Home is Where the Heart Is (Home #1)

by Cheynee Filkov

  Who was this girl?

  “Makes me a coward, right?” she sighed.

  Jace thought about how he kept everyone, even his own twin at arm’s length, and shook his head.

  “Not at all.”

  Isabelle seemed to realise just how much she’d opened up to him and immediately crossed her arms over her chest, moving back a bit defensively.

  “Should we get going?” she asked briskly.

  Jace smiled and led the way out. “Sure.”

  He guided her over to his house and then through his garage where his black v8 ute was parked.

  “Is it just us?” she asked, eyeing the Ute with interest.

  Jace grinned playfully. “My baby only seats three. I didn’t think you would want to sit on my lap so Matt and Maia took her car and went ahead.”

  He was rewarded with a blush. He loved that he affected her, no matter how small.

  “Are we going to be late?” she asked, eyes wide with worry.

  “We are the party, Angel, so it’s impossible for us to be late,” he laughed, feeling on top of the world.

  “Are you always this cheesy with your other girls?”

  “What other girls? I only see you.”

  “That’s because I’m the only one here,” she said impatiently.

  He winked. “Exactly.”

  As she blushed again he brushed past her to open the passenger door.

  “Ladies first.”

  She looked at him, eyes speculative.

  “What?” he said, feeling self-conscious.

  “You’re weird.”

  “Is that a good thing?”

  Please say yes. Please say yes.

  She actually gave him a mischievous smile. “Maybe.”

  Making sure she was in safely, he shut her door and practically danced over to his side.

  So far, so good.

  Now all he needed to do was fend off about twenty testosterone filled guys and he’d be sweet.

  *

  “Oh…wow,” Isabelle sighed.

  Jace nodded as he pulled up to the house. “Bit excessive, right?”

  As they exited the car and Jace locked up he turned to see Isabelle staring open mouthed at the three storey mansion.

  “This is your friend’s house?” she breathed.

  “Well, it’s his parents house, but he lives here too.”

  Isabelle just stared.

  Not that Jace could blame her. The house was awesome.

  White house with lots of glass windows everywhere, a perfect green polished front yard, lawn complete with a bridge and fish pond. Inside, it was pristine with white walls, black tiles and expensive pretty much everything. It boasted six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a movie theatre and, of course, a pool with water feature and slide.

  “I’ll get Ben to give you the grand tour once we’re inside,” he said as he took her hand and pulled her forward.

  “Wait! I have stage fright!” she whispered as they paused by the back gate.

  Jace snorted. “Are you kidding me?”

  The warmth in her smile practically melted him.

  “I’ll be there the whole time, OK? And if you hate it after an hour, we can leave.”

  She stumbled back like he’d hit her.

  “Whoa, are you OK?”

  She nodded but her hands were shaking. “Yeah, it’s just a bit of déjà vu.”

  “Give it twenty minutes,” he amended. “You still hate it, come grab me and we’ll go.”

  She nodded and Jace once again joined their hands, took a deep breath and then pushed through the gate.

  As soon as they walked through, Jace’s confidence wavered. Every single eye was trained on Isabelle and every single male eye, apart from Matt, glittered with lust gazing at her.

  He knew she was going to attract attention, but this was goddamn ridiculous. Scowling at any of them who made the mistake of catching his eye, Jace tried to make it clear with his glare that she was off limits.

  While concentrating on the reaction of the other partygoers, Jace had temporarily forgotten Isabelle and missed her silent panic attack. He gave her his full attention now and noticed how wide and panicked her eyes were as she started backing towards the gate.

  Keeping his hand wrapped around hers firmly, he backed up so he was right near her ear.

  “It’s OK,” he murmured.

  “Everyone is staring at me,” she whispered, her voice filled with worry.

  “They’ve never seen an angel before. Allow for adjustment.”

  She rolled her eyes at him but gave a small smile and stopped trying to back away.

  “Do you want a drink?” he asked, hoping to distract her.

  “Or ten,” she muttered.

  Jace smiled. “Come on, I’ll give you the tour.”

  He fought hard to conceal his surprise as Isabelle tightened her hand in his, looking up at him expectantly.

  With a small nod he led her into the extravagant house, first stopping in the massive kitchen.

  “It’s like something out of a movie,” she whispered as her eyes took in the marble counter tops, three fridges, two walk in pantries and a huge chandelier hanging over the bench.

  Jace just grinned at her, enjoying the innocent wonder in her eyes.

  “Cruiser?” he asked, offering her the bottle of pink alcohol.

  With a grateful smile she took the drink from him, pulled the top off and took a tentative swig.

  “It’s yum,” she said taking another sip.

  “You’ve never had that flavour before?” he asked leaning against the counter.

  She shrugged. “I don’t really drink and when I did it was usually nothing girly or sweet.”

  His eyes perked up in interest. “Are you a dark angel then?”

  Isabelle snorted. “Yep that’s me - biggest bad ass out.”

  “Should I be locking my doors at night then? I mean, you do know where I live.”

  She leant in close enough that his breath hitched when her scent consumed him.

  “That wouldn’t keep me out if I wanted to get in.”

  They stayed in that moment, close enough to kiss but not quite touching until the screen door opened and they both jumped apart with their faces flushed.

  “Jace! What’s up, man?”

  His jaw clenched as he prayed for the strength not to punch Ben in his perfect fucking face.

  Riding out the violent urge, he plastered a tight smile on his face.

  “Hey man, when are your parents back?”

  Ben shrugged. “Didn’t say.”

  Isabelle’s mouth dropped. “Aren’t you worried you’ll get busted?”

  Ben turned his dark eyes to her and gave his most charming smile. “They aren’t stupid but neither am I. Everything they care about is locked up, I pretty much keep everyone outside, and the house is always cleaner than when they left it, so there’s really no problem.”

  Isabelle nodded and took another sip, shifting closer to Jace.

  “My name’s Ben,” he offered his hand. “Your party host, which means anything you need, it’s my job to get for you.”

  “I’m Isabelle. Does everyone get this treatment?”

  Ben winked. “Only the pretty ones.”

  “Well, since I’m the prettiest, what do I get?” Jace interjected, moving to stand behind Isabelle with an overbearing need to stake his claim.

  Ben looked between the two of them for a few moments and then smiled brightly again.

  “An ego check, my friend,” he said finally, but his tone was friendly and he’d eased away from Isabelle.

  Isabelle giggled and relaxed a little bit into Jace, although her eyes took Ben in with appreciation.

  Yep, he was a dream boat all right. Even Jace could see the attraction which naturally just pissed him off more.

  Ben grabbed a beer from the fridge and then gestured them towards the door.

  “Come on, you can’t just steal her away. Let’s go socialise and show Isabel
le how it’s done.”

  Isabelle walked out first, leaving the two boys alone.

  “Oh my God,” Ben mouthed to Jace. “She is so hot!”

  Jace smiled but his eyes were cold in a very keep-your-hands-off kind of way.

  Ben grinned, holding his hands up in surrender as he walked out after Isabelle.

  Jace regretted being the designated driver already. He wasn’t sure how he was going to watch her being stalked like prey without a beer to mellow him.

  “Isabelle! Jace!”

  Isabelle turned to make sure Jace was following as she smiled over at Maia standing on a chair, jumping up and down.

  “Is your sister drunk already?” Isabelle whispered as they headed over.

  Jace smirked. “Nope.”

  “Oh, wow.”

  “I know - wait until the alcohol hits,” he told her playfully.

  Isabelle smiled nervously as she crossed the distance between them, bracing when Maia threw herself into her arms.

  “You made it!”

  “We sure did,” Isabelle replied, squirming a little with the constant affection.

  Maia let go of Isabelle and appraised her, running her eyes up and down Isabelle’s frame with a frown on her face.

  Isabelle picked at her dress anxiously. “What?”

  “You look better in my dress than I do,” Maia told her, looking miserable.

  Isabelle looked aghast. “No I don’t.”

  Maia sighed deeply. “You do. I don’t have the boobs or the sexy curves to fill it out like you do.”

  Isabelle looked up at Jace for help so he pushed forward and twirled around.

  “Well? What about me?”

  Maia raised an eyebrow. “You couldn’t pull it off either.”

  “Oh, ouch!”

  Maia smacked Jace away dismissively and put her arm through Isabelle’s.

  “Come on babe, let’s go say hi to everyone.”

  As she left, Maia gave Jace a warning glance which he returned with a glare.

  With Isabelle in good hands, Jace relaxed and settled himself into the party. He made small talk with a few guys he used to play footy with before heading over to Matt and lounging on a leather couch, perfectly positioned to provide a perfect view of Isabelle.

  He scoffed to himself - a freaking leather couch outside. It was pretty much a sign that said ‘we burn money for fun.’ As he sipped his drink and watched the group around Isabelle grow bigger, he felt eyes burning into him. And not just one pair.

  He looked around to see the majority of guys at the party staring at him with interest.

  “What’s their deal?” he asked Matt.

  “You just rocked up with this Sports Illustrated looking girl with no explanation. In this town, that’s kind of a big deal.”

  Jace raised an eyebrow. “Sports Illustrated?”

  Matt groaned. “Oh grow up Jace. Just because I’m practically married to your sister, doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes. Isabelle is banging, any idiot could see that.”

  Matt then looked around and grinned. “Rather, every idiot already has.”

  As if on cue, Jace found himself slowly being surrounded - the press of male bodies reeking of alcohol and sweat overwhelming him.

  A rough hand pushed him in the chest.

  “What the hell, dude?”

  He turned his attention to Tyler, playboy of the town. He was also arguably the best looking dude with that body that he spent hours toning at the gym, like the show pony he was.

  “Where have you been hiding her?”

  Grunts of agreement followed him.

  Jace tried to be nonchalant. “She’s my new neighbour. I’m just helping her settle in.”

  Matt snorted in disbelief as hope crossed the faces of the guys around him.

  “So, does she have a boyfriend?” Tyler pressed. “Is she available?”

  Jace felt his insides freeze, how the hell was he supposed to answer that? He certainly didn’t own Isabelle, but there was no way in hell he was going to pass her up as the flavour of the month for these clowns.

  “She doesn’t have a boyfriend,” he said tersely. “But she’s not available.”

  The guys looked at him then and maybe for the first time ever, Jace felt like they were actually noticing him for more than that stoner at a party. They were starting to see him as a potential threat and he was surprised to find the caveman in him welcomed it.

  “Still, it would be rude not to introduce myself,” Tyler said lightly, with a cocky grin.

  “She won’t be interested,” Ben drawled as he walked over.

  “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

  Ben waved back to Isabelle who was politely listening to Slater as he practically drooled in her drink. Just as Jace was about to turn away, Isabelle looked over at him and smiled, lifting her hand in a wave.

  “Go and talk to her for ten minutes, she isn’t like the other girls here. She’s smart and funny and completely seduce-proof.”

  Tyler scoffed. “No one is seduce-proof.”

  Jace’s hands curled into fists. “She’s not a game for you to play.”

  Tyler smirked as he backed towards Isabelle. “Guess we’ll find out.”

  If it weren’t for Matt’s iron grip on his arms, Jace would have launched himself at the little shit. He had seen what happened to the girls Tyler had grown tired of so quickly. Like hell Jace was going to throw Isabelle to the wolves.

  “so – a girl, huh?”

  Jace kept his eyes on Isabelle and Tyler as he answered Ben.

  “Yeah, yeah. There’s just something about her.”

  “She’s definitely on a different level of hot,” Brandon, Tyler’s right hand man, sighed.

  “She’s beautiful,” Jace corrected firmly.

  “She’s so sad,” Ben said quietly, finally breaking Jace’s anxious gaze at Isabelle.

  “What?”

  “She’s sad,” he repeated. “I was just talking to her before and her eyes were so fucking sad even though she was smiling. I almost gave her my mother’s shrink’s number.”

  Jace wanted to punch him out. Why did Ben have to be perceptive and sensitive? Wasn’t being rich and attractive enough? Didn’t Jace have enough odds stacked against him with Isabelle as it was?

  “She doesn’t look sad now,” Matt mused. “More like uncomfortable.”

  Jace looked over to see Tyler all up in Isabelle’s space as she backed away with a forced smile.

  “Hmm, looks like she really is seduce-proof,” Brandon said.

  “No,” Jace said as he strode away. “She’s just not stupid.”

  The look of relief on Isabelle’s face as soon as she saw Jace was enough to speed Jace’s heart up and give him the courage to wrap a protective arm around her.

  “Jace, I’m so glad you’re here,” Isabelle said brightly, although she shifted away from his touch slightly.

  He smiled down at her reassuringly.

  “I was just telling Isabelle that we should get a water volley ball game going - it is, after all, a pool party.”

  Tyler was smiling at him but the tone of his voice made it clear that he wanted Jace gone, yesterday.

  “I think we’ll need to warm up with a few more drinks first,” Jace said. “You want a top up Isabelle?”

  She smiled so brightly he was almost blinded. “Oh yes please, I would love one.”

  This time it was she that towed Jace along.

  “Nice meeting you,” she called back to Tyler.

  She let out a sigh of relief.

  “Thank you so much,” she whispered releasing his hand. “I was in definite need of rescuing. I feel like I need a shower with sand paper after the way he stared at me.”

  “So, what’s it like being the hit of the party?” he asked as he grabbed another drink.

  “I hate having all this attention on me,” she admitted. “But everyone has been really nice and welcoming.”

  Jace snuck a look at her with
that hot little body and gorgeous face. Yeah, he’d bet they were being super welcoming.

  “We haven’t scared you off already?” he asked.

  “It takes a lot to scare me,” she scoffed.

  “I can tell.”

  A flush crept onto her cheeks but she didn’t look away this time. Instead she took his hand and led him back over to where Maia and Matt were stripping down to their swimmers.

  “Sick of being told how hot you are yet?” Maia quipped at Isabelle who actually rolled her eyes at her.

  “You’re obviously drunk,” she told Maia firmly.

  Maia grinned. “Yeah, yeah, come on, we’re going for a dip in the spa. Strip into your swimmers and then we’ll see.”

  Isabelle pulled at her dress. “Oh, I don’t know…”

  “She doesn’t have to,” Jace said defensively. He didn’t want Isabelle to feel uncomfortable but he was having a hard enough time with the guys when she had her clothes on.

  Maia tsked at him. “Shut up and let the girl make up her own mind. Now Isabelle, are you going to come and have fun or chicken out?”

  Isabelle’s eyes flashed and Jace was worried she might try and lunge at Maia. Instead she pulled the dress swiftly over her head, tossing it at her feet as she stared at Maia defiantly.

  Jace had never been more turned on in his life. Unlike Maia who was very model like with her long legs and willowy body, Isabelle was all curves and softness.

  “Damn,” Maia whistled. “You should wear less more often.”

  Isabelle chuckled and shook her head but Maia wasn’t so easily appeased.

  “No,” she insisted. “Jace, tell her how hot she is.”

  Isabelle looked to Jace expectantly who couldn’t find the right words to describe her beauty.

  “You look… I mean…your body…no! I…”

  Maia smirked and took Isabelle’s hand. “Rendered him speechless, you go girl. Come on, let’s go claim the good spa before the couples defile it.”

  “Aren’t you one of those couples?” Isabelle asked as they moved away, scoring a chuckle of delight from Maia.

  “Jace.”

  He looked over to Maia’s best friend, Giselle.