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  “Will they let me watch movies all night long?”

  “Uh-uh, doll. Not a chance, and don’t even suggest it.”

  Just then the doorbell rang and they both looked up. “That’s Grandmaaaaa,” Alyssa cried, running for the door.

  Chloe smiled and dumped a half-dozen more blocks into the cart then looked up at the sound of a masculine voice. Frozen in the act of pushing her hair out of her eyes, she saw Ace standing on the other side of the screen, grinning at her daughter. “You must be Alyssa,” he said.

  “Hi. I’m not s’posed to talk to strangers.”

  “Good idea, munchkin.” He looked up and gave Chloe a sexy grin. “I figured she’d be the spitting image of her beautiful mom. I was right. Hi, Chloe.”

  Her mouth went dry at the sight of him, but she finally gathered her wits enough to invite him in. Just looking at the man made her brains fly right out of her head.

  Once he was seated and introductions had been made, she watched him chat it up with her talkative daughter. It was actually fun watching them interact because, damn it, if she ever chose a man, it would have to be someone who was suitable for both of them. She and Alyssa were a package deal, after all. But as she watched the two of them together, she realized she had nothing to worry about when it came to her daughter.

  Alyssa didn’t really remember her dad. She’d been too young when they’d lost him. She was open and cheerful and accepting of people and she’d obviously taken to Ace, who was busy pulling a quarter right out of her ear, much to her daughter’s fascination. Alyssa’s giggles mingled with his heavy masculine laughter and Chloe thought she’d melt into a big happy puddle on the floor.

  Roughly thirty minutes later, her mom had picked up Alyssa along with her bright-red Hello Kitty suitcase and they’d headed out the door for the prearranged sleepover. Chloe closed the door behind them and leaned against it to look at Ace.

  “You were a hit with my daughter,” she whispered.

  Ace stood and held his arms out to his sides. “Hey, what’s not to love?”

  And wasn’t that just the plain truth?

  Emotion wrapped around her heart and squeezed tight. A pulse pounded in her throat as she swallowed. “So, um, what are you—?”

  “Doing here?” He stalked toward her and pressed her to the front door. “I missed you. When I realized that I couldn’t get through fifteen seconds without thinking of you, I knew I had to hop a plane.”

  His mouth found hers. His kiss was full of passion, hunger and homecoming. She loved him so much in that moment that tears burned behind her eyes. Clinging to him, she wrapped her arms around his back, noting the way the muscles bunched beneath her hands. His tongue swept deep and she returned his kiss with an abandon she’d only ever felt with him.

  Ace wore faded jeans, and his hard cock pulsing behind the fly caught her immediate attention when he pressed himself to her front. Slowly he rocked all that luscious hardness against her pussy and the feel of it was so delicious, it dragged a low moan from her throat. As he dry-fucked her against the door, Ace settled his lips against her ear. “I couldn’t. Stay. Away. God help me. You were with me in my heart every second, Chloe.”

  “Ace,” she whispered. “Oh, honey.”

  He bent his knees as he rocked against her again, giving her more over-the-top friction. Her knees felt like jelly and it was a miracle her legs could hold her upright. Then suddenly standing wasn’t an issue as he lifted her up and looked around the room. Dark eyes filled with lust and hunger searched every doorway. “Where is it?”

  She didn’t have to be told he wanted to find the closest bed. “Through that door and to the right,” she gasped. Clinging like an eel, she held on, her legs wrapped around his waist, her pussy pressed tight against his belly. He carried her until she smelled the scent of lavender that permeated her bedroom. She’d shared this room with Scott, but that had been a million years ago and she was ready to live again.

  Then, before she could draw another breath, she was flat on her back on the bed, gazing up into Ace’s hard, hungry eyes. He cursed low, a muscle flexing in his jaw as he concentrated on unsnapping and unzipping her shorts. In a flash, he had them off.

  “This is what I want. The sweetest pussy on the planet.” He traced her slit with a long finger. Her panties were so wet they were hardly a barrier to his touch. Bending low, he sucked her distended clit through the silky fabric and her back bowed as sensation raced through her center. Ace pushed her tee shirt up, baring her belly, splaying his hands across it. Odd how pale she was when compared to his darkness. And then his teeth scraped her clit delicately and all thought fled her brain.

  Finally he dragged the tiny panties down her legs and reached for her tee shirt. When she was naked and displayed for him, he whistled low. “Damn, I’m lucky.”

  “’Bout to get luckier,” she gasped.

  With a groan, Ace kicked out of his shoes and jeans and pulled his shirt over his head. Chloe’s mouth watered at the sight of all that lean muscle and rangy strength. He bent to pluck a condom from the pocket of his jeans and without another word, rolled it on. He went still, his eyes dark and teeming with some unnamed emotion. Lust practically rolled from his body to hers. Chloe shivered.

  Ace leaned forward and came toward her on the bed. Chloe panted and shook, but managed to scoot backward until she was supine in the middle of the bed. Grinning at her, Ace snagged a couple of pillows, flipped her over and shoved them beneath her belly until her ass was basically up in the air and very much on display.

  “Um, not very dignified,” she managed.

  Behind her, Ace laughed darkly. “Fuck dignified. I love your ass.”

  She opened her mouth on a retort but it died on her tongue when his big hands settled on her butt. The slow massage began simply enough but then his mouth joined in the play. Awareness rolled through her pussy and she was suddenly drenched from the force of her passion. Her inner thighs grew wet. Ace drew her legs apart and sent his fingers over her slippery flesh.

  “Ace. Take me, Ace. Please.”

  “Shhh. You’re so wet. Let me touch you. Give me a minute.”

  He opened his mouth over her pussy from behind as his hands continued to play over her the base of her spine and her ass. When he stiffened his tongue and buried it deep in her body Chloe whimpered, helplessly backing up against his mouth, needing more. Ace thumbed her clit as he fucked her with his tongue. It was too much. She felt vulnerable, completely at his mercy.

  And she wanted more of what she now knew was his favorite sexual position.

  When he drew her clit into his mouth to suck, she came with a shudder. Shockingly she went over the edge once more and when a low sound broke from her throat, she felt the broad head of his cock breach her. Sliding deep and hard, he filled her up. Quivering muscles clasped him and Ace’s answering groan shook her. She could spend the rest of her life giving pleasure to this man. And receiving it too. Oh yeah, she loved that idea.

  Grabbing her hips, Ace yanked her up and pounded his cock deep then deeper. His fingers gripped her flesh with punishing force but she didn’t care. Everything he did felt like heaven to her.

  “So long,” she whispered. “So long I’ve waited for you. Ace.”

  The words hovered in the air then Ace went still. She sensed him gathering then he began to thrust harder, faster, pistoning into her with brutal force. Ace moaned low as he came and Chloe danced along that razor-sharp edge until she followed him with a cry of her own.

  Moments later, they lay together beneath the covers, cuddling as if the last ten years had never separated them. Darkness settled, coating the room in shadow. Chloe buried her nose in the crisp hair of his chest and breathed him in. “So you missed me, huh?” she teased.

  Ace snorted and drew her close. “Jeez! You figured that out, did you?”

  “Mm. I might be a dull-as-dirt accountant but I’m pretty smart.”

  “Are you smart enough to know that I love you, Chloe? I’v
e thought of nothing but you since you drove away that morning and I have the attention span of a gnat. Every minute spent away from you is too long.”

  Chloe went still for a moment before finding the courage to look Ace in the eyes. Surely her wildest dreams weren’t coming true? Were they? Sincere brown eyes gazed back at her. His smile was meltingly gentle.

  “Do you love me, Chloe? Even half as much as I love you?”

  “Oh, oh, honey,” she gasped as joy rose up to swallow her whole. She kissed him, loving the way his arms went around her to hold her close. “I love you.”

  “Think you could take a leave from that exciting accounting job of yours to travel the world with me while I take my pictures, Chloe? You and Alyssa?”

  “What?”

  His arms tightened and he rolled with her until he hovered over her. “She won’t be in school for a couple of years. We could travel around as a family. See the world.” He went quiet and she noted the first hint of nervousness swim in his eyes. “I mean, if you want to, of course. If not, I’ll just make sure and come home to you when my work is done. I’ll play it any way you want but I’d like us to be together for a while and test the waters. Starting over is never easy and I know Scott’s death was hard on you but, honey, being with you again made me realize that life is too short to turn your back on something so real.”

  Tenderness swamped her. She smiled. “Are you sure about this, Ace? You want us to come with you? Although my job handling people’s taxes is just a cooler-than-heck job, I think traveling the world sounds much more interesting.”

  “You’ve read my mind. We can live on the coast or here. As long as I’m with you. Wanna take a chance with me, darlin’?”

  She paused, loving the moment, loving him. She smiled and reached out to drag her finger along his lip. “Yes. Oh yes, Ace. Welcome home, honey.”

  About Regina Carlysle

  Regina Carlysle is an award-winning, multi-published author. She likes writing that is hot, edgy and often humorous, and puts this trademark stamp on all her stories. Regina lives in west Texas with her husband of 25 years and counting, and is a doting, fawning, over-indulgent mother to her two kids. When she’s not penning steamy erotic tales or hot contemporary stories, she’s indulging in long chats with friends who help her stay sane and keep her laughing.

  Regina welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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  Also by Regina Carlysle

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  High Plains Shifters 4: Edge of Nowhere

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  Mistletoe Magic 1: Breath of Magic

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  Return of the Daredevil

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  Print books by Regina Carlysle

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  Cougar Challenge: Needing a Cougar anthology

  Ellora’s Cavemen: Flavors of Ecstasy IV anthology

  High Plains Shifters 1 & 2: Lone Star Beasts

  High Plains Shifters 3 & 4: Riding the Edge

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  Ellora’s Cave Publishing

  www.ellorascave.com

  Love Match

  ISBN 9781419944642

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Love Match Copyright © 2013 Regina Carlysle

  Edited by Jillian Bell

  Cover design by Syneca

  Photo: Vishstudio/Shutterstock.com

  Electronic book publication March 2013

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  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

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  Table of Contents

  LoveMatch_1

  LoveMatch_2

  LoveMatch_3

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  LoveMatch_5

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