Undercover Love

Chapter Thirty-Six: Frosting-The Weapon of Choice

I take a moment to savor the last bite of the mini strawberry poundcake, the sweetness lingering on my tongue. As I lean back against Ace, feeling the warmth radiating from him, I can't help but smile. The night is perfect, and I wish it could last forever.

Suddenly, I catch Ace watching me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "What?" I ask, raising an eyebrow, a playful challenge dancing between us.

Without warning, he dips his finger into the remaining buttercream frosting on the cake and smears a generous amount across my cheek. My eyes widen in surprise as the cold frosting contrasts sharply with the warmth of the night. "Hey!" I squeal, laughter bubbling up as I reach up to wipe it off.

"Oops! My bad," he teases, an innocent smile plastered on his face, the corners of his lips twitching with amusement.

I wipe the frosting off my cheek with my finger, bringing it to my mouth. "Mmm, delicious!" I say, smirking at him, reveling in the moment. "But I think you need a taste of your own medicine."

Before I can think twice, I scoop a bit of frosting off my finger and, with a swift movement, I smudge it onto Ace's nose. He freezes, eyes going wide with surprise, and then a grin spreads across his face.

"Really? You're going to challenge me?" he says, his voice low and teasing, but I can see the spark of playful competition igniting in him.

I shrug nonchalantly, but my heart races with excitement. "Just giving you a taste of your own frosting, Ace."

He narrows his eyes, his competitive spirit flaring as he wipes his finger along the side of his nose, smearing the frosting down to his chin. "Oh, it's on now," he declares, launching himself forward to grab a handful of cake.

"Wait, wait!" I cry, laughter escaping me as I try to evade him.

But it's too late. He takes a chunk of the cake and, before I can react, he plops it onto my forehead, letting the frosting drizzle down onto my face. I burst into a fit of giggles, throwing my head back in delight.

"That's it! You're so dead!" I squeal, leaning back and reaching for another glob of frosting.

In the midst of our playful chaos, we both start laughing uncontrollably, each of us trying to outdo the other in this frosting war. I manage to get some frosting on his cheek, and he retaliates by grabbing another piece of cake, smearing it across my other cheek.

We're both covered in frosting and cake, our laughter echoing into the night.

"This is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever done," I admit between giggles, trying to catch my breath.

"It's also the best," Ace replies, his voice softening, a genuine smile lighting up his features. He leans closer, brushing his thumb along the remnants of frosting on my cheek, a look of affection in his eyes. "You look pretty cute with frosting all over you."

"Cute?" I scoff, pretending to be offended. "I'm a total mess!"

He chuckles, shaking his head. "You're my mess," he says, and my heart skips a beat at the way he says it, so full of warmth and affection.

Before I can respond, Ace leans in, his lips brushing against the frosting on my cheek. "Delicious," he murmurs, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

I feel heat rush to my cheeks, both from his words and the remnants of frosting. "You're insufferable," I say, but the smile on my face betrays me.

As we sit there, laughing and covered in frosting, I realize how much I've missed this—how much I've missed him. This carefree, playful side of us feels like a breath of fresh air, washing away all the tension and uncertainty that had surrounded us before.