Filed To Story: The Trap Of Ace Book PDF Free
“What happened to them?”
How come I didn’t notice them before?
His demeanor changed.
Pulling away, he gave a nonchalant shrug.
“Nothing, just got carried away with exercise.”
The way he averted his gaze opposed his own statement.
“Don’t lie to me!
Your knuckles were bleeding, and you didn’t even feel anything?”
I snapped, taking his hands back, examining them.
They were just like I remembered the morning he came back from the UK.
Did he work himself out to exhaustion and pain?
What could make him that ignorant of his pain?
When he didn’t answer, I glared at him.
“Well?
Mind giving me an answer?
And why didn’t you treat them?”
Anger, irritation, and concern nagged into my veins.
When he looked at me, my heart clenched.
His eyes held pain, desperation, and something intense that I couldn’t decipher.
Though his eyes said a lot, I wanted him to speak to me.
“Tell me,” I whispered.
“I will.
After the date.
But not now,” he said softly, placing another lingering kiss on my hand.
“Let me treat them first—“
“It’s all right.
They’re fine now.”
“But you could get an infection!”
I argued, once again reaching out for his knuckles.
He shook his head.
“I won’t.
Don’t worry.
I’m used to them.”
Something squeezed my chest at his words.
He said the same thing the other day.
He was used to the pain.
Did he hurt himself purposely?
“Rosebud, I can’t go on a date with bandages, now can I?”
He raised his brow when I didn’t agree with his suggestion of letting it go.
When I continued to hold his eyes, he sighed.
“All right, check them once the date is over, all right?”
I nodded.
At least he agreed to get them treated.
I’d have to talk to him about it.
He couldn’t be so careless.
The whole ride from my house to our destination was silent, my hand was secured into his.
Only occasionally to change gears, he left it, only to grab it again.
No matter how much I complained, I loved the feeling of my small hand getting lost in his bigger and safer one.
When the car stopped before a huge iron gate, just a little far from the highway, I scrutinized the place.
It looked… familiar.
But I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Getting out of the car, he opened the door for me.
When I went to do it for myself, he’d stopped me with a discontented look.
Well, if he wanted to be a gentleman, who was I to stop him?
Taking his hand, I got out and looked up at the vast gate.
Turquoise Heaven was the name written in bold, golden words above.
“Where are we, Ace?”
I asked.
With his arms around my waist, he murmured in my ear, “Go in and find out yourself.”
Pressing my lips together, I wiggled out of his arms and approached the gate.
With a loud croak, the wings opened itself, welcoming us in.
Then I saw the guard inside, nodding in greeting.
“Good evening, Mr.Valencian.
Welcome, Ms.
Hutton.”
He knew my name?
I turned to the Greek god behind me.
He must’ve told him about my arrival.
Wrapping his hand around my waist again, he nodded back at the watchman, while I politely reciprocated his smile.
“Is everything ready, Geremy?”
The guard nodded.
“Yes, Mr.Valencian.
Everything is ready, just as you wanted.
And the staff are gone.”
Everyone was gone?
Why?
That means I’ll have to stay alone with him?
Now my nervousness leaped to a new height.
Who knew?
He could compel me with his charm and stormy grays, and trap me somewhere with him forever?
Not that I’d really mind.
I shook my head at my ridiculous thoughts.
“Good.”
A beautiful familiar two-story white mansion greeted me.
Built with a mediaeval arc, an enormous fountain adorned its front yard, with a lush rose garden surrounding it.
But it was daisies before…
A gasp slipped through my lips.
It was the place I’d visited once or twice in my childhood with my family for small get-togethers.
The family of Tobias’s childhood friend owned it.
That’s why this place felt so familiar.
I vaguely remembered the backyard where we used to play.
And this was the place I—
My eyes snapped up to him.
My heart fluttered beneath my rib cage.
“Why here?”
My voice came out breathless.
His eyes bore into mine.
“I thought why not start our new beginning where all of it started?
After all, this is the place where I saw my turquoise eyed beauty for the first time.”
THIRTY-FIVE: TEASING MR.
VALENCIAN
H -he remembered that?
Though our visits here were vague in my mind, I still remembered the day Tobias brought him along to introduce his new best friend.
How could I forget the day I encountered those stormy grays for the first time?
The reserved yet shy boy was uncomfortable among so many unknown people, until his gaze locked with mine.
The soft smile that had tugged at his lips in the return of my own toothy one had engraved into my heart since then.
He gently brushed his thumb on my cheek.
“Those adorable freckles are almost nonvisible now.”
“I still have them.
It’s just the makeup,” I said, lost in his gray pools.
A tiny frown set between his brows.
“The makeup that hides your beauty, you should avoid it.”
“Back to dictating me, are we, Mr.Valencian?
I’m not in your office right now.”
I teased, though the mushy feeling inside me at his compliment didn’t go missed.
“I’m not dictating you, just stating the truth.”
He pulled me against him.
“Those powders just hide your natural beauty.”
I bit back my smile.
Did he just call makeup as powder?
Then I realized how he had me pinned against him.
Throwing him a stern look, I pulled away and turned to the house.
It was beautiful.
The sound of waves crashing onto the shore and retracting into the ocean reached my ears.
Memories of old days regenerated into my mind.
“The beach!”
With my eyes wide, I cast him a glance before running inside the house.
The velvety sound of his chuckle reached me before his footsteps followed behind.
Adrenaline rushed through my veins.
Pushing open the backdoor, I relished the salty sea breeze that touched my face as soon as I let myself free outside under the open sky.
But before the ocean could enthrall me, the beautiful gazebo in the middle of the beach caught my attention.
The decoration of white lilies and fairy lights, and the candles lit on both sides of the way to it, had me speechless.
Not to miss the red petals of roses scattered on the pathway.
My mouth was on the ground until I forced myself to shut it.
Everything was just… extraordinary.
Just like the movies.
And he did all of that…for me?
“You liked it?”
His deep voice rasped close to my ear.
Not being able to form any words, I just nodded.
“Come.”
Securing my hand in his, he maneuvered me to the gazebo through the path full of soft rose petals.
I cleared my throat, my insides went all shy.
“Your staff did a good job decorating everything.”
Popping open the cap of the champagne, he poured the liquid into two glasses.
Casting me a glance, he said, “They just set up the gazebo.
The other credits would go to me.”
My eyes widened again.
“You did all of this all by yourself?”
I looked around at the beautiful view.
Putting the bottle down, he took my jacket off.
As soon as the upper side of my dress revealed before his eyes, he stilled.
“Yes,” a hiss came out of his mouth.
His heated gaze roamed my body, lingering on my dipped neckline.
Cassie was right.He looked extremely bothered.