Page 56 of The Comeback Road
“It’s basically a she-shed, but a she-room. A wine room for Lexie,” Sloan said. He wasn’t wrong. It was.
“Dude, it’s the first date. Have you lost your mind? She’s going to have you committed. Do not show her that.”
“Dex, it’s my last first date,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. The weight of my words hung in the air, heavy with my unspoken fears.
Sloan leaned forward, as if to really drive his point home. “You just gotta go all in, man. All in, or someone else is going to swoop in and give her everything and more. You’ll be left waiting on the sidelines, growing old alone. Show her the room. Don’t let fear keep you from the grand gesture.”
Dexter let out an awkward noise as I absorbed Sloan’s words. “Love doesn’t exist for everyone, you know.”
Sloan shot him a calculating look. “Lydia really did a number on you, didn’t she? If you don’t feel that way, then what are you doing with Remi?”
Dexter stiffened, and I could see the gears turning in his head as he processed how to answer Sloan’s question that sounded more like an accusation.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said between clenched teeth.
Sloan just smirked, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve noticed you bringing Raya to the restaurant. It’s clear you’ve been watching her for Remi.”
“She’s a cool kid. That’s all there is. And she loves Mac,” he said nonchalantly, but I saw the way his jaw stayed clenched. Sloan just shot him anI don’t believe youlook.
“See?” Sloan pressed, turning his focus back to me. “You’ve got to take the plunge. If you don’t, you’ll be in denial, like this guy.”
I swallowed hard, that fucking knot in my stomach tightening. I wanted to throw caution to the wind, but I wanted to be respectful and go at a pace Lexie was comfortable with. What if it was too much too soon, and I scared her off?
“I’ll consider it.”
“Thatta boy!” Sloan cheered and raised his bottle to ours, all while Dexter continued to grumble under his breath.
“To Jace! Finally growing a pair and going after what he wants!”
Dick,I thought as I clinked my bottle to his.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Lexie
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of my favorite denim jacket. The soft fabric hugged my arms just right. Jace had told me to wear jeans, so I pulled on a pair of black ones that hugged my curves, with a white tank top underneath that showed a hint of skin, and threw my jean jacket over it in case we were going somewhere chilly.
I wanted to look effortlessly cute—even though I’d spent far too long making it look like I was wearing no makeup and had dewy skin naturally.
The night felt like…well, everything, if I was being honest. There’d been an electricity that cackled between us for weeks, a tension that simmered just below the surface. I slipped on my favorite pair of boots that went just above my knee and laced up. Sexy, yet effortless-ish.
When the doorbell rang, I felt a jolt of electricity shoot through me. I took a deep breath, smoothed my top, and opened the door. Magnolia was bubbling with excitement in the kitchen. I made her wait there because she could not get it togetherbefore I started getting ready. I could have sworn she even shed a tear.
There he stood. Jace, leaning casually against the doorframe, a devilish grin on his face that made my stomach feel like a pool of molten lava. He looked incredible—droolworthy, really—dressed in a fitted black henley thermal and jeans that hugged him just right.
“Hey, Starlight,” he said, his voice low and smooth, making me lean into him without a second thought.
“Hey, yourself,” I replied, trying to sound unaffected, but feeling him everywhere.
Are you ready for our first adventure?” he asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Jace held his hand out to me, and I took it. He brought the top of my hand to his lips and placed a light kiss on it. Jace turned my hand over, placing another quick kiss on my wrist before he laced our fingers together. “You’re perfect.”
“Adventure?” I inquired.
“Trust me?” Jace said as he led me to his truck. The way he was reluctant to let go of my hand as we got into the car sent a thrill through me, and I could feel the heat radiating between us.
As we drove, the air was thick with an unspoken tension. I kept stealing glances at him, not missing the way his jaw tightened as he focused on the road. “So, where are we going?” I asked, trying to sound casual and not like I was rubbing my thighs together to try to get some kind of relief.
“You’ll see.” His teasing tone wasn’t helping matters, but the mystery in where we were going made me sit still and behave because I couldn’t help but wonder what he had planned.
