The Detective and Her Bachelor

Chapter 10

I scowled, earning myself a ghost of a grin from his lips. The unspoken nickname is going to force me to find a new expression to turn to. 

I narrowed my eyes up at him, irritated by just how tall he was. It forced me to lean my head back farther than I would like, making me feel small. 

I finally took a step back, relenting. "Shoot," I replied crossing my arms, continuing to glare.

Ace glanced past me, taking in the room and seeming to find what he was looking for. "May I sit?" 

I forced myself to take a step out of his way but gave no reply. Apparently, words were the worst possible thing for me to give this man. It was the reason I was being kicked out. 

He made his way to the shadowbox window, sitting down carefully like he was afraid any sudden movement would send me bolting for the door. I didn't blame him. I still hadn't fully ruled it out. 

Ace leaned back and glanced out the window, his body suddenly spiling with moonlight. The shift in color carved into his lines, like a glowing frame that showcased his jaw, the curve of his neck, the veins in his arms, his heartbreaking level of handsomeness in the dim light.

The sight of his moon-kissed skin, carving lines into his features, made me suddenly breathless. The ink-black of his hair took on a glistening sheen that left me suddenly itchy to run my fingers through it, like some demented mad woman. And I was once again forced to kill more internal palpitations. 

Don't trust the beauty, I warned myself. Beauty can be dangerous. 

"So... can I go now?" I asked, yanking my eyes away from him to gain some semblance of concentration back. "I mean, you don't really need me here for your posing session by the window." 

I turned back to gauge his expression, and to my utter surprise, he smiled. A true, real smile lit his eyes, bringing out flecks of glorious moonlight to the surface. "You are..." he cut himself off, seeing to change his mind. He ran a hand down his face, before trying again. "I came to check on you." 

"To check on me...?" I repeated, utterly confused. "Like a mental check of sanity before you kick me out? I think I'll survive." 

"Just drop your bag for a second and sit, please," he said, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. 

I shrugged my duffle bag off my shoulder, letting it hit the ground with a loud thud, before plopping down on the edge of the bed ungracefully. 

Ace ran his fingers through his black hair, turning to fully look at me, his face serious. 

Here it comes... 

"In the gazebo... When I reached for your hand. You looked like..." He paused, his eyes distant for a beat, replaying my moment of terror in his mind. The moment where he had tried to reach for my hand and I had basically yanked it away like his touch was poison.

"Ah," I said to fill the silence. 

"Yes," he replied. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. And I'm sorry if I scared you." 

I swallowed, utterly stunned. Thrown by this gentle admittance of guilt for something that was completely harmless. He hadn't done anything wrong. And yet he acted like it was his responsibility to fix the baggage I had with physical intimacy. 

"You didn't do anything wrong," I admitted, feeling open as I watched him sitting under the window, somewhat transfixed. 

"Is it the cameras?" he asked. 

I shrugged, pulling my feet up onto the bed, and wrapping my arms around them. "I don't like being watched. Or stared at. Or being analyzed. So it didn't help." The visual of all of the cameras in the gazebo left my skin crawling.