“Oh, yeah, there’s always something with Viola. I’ve learned to tune her out.”
“Does she ever say anything to Zara?” he went on, gaze darkening.
“No, she’s not that terrible, at least. She only bothers me. Seriously, Jace—”
“She won’t bother you again. I’ll see to it.” Something steely entered his expression.
I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I took the mug, about to hand it to him. But I was distracted from his proximity, and my hand shook, causing a few drops of hot water to burn my fingers.
“Crap, ouch!” I yelped, immediately putting the mug back down before Jace was on me.
“Let me see.” He led me over to the sink and turned on the cold tap. His thumb gently brushed over my reddened skin before he held my hand under the running water. At first, it felt practical, but then, as the icy cool water sluiced over our joined hands, something warm coiled pleasurably around me. My gaze flicked up, and I found him studying me with soft concern.
“Any better?” he asked, but my throat was too thick to reply. What was wrong with me? I’d just scalded my hand with hot tea, and now I was having lewd thoughts about my ex.
“Yes, much,” I said at last, and Jace turned off the tap before grabbing a clean dish cloth to dry my hand. He stood before me, tenderly dabbing away the wetness, his guitar-callused fingers brushing my palm several times. My breath caught when histhumb stroked the inside of my wrist, lungs constricting as his eyes focused in on me. I stared at his lip ring, entranced by the silver glint like some sparkle obsessed corvid.
“You two okay over there?” Margie asked, a knowing lilt to her words, and I immediately stepped away. I could feel Jace’s eyes on me for a prolonged beat, followed by a heavy exhale of breath before he turned and picked up his tea.
“Never better,” he replied tightly before returning to the table and rejoining my friends. I stood next to the counter, gripping the edge and oscillating between the instinct to tell everyone I wasn’t feeling well and the other option— taking the seat next to Jace and revelling in the neediness he so effortlessly drew out of me.
Thankfully, Zara chose that very moment to call down the stairs, “Mam, where are my purple pyjamas?”
“I’ll get them for you now,” I called back before addressing Jace and my friends. “I’m just going to put her to bed. I’ll be back down in a few minutes.”
“I can do that,” Jace offered, but I shook my head.
“It’s fine. I need to search for the pyjamas, and you won’t know where to look.”
He sat back and nodded, while I left the room and went upstairs. I didn’t even mind that my friends were probably grilling Jace about being back from his tour and what his plans were moving forward. I couldn’t trust myself not to do something stupid, especially with how attractive I found him tonight. And let’s face it, all the time.
I took my time helping Zara with her bedtime routine before finally returning downstairs. To my dismay, my friends were gathering their things to leave. I glanced at the clock. Was it ten already? Time flew when you were avoiding your ex—and the lust he inspired.
“You’re leaving?” I asked as I went to give them each a hug.
“You know I don’t like to miss my eleven o’clock bedtime,” Ozzie said with grin. The man had become obsessed with this sleep expert who preached about the importance of going to bed at the exact same hour every night.
“We’re meeting at my place next time,” Lotte said. “Don’t forget.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
“I’ll stop by for coffee on Monday morning,” Margie said with a grin and a wink. Thankfully, she didn’t mention her reason for stopping by was so that we could discuss how my date with Rufus went. I was really nervous about Sunday.
Before I knew it, I was alone with Jace. Shutting my front door after waving goodbye to my friends, I returned to the kitchen and found him tidying up.
“I can finish that. You should get going,” I said, and his eyes lifted as he carried some glasses over to the dishwasher.
“I don’t mind.”
I stood watching him for a minute, unsure how to approach Jace being in my house this late at night. A tingly shiver tiptoed down my spine. There was something appealing about a man as sexy and handsome as Jace doing household chores. “Oh, just a heads up,” he said, breaking the quiet, “that mother you mentioned, the one with the ponytail? She introduced herself to me at the school today.”
I grimaced. “Laura? What did she want?”
Jace placed the final glass in the dishwasher and closed the door. “She mentioned organising a play date between Zara and her daughter and asked for my number.”
I’ll bloody bet she did. Pressing my lips together in annoyance, I asked, “And did you give it to her?”
Jace shot me a wry look. “Course I didn’t. This isn’t my first rodeo. I told her that if Zara wanted to hang out with her kid, she could arrange everything with you.”
