Page 105 of Bourbon and Proof

“Want to go for a little walk while they look around a bit?” Ace tilts his head toward the door. When he holds out his hand, I weave my fingers through his. We ride the elevator down to the main floor and walk along the sidewalk up the north side of Main.

I glance at the fire station. Hawk was removed as fire chief after he was charged with a short list of things after the Fourth of July. He’ll likely do community service and help his brother wade through the fallout. I doubt the governor will continue for another term when this one runs out. And though he came out looking like an innocent kidnapped bystander, Faye had gathered plenty of text exchanges between him and my father, not to mention the colorful texts he had sent me. All of it would tank his campaign in a minute.

“You doing okay?” I ask Ace as he quietly observes the bustling downtown. Fiasco is setting up for the Fall Festival that’s gearing up now that September’s finally starting to feel a little less like summer. There are at least a handful of weeks left of warm days, but everyone’s eager to start their apple cidersand pumpkin spices. The Downtown Business Association is readying for a film festival to come through as well. They aren’t instant fixes, but the progress on tourism is moving in the right direction.

“I’ve lived with Griz almost my entire life.” He swallows and glances at me. “As much as I don’t want another viewing like this morning, I’m going to miss having him so close.”

I squeeze his hand and rest my head on his shoulder. Catching another glimpse of how this man is so caring and soft for the people he loves makes me appreciate the many sides to Ace even more.

I smile when I look out and see the new sign for Loni’s Boutique lit up. The neon soft pink and the pink-and-white awnings are only the first of many upgrades she’s made to the store.

“I don’t know how it happened, but I have a feelin’ you had something to do with it,” Loni said when I saw that her “closing” sign had been removed. “My sister is coming up from Nashville, and the online shop opens in the fall.”

Two whistles sound from across the street. Romey and Prue sit outside in front of Teasers, likely gossiping about something going on around here. “You two are still hot as hell,” Romey calls out with a wave.

“Just appreciatin’ the view,” Prue echoes. “OH! Hadley, are you coming to book club this week?”

“You know it, Prue,” I shout back.

“Good.” She looks at her sister, and then asks us, “Any chance we can host it at that new place you two are keeping under wraps over there?”

We both know the locals are going bat shit over rumors of a private, adults-only club being built. And while most of Fiasco loves tradition, the conservatives are just as nosy as the rest of them.

Ace and I glance at each other, smirking, before we both say in unison, “What place?”

“Jimmy, the rules are simple.”I exhale to gather some patience, trying not to get frustrated with having to repeat this again. “This isn’t a resume builder. If you’re taking this job, then you’re going to make it yours. But under no circumstances do you talk about what you see when you’re here.”

With eyes wide and excited nodding, he says, “I’m not going to let you down here, Hadley. The police force just wasn’t for me. I’ve jumped around a bit, but I think if you can trust me with this, I’ll be exactly the kind of manager you need for this place.”

I can’t help but smile. Jimmy Dugan lasted only a few more weeks with the Fiasco Police Department after getting knocked unconscious and relieved of his weapon. My father could have killed him. I’m still not sure if Jimmy was truly knocked unconscious or just passed out from the chaos, but he’d helped Ace, and my husband trusted him.

“We open next weekend. Our VIP list has been vetted, and there’s no such thing as walk-ins. We’ll figure that piece out as we move along. I’m trusting you with what could very well be one of the most taboo things to ever happen in Fiasco. Are you sure you’re up for it?”

Before Jimmy can answer, my husband comes down the dark staircase in his signature suit pants and white dress shirt.Damn, it’s hard not to smile at the way this man looks at me. He carries a long white box in one hand with a devilish smile painted on his full, handsome lips. “He’s up for it,” he interjects. “Right, Jimmy?”

Jimmy stands taller and nods once more. “Yes, sir. You both can count on me.”

Ace nods, and then wraps his arms around me. “Hey, sugar.”

I melt against him. “Hi, baby.”

“Jimmy?” Ace says, his attention still fully on me. “You can go now.”

“Oh, yup. Sure thing.” He looks around him and feels in his pockets for his keys as he turns toward the stairs. “Have a great night.”

I watch as he jogs up the steps, and I wait to hear the door slide shut behind him. “You think he’ll actually keep this position?” I ask. Ace leans into my neck and kisses along my throat.

“He’ll handle it. The man is coming up on twenty-four. This just might be the best job he’ll ever have. And there’s a little bit of fear in knowing I don’t like to be disappointed.”

I hum against his lips and kiss him. When I lean back, I look at the white box he dropped on the bar. “Did you bring me a present?”

He pushes it toward me with a smirk as he shifts around to the back of the long black bar in the center of the room.

The Foxx Den is an adults-only club. A place to experience and explore fantasies and desires. It’s not the kind of place Laney’s writing press releases about, but rather finding VIP guests who show interest by word of mouth. Law and Tessa Riggs have shared it with some of their clientele, and we’re ready to open this coming weekend. It’s not a place for Fiasco townies, though there are benefits to locals. It lives under the umbrella of a Foxx-branded business, but it adds to the allure of Fiasco, boosting tourism.

Between here and Midnight Proof, my evenings are full. The architectural design that Seraphine planned with me is exquisite. If Midnight Proof is a Gatsby-style speakeasy, thenThe Foxx Den is its bohemian sidekick. The place is bathed in deep golds and blues with rich textures like satins and velvets, and with lighting that ranges from moody to eclectic. It’s as welcoming as it is arousing. It’s unusual, pushes boundaries, and is a gamble, but that seems to be our specialty.

When I open the white box, I cover my mouth and bark a laugh. “These are verybeautifulflowers, Ace.” I glance up at him as he sips on the bourbon neat he just poured. The tip of his lips lets me know he’s more than pleased with himself. Inside the box are a half dozen flower vibrators and, from what I can count, three different-sized dildos arranged in a way that they truly look like the best kind of floral arrangement anyone has ever given. At its center is a riding crop. Not just any riding crop or one that I would use for a long ride on anything other than my husband’s mouth or cock.

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