Page 70 of Stolen Fate

“Sure, Elliot. We can definitely do that.”

“Then okay!” And then he shot me a wide smile.

I waited for Elliot to say goodbye to Charlie before we walked out of the school, hand in hand.

Jerry was waiting for us outside the car, and he opened the door for Elliot and me when he saw us.

“Are we going home?” Jerry asked.

I looked back at Elliot. “Yeah. Let’s go home.”

And it had been feeling more and more like my own home than my parents’ house and even my apartment back in Boston ever did.

I was at home here.

* * *

Jace came homean hour earlier then he usually did—at five that evening—with a box of takeout that smelled like Chinese food. And there was enough in there for three.

I ignored the way my heart flip-flopped at the sight of him in the doorway, from his striped maroon tie loosened around his neck, to his dark navy-blue suit jacket laid over one muscular forearm, which was showing because the sleeves of his white button-up shirt were rolled up, and finally to the matching dark navy-blue slacks that did amazing thing for his ass and muscular legs.

I wanted to salivate at the sight.

What was it about seeing a powerful man look like that, especially when you knew he had just gotten home from a long and productive day at work?

Or at least, I assumed he had a productive day. Jace didn’t seem like the kind of man to ever lose focus, especially when it came to work.

Elliot saw his dad at almost the same time I did, and I watched as he ran toward Jace, his expression open and happy. “Daddy! You’re home.”

“I’m home. Are you hungry?”

Elliot nodded, even though he had an after-school snack not too long ago. I wondered if he really was hungry or whether he was just saying that because Jace asked.

Jace ruffled Elliot’s hair and looked at me sitting on the couch.

And there it was again.

That soft look in his eyes.

“I hope you are, too,” Jace said. “I bought enough for all of us.”

I offered a small smile and a nod. And again, I wondered if I was saying yes because I was really hungry or because Jace asked.

I was screwed.

It wasn’t long before we settled in to have dinner. I speared a crab wonton with my fork and dipped it in sweet and sour sauce before plopping it in my mouth. I should have bitten off a small piece, because it was obviously too big, and I was sure I looked like a chipmunk with nuts in my mouth.

I was blushing as I chewed, mostly because I knew Jace was watching me. After I swallowed, I took a huge sip of my water and shyly looked up to meet Jace’s amusing eyes.

“Good?” he asked with a slight smirk.

I nodded and drank more water.

What was wrong with me?

I was acting like a fumbling, nervous loser on a date for the first time.

But it wasn’t a date, and I had had dinner with Jace and Elliot just the night before.

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