▪️Ace▪️
“Why’re you so interested in my sex life?” Irritated, he poured himself another glass of champagne.
“Not yours, idiot Emily's. That girl never allows herself to have a moment of fun. She doesn’t exactly talk about sex. In case you haven’t noticed, she's…uptight a little of...goody two shoes. I can’t even imagine her having sex, she’s so closed off.”
Oh, trust me, she’s had sex. She e knows her way around a dick.
Ace shifted in his seat, his satisfied body and him wanting more is a testimony to that. “She’s not so uptight. And I wasn’t aware you shared sex stories, especially since you met the beautiful Olivia—ow.” Ace rubbed his arm. “What did you punch me for?”
“Because. Don’t talk about Olivia and sex. It’s disrespectful.”
“And so are you, trying to figure out Emily's sex life,” he shot back, defensive of Emily for some bizarre reason. “If you don’t want anyone thinking of you and Olivia doing the deed, don’t try and ferret out intel on Emily.”
He glared at Liam, who grew red, then dropped his gaze. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
They sat quietly for a while.
“Have you thought any more about me coming to work for you?”
“Do you want to wait until Olivia and I come home from our honeymoon?”
“Of course he doesn’t.”
At the sound of their mother’s voice, Liam's lips twitched and Ace rolled his eyes.
“Hi, Mom.”
“I’m so happy to see my two boys together. And could Olivia be more beautiful?” She sighed. “I can’t wait for the grandchildren.”
Time for Liam to roll his eyes. “Mom. Really? Already?”
Their mother continued on as if Liam hadn’t spoken. “Eight years you’ve both waited. Now Ace, on the other hand…”
“Mom.” He sent her a warning look that she, as usual, ignored.
“You’re thirty and have no job and no place to live. Time to settle down and be an adult, Ace. Your father and I aren’t going to have you living in the apartment with us ad infinitum.”
Damn. He had been away a long time. He didn’t remember his mother being so forthright. And she was correct. Everyone he knew had either settled down with families, significant others, or was firmly entrenched in a career. His main accomplishments in life so far were making the perfect mojito, keeping a personal calendar, and achieving an even tan. Time to put that master’s degree to work.
“Trust me, I have no desire to live in my old room either. As a matter of fact, Liam and I were just talking about me coming to work for The Company.”
“Good. When do you start?” Her gaze shifted from him to Liam, who grinned.
“See what I’ve been dealing with while you were living the life?”
But Ace wasn’t going to feel bad for wanting to live a little before settling down.
“Jeez, Mom. Like you said, I’m thirty. Let me work it out.”
“You’ve had plenty of time to think. Time to start doing.” Her stern tone softened. “We only want what’s best for you. I’m not pressuring you to get married. I know that may not be for you. We love you and want to see you happy.” She gave him a kiss. “Your father and I are so glad you’re home.”
Like the whirlwind she’d always been, she left to join Olivia, who was talking to some ancient relative.
“I thought Uncle Dan was ninety at my bar mitzvah,” Ace said, then smiled and nodded at the cute waiter who’d stopped by to refill his coffee cup. “Thank you.”
Liam snickered. “That’s ’cause everyone over the age of forty looks old when you’re thirteen. He’s eighty-five and danced up a storm last night. But you wouldn’t know that because you weren’t there for most of it.”
“Liam.” Ace glared. “Don’t make me pull out the old stories of how you used to wet the bed. My private life is just that. Private.”
“Asshole.”
Much as Ace loved to tease Emily, he knew his brother’s best friend would be mortified and downright furious if she discovered Ace had revealed their night together to Liam.
And while normally Ace wouldn’t have given a damn, this time it was different. Emily wasn’t a rando hookup he’d never see again. He’d known Emily for so long, the thought of deliberately hurting her weighed heavily on him.
And as it was extremely unlikely to ever happen again, he would tuck it away in his memories. The night against which all future nights would be compared.
Before he got a hard-on sitting at his brother’s wedding breakfast, Ace needed to shift the conversation away from sex with Emily.
“Can we get back to the important matter at hand? My coming to work for The Company.”
In the beginning Ace had snickered about the name they’d chosen for their marketing agency, but now he could admit it was kind of catchy.
He added, “You do remember the conversation we had a few weeks ago, right? I know your headspace was in wedding mode, but you assured me if I was serious, a job would be there for me.”
“Yeah, I remember. I’m still floored you went and got a degree and
everything.”
Ace bristled. “It’s not Harvard or the London School of Economics, but I can hold my own. And coming from living abroad all these years, I have ideas—”
“Dude. Chill.” Laughing, Liam put his hands up. “I’m not questioning your credentials.” His eyes gleamed. “I’m impressed you did it in the first place. I didn’t think you were into business or marketing.”
Ace bit back a smartass retort. Liam had a point, and if he was going to work for his brother, he had a right to know why.
“I wanted to come home. Paradise is beautiful, but after years of seeing all the people coming and going, it made me realize I wasn’t really accomplishing anything for myself. I don’t need the private yachts I worked on, but I do want to make money. Not gonna lie.” His one regret would be working in an environment where he’d be trading in his board shorts and sleeveless tanks for suits and ties. He already felt choked.
▪️Ace▪️ “Why shouldn’t you? People don’t work for free.” Liam eyed him. “Tell me all about those private yachts.” “Oh, yeah. You should see some of those babies. And the people spend money like water. My tips were awesome.” He’d spent the last three years as a personal assistant to an older, extremely wealthy businesswoman, and that had included taking care of all the woman’s needs—business and pleasure. Ace had learned valuable lessons in the corporate world, and the woman's generosity in paying for his education, in addition to the lavish salary and tips, had enabled Ace to save money to pay for an apartment when he made the decision to return to New York. “I’ll bet. But, selfishly, I’m glad you’re home. Even though you said everything was great, I still missed you. I didn’t like having you on the other side of the world.” He hugged Liam. “I love you. And I missed you too. Much as I loved it over there, I really did miss you all.”
▪️ Emily ▪️ If Ace thought he would rush right out and call his supposed reference, he was sadly mistaken. Emily fully intended to enjoy the rest of Olivia and Liam's wedding. Emily could see Ace shooting her looks, but Emily deliberately set her phone on the table and folded her arms. Inside, however, she was a mess. Amber had been with her for over five years and knew her like a well-worn suit—in fact, she picked out most of her clothes. How was she going to handle everything without her? The Company had a big presentation at the end of the month, and she was handling all the minute incidentals leading up to it. “We’re going to check out now. Our plane leaves at eight, and we’ve got last-minute packing.” Olivia slid her arms around Emily's neck and kissed her cheek. “I love you so much. Thank you for everything. I couldn’t have asked for a more magical wedding. Or a better sister. I wish Mommy could’ve been here.” She sniffled. “She would’ve loved Liam, don’t you think?” It was a
▪️ Emily ▪️ “Did something happen to Ace? Is he all right?” At the genuine concern and fright in Croft's voice, Emily rushed to reassure her. “Ace is fine. I’m actually calling you for a business reference. I’m thinking of hiring him.” “The Emily who is his brother’s friend? You own The Company?” “Yes. Liam and I. Ace spoken of me?” Emily could only imagine what was said and braced to defend herself. “Oh, yes.” She laughed. “I’m rather shocked you’re calling as a potential employer.” “I’m rather surprised myself,” Emily admitted, and explained her predicament. “So what did you think of Ace as an executive assistant? That was his position; am I correct?” “Ace was invaluable to me. He’s quick on his feet, comes up with interesting ideas, and always kept me well-sorted.” “I’m assuming that’s a good thing. I need someone who’ll keep my schedule updated, make sure I get to where I need to go. Someone with whom I can brainstorm and bounce ideas off. Your reputation and standing in t
▪️ Emily ▪️ Emily took a corresponding step away from Ace. “It’s not about satisfying me. It’s about the clients and getting the job done and done well. I’m fine with a trial run.” Again in control, she lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. “I’m going to the office now to set things up for you to come in tomorrow. You should be ready to work. Don’t think I’m going to go easy on you because you’re Liam's brother.” Ace's eyes narrowed. “I’ll meet you at the office later so I can start early and be fully on board and ready to go tomorrow. And for the record, I don’t need anyone to go easy on me. I can take it as hard as it comes. You should know that. Especially after yesterday.” “Cut that out,” Emily snapped, clenching her fists. This was the Ace she knew—obnoxious and always ready to push her buttons. “What?” Ace's wide-eyed innocence didn’t fool her. Emily darted a swift glance to each side and lowered her voice. “All the innuendos about what happened between us.” “I th
▪️Ace▪️ The guard inside the entrance of The Company’s offices stopped him. “Can I help you?” “I’m meeting Emily Lyre.” Ace gave his most winning smile, but the guard wasn’t Joey the saleswoman and didn’t return it. The nametag on his uniform read Ted. “I’m starting work for The Company. Nice to meet you, Ted. Liam Holland is my brother.” That thawed him a bit. “Okay. I can see it now. You look a little alike. Miss Lyra not here. The offices aren’t open today.” “I know, but he’s coming in to get things ready for me. We just came from Liam and Olivia's wedding.” That got a grin out of the older man. “Oh, she’s a sweetheart. Always has a nice word and a smile.” One of the great mysteries of life was how Olivia was so sweet, kind, and funny while Emily was…well, Emily. Must’ve missed the sign-up for the happy gene when they were being handed out. “Ace, what’re you doing here?” Emily stood in the entranceway with a coffee in hand. “I told you I’d be coming. If I’m jumping in righ
▪️Ace▪️ Emily shot him an unreadable look but said nothing and continued tapping on the keyboard. “All right. IT will also give you access to my calendar and the client lists. We have a lookbook of all our accounts. At the moment there are sixty active campaigns. You don’t need to know all of them, only the ones I’m dealing with, and right now, the main one we’re pitching for is Mojo, a lifestyle company that includes fitness, grooming, and food.” “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of them. Taylor used their stuff, but it was too rich for my blood.” Emily reached into a drawer, rummaged around, and pulled out a few tubes and a jar. “Here. They sent over samples. Take what you want.” “Seriously? Thanks.” Emily opened the jar and sniffed the hair pomade. “Nice. I know a lot of guys use their stuff and follow their routines.” “Yes. We’re hoping they hire us for all their media, and we can run their print as well as social-media campaigns.” “Yeah, sure. I’ll go over their files tonight.” “Good.
▪️Ace▪️ “Don’t you have to eat?” Ace didn’t want to be alone. With the wedding over, the last place he wanted to be was with his parents, having to rehash the afternoon. They’d begun to nag him about his personal life, and he’d be forced to sit and listen before escaping to his bedroom. Liam and Olivia place had been a much-needed haven where he enjoyed hanging out, but that lifeline had been cut off. He hadn’t thought to ask them to stay at their place while they were away, which he now regretted. If he didn’t find something soon, he’d need to call them about it. Emily finished locking the doors. “I usually order sushi and prepare for Monday morning’s group meeting.” “I was going to have sushi. How about we eat together?” Emily pushed the elevator button and didn’t speak until they were on their way down. “Look. I don’t know what’s going on in your mind, but I’m not interested in a repeat of what happened between us. Whether you like the word or not, it
▪️ Emily ▪️ "Of course. I expected nothing less.” Emily spoke to her empty office as she paced and checked her watch. Eight thirty in the morning and no Ace. But should she really be surprised? She hadn’t believed Ace when he’d stated he’d be at the office early. Still, Emily couldn’t help the little sting of disappointment. “At least try and make an effort.” Her phone dinged with a text. Can you let me in? I don’t have the key. Emily strode to the front of their offices, where Ace stood shifting from foot to foot. “So much for getting in early,” Emily said after unlocking the doors. “I stayed up late studying the client list, and after the little sleep I had the previous night, I guess it all caught up with me.” Ace breezed past her, and Emily held the door open as Kass, their receptionist, exited the elevator on their floor. “Good morning, Kass.” She’d save his choice words for Ace for when they were in the safety of her office. Never los