Page 91 of Gathered Sparkle

“I guess I’ll have to be.” It’s not like I knew the first plan very well.

Hell, I still don’t know the current one, if I’m honest.

Ace’s smile is small but knowing. “Then let’s get to work.”

“So why exactly are we here?”

“The new plan needs you and me to get on skates and deliver a few hundred decks of cards to people in the crowd.” His voice is so casual that he may as well have said we’re grabbing bubble tea.

I glance at the skates sitting next to him, and my stomach drops.

Fuck.I’ll fall on my ass.

But then it clicks, and I snap my eyes to him. “You?Outside the house? In a crowd?”

Ace smirks faintly, but there’s a nervous edge to it like he’s waiting for me to call him out. “It’s necessary.”

I’m still wrapping my head around the idea when he shifts forward, pulling the skates closer to me. “Please don’t move.”

“What are you…”

Before I can finish the question, he kneels in front of me, his hands reaching for my sneakers. My heart stops for a beat, and I watch as his fingers work at the laces, loosening them before sliding my sneakers off.

The intimacy of it, the quiet, unspoken care in the way he handles my feet, makes my breath hitch. I want to stroke my hand through his hair, but I force myself to stay still.

He slides the skates onto my feet, his fingers brushing against my ankles as he fastens the straps. “That okay?”

I turn the question back on him. “Is it okay foryou?”

Sure, I’m not touching him, but he did touch me a lot.

Ace nods, though there’s a flicker of vulnerability in his gaze. “I talked a lot with my therapist the last few days.”

“Therapist?”

“Yeah. Online. Koen helped me find her. She’s the best money can buy, and she knows her stuff about… my kind of problems.” He glances down at our joined hands, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “It’s not easy, though. Every session feels like ripping out stitches and hoping the wound heals better this time.”

“I’m sorry it’s hard, but you doing that is amazing. I guess I should look for one myself.”

The therapist who gets stuck with me is going to have the field day of their career.

Hi, I’m Nova. I strip for a living, pick pockets for fun, and collect emotional baggage like it’s a Black Friday sale. Oh, and I’ve got a lineup of lovers who probably need therapy more than I do. Good luck untangling this mess.

Ace glances up at me, the corner of his mouth quirking into a half-smile. “You should. For me, it’s already helping. I can give you her contact, or…” His smirk grows. “We could let Koen look for one for you. He’s very good at that kind of thing.”

I arch a brow. “What kind of thing?”

“Throwing money at people until they clear their schedule to make room for appointments with a new client.”

I chuckle again, the sound lighter this time. “Ah. Of course.”

Ace’s laugh is soft, almost a hum, as he finishes tightening the straps on the skates, his fingers brushing my ankle one last time before he leans back on his heels. His eyes scan my face as if to make sure I’m really okay, then he pulls his skates toward him and starts putting them on.

Once he’s done, he stands, towering over me for a moment, then hesitates. “I want to help you up,” he says quietly. “And try holding your hand. But I might need to let go after a few minutes.”

I nod quickly, eager for any contact he will give. “Okay.”

He extends a hand toward me, and when I place mine in his, his grip is firm but careful, as if he’s terrified of squeezing too hard. He pulls me up, steadying me as I wobble for a moment on the skates. His hand doesn’t leave mine, though, and the warmth of his touch spreads through me like wildfire.

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