Aella

II

~One month earlier~

"Ace", I giggle as he grabs my waist and pulls me against his body. "Come on, just a few minutes."

We stand in front of the wedding dress boutique I've always dreamed of shopping in. He stands in his usual suit and tie, looking as sexy as ever.

"Baby", he says in a low tone. "I'll bring you here soon. But not just yet". He nuzzles a kiss into my hair.

Walking around upper Manhattan is common for us, but Ace rarely lets me walk down the street that my favorite bridal store is on, because he seems to refuse to want to propose to me. We've been together for three years, and still nothing.

My phone rings from within my brand new purse, thanks to Ace. He only buys me clothes and accessories, but never the ring I keep asking for.

"Hi, Papa", I smile when I answer my father.

"I want you home soon, Dear", his usual way of the phone is just getting right to it. "I have your new guard I'd like you to meet".

"Okay", I answer. "Ace and I can head home now".

Papa hangs up and I turn to Ace. "Papa wants us home. He's found me a new guard."

I do love Ace, but I think the proposal thing is throwing me. We've been together for awhile, and in a family like ours, this long on a dating stage is almost unheard of. 

I hear from my sister of how good sex is with her husband. The things I hear from her are not the things I experience with Ace. He seems to have a great time, and mine is only okay. I'm jealous of all of the other women in the family who have the greatest time of their lives, and I'm lucky to finish every couple weeks. If I'm lucky. 

When we make it home, Ace parks his car in the garage, then comes around to my side and helps me out. He carries my bags into the house and brings them up to my room.

I go through to the back of the house to Papa's office. 

I step inside to see him sitting at his desk writing something on a pad of paper. I feel a presence in the far corner, but choose to ignore it for the moment. "Hi, Papa"

"Hello, Darling", he finishes his last thought on his paper. "I've gone through all of my best guards and found you the very best one to make sure you are safe when you leave this house".

"Okay"

"So, if I may, I introduce you to Aella". He gestures behind him. "She is one of the best guards you'll ever find".

The presence in the corner is a woman, in a chic black suit. She takes one step forward and bows her head at me quickly. Her dark hair is curled in flowy waves, and her blue eyes sparkle in the light that comes through the picture windows behind me.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss. I look forward to working for you". She has a very thick Italian accent. She's clearly very fresh out of either Venice or Milan or Rome.

I don't even know what to say to her. She is a beautiful human being. Just, overall. She has an almost intimidating demeanor, but mostly from the confidence she exudes. 

"Well, I hope you two get on. Penelope, you're close in age, maybe you two can become friends".

"Where's Mama?" I change the subject, trying to shake 

"On her way to Milan, I think" he shrugs. Papa has never been concerned on where his wife goes. I think he started giving up when she intentionally led him on a wild goose chase around the world to show him that he kept too close of tabs on her. "Start a conversation at some point. I think you two will get on just fine".

I turn around to this woman, who looks to be a few inches taller than me, even if she wasn't in heels. Her suit fits her in all the right places on her body, as if it was made properly just for her. I want something like that to fit me that perfectly.

"I'm here to do my job, sir", Aella says to my father, looking around me to Papa. "I am more than happy to just be her guard. That is my job".

I turn around to look at Papa, raise my eyebrows at him, then walk out.

Her heels clack behind me, some space behind me. I want to turn around and look at her, but if I did, I'm afraid of how I would embarrass myself. 

"Hey, Baby", Ace says, walking down the stairs. Then he looks behind me. "Oh, hello"

Aella is following about ten feet behind me. "Ace, this is my new bodyguard, Aella".

Aella has a little smirk on her face, and she looks Ace up and down. They hold their hands out to each other and shake hands firmly. "It's lovely to meet you", she says. I'm going kill a b!tch if she thinks she can flirt with my man.

I think Ace notices her smirk, because he comes over and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me very close to him. "Well, it's very good timing for you to show up, Aella. I've been called to Rome for some business. You and Penelope can get to know each other".

Aella looks over at me and smiles. "I'm sure we will get on just fine". She mocks my father's words, then winks. 

"Well, if you excuse us, Penelope needs to help me pack".

Aella just nods her head, and Ace turns the both of us to the stairs. We walk up the stairs quickly as Aella continues to stand in her spot in the foyer.

Ace and I go into his room, which is where I sleep most nights, or sometimes, he sleeps in my room. He shuts the door quickly, and by his pace, we're not here to pack his bag.

I turn around just in time to feel Ace pick me up off the ground and kiss me hard. I wrap my legs around his waist and kiss him back harder.

Ace turns around and sits on the bed, sitting me on his lap. I can feel him harden against my thigh. "Oh Baby", he moans into my ear, kissing along my jawline. I sling my arms over his shoulders, letting out giggles as his face stubble brushes against my skin. 

His hands glide under my shirt and peels it off my body. "Fu€k, you're so hot", he tells me, looking right down at my breasts. He kisses down my collar bone as he unhooks my bra. He pulls away to take in the sight of me, a blush falls over my cheeks. "I know you saw how she looked at me", he whispers, diving back towards my collar bone and placing kisses all over my chest and shoulders. "You are mine, amore mio". 

With that, he flips me over and throws me onto the bed. He stands at the end of the bed and starts to take off his belt, and I watch his muscles ripple through his open shirt. He's built like Zeus, and God do I love looking at him. 

Then, comes a knock on the door. "Ace", the deep voice says. "Change of plans. We need to go now". It's his assistant, Philip.

Ace looks between the door and me, then he groans. "Give me five minutes. I'm trying to finish something".

He starts to pull off his shirt and crawl onto the bed. "Sir, I'm sorry. The family in Rome needs you now".

Ace still continues to crawl over to me and hovers, our noses almost touching, his dark eyes sparkle like polished onyx. "When I come back", he says after placing a kiss to my lips, then one more. "I'm going to finish what I started".

And then he gets up, buttons his shirt back on, tucks it into his pants, and readjusts himself. "I love you, Penelope", he says as he walks out the door.

"I love you, too, Ace", I speak up because he's already out in the hallway.