Page 97 of Stolen Fate

“Oh… Thank you?”

Jensen laughed and Jace rolled his eyes. “Alright, why don’t you get back to work and not waste more company time making personal phone calls.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know I’m on my lunch break.”

“Well, your lunch break is over.”

“Yes, boss,” Jensen said sarcastically. And then he hung up and there was nothing but awkwardness and tense silence between us.

Jace talked about me to his friend.

And he thought I was beautiful.

I didn’t know how I was supposed to react to that. I could be honest with myself and admit I was pleased Jace thought as much. And under his gaze, I had felt beautiful, too.

But to know he told his friend…

Yeah, I was pleased, but I didn’t want him to know.

Jace pulled in front of a cute little salon and parallel-parked by the door. He turned off the ignition and I was still avoiding looking at him, but I knew Jace was looking at me. I could feel the heat of his stare on my face, and I didn’t know what to do with my hands again.

Jace raised his arm and reached for me, and though I told myself to brace for it, I still felt the effect of his touch as soon as his fingers made contact with my cheek.

He moved his hand up and down softly, and I gave in to the urge and closed my eyes, moving myself closer to him. Jace removed a strand of hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear before he was cupping my cheek and turning me so I was facing him.

I opened my eyes and took him in, noting the softness in his eyes and a hesitant look that I found endearing. Jace had been nothing but sure and confident since day one. This was something else, and I realized it was me who made him hesitant.

That he was bracing himself for my rejection, because that was what I had been doing so far, but I didn’t want to reject him. I hadn’t wanted to reject him those times before, either, but especially not now, when both of us were still feeling raw from what had happened the day before. And the fact that he was willing to take another chance at putting himself out there again… well, I didn’t have the will power to turn him away.

I turned my face to the side, and I planted a small kiss on the inside of his palm.

He let out a stuttered breath, as if I affected him as much as he affected me—but that wasn’t possible, was it?

How could someone like me affect someone as powerful and as beautiful as him?

I smiled at him and his eyes darkened, and all I could do was try to hold onto the moment for as long as possible.

“Daddy!”

We both pulled away at the same time, and Jace let out a small chuckle before he made a gesture with his head for me to get out of the car.

We opened our doors at the same time, and I waited by the sidewalk as Jace unbuckled Elliot from his seat.

“Do you want me to hold your bear while you get your haircut?” I asked.

Elliot looked tentatively at his bear. “Okay,” he said quietly.

I smiled and grabbed the bear. “I promise to take really good care of him.”

That brought a smile to his face, and I let out a small breath. Then Elliot grabbed both mine and Jace’s hand, similar to what he had done before, and we walked into the salon.

My fantasy was getting harder and harder to ignore and, for the first time, I didn’t want to ignore it.

My eyes connected with Jace’s just as we entered the building, and I finally admitted to myself just how badly I wanted this.

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