Ace

I followed closely behind Roxy as we stepped through the doors of the subway train. The car wasn’t packed but there were no empty seats either. Standing in the center of the car, we each grabbed one of the metal handles on the bar above our heads and braced for movement.

“You really didn’t need to come with me,” she said as the lights in the tunnel system flashed by the windows. “You’ll be riding the train back by yourself for half an hour.”

“Good thing I’ve got Candy Crush on my phone, then, huh?”

Her smile appeared and disappeared so fast I thought I might have imagined it.

“I was serious about what I said yesterday. We can’t continue to run into each other like this, Ace. Whether unintentional or not, you know both of our fathers would lose their minds if they knew about this.”

She might have been right, but it wasn’t like we were doing anything really wrong. Nothing unforgivable had happened.

Yet.

Yes, I knew that was another terrible idea. But I couldn’t stop this train—pun intended—anymore than I could have prevented my own dick from hardening in her presence.

Which it still was.

“Not to mention if the other families found out,” she added.

Now, that just fucking pissed me off.

“My family has never let the other five dictate our lives,” I said vehemently. “And there’s no way in hell I’m going to start now. I don’t give a fuck about them or what our fathers would approve of.”

Those last words were like acid on my tongue.

I didn’t care about Vinnie, but I’d never once gone against my father about anything. My brothers and I respected the hell out of him. He was our patriarch, a wise and principled man. In some ways, he may have been a little too much of a traditionalist for my taste. Overall, though, we obeyed him as our leader.

But regardless of how he and Vinnie would view this situation, it had nothing to do with the business between our families, nor between the five families.

This was just about me and Roxy.

“If you want me to stay away, Rox, then you tell me to. Say the words, but don’t use our fathers as a crutch.”

Her eyes flitted back and forth between mine. “I thought I already told you to yesterday at the church.”

Our gazes clashed, the air between our bodies crackling with a tense energy.

I slowly shook my head. “I wasn’t convinced.”

The train glided to a stop at the next station and unloaded the departing passengers. As bodies squeezed around and bumped into us, I didn’t take my eyes off of Roxy, nor did she from me. Something unspoken was passing between us, something that had started yesterday at that church.

But before I could act on it, a sea of passengers flooded the car and crowded around us. When I noticed they were all wearing black and white Brooklyn Nets gear, I realized we were at the Atlantic Avenue station, which was right next to the Barclays Center where the Nets played. And judging from the smiles, laughter, and fist-bumping going on, we had won tonight’s game.

I didn’t want more people around to intrude on this moment with Roxy.

On the plus side, the now-cramped space forced our bodies closer together.

And thank the sweet Lord above, we were close enough that her nipples were grazing my chest.

I nearly groaned out loud at the contact. Friction was exactly what my jutting erection was seeking—and with painful persistence. I did everything humanly possible to avoid lewdly poking her with it.

Then again…

Maybe I should show her exactly how much I wanted her. Maybe she’d like knowing the kind of effect she had on me. After all, I’d like to think the reason her nipples were so stiff was because of her proximity to me.

My eyes caught on the dimple in her bottom lip, and I couldn’t look away.

“Convince me, Rox.”

She sucked that lip between her teeth, biting down right over that dimple.

I felt my forehead break out into a cold sweat, even though it was a million degrees in this goddamn car.

“Convince you of what?” she asked in a breathy voice.

When her gaze dropped to my mouth, I about said to hell with everyone else and just took what I fucking wanted. What I fucking needed. And that was Roxy’s mouth moving beneath my own, her tongue sliding wantonly against mine.

Her expression said she wanted a kiss.

And I’d make sure it was the kiss of the goddamn century.

“Convince me that you want me to stay away from you.”