Page 58 of Coming Up Aces

Rayna

Rayna jumped offthe bed and padded into the bathroom to shift and dress for the day. It had been months since she slept so well. Yes, she would have rather been in her skin so she and Asher could talk, but his discomfort at her sleeping in the same room had been tangible. After nosing the door closed, she returned to her skin, stretching her arms overhead. She showered and dressed in a clean T-shirt and shorts, then returned to the room where Asher was sitting against the headboard, his inked chest on display. Rayna studied the tattoos briefly before meeting his eyes.

“Good morning.” She sat next to his hip, keeping her hands on her lap.

“Morning. Sleep well?” Asher asked in his sexy, just-awake voice.

“Like a kitten,” she joked. “I’m going in search of coffee so you can get dressed.” She stood, leaned over, and brushed a kiss to his temple. When she turned to go, Asher snagged her wrist.

“You didn’t have to shift last night, but I appreciate the gesture. Maybe tonight…”

“Whatever you need, Ash. I never want you to be uncomfortable around me.” Rayna turned her hand so she could hold his. “We have the rest of our lives together, and as for intimacy, we’ll get there when you’re ready. I’m used to taking care of those needs myself, and I have no problem continuing todo so. Until then, we’ll get to know one another in other ways, yeah?”

“How did I get so lucky?” he whispered.

“By being a wonderful male.” Rayna lifted Asher’s ink-covered hand and kissed it. With a wink, she released him, then padded across the room, closing the door behind her. Once downstairs, she found Lucy and Tamian in the kitchen. Lucy was seated on her mate’s lap, and the two were sitting silently, just being. That was the type of intimacy she craved with Asher. She had no doubt sex would be fulfilling if not hot, but it was the connection she wanted more than anything.

Lucy smiled. “Coffee’s on, and I’ve got pancake batter ready to go. Is Ace awake?”

“Yes. He’s getting dressed.”

A timer beeped, and Lucy slid off her mate’s lap. Tamian rose, pressed a kiss to her temple, then guided her back to the chair. He grabbed a potholder and pulled a pan of bacon out of the oven.

Lucy slung one arm over the back of her chair as she ogled her mate. Rayna couldn’t blame the female. The Gargoyle was almost as fine as Asher. “Lachlan came through with Sartain’s cell phone number, so he’s downstairs tied up with Grissom and Perkins. Seth is in the game room. Tamian voiced him to remain where he was until further notice.”

“Damn, I can’t believe I didn’t hear you bring them inside.” Rayna added creamer to her cup before taking a seat at the table.

Tamian scooped the bacon off the pan onto a paper-towel covered plate. “We brought them in through a tunnel at the back of the house. It leads to the basement. I called Sartain at four-thirty and convinced him to retrieve Seth. He told Seth he was taking him to a less secure location, which wasn’t a lie.”

“Wow. Secret tunnels and a defunct lab. And you grew up here?” Rayna asked Lucy.

“I did. Although at the time, I had no idea about the tunnel, and the lab wasn’t creepy whenever I was learning alongside Lucius. If I’d had any knowledge of the things he was working on when I wasn’t down there, I might have run screaming.”

Rayna had so many questions, but she didn’t want to be rude. Her skin prickled, and she turned toward the doorway just as Asher ambled into the kitchen. He wasn’t walking as stiffly as he had been the night before. Rayna set her mug on the counter and poured him a cup, handing over the undoctored java with a smile.

Lucy got busy with pancakes, and Tamian scrambled a dozen eggs. Once everything was plated, the two couples enjoyed their breakfast while discussing next steps. They decided to interrogate Seth separately, so once the table was cleared, Tamian disappeared momentarily. When he returned, Seth was following. Tamian gestured for him to take a seat at the table.

Seth froze when he saw her. “Rayna? What are you doing here?”

“We’ll get to that. Coffee?” Rayna offered.

“You don’t look surprised to see me,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Because I’m not.” Rayna strode to the counter and poured him a cup before placing it at the seat in front of him. She sat down and gestured to the chair.

Sighing, he sat and pulled the mug toward him. “Why am I here?”

Rayna took a sip of her own brew, then asked, “Would you rather I left you where you were?”

“How did you manage that?” Seth asked, his tone accusing.

Rayna angled her head toward the couple watching them silently. “I made some new friends when I left Haven. The reason you’re here is so we can find out the truth once and for all, starting with your part in David Spencer being released.”

“I don’t know what—”

“You will tell the truth,” Tamian interrupted. His command was similar to when the Hounds voiced someone, although it didn’t make Rayna shiver.

“Did you let Spencer go?” Rayna asked.

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