Chapter 8 #2
Before I knew it, I was alone with Jace. Shutting my front door after waving goodbye to my friends, I returned to the kitchen and found him tidying up.
“I can finish that. You should get going,” I said, and his eyes lifted as he carried some glasses over to the dishwasher.
“I don’t mind.”
I stood watching him for a minute, unsure how to approach Jace being in my house this late at night.
A tingly shiver tiptoed down my spine. There was something appealing about a man as sexy and handsome as Jace doing household chores.
“Oh, just a heads up,” he said, breaking the quiet, “that mother you mentioned, the one with the ponytail? She introduced herself to me at the school today.”
I grimaced. “Laura? What did she want?”
Jace placed the final glass in the dishwasher and closed the door. “She mentioned organising a play date between Zara and her daughter and asked for my number.”
I’ll bloody bet she did. Pressing my lips together in annoyance, I asked, “And did you give it to her?”
Jace shot me a wry look. “Course I didn’t. This isn’t my first rodeo. I told her that if Zara wanted to hang out with her kid, she could arrange everything with you.”
His reply had a smile pulling at the corners of my lips. “You did?”
He nodded and started to smile, too. “Oh, she’s pleased with that.”
“I’m just happy to hear that Laura didn’t get her way on at least one occasion in her life.
The woman is a terror. She has all the parents petrified of stepping out of line.
Last year, one parent tried suggesting a tracksuit version of the school uniform that the kids could wear to be more comfortable if they chose.
His daughter has autism, and wearing the full uniform was causing difficulties.
Laura launched a massive campaign against the suggestion, and the father was beaten into submission, metaphorically speaking. ”
His smile faded as he studied me. “That’s messed up. She ever try that kind of shit with you?”
I shook my head. “I make sure to stay in my lane and avoid her. I also keep my distance from the parents’ association.
They’re not my kind of people, plus they’re all super nosy and know that my ex-husband is a famous rockstar.
” I waggled my eyebrows at him, and he laughed.
“If I went to their meetings, they’d just use it as an opportunity to grill me about you and the rest of the band. ”
Jace frowned. “I’m sorry you have to do that because of me.”
I shrugged. “I don’t mind. Even if it weren’t for you being Zara’s dad, I’d still avoid them.”
“Well, parents’ association aside, it seems like a great school, and Zara has tons of friends.”
“It is. She loves it there.”
A small quiet fell, and we simply stood, a few feet between us, before I remembered I needed to ask a favour. Normally, I’d ask it of his mother, but since Jace and I were now dealing with one another directly, I’d have to make the request of him instead.
“Are you free on Sunday morning?” I asked. “I was wondering if you could take Zara for a couple hours?”
“Yeah, I’m free.”
“Good. I’ll walk her over to your parents’ house around ten.”
I thought he might make a move to leave but instead he asked, “What’s happening on Sunday? Got a hot date?”
I knew he was only teasing, but my cheeks chose that exact moment to turn bright red, giving me away entirely. Jace’s expression flattened while he studied me, and I decided to be honest, “Yes, actually. A first date. We’re meeting for coffee.”
“I see,” he continued staring at me, and the tension became almost unbearable before he went on, “Who’s the lucky guy?”
I swallowed thickly. “His name is Rufus, and he’s a web developer, same as me, so I’m hoping we’ll have a bit in common.”
His flat expression morphed into something harder. “Right, well, that’s great. I hope the two of you hit it off.” I almost laughed because his tone said the opposite. It said, I hope the two of you have zero chemistry and hate each other’s guts.
“Jace, I haven’t dated since the divorce. This is my first attempt at putting myself out there, and I’d really like it if you could be happy for me. It’s lonely being single.”
“So that’s the reason you’re going on a date? Because of loneliness?”
“Well, sure, and I am a woman. I have needs.” Did I really just say that? I must’ve been more exhausted than usual.
He stared at me for a long, long moment. “You have needs.” A statement, not a question. He tapped his fingers against his arm, eyes lasering into me.
“Yes, Jace, needs just like every other human being on the planet. I don’t want to be alone forever and—”
“Let me take care of them for you,” he blurted, and I stared at him in open-mouthed shock.
“Pardon?” I whispered.
He closed the distance between us, and I hitched a sharp breath when he reached out and tucked an errant strand of hair behind my ear. Shivers skittered across the back of my neck.
“I said, let me take care of you. If you have needs, use me to satisfy them. I’ll happily volunteer.”
The gravel in his voice had my insides in a tailspin. I honestly couldn’t believe what he was suggesting. It was completely outrageous. I opened my mouth to respond, but no sound came out. I didn’t know what to say.
“We’re divorced, Jace,” I finally managed.
He gave a flat chuckle. “And no divorced couple has ever had sex again once the papers were signed?” He moved even closer, so close I could feel the heat of him.
He was so sexy, everything I’d ever found attractive in a man right there in front of me offering himself up.
But he’d also hurt me like no one else, and I refused to put myself at his mercy ever again.
“I know you still want me, Shannon. You think I didn’t see you undressing me with your eyes earlier tonight?”
“I was not …” My words trailed off because I might not have been undressing him, but I was certainly lusting after him. Damn him for being so perceptive. He knew all my tells.
He chuckled again, this time with more warmth. “It’s okay to admit it. I still think you’re the sexiest woman in the entire fucking universe, so there’s that.”
A lump formed in my throat, an unexpected rush of arousal flooding me. Did he really think that, or was he just saying it as some cheap ploy to get me into bed? I needed to put a stop to this right now.
“No,” I managed, stepping out of his reach and folding my arms. “Please go.”
There was a flash of disappointment before he quickly masked it. “All right. I’ll go, but the offer stands. If you need me, all you have to do is ask.”
He turned and left, leaving me standing in my kitchen, a jumbled mess of emotions I didn’t have the first clue how to unpack.
Why would he offer something like that? Why jeopardise the tentative friendship we’d only started to develop?
I was so mad at him and at the same time infuriatingly needy.
A part of me wished I had said yes and let him take me upstairs to bed.
No one could compare to Jace, especially now that he was clean from drugs and also in the best shape of his life.
But that would be taking a step backward when I was determined to move forward. Jace thought he was offering some kind of easy, no strings sexual release. Well, maybe he could keep his emotions out of it, but I certainly couldn’t. Not with him.
I spent most of Saturday deep cleaning my house.
Call it sexual frustration or merely ordinary frustration, but I needed to focus my energy somewhere.
So that energy went into scrubbing my toilet bowls until they gleamed.
I was so mad that Jace had the audacity to suggest I sleep with him instead of going on a date and potentially meeting someone I might want a relationship with.
It wasn’t fair of him, but he also wasn’t being fair to himself.
His recovery was important, and a messy sexual entanglement with his ex-wife could put his two-year clean streak in jeopardy.
So, yeah, I was mad at him on my own behalf, but I was also mad at him on his.
Zara was happy to chill in her room and try out the paint set her Uncle Roan had gifted her, which was good because I was in a bad mood.
By the time Sunday morning came around, I managed to leave my irritation at the door and focus on getting ready for my date.
I selected a black dress with matching tights and a pale grey cardigan.
I wasn’t sure if it was date appropriate, but it was the sort of thing I wore on the one day a month I had to go into the office, so I assumed it was suitable enough.
When I knocked on Zara’s grandparents’ front door, my heart thudded, hoping Jace wasn’t the one to answer. I planned on pretending our conversation on Friday night never happened. He was getting this one pass from me, but I wouldn’t be so understanding if it happened again.
“Good morning, my beautiful ladies,” Jace said as he opened the door and pulled our daughter into a hug. His eyes came to rest on mine as he scooped Zara up into his arms then swung her around.
“Your granddad’s making pancakes,” he said as he lowered her back down. “Go tell him you want chocolate chips.”
Zara bobbed her head and ran inside the house yelling, “Granddad! I want chocolate chips on my pancakes.”
“Tell Jace to do his own dirty work,” Jay shouted back.
“You look pretty,” Jace said then, and I fought the urge to tell him he wasn’t allowed to say stuff like that to me anymore.
His eyes lowered to the black heels I wore, and my attention went once again to the glint of his lip piercing.
It took a concerted effort to shove away the memory of the cool metal against my mouth when he kissed me.
“Those shoes are very …” His sultry gaze flashed back up as a smirk shaped his lips, “Becoming.”
“I don’t need your opinion on my outfit,” I replied, my tone sharp. “I’ll be back around one.”
“Does meeting for coffee take three hours these days?” he shot back, and I fought the urge to start a row. It was clear he disliked the idea of me going on a date, but what did he want me to do? Sit around the rest of my life pining for what might’ve been?
I didn’t give him the satisfaction of humouring the question. Instead, I stated flatly, “Goodbye, Jace,” before turning on my three inch heels and walking away.
The café where I was to meet with Rufus was only a short taxi ride from Jay and Matilda’s house.
I’d seen a couple pictures of him, so I knew he had dark hair, and his profile stated he was five feet ten inches.
Scanning the space, I didn’t see him anywhere, so I ordered a latte and then took a seat to wait.
I was still a few minutes early. As I waited, my phone vibrated in my bag, and I pulled it out to check.
There was a text message from Jace, and my stomach did a flip just seeing his name.
Why did I want him so much more than the potential for something better with Rufus?
Or if not him, someone else I might meet along my dating journey?
I was sick; that was it. There was something wrong with me.
Jace Fields had infected my heart with an incurable disease, one that made me want only him, no matter how much I tried to convince myself someone new was what I needed.
Opening the text, all it said was YUM! and attached was a picture of Jace and Zara as they held up their forks, ready to dig into a giant stack of chocolate chip pancakes. I couldn’t help the grin that pulled at my lips when a voice asked, “Shannon?”
Closing out the text and shoving my phone back in my bag, I lifted my head and found Rufus standing before me.
His wavy brown hair was adorably ruffled, and he wore a blue jumper with a shirt underneath, chinos, and brown leather shoes.
He looked like a kind, ordinary dad, and that was exactly what I needed.
The tattooed, hoodie-wearing rockstar was in my rearview mirror.
“Yes, I’m Shannon,” I said, standing to shake his hand, “And you must be Rufus. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Rufus smiled as he took me in. “It’s wonderful to meet you. I must say, you’re even prettier than in your pictures.”
“Oh,” I flushed. “That’s very kind of you to say.”
He nodded to my latte. “I see you’ve already grabbed yourself a coffee, but can I get you anything else? A sweet treat or a pastry, perhaps?”
“Um, sure,” I bit my lip, then glanced back at the cake display cabinet. “I’ll take an almond croissant, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Not at all. I’ll be right back.” Rufus left and walked up to the counter while my phone buzzed again. Suspecting it was Jace, I tried to resist checking the message and failed. My curiosity got the better of me.
Jace: So how’s it going?
Me: Fantastic. He’s the man of my dreams.
Jace: Impossible. I already hold that title.
Me: You did, and then you lost it. Now quit texting me.
Jace: I’ll win it back. Everyone loves a comeback story.
I frowned down at the text in confusion.
Was that his plan? Was he trying to win me back for real?
The idea never occurred to me, but just thinking it had flurries of butterflies invading my stomach.
This wasn’t fair. I was trying to see if Rufus and I had a connection, and Jace was going out of his way to distract me.
Deciding I wouldn’t entertain him any longer, I put my phone on silent just as Rufus returned with my croissant.