“So close. God, I’m so close, Jace.” I take her lips in a bruising kiss, not because I want to swallow her moans. I want to have some form of her flavor on my tongue, and this is the best that will do for now.
We work together, her hips moving, my thigh pressing deeper, my fingers twisting her nipples, pulling on the taut tips rougher than before. Willow’s response is nothing short of amazing. The pain and pleasure I’m bringing her sets off her climax. Her mouth rips away from mine, her head tips backward, elongating her throat, and I seize it as my opportunity to keep my lips on her. I nip below the skin below her ear, sucking on it, and a rush of warmth meets me head on.
Her climax takes control, and her body jerks before a soft, “Jace,” whispers across the room like a prayer, one I intend on answering any time and any place.
“Beautiful, peaches.” My hands slowly glide down her chest, the tips of my fingers leaving goose bumps in their wake. Her eyes are still closed, she’s still coming down from her orgasm. Having her in my arms, her trust in me to give her this, well, I’m not going to break it. All the screwing around in my past is done and gone. The only one I want in my future is right in front of me. Sure, she’s probably got more money than me, her name means a hell of a lot more in the grand scheme of things, and my job could absolutely be on the line. I’ll face those problems head on if it means keeping Willow as mine.
“God, Jace. Wow, I really want to return the favor, but I don’t think I have the energy right this minute. Raincheck?” Her hazel eyes are lust-filled, and when she sends a smile my way, it hits me right in the chest.
“That was for you, peaches. You wanna repay the favor, I’m game whenever. Now, you ready to keep me company on the deck while I grill?” She gives me a small nod, a shyness coming over her suddenly. We’ll be coming back to that as soon as I’ve got her settled with a drink in her hand.
5
Willow
I’m still reeling from coming on Jace’s thigh. Jesus. It was hot, it was fast, and it’s left me feeling a bit unlike myself. I’m not ashamed. I am a little embarrassed, mainly because of all of the above. It’s been a while for me. Okay, it’s been a long time. Between working for my father, constantly worrying about grandmother, and dealing with my mother on her good days, it doesn’t leave a lot of time for, well, me.
Plus, there’s this cloud that constantly hangs over my head, one I can’t seem to escape in order to seek the warmth from the sun. So, I’ve essentially closed myself off and have lived a life of work, family, and repeat.
“You need another?” Jace saunters to where I’m settled on the outdoor chair, a throw blanket on my lap, courtesy of the man himself. He’s discarded his shirt and boots, worn-in jeans sitting low on his waist, causing me to nearly swallow my tongue. It’s only fair that he’s comfortable in his own home. I mean, I already am, and somewhere along the way, the flannel I had on has gone, too. It seems where Jace McKay is concerned, clothes seem to vanish from both of us.
“Are you trying to get me drunk?” I swirl my glass in a circle, the ice clinking on the cut crystal. I’ve had two drinks now. The first one went down entirely too fast. Jace made us both another one, and this time, I’ve been nursing it. I worried it’d go to myhead, and the drink’s definitely hitting me judging by the way my nose and tips of my fingers are currently tingling.
“Me? I’d never.” He feign mocks, bringing his own glass to his chest like I plunged a dagger into his heart.
“You absolutely would,” I say with a laugh. He’s given me time to be quiet and contemplative. There’s been no incessant chatter for the sake of talking. I watched him move with gracefulness, moving between the kitchen and the grill. Every now and then, the tip of his finger would graze my neck or my arm, touching without words.
“I’m offended.” His teasing tone makes me forget about my family and any other stress.
“I’m good, promise.”
“We both know that’s not the truth.” His fingers lace with mine and give me a firm squeeze.
“But if I have any more, I’ll be too drunk to enjoy the delicious dinner that smells amazing, by the way, and then I’ll nap.”
“You change your mind, I’ll take care of you, peaches.” He bends down to me, and I tip my face upward, my eyes traveling every delicious inch of his body— the dusting of chest hair that trails from his upper body down to his happy trail, and the lower V of his abdomen has me thinking about how I’ll give him the orgasm he freely gave me.
“Yeah, Jace, I know you will.” His eyes are on mine, dark and bright all at once. A restless heat is burning below the surface, making it hard to catch my breath.
“Be right back.” He keeps his gaze on me and drops his mouth to mine, giving me a soft but lingering kiss. And when he steps back, I don’t just see it, I feel it—a gravitation pull, like flame finding air. And when he looks at me, it sends a secret message between the two of us, blazing and unguarded. A shiver runs through me knowing it’s all for me.
I watch him as I take another sip of my drink, needing it to cool down the inferno raging inside of me. I moisten my lips while keeping my eyes on him through the kitchen windows. He’s got a smile on his face, stops to take a sip of his drink, then tosses a kitchen towel over his shoulder, marinates the steak and vegetables with seasonings, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the show.
When I lose sight of him, it’s only for a moment. Soft lights turn on in each corner of the deck, the path leading to the dock where Jace’s boat is moored to the wood pilons under a covered area to keep it out of the elements are illuminated, too. It really is an outdoor sanctuary, a little slice of heaven where you’re surrounded by nothing but nature’s beauty.
Jace turns on the stereo system. It isn’t overbearingly loud, more like a background noise while you’re enjoying the evening. A familiar song by Otis Redding starts up, a song that paints a simple scene, one where a man is sitting alone by the water, watching the tide roll away. Beneath the calm image, there’s a deep sense of reflection. I hum along, low in my throat, with the soft guitar and steady rhythm. This song can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, a lot like art. Everyone deciphers it differently. To me, it’s got a bit of loneliness tinged with acceptance, and drifting. Maybe I resonate with this song a lot more than I thought I would.
“What’s got you so deep in thought, peaches?” Jace appears, asking me a loaded question. He moves toward the grill, putting the potatoes and asparagus on a tray to sauté them before moving back to me.
“Life, work, everything in between,” I say as he settles down beside me, picking up my legs and placing them on his thighs. The blanket gets tangled between the floor and my thighs.
“Tell me about it.” His hands massage my calves. The pants of my legs moved up at some point, and he’s made it his task to take care of me.
“Are you sure you want to hear about all my problems?” When he said it looked like I could use a friend, he didn’t realize he was hitting the nail on the head. When you have an asshole father, an alcoholic mother, and a grandmother who can’t remember you, it makes it hard to have friends or a companionship of any kind. But I take the small glimpses I get of the woman who means the world to me as a win in my otherwise desolate life. Which only makes the pit of my stomach sink further to my feet.
“Yeah, I’m sure. Wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t, peaches.” He stops his ministrations for only a moment to take another sip of his drink. I do the same, gearing up to lay it out and get it off my chest. Which should be weird, because Jace McKay is a virtual stranger. Minus the few interactions we’ve had at work, we barely know each other. Well, he knows what I sound like when I come, but the other stuff, he doesn’t.
“Well, here goes nothing. When you came in, William Ashford Junior was thoroughly putting me in my place, and not due to the fact that I messed up on a spreadsheet. I would never make a mistake like that, not with the last name attached to my first. When you’re unfortunately related to a man like my father, one must look a certain way and act a certain way. Errors and oversights aren’t allowable. He was making it clear to me that if my work wasn’t done, he’d find another way to punish me.” Jace tenses beneath me. “He doesn’t use his fists, he’d never get dirty. He doesn’t even use his words. He threatens me with the only person I care about in my life more than I care about myself. The sad part is, she doesn’t even remember me.” The way I’m telling this story makes it sound like I’m referring to a child. God, what my father would do if I ever had a child out of wedlock.
