“I just, I want to know if … if there’s any part of you that longs for him.”
I step forward and close the space between us. “Absolutely not,” I answer. “What I had with Owen is long over. He’s a part of my past, a huge part, but that’s it. Nothing more. I promise.”
He nods, and gently caresses my cheek. “I’m beginning to realize that you’re incredibly important to me. Maybe too important.” He rubs his finger over my bottom lip, tracing the contour. “I love you.”
Cold.
I am cold all over.
Frozen.
I can’t move.
“What?” I gasp, the tiniest little sound.
“I love you,” he says again with such surety.
Three words I thought I would never hear from Jace. Three words I never counted on. Three words that I longed for desperately.
The tears that had pooled in my eyes, spill over. “Really?”
He nods, his hand gliding down to rest at the back of my neck. “I love you,” he says again.
I laugh through my tears. “I love you too,” I breathe.
I’m not just saying the words because he did, I do mean them. Jace has meant the world to me for far longer than the time we’ve been together, and this time has only served to show me how perfect we are for each other.
He crashes his lips to mine and I gasp into his mouth. His tongue slides against mine as he backs me up until I hit the wall. He picks me up, sliding my dress up my legs so he can caress my bare thighs.
He carries me to the bed and sets me down beside it.
I turn around and look at him coyly.
He gets the messages and finds the zipper of my dress, sliding it down.
When it’s undone, I let the dress fall down and pool at my feet.
I turn around to face him in my black lacy lingerie. I never wear anything so fancy, but Thea told me a fancy dress called for matching lingerie, so we ended up shopping some more after lunch that day.
Jace’s eyes heat with desire and my nipples tighten.
The expensive lingerie was worth every penny for that look in his eyes.
He makes quick work of the buttons on his black vest, then his dress shirt, and finally his pants.
When he stands in only his boxer-briefs, we stare at each other for a moment.
I’m sure he must be able to hear my heart because it’s beating far too fast and loud.
Love.
Jace loves me.
And I love him.
I never in a million years imagined this scenario, but we make perfect sense.
“Are you going to touch me?” I ask.