Chapter 24

The next few days went smoothly and with no sign of either Evan or Clarice. It gave them a sense of relief, thinking the two had given up. But that was soon not the case; it was just about to get real. Ace had been receiving text messages from his ex, begging him to meet her at her hotel. She gave the excuse that she had some information about what Evan was planning to do. Of course, he refused to go see her, knowing it was probably just a trick. He wasn’t sure if he should tell Rosalee or not. As he stood under the shower trying to decide what to do, he felt arms going around his waist from behind and Rosalee’s body pressed up against him. A smile lit up his face; his shy angel had turned into a hot and feisty sex creature. She craved sex more than he did, but no way was he going to complain. What man in his right mind would?

“You should have awakened me,” she said, kissing his back.

“I would have, but you looked like an angel sleeping, and I didn’t have the heart to wake you. But you’re here now.” He turned around to face her, placing his hands on her waist. “I’m so glad to have you in my life, and I love you so much.”

She tilted her head a little when she looked at the frown lines that were etched in his forehead. It was a clear sign that something was bothering him. “What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing now that you’re here.”

“Ace, be honest with me.”

“I’ve been getting some text messages from Clarice saying she wants to give me some information about what Evan is up to.”

“So why didn’t she give it to you over the phone?”

“She wants me to meet her in her hotel room, but I told her there was no way I was going to go there.”

“But if Evan is planning something, maybe you ought to go talk to her.”

“If I go there, I know she will try to seduce me.”

She ran her fingers over his bottom lip. “Oh, I’m sure she’ll try, but I trust you, and I know you wouldn’t do anything to betray me.”

“I have never met a woman like you before. And you’re right, I will never betray you, but I still don’t like the thoughts of going to see her alone. You’ll have to come with me.”

“Oh, Ace, if I go with you, she won’t tell you what Evan is up to. It’s better that you go alone and find out once and for all what plans your brother has in store for you.”

Damn how he loved this woman that was pressed naked against him; she was so trusting, and it gave him a sense of pride knowing that she was his. “I will call her and set up a meeting, but right now I want to make love to you.”

“No, it’s my turn to do something for you,” she said as she moved her lips down his chest and got on her knees. She wanted to please him and knew that when she was done, he would return the favor, which he did more than once.

Later that afternoon, he had called Clarice and said he would meet her and headed to her hotel. He wanted to meet her in the restaurant, but she had told him that what she had to say had to be said in private so that no one could hear. Needless to say, he still didn’t trust her. When he knocked on her hotel door, and she opened it, she was wearing a bathrobe, and it appeared as if she had just come out of the shower.

“Ace, please come in.”

“You knew I was coming, so why aren’t you dressed?” he asked in a very angry tone. He knew she was naked under that robe and that she planned it that way.

“I lost track of the time, darling, sit down and relax, and I’ll pour us both a drink.”

He stood there with his arms crossed. “I don’t want to drink; I’m only here to find out what you had to tell me, so get on with it.”

“You always were so impatient. I will tell you everything in good time,” she said and then dropped her robe, exposing her naked body. “I thought we could have a little bit of fun first, just like the good old days.”

“Put your robe back on.”

She sat on the bed and crossed her legs and leaned back on her hands. “Lighten up, you used to love it when I got naked and surprised you.”

He walked over angrily and picking up her robe threw it into her face. “I said put on your robe and tell me what it is you have to tell me.”

She tossed the robe away and got up and tried to put her arms around his neck. “I’ll tell you, but first, I want you to fuck me.”

He pushed her away and backed up. “I knew you were lying just to get me to come here.”

“If you’re worried about that little powder puff you say you love, it can be our secret. She’ll never have to know.”

“Seeing you naked does nothing for me. I’m out of here, and don’t you ever call me again.”

“Wait,” she said as she put on her robe and did it up. “I want five million dollars from you, and then I will go away, and you will never see me again.”

He turned back to look at her. “You must be sick in the head if you think I am going to give you any more money. What you got in our divorce settlement was enough to set you up for life.”

“You’re doing so much better now, and that money won’t hurt you in the least. As for Evan, he wants you to give him his full inheritance now. He is sick and tired of getting peanuts.”

“I’d hardly call it peanuts; he gets two large sums twice a year and will get it until the day he dies. So I’m afraid it’s a no to both of you.”

“Oh, I think you’ll change your mind, and also Evan wants something else.”

“Like what?”

A wicked smirk crossed her face. “He wants you to sign over your company to him, giving him full control of it and the money.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing and laughed in her face. “The two of you are delusional if you think for one minute I’ll do any of that.”

"I suggest you do what we want or you may live to regret it," she said behind his back when he walked out and slammed the door behind him.

He was fuming when he left her hotel room. He couldn't believe the nerve of them to ask what they were. When he got home, he found Rosalee in the back working in the flower garden. She had one put in when she moved in, and she hadn't noticed him yet. He stood there for a few minutes watching her and felt a cold chill go through his spine when he thought of the last words Clarice spoke when he walked away from her. Were they planning some evil deed if he didn't give them what they wanted? If it was just him, he would have let it wash off his back, but now that he had Rosalee in his life, he wasn't about to let anything happen to her.

She saw a shadow on the ground and looked up. “I didn’t think you’d be back so soon. So how did it go?” she asked as she got up and removed the gloves from her hands. From the look on his face, she could tell it didn’t go well.

“I need a drink before I tell you.” He took her hand, and they walked inside. Going over to the bar, he poured himself a stiff drink of scotch and sat down.

She went over and sat on his lap and put her arm around his neck. “So did she try to seduce you?”

“Oh yeah,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “She had just come out of the shower wearing a robe and took it off. She wanted me to fuck her before telling me what she had to say.”

Rosalee felt her heart beating faster.

He looked up at her. “You do know I didn’t take the bait, right?”

“I trust you, but did she tell you anything?” Yes, she trusted him and knew he would never sleep with anyone else, but it did make her sick to think that he saw her naked and that she tried to seduce him.

He then told her everything that Clarice had to say and that if he didn’t comply, he would live to regret it. “It was clearly a threat.”

“Oh my God, are they insane? Does Evan really think that you will sign over your company to him, and for her to ask for five million dollars?”

“They’re insane, all right. I just have to come up with a different plan to satisfy them.”

“You can’t give in to them. They’re blackmailing you.”

“I know they are, but I can’t risk them hurting you.”

She got off his lap and started pacing back and forth. “Do you really think they would try to harm us?” When he nodded, she went and sat back down on his lap. “We’ll have to go to the police and tell them we were threatened.”

“We have no proof, and it’s their word against ours.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I’m going to try to come up with something that will satisfy them. I’ll make a counteroffer. I’ll tell Evan I’ll give him all of his inheritance. As for Clarice, no way in hell will I give her that much money. I’ll offer her a million and have them sign a waiver saying they won’t bother us for any more money.”

“Do you think that will work?”

He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “I honestly don’t know, but I have to give it a shot. In the meantime, I don’t want you going anywhere without me.”

“Why?”

“I just want us to stick together until this is all settled.” He didn’t want to scare her, so he didn’t tell her he was afraid that they would try to kidnap her to get him to do what they wanted.

But she was too smart not to see through what he was thinking. “You think they’re going to try to kidnap me, don’t you?”

He pulled her head down to kiss her. “I keep forgetting how smart you are. I don’t put anything past those two. Greed can make even the most decent people do things they normally wouldn’t do.” He moved her off of his lap and took her hand in his. “Come with me.”

When they headed upstairs, she stopped halfway up. “You want sex now?”

He chuckled and started pulling her up the stairs with him. “Well, I wasn’t thinking about it until you just mentioned it, but no, I want to show you something.”

When they got to their bedroom, he went into his closet and took out a tin box and opened it with one of his keys. Taking out a small pistol, he held it in his hand. “I want to teach you how to use this just in case anything were to happen.”

“Oh, you silly man, I’m from Texas, and I know how to use one of these,” she said, and she took it from him. She then showed him that she definitely did know what to do with a gun. Smiling, she handed him the gun back.

“Damn woman, you never cease to amaze me.” He put the gun back and, picking her up, he carried her over to the bed. “I had no plans of making love to you until you brought it up, and since we’re here, I figure why not.”

She started unbuttoning his shirt as her tongue swiped over her bottom lip. “Well, I suppose you’re right since we are here, and there’s a bed.” With his hands and lips roaming over her naked body, it got her core throbbing and her body burning with desire.

Later that night, they sat on the sofa in front of the TV, and Ace decided to give Evan a call and let him know what he came up with. After talking to his brother and telling him what he was willing to give them both, he listened to Evan ranting before hanging up.

She could hear Evan yelling but wasn’t sure exactly what he was saying. Looking at Ace, she placed her hand on his arm. “I take it he didn’t like your offer?”

“Well, he was happy to get all of his inheritance but not when I said I wouldn’t give him the company. He also said that Clarice would not go for just a million dollars but that he would talk to her, and they would get back to me. So now all we can do is just wait for him to call. If he turns me down, then we’ll have to go to the police and let them know what’s going on. That way they can keep an eye on him and Clarice to make sure they don’t try anything.”

“I’m sure they’ll take what you offered, after all, it’s better than nothing.”

He pulled her into his arms. “I think you and I should go away for a few weeks.”

“But what about work, and where would we go?”

“Don’t worry about work, I’ll make arrangements for us to be gone, and we can go wherever you want. We could even go to Texas and see if we can talk to your father. I’m sure by now he’s gotten over being mad, and you really should try to have a relationship with him. He is, after all, your father and the only one you’ll ever have.”

“I think I’d like to try, and it will be better to face him in person and try to talk to him rather than over the phone because he just keeps hanging up anyways.”