Leather & Lace- THE SPECTER SERIES [book five]

Chapter TWENTY NINE

Lacey Paxton

After a short drive, Ace pulls up outside the quaint, vacant two story home that you direct him to.. He trails along behind you quietly as you step out of the car and make your way up to the front door..

Pulling out your keychain, you flick through keys until you find the right one.. It has been a while since you have been here..

"What is this place, Lacey?.." He asks, looking around the little front porch..

You manage to get the deadbolt unlocked and you push inside flicking on the downstairs lights to illuminate the large open plan kitchen and living area... "Um.. Well.. This is where Hunter and I grew up.. He paid the final debt on the house after my mother passed away and I inherited it.. I tried to live here by myself.. But--"

You smile, looking around at the half empty house.. Much of your mothers best furniture has long been moved to your apartment, though she had been a bit of a hoarder and left behind quite a lot, so there hadn't been enough room for everything..

But at the time of moving, you hadn't the heart to get rid of a single thing.. Your mother might not have been perfect.. But she was warm and kind, and you miss her dearly.. So.. you had kept the house.. Kind of like a place to store away your past.. An oddly comforting time capsule, a glimpse into a different era, when you were younger and less filled with doubt and pain..

"Big place for just you, Doll.. I'd imagine you felt pretty lonely here all by yourself.." He smiles..

You nod in agreement as you make your way over to the kitchen, shrugging out of his heavy Leather jacket, setting it on the counter before pulling open cupboards until you find a dusty old bottle of merlot hidden away.. "Yeah.. It was, um.. Quiet.. So, I put ther place on the market and I had every intention of selling.. I even came pretty close when developers put in an offer.. But.. They just wanted to tear it down and that just didn't seem right.."

You keep talking, searching through draws for a corkscrew when Ace pulls out a pocket knife, he crosses to the kitchen, twisting the cork from the bottle with a soft pop.. "It wasn't long after that Evergreen began to see success.. Suddenly I didn't actually need to sell anymore.. And once I didn't need to.. I guess I realised that I really didn't want to.."

You take two glasses from the cupboard above the sink and set them on the counter and watch as Ace pours the dark red wine and its sweet scent perfumes the air..

He is so easy to confess to, you find yourself unable to stop.. "I'm not sure why.. But.. I never told Hunter that I didn't sell.. I think maybe I felt like this place didn't hold quite the same sentimental value it does for me.."

You bring your glass to your lips to taste the sweetness of the aged wine.. Ace mimics your movements, his eyes trained on you intently as he listens.. "He couldn't wait to get out of here, first chance he got.. And he was always better at that, letting things go.. Detaching.. Especially after.. Well.. After joined the Marines.."

He nods thoughtfully.. "Sometimes detachment is just a defense mechanism, Doll-face.. It doesn't mean he doesn't care.."

You smile and sip your drink.. He's so sincere, and you know that he is right.. You hadn't even realised until this very second that he and you are completely alone, and nobody knows where you are..

Yet.. You aren't in the least bit frightened.. Not of him..

Or being alone with him..

You actually feel.. Almost normal.. Like a regular girl, having a drink with the guy she fancies.. You never thought you could be this person.. But here you are..