Page 50 of The Shake Off

“Seems you’ve had a lot of firsts lately,” I shot out before I could stop myself, but he merely laughed. It was the same laugh I’d heard the night I met him when we’d driven back here together, the one that had gotten me into this mess, along with – you know – the rest of him looking exactly like that.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he grinned, “I have, and you won’t find me complaining about it.”

I slipped my arms into the shirt sleeves, and buttoned it one by one. Ace’s mouth slackened as his eyes fixed on my fingers.

“Why don’t you have a boyfriend?”

Okay, good mood ruined.

I turned around to finish the last two buttons without an audience. “Why are you assuming I want one?”

“Because you’re every guy’s wet dream. And girl’s too, probably. I don’t know how you haven’t been snatched up yet. Lucky for me though.”

“Again, don’t I get a choice in the matter?”

He scooched up the bed, and reached out to take hold of my hand. “Come back to bed.”

I glanced down at where his thumb was tracing back and forth over my knuckles, and eased my hand free. “No.”

“Please,” he begged.

“No,” I shook my head. “Plus, there’s no need. Your curse has been broken, or whatever you called it. You made me come, three times if you remember. Congratulations.”

“But what if it hasn’t been broken?”

“Ace,” I rolled my eyes and stepped back. “Next time you’re with a girl, just remember she’s there too, and it’s not all about you. Then you’ll be fine.”

He grinned, making me wonder how long women usually held out against him. Not that I had a great track record when it came to saying no to Ace Watson.

“I think we should try again just to make sure.”

“We had a one-time deal.” I held onto the closet door and stepped into my heels one at a time. “I’m leaving now. You can let yourself out again.”

“Hang on. Don’t I get a kiss goodbye? I thought you loved it.”

“In the right time and place, which now isn’t, especially as I’m already late for work.”

He jumped out of bed, wrapping the comforter around him like a Grecian God and followed me to the front door.

“Want me to come and sweet talk your boss so you don’t get into trouble?”

“No, thanks,” I replied, picking up the bag of signed Lions merch he’d brought over, and reached for the doorknob. “And thank you, again, for these.”

“Payton, wait.”

“What?” I sighed.

Ace leaned in and softly pressed his lips to my cheek. “Thank you.”

I blinked. I’d never been thanked for sex before, and I was trying hard not to blush; trying even harder not to breath him in. How did he smellthisgood, like he’d just walked through a forest or something?

“You’re welcome.”

He opened the door for me and I tried not to watch his bicep flex as he gripped the frame, but failed miserably. “See you around, Babycakes.”

I could still hear him laughing to himself as I ran down the steps and out into the beautiful morning sunshine, where I finally allowed the grin to spread across my face.

I hadn’t even had coffee yet, so why did it feel like I’d been mainlining caffeine since sunrise?

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