Turbulent Intrigue (Billionaire Aviators Book 4) Read online

  “It was my first time. The happy buzz should have lasted longer. If I ever get ahold of those men, I’m going to drop-kick them,” Dakota assured her.

  “Okay, I really need to know this entire story. Finish pampering yourself so we can get back downstairs. Ace rested for a few minutes, but he couldn’t sleep. I don’t think he liked you being out of his sight with all of this going on.”

  “Does he seem to be a little overprotective?” Dakota asked. Normally, that might infuriate her after growing up with brothers who smothered her. But with Ace, she kind of liked it.

  “Yeah, I think he has it bad for you,” Chloe told her.

  “It’s only because we had great sex, or at least it was great on my end,” Dakota said with a wave of her hand.

  “You aren’t the humble kind of girl, Dakota. Don’t try to make excuses. He likes you,” Chloe said.

  “Yeah, and I like him, but it’s just temporary. We haven’t exactly started in a place that allows us to pursue a relationship,” Dakota told her.

  “You’d be surprised. Men like sex and gunfire. He might just think he’s in his own personal heaven,” Chloe said, unable to mask her amusement.

  “You are such a nerd. Have I told you that lately?” Dakota asked.

  “You do it all the time.”

  They left the room together, and amazingly enough, Dakota was feeling stronger, ready to face whatever was coming. She was ready to do it right beside Ace.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Before Dakota turned the corner into the sitting room, Ace felt her presence. She was drawing nearer to him. In his line of work, he had to be observant, but his senses were even more intensified when it came to this particular woman.

  He hadn’t been able to rest. Part of it was the fact that his adrenaline was still running on high, and part of it was concern for Dakota’s safety. He had almost convinced himself that those men truly had been robbers, but still . . . just in case, he wanted her in his line of sight. Of course, that made him also worry about his family, but he knew his brothers could take care of themselves, and they would die before letting anything happen to their wives or children.

  Dakota had him to look out for her. He realized he didn’t know much about her, though. Did she have a big family? Would they want his head on a platter because he’d almost been too late to save her? Would she rather be with anyone other than him? Ace wasn’t used to worrying about such things.

  Still, he let out a relieved sigh when he saw her enter the room. She immediately sought him out, their eyes connecting. He felt that punch to his gut he was getting used to feeling when she gazed at him. That was a sign that told him he should surely head for the hills as quickly as possible. He was doing just that in two weeks. She might not forgive him for taking her virginity and then leaving her high and dry.

  “You look better,” Ace told her.

  “Never something you should say to a woman,” Chloe advised Ace.

  “What?” He was confused.

  “We always look great,” Chloe said with a wink.

  “Of course you do, darling,” Nick piped in.

  “Suck-up,” Ace said to Nick.

  “You’ll understand sooner than I probably would have imagined,” Nick responded.

  Ace didn’t want to go there, so he turned away from Nick and looked at Cooper instead. “I guess you’re ready to find out what in the hell is going on.”

  “Yeah, definitely more than ready,” Cooper told him.

  They all sat down, and Ace was immensely pleased when Dakota curled up into a happy ball at his side. She kept a few inches of space between them, which was too much in his opinion, but he felt calmer just having her close.

  “I think I overreacted. Now that my adrenaline isn’t pumping, it looks like that’s exactly what I did. As a result of being undercover in the CIA for the past several years, when I see danger, the first thought that comes to mind is someone is coming after those I care about in order to get to me,” Ace told them.

  “Explain,” Mav said.

  He told them about having a bad feeling when he returned to Dakota’s place, about finding the armed men up to no good, the gunfight, and the police taking the intruders away. When he was done, he felt his blood pressure rising again at just the thought of what could have happened to Dakota.

  “Damn,” Cooper said with a long sigh. “I’m so sorry, Dakota,” he added.

  “I’m okay, thanks to your brother,” she assured him.

  “Do you really think it could have anything to do with you?” Mav asked.

  Ace was quiet for a moment. “No,” he said. “I just was scared for Dakota. And home is the first thought that came to mind. I spoke to my boss, Bill, and he assures me there’s nothing on the wires about anyone being after me.”

  “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Nick told him. “Coming here was the smart thing to do.”

  “Thank you,” Ace said. It truly didn’t matter to any of them how long he’d been gone. They were still family and he was still welcome, especially in a time of crisis.

  “You can always trust us to be here for you,” Cooper said.

  “I know that. I should have done things differently over the years. I’m sorry,” he said to his family. His apology was long overdue.

  “All is forgiven. We’re just glad you’re home now, where we can be here for each other,” Nick said. He patted Ace’s unhurt shoulder. Ace looked over at Maverick, who shifted on his feet.

  “I’m sorry, Mav,” he said, knowing at least one of his brothers hadn’t fully forgiven him.

  “It’s all good,” Mav said.

  “No, it’s not, but I hope it will be someday,” Ace told him. Mav looked down. But he didn’t try to argue anymore. Maybe the two of them needed to talk it out alone.

  “I really don’t think anyone is chasing me, but maybe I should take Dakota on a vacation or something just in case,” Ace said.

  “That’s not a good idea at all,” Maverick said, his eyes snapping back up to give Ace an intense look. Ace could almost hear his brother’s thoughts—that he believed all Ace knew how to do was run away. Ace wanted to change that image they had of him, but it wouldn’t be long before he’d have to tell them he’d be leaving for his next mission. He also needed to assure them he wouldn’t be gone so long this time.

  “But what if . . .” Ace trailed off.

  “You’re back home now, and we stick together through the good and the bad,” Cooper insisted.

  “I don’t want you guys in danger,” Ace told them.

  “And do you really think any of us are safer with you gone?” Nick asked. “If someone were truly after you, which they aren’t, don’t you think you would see the signs before we would?”

  “Mav would. He has military experience. And if I’m the object of someone’s vendetta, they would follow me,” Ace said.

  “And we don’t back down from a fight,” Maverick informed him.

  “I’m not exactly asking that of you. I’m just saying this isn’t your fight,” Ace said, feeling frustrated.

  “That’s pretty damn shitty of you to say,” Mav said, his voice rising. “For years, we didn’t know if you had gone to the dark side or not. To push us out again is spitting in our faces.”

  There it was. Ace shouldn’t be shocked at the anger in his brother’s tone. He didn’t know what to say to that. He had known he’d been hurting his family through the years, but he’d been doing it because it had been what needed to be done.

  “You’ve been gone a long time, Ace, and maybe your instinct is to run at the first sign of danger, to do everything on your own, but you’re back home now, and we’re all here for you,” Chloe said. “Besides that, Dakota is like my sister. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. Just stay here.”

  Ace turned and looked at Dakota, who’d been silent this whole time. He was willing to drag her away where danger could possibly follow them, but not keep her in the safety of family. That made him an e
ven bigger dick.

  “What do you want to do?” he asked her.

  She sighed before speaking. “I’m exhausted, and my brain is fried. But I will say this much,” she told him. “I’m not letting those disgusting bastards run me out of my own town. I have commitments. Plus, they’re locked up anyway.”

  Ace held so much respect for this woman beside him. Not only was she beautiful, kind, compassionate, and spirited, but she was brave and a force to be reckoned with. He was a lucky man to have met her.

  “I just hate that you were nearly killed,” he said, exhaling in frustration.

  “You were the one shot,” she pointed out.

  “I’ve been shot before.” He brushed off her words, which only seemed to annoy the woman more.

  “That’s not making the case for you,” she told him.

  “Everyone is tired, and we’re just going in circles. Ace, you and Dakota are staying here tonight. You can use the guest cottage so you have privacy. You can sleep with ease,” Cooper insisted.

  “I just reacted and wanted to get away from Dakota’s place. We don’t need to stay here,” Ace said.

  “I have a house to get back to,” Dakota agreed.

  “This is no longer up for debate. We’ll all get some rest here. Tomorrow, I’m sure this will all seem like nothing more than a nightmare,” Coop said.

  Ace didn’t really want to argue with his brother about this. Besides, at the moment the danger had begun, he’d quickly decided to go to his brother’s house, to have his family surround him. So why did he want to leave now? Because he was an idiot.

  “I agree. It’s late, and you need rest. Lindsey just pulled two bullets out of your arm,” Mav said.

  “We’ll all stay here tonight. The kids are already sleeping,” Nick added.

  Ace looked around the room at the determined expressions on everyone’s faces. He knew, at least for tonight, he was defeated. He’d been the one who’d wanted to come back home, anyway. Maybe underneath it all, this was exactly what he’d needed and wanted.

  “For tonight, I guess that will work,” Ace finally agreed.

  “Good. Now that it’s all settled, I’ll take you down to the cabin,” Stormy said.

  “You stay with the kids. Mav and I will take them down,” Cooper said.

  Stormy smiled at her husband and then nodded.

  “Good, let’s get some rest,” Nick said. “No more heroics, at least for tonight.”

  He turned to Chloe and wrapped his arm around her, then began pulling her from the room. She turned before they left and ran back to Dakota, throwing her arms around her friend.

  “Don’t ever scare me like this again,” she said.

  “I’ll try not to,” Dakota told her.

  Nick and Dakota were the first to head up the stairs.

  “Come on, brother. Let’s get you settled down,” Coop said.

  Dakota didn’t try to fight any of them anymore. She was just as tired as Ace was. She might not have been shot, but her life had been thrown into turmoil. She needed to feel safe so she could let down her guard and get some much-needed rest.

  Ace had never slept all night in bed with a woman, but he knew he was going to tonight. He wouldn’t be able to rest unless he was holding her, sure of her safety. Otherwise he feared she’d somehow slip from his grasp and the bad guys would get to her again. He didn’t trust the jail system. Hell, he didn’t trust much of anything right now.

  It was a quiet walk down to Cooper’s somewhat secluded guest cottage. Dakota stayed by his side, Maverick and Cooper as alert as Ace as they walked the path.

  They reached the cottage, and Cooper unlocked the door before looking inside. No one was there, but with Dakota having been attacked in her own home, everyone seemed to be highly aware.

  “Everything’s clear,” Cooper said as he stepped back out. Ace didn’t want to admit how weak he was feeling right now, but a bed sounded like all kinds of heaven.

  “Thanks,” Ace said. “I think you’re right. Some rest will refresh me.”

  “You should listen to your elders,” Mav said with a grin. “And Coop is getting pretty old.”

  “Shove it,” Coop said.

  “On that note, we’ll say good night,” Mav told them as he chuckled. He grabbed Coop’s arm, and they walked away. Maybe their little showdown had helped them. Maybe Mav could start forgiving him now.

  “I guess it’s just you and me,” Ace said, unable to resist reaching out and touching Dakota’s cheek, his thumb skimming over her bottom lip in a sweet caress.

  “It might get dangerous,” she told him, nipping his thumb and making him throb in an entirely different area.

  “You take my breath away and make me forget about the danger of the night,” he told her, utterly mesmerized.

  Her body trembled beneath his touch, and though he knew both of them had been through far too much in the last few hours, he found that he wanted her. Their attraction to each other was more powerful than any other force he’d ever experienced.

  “We should explore this place,” she said.

  With reluctance, Ace pulled back from her and Dakota took a step forward, not paying attention to where she was going. Before he was able to stop her, she tripped, tumbling sideways to the floor and landing with a groan on her perfect rump.

  She groaned as she slid her hand over her hip and rubbed her ass. “Ouch,” she said, looking up at him with a sheepish smile on her lips.

  The yoga pants and fitted sweater she’d been loaned hugged her beautiful curves to perfection. That ache in his body grew as he wished it was his hands soothing her bruised backside. The pain in his arm was nearly forgotten as he gazed at her.

  Standing up, she rubbed herself a bit more before moving inside the cottage. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her fantastic rear end. What in the hell was wrong with him? That should be the last thing on his mind after the night they’d had.

  Dakota disappeared down the hallway, and Ace felt a moment of panic. He knew it was just the stress of the situation. If this were any normal day, he wouldn’t mind her being away from him. Normally, Ace enjoyed his solitude.

  But like a puppet on a string, his feet carried him to her. For at least tonight, he wasn’t going to berate himself about needing to be with her. He’d be back to normal soon enough. Not tonight—but soon.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Stepping into the master bedroom, Ace found Dakota sitting in the corner, her legs crossed, her eyes intently watching him. There was confusion, desire, and so much more in her deep-green depths. He didn’t know what to think.

  “We shouldn’t do this tonight,” he said, surprised at his own words. “A lot has happened, and you’re exhausted.”

  She smiled at him as she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, not leaving the chair. The pain in his arm was nearly forgotten as he gazed upon her beauty.

  “And you’ve been shot,” she said as she unclasped her bra, her eyes never leaving his. He was practically shaking as he watched her. She smiled as she finally looked down.

  His eyes raked over her upper half, devouring her beautiful breasts. He kept his feet firmly planted on the ground, but it was taking all his strength to stay where he was. There was no way he could deny her or himself if this was what she truly wanted, but a part of his brain was resisting. He knew she needed to rest.

  Dakota stood up. He found himself holding his breath as he waited to see what she was going to do next. She walked to him with confidence—just another thing he loved about this woman. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she pressed against him, turning her face up to look him in the eyes.

  “I need you,” she told him huskily.

  Escaping her was the last thing on his mind as her lips gently pressed against his. Unbearable heat surged through his body as he wrapped her in his arms and deepened the kiss. She opened fully to him, and their tongues tangled as his hands roamed her back, sliding into the waistband of her pants.<
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  Moving them backward, he was ready to take her now, spending a lot of time memorizing every inch of her body, filling his entire essence with only her. He turned and they fell onto the bed, pain shooting through his arm as their combined weight landed on it.

  Dakota pulled back and winced as she looked at his pain-filled expression. She was lying on top of him, her naked chest such a temptation. His pain was nothing in comparison to how she made him feel.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t,” she said as she wiggled against him, trying to move. That made the ache in his pants even worse.

  “I’m not even thinking about my arm, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he said.

  She looked at him uneasily, trying to assess the situation. He turned their bodies so no weight was resting against his bad arm. Then, he ran his fingers across her luscious chest.

  “I need you, Ace. Please make love to me,” she said, her desire greater than her worry.

  When he closed his fingers over one beautiful breast and squeezed, she arched against him. The sight of her dark hair, creamy skin, and beaded nipples sent him over the edge of sanity.

  Turning their bodies again, he lay on his back, pulling her over on top of him. She easily straddled his thighs, her hot heat scorching him through their clothing. The ache inside him grew by the second.

  Dakota sat up and arched her back, rubbing against him as he used both hands to squeeze her chest. She groaned as she threw her head back and rode him. He wanted their clothes gone right now.

  “Dakota,” he said with a groan.

  “Mmm, I love the way you say my name like that,” she purred.

  “We need these clothes gone,” he insisted.

  Dakota leaned down and kissed him, trapping his hands between their bodies. Her mouth was hot and hungry, and he was lost to her in a moment. When she pulled back, it was his turn to protest. She climbed from his body. He was getting ready to crawl after her when she hooked her thumbs in her pants and began pulling them down.

  Ace was unable to utter words as she stripped away the rest of her clothing, leaving herself fully bare to him. Words weren’t enough to describe how he felt. He had never seen such beauty.