s all okay now.”

“Turned out he was married, too. His family down in the Phoenix area had no idea he was a psychopathic con man.”

Charlee buried her face against Ace’s T-shirt. “I was so weak. I haven’t been able to forgive myself for almost getting Jo killed.”

He continued to stroke her hair. “I don’t blame you after what you’ve been through. It was a horrifying experience and you made it. You’re not weak, you’re stronger than most.”

Charlee shuddered with a low sob that she tried to contain. “It’s been long enough. Why am I not over it yet?”

“That’s a lot for one person to go through.” Ace wrapped his big arms around her. “Just take it as slow as you need to. There’s no hurry.”

“Thank you, Ace.” She snuggled against him. “I haven’t talked about it for years. I saw a therapist for a long time, but I guess I never fully worked through it.”

“I want to be the man you work through it with,” he said slowly. “Let me be there for you.”

She lay there for a long time, not saying anything, just feeling at peace with their bodies entwined. “One day at a time,” she finally said. “I just need to take this a day at a time.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I’m here for you, as long as it takes.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

CHAPTER8

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