A week passed without any major event. Caroline had no night shifts and was able to be their for her daughter. During the day Ace and Laura mainly stayed at her house listening to the radio or reading some magazines, their bruises slowly fading. Today Ace had taught her how to play five card stud and surprisingly she had picked it up really well with one of the best poker faces he had ever seen.

He studied her now as he stubbed the end of his cigarette in the ashtray, trying to spot some kind of tell. Her face was almost completely healed, the bruise now almost non-existent. Her mother had removed her stitches yesterday and the lump on her head had completely healed.

"You feeling better gorgeous?" he asked.

She smiled as she nodded the affirmative.

"You look a lot better."

He slid his chair over to her side of the table, smirking as she quickly hid her cards.

"Not even a peek Doll?" he joked gathering her into his arms.

She felt his breath warm her neck before he kissed her slowly at first but then aggressively in his usual way. She encircled her arms around his neck, her playing cards lay forgotten on the table.

He scooped her up and carried her over to her couch, placing her down roughly before claiming her mouth hungrily, moving his other leg over so he was straddling her. The week they had been apart had intensified his desire for her and now she had healed he could have her again.

He reached for the back of her dress, sliding his hand down the smooth skin of her back as he unzipped her dress. He jerked it down roughly, pulling it off her before discarding it onto the floor below. Her bra soon followed. He pressed himself closer against her, his lips moving to kiss her neck whilst his hands ran lightly over her exposed breasts.

She made movements to pull him against her, forgetting that his chest was still tender from where he had been hit. He flinched, pulling away from her.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly.

"It's fine," he assured her, squeezing her hand. "I think some of them might be broken," he said indicating to his ribs.

Laura sunk down to rest her head on his lap. She wished she could do something to make him feel better. The reapplied pressure to his lap stirred his arousal making him forget about the pain in his chest. He lifted her head wordlessly, placing it back down on the seat before unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans. Laura rolled on to her stomach and watched him pull them down. She was unsure what was happening.

He reached out for one of her hands, guiding it toward his cock. She was surprised at the way he felt, and how he reacted to her touch.

"Kiss me," he instructed her.

Understanding his meaning she lowered he lips to kiss the tip of him chastely. She opened her mouth slightly, tasting him.

"That's good," he instructed her from above, "keep going."

She repeated the action, slowly at first but then fiercely, like the way he had always kissed her.

She heard him hiss and stopped, panicked.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked timidly.

"Not at all," he assured her, trying to keep his breathing steady, "You're doing great Doll."

She returned to her task with new vigour when he pulled her head away abruptly as he came into some tissues he had pulled off the coffee table.

"Trust me you don't want that," he said gesturing to the tissues as he walked over to the kitchen, pulling his jeans up as he went.

"Why not?" she asked curiously.

"Tastes terrible," he explained leaning over to kiss her, "and I want to to kiss you all afternoon."

Laura melted as he kissed her again, she was deliriously happy at finding a new way to please him.

"You'd better get dressed, your Ma will be back soon," he said pulling her to her feet

"Yeah, you're probably right," she agreed turning around to slip back into her discarded underwear and dress.

When she turned back around she saw Ace looking at her cards.

"I think I'm going to have to fold."