MIRANDA Highway to Hell by AC/DC blared from the speakers as I drove toward the Astor Mansion — because I had no clue what else to call that massive house. It seemed like a fitting song when it came on from my sister's playlist since I had planned and orchestrated five deaths so far — five because a year ago I had given Ace the idea to kill Gabby's piece of shit husband. Quinn had heard about what happened last night and insisted I come over, leaving me no room to argue. It wasn't the first time I had been in the Astor house after Ace and I went our separate ways. Whenever I found myself there I always walked by Ace's room thinking I'd somehow get a glimpse of him. Each and every time I did that the crushing disappointment only hollowed out my chest further. He wasn't there. I wouldn't be getting a glimpse of him even if he were. I sighed and then scowled when the music cut off and my phone's ringtone replaced it. Daniel's name flashed on the dashboard and I smiled a million-dollar
ACE Fuck! My imagination nor memory did not do the woman standing in front of me justice. I thought one year of not seeing her face or hearing her voice would be enough to end my infatuation with the little thing but I was mistaken. So fucking mistaken. Those big, round eyes of hers traveled down my frame. They were the kind of blue that made me believe God had carved out a piece of the sky just to bless her face with those perfect colored eyes. She had grown out her lush mane of chestnut waves, leaving it to brush those sharp shoulders. My gaze traced the line of her high cheekbones, down her straight nose, and lingered on her pink-stained cupid bow lips that were set in a pout. I wanted to see her smile, or at least bare those blinding white teeth at me. She had a long knitted sweater on that hung from one of her shoulders, the rust color brought out her tanned skin and black tights that clung to her
MIRANDAHe kissed me as if my lips offered him the oxygen his lungs burned for. He kissed me with the intensity of a thousand suns, hot and consuming. My entire body felt alive, soaking up his body heat. I was all too willing to burn for him, because of him. If he hated me so much, I was willing to let him show me exactly how much wrath he held in the cage of his ribs. If he hated me so much, I wanted to taste that hate on his tongue. And, if he hated me as much as he said he did, I wanted to feel that hate suffocate me.As morbid as it sounded, I wanted it. I wanted everything he could offer me. Every fucking drop, because I was greedy and starved. He had left for a year, leaving me pining for what I had lost and thought I'd never get back. But I'd fight to get it back. I'd fight till my last heartbeat. I'd find till my last breath. I'd fight until I was drained and even then, I wouldn't give up. Because I was sorry. I di
ACEI couldn't sleep. It was already a little over one in the morning and my mind wouldn't slow down enough for me to rest, let alone fall into the embrace of sleep. I kept replaying the conversation between Miranda and me on that rooftop — or the lack thereof. Maybe fucking her wasn't one of my greatest ideas.Yeah, it definitely wasn't.But I couldn't help myself. Not when her lips were so soft they reminded me of silk. Not when her body was so hot it reminded me of lava. Not when her tongue was so sweet it reminded me of candy apples. And definitely not when it felt as if she had fallen out of my deepest dreams. No. I couldn't help myself because she was my temptress. She was put on this Earth to test my very being by bending my principles and molding my heart to fit hers.Thoughts like this were what plagued me often over the last year. I could run away from her but I could never
MIRANDAI filed out of the room with the rest of the students while nibbling at the end of my pencil and glaring at the piece I had just worked on. We had to pick a culture, do research on it, and then design something true to the culture with a modern take. I was still figuring out what culture to choose from, on the fence between Hispanic and Indian, so I designed something for both. My indecisiveness was getting so bad that I was close to going eeny, meeny, miny, moe and just choosing whatever my finger landed on.I let out a small grumble before slamming my sketchbook shut. My head tipped back, letting the sun warm my face as a smile graced my lips. This morning my sister, Jake, and I had gone out for breakfast. I hadn't been home since the night with Ace and I owed my sister an explanation so I gave her the truth. Her reaction was staring at me with a gaping mouth and wide eyes.It had been a little o
MIRANDAAce noted the white sedan following us pulling up to the curb down the street from the Astor house but he didn't say a word. He was the definition of the word calm, pulling up to the gate of the house, driving up the gravel driveway once they parted, and parking outside the door with the type of confidence that made a man like him dangerous — lethal. Before getting out of the car he shot me a warning glare — one that told me to be patient and wait for him to open my door for me.As if he thought I'd ignore his warning, he rounded the car in a jog and pulled the door open with a breathtaking grin. I rolled my eyes, finding it adorable and sweet that he still believed in chivalry — or just being a decent man even when the world would pin him as anything but. Even when I pinned him as the villain. I learned the hard way that he wasn't, though. That he would never be my villain.Ace's
ACE"What are you proposing exactly?" Jericho asked after hearing the options Miranda had laid out for us.Fuck, if hearing her voice her dark mind didn't have my dick throbbing, I didn't know what would.Miranda shrugged, gnawing at her plump bottom lip, "All I'm saying is, a jilted lover would be the perfect excuse. They're both married and I doubt either of their wives know of this affair. Maybe it's time to air some dirty laundry? We don't have to kill them, we could always blackmail them.""Blackmail gets you killed in the end," Quinn finally spoke up for the first time. She was more of a listener. Unless she had something to contribute to the conversation she didn't speak. She was like a sponge, soaking up what she could so she could use it for later, "and I don't like the idea of killing them but, if I'm being honest, I'd rather it be them than Ace."I grinned at th
MIRANDA Ace rolled off me, breathing heavily with beads of sweat coating his flushed skin. His hair that was long at the top matted over his forehead and those stunning hazel eyes were hooded with exhaustion, "I'm wrung out," he regretfully grumbled on a breath. I sunk my teeth into my lower lip but it did little to hide the smile splitting my lips. Five rounds and countless mind-numbing orgasms later and now he was finally wrung out. My own body was laden with exhaustion, bones trembling beneath my skin and muscles while my core throbbed with pain — the best kind of pain. I wasn't completely certain I could move. Ace heaved a sigh and snaked an arm around my midriff, tucking me into his side. His long fingers gingerly ran through my knotted hair, chuckling lightly every time they caught on a knot and I'd wince. "Could have been doing this a whole lot sooner if you weren't so damn stu