Chapter 38
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
WILLOW
Afaint, undetectable sound pulls me from my sleep. It’s barely light outside as I slowly peel my eyelids open and tuck the covers beneath my chin to look around the room. My eyes find the window on the far wall and I strain my ears, listening for the noise once more.
Contentment washes over me as the colors change in the sky and the sun begins to rise above the horizon. The sound doesn’t come again and it must have just been in my dream.
Rolling onto my side, I carefully shift under the weight of Jace’s arm wrapped around me, attempting to not wake him up. He stirs behind me and sucks in a deep breath, proving my efforts to be futile. “Willow,” he murmurs, his arm holding me in place.
I relax against him, my eyelids fluttering shut as a slow smile crests my lips. “Jace,” I say back as he scoots closer until his chest is flush with my back. A soft scratch on the bedroom door again makes me realize that’s what must have woken me.
One of his cats is on the other side of the door.
A chuckle escapes me as Jace mumbles a curse word. “I think someone wants in here,” I say softly, my voice a bit hoarse and still thick with sleep.
“Dr. Grey is the reason why we can’t have nice things around here,” he says, a laugh following his words. “She wakes me up all throughout the night walking on my face.”
“So, Snoop isn’t allowed in then either?”
“She doesn’t like closed doors, but if she’s in here, Dr. Grey will sit outside my door and meow until I either let her in or let Snoop out.
” He pauses, burying his face in my neck as he trails his hand along my stomach.
Goose bumps break out across my flesh. “I don’t feel like talking about my cats anymore. ”
A soft moan escapes me as I press my bottom into his lap, his breath warm skates over my skin and sends a shiver down my spine. “No, I don’t suppose you do,” I breathe, his erection pressing against me.
He grinds his hips into me, a groan falling from his lips as he brushes them against the skin behind my ear. “You drive me insane, Willow.”
His phone vibrates on the bedside table.
“You’re Mr. Popular this morning,” I laugh quietly as I open my eyes and roll in his arms to face him.
“Ignore it,” he growls. His hands land on my hips and he rolls me onto my back, then shifts up over me and settles between my thighs. He abandons my waist and grabs my hands, pinning them above my head.
The bottom hem of my shirt lifts higher, exposing my stomach. Jace pulls away, just enough to let his gaze rake down the length of my body. “I love waking up to you like this.”
“Yeah?” I whimper as his hard cock rocks against my clit. Only the thin fabric of his boxer briefs and my panties separate us.
“Yeah,” he murmurs, his eyes meeting mine. His phone vibrates again and the muscle in his jaw tightens. “Dammit.”
I don’t know who it would be this early in the morning. What if something is wrong or someone needs him?
“Are you sure you don’t want to check it?”
“Nothing is more important than this,” he says softly. His gaze burns with intense desire. “Nothing is more important than you.”
It vibrates again, but this time it’s more than once. It’s a melody of vibrations rattling against the top of the bedside table. Whoever was texting him is now calling instead.
“Jesus Christ,” he breathes, his nostrils widening as he closes his eyes for a moment. “Who the hell is calling me this early?”
“Just check it,” I insist, wiggling my wrists under his palms. “It might be important.”
Jace looks reluctant, but he releases me. Rocking back to sit on his heels, he reaches over onto the nightstand for his phone. He rolls his eyes before flicking them to mine. His lips purse. “It’s your damn brother.”
I stifle a laugh, covering my mouth as I slowly sit up in bed, resting back against the pillows and the headboard. “Maybe it’s important?”
“Doubtful,” he mumbles as he slides his finger across the screen and taps on the speakerphone button. “Hello?”
“Hey, hey. I texted you a few times, but you didn’t answer,” Noah says cheerfully. “Figured I’d just call you.”
“Did it occur to you that maybe I didn’t answer because I was sleeping?”
Noah is silent for a second. “Ah, shit. I didn’t think about that.”
“It’s like seven in the morning. Not everyone wakes with the sun.”
“You sound pretty awake though,” Noah counters and I let out a laugh as Jace glares at his phone in his hand. “Is that my sister?”
Heat spreads across my cheeks. “Yep,” I say, popping the P.
“Oh god, that’s why you’re already awake,” Noah says, his voice bordering on embarrassment. “You know what, we can talk later.”
“You didn’t interrupt anything,” I chuckle, shaking my head as Jace arches a brow. I press my finger to my lips. Noah does not need nor does he want any details.
He may have come around to the idea of us being together, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t still a weird shift that requires some adjustment time.
“Okay, anyway,” he says, letting out a sigh. “I don’t know if you’re planning on coming home or not tonight, Will, but Jace—I wanted to see if you want to come over for a fire tonight.”
Jace’s eyebrows tug together. “This is the burning question that couldn’t wait?”
“In my defense, seven o’clock isn’t that early and I also thought it was a little later than that,” Noah quickly says.
Jace lets out a sigh, looking at me as he shrugs his shoulders. He lifts one eyebrow in question and I nod my head. “Yeah, we’ll be there.”
It’s only been a little over a week since Jace and I made things official. We are nowhere near the point of moving in together or spending every night together. A small part of me is worried he’ll get sick of seeing me all the time.
Climbing out of bed, I pad across the cold hardwood floors to duck into the bathroom. The door shuts softly behind me and I use the restroom, then find the toothbrush Jace keeps here for me after washing my hands.
Jace is still on the phone with my brother when I crawl back into bed, tucking myself under the covers in the center of the bed. He disappears into the bathroom, phone still to his ear.
He’s not gone for long. He tosses his phone onto the nightstand and slides in next to me when he returns.
For a moment, the look on his face is soft and tender, love and adoration written in his eyes.
Then mischief lifts his mouth into a smirk and his arm snakes around my body, pulling me flush to him.
“Now, where were we?”
A soft smile pulls on my lips as I slide my hands around the back of his neck, pulling his face to mine. “Here,” I murmur just before his minty lips crash into mine.
The fire crackles, and a swirl of smoke drifts up into the night sky. Wrapping the blanket tighter around my body, I lean back against Jace’s chest. He wraps his arms around me and holds me close. “Are you cold?”
“No, I’m good now,” I say, softly, as contentment washes over me.
Finn sits opposite us, sipping a mug of spiked hot chocolate as he stares at the burning logs.
Noah tosses another log onto the fire, sending embers up toward the sky, and stacks more next to the pit. He slowly turns to Jace and me and stares for a moment before he finally speaks. “You know, I thought this would be weird, but I think the two of you not being together may have been weirder.”
Finn stifles a laugh. “What?”
“There was always tension in the air whenever they were around each other.” Noah arches a brow at Finn. “You never noticed it?”
My oldest brother shrugs his shoulders and Jace chuckles, my body bouncing softly against his chest. “I never really paid attention.” Finn looks up at me. “You happy, kid?”
“Very,” I say, a smile dancing across my lips. The truth is, I’ve never been happier.
Finn shifts his gaze to Jace. “We haven’t had a chance to talk yet, but I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what will happen if you break her heart.”
Jace stiffens slightly. “No, you don’t,” he says, shaking his head. “Although, I won’t be breaking her heart.”
Noah gives Jace a pointed look before glancing at Finn as he picks his acoustic guitar from one of the other chairs. “I’ve already told him.”
A bright white light flashes at the end of the driveway, grabbing both of my brothers’ attention. The lights grow brighter as they head in our direction. “Who’s that?”
“Oh shit,” I mumble, letting out a soft laugh. “I forgot to tell you guys that I invited Natalie over. We were supposed to hangout this evening, so I just told her to come here.”
Finn nods, not fully paying attention as he grabs Otto’s collar, murmuring to him. Otto has never been aggressive, but he is territorial and if Finn doesn’t hold him, he’s going to be the first one to greet Natalie.
“Natalie, Natalie?” Noah says, glancing at me before looking back over at the car that pulls up by the edge of the yard.
“Yeah, is that okay?”
His expression is unreadable and he eagerly nods, setting his guitar back down before turning back to the fire. He absentmindedly pokes at it with his stick. “Yeah, of course.”
Jace chuckles again, soft enough that no one hears him but me and he presses a kiss to the side of my neck before releasing me. I glance over my shoulder and flash him a smile before heading across the yard to Natalie.
She’s climbing out of her car by the time I reach her. She turns back to pull out a basket covered with cloth and her green eyes meet mine. “Hey! Sorry, I’m a little late. I was waiting for the muffins to cool.”
“Muffins?”
She smiles brightly and nods while handing me the basket. “I tried this new recipe for maple butter muffins and they actually turned out really yummy, so I wanted to bring some along for everyone.”
“You’re so sweet,” I say, pulling back the cloth to sneak a peek in the basket. The saccharine scent of maple and sugar wafts from within. “They smell delicious.”
“They taste as good as they smell,” she assures me with a wink. “I’ve had my fair share of muffins the last few days.”
“I’m sure,” I say with a laugh, waving my arm toward the fire pit. “Come on, everyone’s at the fire.” I turn on my heel and Natalie falls into step beside me as we head back to where my brothers and Jace are.
“Hey, Natalie,” Jace says cheerfully.
Finn lifts his hand and gives her a small wave as he says “Hi.”
“Hey, guys,” Natalie smiles at both of them, walking over to the other side of Finn and taking the empty seat next to him.
“Hey, Noah,” she says to his back as he crouches down by the fire as if he’s inspecting the logs.
His behavior is…strange.
“Hey Natalie,” he says quietly, his gaze flicking to hers. His throat bobs and his eyes linger for a moment, drifting over her face before swiftly directing his attention back to the fire.
“You want some hot chocolate?” Finn asks her, lifting his mug in the air. “It’s extra hot.”
Rolling my eyes, I step closer to Jace. “It’s spiked, is what he means.”
Natalie smiles politely and shakes her head at him. “No, thank you. I’m not a big drinker, and I never drink and drive.”
Finn gives her a look of appreciation. “I like this one.”
Noah’s spine straightens, his body rigid as his gaze flicks to Finn. Finn doesn’t notice, but I see the way his eyebrows cinch closer together.
“Did you see that?” I whisper to Jace, ducking my face closer to his chest.
“See what?”
I glance back at Noah and he kicks at a piece of bark along the edge of the fire pit while Finn asks Natalie about the bakery. “Never mind, I’ll tell you later.”
Jace moves closer, wrapping his arms around me as he tucks me back against his body. “Does that mean I get to see you later?” he murmurs against my hair, just beside my ear.
“Do you want to?” I ask, turning my head to the side to look up at him.
“Is that even a question?” He snorts, lifting his eyebrows before his expression softens. “I want to see you everyday for the rest of my life, Will.”
“Everyday?” My heart skips a beat and I turn in his arms to face him. “What if you get sick of me?”
He tilts his head to the side. “I promise you, that will never happen.” His eyes search mine before his gaze settles on mine. “I love you, Willow. You’re all I want, you’re all I’ll ever want.”
I can’t hide the smile that drifts across my lips as I lift my arms to circle them around the back of his neck. “I love you, Jace.”
He stares back at me, his green eyes unwavering and filled with pure, unfiltered love.
“It’s you and me forever, baby.”