Touching the Heart of Ace novel Chapter 66

Everyone in Robbie's life knew about us. The need to let them know about our less than perfect love life, was because of our love for each other.

It was surprising how they knew about Robbie 'pining' after me for so long that they were worried about his 'dick' falling off.

Yeah, they were crude!

Robbie had called me at noon to ask if I could join the dinner treat he was giving his friends. Apparently they deserved one for handling him when he was running after me.

I agreed, of course.

I had to call Nick to babysit our girl, because his friends needed the expensive alcoholic drinks in their menu.

I missed Jason so much. He was over working himself and not coping with the absence of our mom. Gabe regularly updated me of his hard work and we both agreed that he needed to rest but what could we do? I talked to Robbie about that but he told me to give him space for the time being.

'About time' was all Jason told me when I informed him of my first 'I love you', then the pain in my nose threw 'told you so' several times throughout my story. But Jason was right. He had been telling me about coming out clean to Robbie since our grad days.

I was scared, okay? It was all Robbie's fault.

Sigh!

Nick did agree to babysit if my baby stopped called him Nikki. When I said we could settle on 'Domy' he came here without too much fuss. He needed my salmon and asparagus as a payment though.

I really outdid myself in my attire with 'Egyptian eye makeup'. This was our first outing as a couple and I wanted his friends to think that I was someone beautiful and worthy to be Robert Brantley's lover. I was nervous.

I knew two of his friends' girlfriends were models who worked with Storm and Ford. I did not want to come off as inadequate among them. But Nick said he prayed that Robert at least waited to come home, before going possessive husband on me.

Yeah, he used the word 'husband' and it made me all tingly.

Lia needed some love before I could leave and she made me promise to bring her chocolate cake. I had already made Lia and Nick their dinner. So, they were all set before the Limo, Robbie had sent me, arrived.

The way the driver stood speechless for a couple of minutes did boost my confidence. He opened my door after showing his ID card. I texted Robbie about his arrival and we were off to La Grande. I was really nervous, what if they did not find me suitable for him? They had visited our home but then we were not introduced as a couple. It would be fine, because Robbie would never bring me to a situation which would be uncomfortable for me.

Daddy, I am nervous.

Just bring that pretty ass here.

So romantic. I rolled my eyes, but ironically it put me in calmer mood.

The driver opened my door for me and even gave me his elbow for me to hold. I giggled because I was no woman but he must have thought I was delicate enough to be handed like a porcelain doll. He handed me over to Ma?tre D' who welcomed me with a happy grin.

"As handsome as ever, Mr. Truscott."

"And you are as charming as ever, Mr. Caswell."

The older man blushed and waved off the waitress who came in with reservation charts. "Would you love to be seated near the gardens, Mr. Truscott? Will your brother be joining you?"

"Not today, I am actually in company of Robert Brantley. Would you please take me to their seating?"

"It would be my pleasure, Young Sir." The gentleman politely informed me of all the new renovations they had done in the past months. "Mr. Brantley is coming for you, Mr. Truscott"

I saw my man walking towards me; his eyes fixed firmly on my eyes and I swooned. He looked... so handsome. He was wearing another outfit; not the one he wore in the morning. I knew this would suit him quite well. He took it to his office as his emergency suit because I was bugging him to wear it.

God, he was so handsome and charming and... devilish.

He smirked, noticing my dumbstruck look. I barely acknowledged Mr. Caswell leaving us.

"Hey, Beautiful." He pecked my cheek.

The most handsome man I had ever seen stood right next to me. His posture bent forward so I could properly gaze into the steel grey eyes that made my head swim.

"H... Hey."

He leaned down to kiss my lips and I put my index finger on them to stop him. "I can literally feel gazes on my back. At least wait till we get home."

His hand snaked around my waist. "Why would I? You are mine."

I leaned up on my tippy toes and kissed his lips gently. "You will ruin my make up."

"I will. You are right, I can wait. Shall we meet that nuisances?"

"Daddy!" I pinched his exposed hand. He had rolled up his sleeves and damn it was so hot. I clutched on his elbow, plastering half of my body to his. "Were you waiting for long?"

"A bit, yes. I knew you would be late to get ready, so I arranged the Limo that way."

"I am not that bad."

"Anything you say, love."

His friends were seated around a beautiful well set dining table with C shaped sofas on either sides. Their friends were really welcoming and did they tease us relentlessly. They were not mean but the innuendoes were embarrassing. As expected the models were there but I was surprised at how down to earth they were. The only real model I knew was Gabe and he did not count. All the others I had seen came off as stuck up people.

But they loved my eye make-up and did not believe when I said I did it myself. The good natured disbelief; they were not demeaning me.

"You can tell us the truth, David. Are you chained with time bombs? There is no way you want this idiot right here."

Robbie growled and yanked me closer. "Fuck off!"

"David, you have everything and but I did not know you were blind."

"Well you don't have to see to feel it, right, Bran?" Ben punched his shoulder.

"Damn right." My man shamelessly patted his thighs and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Robbie, please stop."

"Awww!!! Don't act so innocent, David, we saw a little... Mmmm... uuhh uuhhh..." Aaron made moaning noises of kissing and I blushed bright red and everyone laughed.

"You saw nothing."

"Oh, I saw just the thing, but I was expecting you to kick his balls but... now I know why you did not." Aaron winked at us and raised his glass. "For our mofo who finally did something right and got the kid he is going to jail for."

"I am not a kid, thank you very much, Aaron."

"Potato, potato, 'kid'."

"You will know about that. Your girlfriend is older than you, 'kid'." I threw back.

Aaron coughed on his sip of drink and everyone laughed.

"Damn... He got claws." Matthew and I clinked our glasses together.

"He does." Robbie kissed my forehead.

"Do it!" Chance challenged Robbie and I frowned.

"He is mine." Robbie shrugged.

"Prove it or it is bluff."

Everyone started chanting 'do it'.

"Do whaaa..."

Robbie took my juice glass off me, curled around, squeezed my cheeks to open my mouth and... thrusted his tongue inside. I was supposed to push him away because we were in public but my man knew his kisses were my weakness. My finger crawled up his head and I kneaded, making him moan which in turn made me moan... and I forgot about our audience.

I tapped out, when it became too hot and heavy, because I needed to breath. All my senses rushed back to me and I pushed the bastard off, covering my face.

I could not believe he... we did that!

"Awww... we got a shy one right here guys, like we don't know that he was all 'give me more, stud, ah... yeah... yeah oh god! ah... ah...'." Someone commented and I wanted to kill him, then Robbie and finally myself.

It was so embarrassing.

"Here!" Ben handed me a plate and I frowned. "To..." He motioned me to smack Robbie's head with it and I giggled.

"Don't tempt him. He will." Robbie licked his lips and wiped it the back of his hand before pulling me closer.

"From the look of Bran's face, it has happened before." Blair, Keith's girlfriend who was a Storm model giggled.

They all looked at Robbie and their mouths dropped. "It has happened!" They yelled together and I groaned embarrassed again, hiding behind Robbie's shoulder.

"Tell us. Tell us. Tell us!"

Never in my life had I been put through these kind of teasing before. Hell, never was I teased before. This was embarrassing and tingling and... I had no idea how to handle it though I was smiling behind Robbie's armpit.

"Well, it feels like a very long time ago but my Kitten was so angry at me and did not appreciate my touching his a..."

I squeaked and tried to cover my shameless bastard's mouth but he immobilised me by taking both of my wrists in one hand and put his other hand on my butt from behind. I could not believe him!

"Where? Where did you touch?" Matthew asked in sing song voice.

"Right where I am touching him now..."

"Oooohhh... We have a groper! Yay!" They hooted.

"I can't believe you, As... Robert Brantley. You promised me we would not talk about that ever again. Remember? Remember?" I squirmed in his hands but he laughed.

"Then he..."

"ROBBIE!"

"Kiss me and I will stop."

"No!" He had already stolen one and it got too intense.

"Fine, so I was between his..."

"I will kiss you... I will kiss you... Please, stop."

He did not let go of my hands and leaned to me with his overly puckered lips for me to kiss. God! He was embarrassing.

I kissed his nose and he scowled. "That was not where I wanted the kiss."

"Allow me, David." Andrea, girlfriend of Matthew, cleared her throat. "Since you did not specify, prior to the action where the kiss was needed to be placed, there is no reason for David to kiss where you want it because he does not give a sheeeeeeet!"

She made a good choice to learn law. I could not help giggling and my man almost pulled me to his lap and I let him.

He was right though. I had smacked him with a plate once. He had thought it would be cute to chase me to an empty warehouse he had bought, to... to... mate, I had no other word to describe what he wanted. I was still fighting all the attraction I had for him and when I had no other way to escape, I found a plate looking thing near me and...

... I smacked him on the forehead.

The bottom of it had little spikes and it scratched him... God! I got so scared when he clutched the minor injury.

To my utter embarrassment I started crying. Then everything was hectic with him trying to undress me and I trying to look at the scratch... crying.

He finally found pity in my worrying and took me to his car promising me that he was fine. But... I was not; I cried and cried and cried... while he tried very hard not to laugh out loud and allowed me to take him to hospital to take a tetanus shot... where I was the one who held his hand and cried...

The nurse said we were cute together.

Then I let him drag me to his penthouse, where I cried some more.

That was the day he guilt tripped me to give him a BJ. Uggghh! My first BJ was filled with both kinds of tears.

But he wanted nothing else and I was dying out of pain of hurting him. I did not want him to touch me perhaps, but I never wanted to hurt him. All my angry 'protests' had its limits. To save my life, I could never think of really hurting him.

That must have been the first clue that should have opened my eyes there was no way I could not let him... touch me.

Well after the BJ he did pull me to his bed and...

"Definitely a story there."

I jumped away embarrassed, out of memory lane, because I was drawing on Robbie's thighs as he was peppering my head with kisses.

"We have no idea what you guys are talking about. Right Angel?"

"Yes, Daddy." I giggled and his friends started making fun of us again for calling him Daddy. They did not believe when I said it was not in a kinky way. I started that to reinforce Lia to call him Daddy. But when I noticed Robbie would preen when I call him that, I just... kept on doing it.

"Try it in the bedroom. You know, to spice somethings up." Ben winked at me.

"It is already so spicy and hot, it makes my tongue burn, Benny." Robbie boasted and I swatted his smug face away from mine. "Sooo damn hot."

Ugggh!

That was how all the dinner went.

"Let us go home, Robbie." I whispered. He checked the time and agreed with me that it was getting late.

"Guys, we have to go. Fuck off."

This man!

"Thanks guys, for being supportive. You know how Robbie can get when things are not going his way." It was so refreshing to see his friends taking care of my man. He might not see them as friends, but they were.

"Hear, hear. To the difficult man of this century- Robert Brantley."

"I toast to the man who willingly jumped into an active volcano. David! Everyone!"

I groaned as they took turns throwing shade on us but Andrea really wished us good luck. "We know Bran was going crazy and I don't know what made you give him a chance, but... we are happy. The situation is not perfect but I think you will come out of it. My father is a lawyer but I would never recommend him to my dying enemy, if I can help it." The table fell silent and Matthew hugged her before pulling her to his lap.

"You are not like him, Loony." She smiled and waved his sweet words off, but I could see she loved him consoling her.

"Thanks. I just hope Robbie won't kill anyone in the meantime." Everyone laughed and I kissed my man on his cheek.

"No promises, Angel."

"Why are you leaving? Stay for some more time." Aaron whined cutely.

"Unlike you guys, we have a Little Baby to go home to. Nick will have my dick if he can't get back to his boyfriend to sleep." Robbie pulled me up and shook hands with his friends and tried to ruffle the hair of their girlfriends. They swatted his hands away fiercely, making me giggle.

We were out of the door of restaurant when a handsome man in his thirties came to us and introduced himself. "Hi, my name is Nathan. Do you happen to have a twin brother?" He asked me.

Robbie pulled me behind him. "Why do you ask?"

"You know..."

Robbie could break that man's nose if he continued whatever he was planning on doing.

"I don't." I peeked from Robbie's back and smiled when Big Baby stood to side to block me again. I hugged him from behind and slowly tucked myself beside him under his tensed hand.

"Too bad. You are gorgeous."

I rubbed my man's fist, so he would calm down but I understood why he was angry. It was disrespectful to flirt with someone who was with their partner. What was this guy's name again? He was being rude.

I ignored him and purred to my Robbie. "Let us go home, now."

A handsome man came for this guy. "What is going on?"

"Asking this gorgeous babe if he has a twin." I watched the man who came for this rude idiot getting hurt with that words. He wrung his hands together.

"They are on a date, please don't make a scene." He profusely apologized on the rude guy's behalf, while that idiot showered me with compliments.

He took the jackass's hand and pulled him away from us. I had a feeling; those two were in a relationship. That words hurt that handsome man. I hugged Robbie tighter; my face scrunched up in annoyance.

"Take me home, Daddy." I hugged Robbie's waist and he pulled me closer.

My Robbie never made me feel inadequate. He always made me his priority. His eyes never drifted off to anyone in interest. Even during the times when I thought he was in love with Janice, he never flirted with her in front of me. That time when he hurt me by skipping my birthday because of his stupid jealousy, he did not hurt me this way.

I could not imagine what I would do if Robbie did find someone else attractive and flirted with them in front of me.

"You better not find anyone else beautiful. I will kill you." I bit his ear in my tippy toes and glared. I felt his posture relax and he smiled.

"Never even dream of it; but honestly I don't think I would find anyone beautiful than you."

We... well, 'I' tried very hard not to get naughty in the Limo but... all those teasing from his friends and that jackass who spiked both of our jealous sides, and Robbie who was so damn delicious as a daddy- yes in the kinky way- I did not stand a chance.

I was grateful for wearing knee length jacket. I could not meet the driver's eyes when he opened the door for us, as I clutched on my jacket to cover my modesty and kissed my man on his cheek who was holding all my clothes in a ball. "I will check on our baby."

I ran past them to my home and saw Nick on the phone. "Oh, they are here. I will be home in a bit... yes dear... sorry... Yes, Sir... then what do you want me to call you?... Fine! Bye, see you soon... I miss you!" He hung up the phone fast.

"Didn't even wait to get home!" Nick tsked looking at my thoroughly loved form.

"How was she?" I dropped the shoes in my hand and put Lia's cake in fridge. Robbie's clothes and shoes were all intact. I on the other hand... did not even have my shoes on.

"Total hellion. I am not babysitting ever."

"She is an Angel and you know it."

"I need to get my boyfriend something nice. He reminded me to pack extra clothes." Nick showed me a photo of him covered in pink and purple dust. "Buy your kid a unicorn, please."

I smiled sheepishly. "At least they are easily washed off with soap and water, right?" The meanie did not smile.

"Get out!" Robbie came in throwing all my clothes to the couch and I swatted him before picking them up again.

"Oh, Nick, bring your boyfriend to the beach party. I will make your favourite foods."

Silence.

"Nick? You are not getting out of it. Bring him."

"But..."

"I don't want to hear it. Robbie, I want them here. Talk." I left them, to check on my kid and found her curled up and sleeping.

Now lying next to her daddy, he also reminded of my baby girl tired after a tantrum.

Nick had been avoiding me since that day. Why was he so damn scared of his boyfriend meeting me?

Why indeed!

The beach party was scheduled by Janice and her friends on Sunday. When Nick came here on Saturday, I thought it was to deliver another speech on his reasons.

"Where is Robert?"

Robbie was putting Lia for a nap. "With Lia. If you are here to make some excuses, don't bother."

"No, no excuses. Can you please call him down?"

Nick really looked so nervous. "What is wrong?"

He shrugged before sitting tensely on our dining room chair. Robbie came down equally tensed when I told him about Nick.

They both nodded to each other like soldiers on mission and I giggled. Was his boyfriend that hideous? I was not that close minded. After all, physical beauty only benefits to catch the attention of the one we love. Nick loved this guy to death, then what if he was not drop dead gorgeous?

"Angel, baby, you might wanna sit down." Robbie pulled me to his lap and I shook my head at his antics.

"Babe... come in." Nick went and brought someone holding his hand and I...

Wait!

I knew...

"Tristian?"

But this Tristian was Tristian but not Tristian.

Was this guy his twin brother? Gone was the business cut hair, big build and awkward neck-front pose. He looked more... put together, if I could say so. His brown hair was really black. His brown eyes were also black and he was wearing black nail polish too. He looked leaner unlike the guy I knew who wore layers and layers of clothes on him and looked so bulky.

"Hi." He waved meekly at me and I frowned.

I looked at Robbie who was clutching me for dear life and back at Nick who was looking like he wanted to take this Tristian and run.

"You look good, David."

"You too... Tristian? You look so different." I awkwardly chuckled. "You... ah... good different... just..."

"I know... You too... You look happy... It is... it is good."

"I am happy. Umm... This is Robbie. He is my... love." Robbie gave me a squeeze comfortingly.

His eyes flicked to my man but he dropped his eyes fast. "Yeah."

Minutes passed without us talking as I took in his 'different' look. "Is this the trend in Germany?" I tried to joke but he winced in... pain?

"I am sorry. It is just awkward. Robbie... babe... don't blow up okay?" How the hell was I going to introduced my ex to my Robbie?

Robbie kissed my lips. "You might wanna listen to... Tristian first, babe." He glared at Tristian and I noticed his wince.

"David... Jesus! I don't know where to start... I just hope... that..." He nervously looked around until Nick placed his hand on Tristian's shoulder.

"Is that why you hid from me, Tristian? This is your Dominic Dante."

"Yes... No... but... it is more complicated than that."

"Oh, Tristian, I would have welcomed you. You don't need to worry. I am happy with the love of my life. Are you not?" He remained silent but Robbie was stiff under me. "Robbie is scary but he is just a big pussy cat, really. Tristian, it is oka..."

"My name is not Tristian." He blurted out.

"What?" I was confused.

He rapidly swallowed. "I am sorry."

"What do you mean your name is not Tristian? You are not Tristian?"

"No... Yes... I can't do this... Dom I... I don't know where to start."

"The beginning." Robbie's voice was firm and hard.

"You two know each other?" What was going on? Tristian was looking so pale.

"My name is Augustus." He mumbled and I was... lost? Angry? Confused? "From the beginning. I have to tell you from the beginning." He gulped, his eyes pleading. "I come from a very conservative family, David. So when I came out as gay they did not take it kindly. Jesus! It sounds like I want justification. But... I do... I want..." He tried again. "I was twelve when they kicked me out for good and life was miserable."

Why the hell was his name Augustus! Who was Tristian! Skip to that part.

"I stared out as a petty thief. Food, clothes... basic necessities... then slowly I became very good at that, but people needed money. I could not steal a place to stay. So... that escalated too fast, I was stealing anything and everything and one day, I stole something I had nothing to do with." He squeezed his eyes shut.

"It was supposed to be the most valuable thing and I was expecting a gem or a wad of new drug or something... but it was disc. A computer disc and I had no idea what to do with it. So... I thought, returning it was the best choice. I was only sixteen and when I did return the man who wanted it, he was impressed with my skills. He took me in and taught me everything... to be a professional thief." He sniffled. "I worked for this man whose name I still don't know but... give me a place and target, I will steal. It worked very fine until I... fell in love."

Nick finally had enough and put his arms around the trembling Tris... Augustus.

"I thought this was it. This was my calling. He was the son of a big shot business man and we clicked just like that. I left... my gang because all the money I had, was worthless. I could buy anything but never use it. I could buy branded clothes but where was I going to wear it? I had a basement cell as a home and I could only go out only at night, that too wearing a black mask." He snorted.

"So when I felt what freedom was, I left that life... we were happy, until his father started losing business because his rival came up with a new something. Just a bunch of papers but it was important to my boyfriend. He... He asked me to..."

"Shh... You are here with me. You are not there. I am here." Nick held his hand tightly.

"He asked me to sleep with the vice president of that company who had been eying me for some time. I was to seduce that guy, fuck him to the mattress and... steal it from a vault, because that was what I was good at. Stealing."

His eyes were haunted and the pain was visible.

"I... did it. Had to do it because he was my love but he lost me that day. The vice president fell in love with me. I stayed with that guy even after handing the documents over, until he broke up... that was how I ended up in the world of..."

"Corporate espionage." I filled his silence.

Everything was clear now but I was numb.

"I became boyfriend of daughters of CEOs, became the plaything of their wives, worked under several business magnets as their P.A, office clerk and... I never looked back. That was how Dom and I first met. He was supposed to catch me and hand me over. But something happened." He blushed. "But I was not ready to leave my new life. I could steal but I could have a day life too..."

Robbie rubbed my stomach and I could breathe a bit easier.

"Then when a company told me about a programmer with a new code, I took that offer for a million dollars. The biggest offer I ever had."

"Me."

"Yeah. I... I had your code. Then you told me you were willing to sell it for 300K something I knew why they hired me to steal it for a million dollars. I was not supposed to feel guilty. You were a nobody in my scheme but you... told me I could have it... for free. You were worried about my safety. You made me promise that I would contact a lawyer before selling it... Yet, I went on with my scheme because..."

"The code started crashing every fifth run. You wanted the done version." Why my voice was void?

He nodded. "There was another player in the field I did not know about." His eyes flicked to Robbie. "Dom was hired by your..." He cleared his throat. "Dom gave me a heads up. Told me if I wanted to come out alive I had to run. This time, it would not be a jail time that would be waiting for me. He said it was death and not a clean one at that; hurting you was not worth the pain that would follow me."

My hand found my demon's.

Warm.

Safe.

Home.

"I had to undo the damage or he would kill me. So..." He nodded to Robbie. "I broke up with you. They had given me the details of your crashing code. So I gave them that. I told a name that came into my mind when you asked me about my boyfriend. We were not together until a few months later. Dom gave me a place to stay, until your man had calmed down. He caught me but let me go when Dom stood up for me and I promised to stay away."

I looked at my Robbie. How long had he been protecting me?

"Dom gave me an out. He and I are a package deal. If Dom works for Robert permanently, he would not kill me for putting you in danger. The code did crash when they sold it. They were killed by the people who bought them, so you are safe."

I was speechless.

Corporate Espionage! I would have been thrown to jail. For several years. A minimum of quarter of a century in jail. If Robbie had not...

I turned around in his arms.

"I would die for you, Angel."

He would.

Tears started flowing and I watched him wipe them away in panic, promising I was safe, I was his Angel, he would kill anyone who came for me, he would do anything to keep me safe.

I stared and stared and stared at this Demon, who was my Guardian Angel.

"Robbie..."

"Angel?"

"You are my Angel."

"I am not an Angel, sweetheart. You are one. You are precious. You think my threatening worked? Not really. He felt guilty for hurting an Angel. He did not have to do it the way he did. All he had to do was to show me the people who hired him. But he could not... It was all you."

If Robbie had not come for Trist... Augustus first, he would not have thought of it. He asked me about the codes after Robbie came for him. If he had not, Augustus would not have revaluated his decisions and ask me about the codes.

I stopped my Demon's rambling with a kiss and he melted right in my arms.

I hoped I could love this man the way he loved me.

I hoped I could protect this man the way he protected me.

"Why do you love me so much?"

I giggled when he started on his rambling about him not loving me but needing me again.

Whatever you say Big Baby.