Page 52 of The Plus One

I reached for the comforter, but Ace grabbed my ankle and pulled me toward the edge of the bed. I screamed before he caught me around the waist, lifted me to my feet, and slapped my ass. “You got thirty minutes.”

“And what happens if I’m not ready?”

His gaze dropped to my mouth. “You don’t want me to answer that.”

Heat shot straight between my thighs. “You think sex is going to get me out of this room faster?”

“No.” His hands settled on my hips. “But I know it’ll keep us in here another two hours, so let me stop touching you.”

Ace kissed my forehead and walked away. He was a problem, but he was a great problem to have. Between the forehead kisses, helping me wash my hair yesterday, and everything else he did when nobody was watching, I could easily see myself catching feelings. That was against our rules, but we’d broken so many of them I didn’t know why I bothered keeping count.

Thirty-five minutes later, I walked out of the bathroom wearing a white shirt tied beneath my breasts and a matching skirt. My waist beads rested against my stomach, and I’d packed a swimsuit, toiletries, and a change of clothes.

Ace looked up from his phone, his eyes traveling slowly over me. “Damn.”

I smiled. “What?”

He stood. “Turn around.”

“For what?”

“Let me see.”

I turned slowly before facing him again. “Happy?”

“Nah.”

My smile slipped. “What’s wrong?”

Ace hooked a finger through my waist beads and pulled me closer. “You look too damn good, and I’m trying to get you out this room.”

“That sounds like a personal problem.”

“It is.”

Instead of kissing me, he moved behind me and pressed his body against mine, hands settling on my waist.

“Ace.”

“What?”

“We’re going to be late.”

“You took thirty-five minutes. We already late.”

“That sounds like your fault for waiting til the last minute to wake me up.”

He kissed the side of my neck. “You always got something smart to say.”

His lips moved slowly across my skin, making my eyes close. “You started this,” I reminded him.

“I know.”

His hand grazed my waist beads. I reached behind me and grabbed his neck before he could move away. “Now look who’s trying to keep us in the room?”

“Still you.”

Ace turned me around and kissed me. It started soft, but the second my arms wrapped around his neck, his hands tightened around my waist. He backed me toward the bed. I pulled away. “We have plans.”