10. Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Kane
J ace was a strange guy. I’d had the last twenty-four years to figure that out, and I’d gotten pretty damn good at understanding him—or so I thought. Usually, the shit he did made sense with who he was.
Jace liked sex, so he started doing it for a living. He was a man who survived on attention and immediate gratification. There wasn’t a line he wouldn’t cross, a nerve he wouldn’t step on. He didn’t even give a fuck about consequences as long as he could have fun before receiving them. It was part of what made him Jace.
Fuck, I loved the guy to death, but I wasn’t sure he was capable of intelligent thought. So, when I came home to see him hunched over a pile of brochures on our beat-up coffee table, I had a feeling he was up to no good. Then I noticed the look of complete concentration on his face.
His dark brows were drawn together; his lips pressed into a line as he plucked a blue and white brochure from the pile and held it close before squinting as if he were actually reading it. This sight was… unsettling, to say the least.
I placed my keys on the hook, trying to make the simple task as noisy as possible as I stared at Jace.
He jumped, slamming the pamphlet down like he’d just been caught with a porno-mag in the living room. His green eyes snapped to mine–Oh my god, was Jace blushing ?
The pink in his cheeks said he was.
“Dude–What the fuck are you doing?” I snorted before making my way toward him with long, purposeful strides.
He snatched his sea of papers off the table, clutching them to his chest.
“It’s nothing…” He muttered as he turned away from me. “Don’t you have a wallet to steal or something?”
I let out a low laugh and patted my pockets, searching for today’s bounty. One by one, I pulled out four leather wallets and slapped them onto the table with a series of satisfying thuds.
“Already done.” I said before sitting beside him. “Today’s been a good day…I was thinking we should get dinner or something. You know, celebrate.”
Jace looked at the wallets I’d borrowed , and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he looked worried.
“Don’t you think at least one of us should do something more… stable … You know, because you decided we needed the responsibility of a baby.” He tried to sound angry, but he failed miserably .
Without thinking, I reached forward and yanked a paper out of Jace’s arms.
“Give that back!” He protested.
There was no way in hell I’d do that. I needed to know what was going on. One of my shadows wrapped around his lap like a seat belt, anchoring him to the couch. He struggled against the shadow, quickly giving up when he realized he couldn’t move more than a few inches.
“Kane. Let. Me. Go, ” he ordered.
“I don’t listen to you.” I remind him before looking at the pamphlet.
The smug expression I wore faltered the second I read the title.
Accelerated Nursing Programs: Start your future today.
I blinked, my gaze flickering between Jace and the paper. Each time I looked back, Jace seemed to be a deeper shade of red.
“Jace–What the hell is this?” I let out an exasperated sigh as I rubbed my temple.
“Listen, it’s not what it looks like,” he mumbled. “Now, can I please have that back?”
“No–not until I know exactly what you’re doing.”
“I’m allowed to be curious about things!”
“Curious about nursing school?” I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
Jace crossed his arms, his gaze falling to the floor.
“Callie said I’d be a good nurse.” His admission was barely more than a whisper. “And with the baby coming, I thought one of us should get into something more stable.” Jace’s chest swelled with a breath, and I swore he was going to explode if his face got any redder. “Plus… she deserves someone she can be proud of.”
My jaw clenched as I looked back at the pamphlet. This was Jace, a guy who'd never taken anything seriously. And here he was, red-faced and embarrassed because he wanted to be something–no, someone–for Callie.
For the baby.
A strange flutter filled my chest as I dropped the brochure into his lap before willing the shadow to vanish. He eagerly snatched it up, holding it close to his chest with the rest of them.
“Since when do you care about what Callie thinks?”
Jace shrugged before placing his paper bounty onto the table in a messy pile.
“She just–I don’t know,” he said somewhat defensively. “I just know I like when she smiles, and I want to give her a reason to smile at me.”
I found myself unable to look away from Jace as I struggled to process the fact that he was considering nursing school just because Callie said he’d be good at it… And part of me was jealous that he could just let himself think about doing such a grand gesture for her… But Jace didn’t think, and maybe that was what helped him be so open.
To actually love someone, you had to let them in, to let them see every broken, raw part of you. I had no problem being like that with Jace—he was just as fucked up as I was, and we both knew it. But Callie… letting her in wasn’t as easy. She was soft where I wasn’t, thoughtful where I was careless, and it’d be too fucking easy for me to hurt her without meaning to. One wrong word, and I’d break something that couldn’t be fixed. I’d never forgive myself if I hurt her. And I’d never let myself live it down if I scared her off.
That line of thought kept me from letting myself get any closer to her. I couldn’t let her fall, because if she fell, she’d risk being broken. God knew Sulien had hurt her enough, and I didn’t want to be another part of her heart she’d inevitably need to mend.
All I wanted was to protect her from the world, to keep her and the baby safe. I had no idea how to do that if I wanted to keep a little distance between us. But I could figure it out; I always did.
At least, that was what I thought until she came home.
The sound of Callie’s sobs broke the silence between Jace and I far before the door opened. I hated that I knew the sound of her crying well enough to know that without looking at her. Jace and I exchanged a glance, neither of us daring to move.
After a moment, the sobs disappeared, replaced with the jingling of keys. The door opened slowly, and Callie entered, holding her head up high. For a second, I thought I’d imagine the sobs. But then I saw her red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.
Something I was quickly learning about Callie was she didn’t want to be taken care of. She didn’t want to be seen as weak. She wanted to be strong, but that just wasn’t who Callie was. She was soft, and something in that softness made her so beautiful that it physically hurt for me to think about anyone making her cry.
The three of us exchanged glances, no one inching any closer than they’d already been.
Callie cleared her throat and placed her backpack on the ground by the door, never once looking away from Jace and I.
“Callie…” I kept my voice low as I tried to decide the best way to tackle whatever this was. “How was–”
“Please don’t ask me about school.” A whimper tore through her words, one so powerful that her bottom lip quivered with the threat of more tears.
My heart dropped, and instantly I froze. How the hell was I supposed to not ask her about something that’d clearly upset her?
Jace extended a hand toward her. “Come here, Princess.”
She hesitated, her chest shuddering as she forced in a shaky breath. For a moment, I thought she’d reject and just simply vanish into Sulien’s room. But, eventually, she made her way toward him with slow steps.
She took his hand, allowing him to pull her into his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder, allowing herself to melt into him like it was the first time she’d been able to relax all day. I watched as Jace used his thumb to rub soft circles on her back before murmuring something I couldn’t hear. Once again, envy flooded my system.
That feeling only worsened when I saw Jace kiss the top of her head before pulling her closer. How the fuck was this so natural for him? Wasn’t he scared? Obviously not because the second his eyes met mine, a mischievous grin tugged at his lips.
“Jesus fucking Christ–Are you sure there’s only one in there?” He teased.
I didn’t need to see him to know he was touching her stomach. Because of that, I was ready to snap at him. She’d had enough of today, and that meant she didn’t need his bullshit.
But she sat straight and wiped her eyes before barking out, “Shut up, Jace.”
“What?” He flashed me a grin over Callie’s shoulder. “All I’m saying is you’re getting huge –and even though I’m all for it. I just want to make sure we’re prepared.”
“I’ve had three ultrasounds. He’s a boy. He’s the only one. Don’t be an ass.” She warned.
Jace laughed before sliding his free hand up her back, resting it between her shoulders. “All I’m trying to say is your back must be killing you.”
He pressed his thumb into her shoulders in a way that made her lean into him slightly.
“That feels good,” she mumbled.
“Yeah? How about we try to find a way for you to get comfortable on the couch? I’ll rub your back for you.”
Callie leaned back just enough for me to see the skeptical look she shot Jace.
“What?” He challenged.
“To do that, I’d need to lie on my stomach, which I can’t do because, as you pointed out, I’m huge .” Callie’s words came out barbed, and the little smile she shot Jace at the end nearly killed me.
“Just trust me–Kane, get up.”
“What? Why do I have to–”
“Get. Up.” Jace mouthed.
I raised my hand in mock surrender before doing as he asked. Jace then forced Callie to lean forward until her tits hit the arm of the couch. He then wiggled out from under her as he guided her to her knees. Her belly rested perfectly in the gap created between her and the sofa, but as much as that should have been my concern, it wasn’t.
Instead, all I could focus on was how good her ass looked in this position.
I tried to pull my gaze away to be the gentleman she deserved, but that felt fucking impossible. The way her hips rounded under the fabric of her leggings left little to the imagination. Every inch of Callie was etched into my memories, and that made the fantasies of what I wanted to do to her that much more vivid.
Jace got on his knees behind her, pressing his hips into hers as he slipped his hands up her shirt. She let out a light moan, and I sunk my teeth into my lower lip as I thought about the idea of them together .
I forced myself to take a breath as heat pooled low in my stomach.
“I uh… I’m going to get some water. Are you thirsty?” I tried to come off as casual, but my voice was already rough with need.
“No, thank you.” Callie’s words came out slow and relaxed.
I turned on my heels to leave before she could change her mind. When I reached the fridge, I grabbed a bottle of water, cracked the top off, and took a drink. The cool liquid did little to the heat burning in my stomach, especially when I heard Callie’s breath hitch from the next room over.
I closed my eyes as I took another long pull from the bottle, trying to focus on literally anything else. But with the sounds filtering in from the living room–soft moans, gasps, the rustling of fabric–that was impossible. It was just a fucking massage, what was I, some fucking pervert?
“Relax, Princess.” Jace crooned, his voice barely loud enough for me to hear. “All you’ve gotta do is keep it warm for me… Unless you want me to make you feel good.”
Nope, not just a massage; there was no way. Before I could think better of it, I placed the water on the counter and poked my head around the door frame.
From my position, I could see Jace had removed Callie’s shirt. Her eyes were closed, her cheek pressed into the arm of the couch. She heaved out a breath, mumbling something I couldn’t hear.
Fuck, why couldn’t I hear her?
“I know, Princess, I know.” He rasped, leaning down and kissing her on the shoulder. “If you don’t want it, tell me to stop, and I will.”
I crept a little closer, not wanting to miss a single minute of this.
“Don’t stop.” She breathed.
Jace’s eyes flicked up as if he knew I was there. The second our gazes locked, his lips pulled into a smirk. Slowly, he rocked his hips into hers, causing her to bounce slightly. It was like he was daring me to say something or maybe try to stop them. But, lust kept me anchored in place.
His hands slid down her sides, running over the curve of her fully exposed ass. Callie let out another soft moan as Jace thrust into her again. There was no fighting or even arguing back. Instead, she stayed in place, taking him like the good girl she was. Something about that drove me crazy.
My cock sprang to attention as a low growl forced itself out of my chest.
He leaned down, pressing his lips to the nape of her neck, letting them linger there as his fingers continued to work their way along her skin.
“Don’t look now, Princess, but someone’s spying on us,” Jace whispered.
Slowly, Callie’s eyes fluttered open. Her gaze was unfocused as it pinned directly on me. My stomach twisted as her lips parted.
“I think he should quit being a creep and join us,” Jace said. “What do you think?”
Each time Callie would start to speak, Jace would thrust into her, and a stifled moan would cut her off. Normally, when Callie and I did it, I asked her if it was okay. I wanted her explicit consent; that’s just how I was. But there was something almost maddening about her inability to answer.
I swallowed hard as I took the final few steps needed to bridge the gap between us and reached out to cradle Callie’s chin. Her skin was hot against my palm as I tilted her gaze to meet mine.
“If you don't answer him, I'm going to give that pretty mouth of yours something to do.”
Her breath warmed my wrist as she nodded.
“Well, fuck me. It seems like our little freak is into the idea of having all her holes filled.” Jace chuckled.
And if she liked that idea, who was I to tell her no? With that in mind, I undid my jeans before letting them fall to the floor, the dark denim pooling around my ankles.
Once my dick was free, I slowly ran my hand along the length, not sure where I wanted it to go. Callie's sapphire gaze followed the motion, and I shot her a smug smile. I could have told Jace to move, but her mouth was pretty, and I imagined how good it’d feel to have her lips around me.
“Open up,” I ordered, pressing the head of my cock to her mouth.
The soft, warm feeling of her lips on the head of my dick was phenomenal, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of her tongue on my shaft.
I bit back a curse as I wove my fingers into her corn-silk-colored hair, doing my best not to pull it. She was too soft for me to be that rough.
Jace plunged into her again, this time with enough force to knock her forward. Her lips rumbled against my cock as she fought a moan. A jolt of pleasure rocked through me, one powerful enough to make my knees weak.
The sensation was new, and I was all too eager to feel it again.
I swallowed hard as the surrounding shadows began to stir. Slowly, I took control of the one between Callie’s thighs. Her breath hitched as it slithered up her thigh. Her eyes went wide, focusing on mine as she continued to take me.
Eventually, the tip of the shadow met her clit, causing her to jerk against Jace. His eyes met mine as a smirk played on his lips, and I knew we had the same idea; we both wanted to push our girl to her absolute limit.
I exhaled, my grip on her hair tightening just enough to make her whimper.
Swallowing hard, I took control of another shadow. This one pressed against Callie’s ass; instantly, she tensed.
Her blue eyes went wide as they focused on me. She swallowed hard, not daring to remove my cock from her mouth.
“Your mouth is busy, so if this is too much, this is how you’ll let me know.” I tapped Callie’s arms three times. “Blink twice if you understand me.”
Her lashes fluttered as she blinked.
“Good girl,” I growled, my shadow gently pushing into her entrance.
A shiver ran down her spine as I filled her ass. My eyes closed as I heaved out a breath and tried not to be overwhelmed by the sensation. My shadows weren’t quite as sensitive as my dick, but the feeling was still there.
“Fuck.” I breathed the word through gritted teeth.
“Look at how well she takes us,” Jace said, rolling his hips so she could feel every inch of him. “Tell me, Princess, do you like having all your holes filled?”
“ Mhm .” The whimper was muffled by my cock in her mouth, and what a beautiful sound that was.
Together, Jace and I rocked in and out of her, forcing her against the other. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the couch before convulsing into her orgasm. The moan that tore its way out of her chest was my undoing.
Jace pulled her back against him just in time for a ribbon of cum to shoot out me. The pearly liquid collected on her flushed chest, pooling between her breasts before sliding down her skin.
The sight was so fucking beautiful that I considered taking a picture. Fortunately, I came to my senses and realized that would have been creepy, so instead of commemorating this moment through photography, I leaned forward, pressing my lips to her forehead.
Her skin was soft, and a little sweaty, but that was to be expected. What wasn’t expected was the fact that Callie was absolutely burning up.