My Alphas' Dark Desires (Read and Support, Guys, thank you bunch!)
****************
CHAPTER 347
~Valerie's POV~
Before I could argue, he slowed the car and pulled off onto a narrow, empty stretch of road that curved into a secluded overlook.
The moment the car stopped, silence settled in, but he was already leaning closer, his blue eyes locking onto mine with a heat that made me blush between us again.
"Ace," I began cautiously, turning to face him.
"You keep looking at me like that, Princess," he murmured, "and I'm going to stop pretending I don't notice."
I swallowed hard, caught between instinct and want. "Looking at you like what?"
"Like you want me to kiss you again," he whispered, his lips barely an inch from mine. "Like you're daring me to, begging me."
My heart kicked violently against my ribs, and somehow, the Valerie who hated to be dared spoke up. "Maybe I am."
Ace's soft laugh was dark, low, and sinful. "Then you're playing a dangerous game."
Before I could respond, his hand slid higher along my thigh, not enough to cross a line but enough to make heat bloom low in my stomach.
My breath caught, and Ace tilted his head slightly, studying me with that infuriating confidence of his, as though he knew every reaction before I even had it.
"Tell me to stop," he said softly. "And I will. Tell me you don't want me, Valerie. Tell me you do not want us to continue, and I'll stop."
I didn't.
Instead, I whispered, "Don't."
That was all it took.
His lips crashed against mine again, harder this time, demanding, coaxing, claiming. One hand cupped the side of my face, the other firm on my thigh, grounding me as everything else slipped out of focus.
The kiss was different now. It was deeper, hungrier, but still slow enough to savour, like he wanted me to feel every shift, every drag of his lips against mine.
I melted into him before I even realised it, my fingers curling around the fabric of his shirt. The faint taste of grapes and chocolate lingered between us, mixing with his warm, addictive taste.
When he finally broke away, his forehead rested against mine as he tried to steady his breathing.
"Valerie…" His voice was rough, almost strained. "You're going to kill me."
I laughed softly, though it came out shaky. "You started it."
His thumb brushed over my lower lip slowly, his gaze locked on my mouth like he was resisting the urge to dive back in.
"And I'll finish it," he promised.
Heat spiralled through me so fiercely I had to look away just to steady myself.
My heart was still pounding wildly, my breath uneven, and the entire world felt narrowed down to this, the stolen silence, his lingering taste and his touch.
I finally managed to whisper, "We should get back before curfew."
Ace leaned back slightly, eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, we're not done, Princess. This is just an intermission. Besides, we still need to go to my house for the duel, remember."
I groaned, covering my face with my hands, but the traitorous smile tugging at my lips wouldn't leave.
I wasn't sure if I was ready for just how much Ace meant it when he said… mine.
Ace didn't start the car right away.
Instead, he sat there, one hand still resting on the wheel while the other lingered on my thigh, his thumb brushing back and forth with agonizing slowness just teasing me.
The air in the car had shifted as every breath I took was heavy with his scent.
I turned my face toward the window, trying to ground myself, but I could feel his gaze on me like a physical touch.
"You're quiet," he said finally with that dangerous softness he used only when he wanted to unravel me.
"I'm thinking," I murmured.
"About?"
"You," I admitted before I could stop myself.
His sharp inhale was audible in the silence, and when I glanced at him, his smirk had softened into something else entirely, not playful or mocking, just intense.
"You should know," he leaned closer, "thinking about me comes with consequences."
I swallowed hard, my pulse pounding. "What kind of consequences?"
The corner of his mouth curved slowly. "The kind you don't get to walk away from."
And before I could respond, he reached up, fingers brushing my jaw with a touch so light it was almost reverent.
His thumb traced along my lower lip, coaxing it open slightly, and I couldn't breathe or move.
"Ace…" I whispered, not even sure what I was asking.
"Say it again," he breathed, his forehead nearly touching mine. "Say my name."
"Ace," I repeated, softer this time, the sound caught between a sigh and a plea.
His blue eyes darkened like storm clouds pulling over the horizon and then I bit down on my lower lip. "Goddess, you have no idea what that does to me."
I barely had time to process before his lips were on mine again. It was the kind of kiss that stripped away every thought, every defence, leaving nothing but sensation.
One hand tangled in my hair, tilting my head back to deepen the kiss, while his other hand slid higher along my thigh, stopping just before dangerous territory.
Just then, he moved his hand from my thigh, and I gasped, more like moaned at the loss of contact.
But no sooner had Ace done that than the chair was moved backwards, giving me a better chance to lie down as he came on top.
His fingers went back to their spot between my legs, higher even, grazing the edge of my panties.
"Ace—" I breathed, but the rest dissolved into a broken gasp as his fingers slipped just beneath the edge of my panties, brushing against me with maddening slowness.
His smirk deepened. "Fuck, you're soaked already," he rasped, voice husky and low. "Is this all for me, Princess?"
Heat rushed to my cheeks, but I didn't look away. "Maybe," I whispered, defiant even as my breath trembled.
"Maybe?" He chuckled darkly, his fingers parting me, teasing along my slick folds without giving me what I craved. "That doesn't sound convincing enough."
"Ace," I whined softly, hips shifting on instinct.
"Mm, there it is," he breathed, lips grazing my ear as his thumb brushed my clit in the lightest, laziest circles that made my thighs twitch. "That's what I wanted to hear. Say my name like that again."