Chapter 19
EMILY
I blink awake slowly, my mind drifting up from the fog of sleep, warm and content beneath the covers. It’s only when I feel the weight of Jace’s body pressing against mine, the soft rhythm of his breathing mixing with mine, that I realize I’m not alone.
My heart skips as a soft moan escapes me, the sensation of him moving inside me slowly pulling me fully into consciousness. I shudder, his name tumbling from my lips in a sleepy whisper, “Jace…”
He’s already watching me. He leans closer to kiss me. “Good morning, Emily.”
In answer, I gasp as he thrusts into me again.
My hands grab hold of his love handles, sliding down the expanse of his back, feeling the muscles flex and move as he thrusts slowly, deliberately.
Each gentle movement sends a wave of pleasure through me, building progressively, softly, like the morning sun creeping over the horizon.
“Jace,” I breathe again, my fingers digging into his shoulders.
I can feel every inch of him inside me, every measured thrust making my pulse race. His body is warm, his skin slightly damp against mine.
“Emily,” he murmurs against my skin, his breath hot and ragged. “You feel so good.”
I shiver, arching up into him, and his pace slows even more, drawing out every movement, every caress, as if he’s savoring the moment.
His hands slide down my sides, his touch gentle but firm, anchoring me to him as he dips his head, kissing me softly. I melt into the kiss, sighing against his mouth.
My fingers tighten in his hair, my hips rising to meet his, and I know I’m close, so close—
“Oh God…” I gasp, my body trembling beneath him
His lips capture mine in a deep, lingering kiss as I climax, and he follows me to sweet release.
I rest my head on one of his arms.
“Hey,” he murmurs softly, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Hey,” I whisper back, my heart still fluttering in my chest. I feel a smile tug at my lips, and I reach up, trailing my fingers down his jaw, tracing the lines of his face. “Morning.”
All the bad blood that was between us is officially gone. It’s like no time has passed at all, and we’re still the same two lovesick teenagers.
“Morning,” he echoes.
He shifts, rolling us gently to the side, still holding me close as he wraps his arms around me, his chest rising and falling against mine. I snuggle into him, my face pressed against the crook of his neck.
Jace sighs softly, his fingers stroking my hair. “We should probably get up soon,” he murmurs, but there’s no urgency in his voice, no rush to leave.
“Probably,” I agree, but I don’t move.
Jace eventually extracts himself from my bed.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“The guys must be wondering where I am,” he says. He doesn’t look at me when he says that. He knows Ben was here before him, and I wonder what he thinks of that. There’s no trace of judgment on his face, though, so that’s a relief.
After Jace kisses me goodbye and finally leaves my room, I lie there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling, my body still humming from the aftermath of orgasms.
But I can’t lie in bed forever, and eventually, I drag myself up into the shower, throwing on some clothes and brushing out my hair, trying to make myself look halfway presentable.
I still feel Jace’s touch lingering on my skin, and it sends a shiver down my spine as I button up a blouse I borrowed from Hailey. God, what are we doing? What am I doing?
I shake off the thought and head downstairs, my heart fluttering nervously.
The dining hall is already filling up by the time I walk in.
I scan the room, my gaze landing on Hailey and Sam sitting together at a small table near the windows.
They’re deep in conversation, Hailey’s hands gesture animatedly while Sam just smiles, watching her with that soft look that always makes my heart ache a little. They’re so perfect together.
Taking a deep breath, I walk over, plastering a smile on my face. “Hey, mind if I join?”
Hailey’s head snaps up, and a wide smile spreads across her face. “Emily!” she chirps, scooting over to make room. “Of course, sit down.”
I slide into the seat beside her.
Sam gives me a warm smile and a little wave, and I wave back, grabbing a menu to distract myself. But Hailey’s eyes are on me, sharp and curious, and I can feel her studying me as I pretend to decide between pancakes and scrambled eggs.
“You look happy,” she says.
I glance up, and she’s smirking at me, one eyebrow arched. “Like, really happy.”
Shit. How does she always know?
“What? No, I—” I stammer, but the words die on my lips. Because she’s right. I feel…I don’t even know. Warm and glowing and alive in a way I haven’t in a long time.
“So?” Hailey presses, leaning closer, her grin widening. “What’s going on? Who put that smile on your face?”
I open my mouth, then close it, my heart racing. Jace’s face flashes in my mind—those intense eyes, the way he looked at me like I was his whole world.
But then, just as quickly, Ben’s face replaces his, the feel of his body against mine, his lips murmuring words against my skin. And Tanner’s, with his hands and his teasing smile, the way he devoured me in that kitchen like I was the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted.
Oh, God.
I force a laugh, shaking my head. “Nothing,” I say quickly, waving her off. “I’m just…I don’t know, my best friend is getting married. Of course, I’m happy. I’m extremely happy.”
Hailey’s eyes narrow. “Don’t give me that crap, Em. I know you. Something happened.”
“It’s really nothing,” I mumble, my gaze darting down to the table.
Of course, she doesn’t know everything that’s happened.
And thank God for that, because how the hell would I even begin to explain it?
Hey, Hailey, guess what? I slept with your brother, but also, I kind of did stuff with two of his friends and oh, by the way, I’m more confused than I’ve ever been in my entire life.
Right. That’ll go over well.
“Emily?” Hailey’s voice pulls me out of my spiraling thoughts, and I blink up at her. Her brow is furrowed now, her teasing smile replaced by concern. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say quickly, forcing a smile. “I’m just…I guess I didn’t sleep much.”
Hailey eyes me skeptically, but Sam leans forward before she can say anything else, resting his elbows on the table. “Give her a break, Hails. Maybe she’s just in a good mood.”
Hailey rolls her eyes but sits back.
The waiter sets our breakfast plates in front of us, and I try to focus on the food instead of the tornado of thoughts swirling in my head.
Hailey digs into her scrambled eggs with gusto, seemingly more relaxed than I’ve seen her in days.
Sam’s next to her, sipping his coffee, his eyes crinkling with a quiet smile as he watches her eat.
“Well, at least the food’s still good, even if everything else is falling apart,” Hailey says with a sigh, giving her plate an appreciative nod. “I needed this.”
I smile weakly, picking up my fork. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Hey, at least we got some news this morning,” she adds, wiping her mouth with her napkin. “Looks like we’re stuck here until the storm lets up.”
“Really?” I say.
“For how long?”
Hailey shrugs, a resigned expression on her face. “A few more days, maybe a week. The roads are a mess, and there’s no way we’re getting out of here until they’re cleared. We’re thinking of postponing the wedding by a day or two to get everything in order.”
I put my fork down, leaning forward. “Are you sure? I can make it work with the time we have left.”
But Hailey shakes her head, smiling softly.
“Em, I know you’re Wonder Woman and all, but I’d rather have a good wedding than a rushed one.
I don’t want it to feel like we’re scrambling last-minute.
” She shrugs, glancing at Sam, who nods in agreement.
“We’ll take a couple of days, get everything set up properly, and then—boom. Wedding of the year.”
I blow out a breath, nodding slowly. “Okay. That makes sense, I guess.” I try to muster a smile for her, even though I can feel the tension coiling tighter in my chest.
“Tanner was helping you out with the cake, right?”
“Yep,” I say distractedly. Shit the last time I saw the cake; it was in the oven. I totally blanked on it, considering everything that happened afterward. But I can’t tell her that. “Tanner was surprisingly helpful. In fact, he’s awesome.”
“What about his friend?” she says with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Excuse me.”
“I mean Axel—you’re not with me, are you?”
The question catches me completely off guard. I choke on my sip of orange juice, sputtering. “What?”
Sam clears his throat, glancing at Hailey. “You might want to fill her in, Hails.”
Hailey sets her fork down, her expression growing serious. “Oh, right. I can’t believe I didn’t mention it earlier.” She leans closer, lowering her voice as if sharing a dark secret. “There was a fight last night. Down at the bar. Whit and Axel got into it.”
My heart stutters. “What? Are you serious?”
“Yep,” she says, nodding solemnly. “From what I heard, Whit took a swing at Axel, and then—bam—Axel hit him right back. I thought you knew.”
“Is Axel okay?”
“He’s fine…and Whit is okay, too, I guess. Though he was insisting we call the cops on Axel.” She winces.
“I had no idea,” I say.
“It’s just…” She hesitates, her gaze searching for mine. “It’s clear there’s a lot of…tension. Like, between everyone. I’m worried about you, Em.”
But I’m barely listening anymore. The words Axel and fight keep reverberating in my head, mixing with a rising tide of guilt and confusion. He got into a fight—over me. I didn’t want this, it’s what I’ve been trying so hard to avoid.
“I have to go,” I say abruptly, pushing my chair back and standing up.
Hailey blinks, startled. “Wait, where are you going?”
“I need to find Axel,” I say, my voice strained. “Make sure he’s okay.”