The Avoidance of Love (The Daniels' Sisters Book 2) (12 page)

All the guys started laughing, even Jace couldn’t control the way his shoulders were shaking, no matter how much Brielle glared at him.

I squeezed in between Zack and Luke on to the only seat available. Luke was another hottie that I didn’t mind in my space. Unlike Jace, he was absolutely harmless. He leaned down into my ear and whispered, “I’m pretty sure we’ll all catch something nasty from that girl just by breathing the same air she does.” I couldn’t help but laugh, as juvenile as it was.

When everyone had finished their drinks, we made our way to the hotel’s restaurant. It really was a beautiful hotel. I would need to take some photos of it before I left.

Jace managed to disentangle himself from Brielle long enough to pull my chair out for me to sit down. He didn’t smile or give me any form of eye contact while he did it and I have to admit, to myself, not aloud, that it hurt. If he had intended to sit next to me, his plans were derailed as Zack and Luke flanked me once again. Naturally, he ended up with Brielle practically on his lap.

Throughout the meal, I tried not to look over in Jace’s directions, but I couldn’t help it. Every time I heard him make Brielle laugh, or I saw her make some pathetic attempt to touch him, the feeling that I wanted to claw the bitch’s eyes out intensified. I don’t think I’ve ever been jealous of another woman before in my life and I wasn’t keen on the feeling.

Luke gave me a gentle nudge in my side. “Don’t worry Mara; he’s not interested in Brielle. We all watched him chasing you through the lobby. I think you just bruised his ego with your rejection, and now he’s acting like a little boy trying to make you jealous.” Problem was that it was working. “He’ll start chasing after you shortly, just make sure you make it hard for him. He’s had it too easy with women long enough.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Luke. I’m not interested in Jace at all. He asked me to do a job for him and that’s all I’m here to do.”

“Uh huh.” I opened my mouth to reconfirm the point I had just made, but he stopped me in my tracks. “Mara, I have five sisters. FIVE. Both older and younger. I’ve seen all of their crap when it comes to men. Some good, some bad. This cat and mouse dance you’re doing with Jace is pretty standard stuff. If it’s meant to be between the both of you, I hope you work it out soon.” He leaned in a little closer. “But don’t be surprised if you see me and Zack winding him up!” I decided it was best that I didn’t respond at all to Luke’s comment.

As soon as I could, I made my excuses and made my way to my room. No one really objected since they all intended to get an early night for the race tomorrow.

Some of the mechanics and other members of the team were on my floor and rode in the elevator with me. They were all polite men and said good night as we all went to our separate rooms.

I was just making my way across my room when I heard Jace’s voice outside my door. I don’t know why, but my feet carried me to the door at a speed I didn’t think possible and I looked through the peephole. It looked as though he had just said good night to someone and now he was standing outside my door with his hand rubbing his jawline. He seemed conflicted, as if he didn’t know whether to knock or just keep walking. I didn’t wait for him to knock. I opened the door.

“Hey.” That was the best thing I could come up with to say.

“Hey.” Guess he was troubled with the same conversational skills.

“I heard you outside.”

“Oh.” He looked down at his feet before frowning and looking back up to me. “I didn’t mean to offend you earlier if I seemed a bit off with you.”

“You didn’t offend me.” You hurt me and made me jealous.

“Okay. Well, I just wanted to make sure.”

“Well, now you have.” I leaned against the doorframe in an attempt to make myself look casual when really my heart was pounding, and I was fighting every urge not to drag him into my room. I wanted him to make the first move because I wanted him to want me. I was done denying it. I was already tired of feeling like shit at the thought of someone else touching him.

He came closer. I could smell his breath, which was minty fresh. Quite an achievement when you considered how much garlic we had all just eaten. I could smell his skin. The way I could still catch his earthy scent was a turn on. He came even closer and my breath hitched at the promise of his lips being so close to mine.

At that moment, it was just me and Jace and I didn’t want it to change. I wanted to fall into this alternate reality where nothing mattered. There was no need to be practical or logical about the potential of this relationship. Right now, we could be lost in each other’s presence.

“Jace! There you are!” And just like that we were snapped back into the here and now.

Jace took a step back to look toward who had called him, and I peered round the corner out of curiosity to see who I knew had called out for him. Brielle.

She was walking with a determined look on her face and she had her sights set on Jace. As soon as she was close enough, she wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into him. Jace looked uncomfortable, but he did not attempt to pry her off him. I took that as my cue.

“Good night, Jace.” He choked on his words and Brielle gave me a snarky grin to let me know she’d won. What did I care anyway? This was only more proof that love and all the emotions that come with it led to heartbreak. One way or another.

I took one last look at Jace, who still hadn’t managed to say anything, and shut the door. Just to torture myself some more, I watched them through the peephole. Jace was still looking at my door until Brielle took him by the hand and led him away. Her expression told him what she wanted and what she expected.

I MADE SURE I didn’t cry last night even though my nose was tingling and my eyes were throbbing with unshed tears. All I could think about was Jace touching Brielle the way he had touched me. It made me sick to my core.

We were all having breakfast at the hotel before we left for the race, so I made my way downstairs on my own. I hoped that they had some good coffee because I sure as hell was going to need it if I was going to get through the day on how little sleep I had had.

I was the first one to arrive downstairs and so I quickly ordered my usual double espresso and some fresh fruit to pick at until we were ready to go. It was my luck Brielle joined me before anyone else and before I could enjoy my coffee.

Brielle made a show of stretching in front of me before sitting down and waving for a waiter to come over and take her order.

“Good morning, Mara. Are you ready for the race today?” I don’t even know why she pretended to want to have a conversation with me. She wasn’t even paying any attention to me. Her nails seemed to have fascinated her like a cat with a ball of yarn.

“Morning, Brielle. I’m sure the race will be interesting to watch.”

I studied my fruit while she continued to talk.

“He’s a hell of a man, you know.” I didn’t bother to respond. “I don’t know how long you’ve known Jace, but I’ve known him for years. He’s been the player of Motocross for years, but he’s nearing the end of his career and he’ll be looking to settle down.” Ah, so that’s why she’s so determined. She wanted to be the one he settled down with or settled for, depending on how you looked at it.

“We spent a lot of time talking and doing other things last night.” Through my peripheral vision, I saw her look at me to see if I was paying attention to what she was saying. “I know that he feels the same way about me.” I’d had enough. If she started to go into detail about what exactly they did last night, I might throw up my breakfast, in between knocking her teeth out.

“Look Brielle, whatever is between you and Jace is between you and Jace. It has nothing to do with me. Let’s keep it that way. I’m just here to do a job and once that job is complete, I don’t expect to see either of you again.”

“That’s fine. I just wanted to make sure that you understand our relationship and how it’s developing.”

“I understand perfectly clear.”

We continued breakfast in silence until some of the team began to come downstairs. All of them said good morning to me. Most refused to acknowledge Brielle’s existence.

When Jace finally appeared, Brielle ran over to him as expected and hugged him, making a show of wishing him good luck for the day. I tore my eyes away, but not before Jace saw me watching. I got up to find Zack and Luke before he could attempt to talk to me.

Luke had just sat down when I plopped down in the chair next to him.

“You still avoiding him?”

“I am not avoiding him.”

“Whatever, little fibber.”

“I do not tell fibs.”

“Well, that sounded like a big fat one you just told me.”

We were sharing cars to the race, but no part of me wanted to be in a car with Jace, and no doubt Brielle, who would probably molest him the whole journey.

“Luke, can I travel with you to the race.”

At first, I thought he was going to say no, but then he sighed. “Sure, but you’re really going to need to deal with this situation soon.”

“There is no situation.” He held up his hand to stop me.

“Don’t want to hear it. Let’s go get to the car before either of us needs to explain why you’re not travelling with Jace because he will ask.”

Luke’s tone left no room for argument. I’d never been around so many men before and if this is what it was like—where you never got to have your say—then I was about to change my mind about wanting brothers.

When we arrived at the track, Luke dropped me off in the guest area where I would be comfortable and be able to see the race when it started. I had managed to avoid Jace, but my luck wasn’t that great, since I still had to share the same breathing space as Brielle. Once again, she felt the need to come and talk to me.

“I gave Jace a little Brielle sugar to wish him good luck.” I purposely yawned, hoping she would take the hint. She didn’t. “I think we got off on the wrong foot, Mara, and I want to correct that.” Maybe if I face planted her she’d take the hint. “I’ve been following the team for a long time. I mean, I’m practically part of the team. I’ve let Jace have his fun over the years with the girls that have come and gone, but I’ve always known that in the end it would be me.

“That time is coming soon, and I have to admit that at first I thought you might be a threat. That was my insecurity.” The thing bugging me now was the thought of how many girls Jace had been with over the years. Did he care about any of them? Did he care about me? I knew the question was stupid. He’d been with Brielle last night and I’m sure I was far from his brain.

“I’d like for us to be friends Mara. It’s not often that I have company at these things, and I should embrace it, especially since you’re not interested in Jace and the feeling’s mutual.” I swallowed the bile in my throat and responded only when I was sure I wasn’t going to be sick.

“If you would like us to be friends Brielle then consider us friends.” Too bad, I’ll still consider you a skank ass desperate bitch.

“Great. Let’s grab some drinks, take our seats, and watch the race.”

I spent the rest of my time in that box listening to Brielle’s incessant ramblings about what she did for a living and other crap I cared about not one iota. I found myself drifting back and forth to the bar just to get away from her. On the downside, it meant that I was getting increasingly drunk very early in the day since I was topping up my fresh fruit breakfast with more and more alcohol. Eventually, I didn’t even bother to go back to where Brielle was sitting. I pulled out my phone and called Coops.

“Hey, Queen Biatch! How’s it going?”

“Coops, I’m bored.” He paused and then started laughing.

“Are you drunk?” I sighed. He was going to make fun of me and I deserved it. Maybe. “HA! You’re drunk! Why are you drunk? ”

“I am possibly under the influence, but I am not drunk. I’ve been left to watch the race and skank-ass Brielle won’t leave me the fuck alone. I’m gonna kill her, Coops, I swear.” I sounded like a whiny child, and I didn’t care. This was why I didn’t drink much.

“Okay. Okay. Let’s rewind a little bit. Who is Brielle?” I explained the whole situation with Brielle to Coops, who amazingly didn’t laugh or make fun of me when I had finished. “So how do you feel about it all?”

“I don’t know.” I started banging my head against the bar.

“You do know . . . whatever you’re banging your head against right now, stop it. You look like a loon when you do it in front of me, so God knows what anyone else watching you is thinking right now.” I immediately stopped and looked around. Thankfully, no one was paying me any attention.

“Coops, I don’t know what I want. I’ve never wanted anyone before, not really. Now I do, and everything in my head says he’s so wrong. I mean he went to bed with Brielle last night, for fuck sake.”

“Oh! Are you sure?”

“I saw them walk toward her room and she confirmed it this morning.”

“Hmmmm. From what you’ve said, she sounds obsessed with the guy. She could be lying. You know, bitches be crazy.”

“It’s possible.”

“I think you need to hear it from the horse’s mouth on this occasion.” I groaned and smacked my head on the bar a little too hard. I didn’t lift my head in case anyone was looking.