by Kira Adams
His lips made their way to my ear, which he sucked, nibbled, and then even tugged on a little with his teeth. I had never been more turned on in my life. He swiftly moved his mouth gingerly over my neck, trailing it with kisses, then his tongue, and even leaving a few hickeys.
“Eww, don’t do that,” I barely got out as he left yet another hickey on my neck.
“Are you sure about that? You seemed to rather enjoy it…” Jace’s blue eyes were sparkling as he grinned back at me.
Damn him.
I spun him around so that he was thrown against the rocks for once. His eyebrows rose animatedly as I took charge…something I had never dared to do before.
I kissed him roughly, passionately, and took his bottom lip in mine, sucking and then slightly biting on it, causing him to moan out in pleasure. I was smiling inwardly.
“God you’re sexy,” he said breathlessly, as I had made my way to his ear. I was sucking lightly on the bottom of his ear, rolling my teeth over it, back and forth, back and forth. “You better be careful…if you continue that much longer, I may not be able to stop.”
I looked in Jace’s eyes and there was passion, yearning, and love I could see.
I kissed him slower this time, savoring the taste, the feel, the closeness. The heat between us had not died down in the least. His hands were running all over my body. He was pulling me into him, grabbing at my hips. And he wasn’t pulling away disgusted…
I love him. Every time that thought came to mind, I would wear a huge smile plastered across my face for hours. He had that effect on me. He was mine.
I couldn’t stand being apart from him any longer. I jumped on him; aggressively kissing him, sending us crashing into the cave wall. “Ouch.” Jace chuckled as he took the brunt of the impact. “Tell me what you love about me,” he whispered into my ear.
He was still holding me up in the air, it was so sexy. “Everything,” I answered, and for once, I meant it. I loved every part about Jace…the good, the bad, and the ugly. He was my savior.
“What a cop out,” he joked, poking me in the side.
He gently laid me down on the floor of the cave, climbing on top of me, and kissing me lightly. He was just about to stand up when I grabbed his arm to stop him. “Where do you think you’re going?” I pulled him roughly back down and pounced on him.
We stayed like that, rolling around on the ground of the cave, sharp and jagged rocks pressing into our backs for hours---but I didn’t care. I had loved Jace since the first time he spoke to me, and I had never felt worthy enough—until now.
I ran my fingers through his fuzzy hair that was growing in. “Tell me the story about when you first realized you were in love with me…”
“You already know this story.” Jace eyed me down.
“I know,” I pouted. “I just want to hear it again…”
He smiled back at me. “It all began with a case of mistaken identity…”
***
Jace and I spent the rest of the summer basking in true love. He taught me that I didn’t have to be perfect all the time and it was actually endearing to be imperfect. He helped me grow into the person I wanted to become; the person I always knew I could be. We spent nearly five weeks diligently working out at the gym to help tighten my loose skin, and just like Jace had predicted, it was working. I was feeling so much more confident, and I owed it all to my loving boyfriend. Just being able to refer to him as my boyfriend made me giddier than seeing a Backstreet Boys reunion tour.
In the beginning I always felt like I was beneath Jace, like I was never good enough. My own sister was embarrassed of me; I assumed he would be too. But Jace treated me like a human being from day one…it was the trait that had made me fall for him instantly. He never looked at me like I was disgusting or fat…he looked at me with wonder in his eyes…he looked at me with curiosity.
Jace had been my knight in shining armor countless times over the past year. I had dreamt of my first boyfriend; my first kiss; holding hands endless nights. I would toss and turn wondering when it was going to be my turn. Guys never even gave me a second glance. And then one day one boy turned and stared…gave me the second glance I had been wishing on for years. Gave me an in. Even though he had aggravated me, insulted me, and hurt me, my first love had been everything I had wished for and more.
I had loved Colton around the same time…but it was a different kind of love. He was a stepping stone to my relationship I was meant to build with Jace. Colton helped me to begin to accept myself—Jace showed me how to love myself. He walked into my life and nothing was ever the same. While there would always be love in my heart for Colton, I was and had always been head over heels in love with Jace Austin…I fell in love with his image but stayed in love with his personality and heart.
My band had been put on a stand still while I pursued film acting alongside Jace. We had been to a handful of auditions and callbacks and life had never felt sweeter. Brooklyn moved to Atlanta after the summer was over and in with her aunt. They had a job ready for her at their self-owned photography studio. She was beyond excited. Plans were already in motion for a visit from Madison and me.
Madison had stayed local while working towards attending Berkley School of Music in the winter.
Noah met a girl, more of a plain Jane than he was used to, but she has been great for him. I had never seen him happier than when he was with Alyssa, and that’s all I could ever hope for Noah. I just wanted him to be happy.
Kayleigh broke up with Bentley…again. It was a mutual decision due to the fact he was leaving to Oregon on a football scholarship to play for the University of Oregon Ducks and Kayleigh was headed all the way to California on an academic scholarship.
My life had changed so much from the previous year and my first day on campus. I was still having trouble grasping that this was my life and not some kind of fairytale. I looked different; I felt different; hell, I was different. I was so far from the broken person Jace had vowed to fix. I had gained strength, I had found my happiness.
“You nervous?” Jace asked when he picked me up in his new red mustang his grandmother had bought him as an early eighteenth birthday gift. It was extremely generous given the fact that his birthday wasn’t even until December.
“Why would I be nervous?” I shot back, before climbing in the passenger seat and giving him a quick kiss on the lips.
“It’s the first day of our senior year,” Jace responded like he was telling me something I didn’t already know.
“Uh huh.” I nodded, almost mocking him.
“Hey!” He exclaimed playfully as we rounded a sharp corner.
“Why would I have anything to be nervous about when I get to walk in on the arm on the most handsome guy in school?” I gushed.
Jace glanced back at me lovingly. “Good answer.”
After parking the car and grabbing our backpacks, Jace extended his arm out to me. “After you my lady.”
I smiled back doing a fake curtsy. “Don’t mind if I do.” This is why I knew without a fraction of a doubt he was the one; I could be myself around him knowing that he accepted every inch of me—and he loved it.
Epilogue
I’m ashamed of myself. I’m ashamed I put so much emphasis on what my peers were going to think. Peyton’s size had never bothered me—whether she was thin as a rail or wide as a house. I had fallen for her soul; the person inside.
I wasted so much time worried what others would think of me, I almost lost her…multiple times.
I couldn’t even imagine a life without her enticing stare or beautiful smile; her well scripted words or her gentle loving heart.
I knew from the moment we met that no one could ever compare to the effect she left on me, and I didn’t want them to.
Peyton was finally mine after close to a year of secretly lusting her. I couldn’t help but feel as though I’d won the biggest prize in life…her heart.
Preview of the second book in the Foundation series, The Fighter:
My reflexes had never been sharper. My heart was racing a mile a minute. I gulped loudly then glanced back at the wall which had just been assaulted by our former toaster. In fact, the wall may have lost, judging by the gaping hole staring back at me.
He was drunk again. Not surprising. What was surprising is that he hadn’t drank himself to oblivion yet—and was still conscious. Normally I could slip out unnoticed in the mornings. The nights were more challenging. After Jax passed away my father went full on looney toons. Ape shit. Lost his job and everything else. Now, he could be found spending his days drowning his sorrows in a bottle of Jack, and blaming me for his troubles. It didn’t help that I was the identical resemblance to the son he lost. I got punished almost daily for it.
“You worthless piece of shit,” he snarled at me, slurring his words. That was his favorite insult, other than the obvious, ‘why wasn’t it you’ bit.
“It’s not even 7:00 am Frank, you should be waking up right now—job hunting. But what are you doing? Wasting away as usual. This needs to stop, be the parent for once.” I knew the truth would get my ass kicked from my house to Japan, but I was sick and tired of his reckless abandon.
“You better watch it boy!” Frank threatened, his finger pointed in the air at me.
“Go fuck yourself,” I said, nearly under my breath and then turned to walk away from my sorry excuse of a father.
I heard his barreling footsteps before I had a chance to react. He tackled me, taking me to the ground roughly. My face was being smashed into the hardwood floor violently
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of a struggle, I threw his heavy frame off of me and managed to jump to my feet.
“I have to go to school,” I muttered under my breath and then grabbed my backpack off the table and booked it out of there.
I ran as fast as I could out the front door and didn’t stop until I was nearly a mile away. I stopped, gasping for air. Frank would have never made it this far—he was much too lazy for that; but it didn’t stop me from running like hell.
I winced realizing just how sore I was from his tackle.
I glanced at my watch. 7:05.
Shit.
I was supposed to have picked up Peyton at 6:45 am. It was our usual routine nowadays. She was probably already panicking on the inside, imagining all the reasons I was late and hadn’t called yet.
We had been doing really well the past couple of months. Definitely stuck in the honeymoon phase. But her insecurities still reared their heads from time to time. It was becoming less often though, so that was a plus.
I pulled my phone from out of my back pocket and noticed two texts from my girlfriend.
Hey, did you sleep through your alarm? Sent at 6:55 am.
I quickly read the second one which had been sent less than a minute ago. Should I ask Jen for a ride to school?
I dialed her number without any further hesitation. It was no surprise she picked up on the first ring.
“Are you okay? Where are you?” She sounded worried.
“I’m fine, I accidentally snoozed my alarm,” I lied.
I could practically hear her exhaling loudly with relief.
It’s not that I wanted to lie to her—or even that it was the right thing to do. But I cared about Peyton more than anyone in the world and I planned to protect her no matter what it took.
“Are you going to be here soon?” Peyton asked, bringing me back to reality.
I can’t believe I missed it.
I was too busy running for my life, I left my car parked in my driveway. Peyton was going to be majorly suspicious if I showed up on foot without any excuse.
“Babe, I need to tell you something…” I began.
Suddenly, the silence was deafening, as if she was holding her breath.
“My car didn’t start this morning.” Lie number two. “Do you think Jen could give us both a ride?”
Again I heard a sigh of relief.
I could have sworn I heard a chuckle too. “Of course. Let me call her right now. Head over.”
“I’m already on my way, see you soon.” I hung up the phone and began walking in the direction of Peyton’s house. Because I had ran so quick and aimlessly I was off course, but I corrected quickly. It wouldn’t be more than ten minutes.
When I first met her, she enchanted me…but Jax was right when he said she wasn’t my normal type. In a way, that deepened my feelings for her. I needed a change—a break from the mundane. She was that and more for me.
But I stressed about what my peers would think, how they would treat her and it kept me from being honest with myself.
Peyton changed everything for me. She was what kept me sane. She was my passion.
I hated lying to her—but I loved her so much, it ached in my bones. She was fragile, I planned to handle her with the upmost care. She brought life back into me. Peyton was everything.
***
“Are you trying to kill me?” Peyton whined obnoxiously.
“No…it’s a compromise,” I replied, turning off the engine.
She would have never agreed to it had I told her the truth, so I may have embellished just a bit.
“Football?” The disdain in her voice was more than apparent.
“What’s your favorite thing to do?”
“Definitely not watch football!” She exclaimed.
“Just humor me.”
“Spend time with you.” She wasted no time debating on an answer.
“Now ask me the same question.”
She giggled before complying. “What’s your favorite thing to do?”
“Hang out with you. Ask me what my second favorite thing to do is,” I ordered.
“What is it?” She gave in.
“Watching football. So make me a deal, you will come with me to something you don’t necessarily enjoy and I will return the favor.
A smile spread across her lips like wildfire as she finally exited the car and I followed suit.
“The ballet,” she said as she closed the distance between us.
“What about it?”
“That’s my compromise,” she replied, stone faced.
She has to be kidding.
She was kidding…right?