For a moment, he didn’t speak. His throat worked on a hard swallow, his jaw tightening as his teeth caught briefly on the silver ring in his lip, like he was holding himself together by sheer force of will. When his eyes met mine, they were too full of relief and hope and something achingly close to reverence, and it hit me so hard my own breath stuttered.
Understanding softened his expression, his hands returning to my skin, careful and sure, exactly where I needed them.
“Okay, then,” he said quietly, like a vow. “We’ll try.”
***
After our bath, Jace set me in my bed under the covers. I thought he might crawl in next to me, but instead, he shut off the lamp and retreated back downstairs to the couch. I was disappointed, but I understood why he did it. He was trying to give me the space to let him back in again at my own pace. Though honestly,I wasn’t sure I knew what my pace was. My bed felt empty without him.
I slept late the next morning, waking to the sound of Jace and Zara talking downstairs. He said something, and she giggled. He must’ve gone out early to collect her from his parents. Just the sound of them interacting had a smile stretching across my face. My muscles ached from last night, though the bath had helped. Taking the time to get dressed, I went downstairs and found them in the living room playing a game of Cribbage. They sat crossed legged on the floor by the coffee table.
“Morning,” I said and felt Jace’s heated gaze follow me as I went to give Zara a hug. “Did you have fun at Granny and Granddad’s last night?”
“Yes. Granddad taught me this new card game. It’s really fun. Want to play?”
So Jace hadn’t been the only one playing cards last night, though Zara’s game with Jay was a lot less risky than a poker game in the back room of a casino. The black bag full of chips was still outside in Jace’s car. I wondered what he was going to do with them. He’d said he didn’t plan to cash them, and perhaps that was for the best. He’d gotten Elias out of there, and that was the main goal.
“Maybe later. I’m going to make something to eat first.”
In the kitchen, I put a bagel in the toaster and went to check if there was any cream cheese in the fridge. As I scanned the shelves, a pair of warm, strong arms banded around my waist while a soft mouth pressed a kiss to the hollow of my neck. “How did you sleep?”
“Well. You?”
“Not too badly, considering.”
A small quiet passed while I grabbed the tub of cream cheese and closed the fridge. Jace released me as I went to put the kettle on for tea.
“Maybe we should keep things PG in front of Zara,” I said quietly.
“I agree. It’s hard not to touch you, though.” Jace sat by the counter, watching me eat my bagel. It felt like his eyes were everywhere, taking in every little detail about me. It was both exhilarating and nerve wracking all at the same time.
“I have to go see Elias now, but when I get back, how do you feel about taking Zara out somewhere for the day?” he suggested. “Yesterday was pretty heavy.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“A funfair, perhaps?”
“A funfair?” came Zara’s excited voice. “Are we going to a funfair?”
Jace and I shared a smile before he turned to our daughter. “Looks like we are now.”
***
“I want the purple and green one!” Zara shouted while Jace pointed the BB gun at a row of plastic ducks.
“Whatever the lady wants, the lady gets,” he replied, casting her a fond grin before focusing back on the shooting game. The teenager with long hair and an eyebrow piercing standing behind the counter folded his arms and wore a faintly cocky expression, like he knew the game was rigged, and Jace had no chance of winning.
Sadly for him, Jace was raised by a man who’d taught him every magic trick and carnival scam in the book. How to play poker like a pro wasn’t the only thing Jay had passed down to his son. One of the reasons Jace was so good at guitar solos was from all the sleight of hand stuff his dad taught him growing up.Fast fingers. Yeah, they were good for other stuff, too … stuff I should not be thinking about right now.
Catching sight of myself in the reflection of the clear plastic booth, I realised I looked different. My hair was loose, several wayward strands flying all about. My blouse had three buttons undone, when I was normally a buttoned up to the top sort of person. My cheeks were rosy, my natural complexion on show because I’d forgotten to put on any makeup. Don’t get me wrong, I was always going to be the type of person who liked to dress smart and live in an orderly, organised way. But sometimes it was good to let go of the rules, just for a while. Jace had always been an expert at making me that little bit more carefree.
“See the thing about this is, you’ve got to make sure the sight hasn’t been tampered with,” Jace said to Zara, like he was giving her a little shooting lesson, and I couldn’t help noticing how sexy he looked, his shirt sleeve tightening around his muscular arm as he positioned the toy gun. He cast a smirk in the direction of Mr Eyebrow Piercing and continued, “Of course, I’d never expect a fine establishment such as this to, say, misalign the sight so it doesn’t shoot where I aim it.”
The young lad’s cocky expression faltered, his arms dropping as he frowned at Jace. “Sometimes, it just takes a small adjustment, and …” Jace took the shot and the first duck went flying, then the second, third, and fourth. Moments later, he’d knocked all seven off their perches, winning firstprize, which was to pick any of the large cuddly toys from the top tier of the prize shelf.
“Yay!” Zara cheered, jumping up and down, her enthusiasm so infectious I found myself grinning like a loon.
Jace slid the BB gun back to Mr Eyebrow Piercing before ruffling the top of Zara’s head. “You heard the lady. Give us the purple and green one, good sir.”
