Chapter 37
CHAPTER 37
JACE
Jesus, she’s beautiful.
Kinsley mumbles something as she snuggles into my chest. Her leg is tucked between mine, her arms curled between us with her palms pressed over my heart.
I reach up, brushing her hair out of her face and trace her temple.
Last night was something straight out of a dream. A dream that once haunted me the years we were apart, but has brought me hope the last few weeks.
I’ve wanted this for so long, that it still doesn’t feel real.
My arms tighten around her and she sighs. I close my eyes and soak in the heat of her body. The feel of her hair tickling my skin. The sound of her steady breathing.
This is really happening, right?
I glance at the clock and sigh. Looking back down at my girl, I lean in and kiss her forehead, whispering against her skin, “Time to wake up, angel.”
She growls, cuddling deeper into my arms and I chuckle.
“I know, but I’ve got to go soon, sweetheart.”
Even though I’d rather stay right here with you. Always.
Her eyes flutter open and she hums, a soft tilt to her lips.
“Hi.” She blushes, covering her mouth with her hand when I lean in to kiss her.
“What are you doing?”
“I haven’t brushed my teeth.”
She squeals as I roll us so she’s under me. “You think a little morning breath is going to keep me from kissing you?”
She tucks her lips and I reach up, gently grabbing her jaw. Tilting her head, I lean in and kiss her neck. She gaps when I rake my teeth over her pulse point and I take the opportunity to claim her mouth.
Her arms band around my lower back, pulling me down as I press my hips forward. I groan into the kiss when she slips her hand under the band of my boxer briefs.
She hikes her leg up my side, and I slide my hand over her smooth skin. She shifts under me when I drag my fingers over her hardened peak.
“Jace,” she breathes.
I slip my hand farther down, a smile tilting my lips at her gasp when I swirl my fingers against her clit. I lean down, licking the column of her delicate neck as I move my fingers lower, teasing her entrance.
“So wet already, sweetheart,” I growl, nipping at her ear.
“I slept next to you all night, what do you expect?”
“That makes two of us then.” I thrust my hips forward and slam my mouth to hers. “You’re soaking my briefs.”
“Then take them off,” she whispers against my lips.
Her fingers are already pushing them over my hips and I help her, kicking them off to the side as she sits up to yank my shirt over her head.
The morning sunlight streams through the windows, bathing her smooth skin in a warm glow. Her hair fans out around her in a dark halo as she looks up at me with heated eyes.
“God, you’re beautiful.”
Her hands frame my face as she pulls me down for a searing kiss. “You are.”
I laugh under my breath, sealing my mouth over hers. A groan rips through me when she reaches down, wrapping her fist around my shaft and positioning me at her entrance.
I thrust home as I pull her hands above her head, threading our fingers together.
“Fuck, you feel so good. Too good,” I grit out.
She nods, her breath tickling my lips. “Don’t stop,” she gasps.
“Never.” I kiss her fiercely, putting the weight of my words behind it. “I’ll never stop.”
Her legs come up wrapping around my hips and she uses the hold to meet each of my hard thrusts. The headboard bangs against the wall and her moans echo in the air.
“Come for me, angel.”
Her hands squeeze mine as the first flutters of her climax ripple around me.
“Oh god. I’m going to?—”
“Come,” I growl.
She turns her head, biting my shoulder with a scream and I groan as she tightens around me. Letting go of her hands, I grip her hip and she threads her fingers into my hair.
My hips slam into hers as I chase my own release and I slip my hand from her hip to between her thighs. “One more.”
“Jace,” she moans, her nails digging into my neck.
I grab her hand and place her fingers over her clit. “Get yourself there, sweetheart. I want you to come around my cock one more time.”
I lean back on my knees, taking in the sight of her playing with herself. Her head is thrown back, face eased with pleasure as her perfect tits bounce with each of my thrusts.
Her wetness coats my hard cock and a possessive growl vibrates through my chest when I see the slight finger indentations on her hips.
“Lift your hips.” She does as she told and I slip a pillow underneath her. We moan at the new angle and she throws her hands into her hair.
“God, if you could see how mesmerizing you look right now. You’re taking my cock so well, sweetheart. It’s like you were made for me.”
She groans and my hips pick up at the feel of her tightening around me. I fall down over her, gripping her jaw in a tight yet gentle hold and speak against her lips. “Who’s pussy is this?”
“Yours,” she gasps, her eyes lighting at the claim as she digs her fingers into my side.
“That’s right, sweetheart. It’s mine.” I grit the words out as the base of my spine tingles.
Her mouth drops open and her eyes widen. “Jace, I’m?—”
“Come with me, angel.”
“Jace,” her voice cracks as she screams.
“Kinsley,” I moan as I thrust deep, body shaking with my release.
My head drops to her shoulder and her fingers dance through my hair. Our heavy breaths fill the quiet room and I turn my head to see her face tilted towards the ceiling.
As if sensing my eyes, she tilts her head catching me with a smile.
“What a way to wake up,” she whispers.
I chuckle, kissing her bare shoulder. “I’ll make sure to do it every morning I can.”
She hums, brushing her lips over mine. “Promise?”
“Promise.” I deepen the kiss, but it’s cut short when my phone rings.
“You should get that. It could be Becks,” she whispers when I make no move to get up.
I sigh and pull out of her, rolling out of the bed. She slides to her feet and kisses my cheek as she shuffles to the bathroom. Lifting my phone to my ear, I immediately regret not checking caller ID to see who it is.
“Where are you?”
“Angie,” I curse.
“Why aren’t you home?”
“Why are you at my home? I thought I was picking up Becks this afternoon.”
“Something came up and I needed to drop him back off with you. But here we are and since you neglected to give him his keys this time, we can’t get inside.”
Because I didn’t want you entering my house without me there, AGAIN.
I sigh, scrubbing my face. Kinsley walks back into the room dressed in a pair of sleep shorts and T-shirt, her hair in a messy bun. I pull her to me, tucking my chin on top of her head.
“I’m on my way.” I hang up before she can ruin any more of my morning with Kinsley than she already has.
“Everything okay?” She wraps her arms around my shoulders, her fingers threading through the hair on the back of my neck.
I lean down, kissing her and the tension that grew from only talking with Angie for less than a minute completely dissipates when Kinsley leans into my hold.
“Everything’s fine. Just have to head home. Angie’s dropping Beckham off early, they’re waiting there now.”
“Oh, yeah. Of course. Go.” She pops up to her toes, kissing my cheek. “I’ll go make you a coffee to go and throw in a little something for Becks.”
She bounces out of the room and I get dressed before joining her downstairs. I lean against the doorway, watching her sway her hips to the soft melodies playing over the café speakers.
She spins around, using tongs as a microphone and startles when she sees me. I walk over, wrapping my hands around hers and pulling the tongs to my face, mouthing the next lyrics.
She laughs and I pull her into my arms, dancing to the beat as we sing along. I drag her into a dip and she throws her head back laughing when I playfully bite her neck. I hold her to me as we straighten and she pulls my head down to hers, kissing me softly.
“You’ve got to go,” she whispers.
I groan, rolling my forehead against hers. “I do.”
She slips out of my arms and skips over to the counter, holding up a bag and cup. “It’s the biggest coffee I have. Figured you’d need all the caffeine you could get after last night.”
She smiles cheekily and I laugh, taking it from her. “And a few pastries. That cinnamon roll better make it back to Beckham.” She squints at me and I roll my eyes with a small tilt of my lips before bending to steal a kiss.
“I promise not to touch his treat.”
“I’ll know if you do.”
I chuckle as she threads her fingers through mine, walking me towards the door. The bell jingles as I step over the threshold, turning to watch her lean against the door jam.
“Thank you for last night. It was…”
“Perfect,” I finish for her and she hums. My eyes bounce between hers as a step closer, cupping her jaw. “What’s running through that head of yours?”
“How do you know—” I use my thumb to pull her bottom lip out from her teeth. She shakes her head. “I guess I’m just thinking about what this means. About what’s next.”
“Whatever you want.”
Her lips tip up. “What?”
“I don’t want you to overthink this. Us. We’ll take this at whatever speed you want or need. All of it is up to you. I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give.”
“What if last night was it?”
“Then I’d replay it over and over in my head every chance I got.”
She laughs, laying her hand against my chest. “What if I wanted more?”
“Then it’s yours. Anything you want is yours.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
I lean in, brushing my lips over hers. “One day at a time.”
“One day at a time,” she whispers into the kiss. She presses against my chest with a smile. “Okay, you really need to go. Beckham’s waiting for you.”
I take a few steps away before running back to her and stealing one last kiss. She pushes me away, covering her giggle with her fingers.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, angel.”
The drive home flies by as images of last night and this morning replay through my mind. I’m riding a wave of euphoria as I pull onto my street, but I pack it away in the safest part of my heart when I catch a glimpse of the pearly white car in my driveway.
I pull my Porsche 911 into the garage and shut off the engine, taking a moment to gather myself before stepping out of the car.
“Where were you?” Angie stands by the door, her arms crossed.
I ignore her, bending down as my little boy throws himself into my arms. “Dad!”
“Hey, bud. Did you have fun last night?”
He glances over at his mum before pasting on a practiced smile. “Yeah. We ate out at a new restaurant and watched a movie when we got home.”
Translation: his mum ignored him while she got drunk with her friends and then he watched a movie in his room when she passed out on the sofa.
My jaw ticks as I force a smile. “Why don’t you go inside? Here, Kinsley made me promise not to eat your cinnamon roll.”
He pumps his fist in the air. “Score. Thanks Dad.”
I step around Angie and open the door for him. He goes to move inside but she stops him with a stiff hand on his shoulder, her bright pink claws—sorry, nails—gleaming in the sunlight.
“No goodbye for your mother, poppet?”
Beckham kisses her cheek when she offers it before mumbling a quick goodbye and disappearing into the house.
I tell him that I’ll be right in before I close the door and turn to her. “You had him for one night. One single night. And you still couldn’t make him the priority?”
She rolls her eyes. “He had a grand time, Jace.”
“He won’t say otherwise in front of you, Angie. He doesn’t want to hurt your feelings, but I can read between the lines. I know what going to a ‘new restaurant’ means and I know what happens afterwards.”
“You’re overreacting. He was fine.”
“He should have been more than fine.”
“What do you want me to say, huh? I’m doing my best. I’m not the cool parent that races cars for a living and get’s to bring him with me on the road. He doesn’t get excited over sitting at photoshoots or traveling to places where there are no other kids. How am I supposed to compete with the amazing Jace Collins?”
“It’s not a competition, Angie.”
“Says the man who is always winning,” she sneers.
“All you have to do is be there for him. Even if you did nothing but lounge out in the living room and watch movies all day, he would say he had the best time of his life because you were there with him. You were spending time with him, not just around him.”
“I was spending time with him.”
“Oh yeah? What did he tell you about the past couple weeks?”
She glares. “Oh, don’t worry, I got an earful about the grand time he’s been having with his new best friend, Cooper, and that mum of his.”
I grit my teeth. “And because he was having a good time without you, you decided to act like the child instead and ignore him?”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“No, I’m being protective of my son.”
“And you think you have to protect him from me?” she sneers.
I stare her down, my jaw ticking. “I won’t stand for him being neglected, Angie.”
“When are you going to stop holding that against me?”
“He could have died,” I explode, my chest heaving. “He could have died.”
Something akin to regret flashes in her eyes before she snuffs it out as they trail down my body. “Where were you?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Her eyes flash up to mine. “If you plan on bringing her around my son, then it is my business.”
I bark out a disbelieving laugh. “That’s rich. Tell me, how many of your significant others you brought around him without my knowledge?”
She eyes me. “It’s her isn’t it.”
It’s not a question.
But I’m not playing her game.
“We leave tomorrow and won’t be back for the next few weeks. If you can’t come meet us to see him, then the least you could do is pick up the phone and call him this time.”
I open the door but stop when she calls out.
“Is it her?”
This time it is a question and my neck prickles because I know what she’s asking. Angie knows me and Kinsley’s history. She was there, watching from the sidelines as I fell hard and fast for this girl.
She also saw the aftermath. Was part of some of the bad decisions I made in the dark nights where my pain was too much. Moments that I’ll regret forever.
I’m not surprised she’s put two and two together. For all she is, Angie is an incredibly smart woman. So when Beckham told her about Cooper and his mum, I’m sure she had an inkling.
And my silence only confirms it.