“No!” she said. “You were perfect. You were absolutely perfect. And that’s the terrible thing.”
“Harper, if you’re afraid that Ava is going to somehow like me better, that’s not what I’m trying to do,” I said reasonably.
Harper blinked at me for a moment and then giggled. “That’s not what I’m afraid of at all,” she said.
“Okay, good,” I said, grinning at her. I took a step closer, standing well inside her personal space. “Then do you want to tell me what’s got you all bent out of shape?” I breathed against her lips.
“You,” Harper said in a strangled voice. She took a step back, her eyes wide. “You’re just—you’re absolutely perfect, Ace.”
“So you said,” I teased.
She rolled her eyes. “What I mean is, I can’t help falling in love with you!”
I felt my mouth go dry. “Can’t help falling in love with me?” I asked quietly. I knew she had feelings for me, just like I had feelings for her, but I didn’t realize they were that serious.
“Yes,” Harper said, looking like she might cry. “And I know it’s stupid for me to push you away when all I want is for you to be with me. That’s all I could think about all day today, how we made such a perfect family. Mom, dad, and daughter. And I know I’ve probably messed everything up by now since I told you that I wasn’t interested in that, but I just had to come over here and tell you that. That’s what was wrong with me all day. I’m in love with you, and I was trying my best not to say it.”
I stared at her for a long moment. The truth was, I wasn’t shocked by her announcement. I realized that when I really thought about it, I already knew that. I had known that since before I’d realized that Ava was my daughter.
I reached for Harper, my fingers grasping her upper arms, and pulled her toward me. I pressed my lips against hers, angling my head to the side so that we didn’t repeat our earlier problems. Instead, our lips moved together in sync. I pushed my tongue into her mouth, delighting in the way she sighed and fell against me, as though she no longer had the strength or the will to hold her body away from me. She was pressed up close, her body warm against mine. Comfortable. As though it belonged there.
As though we belonged together.
I pulled away, blinking down at her, my forehead resting against hers and my palm light against her cheek. “Where’s Ava?” I asked quietly.
“In bed, probably,” Harper whispered back. “Maisie’s watching her. It’s okay.”
I nodded. “Then, bed?”
“Yeah,” Harper said, blowing out a shaky breath. “Yeah, please.”
I twisted my fingers in hers, leading her toward my bedroom, fighting the urge just to strip her down and take her right there in the living room. I wanted this to be right. I wanted this to be tender. As gentle and sweet as our first time but tempered with everything that had happened since. I wanted to take my time, to really get to know her body. To make her come over and over again.
I kissed her again as soon as we crossed the threshold and the door closed behind us. There was no turning back now. But neither of us wanted to turn back anyway.
39
Harper
Even though I had brought myself there, even though I had known exactly what I planned to do and what I planned to say, I still could barely believe that I had ended up there in Ace’s room. I’d spent the whole day thinking about how badly I needed him to touch me. It was such a huge turn-on, watching him morph into Super Dad for Ava. He was so incredibly patient with her, so much fun for her. I could never have expected him to take such a shine to her. Now, I wondered why I’d had so many doubts about him.
But then again, I knew that he was different now. He had told me that when we’d had our picnic in the park, and I could really see it. He wasn’t the man I’d met four years ago. He’d grown up a lot since then. I had as well, but the change in him was really remarkable.
It was amazing to watch him, knowing everything that I did about his past, too. He was so easily able to transcend everything that he’d ever known. I was so proud of him that I felt like my heart might burst out of my chest.
Right now, though, I couldn’t focus on any of those thoughts. All I could think of was getting naked and getting into bed together.
It was primal lust taking over, edged with the sweetness of love. I needed him to touch me, but I wanted those touches to be gentle, tender. He kept leaning back in to kiss me, even as we both fumbled with buttons, buckles, and cloth, stripping in a chaotic, hurried fashion.
“I knew we were good together,” he groaned against my neck, his hands coming around to cup my ass and draw me even closer toward him. He pushed his hips into my side, and I could feel how hard he already was. I wanted to make a snarky comment of some sort, but I was already breathless with desire.
“What took you so long?” Ace asked rhetorically.
But all I could focus on was his hands, his mouth, how right all of this felt.
He twisted his fingers in mine, kissing me sloppily as he walked me backward toward the bed. The mattress hit the backs of my knees, and I fell, the movement easily controlled by Ace, who gentled my landing before settling on top of me, his body in between my legs.
I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him in close to me. He moved against me, his thick cock dragging against the velvet between my legs. He wasn’t inside of me yet, but I still felt as though I could cum at any second.