The Avoidance of Love (The Daniels' Sisters Book 2) (19 page)

“Wait until you taste it before you get excited.”

“I know I’m going to love every mouthful.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I know I love you. So that’s all I need to know.”

He gave me a kiss on the cheek as he walked past me to take the chicken to the table. I liked this and knew I could get used to it. I wasn’t going to be afraid.

Talk at the table was light and cheerful enough. Jace’s dad asked him about his recent races and Jace steered clear of any talk to do with his father’s health and his drinking problem. The tension was still there, but I appreciated that both of them were avoiding the subjects that neither of them were ready to deal with.

When both men had eaten until they were about ready to burst, I started to clear the table. “What do you think you’re doing?”

I turned to answer John thinking that I had broken some dinner etiquette that I didn’t know about. Damn, things had been going so well.

“I was just cleaning up, John. I won’t be taking long and then I’ll get out of your hair.” Was it me or were the walls closing in around me. I’ve officially outstayed my welcome. I’d gone one-step too far and made myself too comfortable in their home.

“You cooked your ass off today for two men who are less than deserving. The least we can do is clean up after ourselves while you sit down and put your feet up with a glass of wine.”

“I don’t mind really.”

“Better not argue with him.” Jace came up to me, took the plates out of my hands, and set them back on the table. He then proceeded to take me by the shoulders and steer me toward the living room. Once I was sitting down, he took my shoes off each foot in a loving gesture and propped them up on the sofa. He handed me the remote for the TV and brought in a bottle of wine that I presumed was rosé. “Stay there. I’m gonna clean up and then we’re going to spend the rest of the evening curled up with each other. Our French weekend may have been cut short, but I’m going to make it up to you.”

“You don’t have to do any of this.” Jeez. Jace was doing everything he could to bury himself under my skin.

“I know I don’t have to. Difference is . . . I want to.” With a wink, he turned on his heel and headed back to the kitchen.

I looked for the bag that had my laptop in. It was second nature. I never sat and watched TV. If I sat on the sofa, it was only natural that my laptop take its rightful place on my lap. I couldn’t see the bag anywhere and was beginning to panic when I heard Jace shout. “Go and sit and relax. I’ve hidden that god forsaken thing and you’re not getting it back until I say so.”

How dare he! I have work I need to do. Well, no, I don’t, but I could have some. I just didn’t like the fact that I was being told what to do. With a sigh and a pout, I doubted he heard or saw, I slumped back into the sofa and made myself comfortable. I looked at the bottle of wine and saw that it was good label. Oh well, it would be a shame not to drink it.

It was only when I felt my body shift that I realized I must have fallen asleep. I had dozed off with the empty bottle on my chest. Good look! I felt warm arms wrap around my body and I was slowly lifted off the sofa.

“I can walk. I’ll get a taxi home. Pass me my phone.” At least, I think that’s what I said. I was still half-asleep and mumbling.

“Shhhhhhh.” Jace grumbled, his voice vibrating against the side of my face. “How you can argue when you’re half-asleep is beyond me. You’re spending the night with me tonight.” I was too tired to protest. I already felt like I had stayed longer than I should have, but I’d deal with the issue in the morning.

When Jace laid me down on the bed, I lazily scrambled for the top of the bed to get under the covers. I was freaking exhausted. The travelling, the cooking, the emotional connections . . . I was done in. I needed sleep.

“Oh no, Sweaty Betty! I’ve run you a nice hot bath. You’re gonna soak your body and then you can get into bed.”

“I’m tired.” I whined. I stomped . . . well as best as I could while held down, and I pouted. Meanwhile, Jace had begun to strip me. I would have thought it uncomfortable to have a man undress me, but the way Jace performed the act was so slow and sensual I wished that I could get undressed this way every single day.

Starting from the bottom and working his way up, he placed a soft kiss to the bottom of each of my feet before stroking his hands slowly up both my thighs until he reached the button on my jeans. He took this moment to take a quick look at my face searching for consent to carry on. My lips had parted slightly at the deep, dark lust in his eyes. I didn’t protest and he carried on. Popping the button with the flick of his fingers, he peeled the top of my jeans down and placed heavier kisses over my pelvis, kisses that were helping to create a storm at my core.

The little lace thong that I had on underneath my jeans was drenched in anticipation of more Jace Bryce. I lifted my hips to help him ease my jeans down and he sat up slightly to pull them all the way off. His eyes fixated right between my thighs, where I knew he wanted to be. When he licked his lips, I struggled to stifle my groan. I knew what that mouth was capable of and there was nothing more I wanted than his talented tongue right this minute.

“I can hear your thoughts and there’ll be none of that right now. You’re gonna take a non-sexual bath and then get some rest.” I’m not sure he realized that he’d just challenged me.

He made no attempt to take off my thong and instead started unbuttoning my shirt. Again, he was slow in his task, placing a kiss against my chest every time he undid a button until the shirt was off. Once I was down to my underwear, he coveted in a way that left me so exposed and bare to him, I might as well have been completely naked. Without being aware of what he was doing, his fingers dipped under my thong and stroked against my slick folds.

“Fucking hell! You’re soaked.” He started to play with my clit which made my hips buck of their own accord. He smiled and then came to a halt. “Temptress! Come on!”

He jumped off the bed and swept me up in his arms again before carrying me into the bathroom. And what a bathroom! It was white beyond belief and so clean and tidy. I guessed he didn’t use it very much. It was pristine. The tub was huge. Sunk into the floor, it was filled with the most aromatic scent I had ever had the pleasure of inhaling. He had put some kind of bath milk in and floating on top of the water were deep red rose petals.

I turned my head to look at him. “You did this for me.” He looked at me as if to say
duh.
I grabbed his face and kissed him. No one had ever done anything remotely like this for me. Granted, I’d probably never given any other guy the chance, but that was irrelevant.

Jace began to lower me down his body, never losing contact, so I could feel his erection bulging through his trousers. I couldn’t resist rubbing against it and the groan he let out sent shivers down my spine in the best possible way. Although he did not attempt to take things further, I couldn’t deny the passion that I felt in merely kissing Jace. Every stroke of his tongue, every pull of his teeth showed me how he felt and I reciprocated.

I hadn’t noticed when he removed my underwear. I was caught up in being so close to him and trying to get closer. Once again, he scooped me up and then carefully lowered me into the bath not letting me go until the last possible moment.

The water was heaven, and I sank under so that I was completely submerged. Whatever was in the water felt silky smooth against my skin. By the time I couldn’t hold my breath any longer and surfaced, Jace stood naked in all his glory in front of me. This time I had to lick my lips.

“Remember the rules. No touching. We’re going to relax and you’re going to let me see to your needs.”

“Hmmmmmm.” Let’s just see what he’s got up his sleeves. One way or another, he was going to be inside by the time we got back to bed. He just didn’t know it yet.

While I was ogled him like a starved zombie, Jace slipped into the bath in behind of me. I didn’t even try to resist stroking his thighs. They were firm and all I could picture was sitting on what was between them, but Jace’s firm arm around my waist let me know that wasn’t going to happen.

When he did release my waist, it was to grab a bottle of shampoo and he proceeded to wash my hair. Again, this was a new experience for me, but something I wouldn’t tire of quickly. I had a feeling that Jace was deliberately trying to show me his more attentive side.

I was done for when he started to massage my scalp. Between the sensual way his fingers were moving on my scalp and the erection pressing between my cheeks, I was so turned on I needed to relieve the tension building within me. If Jace wasn’t going to help then I was going to take matters into my own hands.

So Jace wouldn’t notice, I moved my hand as gently as possible to start stroking myself. My flesh was so sensitive. I was imagining they were his fingers working me so diligently. My breathing was becoming erratic, and it was taking everything within to stop myself from groaning.

“Oh, shit. You fucking cheat!” I flicked my eyes open and turned to look at Jace who was now peeking over my shoulder to watch what I was doing. The lust and desire burning in his eyes only encouraged me to keep going, but he had other ideas.

Jace practically leapt out of the bath and pulled me with him. Once I stood in front of him, he swept his eyes over my body once before slinging me over his shoulder and storming in the direction of the bed. Before we reached the mattress, he gave me a firm spank on left ass cheek that stung more than it should have because my skin still wet.

“Fuck Jace! That hurt!” Yet it turned me on just a little more.

He tossed me onto the bed with no finesse or grace, and before I could recover and move my hair from out of my face, he was over me and slamming into me with a force I’d never felt from him before.

“Oh God!” He didn’t even allow me time to adjust.

“One. Day. You’re. Going. To. Give. Me. Control!” Every word was punctuated with a thrust. There was no way I was going to hold out under this kind of assault.

“Jace, please, I need to come.” Was I really begging? Yes!

“That’s what I want to hear baby. Beg for it.” Mother fucker was going to pay for this later.

“Please, make me come.” That was all the instruction he needed. While continuing to pump with a rhythm that should be physically impossible, he hooked both my legs over his shoulders sending him deeper than before. My climax continued to build. I was gripping the sheets as tightly as possible to the point that my nails were digging through the sheets and into my hands.

He didn’t relent. As I fell deeper into the haze of what was going to be a torrent of an orgasm, he pulled out of me, and turned me over so quickly it left me disorientated for all of a second before he slammed back into me. That last thrust was my undoing and my orgasm came in wave after wave as we both shouted each other’s name.

I could still feel Jace throbbing inside me when he slumped over my body, being careful not to crush me. His body was slick with sweat, but I didn’t need to feel that to know he had just put some major work in.

“BonBon, next time we take a bath together, make sure you wait for me before pleasuring yourself. I want front row seats so I can watch the show.” He gave my neck a kiss before rolling to the side taking me with him and never pulling out. We fell asleep in that position, our bodies tucked in tight and I remember that the last thought on my mind was . . . we’re having another bath in the morning.

THE BUZZING VIBRATION of my phone woke me the next morning. I also noticed that I was in bed alone. Where was Jace? I was butt naked under the sheets and I wasn’t about to go looking for him right at this minute so I rolled over to answer the vibrating nuisance.

“Hello?” I hadn’t even checked the caller ID. It wasn’t like me to answer my phone so informally.

“Hello? Are you okay, Mara? You never answer with hello.” The panic on the end of the phone was escalating.

“Coops?” It could only have been him. He is the only person I know apart from Lana who can go from cool to melt down in less than ten seconds and regain their composure just as quick. “Calm down, I’m fine. What’s the problem?”

“Ummmm. It’s Monday. You’re not at work. It’s not natural.” He almost had me believing him.

“Let’s try this. It’s Monday. You’re at work alone. You’re bored. You want to know if I’m coming in and if not, you want the gossip about my weekend.”

“You could at least pretend to believe my pitiful attempt at concern.”

“Why bother when it’s more fun to just call you out on you bogus behavior?”

“Sooooooooo?”

“Paris was beautiful. Something came up, so we had to come back early. Now I’m in bed considering going back to sleep.”

“Where are you? You’re not at your flat.”

“Are you spying on me?”

“Of course.” Before I could respond, I heard the bedroom door creak open and saw Jace’s head peak around the door. He looked sheepish, which was an unusual look for him. He never looked anything less than certain and confident. It soon became apparent as to why he was nervous. As he came into the room, he was holding a tray with what looked like it was supposed to be breakfast.