His anger was initially directed toward me as he panted. “I told you not to open the fucking door!”
“I thought it was Nora. She was just here a second ago. It’s the only reason I didn’t check.”
He turned to James. “You have no right coming here.”
“I’m not leaving until I get my money.”
Jace scrubbed a hand over his face and blew out a long breath. “Get in your car and follow me to the bank on Wheeler Street.”
James huffed and reluctantly got back into his vehicle. Adrenaline coursed through me as they both took off because I still wasn’t sure what was happening. Was Jace going to take money out of his own account? Would James pull something if Jace couldn’t come up with the full amount?
I spent the next half hour worrying my head off about what was happening down at the bank.
When Jace’s truck finally pulled into the driveway and I could see he was safe, I let out a huge sigh of relief. I opened the front door and waited for him at the threshold.
“Is everything okay?” I asked as he approached.
He ignored my question and glared at me as he entered the house. “What did I tell you about opening the door when you’re home alone, Farrah?”
“I told you, the only reason I answered was because Nora had just left. I assumed it was her—that she forgot something. It was bad luck. If I’d known it was him, I wouldn’t have opened.”
“He didn’t touch you, did he?”
“No. He didn’t lay a hand on me.” I sighed. “I’m sorry I opened the door.”
Jace expelled a long, slow breath and seemed to calm down. “It’s okay. I’m sorry for yelling at you.”
“What happened at the bank?”
“It’s taken care of.”
“How?”
“I gave him his twenty grand.”
“From your own account?”
“Yeah. It sucks, but I want him to leave us alone.”
It didn’t surprise me that Jace had enough money in his account to pay James back. I knew his job in Charlotte had paid well, and he didn’t seem to blow away money.
“I was so worried about you.” I reached out and placed my hand on his cheek. I rubbed my thumb along his stubble.
He closed his eyes as his breathing quickened.
When he opened his eyes, he stared at me intensely. The heat of his body was palpable. I inched closer and could feel his breath on my lips.
“Please tell me I’m not the only one feeling this,” I said.
To my surprise, he whispered, “You’re not, Farrah.”
I threaded my fingers through his gorgeous black hair as he muttered something under his breath and closed his eyes again. I leaned in, and before I could blink, he’d taken my mouth in his.
Relishing the deliciously warm feel of his lips, I melted into him. Jace groaned. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Pressing my body into his, I immediately noticed his erection and could feel the heat through his jeans. My panties were already wet. His mouth moved down my face to my neck, where he sucked on the skin at my collarbone. Bending my head back, I let out a desperate sound, unable to contain my arousal. Jace pulled my hair as he bent my head back farther, sucking even harder on my neck.
“Fuck, Farrah...what are you doing to me? This is so wrong, but I can’t stop.”
“You don’t have to stop.”
He spoke over my skin. “Yes, I fucking do.”
Jace pulled me harder against him as he moved his mouth back up to meet mine. His kiss was rough and hungry. He tasted better than I could have imagined, like sugar and spice. I could feel myself getting wetter by the second. My body had never come alive like this. I prayed he didn’t stop.
When I felt him pulling away, I gripped his shirt and brought him back into me. He devoured my mouth, harder and faster. I lifted my leg to wrap it around his waist in the hopes that he’d scoop me up and take me to his room. That was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Jace ripped himself away, coming out of the trance he’d been in. “I can’t fucking do this.”
I breathed heavily as I took in the sight of him: the hair I’d mussed up, the lips I’d made red and swollen, the erection I’d caused. Frenzied, my body continued to buzz with excitement.
He rubbed his lips with his fingertips. My mouth watered. I wanted him to kiss me again.
“We can’t let that happen ever again, Farrah. I was way out of line just now. I don’t even know what the fuck came over me.”
“We’re both adults.”
Panting, he looked me in the eyes. “Do you really think Nathan could handle this? Be honest.”
I didn’t think Nathan should react negatively to the idea of Jace and me, but I knew better. I absolutely knew Nathan would never accept it. I’d have to defy him. If he found out, it would ruin his relationship with Jace; one of the only two people Nathan trusted would be gone from his life. Jace was right. I just didn’t know how to erase my feelings, especially now that I knew they were returned...at least on a physical level.
“Okay. I admit he would take it really badly.”
“You saw how he reacted when we were in the pool. We weren’t even doing anything then, and he freaked out on me about it.”
This felt hopeless. I just kept nodding, because there wasn’t anything to argue. This would wreck Nathan. It was still a conundrum for me, though, because I wanted Jace more than I’d ever wanted anything in my life—and that was no exaggeration.
“I understand it would be a nightmare if he found out. But I don’t know how to turn my feelings off. I was crazy about you before I knew you had any interest in me. But now that I know you have feelings, too, I—”
“Just get what you think you know out of your head, okay? Yes, I care about you, and that goes way back. And yes, I’m inappropriately attracted to you now. You’ve grown into a beautiful woman, and I’m a man—I can’t help being drawn to you. But I can help my actions. I need to do what’s best for all of us.”
“So, what does that mean exactly?”
“It means…pretend the mistake I just made under an incredible amount of stress didn’t happen. I got worked up. I was worried about you and stressed, and I came back here so freaking happy to see you, so relieved that you were okay. All you had to do was look at me, and I lost all sense of reality. I had no right to give in to my urges.” His mouth fell to my lips. “The fucked-up thing is... I know how damn wrong it is, but I’m still standing here wanting to fucking do it again, and that scares the shit out of me. Because it has to stop.”
His weakness gave me hope. “You don’t trust yourself...”
“I don’t. You shouldn’t trust me, either.”
“Why shouldn’t I trust you? From what I can see, you’re a hardworking, decent man and one of the few people in this world I actually do trust.”
He pulled on his hair and stared up at the ceiling in frustration. “Even if Nathan weren’t in the equation, Farrah, I’m not right for you. You deserve a guy who’s good at relationships. I’m not. Never have been. And you deserve someone who’s definitely staying in Palm Creek. I don’t see myself here long term.”