Leather & Lace- THE SPECTER SERIES [book five]

Chapter FIFTY THREE

Lacey Paxton

... s i x m o n t h s l a t e r...

Weeks rush by in a fast paced blur, of family and friends, job interviews and court hearings, doctors offices and peaceful hours whiled away in bed with the man you love.. Each passing day brings something better than the last.. A new joy to be discovered and more good news..

You had finally graduated, top of your class, summa cum laude, and Ace, Lori as well as all the kids and half of Spectre's agents had been there to see you receive your honors..

Though nobody had watched on with more happiness to be witnessed than your brother.. With tears that extinguished all your doubt in his eyes, he had hugged you tight in your black graduate silks as he whispered in your ear that he was proud of you.. And that Lyra would have been too..

Ace's road of recovery had been nothing short of miraculous, but what else had you been expecting.. You are convinced now that the man might actually have nine lives or maybe even more, since his optimistic spirit never wavers.. Within a couple weeks he had been up and about, refusing to let anything keep him confined to bed rest..

Well.. Anything except you.. So long as you laid there beside him he could be still for hours, perfectly at peace..

The two of you have spent so many secret moments together, sharing your thoughts, your bodies and hearts with one and other.. Everything between you is as easy as floating, and because of him, his acceptance of all your quirks and neurosis you have finally begun to accept yourself only to find other things in life suddenly become easier too..

It's not that you don't still experience those old familiar feelings of anxiety and nerves, you definitely do.. But your fears have become a lesser burden with each day, more manageable and simpler for you to understand and separate the physical reactions from the emotional roots..

For the first time, you feel like you have found the exact place you are supposed to be.. The place you belong.. The right place, at the right time.. As the late summer sun sets over the city, you step out of the downtown district hospital where you accepted an ER residency a few months ago..

The hours are long, but the work is more than rewarding and even though you are tired to your bones at the end of an exhaustingly long shift but there is still a zap of electricity to your heart when to see Ace waiting for you in the parking lot.. That shiny, happy smile on his face as he watches you make your way over to him..

"Here she comes.. My heroine! Saving lives, saving the world! Doctor Dolly, look at you!" He wolf whistles and waggles his brows suggestively at your figure hugging black pencil skirt, leather pumps and flowy white blouse as you tug your simple ponytail free, letting down your hair much to the relief of your scalp..

You giggle, picking up speed as you cross the car park to throw yourself in his arms, kissing at his neck as he squeezes you so tight you squeak.. "Ooh! Hey handsome, I missed you today!"

He scoops you up in his arms with a twirl, the way he always does when he picks you up from work, planting his mouth against yours, kissing you sweetly as his fingers stroke a shivering path down your spine.. You sigh with contentment as you melt against him before he draws back to grin down at you with a mischievous gleam in his artic-blue eyes.. "Me too, Baby-doll.. Ready to head home?"

You smile at him curiously, wondering what has him in such a good mood as he sets you down beside the flashy jeep Hunter had brought you as a graduation present... The one that you secretly hate to drive because its so big and your tiny self can barely see over the dash.. So mostly Ace drives it, and honestly you prefer it that way anything to keep him off that damn death machine motorcycle of his..