Page 25 of Coming Up Aces

“She drove the van from Haven to Providence House, and we chatted on the drive. Her story was unbelievable. I already knew she was Warryck’s wife from when I investigated the Lazlos, but to hear how he saved her? Remarkable.”

Ace stopped mixing. “You investigated their family?”

Rayna placed her hand on Ace’s forearm. “It was my job, Asher. I already told you Spencer made some wild accusations, and before I was sent undercover, I was tasked with looking into their family. Nothing I found was incriminating. On the contrary. Hell, even Seth said the same thing. He also looked into the Hounds after I went to Haven.” It took Ace a secondto focus on her words instead of her touch because his dick twitched at the contact. That never happened before. Ever.

When she pulled her hand away, Ace wanted it back. “No, I get it. A GIA agent is supposed to be respectable. But if he and your boss are working together, it would make sense that Hanson had you both researching the Hounds, if for no other reason than to take your focus off Spencer.” Knowing how much Rayna loved fruity cereal, he didn’t hesitate to substitute the orange liqueur for the raspberry flavored one. When the pitcher was full, he sliced a lime, then grabbed two large margarita glasses from one of the cabinets.

“Salt or sugar rim?” he offered.

“Ooh, I’ve never tried it with sugar.”

Ace retrieved the plain rimming sugar from the pantry, forgoing the flavored type since he’d already used raspberry liqueur. Rayna leaned her elbows on the counter, watching as he ran a lime slice around the glass before twisting the rim into the sugar crystals. He poured her margarita and handed it over while he prepared his own glass.

“Holy shit, that’s good. Beats anything I’ve ever ordered. What did you do different?”

Ace grinned without looking at her and rattled off the recipe. “Kerrigan was a bartender before she was kidnapped. She has all sorts of tips for taking regular drinks and making them into something different.”

Ace poured his drink and held out his glass. “Here’s to new friendships.”

Rayna tapped his glass with hers, her eyes twinkling as she took a sip. “Can we go outside and look at the stars?”

“Lead the way.” Ace grabbed the pitcher, and Rayna opened the back door for him. He set the pitcher on the short, round table between two lounge chairs. Neither one spoke for a while as they sipped their drinks and gazed at the sky.

When Ace refilled her glass, Rayna muttered, “I could get used to this.”

Ace could too.

Chapter Ten

Rayna

Rayna’s beast waspurring, and she knew Ace could hear it. If she wasn’t so content, she might be embarrassed. The margaritas were delicious, and the company was even better. Sitting under the stars in companionable silence wasn’t something she ever thought she would enjoy. Rayna was a talker. She liked conversations. That was how you got to know someone. She thought she’d screwed up earlier mentioning how she had researched the Lazlos, but when she touched Asher’s arm, she hadn’t missed the way he tensed and not in a bad way. Maybe her Cheetah was right; Asher was warming up to her.

He emptied the pitcher, divvying up the liquid between their glasses. “Want me to make more?”

“If you don’t mind. I’m not ready for bed.”

Asher rose, squeezed her shoulder, then took the empty container into the house. Rayna basked in the effects of his touch. Her Cat rumbled.Quiet. We don’t want to scare him.It huffed, and she could imagine it licking a paw haughtily. Rayna chuckled as she sipped the fruity concoction. She’d never had a raspberry margarita, but it was now her favorite. She loved the tartness.

As she gazed overhead, a shooting star flashed through the sky, and Rayna made a wish. It was similar to the ones she’d made as a young girl, only this time, she had a face to go with the mate she longed for. Gran’s love for her own mate never wanedeven years after he passed away. That was the type of love Rayna wanted for herself. The kind where souls were entwined for eternity. A true partnership with give and take from both parties.

Asher returned on silent feet, the ice in the glass pitcher the only sound in the otherwise silence. He had also brought fresh glasses with sugar rims. He poured her glass before filling his own. He placed the pitcher between them and took his seat. Rayna emptied her glass before taking the new one.

“I’m going to leave early to go to Oasis so I can get back and help with the garden, if that’s okay.”

Rayna turned her head in his direction. “Depending on what time Branson gets here, I might have the dirt prepared. I didn’t put any plants or seeds on the list. I would like to choose those myself. If I get finished before you get back, I’m sure I’ll be hungry,” she hinted with a grin.

“Oh, I see how it is. You just want me for my cooking skills.” Asher’s eyes were sparkling.

“You caught on to my evil plot.” Rayna kept her eyes on him as she took a sip. Asher looked away, but he was smiling. “You mentioned that Ripley is your best friend. You were going to say something earlier before Sutton called. Will you tell me about Glory’s life since she escaped Haven?”

Rayna was happy for her former cabinmate, but after hearing how Ripley and his parents had shown her such unconditional love and support? She was giddy for the young woman. “I can’t wait to hear her play. I often sang for her at night when she had a hard time going to sleep,” Rayna admitted.

“Maybe you, Glory, and Rhiannon could start a trio,” Asher said.

“Rhiannon sings too?”

“Like an angel.”

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