▪️Ace▪️ Emily might have surprised him with her unbridled passion in bed, but Ace wasn’t fooled. No way would Emily be so forgiving to discover he’d been Taylor Croft's lover. She might believe fucking the boss was a habit of Ace's. Ace pinched the bridge of his nose as if it would keep the painful memories from bursting free. One of Taylor's acquaintances had joined them on the yacht for three days, for business and pleasure. The woman’s PA, a Harvard graduate who came to breakfast wearing a tie, for fuck’s sake, had sneered at Ace after seeing him exiting Taylor's cabin early one morning, clad only in his boxers. “How does it feel to be a whore?” Cruel as those words had been, they’d triggered a reassessment of his life. He supposed he owed the man a thank-you for opening his eyes, because it had led him here—to the brink of something life-changing. A path he couldn’t have predicted in his wildest dreams, but one he needed to keep following to discov

▪️Ace▪️ “Tell me about working for Taylor swift.” They were finishing their takeout dinner of shrimp and pasta, and Emily set down her fork. Any mention of Taylor set off warning bells inside Ace and put him on the defensive. Coming from Emily, he knew the question was innocent, and he gave the sanitized answer he’d practiced before returning from Fiji. “It was a dream. She’s tough and demanding…like some other people I know.” He snuggled next to Emily on the sofa and drained the rest of his beer. “Why do you want to talk about that? It’s boring. Let’s go to bed.” But Emily wasn’t ready to be dissuaded. “I’m interested, that’s why. You built a life there and stayed away for years. Something must’ve kept you from coming home.” “Who wouldn’t want to live on a superyacht? It was fascinating to see how the really rich lived. I’ve never been in an environment where no matter what you wanted, all you had to do was ask, and it would show up.” “I can’t imagin

▪️ Emily ▪️ “Excellent. Let me know what we can do to make this happen.” “I will. I better go prepare for this afternoon’s meeting with Never Too Sweet.” “Okay. I’m leaving the office for lunch. I should be back after two.” Emily stood and slipped her phone into her suit-jacket pocket.“Got a hot date?” Simone's constant prying irritated her, but Emily reined in her temper. “Anything further?” She cocked a brow, and Simone jumped out of his seat. “N-no. I’m going.” Emily followed him out and stopped by the reception desk to speak to Kass. “I’m stepping out for a little while. If you need me, call me on my cell.” “Emily, we’re a marketing agency, not the FBI. What kind of emergency could happen? Go enjoy your lunch.” “Thanks.” She gave her a brief smile, her mind already on Ace. Once outside, she stopped at a diner and picked up matzo-ball soup for Ace and a turkey sandwich for herself. Ruth had her aide c

▪️Ace ▪️ A week later, in the bathroom at work, Ace examined a new spot on his neck. Damn. Not that he minded any mark Emily left, the woman had proved to be an insatiable lover. Ace rolled his neck, stretching the kinks from his sore body. There wasn’t one patch of skin Emily had left untouched and unloved, and Ace reveled in it. “New girl friend?” Simone came up behind him with a smile. Quickly covering the mark, Ace washed his hands. “Yeah. I guess you could say so.” “I thought something was up.” “Up?” Nervous now, Ace stalled for time by washing his hands again and fluffing his hair. “Come on.” Eyes twinkling, Simone elbowed his side. “From the looks of that love bite, whoever it is, she’s really into you.” He and Simone had been getting along so well, and even more so since they’d secured the Mojo account, that Ace —although he’d never reveal Emily’s as his lover—felt comfortable discussing his personal life. To an extent. “Well, yeah. We’ve only been together for a

▪️ Emily ▪️ As she spoke, she pulled Ace into her office and shut the door. White-faced and visibly shaking, Ace hugged himself. “Liam. H-he’s been hurt. They were riding the Vespa, and somehow, according to what Olivia told me, a truck cut them off and he crashed.” For a moment her heart stopped. At least she thought it must have, because she couldn’t hear it beating or feel anything. She’d gone totally numb. “Olivia,” she whispered. “Is she hurt?” “She said she’s fine. I spoke to her, so she must be. But Liam…” Ace’s voice broke, and Emily’s heart jerked hard. She pulled Ace into her arms and buried her lips in his hair. “Tell me. He’s not—” “No,” Ace choked out, trembling violently. “But he’s hurt. Bad. We didn’t talk for long, and I can’t get through to my parents. When she couldn’t reach us, she called them, and they’re on their way to the airport. I’m so fucking scared, Emily.” “It’s going to be all r