The world around us falls quiet as his face drops back down, his lips sweeping across mine as he breathes me in. I’ve spent a greater part of my life thinking Jace Miller was just an unattainable dream, yet here he is, promising me forever.
And the last thing I’m going to do is let that be a fleeting moment.
Wrapping my arms around him, I kiss him back with the same intensity, slipping within the spaces between his ribs, diving directly into his heart.
The heart he’s given to me—the one I will hold onto for the rest of my days.
Because if there’s one thing in this life that I won’t live without anymore, it’s him.
It’s always been him.
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?”
