Chapter Twenty-Eight
Zoe
As we go through the obstacle course tethered to each other, I can’t stop laughing. Every time I switch directions or crawl under things, Jace’s hands end up on my backside. Followed up by an exaggerated, “Oops, I’m sorry. You need to watch what you’re doing.”
I can’t even pretend to be irritated with him, so I’m not sure our subterfuge of not being together is going to last all the way through the trip back home.
“Oh, no, here we go again,” Jace mutters behind me as we approach rows of rope that we have to army crawl under. Who thought up this activity? I glance at my mom and Landon. They’re still trying to navigate the climbing rope. We’re two obstacles ahead of them, and they’re in second place behind us, with two obstacles remaining until the finish line.
“Back up, cowboy.” I playfully swat at his chest. His eyes rake over me, which is crazy as I’m covered in sand and sweat is dripping between my ass cheeks, but this is the most fun I’ve had in ages.
His fingers curl around my wrist. “Darlin’, don’t tempt me. I don’t know that I can keep from smacking that ass.”
I laugh as I waggle my eyebrows. “Don’t lose focus now. We get another awesome prize for winning.” I don’t know what it is, but if it’s anything like the solo beach trip, I’m all about the prizes. I sigh as visions of all the things I’d like to do with Jace flash through my head. “So, try and keep up, and stop looking at my ass.”
“Oh, I think I’ve done just fine keeping up, don’t you?”
“Seriously? We’re going to flirt, right here?” I glance around him as my mom and Landon hop off the rope wall and run to the next obstacle.
He leans closer. “If I was flirting, you’d know it.” The low rumble of his voice sends a delicious chill along my body, causing goosebumps to break out on my arms. “Your nipples seem to want me to forget about the prize and take you back to bed.”
I whimper with a mixture of desire, frustration, and greed. It’s a struggle to decide which way I want to go. But Mom and Landon are gaining on us. “Stop.” I bat at his chest again. “Let’s go. And keep your eyes and hands off my ass. When we get back, and I’ve had a shower–”
“In the shower.” His chin tips upward.
I bite my lips together as butterflies do summersaults in my belly. I love him so much. It’s crazy.
Love? I love him. I mean, I know I’ve been obsessed with him for years, but that was a one-sided, unhealthy stalking type of thing. Okay. Not so one-sided, maybe. But love?
“Go.” He smacks my ass.
“Don’t you dare get me all hot and bothered.” I glare at him, spin on my heel, and crawl under the first rope.
“Nice ass, darlin’.” His hands slide from the sensitive spot behind my knee to my core. “Oops. I had sand on my face. I didn’t mean to grab you.”
I laugh harder while scrambling to keep ahead of him. His strong body is perfectly sculpted and tanned from our days at the beach. I don’t ever want to go back. I love his sexy exterior. His musical talents. The way his eyes dance when he forgets life has handed him a shitty deal too many times to hope for the future. The hope in his eyes that’s there now more than it’s not. His playful teasing.
And most of all, I love his attention to detail. I shake my head and keep crawling to keep from blurting out that I love him.
When we cross the finish line, he sweeps me into his arms and spins me around with the teether still binding us together. “You have a little sand on your backside. I know I wasn’t supposed to look.” He smiles sheepishly. “But I did.”
“Zoe!” I jump at my dad’s barking tone and spin around to face him.
“Dad.” I step forward, but the rope holding me to Jace tightens, knocking me off balance.
“Be careful.” Jace grabs my arm and makes quick work of the teether, unclasping the latch and setting me free. His movements are quick and clinical.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll give you a moment with your dad.” His eyes never meet mine as he walks over to the instructor.
What’s that about? I wanted to talk to Dad about his music with him present to back me up. But now, he’s deep in a conversation with Elise as if he’s completely forgotten about our plan.
“Zoe!” my dad barks again. “We need to talk.”
“Sure.” I nod but don’t yet turn away from Jace, studying him. The muscles in his back are tense, and every ounce of the lighthearted man is gone.
Great. Is this what the real world is going to look like? What if this was just an island fling? One, in which, he fed me lines to keep me in bed and servicing him.
My stomach cramps as Mom and Landon cross the finish line with the same joy and delight that Jace and I shared moments ago. Landon slings his arm over my mom’s shoulders.
When my mom notices my dad, she straightens and walks over to us. “Hello, Fletcher.”
“Carly.”
I finally face my dad, who’s wearing a suit at the beach in 85-degree weather. I frown. “Aren’t you hot?”
“You don’t know the half of it.” His jaw pops out as he glares behind us. “I told you to stay away from Jace. He’s no good. He’s a druggy and a deadbeat.”
“Fletcher,” Landon growls and steps between my dad and me. “I would recommend you don’t trash talk my brother in front of me.”
“Fine.” My dad grasps my wrist and tugs. “Let’s speak in private.”
“No, Fletcher.” My mom holds my other hand. “We’re finishing a game. And when it’s done, you can come to speak with Zoe in private and not cause a scene.”
“I’m not causing a scene.”
“Yes, you are. You’re down at the beach, wearing a suit and yelling at our daughter like the world revolves around you. Despite what you think, it doesn’t.”
“It’s fine, Mom. I’ll speak to Dad. I have some things I want to talk to him about.” I jerk both my hands free and slap them on my hips. “First, Jace is nothing like you think he is. He’s a good man. He doesn’t drink or do drugs anymore.”
“Yeah, right.” My dad’s eyes flash in anger. “I’ve heard that too many times to count. When they’re using, that’s the first thing they say, ‘I’m clean, I promise.’”
“That’s bullshit.” Anger swells throughout me.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Elise blasts out over her microphone, breaking into our conversation. “We have our winners. Zoe come up here with Jace and claim your prize.”
I step away from my family, glad to have a reprieve from the toxic words my father is spewing and walk toward Jace and Elise. But when I get near them, Jace steps away from me.
As Elise congratulates the other contestants, I corner Jace. “What’s your deal?”
“Your father hates my guts. This is not going to work.”
“Dad will be fine. Just give me a chance to talk to him. I promise. It’ll be okay.”
“Will it?”
“Yes.” I smile at him as fear clambers up my spine. “Yes, it will. I promise.”
I don’t think either of us believes a word I’m saying, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not sacrificing us to make my father happy.
Two seconds later, my father grabs my hand and tugs it. The steely cut of his jaw makes my stomach cramp. I’m not looking forward to this conversation.
“Fletcher!” My mother’s face is harsh as she snaps at my father.
“Carly, stay out of this.” My dad’s face matches my mother’s, but there’s no way he’s backing down. His throat bobs as he swallows.
I slip from my father’s grasp and turn to Jace. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I need to discuss something with my father, and when I come back, we can talk to each other like adults.”
His gaze doesn’t meet mine as he nods. “Sure.”
I grab his arm. “Everything will be fine.”
“Somehow, I don’t expect that’s going to happen.” His face is devoid of emotion as he and my father eye each other like warring animals in a cage.
“Zoe.” My father’s voice is curt.
“I’ll be back.” I spin on my heel and march behind my father, who looks completely out of place while wearing a suit on the beach. The sand covers half his black dress shoes as he tromps toward the walkway.
When he reaches solid footing, he marches toward the resort without looking back. It would serve him right if I turned around and walked away. I’m tired of his heavy-handed treatment. I’m a college-educated woman with a job. Yes, the job is for him, but I’ve not received special treatment to get the job. I stumble over the walkway. Have I? My heart sputters in my chest.
As I follow behind him, different conversations I’ve had with my boss and some of the other executives flash through my mind. They’ve treated me with the utmost respect. Made me feel welcome. Listened to my musical recommendations.
Fuck. I groan as my dad opens the door to the bar. The cool air jumps outward, causing me to shiver. Or maybe it’s the discovery that every interaction I’ve had at work is a joke. They were kissing my ass because of my dad. Hell, they probably laugh at me behind my back.
Since I was six years old and went to the studio for the first time, I’ve been obsessed. I have the music industry in my veins. It’s what I focused on in college. If the only reason I have a job is because of my father, what in the hell am I going to do with my life? Move in with Jace and eat cheap packaged noodles for eternity?
One bowl might be okay, but after that, it’s cold, mushy, and kind of gross. Please, don’t be dramatic. You can find another job. Maybe not in the music industry, but something. Vegas is teeming with opportunities. And it’s not like Jace doesn’t have a job. He does.
“Drink?” My dad pulls out a chair for me at the table closest to the wall. The room is sparsely filled due to the early hour, leaving the remaining space around us empty.
“I guess. Sure.” I shrug and settle into a chair as he waves over the bartender and joins me. “I’ll take a water.”
He settles onto the chair and orders our drinks, and when we’re alone, he pulls the chair forward and clasps his hands together on the table. Even though he’s not in the boardroom, his physical presence remains imposing. “What’s going on with you and Jace? I told you to stay away from him. He’s–”
“Listen.” I raise my hand to silence him, and I’m slightly surprised when he relents. “Jace isn’t the same person he was in the past. He’s sober and has been for some time. Not that I understand why that matters to you anyway. Several of the musicians under our label have plenty of rumors spinning around that they use before concerts. And every day in between. It’s never been a deal breaker for you before.”
His jaw flexes. “My reasons are my reasons. But go on with your juvenile attempt to sway my opinion.”
Asshole. I fight back the urge to roll my eyes, which would only serve to prove his last comment. “You’re being rude, and I don’t appreciate it.”
“I’m only stating my opinion.” He lifts the glass of whiskey the waiter dropped at the table and lifts it to his lips. “Go on.”
“Fine.” This conversation is not going to go anywhere. But Jace deserves my best attempt to persuade him before we pursue other labels. My head throbs with each heartbeat. I never thought I’d see the day when I quit my job and walked away. But it’s time to move forward on my own with Jace. “He’s good. Two nights ago, he sang out on the beach, and it was amazing.”
“And that girl that was hanging all over him, who was she?”
“She’s a fan.”
“Just a fan?” He taps his fingertips on the glass.
“Yes.” I want to reach across the table and clobber his smug face. How did I ignore his condescending and rude behavior for all these years? I knew he was high-handed and ruthless to get what he wanted, but it had never been directed toward me. Or at least not to this level.
“I want to sign him to the label. He’s always been good enough. He writes beautiful lyrics, and he’s no longer with the band that dragged him down. He’s a good man.” I lick my lips and swallow hard as I twist my still untouched water glass in a circle. I steady my hand to keep it from shaking and knocking over the glass. “And I like him a lot.”
“Sweetheart.” He clasps my hand. “I’m sorry that you’ve fallen under his spell, but he’s a manipulative liar. He’s only here to get close to you so you’ll convince me to sign him to the label. He’s washed up and willing to do anything to earn your trust.”
“That’s a lie.” Anger surges through me. “That’s complete and utter bullshit.” I jerk my hand away and shove my chair back. The legs scrape on the wood floor.
“Sit down.” His eyes flash in anger, and a second later, I’m obeying. No longer able to keep the shaking from overtaking my hands. “You need to listen to me.” He yanks out his phone, twists it to face me, and swipes the screen open. The photo on his screen is of the woman and Jace on the beach after he sang.
“You aren’t showing me anything I didn’t already know. I saw her come up to him.”
“Really?” He arches his eyebrows and swipes the screen. “You knew he was pawing all over this woman earlier in the week? That he was all over her?”
Every muscle in my body tightens as I stare at the photos of Jace with that woman draped all over him. His hands are on her hips as she wraps her arms around him and nuzzles his neck. This can’t be true.
Shit. The day Mom and I got our hair done, the hairdresser was going on and on about Jace being on the island and how one of the guests kept gushing about him. And how good he was. Heat floods over me. Apparently, we were talking about two different types of good. I thought they meant what a good singer he was, and she was talking about how good of a lay he is.
I swallow over the lump in my throat. No. There must be an explanation. He–
He what? He loves me? He never said that.
“He knows that you bring on new talent for me. He knows from your mom that you have a soft spot for helping people. I’m sure he told you all about his struggles to stay sober. How hard it was to never get seen in the music industry. I’m sure he told you all his hopes and dreams. He probably even wrote a song for you. Do you honestly think those things are legitimate? They’re in the How to Get a Record Deal Handbook. It’s like he read the manual and memorized it line by line. And you fell for it hook, line, and sinker.” His eyes are soft as he studies me. “But it’s not too late to save your self-respect.”
“Stop!” I jump out of my seat and shove the chair under the table. “You’re full of lies. None of this is true. He wouldn’t manipulate me. It was my idea for him to sing again. He didn’t even want to.”
“Ri-i-i-ight.”
God, he’s a dick. “And that woman. I know all about groupies and how photographers tell stories that aren’t always true. That’s how the paparazzi make a living. You’re the one trying to manipulate me. I quit. When I get back home, I’m packing my things and moving.”
“Where?” His face is full of condescension. “To Vegas? You’re going to shack up with the security guard?” His laughter curls around me, making my stomach churn. “Baby girl….” He lifts the drink and downs the remaining liquid before slapping the glass on the table. “When you realize I’m the one that has your best interest at heart, I expect you to come crawling back to me, begging for forgiveness. Because without it, you’re going to be out on your ass. Jace is a mooch. He’s a user and someone who’ll ruin your reputation. He loves fame. And groupies. And sex with groupies. Drug-fueled sex with groupies. And I won’t stand for that. No one humiliates me. The man is your step-uncle. It’s embarrassing. I’d be the laughingstock of the music industry.”
Yeah, so much for his concern for me. It’s all about him.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, but I still quit. Consider this my two weeks’ notice. I won’t be returning to my office. When I get back, I’ll call Felix and ask him to deliver my personal effects.” I spin on my heel with as much dignity as I can muster, barefooted while wearing a bikini with sand stuck to my skin.
With the sun beating down on my face, I stand in silence while staring out at the resort. When I arrived, it never crossed my mind that I’d be choosing Jace and quitting my job to be with him.