Fighting For You (The Connor Family 5)

He pulled back a notch and his gaze fell to my lips. For a brief second, I was sure he was going to kiss me. Anticipation coursed through me, jolting every cell to life. I became aware of how close we were. My left thigh pressed against his leg. I felt his touch so intensely, it was as if I wasn’t wearing anything at all.

A loud clang from the screen caused us both to jolt.

“Jesus, I completely forgot about this,” I exclaimed.

“Can you rewind?”

“Sure.”

As I reached for the remote, which was on the floor, I felt Jace lie back again. The second I finished rewinding, he pulled me against him again.

“Don’t make me miss any more scenes.”

“Roger that.”

Jace laughed softly. I, on the other hand, was on fire. God, the way he was holding me felt so intimate. His hand was splayed on my belly, and it prompted heat to pool between my legs. I breat

hed in slowly through my nose, willing my body to cool down. I couldn’t get used to the smoldering feeling of his body against mine, and when Jace shifted his position a little, his hand moving upward an inch or so, the tension became unbearable. How could he be so blasé about this?

I thought men didn’t like to cuddle. I’d been in a few relationships before Noah and had dated after. Men seemed to consider spooning as some sort of commitment. Then again, Jace and I weren’t dating. We were two friends watching a movie, which was probably why he felt comfortable enough to hold me like this. Because he knew I wouldn’t be expecting anything. The thought made me feel deflated, and in that moment, I realized I truly liked Jace more than as a friend. It wasn’t just that I was crazy attracted to him, but I craved more of this closeness. It wasn’t in the cards, though. It couldn’t be. He was the MVP, and I was a new hire. And I was still not quite back on my feet after the breakup with Noah.

Telling myself all that made lying there with him a little easier. I relaxed in his arms as the bloody scene on the screen captured my attention. I only had to make it through three more episodes, and then Jace would be going home.

I woke up with a groan. I’d lost the feeling in my right leg. A second later, I realized I had bigger problems. Jace and I had fallen asleep in front of the TV, which must have switched to idle mode during the night. Shit. This wasn’t the weekend. What time was it? Was I late for work? Had Jace missed his plane? He was flying out for an away game today.

I glanced to the small digital display in the lower corner of the TV. It was five o’clock in the morning. Still plenty of time. I’d doze off for another half hour if I wasn’t afraid that I’d sleep in. I couldn’t set an alarm, because my phone was too far away for me to move without waking up Jace, and the man was soundly asleep. He was completely wrapped around me. One of his arms was wedged between the couch and my neck. The other was resting on my belly, as it had last night. He’d even slid a leg between mine at some point.

Should I wake him up? It was early, but I wasn’t sure how long it would take him to reach his apartment, change, and make it to LAX. I’d decided to let him sleep in a while longer when I felt him stir, withdrawing his leg from between mine. His hand moved a little upward until the tip of his thumb touched my breast. All nerve endings strummed to life, instantly setting me on edge.

***

Jace

“What time is it?” I asked.

“A little after five. Want coffee?”

“Sure.”

“I’m going to make some.”

She slid out of my arms before I blinked away the sleep, heading outside the room. I immediately missed her. I followed her to the kitchen. After a few minutes, the coffee was ready and I took the cup she handed me. We spoke about the show while we drank.

“Want to pick up where we left when I get back?” I was already eager to be back.

“Sure—oh wait, I have plans that evening.”

“What plans?”

Something in her voice tipped me off that I didn’t want to know the answer.

“A blind date. A friend set me up. Can’t cancel because I already did it once.”

Something snapped inside of me. Fucking hell, I didn’t want her to go on that date. Or any other date that wasn’t with me. I had no plan, no idea what to say. I always had a comeback, a quick joke to ease any situation. I clenched my hands tightly around the cup before setting it on the counter next to hers.

“No.”

“What?”