Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“Take off your muddy clothes. I’ll run you a bath,” I said, and Zara dashed up the stairs.
“I can do the bath,” Jace offered, and I finally looked his way.
“That’s okay. I imagine you’re tired.”
He shrugged. “Not really.”
“No? Dixon mentioned all the mothers at school who apparently like to flirt with you. Seems exhausting.”
I started to walk away, but his hand snatched my wrist, spinning me back around so our chests pressed together. His other hand splayed across my back, steady and warm.
“You sound jealous,” he murmured low.
“Ha! You wish,” I shot back, though my heartbeat betrayed me.
He didn’t smile, not really, just leaned in slightly, forehead almost touching mine, until all I saw was him. “I mean it, Shannon. The only one I want is you. No one else. Not them, not anyone. Not ever. Only. You. Always.”
A shiver trickled down my spine as his gaze held mine, intense and unflinching. Just then, our daughter’s shout from the stairs broke the tension, “I’m ready for my bath!”
Jace laughed, tilting his head to call back, “Just a sec, Zarzar.” He brought his attention back to me, softly caressing my cheek. “We clear?” he asked, and I wasn’t sure if my face could flush any harder. No words forthcoming, I bobbed my head before scurrying back into the kitchen to finish making dinner.
***
The next few days passed in the same routine. Jace, Dixon or Isla were with me most of the time, aside from the odd few hours where it wasn’t possible. Though that was normally when I was home with the alarm on and the doors locked. When I went out to shop for groceries or meet Margie and Ozzie for lunch, though, I had a tail. Margie spotted Dixon sitting on a bench outside the café, pretending to scroll on his phone so as not to look too out of place.
“Who’s that?” she asked with intrigue. “Also, is he single, and can I go flirt with him pretty please?”
I laughed. “That’s Dixon. He’s part of Jace’s security team. He works for the band, but he’s watching over me at the minute.”
Both my friends wore equal expressions of curiosity so I filled them in on why I currently had a security detail. They were concerned when I told them about the car almost running me over.
I didn’t tell them about Jace sleeping on my couch, nor about his plan to win me back. Margie had been concerned the last time I’d talked to her about getting closer to Jace, and I’d already worried her enough for one day.
“So, we have Wine & Letters at Lotte’s this Friday,” Ozzie said. “Have you found something to read yet?”
“No, I haven’t had a chance, but I’ll work on it tonight.”
I was really looking forward to an evening with my friends to take my mind off everything. And with Jace now staying at my house, I wouldn’t need to find a babysitter for Zara. I was quickly becoming fond of having him around, not least because of the way he cooked me breakfast every morning, sometimes shirtless, which I was certain was one hundred percent intentional. Jace had said he wouldn’t use sex to fog my brain, but he’d found a loophole with the no shirt thing. I refused to let him know it was getting to me. I sat and ate whatever he made, which was always delicious, and didn’t let my gaze linger on his broad shoulders, sexy tattoos, cut biceps or flat abs for more than a millisecond at a time.
To add to this, the quiet nights we shared after Zara went to bed were becoming my favourite. Jace and I had an unspoken commitment to watch episodes of Red Dwarf until we were both tired enough to go to sleep.
As the weekend drew closer, I thought that the date looked familiar before I realised it was Francesca’s birthday. She was turning twenty-one, and Matilda had mentioned that she was planning a small night out to celebrate. I needed to get her a gift.
“It’s your sister’s birthday this weekend, right?” I said to Jace during breakfast.
“Yep, the big 2-1 on Friday. She’ll be coming home from college, and Mam’s planned a special night, even roped in me, Kami, and the boys. You coming?”
“I don’t think I can. I have Wine & Letters at Lotte’s.” I felt bad because it was an important birthday, and I adored Jace’s little sister.
“Just come afterwards,” Jace said. “I’ll have Isla or Dixon drop by and collect you. Roan already agreed to watch Zara. We’re doing a board games café first, followed by a live karaoke thing. Roan hates both singing and strategy games, so he’s happy to sit this one out.”
“Ah, so I take it you two are good now? After what happened with your dad and all?”