Chapter 42
CHAPTER 42
KINSLEY
We crash through the front door of Jace’s house with mouths fused, hands roaming, and moans echoing off the foyer walls.
He kicks the door closed as he slips his hands under my thighs, lifting me. I wrap my arms and legs around him, my fingers slipping into his thick hair.
“Everyone will be here soon,” I gasp between kisses.
“They’ll want to shower before they come over. We have plenty of time.” He captures my mouth with his, silencing any retort I was struggling to even come up with.
He stumbles on the stairs when I roll my hips and I laugh as he wraps an arm protectively around me to keep me from falling.
The door to his bedroom has barely closed before he tosses me on the bed and peels off his shirt. “But just in case. We better make this quick.”
I squeal when he pulls me to the edge of the bed by my ankle and falls on top of me, pressing his hard body into mine and sealing our lips together in a hungry kiss.
I push on his chest and sit up, ripping my shirt over my head and unlatching my bra. His eyes drop to my chest and he licks his lips, his chest heaving. I reach out and undo his belt before pulling his jeans and boxer briefs down his toned legs.
Now it’s my turn to lick my lips as he stands in front of me bare, his cock hard. He reaches down and wraps his hand around his shaft, pumping. I drop to my knees and slap his hand away, slipping him into my mouth.
The room fills with his deep groan as I swallow around him, running my tongue along the underside of his thick shaft. His hand fists my hair and his hips move in sync with my mouth until he’s practically fucking my face.
I moan around him as he uses me, keeping my eyes on his.
Suddenly he pulls out of me. “Fuck, if you keep doing that I’m not going to last. Get your gorgeous arse up on that. I want you face down on your knees for me, angel.”
He helps me up off my knees and out of my pants before guiding me onto the bed. I press my chest into the soft down comforter, curving my spine so that my hips flex in the air.
I feel the heat of him as he climbs onto the bed behind me and suck in a breath when the head of his cock brushes my center.
“I can’t be gentle right now, sweetheart. We don’t have a lot of time and I want to feel you shatter around me at least twice before everyone shows up.”
I moan, nodding into the comforter. With one thrust of his strong hips, he’s buried deep inside me and I fist the sheets as he finds a punishing rhythm.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck. You feel amazing.”
“So do you,” I gasp, a high pitched mewl escaping when he bands an arm around my waist and slips his fingers over my clit.
The tantalizing swirl of his fingers mixed with the brutal pounding of his cock have me on the brink of ecstasy within seconds. Bending over my back so his lips are next to my ear, he licks up the column of my neck and whispers, “Come for me.”
And I do. Stars burst behind my eyes and electricity shoots through my entire body as I explode in euphoria. He whispers sweet musings as he rocks me down from my high before pulling out and flipping me onto my back.
I wrap my legs around his lower back and pull as he thrusts back into me, wanting him to be as close as possible. Leaning over me onto one forearm by my head, his other hands cups the side of my face, his eyes dancing between my heavy ones.
“What?” I whisper.
He shakes his head, brushing his thumb over my temple. “Just wondering what I did in order for the universe to lead me to you.”
My eyes well with tears at the emotional weight in his voice.
Because I know that I feel the same way.
I don’t know exactly when it happened, but little by little this man has burrowed his way into my heart. Into my soul.
From the moment I met him, everything has just felt so right. With him, I don’t feel unwanted, or uncared for. I don’t have to second guess what I say or do in fear that he’ll turn his back. Every day he makes me feel special and truly seen. He doesn’t treat me as if I’m a burden, but a gift that he treasures.
With him, my dreams are worked for, my words are heard, and my feelings are safe.
With him, I’m home.
I lean up, closing the distance between us and brush my lips over his. Our bodies move as if they’ve done this for a millennia together.
I suck in a shaky breath as he slowly presses his hips forward, smiling as his body shutters when he’s to the hilt. His eyes don’t stray from mine as he takes me slowly, tenderly.
I love you.
I want to say it, but he steals the words out of my mouth when he uses his hold on my hip to lift, hitting a new position.
“Jace,” I whisper as his hips pick up pace.
“I know, angel.”
He does.
I can see it in his unwavering blue gaze.
I can feel it in the racing of his heart under my palm.
It’s in the way he holds me.
The way he looks at me as if he’s scared to blink and I’ll be gone.
I hold onto him, our foreheads pressed together as he takes us to the brink. His hand slides into my hair, tilting my face up so that his mouth can claim mine.
The kiss is slow, filled with our combined wants, needs, and feelings. My stomach tightens as he takes me to the edge and I suck in a breath when his hips move out of sync.
“I’m going to?—”
“Come,” I breathe. “Come with me.”
“Fuck,” he groans, pumping into me once, twice, three times.
I throw my head back as pleasure rolls through my body, my nails scoring his back. His hips slow, working us both back down to earth. Falling to the side, he takes me with him and I lean my forehead against his heaving chest.
Our heavy breaths fill the room and I hum as his fingers glide over my back and into my hair, tilting my head back. I gaze up into his cool depths and smile.
“Hi,” I whisper.
He chuckles, ducking his head for a soft kiss. “Hi,” he whispers against my lips.
“We should probably get up. Everyone will be here?—”
The sound of the doorbell echoes through the house and I sigh.
“Soon,” I pout.
Stealing a kiss, he rolls out of bed and slips on a pair of jeans, sans underwear. I lean up on my elbow and watch as he gets dressed, taking in the way his muscles ripple with each movement.
“I have half the mind to tell the lot to bugger off,” he growls, leaning over me. I giggle when he peppers my face with kisses before standing. “Take your time, I’ll have the lads help me set up everything in the garden.”
With one last kiss, he walks out of the bedroom and I listen to his footsteps on the stairs before he opens the front door. The soft murmur of our friends’ voices has me smiling as I listen to them joke with one another.
Quickly slipping into a pair of leggings and one of Jace’s T-shirts, I pull my hair into a messy bun and skip down the stairs.
“Oh, I know that look.” Blake smiles, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Ew, no. Stop that.” Sydney fake gags and twirls her finger around me as we walk into the kitchen. “Turn it off. I don’t want to think about my brother getting laid.”
I choke on a sip of water and Blake throws her head back laughing.
“What’s so funny in here?” Ryder asks as the boys walk into the kitchen from the sliding glass door. He steps up behind Blake and wraps his arms around her waist, placing a kiss on her neck.
“The horrors of finding out that your twenty-eight-year-old brother, who has a child, has had sex.” Blake snorts, smiling at a scowling Sydney.
“I know he’s had sex, obviously.”
“How about we don’t talk about anyone’s sex life?” Jace says, tossing a water to Lawson before standing behind me with a hand on either side of my hips. “Not like I want to hear about my little sister’s scandalous adventures either.”
Water splashes on the floor and we all look at Lawson. The floor around his feet is soaked and the bottle crinkles under his tight grip.
I glance at Sydney who’s staring at him with too many emotions to break down, longing slowly winning out among the others. As if sensing me, she looks over and gives me a tight smile.
“Okay. Who’s hungry? I’m starving.” I clap, scooting out from Jace’s hold and pull the marinating chicken we had prepped for tonight out of the fridge.
“I bet you a—oomf. What the hell, pip?”
I glance at Blake who sends her husband a warning glare and he smirks, nipping at her lips. She laughs, pushing him away by his face and drags a suddenly quiet Sydney out to the gardens with the two men following behind them, carrying platters of snacks.
Jace slides behind me, taking the tray of chicken from my hands with a kiss on my cheek and I follow him with a pitcher of lemonade outside.
The front door opens and Nik strolls through the house, meeting us on the patio.
“Sorry I’m late. I had to stop back at home to change after stopping at the store,” he says, setting down a large platter on the table.
“What’s that?” Jace eyes the cling film covered dish.
“Stuff for s’mores. Lawson tex?—”
“Hell yeah,” Sydney cheers as she bounces over to the table. “I love s’mores. Thanks Nik.”
He glances over at the silent shadow of a man before nodding. “No problem,” he hums, walking over to snag a water bottle.
Lawson watches as her face lights up when she leans over, stealing a marshmallow. He looks up and meets my stare, and there’s a darkness in his eyes that I’ve only ever seen part for the light Sydney brings when he’s looking at her.
With one last glance at her, he stalks off towards the grill, joining Nik and Ryder.
“Do you need anything?” Jace asks, kissing my cheek.
“I’m okay. Thank you though.”
He hums, squeezing my waist as he scoots around me. Leaning over, he swipes up a piece of chocolate and Sydney scowls at him. Walking backwards, he takes a dramatic bite and grins.
She sticks her tongue out at him before taking a piece for herself.
“You know, if you eat all the ingredients, there won’t be any to make s’mores with later,” Blake says, dodging a flying marshmallow that Sydney throws at her.
“Oh look,” she says, pulling out a small package from the tray. “Looks like Nik picked you up some zero sugar chocolate too, Kins.”
“What?” I take the bag and smile down at the zero sugar Hershey’s. I look up across the lawn, catching Lawson’s eye. I mouth a ‘thank you’ and he nods once before turning back to the boys’ conversation.
A little while later, we crowd around the table and devour our meals. The boys talk about what happened during the race while us girls discuss some things we’d love to do with the three week break coming up.
After everyone is done eating, I go inside and pull out the surprise cake I’d been working on for this weekend. Stepping out onto the patio, the girls cheer while each of the boys watch with small smiles on their lips.
“Ta-da,” I sing, setting it on the table. Jace steps up next to me and pulls me into his side, kissing my temple as we cut into the Silverstone track shaped cake.
When the sun dips below the horizon and the stars come out to play, Jace sets up the firepit. Sydney skips over with the tray of s’mores ingredients and sets it down right next to her seat.
“You’re seriously already wanting s’mores? We just had cake,” Jace’s words end in a disbelieving laugh.
She glares at him. “I’m not making them right this instant, Jace. I just don’t want to have to get up later when my stomach calls for them.”
“Fair,” he muses, plopping down into his chair and pulling me onto his lap.
“I have my own spot?—”
“I know. It’s right here,” he cuts me off, snuggling into my neck.
I laugh under my breath, shaking my head. I catch Sydney shiver and I hold out my blanket for her.
“No, no, I’m okay,” she says, waving me off.
“Take it. I’ll go get some more from inside in case anyone else wants one.” Hopping off of Jace’s lap with a quick kiss, I head into the house and check the hallway closet.
I’ve become rather comfortable here over the past few days. Ever since Jace asked me and Cooper to stay with him during the break, I found myself not wanting to be anywhere else.
His home is cozy, full of love and memories. He told me that it was actually his grandparents’ home where he and Sydney would visit often when they were growing up.
I love it here.
The only other place that felt like a home was the small two bedroom apartment above the bakery, but here? From the moment I walked in, I felt like this was where I belonged.
The first few places I check are empty but I remember a night in his study where I cuddled up with the softest blanket I’ve ever felt as he worked on sponsorship programs at his desk.
Opening the heavy wooden door to the cozy room, I walk over to the small closet and grumble when I notice the blanket is nestled onto the top shelf. Pressing up on my toes, my fingers just brush the edge of the fabric, but not enough to get a hold of it.
Looking over my shoulder, I check that no one is there to see what I’m about to have to do before I place my foot on the bottom shelf. Hoisting myself up, I stretch out and grab onto the blanket with a silent cheer of victory.
A victory that’s short lived when the sound of splintering wood echoes in the quiet room.
I let out a small shriek when the shelf I’m standing on collapses under me. I topple to the floor, landing on my arse with the blanket thrown over my head.
Lifting the edge off my face, I cringe at the mess of papers scattered all over the floor. Shifting to my knees, I pick up the shoebox with more papers spilling out of it and move to collect the rest.
I grab a few of them only realizing they’re actually photographs when I turn one of them over. And in the blink of an eye, my world stops turning.