Leather & Lace- THE SPECTER SERIES [book five]

Chapter TWENTY EIGHT

Ace Greyson

I almost can't believe she's really here.. The way she is dressed she had obviously been planning on going out somewhere fancy..

Maybe with some other guy..
Maybe even on a date..
I can't say I like the idea of that all too much..

Alright.. I fucking hate it..

But, here she sits.. Watching me work on Loretta's clapped out classic Chevvy like there is nowhere else she'd rather be..

From her perch on the workbench she never takes her stormy grey eyes off me, her tiny bare feet dangling over the edge, swinging back and forth, a soft contented smile on her pouty pink lips..

I am as dumbstruck tonight by her beauty as I was the first time I saw her.. When she turned up at the Specter offices looking for her brother, just after I'd been recruited.. I had known right then and there that she was one of a kind..

Lacey Paxton is the only woman who's ever made my heart actually ache with longing.. An inexplicable desire.. A primal instinct to lick her wounds, and keep her warm.. One that I have resisted for too long now and after having a small taste of what it might be like to have her in my life, I already know its going to be impossible for me to go back to steering clear of her for her brother's sake..

She is so much more than that sweet and meek, mild mannered med-student..

No now, she's a doctor, an almost surgeon, ready to heal.. And bring hope to suffering people everywhere.. I don't know how she has endured her traumatic life and still somehow come out so successfully.. It kind of baffles me..

But also.. It inspires me.. If she can do that, survive all that she has and still make something of herself the way she has, then all the money and hard work I have poured into improving the lives of Loretta's children.. So they could find success and have better lives than the shitty hand they were dealt at the beginning..

Well, then it's all been worth it.. And that makes me feel like I have purpose..

She makes me feel like I matter..

Her starry gaze sweeps over me.. "You look.. Leaner... Are you sure you're alright?"

I chuckle, because she keeps asking me that.. "For the fifth time, Doc.. Yeah.. I'm all good.. The medics over at SPC checked me out, ran all their little tests when I got back in last night.."

"Mmm.." She hums, unconvinced..

"Do I not look alright?" I tease with a wink and she frowns at me..

"It's not funny, Ace.. I was so scared for you.. What happened to you over there?.."

She is worried about me.. I can see it.. But I don't want her to be.. She does need to..

"Ah, nothin' really, Doll.. I just sat around in a cell.. Coulda' been worse.." She knows I'm lying, but I can't bring myself to cause her anymore guilt..

Because even though she refuses to believe it.. I really am just fine.. I mean, obviously I would have preferred not to have been tortured for three and half weeks, but ultimately, my training, and knowing Lacey was safe got me through it, and now.. Well I'm just grateful to be home.. The same way I'd always felt after returning from duty..

"So.. Um.. Have you.. Uh.. Have you spoken to Hunter?.."

I shake my head, avoiding her eye.. I am not looking forward to that conversation.. And when I say conversation.. I mean confrontation.. Because it will be.. It doesn't matter though, since I have already decided how I'm going to handle it.. And I definitely won't be changing my mind.. "Nah, I heard he had the trade arranged to get me out though, so the guy mustn't want me dead just yet.."

She bites her bottom lip as if to keep herself from saying something.. "Mmhmm.."

I put the wrench down and give her a puzzled look.. That was an odd reaction.. Even for her.. "What?.."

She shakes her head.. "Nothing.."

Leaning forward, I rest my palms causally on the grill of the Chevvy and grin at her.. She's a fucking sight.. That creamy peach complexion of hers glowing in the soft orange light of the garage, her loose ashy blonde waves tumbling over half of her porcelain features.. My pulse pounds hard in my chest, reminding me that I am very much alive.. And the throb in my jeans reminds me that I have spent a little too long in isolation and the tension is all too real... "Do me a favour, Baby.. Flip the ignition?"

"Sure.." She nods, hopping down from the bench, slipping back into her strappy black heels to cross to the open drivers door, slipping inside..

She turns the key and the engine roars to life, and I grin triumphantly as she steps out rounding to stand beside me.. I pull a rag from my back pocket to wipe the grease from my hands, leaning over and inspecting the engine belts as they whir along their rapid, infinite paths.. "You fixed it!.."

She sounds a little surprised, though she appears thoroughly impressed..

"I'd be a pretty shitty engineer if I couldn't, Doll.." I chuckle..

Of course she has no idea what I trained as before moving into the special forces where I met her brother.. Really, she doesn't know anything about me..

So why does she care so much?..

Why is she here?..

"Um.. We should go for a drive.."

Her suggestion takes me by surprise.. "We should?.."

She nods slowly, as if she is confirming her own decision in her mind.. "Yeah.. There's a place I want to show you.. Please?.. Its not far.."

She should know she doesn't need to ask me for anything twice.. I don't think I could say no to her.. Even if I wanted to.. Which, I doubt I ever will..

I grin at her, turning to pick up the black leather motorcycle jacket, that hangs from the handlebars of my Harley.. "Alright.. But you gotta put this on.. You're makin' me cold just lookin' at ya.."

A complete lie.. She sure as shit is making me something.. And it ain't cold..

"Thanks.." She smiles, reaching out to take the leather coat, her delicate, warm fingers brushing over mine.. It's taking every ounce of willpower to keep my hands off her.. I've never seen her looking so confident.. Or so tempting..

Or maybe I just have too much pent up energy.. Energy that Lacey's presense only supercharges..

Either way, I need her to cover up that distractingly short, low cut dress so that I can think straight..

I walk around opening the passenger door for her and she slips into the rumbling old beast of a car..

I shut the hood and jog around to jump in beside her.. As I pull out of the driveway she points me in the right direction and we begin to drive in comfortable silence..