Free Ace's Key: Book 1 by Abbie St. Claire

might want to check your
messages. Francesca has called a dozen times since I found it, and you have
over a hundred missed calls.”
    Shit. Francesca was the last person I’d wanted to discuss with
Mia.
    “I have one question. Is Francesca a tall, lanky blonde with a
huge engagement ring?”
    I froze. This was so not supposed to happen this way. I didn’t
want to lie to Mia about Francesca, and at the same time, I needed to clear the
question before Mia spun out of control.
    “Yes, Francesca is a tall blonde. Have you met her?”
    “No, but your fiancée was sitting out front talking to someone
on her phone when I came in. I need to go now.” She flew from the sofa and
grabbed her purse from the chair before I could stop her.
    “Don’t leave, not like this.”
    “Look, Ace, I get it. You don’t do relationships, you said so.
That would probably be because you’re engaged and already in some sick, twisted
relationship. I want more from my life, and I’m quite sure I can find more
great sex out there. Please don’t call me again.”
     
    Chapter Fourteen
     
     
    Mia
     
    The drive to my apartment couldn’t have been any longer. My
fingers were numb from gripping the steering so tightly in anger. How could
I have been so stupid? My mother always said, “Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.” So, I supposed I owned number two, but for damn
certain…there was never to be a third.
    When I opened my apartment door, Ashley, Sean, and Claire had
the champagne flowing.
    “Drinking without me?” I teased, trying to bring about my best
chipper voice.
    “Where the hell have you been, missy? And why do you have that
just-fucked look?”
    “Filter, Claire, filter. Ace left his phone here from last
night, and you’re very wrong about the second part. They had a fire in the
kitchen. They’re closed for at least a week he said.”
    “So, is he coming over to celebrate?” Ashley asked.
    “No.” Hashing out the sordid details of my non-romance was the
last thing on my agenda for a Friday evening and the celebration of my
promotion that we’d planned.
    “Claire, will you take my card and order a car service, so no
one has to be a DD? I’m gonna go change, and then we can all go out. Is Mason
coming?”
    She followed me to my bathroom. “Mason was going to meet us at
Bluestone. I’ll call him. Where are we headed?”
    “Anywhere, I don’t care. Ask Ashley and Sean where they want to
go.”
    I curled my normally straight hair and pulled on a short black
dress, threw on some long, sparkling necklaces, pulled out my best pair of
Christian Louboutin pumps, and called it even. If Ace could get some on the
side, so could I.
    “Damn girl, that’s what I’m talking about,” Claire uttered
through the hand loosely covering her mouth. “We’re clubbing at Crush tonight.”
    * * *
    By the time we arrived at Crush, the club was in full dance
mode and very crowded. I was grateful Sean had pulled some strings and got us a
table reserved; otherwise, we would’ve had to fight for elbow room at the bar.
    Claire pulled us all into a group dance, and it wasn’t long
before it became sorely obvious that I was odd-man out, sans partner.
When the first guy asked me to dance, I sent him packing, then I made eye
contact with a cute guy at the bar. When he approached and asked me to dance to
the Cupid Shuffle , I couldn’t resist.
    One dance turned into several. I learned his name was Zane
Copperman, and he was in town for a bachelor party. He joined us at our table
for a drink.
    “What do you do, Mia?”
    “I work for a pharmaceutical company. And you?”
    “Criminal law.” He paused to study me. I suppose he was
awaiting a reaction. “I’m part of a firm in Vegas.”
    “Criminal attorney in Vegas. I bet there’s no shortage of
clients there.”
    “No, I suppose not. I need to get back to my party, but I’d…
I’m not leaving town until Monday if you want to go get coffee. Here’s my
card.”
    I