Page 64 of Untouchable

“Is Tabitha okay?” Bodine asks and I shake my head, though I still can’t really see any of them clearly.

“Yeah, she wasn’t there. Someone broke in through my window. I just can’t believe it, what if they…What if she—” Mikey doesn’t even let me finish getting the words out before he swoops in.

“But they didn’t. Right? She’s okay, you just talked to her, and you would know if something was wrong.”

“Yeah,” I say weakly, feeling a heaviness on my chest I haven’t felt in a longlongtime. Then, just as my eyes fall closed again, I feel warm hands wrap around my arms and Iimmediately fall into Ace’s embrace. I don’t know how I knew it was him, but I did. His familiar scent only solidifies my assumption.

“I’ve got you.”

“I know, and I’m grateful. But I should be there forher. I hate that I wasn’t there when it happened and that she had to go through finding our home like that alone.”

“You’re exactly where you need to be. We’ll make sure Tabitha is okay,” Ace tries reassuring me, but I look at him in confusion.

“How? You’re all here with me. There’s not much else you can do that I can’t if we’re all here together. Maybe we should go back.” The guys share a look, but before I have the chance to question it, Bodine speaks up.

“Mikey and I will go back.” I glance at Ace, but his expression is…neutral. Then I turn back to Bodine.

“You will?”

He shrugs. “Yeah, why not? I’m not sure how much longer I’d last on the road with you two anyways, and I could stand to see Tabs right about now anyways.” He wags his brows and I give him a warning look.

“Bodine, I’m not letting you go back home just to try and seduce my best friend while she’s in distress.”

He scoffs playfully. “Bold of you to assume she wouldn’t be the one trying to seduceme.” I’m never surprised by Bodine’s ability to make me laugh when I want to laugh, cry, or scream.

I walk over and wrap my arms around him. “I love you, Bonehead.”

“I love you, too, Kitty Kat. We’ll pack up and head out first thing in the morning. I’ll let you know if she’s really okay or not, but I promise you, we’ll keep her safe.”

“I know you will.” I can feel the sadness in my eyes as I try my best to smile at him. He slaps Mikey’s chest with the back of hishand and they head to their rooms to get their things together. Which isn’t much since the one rule of this trip was to pack light.

I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror hanging in the living area, noticing how disastrous my makeup looks after crying so much, and head straight upstairs to wash my face. Just as I bury my face in the plush, white hand towel, I hear a faint knock on the door. I look up to see Ace standing at the threshold, staring at my reflection.

He clears his throat and actually looks nervous. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“You’re not. I was just washing the clown look off my face,” I joke, making him smirk.

“Are you okay?” I huff out a laugh, tossing the towel on the counter before turning to face him.

“That’s a loaded question.” He nods as if he understands, though I’m not sure he really does.

“Fair. Are you okay where Tabitha is concerned?” He takes a step closer to me.

“I’m a little better than I was when she first told me. It helps knowing she’ll be staying with my dad until Mikey and Bodine get there. I’d never tell them this, but I trust them with her more than I’d trust anyone else.”

“And are you okay where the idiot from the bar is concerned?” I roll my eyes remembering the sheer entitlement from that guy—thinking buying me a few drinks earned him something more.

“He’s not even worth remembering.”

“Are you okay where I am concerned?” My cheeks heat and my heart beats a little faster as he walks even closer to me.

“I—um. Yes.” I try to swallow, though my mouth is suddenlyverydry. Then his hand reaches out and caresses my cheek, and I realize this is the first time Ace has ever intimately touched me. Not like when he’s tying my hands together to keep me onhis bike, or pulling me through the zoo by my shorts pocket. It’s gentle and focused, and the way he’s staring at me has my brain in a fog.

“What are you doing?” My voice is barely a whisper as Ace steals all of the breath from my lungs with a single look.

“Touching you.” His fingers trail down my neck, leaving electricity in the wake of every feather-light touch. He reaches the column of my neck before I finally snap back to my senses.

“Stop.” The word flies out of my mouth as a demand, and his movements stop immediately.

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