by Lyssa Layne
“Come on,” I urge him and open Ashley’s back gate just as Adam steps onto her deck. Safely hidden on the other side of her fence, I relax but don’t let go of Jace’s hand. Having my hand in his gives me a sense of safety and comfort. We get to my backdoor and I slide it open, letting us in.
“You want another beer?” I open the fridge door and grab myself one.
“Sure.”
I hand him a bottle and jump up to take a seat on the counter.
Jace watches me closely as he opens his beer. “So…what was it that Ashley needed you to get?”
Shit! “Um…” I open the drawer beneath my legs and pull out a potholder. “She needed this.”
He takes a long drink and I’m mesmerized by the way his muscles move as he swallows. Tilting the beer back up, he looks directly at me and says, “Bullshit.”
My cheeks flush red and my brain races, trying to figure out how to talk myself out of this. Jace sets his beer on the counter and closes the space between us, stopping two feet in front of me. “You don’t have to ramble, just tell me what that little unspoken conversation was that you two just had and why we had to get the hell out of dodge.”
I sigh and pick at the label on my beer bottle. “My ex, Adam, had just arrived.”
He nods. “The asshole who’s moving to New York?”
I smirk at his title for Adam. “The one and only, that’s him.”
“So was he always that bad or why were you with him?”
His eyes are so sincere when he asks. It’s almost as though he doesn’t want me to say Adam has always been a dickhead. “He was my first serious boyfriend. I was afraid I would never find someone again, that I’d be alone forever, not to mention I got knocked up. It only took a self-centered asshole and a horrible marriage for me to realize that being alone isn’t such a bad thing.”
“You really like being alone?”
I shrug. “I like not having to shave my legs every day.”
Jace’s eyes are alive at my comment and he steps between my legs. His calloused hands are on my thighs and my skin sears underneath his warm touch. He leans his head close to my ear and whispers, “Well, I’m glad you shaved today. Nothing turns me on more than the feel of soft, smooth skin.”
My swimsuit is drenched between my legs and I can feel my chest heaving for air. He takes my hand in his and slips it under his shirt. My fingers float over his bare six-pack, touching just the ripples and curves of his muscles. OMG! The man is probably smooth everywhere whereas my grooming habits include running a razor over my legs and armpits every other day. I will never be able to be naked in front of this man… ever. So much for possibly getting laid…
Letting my hand linger and explore the rest of his stomach, he moves his hand to the bare skin exposed by the cheap swimsuit cover-up I made out of an old tie-dye shirt. His rough fingers walk up my ribcage, pausing at my tattoo along my bra line.
His head still close to my ear, he whispers, “Tell me about this.”
My fingers continue to memorize the planes of his body as I talk. “I got it when Grey was six months, it was my eighteenth birthday present to myself. Adam’s team won the state baseball tournament the day Grey was born so the circle is made up of Grey’s birth stats and then the red lines of stitching is supposed to make it look like a baseball.”
His lips brush across my shoulder then they move to my neck. Next, he sucks my earlobe and whispers, “Is there anything else that’s so fuckin’ sexy on you that I should know about?”
I close my eyes, trying to swallow my nerves and slowly shake my head. “Tell me about your tattoos.”
Jace moves his hand to my cheek, tilting my head. “Later. Right now, I’m going to kiss you.”
Nerves make my hands tremble against his stomach and I pull them away. Jace takes his time, moving his lips against mine and igniting a spark that has my mind spinning. One hand moves to his shirt, grasping it and pulling him closer while the other caresses the back of his head. His tongue parts my lips and invades my mouth, not that I mind. Without realizing it, my legs wrap around his waist and I draw him closer to me.
His hands roam inside my swimsuit cover, teasing every inch of my torso and my head spins, unable to focus on his hands or his lips or his tongue. The back door slides open and I’m grateful for my lack of ability to focus. My hands move to his chest, pushing him away from me and I slide off the counter, turning to see who’s walking in. Jace doesn’t move any further, his hands firmly planted on my hips as I’m pinned between him and the counter.
“Hey Mom, Ashley said the coast is clear,” Grey yells at me as he runs down the hall, dripping water as he does and not even looking in our direction.
Jace’s tongue rolls over my earlobe. “Before you freak out, that was one hell of a kiss and I plan on doing that again in the near future.” His lips brush against my cheek and he walks toward the back door. “I’ll see you back at the party.”
He closes the door behind him and my legs turn to jelly. Sliding down the cabinets, I sit on the floor and hold my head in my hands. Did I seriously just almost orgasm from a kiss? I’m more out of practice than I thought.
CHAPTER 15
Jace
My mouth is watering from the smell of the pizza sitting in the passenger seat that’s taking over the limited space in the small SUV. Knowing that Grey and Sam are with Ashley tonight, I’m taking a risk that Laurel might want to hang out. I know if I asked her out on a date, she’d start that whole nervous rambling shit she does. It’s abso-fuckin’-lutely sexy when she does it and I could let her talk for hours watching her face turn three shades of red but after a while, I usually decide to spare her the embarrassment and myself from a case of blue balls.
This woman does it for me like no one has before. Maybe because deep down, I know she’s forbidden and we never really stand a chance. She’d be a fool to fall for another asshole. I’m not all that different than her ex, although I try to convince myself that I am. Everything he’s done, I’ve probably done ten times worse, but that was the old me and I keep telling myself that I won’t do that shit any more. I’m tired of hurting people, especially the ones dumb enough to love me. Pain stabs me in the stomach and I know I should turn around so I don’t put Laurel in the position to get hurt down the road.
As I make the decision to head home instead of Laurel’s, I slow down and there on the sidewalk is one sexy-ass Laurel in a pair of turquoise running shorts and a hot pink sports bra. Her ponytail is drenched and sweat rolls down her forehead and over the rest of her body. She jogs in place and waves her hand but I can’t peel my eyes off her damp sports bra.
I roll down the window and she walks over. “Hey, what are you doing in this neighborhood?” she asks in between trying to catch her breath.
Fuck, I want to make her breathless and sweaty for another reason…Suddenly, I feel like she must when she’s nervous because when I open my mouth gibberish comes out. “Oh well, you know…I was just in the area…and…”
A smile stretches across her face and she lifts her eyebrows mischievously. Pushing on her tippy toes, she leans in the window and nods at the pizza while my eyes zero in on her cleavage. “Mario’s? They have the best pizza in town, good choice.”
The pizza! “Actually, I know the boys aren’t home tonight so I thought maybe we could drink a few beers and work on that table project of yours.” I nod behind me. “I brought my toolbox with me.”
Laurel bites the inside of her cheek, thinking way too hard about my invitation. I reach out and run my finger down her jawline. “I’ll wait for you at your place.”
She takes a step back and nods while I drive down the block and pull in her driveway. My nerves chew at my stomach as I take out the pizza and cooler of beer. I grab my toolbox and set it on the table in back, pulling out what I think we’ll need. I hear Laurel behind me and turn around, slipping my hands in my pockets to hide any signs of nerves.
“Nothing better than an ice cold beer after a
run, right?” I ask, laughing nervously as I do.
Laurel gives a soft smile. “I’ll be right out.”
I watch her walk inside then turn and place my hands on the picnic table, dropping my head. Get it together, Richards, you know what to do! Yeah, except this is Laurel Darbis, not some bimbo you’re bringing home to bang. The door slides open behind me and I turn to see much to my disappointment that Laurel’s pulled on a faded t-shirt over her sports bra.
Tentatively, she closes the door behind her and walks to the far end of the table. She holds up a few pieces of paper. “So far, I’ve got through the supply part and that’s it.”
I laugh and take the directions from her. “Alright, Tim Allen, let’s see what we need to do here.”
She giggles and we get started on the project. A couple beers in and we’re almost through the first few steps. Classic rock plays on the radio and we make small talk as we work. This isn’t your typical first date but it’s one of the best I’ve ever had.
“You know, Adam would never do anything like this with me,” she comments, not looking up from sanding.
“Well, he’s an idiot. I’ll take whatever time I can spend with you.”
The words come out before I realize and Laurel stops what she’s doing to look over at me. Her cheeks flush and she shakes her head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. It makes this awkward, doesn’t it?”
I shrug. “Doesn’t bother me. So why don’t you go back to your maiden name?”
Turning back to her sanding task, she scoffs. “Great idea except Grey’s full name is Greyson, which is my maiden name. That’d be a little awkward, wouldn’t it?”
I laugh. “Well, maybe just a bit. Why’d you decide to name him that?”
Laurel’s shoulders drop and she sighs. “I had an older brother who died from a drug overdose. He was the only one to pass on the family name so when I got pregnant and found out we were having a boy, I thought it would be a way to still pass on the family name somehow.”
Other than telling me about Adam’s upcoming move, this is the most intimate piece of information that she’s shared with me. I put down the drill and walk to her, putting my hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry about your brother.”
She looks up at me, her eyes glossy from tears and she laughs. “Our dad was teacher of the year, both in his district and statewide, you would think his kids would be the picture of perfection, huh? Instead, he had one that was a druggie and the other pregnant at seventeen.”
I pull her to stand up and wrap my arms around her. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, we all make mistakes.”
Her arms tighten around my torso and she looks up into my eyes. “You should tell yourself the same thing.”
Laurel
Things got a little too serious for the kind of relationship I have with Jace Richards. Then again, I’m not even sure what kind of relationship that is, if any we have at all. Either way, I have only confided in him and Ashley about Adam’s upcoming nuptials and move. Then there was the time that he tried to tell me he was a piece of shit and I talked him out of running. So maybe we do have some sort of fucked-up relationship that’s masked by small talk but push come to shove, we both know the other will be there when we need it. How in the hell in just three short months have I gotten to that point with playboy Jace Richards?
Looking over at the baseball god hammering together the pieces of wood for my Pinterest-inspired table, he wipes sweat off his forehead before it rolls into his eyes. The summer heat is unrelenting, even in the evening when things should cool off.
“You look pretty hot.” The second the words are out of my mouth, my cheeks burn and I shake my head, trying to backtrack. “I didn’t mean looks wise…well, you are hot but…I meant temperature…like the heat is making you hot.” Oh good Lord, strike me down.
Jace glances up, the left side of his lips in a grin and he nods. “I knew what you meant… and thanks, you’re pretty hot yourself.”
My face feels like I just stuck it inside a volcano and I really think I could die of embarrassment right here. Jace walks behind me and opens the cooler. I close my eyes, trying to will myself to stop making idiotic comments. An ice cold chill hits the back of my thigh and I jump at the surprise of the coldness.
Jace’s hand moves to my hip and he trails the cold bottle over the back of my shirt to my neck and then slowly drops it down my chest. “Thought you might need some cooling off.” His voice is deep, and all too tempting, right in my ear.
I nod, my stomach burning with desire, quite the opposite of cooling off. I reach up and take the bottle from him. “Thanks,” I manage to squeak out.
He laughs at my actions and his lips move to my neck, kissing me slowly. I lean back against his solid body and tilt my head to the side, giving him full access to my vulnerable skin. One of his hands squeezes my hip and slides under my shirt while the other pulls my hair elastic and lets my hair fall over my shoulders.
“You know, I liked your original outfit much better,” Jace says and tugs at the hem of my shirt, pulling it up.
“I’ll lose my shirt if you lose yours,” I whisper, my eyes fluttering, passion coursing through my body.
Jace’s body tenses against me and I turn my head to see his face. He gives me one final kiss and steps back. “We should get back to work.”
I grab his hand as he tries to walk away. “What the hell did I do wrong?”
Jace brings my hand to his lips and gives it a soft kiss. “Nothing, you did absolutely nothing wrong.” He drops my hand. “It’s me, it always is.”
Being bold, I grab the back of his shirt as he walks away. My hands slide over his abs and as they start to venture higher, Jace moves his hands on top of mine and stops me.
“Look, Laurel, I’m sure you already know this but I was a huge player before. I was all about my looks, money, and banging any woman I could. I’ve tried to change as much as I could, but some things can’t be undone.”
My muscles tense, my mind wandering at what he’s implying. His hand squeezes mine and he drops his head. I kiss his shoulder blade and he turns around to face me. Looking up into his hurt eyes, I push on my tippy toes and kiss him softly.
“Jace, we all have a past, we just have to learn to overcome it.”
He nods and kisses me back gently, my body tingling at his touch. Lifting his arms, he tugs off his shirt and immediately my panties are history at the sight in front of me. My attention is drawn to the barbells through his nipples and my cheeks blush. Jace takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger.
“I thought it made me more of a badboy, the women would be more attracted to me.”
“So, why not take them out if you don’t like them?”
Jace laughs and scratches his chin. “I never said I don’t like them.”
“More sensitive, right?” My cheeks flush as I ask.
Jace chuckles. “Guess you’ve read about it.”
“Something like that…” I look up into his eyes and his jaw drops. Shrugging, my cheeks now on fire, I answer, “I went through a wild streak after my divorce and well, I also like how they feel.” I bury my face against his bare chest, giggling and wanting to hide from my embarrassment.
His thick hands rub my back and he kisses my forehead. “Don’t be ashamed, it’s sexy but you lied to me.”
I snap my head up. “How?”
His finger skims over my tattoo and my already sensitive nipples perk up.
“I asked you if you had anything else sexy on you that I should know about and you said no.”
I drop my shoulders. “Well, I…I didn’t think we’d ever get to…this discussion.”
He frowns at me. “You mean you never planned on…taking things further?”
“Jace,” I take a deep breath, “I don’t know what your intentions are. I mean, I don’t even know how long you’re going to stay in Florida and I can’t risk getting close to you, giving Grey some kind of false hope, if you’re just going
to leave at the end of the summer.”
“False hope?” Jace repeats, an almost horror in his voice.
I shake my head, my cheeks burning even more. “No! Not like you’ll be his dad or we’ll get married. Shit, that’s not what I mean! It’s just he really likes you and so do I so we’ll both be devastated if we get too close and then you leave us.” Leave it to me to make things so much worse than I actually intended.
Jace leans down and presses his lips to mine, shutting me up and saving me from myself. His grip on my waist gets tighter and my palms slide over his skin. My fingers move to the ink covering the length of each side of his ribcage. Jace pulls away and I turn my head to try to read the words but they’re in another language.
“It’s Welsh, that’s where my ancestors are from. It says, ‘I never lose, I’m that good,’” Jace says softly, his hand over my left hand and it almost pains him to utter those words.
His other hand covers my right hand and he nods. “Never settle, always want more.” I squeeze his hands and he shakes his head. “Cocky, isn’t it? Arrogant? If I could erase those words, I would, but they’re there permanently, just another reminder of my stupid mistakes.”
“When are you going ever going to forgive yourself?” I move my lips to his ribcage, sprinkling kisses along the words he regrets.
“I’m not sure that I’ll ever be able to, I did some really bad things in the past.” Jace runs his fingers through my hair but the sadness hangs in his voice and it breaks my heart.
I kiss his shoulder. “You can tell me about it when you’re ready, if you ever are and if you’re not, I’ll respect that. Either way, I’ll do whatever I can to help you move past it.”
Jace nods and whispers, “Thank you, Laurel, I really appreciate that.”
“In the meantime…” I grin and push him back in the lawn chair. “Let’s forget about our history and enjoy the present.”
