Ace (Band of Brothers #1) Read online

  This is it. This is the moment I had been waiting for.

  My heart raced, my breathing increased, and when the door flew open with a bang, so did my eyes. Nik and Jex stood in the hallway with their mouths open. My eyes moved back to Elizabeth and I could tell that the moment had passed.

  "Shit. We're sorry," Nik said and the two of them turned around and walked back off the bus.

  I tucked my lips into my mouth holding back all the obscenities I wanted to spit at them. My temporarily elated mood quickly deflated.

  Elizabeth's hand squeezed mine and she gave me a slight smile. "It's probably best."

  "Right," I said, wanting to tell her how wrong she was. When I had the opportunity to kiss her again, the timing would be perfect and nothing would get in the way. I'd make sure of that.

  I unwrapped another alcohol wipe and placed my hand on the top of her leg before pressing the cold towelette to her skin. She slightly jerked then relaxed once the stinging subsided.

  "Thank you," she said. Her eyes met mine, then moved down to my lips. This time I was the one to swallow hard as she studied me. I exhaled, then stood. I reached my hand out to her for support. She stood and flinched as she hobbled two steps forward.

  "Ouch," she said, squeezing my hand. I noticed her shirt was covered with sweat.

  "Do you want a shower? Unlimited hot water."

  A big smile covered her face and it was contagious. "It might help. But…"

  "Towels are in there already."

  "I don't have clean clothes."

  "I'm sure I have something you can wear. Give me a sec."

  She stood with her weight on one leg as I rushed to the back. I glanced over at my dresser and saw the lacy panties that had stayed in place since my last rendezvous. I picked them up and threw them in the trash along with the business card. The countless moments of weakness I had were something that I wanted to forget; another reason why I didn't care about their names. Once they were gone, I wanted their faces, their voice, everything about them to disappear. I had to stop the insanity.

  I opened the top drawer and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of jogging pants from the bottom. I checked to make sure they still had the string in them because I knew as soon as she put them on her little hips they'd fall right off. Thinking about that made me smile. When I walked down the hall, she was still standing where I left her. I watched as she looked around the bus, admiring everything inside it. Even I did the same thing when I first got on. It's the luxury line with leather here, recessed lighting there, and wooden floors throughout. I continued to stand in the shadows for another second and admired her from a distance. Elizabeth Riley had patience, something that I had very little of.

  I walked forward and she caught sight of me. A smile touched her lips then met her eyes. Though she was banged up and damaged, standing barefoot and in sweaty clothes, she was beautiful in her own way. She didn't even have to try. Elizabeth Riley was naturally pretty and I could appreciate that. Too many women wanted to be someone that they weren't; but here she was, happy to be herself. She didn't need plastic surgery, fake boobs, or to diet. I actually liked her exactly how she was.

  "What?" She said, noticing that I was staring. Hell, she couldn't help but notice. She was all I could see at that very moment.

  "Nothing. Here you go." I handed her the clothes and she took them. She hobbled forward and I held my arm out for her to put her weight on. When we got to the bathroom door, she turned and looked up at me.

  "Why are you being so nice to me?"

  "Because I'm a nice guy." I smirked.

  "There are tons of people who would disagree with that."

  "Would you?"

  She stood there for a moment, her hand and the warmth of it still attached to my arm. There was something that shifted inside of her and I watched as her face softened. She waited before she spoke and I stood on the edge curious as to what she would say. Elizabeth looked down at the floor, then back into my eyes.

  "I think you're a nice guy, Ace."

  "Thanks. Means a lot. Do you have it from here?"

  She opened up the bathroom door and her mouth practically fell to the floor.

  "Your bathroom is huge. Oh my God, you even have a tub."

  I laughed. "Yeah. They like to spoil us a little on the road."

  "Did you say unlimited hot water earlier?"

  "For the most part. Feel free to go crazy in there."

  She hobbled back to close the door. Before it completely shut, she left a small crack wide enough for me to see her face.

  "Thank you," she whispered.

  "It's my pleasure. And I mean that."

  While the water was on I paced the bus. She was in the next room and it was driving me crazy. We were so close to kissing but so far apart. I'm not sure when I would get that opportunity again. But she had closed her eyes and leaned forward, which told me she wanted it as much as I did. My heart dropped in my chest when the water stopped. I knew whatever was going on between us wasn't over. I looked forward to feeling her lips touch mine, but I wouldn't rush it. No, I'd let it happen naturally and go with the flow, something I wasn't used to doing. For someone who didn't do romance, I seemed to be eaten up with it lately. Was I sick? Was I falling for her? Love seemed to be too strong a word, but it could transform into that which scared the living shit out of me. Ace Hathway and relationships don't go together, but here I was thinking about it. Yup, I was completely fucked.

  I was known for living a life full of random women, bright lights, and music. I lived and breathed rock and roll. As I sat on the couch and waited for her to finish, hundreds of thoughts and questions swept through my mind. Sometimes change was natural; it was healthy. I couldn't deny that. And Elizabeth inspired me. She made me want to play and write and sing loud enough for the entire world to hear. It was odd to think, but when did I become the chaser instead of the chased?

  19

  Elizabeth

  Ace may have bribed me with a shower and I may have fallen for it. Over the past few weeks, I had taken quick ones that did the job. I hadn't been able to stand under the water and allow the steam to surround me, but today was different. Today, I took my sweet time. My aching muscles slowly loosened and the throbs from my “accident” subsided. I'm not sure if Ace was joking or not when he told me to go crazy, but I did. The water calmed me and made me feel great.

  When I got out of the shower and dried off, I looked at my naked body in the full-length mirror behind the door. My knee was already turning purple and my skin was bright red from the cuts. I tightened my palms and flinched from the pain; I was thankful I didn’t land on my face. All I needed was large scrapes across my cheek for the whole world to see how ridiculously clumsy I was. Luckily, all that remained was a limp and some scratches. I shook my head and took my time getting dressed. The cotton inside of the sweat pants felt soft on my skin. I didn't worry with putting my sports bra back on because the plain black shirt Ace had given me was so large; it almost looked like a nightgown. Actually, I looked like a child in his clothes. I rolled the jogging pants several times at the waist so they didn't hang so low but there was nothing I could do about the shirt. Carefully I picked up and folded my dirty clothes and hobbled my way through the hallway.

  When I walked into the living room, Ace was sitting with his hands slightly covering his face while he rubbed his temples. He almost seemed distraught. But how could a man that has everything in the world be sad? I didn't understand it.

  "Everything okay?" I asked.

  I watched the smile grow across his plump lips until I saw his perfectly white teeth. I knew I looked ridiculous in his clothes.

  "Fine," he laughed. "I have a small headache."

  I sat on the couch next to him, sucking in air between my teeth as my tight skin expanded around my wounds.

  We sat in silence and I didn't know what to say, but sometimes words weren't needed.

  "Are you hungry?" he asked.

  I thought about it
and yes, I was starving. "Could you hear my stomach?"

  "I'll make you something."

  He didn't hesitate. Ace stood and opened cabinets above the sink and started pulling out boxes and spices. He opened the fridge and sat tomatoes, garlic, and something green on the counter. I couldn't help but watch him.

  "Do you always keep a fridge full of food?"

  Ace looked over his shoulder at me. "We have to eat."

  He moved around the kitchen like he did this often. Every once in a while, he would look over his shoulder at me and smile. I felt like I was melting into the leather couch. He could have any woman in the world, but I was the one sitting here.

  "What are you thinking about? You're quiet," he said over his shoulder as he chopped tomatoes and garlic.

  I hesitated but I had to know. "Why me?"

  He laughed, sat down the knife, then turned around allowing his lower back to rest against the cabinet.

  "I'm not holding you hostage."

  "No, I mean... This is going to sound stupid."

  He licked his lips and I let out a stilted breath.

  "You can have anyone, any woman and..."

  Ace crossed his arms. "And?"

  "I'm waiting for the pig’s blood to fall from the ceiling and for me to run away crying from a prank." I felt stupid as soon as I said it and I knew I would. But they were words that had to be spoken. I wasn't his type of woman. Nothing seemed to add up.

  Ace took five steps forward and got down on his knees in front of me so that we were eye to eye.

  "I'm not pranking you. This isn't a joke to me."

  His hand tucked wet strands of hair behind my ears. I could tell by the tone in his voice and the look on his face that he was serious.

  "I… I… I…" he hesitated.

  I stared at him.

  "I've never been at a loss for words before."

  I bit the corner of my lip as I watched him.

  "You do things like that to me. And I know it's strange. God, I know it's so strange. You don't check all my boxes; hell, you don't check one of them, but that's what I like about it. You're everything I've never wanted but somehow I can't get you out of my mind. You make me chase you. You don't care who I am, what I do, or that I'm even in Band of Brothers. You're not a fan trying to fuck me for bragging rights. None of it matters to you and that means everything to me. You don't play by my rules and you don't care to. I've never met anyone like you before and that says a lot.

  “Sometimes you frustrate the shit out of me. You're always showing up in random places where I am, and I don't know if it's the universe pulling me closer to you or what because there are so many coincidental meetings. And I can't seem to understand why. So, no Elizabeth, this isn't some prank to get at you. Who has time for that?"

  My mouth fell open and with gentle hands he closed it. When his hand touched my skin, an electric charge shot through me. He was so gentle. I felt like I was currently dreaming. Did that just happen? I was halfway tempted to pinch myself.

  "Now, doll. Gotta finish cooking." He winked at me, then stood and walked back over to a saucepan where he added the chopped garlic and diced tomatoes. Sticks of pasta were scooted from their box into a large pot of boiling water. I tried to steady my breathing but my heart kept racing with little spikes of excitement and fear. My thoughts and emotions acted as traitors in a treacherous game of mindfucking. His words grabbed me and buried all of my bias. This was too much. He didn't even give me the chance to respond to him. As soon as he started talking, my words had vanished anyway. He placed a lid on the saucepan, wiped his hands on a kitchen towel, and turned toward me.

  "Why won't you play in front of people?"

  My body stiffened under his gaze.

  I sighed. "It’s always made me nervous. I'm not an adrenaline whore."

  "Will you play with me?"

  He shot me a cute little smile and I couldn't help but laugh. "That sounds so dirty," I said.

  He rolled his eyes but continued smiling. "You know what I mean."

  "Just me and you or…"

  "On stage." Ace grabbed my hand.

  I shook my head. Thinking about it gave me cold sweats.

  "You play one song and I'll answer all the questions you want."

  "Are you bribing me, Ace Hathway?"

  The truth was, the interview hadn't even crossed my mind.

  "Maybe."

  "I can't. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I really can't."

  "My life’s goal now is to get you up on that stage," he said playfully.

  "Please don't."

  I used to want to play professionally but after a few shows and not being able to get a handle on my nerves, I knew it wasn't for me. It takes a special kind of person to be able to play in front of thousands, and I knew years ago that it wasn't for me. The thought of being on stage with Ace in front of all those people freaked me out. There had already been plenty of moments during the tour that made me want to hide on bus six, but doing that would make me want to hide for the rest of my life.

  "Please, Ace." I looked up at him with big eyes, knowing that he was scheming.

  "I kind of like it when you beg." He turned, lifted the lid from the pan and stirred. I leaned my head back on the couch and closed my eyes. I hadn't realized I was tired until Ace's hand was on my leg tapping me awake.

  "You snore like a princess—cute and small little snores," he said.

  I licked my lips then tucked them in my mouth. I can't believe I was snoring.

  I grabbed his hand and hobbled over to the table. Ace handed me a paper towel and a fork, then carried two plates of spaghetti to the table. The smells of fresh garlic and homemade sauce filled the bus. He plopped down in front of me, rolled long strings of spaghetti onto his fork, then smiled before taking a bite.

  I was dreaming.

  Could this be my reality?

  20

  Ace

  The smile that had almost taken permanent residency on my face didn't vanish through each bite I took. She was looking at me like I was a figment of her imagination.

  "Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" I laughed.

  She narrowed her eyes at me, then twirled the fork between her fingers and opened her mouth for a big bite of pasta.

  "Mmm. Oh my God." She sat her fork down. "Where did you learn to cook like that?"

  "My mother always said if you want to impress a woman, you better know how to cook for her." I bit my bottom lip while I studied her lips. There was a slight pause, and then she spoke.

  "She's a smart lady."

  "So what you're saying is you're impressed?" I tilted my head.

  Elizabeth burst out laughing and I couldn't help but watch her. When she smiled big, I noticed one dimple in her cheek and it was the cutest fucking thing I had ever seen. I sat my fork down and licked my lips as I watched her moan about the pasta.

  "That's pretty sexy," I said.

  She tucked her lips inside of her mouth and held back a smile. "Sorry. I'm a vocal eater, especially when it comes to good cooking."

  Soon, we both cleaned our plates. I stacked mine on top of hers and moved it to the side, then interlocked my fingers.

  The door to the bus opened again and I turned around and prepared my death glare to whoever was entering. I saw long brown hair and a bright pink t-shirt.

  "Jesus, Elizabeth. I heard about what happened." Jenny glanced at me, smiled, then kept moving forward.

  "Damn, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

  Elizabeth spoke. "No, not at all."

  I stood, picked up the plates, and sat them in the sink.

  Jenny sat in my seat and was talking a million miles a minute. "Did you break any bones? Did you see medical?"

  I kept my back toward them.

  "No. Ace helped me. I have lots of road rash and soreness. I'm a freaking idiot."

  "It happens, silly. The show starts in a few hours. You'll be there, right?"

  Elizabeth paused for a second an
d I held my breath waiting for her answer as I rinsed the sauce from the plates.

  "Yeah. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Bummed knee and scratched palms and all."

  "Holy shit," Jenny said. I knew she hadn’t seen her palms.

  "It's okay. They actually feel a little better."

  The whispering started. I turned off the water then crossed my arms across my chest, amused at the two of them acting like schoolgirls. After I cleared my throat, Jenny turned and smiled at me.

  "Sorry."

  She stood up, grabbed a plate, then helped herself to pasta.

  "You made the secret recipe," Jenny said loud enough for me to hear.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. "Are you trying to be a cock block?"

  She winked, which annoyed the shit out of me. Jenny sat down beside Elizabeth and began eating. Wow, the luck.

  Jenny patted the table in front of her and I sat down next to her.

  "What?" She said with a mouthful of spaghetti.

  "Didn't your mother teach you manners?" I asked.

  "Did yours?" She said with a smile.

  My nostrils flared.

  "Oh, Nik told me to leave you alone but I told him there was no way. I had to make sure my friend was doing okay and by the looks of it, I'd say she is."

  She nudged Elizabeth's arm and ate the pasta like it was her last meal. If she kept this act up, it would be, at least the last one that I cooked and she ate.

  "Can you walk okay?" Jenny asked.

  "I can limp fine. Can't put too much weight on it yet. Might take a few days."

  "I can help if you need me to. Once you're in place, you should be okay. Right?" Jenny asked.

  Elizabeth glanced at me and I felt my heart drop because she looked at me differently than she had before. Her face was soft and a smile lingered on her lips. Damn, she was absolutely beautiful. I inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm myself. When she looked at me, it was as if she could see me, not my rock star exterior. She saw me, Ace Hathway, and it did things to me that I couldn't put into words. I knew, at that very moment, this whole setup would be hard. She had a job to do and it would be a tough job to not fuck that up.