“I’m okay.” I wipe under my nose with a clean spot on the shirt and am relieved when I don’t see much fresh blood come away.
“Here, put this on it,” Ian says, joining us once again, and he passes Jace over a bag of ice.
“Thanks.” I cringe, then look up at Troy and hand him his tee. “Sorry about your shirt.”
“It’s all good.” He takes it from me, then my eyes fly up to Jace’s face when he grabs my wrist and tugs me up out of my chair.
I figure we’ll be leaving, so I start to open my mouth to say goodnight to everyone, but the next thing I know, he’s taking my seat and dragging me down onto his lap.
“Jace.” I try to move.
“Stay,” he growls against my ear while his arm bands around my waist.
Oh my God.
“Here’s a fresh drink for you.” Janelle hands me a new Solo cup filled almost to the brim.
“That will help with the pain.” Eva winks, and I take a huge gulp, then look at Jace when he rests his hand on the side of my face.
“You better not have a bruise,” he grumbles, placing the ice gently on my nose, and I sigh, wondering what the hell is wrong with me. I should not find that annoying statement endearing, just like I should not like sitting on his lap.
I’m so screwed.
Chapter 17
Ring-Ring
Swimming through the sleep that took me down almost the minute my head hit the pillow last night, I stop breathing when I realize my predicament. The pillow wall I built is long-gone, and the two of us are tangled together in the middle of the bed once again.
Where this whole cuddling thing is coming from is something I just do not understand. I never wrapped myself around my ex, even after sex, and I sure didn’t sleep with my head on his chest with my arm and leg thrown across him like I was afraid he’d disappear. Then again, he never slept with his hand down the back of my pants with a handful of my ass either.
Unlike yesterday, this entanglement is going to be a whole lot more complicated to get out of without waking up Jace, and as I’m trying to figure out my first move, I feel his fingers twitch, then his chest rises on a deep breath.
Oh God, he’s awake. I know it without knowing it. So I do what any sane person would and decide to pretend I’m asleep. He doesn’t move for a long time, so long I wonder if I was wrong, so long that I start to panic, then his hand slides slowly out of my pants. With my heart pounding, I feel his warm lips touch the edge of my hairline, causing my heart to give an extra little thump. Then with ease, he dislodges me from his side and tucks the blanket around my shoulders after getting off the bed. When I hear the bathroom door shut and the shower turn on, I release the breath I was holding and open my eyes.
I don’t know what that was. He wasn’t annoyed that we were cuddling and didn’t seem in a hurry to get away from me. And that kiss—what was that? Why would you kiss your pretend fiancée’s head when she’s sleeping and when no one is around to see you do it?
Hearing my cell phone ring from where it’s plugged in on the dresser, I scramble out of bed to answer it, then start to panic when I see my mom is video-calling me. I’ve talked to her a couple of times over texts the last couple of days, but she’s been so busy running around with Aunt Lucy that we haven’t been able to have a phone call, which has worked for me.
Looking around, I wonder what I should do. She doesn’t know I’m out of town, and I’m not even ready to explain this situation to her—not that I might ever be. Moving to the blank wall behind the door, I stand with my back to it and slide my finger across the screen.
“Hey, Mom.” I smile at her pretty face and am more than a little relieved to see she has more color in her cheeks than the last time I saw her.
“Hey, honey.” She smiles, then immediately frowns. “Are you just waking up?”
“Yes.” I glance at the clock on my cell. “It’s only after seven for me, remember? Different time zones.”
“Oh yeah.” She laughs. “You’re up early then.”
“I’m taking your advice and trying not to spend all my time watching TV.”
“Good for you.” I watch her step outside and see the blue sky above her as she sits down. “So what have you been doing?”
“A little this, a little that.”
“What does that mean?”
“Cupcake, toss me my towel. I forgot to grab it,” Jace calls after opening the bathroom door, and I swear my stomach drops into my toes as I watch my mom’s jaw fall open.
“Cupcake?” Mom whispers, and I cringe at the ridiculous nickname as I quickly grab Jace’s towel from the end of the bed and throw it toward the bathroom. “Thanks.” He shuts the door after catching it, and I slide to the floor.
“You have some explaining to do, young lady,” Mom hisses, and I close my eyes.
“I will explain, but not right now,” I say quietly, and her eyes narrow.
“Why not right now?”
“Because it’s way too complicated to explain over the phone.” I turn down the volume so that anyone walking by outside the bedroom door won’t hear.
“Are you in trouble?”
“No.” I shake my head franticly. “Not at all. I just….” Oh Lord, what do I say? “I got a job, and that’s my boss, Jace. I’m with him right now at a work thing,” I whisper.
“Your boss.”
“Yes.”
“And he needs you to give him a towel, and he calls you cupcake?”
“Like I said, it’s complicated.”
“Is this like one of those new sex things?”
“What?” I can’t help the hysterical laughter that bubbles out.
“I read an article where people meet up to have sex and role play.”
“Oh my God, Mom! Ewww, no. That is not what this is.” I feel my own face get hot. “He’s my boss, and he needed my help this week.”
“You got a job?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you get a job? You’ve always loved having the summer off. Are you okay? Did something happen?”
“Nothing happened. I just thought it would be good to get out of the house like you suggested.”
“Do you want coffee?” Jace asks, stepping out of the bathroom in nothing but a pair of basketball shorts, then his eyes come to where I’m sitting on the floor. “What are you doing down there?”
“Talking to my mom.” I look at her on the screen. “Can I call you back?”
“You don’t have to get off the phone with your mom,” Jace says gently, and I wonder how I got myself into this situation. Oh, right. I’m a money-hungry, greedy idiot.
“Let me see him,” Mom urges, and I don’t want to—really don’t want to—but I still turn the phone in his direction.
“Hi, Mrs. Beaver.” He gives her one of his charming smiles, and I swear I hear her sigh.
“I feel at a disadvantage,” Mom says, then adds, “You know of me, but this is the first I’m hearing of you.”
“Penny.” He makes a tsking sound. “Always so full of secrets.” He winks at me, and I glare at him while I hear my mom laugh.