Saying his name again is the only warning I give him before I kiss him. Remembering that pain-pleasure line he seemed to enjoy this morning, I nip at his bottom lip before soothing the pain with a flick of my tongue.
The movement breaks him out of it and he takes control. His growl rumbles through me as his hand curls around the back of my neck.
He kisses me in desperation, like he can’t live without it. I watch as the pain and anger slips away to the burning heat that takes over in his eyes.
My hands drop from his face to rest on his chest as he continues ravishing me.
When he bites down on my bottom lip in retaliation for earlier, I break our contact, gasping. The clearness in Jace’s eyes is the only thing I see before his head drops to my neck.
His hand slides through my hair, gently pulling my head to the side to give himself better access. I can’t keep quiet the moan that slips out when he pulls on my hair.
I feel him smirk against my skin as he nibbles on my neck. Kisses trail up to my ear where he tugs on my earlobe with his teeth, sending shivers through me.
My hands move down, feeling the hard, smooth ridges of his taut stomach muscles. My nails lightly indent his skin and his chest rumbles.
A loud crash has me jumping and Jace flinching. I listen as the guys burst out in laugher with Dominic yelling something about needing to get rid of all the knives in the house.
Jace sighs, placing a soft kiss on the inside of my neck before he pulls back. The darkness is gone and now it’s lust he’s trying to control as well as another emotion I can’t quite describe.
I open my mouth to say something before realising I don’t know what to say. That’s the second time I’ve kissed my best friend. Not counting three years ago.
With the guys…it’s different. It feels the same but I have a lot of history with Jace. I don’t want to ruin that.
"Do you remember when we were kids, you stole my shirt and wore it as a nightie?" Jace asks, lifting a hand to brush the new charm on my necklace.
A smiles makes its way across my face.
"Yeah, I say softly.
When I was about seven, I was upset Jace couldn't sleep over. Nine year old Jace took off his favourite hawkeye shirt and pulled it over me. He told me part of him would always be with me.
I wore that shirt every night until it didn't fit anymore and was pretty much falling apart. Then I stole another one from his wardrobe.
"When I came back from the woods," Jace swallows deeply, "the first thing I noticed was your necklace on the ground. I’ve never seen you take it off. That’s when I knew something was wrong."
I wordlessly take his hands into mine, needing to feel him.
"I told you I'd started acting out but I spiraled when you were gone, Ro," Jace tells me, honestly. That darkness starts to creep back in.
"There were so many things that reminded me of you. Of Declan. Mum sent me to MMA so I could release my anger into something. I tried therapy and that didn't work."
I aimlessly rub my thumb across the top of his head, lost in thought as he speaks.
"I was better because of MMA but I wasn't okay. Dad kicked me out of the house for a bit because I was a nightmare for him and Mum."
My eyes widen hearing that. The only person with a kinder heart than Helen is Devon. Jace nods, a tightness in his eyes.
"I crashed at the twins' place for a bit and Elodie, their mum, is the one who set me straight." When he stops there, I don't push it.
With the pain and anger swirling through his eyes, I realise he's told me a lot more than he intended to. He takes a deep breath before expelling it.
"Anyway, I started wearing your necklace after that to feel closer to you." Jace rubs the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable.
We sit there in silence for a bit and I have the greatest need to lighten the darkness in the room.
"You do realise I'm going to have to steal one of your shirts now, right?" I tell him seriously.
Jace looks at me for a moment before he bursts out laughing. I grin as he finally controls himself and it looks like he needed a good laugh.
