Chapter 7
SEVEN
“Most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
The weight of Jace’s stare caressed my cheek, and I itched to face him, but my head refused to turn.
Tonight had been one of the best nights of my life, and it had everything to do with the man at my side.
While we ate, Jace cracked jokes, forcing my smile a little wider each time.
I’m pretty sure I hadn’t smiled since my mom died, but Jace made it easy—I’d even laughed as we walked toward the lake, his grumbling complaints trailing behind me.
I never believed in perfect moments. Memories only seemed that way because they’d been preserved through rose-colored glasses.
They were snapshots, like glossy photographs that sat silently on people’s shelves.
A moment in time, when the smiles were wide and the love seemed clear, but they hid all the surrounding chaos.
No, nothing ever was as perfect as it seemed.
But if I believed in so-called ‘perfect moments’?
This one would be at the top of my list.
As I closed my eyes, the rising sun kissed my skin for just a moment, and a quiet peace washed over me.
I let my breath course in and out of me.
After the past month, it was hard to remember to breathe, to savor the moments when the world stood still.
Grief had distorted my vision, and, for a while, I’d forgotten there was so much beauty left to experience.
That there were still reasons to get up every morning, to leave the quiet comfort of my mother’s apartment.
Before I opened my eyes, fingers linked through mine, intertwining our hands so our palms touched. The simplest gesture—but it almost brought tears to my eyes.
My mom had always been more physically affectionate than me.
She’d pull me into hugs multiple times a day and always held my hand when we walked through town.
And while I’d always complained about it, now that she was gone, I missed it.
I had forgotten how nice it felt to be touched.
To be held. To have someone care about you and check in on the hard days.
And maybe, if I let him, Jace might be that person for me.
As my eyes opened, I turned toward Jace.
Despite the sunrise turning the lake into a thing of beauty, his eyes never strayed from me.
How had we gotten here? All I wanted was to leave the house for a couple of hours and help my friend.
I never expected to connect with someone like Jace.
He made me crave something that always seemed so out of reach.
Jace’s deep blue eyes found mine, and fresh fear washed over me—the fear of missing out.
Would I hate myself if I walked away from him right now?
Probably, but it didn’t change the facts.
I didn’t live here. My life was hours away.
He was in the public eye and had a history of one-night stands.
There was no scenario in which we could ever work.
But despite the warnings breaking out in my mind, I lifted onto the tips of my toes and pressed a kiss to his lips.
Jace’s entire body tensed as our lips met, and I pulled away. Had I read everything wrong between us? Here I was, hopelessly wishing for more between us, and he was just being friendly?
He silenced those concerns when he released my hand, using both of his to cradle my cheeks. His skin was rough—calloused and rugged from years playing in the league—but they held me gently, as if I was something precious.
His mouth descended on mine, and there was no hesitation this time.
Lips and teeth clattered as we consumed each other, reveling in the chemistry that had been building all night. His hands fumbled along my body, gripping my ass to pull me against him.
“Fucking hell,” he muttered, pausing between words to steal another kiss. “You taste like all my favorite flavors.”
“Is it the whipped cream?”
“Nah.” He smirked at me. “It’s just you, Kins. I don’t know what you’ve done to me, but I’m not questioning it. I need you. Need to have more of you.”
Warning bells shot off in my mind. What was the point of any of this? It wasn’t like it could go any further than tonight, and there were so many other things I should be focusing on.
Fuck that.
All my life, I’d played by the rules, made the right choices, never risked anything so I didn’t have to deal with the consequences. Tonight, I wanted to claim something—someone—for myself. Not because it was the right choice, but because, for the first time in so long, I wanted something more.
I wanted to feel alive.
“Please, Jace.” I trailed my lips along the column of his neck. “Give me more.”
Jace’s blue eyes darkened at my plea, and he didn’t hesitate, scooping me up into his arms. His footsteps raced down the path, refusing to put me down until we reached the fence. He attempted to scoop me up again, but I stepped out of his reach, smirking as I shook my head.
“You don’t have to carry me, hotshot. I’m perfectly capable of walking on my own.”
“Not happening,” he muttered as he lifted me back up. “Pretty sure I dreamed you up, Kins. Might close my eyes, and you’ll disappear. Not taking any chances right now.”
“That might be the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard,” I snorted.
Jace’s lips turned up at the corner as he shook his head. “Pretty sure it's the worst line I’ve ever used, but I mean it.” His eyes twinkled with something as they met mine. “You get it, don’t you?”
That snapped my mouth shut, unable to say anything else. I could only nod, afraid if I voiced the words aloud, I’d shatter the moment between us, and that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take. Once we reached the car, Jace put me down and held out his hand. “Keys?”
“Oh no,” I said, moving toward the driver’s side door. “No one drives this car but me.”
Jace leaned in, pressing my body against the doorframe.
He was imposing, overwhelming. If he were anyone else, I’d freak out, but Jace stirred something different inside of me.
Safe. Longing. All foreign emotions, but now, I could practically taste them.
Jace nuzzled in closer, running his nose along the column of my throat, leaving feather-light kisses that made me shiver in anticipation of what was to come.
“Trust me, Kins. If I drive, we’ll get to my place faster. ”
Sold.
In less than twenty minutes, Jace drove us into a quiet neighborhood only blocks away from Doris’ Diner. The homes were nice but understated, mostly raised ranches and other similar styles. I frowned as I turned toward the driver’s seat. “Aren’t we going to your place?”
“We are.”
I frowned, turning to stare out the window.
It was hard to picture Jace living in this neighborhood.
It was a far cry from how the media portrayed him, the entitled playboy with a laundry list of lovers.
A couple more turns, and he pulled into a driveway at the end of a cul-de-sac.
I stared up in disbelief. “You’re kidding me, right? ”
“No.” Jace leaned forward over the steering wheel. “Not what you were expecting?”
That would be a hard no. When Jace asked me over to his house, I’d pictured some tech-bro paradise made of chrome and harsh steel, not a two-story traditional building with a charming little deck outside the front door.
White shutters accented the aged gray siding, and a wall sconce highlighted the red-painted front door.
It was masculine, but still clean and welcoming.
“You have shrubs,” I spluttered. “Landscaping. This is so…adult.”
The apples of his cheeks filled with color, and it was the most adorable thing I’d ever witnessed.
“When I first moved out here, I crashed in a hotel. After almost a month, I wanted more space. A lot of the guys have places closer to the stadium, but everything seemed so impersonal. My realtor found this place, and, even though the inside needs a lot of work, it felt right. Now, it’s eventually going to be home.
” He tapped the steering wheel with his thumb.
“I can take you back to your place if you prefer. This isn’t what you were expecting—”
Before he said anything else, I silenced him by reaching across the center console and kissing him. “It’s a good surprise, Jace. Sure, it’s not what I pictured, but it makes me like you more.”
“Really?”
I shrugged as I pulled the door handle open. “I like how you keep surprising me. Now, come on, hotshot.”
I climbed out of the car, and Jace bounded up the short walkway, pressing his key into the lock.
As soon as he opened the door, he grabbed my hand and tugged me inside.
The door slammed shut behind us, and I tried to look around, but Jace didn’t give me the chance, instead pressing me up against the cool wood with his hips.
His eyes smoldered as they drank me in, slowly perusing my body.
With a sharp inhale, Jace’s hands tightened on my hips, dragging me closer to him.
“Fuck,” he sighed, stealing another kiss from my lips. “I’m dying to taste you, Kins. Been thinking about it for hours. Need to know if your pussy is just as sweet as the rest of you.”
My eyes widened. “If this is just so I’ll go down on you—”
Jace’s mouth tightened as he leaned in even closer, his voice lowering to a dangerous timbre.
“Let’s get one thing straight, Kinsley.” I shivered as he growled my full name.
“I’m dying to eat your pussy because I want to.
Because I want you strangling my tongue when you come apart.
Want to lick up every ounce of your pleasure, knowing I’m the one who caused it.
” He nudged the edge of my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.
“This isn’t some sort of bargaining chip.
When you suck my cock, it’ll be because you begged me for it.
Begged me to fuck your mouth so deep, you’ll feel me in your throat for days, not because you think you owe me for making you come. ”
I swallowed, loving the filthy words spilling out of his mouth. God, just the thought of him pushing me so hard made my thighs clench, my desire blooming to almost embarrassing levels. It was too much—Jace was too much. He’d already taken hold of me, and we’d hardly begun.
And yet, I couldn’t walk away.
I parted my legs more, and the hard outline of his cock pressed against my core. Just the movement took my breath away. Get out of your head, Kins. If this were the only night I had with Jace, I needed to stay in the moment with him, needed to remember every single detail.
“Show me what you’ve got, hotshot.”