Chapter 17
EMILY
Ben’s breathing starts to steady beside me. His arm still draped over my waist, his skin warm against mine. I stare up at the ceiling, my heart still racing, my mind a mess. Tanner ate me out earlier today, and now I’m here with his friend. What am I even doing?
I turn my head slightly, watching Ben as he grabs his phone off the nightstand. He squints at the screen and takes the call.“What? Okay. I’m coming.”
“Who’s that?” I ask, my voice sounding small in the quiet.
“Tanner,” he replies, sitting up quickly, his movements tense.
I frown, propping myself up on one elbow. “Is there a problem?” I hope it has nothing to do with Whit. I made my stance clear to him. I hope the boys got the hint and stayed the hell away from him.
I bite the inside of my cheek as his words come back to haunt me. What am I doing? I had Ben and Tanner but my pulsating core tells me I need more. What’s wrong with me? Am I turning into a nymphomaniac?
“I hope not, but I have to check,” he says, swinging his legs off the bed, already reaching for his clothes. His movements have a strange urgency, like he’s suddenly in a hurry to leave.
I bite my lip, watching him pull on his jeans, and a knot forms in my stomach. Does he regret this? The thought claws at me, but I can’t bring myself to ask.
Ben pulls his shirt over his head, his eyes flicking back to his phone before he glances at me. “You’ll be okay, right?”
I nod. “Yes. Go. I’m fine.”
He leans down, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead before heading to the door, his steps hurried. The moment the door clicks shut, I’m left alone with my thoughts, and they swirl around me like a storm.
Was this just a mistake for him? I pull the sheets up, suddenly feeling cold despite the heat still lingering from what we did. My mind drifts back to Tanner and that moment in the kitchen. What’s happening between me and all of them? How did I get here?
I feel completely untethered and I didn’t even have this feeling when Whit left me.
There’s a knock at the door. My heart skips a beat, and for a moment, I think it’s Ben. Maybe he came back after all. Wrapping the sheet tightly around myself, I head toward the door.
But when I open it, it’s not Ben—it’s Jace, leaning against the door.
“Hey,” he says, his voice low. “Just wanted to check in on you.”
I nod, stepping aside to let him in. My thoughts are spinning.
What does he think of me, standing here wrapped in nothing but a sheet, my hair still messy from...everything?
Jace walks inside, glancing around the room. He doesn’t say anything about the rumpled sheets or the lingering smell of…well, sex. I’m sure he can tell something happened.
“Ben disappeared pretty quick,” he says. “Did he come after you?”
“Yes, he was here…he just left.”
Jace nods. “Okay.”
“Something happened.” I pause, then decide to just say it. “While he was here...something happened.”
I wait for Jace to lash out, for him to get pissed, but the reaction doesn’t come.
Instead, he looks at me, really looks at me, his gaze steady and understanding in a way I wasn’t expecting. “Are you okay?” he asks, his voice gentle.
That question breaks something inside me. The dam I’ve been holding up all day, through everything, finally bursts. Before I can stop myself, I let out a sob, raw and broken, and ran into his arms.
The sheet slips from my grasp, unfurling and falling to the floor, leaving me completely naked against him, but I don’t care. I can’t care.
Jace’s arms close around me, strong and secure, and I press my face into his chest, sobbing like a little girl.
His hands rest on my back, soothing, and he doesn’t let go.
He doesn’t ask questions or make me feel worse about what I’ve just admitted.
He just holds me, and I cling to him, feeling exposed and broken but safe all at the same time.
“It’s okay,” he murmurs, his voice steady and soothing as he strokes my hair. “I’ve got you.”
I don’t know how long we stand there, my naked body pressed against him, my tears soaking into his shirt, but Jace doesn’t move, doesn’t let go.
I finally lift my head from Jace’s chest, my face wet from tears, and our eyes meet.
My heart pounds in my chest, and before I can even think it through, I close the distance between us, pressing my lips against his. The kiss is full of raw desire.
His hands immediately find their way to my hips, gripping them tightly as he pulls me closer, the warmth of his touch sending shivers through my body.
I gasp against his mouth as his hands roam, one sliding up my back, the other squeezing my ass firmly, possessively. The sensation of his fingers digging into my skin makes me dizzy, and my whole body reacts to him, craving him.
He kisses me harder, more urgently, like he’s been waiting for this as long as I have, and I can’t stop the way my body arches into him, pressing myself against his firm chest. His touch is everywhere—my waist, my back, the curve of my ass.
His touch is familiar, but there’s also a rush of something new and exciting.
“Jace,” I whisper his name between kisses, my hands sliding up his chest, feeling the strength of him beneath his shirt. He’s so solid, so real, and right now, all I want is to lose myself in him.
Jace’s hands slide up my back as we continue kissing, his lips hot against mine, but when I start to shiver uncontrollably, he pulls back. “You’re freezing,” he says, his voice low, full of concern.
“What are you doing?” I ask, watching him, my breath still uneven.
He smirks, his fingers dialing reception. “I’m gonna do something about it. Let me get the bathtub filled up for you.”
Jace strides over to the bathroom and turns the tap, but after a few seconds, he frowns, realizing nothing but cold water is coming through. He tries again, muttering under his breath. “Damn—hot water’s out.”
Before I can protest, he’s already talking to the staff, asking them to draw a hot bath.
Mortification floods me. “Jace! It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
He chuckles, brushing a hand over my cheek. “Relax, Emily. This place is a luxury lodge. Hailey picked it for a reason. They’ve got backups for everything, even with the storm.”
I blink at him, unsure if I should believe him. But the warmth in his voice and the way he’s so sure of himself makes me reluctantly agree. He pulls the bedsheets back over me and then wraps me in one of the thick blankets, his hands brushing my shoulders gently as he tucks me in.
“Just wait a minute,” he says, kissing me on the forehead quickly before standing up.
Three hotel employees show up sooner than I expect, carrying buckets of steaming water and fresh towels. My face burns with embarrassment as they work, filling the tub in the bathroom. Was this how Cleopatra felt?
Jace stands near the door, keeping an eye on things like this is all perfectly normal, but I can’t help sinking deeper into the blanket, wishing I could disappear.
When they finally leave, the bath ready, Jace turns to me, grinning. “Alright, princess, your bath is ready.”
I roll my eyes at him.
“I can’t believe you did that.”
He just shrugs, walking over to the bed and holding out his hand. “Come on. You’ll feel better.”
I hesitate for a second, but the thought of sinking into hot water is too tempting. I take his hand, and he leads me into the bathroom. The huge tub is full, jets on, steam rising up, and the room is already warm.
I sink into the steaming water, feeling the warmth seep into my skin, relaxing muscles I didn’t even realize were tense. The heat envelops me, but something else makes me feel even hotter—Jace.
He’s standing by the door, leaning against the frame, his eyes glued to me. A hunger in his gaze makes my pulse quicken, even though he’s not touching me.
I can’t take it anymore. “Get in,” I finally say.
“You sure about that?”
I nod, biting my lip as I meet his eyes. There’s no hesitation in him as he steps forward, reaching for the hem of his shirt. My breath catches as I watch him pull it over his head, revealing the firm lines of his chest, the muscles shifting under his skin.
He kicks off his boots and starts undoing his belt, and I feel the heat rising in me again. This time, it has nothing to do with the bath. His pants drop to the floor, and he stands there for a moment in just his boxers, watching me with that same intense look.
My mouth goes dry as he hooks his thumbs into the waistband and pulls them down slowly, teasing me.
Finally, he’s standing there completely naked—his hard cock twitching as I watch it. It’s as veiny and big as I remember. I swallow hard as he draws closer, and his cock seems to rise impossibly as if reaching for me.
His eyes never leave mine, and he climbs into the tub, the water splashing gently as he settles in behind me.
The heat of his body against mine, even in the already hot water, is overwhelming.
I can feel every inch of him pressed against me, his arms sliding around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. My skin tingles where he touches me, and I lean into him, closing my eyes for a moment, letting myself just feel him.
His hands move to my hips, his fingers brushing my skin lightly under the water, sending little jolts of electricity through me. I can’t help but arch into his touch, the water sloshing as I do, and his grip tightens.
Jace’s hands drift lower, teasing just beneath the surface of the water. My breath hitches, the heat between my legs flaring to life as his fingers brush against my clit, slow and deliberate. He knows me completely.
His lips graze the back of my neck, sending a ripple of shivers down my spine despite the warmth of the bath. I lean back into him, letting my head rest against his shoulder, my body already reacting to his touch.
“You’re tense,” he murmurs.
I fall back against him. I don’t have the energy to reply.
Jace shifts his hand, fingers pressing exactly where I need him to. A sharp gasp escapes me, and I bite my lip, trying to contain the sound.