His expression morphs into a smirk, dangerous and gorgeous, and wholly unfair. “Is that supposed to be a warning?”
“You can take it however you want… But, no.” I shake my head as I kick out of my shoes. “It’s supposed to be an invitation.”
Jace breaks the distance, three steps forward, and he’s close enough for my pulse to trip over the next beat. His palms slide up my bare arms, one hand gripping my elbow all too gentlywhile his other hand continues up, up, up… Until his fingers stop just beneath my chin, tilting me toward him.
“Tell me where the bedroom is.” His voice is a rumbling purr, the kind that lures you into a false sense of safety.
“Upstairs.” I point over my shoulder. “First door on the left.”
Jace grins like he’s just heard my darkest secret. “Good. I was beginning to worry you’d make me guess.”
“I could have…” I reach for the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head and dropping it to the floor. “But you don’t strike me as the guessing type.”
“Not when there’s a sturdy table.” His shirt hits the floor beside mine. “Or a couch. Or a kitchen counter.”
I step into him again, my hand going to his neck as I pull him down to my level, down to meet my lips. He matches my energy, scooping me up, so he doesn’t have to lean.
This is the kind of kiss that unravels every plan you had before it started. Now, nothing really matters outside of this moment.
I grin against his mouth when he pins me to the wall, his silky hair catching in my grasp. His fingertips dig into my skin, leaving the promise of bruises for me to find in the morning. The targeted pain is a jolt of electricity to my system, anticipation curling through my core.
I break the kiss, my voice catching as I try to breathe deeply and speak at the same time. It takes three attempts to get the word out.
“Bedroom,” I remind him, nipping at his lip.
He chuckles against my jaw, breath hot. “Assertive.”
“Efficient.”
I swear he takes the stairs two at a time, carrying me with little effort, every step heavy with intent. Promise. Power.
Need coils through me as he shoves the bedroom door open, one hand holding me securely to his body. I release my grip,unwinding my legs from around his waist to fall onto the bed with a soft bounce.
Jace just… stands still, like he’s soaking in the moment, refusing to look away. There’s no rush to his movements as he reaches for my ankle, almost as if waiting for permission.
The button on my skirt pops open with a little flourish of my fingers, and I smirk up at him. “Take it off.”
His smile tilts, caught somewhere between reverent and reckless as our eyes lock. The space between us disappears, and his hands are on me before I can overthink it.
“Fuck,” he whispers, voice low and rough, probably only meant for his ears. “You’re not real.”
“Then you’re dreaming,” I murmur back. “So, why would you stop?”
He throws my skirt over his shoulder into the darkness that teases the edges of the bedroom. And the rest falls easily after it… Clothes, logic, dignity. All of it undone piece by piece.
Jace kisses his way down my stomach, teeth grazing delicate patches of my skin. Every touch is careful, then not… Like he’s repeating some sequence that’s meant to crack me open. Each sound I make spurs him onward. He answers me with a possessive growl that vibrates all the way through my core.
His mouth finally reaches where I want him, need him, and his name leaves my mouth on a breathless moan.
“Jace.”
He freezes for a beat, as if he forgot he even told me his name in the first place. And then he smiles against me, a slow, dangerous curve of lips that turns into pure delighted torture for me.
“Say it again,” he murmurs, breath tickling my sensitive skin as he looks up the length of my body. “My name.”
“Jace,” I whisper, leaning my head back as he rewards me with a quick swipe of his tongue.
“Again.”
