Ace pulled at his collar, trying to put on a good face for Natalie Sweeny, the lady who’d won the auction bid for the date. The whole thing was absurd and more than a little awkward. Gracie was at Los Tios with his mom. Ace and Silver had taken her there before riding together to The Perch an upscale French restaurant where he was to have his date with Natalie. They were in a private room with candles, a centerpiece of fresh flowers, and their own wait staff to assist their every whim. Music played softly in the background. And according to his request, Silver was there, overseeing it all. She’d been cool to him on the drive over, and he could feel her icy stare across the room—as if this were all his fault. Granted, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to insist that Silver orchestrate the date. But at the time, Ace didn’t realize she’d be staying at his house and that they’d be getting close.

It had been five days since the incident with Riley, and Silver refused to talk about it. Every time he brought it up, she instantly shut down the conversation, saying she didn’t want to discuss it. Silver was drawing into herself, going through the motions, her mind somewhere else. He could tell she was hurting. A few times, he’d caught her staring at him, could see the longing on her face. She cared about him the same way he cared about her. But he didn’t know how to break through her shell—get back to the point they were the night Ariana dropped by. Silver was so afraid of Riley and Dinah that she could hardly make a step. It was like she was waiting for the knife to fall. Ace had never been one to sit around and wait. He wanted to do something, but what could he do? The only thing he could think of was to contact Gracie’s school and offer a sizable donation, so he could get in their good graces in case Dinah tried to interfere with that. But he knew if he said anything to Silver, she’d balk, not wanting to be a burden.

“Welcome to The Perch,” a waiter in a white tuxedo said as he stepped up to the table and offered a curt nod. “We have a splendid array of dishes tonight specially prepared for you.” He pointed to the wine list on the table. “But we thought you might like to choose your own wine. Order anything you would like.”

Natalie picked up the menu and perused it, her manicured finger trailing down the list. “I’ll start with a glass of Merlot.”

“Very good choice, madam.” The waiter turned to Ace. “And you, sir?”

“Club soda with lime.”

A momentary flicker of surprise wicked through the server before he nodded.

Amusement danced in Natalie’s eyes as she trailed a slender hand through her hair. “Club soda, huh,” she drawled in a husky voice. “Living on the edge.” She leaned forward, caressing his hand with hers, a look of innuendo in her eyes. Her sleeveless dress with the plunging neckline left little to the imagination, and it sort of freaked Ace out, because he kept half-expecting her boobs to fall out any minute. He could only imagine what his mother would say if she were here. Natalie batted her eyelashes which were thicker than spider legs as she flashed a confident smile. She reminded him of a molded plastic Barbie who’d probably had more work done than Joan Rivers. Ace felt frozen, glancing guiltily at Silver, who leveled a death glare. She was leaning against the wall her arms tightly folded over her chest. As unobtrusively as he could, he removed his hand.

“Playing hard to get,” Natalie purred. “I like that.”

Silver scoffed, then masked it with a cough.

Natalie whipped around, glaring at Silver. “Did you say something?”

Ace was taken back by the fire that flashed in Silver’s eyes as she lifted in her chin and said, “I was just wondering if you might be a little cold …” she looked Natalie up and down “… in that dress.”

“Excuse me?” Natalie drew herself up. “What’re you trying to say?”

Silver flashed a sweet smile. “Mr. Sanchez wanted me here tonight to ensure that you’re comfortable. I was just asking. Forgive me for the interruption.”

“No, I’m perfectly fine,” Natalie harrumphed, turning back around. “Can you believe that?” Her lips formed a pout. “You’d think the help would have enough sense to keep their mouth shut and stay in the background where they belong.”

Ace nearly choked on his own saliva as he glanced at Silver who looked like she was about to blow her cork. It was flattering and he was hopeful that she was jealous, but now wasn’t the time to cause a scene. He wanted to get this stinking date over with so he could move forward with Silver. “It took a lot of work and effort to put this dinner together tonight. Like Silver said, I asked her to be here personally to oversee things, and she had to rearrange her schedule to be here.”

Natalie raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re on a first-name basis with her? Interesting,” she sniffed, fluffing her hair. “I didn’t realize you circulated amongst the working class.”

Had she really just said that? He didn’t need to look at Silver to feel the animosity radiating off her. Wow. This woman was a piece of work. Ace drew in a breath and let it out slowly, mentally counting to ten. Then he fixed on a friendly smile. “Natalie, do you know anything about me?”

Before she could answer, the waiter returned with their drinks. Ace reached for the club soda and sloshed it around in a circle before taking a long drink. Another server, a young girl in her early twenties, stepped up and placed an assortment of appetizers on the table. “Enjoy,” she said, then turned to leave, but Natalie stopped her.

“Oh, I don’t do seafood.” She motioned at the plates of coconut shrimp and calamari, then shuddered. “I can’t stand the sight of it.”

“No problem,” the girl said, reaching for the plates.

What a diva! Ace held up a hand. “Wait a minute. Don’t touch those plates.”

The server looked confused … worried.

“I’ll eat it,” Ace explained as he shuffled the plates. “I’ll just keep them on my side.”

Natalie shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Ace motioned. “There are plenty of other options here.” He smiled. “I’m sure you’ll find something to your liking.”

She rolled her eyes in response.

The more time he spent around Natalie Sweeny, the more he disliked her. She was spoiled and entitled—two things he found hard to tolerate. “Back to what we were saying. Do you know anything about my background?”

She took a sip of her wine, looking thoughtful. “Hmm … what do I know about Ace Sanchez? Well, you’re an important member of the famed Triple Threat and you look hot in a tuxedo.” She chuckled at her joke. “Aside from that, what else matters?”

He looked at Silver who was trying hard not to laugh. It was at that moment that he realized any words he said to Natalie would be wasted. So, he decided to take the one avenue that was sure to carry him safely through this date. “Tell me about yourself.”

A bright smile curved Natalie’s lips, then her mouth started moving at warp speed. Ace’s mind went on autopilot as he occasionally inserted the proper response when she paused long enough to take a breath or bite of food. By the time the servers brought their main courses, Natalie had progressed to her college years. A dull headache was forming over the bridge of Ace’s nose. To his dismay, Silver had stepped out of the room during the appetizer portion of the meal, and he keenly felt her absence. He wondered where she’d gone, longed to jump up from the table and check on her. When dessert was served, Ace felt a wave of relief, knowing it would be over soon. Then it hit him. It was cold … really cold. He looked across the table at Natalie, who was hugging herself. If they sat here much longer, her lips were sure to turn blue.

Silver came back into the room. Ace couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, realizing what was happening. She’d turned the air on full force, freezing them out … just to spite Natalie for the earlier comment. Silver was spunky, he thought admiringly. With any luck the cold would prompt Natalie to end the date early and leave.

Silver stepped up to the table, a professional smile fixed over her face. “How is everything?”

“It’s cold in here,” Natalie muttered, giving Silver a dark look.

“Oh, you’re cold?” Silver said, making a point of looking Natalie up and down. “Must be that dress.”

“No, it’s because you blasted the air! You could hang meat in this place,” Natalie barked.

Silver wrinkled her nose. “Yeah … about that. Sorry, they’re having problems with the system.”

“Well, tell them to turn it off,” Natalie snapped.

“I’ll see what I can do, but like I said, it’s been having problems. I’m not sure there’s anything they can do. I can bring you a coat, if you’d like.” Her gaze settled on Natalie’s cleavage. “It might help if you covered up.”

Natalie looked at Ace in disbelief. “Can you believe this? Considering the exorbitant price I paid for this date, I expected more.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint,” Ace said dryly. He’d done his duty, sat through the painful dinner, but enough was enough. Time to bring this charade to an end.

Her eyes widened. “I didn’t mean you, I meant the restaurant.” Her lips turned down. “And her,” she said, motioning at Silver.

Silver pointed to herself, her mouth forming an exaggerated O. “Me?”

“Yes, you,” Natalie said irritably. “Your lack of professionalism is astounding. I felt like you were back there heckling me the entire night.” She gave Ace a pointed look. “Don’t you agree?”

Silver rocked back, her eyes sparking with a hard amusement as her hand went to her hip, waiting for Ace’s response.

Ace was starting to feel like a helpless mouse caught between two angry cats. “I thought dinner was excellent. Thank you, Silver for putting this together.”

Natalie’s face fell, then color blotched up her neck. “I’ve had enough,” she spat, looking back and forth between Ace and Silver. Then she directed her vehemence at Ace. “All night long, you could barely take your eyes off her.” She lifted her chin, eyeing him. “Don’t try to deny it, buddy.”

He raised his hands in defeat, shaking his head.

“If I didn’t know better,” Natalie continued. “I’d think the two of you have something going.”

“Oh, no,” Silver countered, “We’re just friends.”

Ace couldn’t stop the smile from tugging at his lips. “Yep, just friends,” he agreed, eyes caressing Silver’s.

Natalie let out a half-growl, half-shriek as she threw down her napkin. “You mark my word, Ace Sanchez. The gala committee will hear about this. I paid top dollar for you, and all I got was a big fat nothing!” She shook her head. “What a disappointment.”

Ace stood. “You paid for a date, where the proceeds benefitted the children’s hospital. We had our date … as planned. And that’s the end of it. Natalie, it was nice meeting you. You know your way out.”

Her jaw dropped, then fury twisted over her face as she retrieved her purse and stomped out.

“Good riddance,” Silver muttered.

“Yes, indeed,” Ace said, breathing a sigh of relief. “She was about to launch into her post-college era where she discovered her passion for rich, gullible men who had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel sliding in.”

Silver burst out laughing. “That was a good one.” She paused, growing serious.

“What?”

She cocked her head, bringing her finger to her chin in a thoughtful pose. “Does it feel cold in here?”

“You’re bad,” Ace said with a grin. “Really bad.”

She wriggled her eyebrows, an impish grin fluttering over her lips. “That’s what they tell me.”

He made a face. “Hey, that’s my line.” He caught a certain look in her eyes that got his blood pumping faster. “So, friend,” he drawled, stepping up to her and holding out his arms. “Would you like for me to warm you up?”

“Do you think that’s a good idea with all that we have working against us?” Even as she voiced the question, she stepped closer, lifting her eyes to his, searching his face.

A thrill shot through him when he realized she wanted him to say yes. “Absolutely.” Her breath caught when he encircled her waist.

“It might get complicated,” she uttered.

“The best things in life often are.”

Her forehead furrowed. “I don’t know what Riley and Dinah have up their sleeves, but it won’t be pretty, I assure you.”

“The best way to face a bully is head-on. Yank back the curtain and the monster shrivels in the light. You can’t keep letting them run all over you, Silver. The fiasco Sunday night with Gracie is a perfect example. The more you let Riley get away with, the worse he’ll get. Same with Dinah. As hard as it is, you’ve got to draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough.” He braced himself, not knowing how she would react to his plain talk, but her lips drew into a firm line as she nodded.

“I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and you’re right.”

“Really?”

She chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised.”

“I guess I’m just not used to you agreeing with me so quickly.”

“Well, don’t get used to it,” she countered, tipping a smile.

“Never.” He felt light enough to dance on air. He’d been dreading tonight, dreading going on the stupid date, regretting that he’d strong-armed Silver to come and watch the whole thing. The idea had seemed so clever at the time, keep her in his life, maybe make her a little jealous. But, in light of their current situation, he wanted to be straight forward, so there would be no mistaking his intentions.

“In this case, you’re right. I can’t keep running from this.” Her eyes took on a determined glint. “I don’t want Gracie and I to spend our lives alone. I want to be with you, Ace Sanchez,” she said softly. “It’s what I’ve always wanted.” She let out a half laugh. “I figured I’d better get off the sidelines and state my intention, rather than trying to freeze out your dates.”

He swallowed, hardly believing what he was hearing. He’d wanted to hear it for so long. He realized she was waiting for him to respond. “Yeah,” he teased, “stating your claim’s a lot less expensive than running up an enormous electric bill. It really is freezing in here.”

She tipped her head back, then burst out laughing. “Yes, it is.”

He took in the fathomless depth of those stunning eyes he knew so well. They were the substance of his past, his dreams, all that he could ever hope for his future. His hands went to her face as he cupped her cheeks, marveling at how delicate her features were and yet they possessed an inherent strength that seemed ageless. His eyes caught on the tempting curve of her sensuous lips, and then his gaze lingered on her slender neck. He leaned closer and planted a string of light kisses along her ivory flesh, her tremulous pulse stoking a fire in him that sent his own heartbeat racing. “I love you,” he murmured in her ear before nibbling at her earlobe. She let out a tiny moan as she turned her face to his. She melted into him as his lips came down on hers. His hands went around her neck and then up her back. He drank in her sweetness, and the soft, dainty feel of her lips. Then she slid her arms around his neck, threading her fingers through his hair. Electricity ignited through his veins as he deepened the kiss, surprised by her eager response. They met each other measure for measure, until he thought he’d go mad with desire. Finally, he pulled back, breathing hard, his mouth burning with fire. “That was amazing,” he uttered, noting the deep flush of her cheeks. He was pleased that she’d been as affected as he.

“Yes,” she agreed, “it was.” A smile played on her lips. “Like old times.”

“Only better.”

“For sure.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “I wish we could stay like this. Where nothing bad could touch us.”

He caught the tension in her voice. “Hey, look at me.”

She straightened and looked up at him.

The concern in her eyes cut him to the quick. “It’s gonna be okay.”

She nodded, her mouth going tight.

“Really,” he assured her, rubbing his hands up and down her arms, wishing there was more he could say to put her at ease.

She gave him a courtesy smile and nodded, but he could tell she didn’t believe him. She pulled back and looked around, going into business mode. “I’d better get everything wrapped up here.” She chuckled dryly. “I’m sure the wait staff probably saw us kissing and scattered. I’m sure I’ll hear about it later.”

He was perplexed by her sudden change in mood. The kiss had been amazing … and she wanted to be with him. When he told her he loved her, she’d not said it back, but it was implied. Maybe he shouldn’t expect too much too soon. The fact that they’d come this far in such a short period of time was miraculous. They just needed to keep moving forward. Ace knew how worried Silver was about Riley and Dinah, but felt sure they’d back off once they realized Silver wouldn’t cower to them.

Silver would see … their bark was worse than their bite. Of that, he felt sure.