Cursive

by Phoebe Lane

  "You have some nerve coming here after what you did to Jace—" Tessa said, but he interrupted her.

  "Tessa, please. Go back to the table. I'll be right there," Jace said and held Tessa's gaze, an unspoken conversation once again taking place between them.

  Tessa gave Chloe a hateful stare as she turned to leave, but then her eyes landed on Aislynn. No one had noticed she had been standing nearby, witnessing the confrontation.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt," Aislynn said with hesitation, feeling incredibly uncomfortable as all eyes fell on her.

  She took a second to glance at Chloe, who was examining her intently, her stare quickly turning cold and challenging. Again, on instinct, Aislynn straightened her stance and walked over to Jace with confidence.

  This is not the time to back down. I'm not going to be intimidated by a woman I have zero respect for.

  "Jace, are you okay?" Aislynn asked without an ounce of apprehension.

  "Yes," he responded, tension evident in his voice. "Everything's fine. I'll be out there in a second."

  "And who is this?" Chloe asked, as she squared her shoulders, raised an eyebrow, and took a step forward.

  Are you kidding me with this? I thought this stuff only happened in bad movies and scripted reality TV.

  Before Aislynn could give an answer, Jace took her hand and pulled her to him. "This is Aislynn, my girlfriend."

  Aislynn wasn't really into fake pleasantries, having had to live through enough of them with her mom, and she certainly wasn't about to engage in them with this woman. Thankfully, Chloe didn't seem to take the bait, either.

  "Listen, Jace, I'm really sorry for showing up here unannounced, but I've been trying to reach you for a while. I can't get you on the phone, I can't get you at work, and—"

  "None of that is coincidence. You haven't been able to reach me because I don't want you to," he said, with a stern tone.

  "I'm here because I thought this would be my one chance to talk to you," she said and eyed Aislynn. "This is a private matter between us that I don't care to discuss in front of anyone else."

  "There's nothing to discuss. I'm going to ask you to leave. Now," he said, and walked away, taking Aislynn with him.

  He guided her through the dining room and out the back door. His face was flushed, his nostrils were flaring, and his right fist came inches away from slamming into the brick wall. He stopped himself and walked toward Aislynn, putting his hands on her face.

  "I'm sorry about that," he said, his face carved with worry.

  "There's nothing to be sorry about. It's not your fault," Aislynn said.

  She tried really hard not to read too much into his reaction, but it was impossible to turn off her impulse to analyze him and the situation. He had been clearly taken by surprise by Chloe's presence, but based on what she said, he should have known it was a possibility. "So she's been calling you?"

  "Yeah…for a few weeks. I've managed to avoid her calls. I have nothing to say to her, and I don't give a shit about what she feels she needs to say to me at this point."

  Aislynn raised her fingers to his face and smoothed out the crease that formed in his forehead. She felt him take a deep breath and relax his shoulder as he blew the air out.

  "I hate to get all shrink-y on you but…are you sure about that?" Aislynn said.

  "Don't! Please, don't try to read too much into this. I'm this angry because her showing up here doesn't just affect me. It affects my whole family. Chloe knows how important this thing is to us, how hard it is for me to see my Mom lose it every time she has to stand on that stage to tell my story. But just like she didn't care about me when I was sick, she doesn't care about what this might do to my parents, and Tessa…and you. Please, Aislynn, don't misunderstand this for something it's not," he said with an unfaltering voice and overwhelming sincerity in his eyes.

  "Okay," she said with a nod and he embraced her.

  "It’s getting chilly out here. Let's get back inside."

  When they got back to their table, Aislynn was not surprised to see how much the scene had changed. It was obvious that word had spread about Chloe's presence at the party, and everyone appeared upset and on edge. Nina, in particular, looked murderous.

  Note to self: don't piss off Mama Bear.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chloe being escorted out of the restaurant by Evan. Nina tried to stand up when she spotted her walking out, but John put a hand on her shoulder and coaxed back into her chair.

  After a few comforting words were exchanged between Nina, John, and Jace, and a round of drinks were shared, the heavy mood around the table finally lifted.

  Just let it go.

  Everyone’s attention was directed back to the fundraising activities after the main course. The winners for best dressed couples were announced, with Nina and John winning for "most classic costume." Ellie’s and Evan’s costumes were named "most recognizable," and one of Jace's clients and his wife took the crown for "most original costume" for their rendition of Andie and Ben on How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days.

  Guests hit the dance floor after the awards were handed out, and Aislynn found herself melting into Jace's arms as he led her in a slow dance. She was right in the place where she needed to be. She wanted to lose herself in him and not think about her past life, Pam, Christopher, cancer, loss, ex-girlfriends, or weddings. She just wanted Jace.

  Aislynn closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened up her mind. It was the only remaining part in her body that resisted embracing the truth.

  That feeling…I recognize it now…

  It's time. I'm jumping in.

  Aislynn and Jace silently drove down the highway on their way home from the benefit dinner. It was late and she felt kind of uncomfortable in her costume. After pulling her gloves off, she started working on her tiara.

  "What are you doing?" Jace asked in a panic.

  "Taking this off 'cause it's giving me a headache. Why? What's wrong?" she asked, confused.

  "Nothing. Umm…nothing," he said and tried to keep his eyes on the road.

  "Jace, what is it?" she asked as she pulled at the band holding her hair up in a bun.

  He put his hand on hers, essentially stopping her from releasing her hair. "I just have to tell you that I have no control over what happens if you do that. You've been warned."

  Finally understanding what he meant, Aislynn couldn’t help the mischievous smile that spread across her lips. She let her hair fall down her back, and watched Jace stare at her with raw desire. Next thing she knew, he was going ninety miles per hour down the highway as his hand inched farther and farther up her leg.

  They took the exit to his house and stopped at a red light. He immediately pulled her to him and kissed her. There were no questions, no warnings, just lips and tongue and moans. She was suddenly very impatient to get home.

  "It's green, let's go," she demanded as shallow breaths escaped her mouth.

  I want to feel your weight on top of me. I want to feel you inside of me.

  "Hold that thought," Jace said, and raced down the street.

  "Damn, did I just say that out loud?" Aislynn whispered in his ear, as she pulled at the hair in the back of his head and gently bit his earlobe.

  "Not this time. I was talking about the kiss, but I would give anything to hear what you were thinking."

  "I think I’d rather show you," she answered as he pulled up to his driveway.

  They both hurried out of the car and into the house. Again, there were no words and no waiting, only want and need. As soon as the door closed behind them, Aislynn found herself pinned against the wall with his lips on hers. He tasted of almonds and scotch, and the feeling of their tongues sliding against each other made areas of her body pulse in anticipation.

  That tongue on my jugular again. Damn, that feels good.

  His hands explored her body, and Aislynn's breathing faltered. She pulled at his jacket, desperate to touch his naked chest.

&nb
sp; "This is really in my way. Off. Now," Aislynn said with a smirk, and Jace quickly responded by taking off his jacket and tie.

  Aislynn went to work on unbuttoning his shirt, as if her hands were being magnetically pulled to his skin. She could feel his pulse racing when she was finally able to place her hands over his heart.

  He's alive. He's healthy. And tonight, he's mine.

  Jace turned her around and pinned her to the door while he unzipped her dress, letting it fall slowly down her legs and to the floor. She stood in front of him in her black lace lingerie and her laced-up satin heels.

  "The shoes stay on for now…or maybe longer. We'll see," he said, looking up and down her half-naked body.

  Jace turned her back around, grabbed her by the waist, and picked her up. Aislynn instinctively wrapped her legs around him and discovered how mind-blowing the contact felt through the thin fabric of her panties. She couldn't resist the urge to rub up against him as he carried her away, carefully avoiding knocking down lamps and running into furniture.

  They made it to his room, and he set her down on his bed. Jace took off the rest of his clothes and crawled into bed with only his boxer briefs on, which did little to hide how he was really feeling. He kissed his way down from her neck, to her breasts, across her abdomen, down her legs, and finally reached her feet.

  Very slowly, and with the patience of a monk, he untied her shoes, letting the satin ribbons dance through his fingers. Aislynn felt the tension build up in her belly as she imagined his fingers skillfully dancing around her skin and deep inside her. Her whole body trembled, but she felt anything but cold. He caressed his way up her body and moved to her hand.

  "Your hand is still sore, so I'm doing all the work tonight. This is going to be about you," he said, his body hovering over her and his mouth less than an inch from hers. She raised her head and kissed him, pulling forcefully at his bottom lip, feeling an incredible impulse to bite and suck on it.

  His hands moved down to her right breast and massaged it. She felt her nipples get hard, and Jace moved down to pull at one gently with his teeth through the thin mesh fabric of her bra. Moans escaped her as she instinctively closed her eyes in pleasure.

  He pulled down the strap on her bra and kissed the length of it, moving from her shoulder down to where it met the cup. After carefully pulling it down with his teeth, he sucked at her nipple, alternating between hard and soft, just like he had done weeks before. Aislynn felt the walls in her entrance contract rhythmically, her wetness preparing her for what she couldn't wait to have inside her. Right at that moment, Jace put his leg between hers and nudged his knee right where she needed him most.

  "Oh God…" Aislynn mumbled.

  If she had been alone, imagining this scene in her head while touching herself, she would've already succumbed to her climax. But this was real life. It was Jace's hand on her body, his teeth on her nipple, and his leg pushing right on her center.

  Reel it in and keep it together, Aislynn.

  "You're flawless, babydoc. I've wanted so much to taste your body…you have no idea…" he said, and kissed his way down her chest and abdomen.

  He moved his leg away from where it was imparting delicious pleasure, but soon enough replaced it with his mouth. He touched her over her panties, feeling her wetness on the lace fabric, and taking a deep breath in. She felt his fingers wrap around the thin satin strings on her hips and slide them down her legs, his warm breath crawling over her hypersensitive skin. Aislynn’s body instinctively arched, and Jace’s face buried in her center, his tongue exploring deeper than she had ever felt before.

  Oh my God, he knows exactly what to do with his tongue. I'm in so much trouble.

  "You taste amazing," he said, coming up for air, but not letting up on what he was doing. How the hell does he do that? His fingers roamed and pushed on all the areas that needed to be touched in order to intensify the feel of his tongue on her.

  "Ahh…" Aislynn was sure she'd let out several other unintelligible words, most of them masked by her cries of pleasure.

  "Aislynn, let go," Jace said after a few mind blowing minutes. She shook her head from side to side, refusing to open her eyes.

  "Aislynn…let go. I can tell you're ready…" he said, more demanding this time.

  "No," she mumbled, her concentration faltering, and her uninjured hand pulling forcefully at the sheets.

  "I said let go."

  Aislynn opened her eyes and looked down at him. It was the most erotic scene she had ever laid eyes on. She finally understood why guys loved it so much to watch women going down on them. He looked up at her through his eyelashes, and she took in the two lustful green orbs staring at her, a trace of a wicked smile on his lips.

  "You can control everything else in your life, but not this," he said, the fingers buried deep inside her never faltering their delicious rhythm. "I'm in control here, so you don't have to be. Now, let go…" he said with a confidence that only served to send Aislynn into the depths of pleasure, his tongue once again massaging her with the perfect amount of pressure.

  Her explosion was like no other she had ever experienced. Her whole body shook, her fingers laced in his hair and pulled him closer into her as her back arched, and her screams reverberated off the walls of the room.

  "Holy shit," she finally said, as her breathing slowed down, and her legs stopped trembling. Even after her orgasm was over, he kept lapping at her softly with his tongue, sending small waves of what she had just experienced up to her stomach.

  "You look and sound absolutely breathtaking when you come. I hope to see more of that from now on," he said, moving his fingers out of her.

  Ahh, don't do that. I want you back in there. I want more of you in there.

  "Aislynn…I said, how's your hand?" he asked with a chuckle, apparently for a second time. He looked obviously satisfied with himself and the fact he had rendered her incapable of uttering a simple answer, or even register his question in the first place. "You were pulling at my hair pretty hard there."

  "Oh, I'm sorry…Did I hurt you?" she asked, bringing his face up to hers.

  "No, I'm fine. But that could've hurt your stitches."

  "Yeah, well, I wasn't feeling anything else but your mouth on me," she said as Jace examined her hand.

  "It looks fine," he said, and kissed it gently.

  He started peppering small kisses up her arm, but lingered in place every time he got to a pulse point. He gently nibbled and licked those areas, and Aislynn felt the tantalizing tension build up rapidly inside her all over again.

  "Why the hell does that feel so good?" she asked, letting out a breath from deep within her.

  Jace moved over to her chest and down to her belly and planted the softest of kisses right below her ribs, sending shudders down Aislynn's spine. She pulled his boxer briefs down with her good hand, desperately wanting to feel him in her.

  "Jace, I want you…now…I can’t wait anymore…"

  "Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you."

  "I want you on top of me, inside me, hard and fast. Please," she said with lust in her voice, her legs aching to wrap themselves around his hips.

  "God, I want you so much," he said, getting rid of his boxers.

  Aislynn watched him grab himself and pump a few times with his hand. He sat up between her legs, rubbing up and down her entrance several times, coating himself with her wetness. Aislynn squirmed with a desperate need to feel him stretch her walls, but she was able to hang on to the last miniscule portion of reason she had left in her.

  "Jace…I'm not on any birth control…"

  She noticed him hesitate for a fraction of a second, but then reached over to grab a condom from his nightstand drawer. He lay down next to her, and Aislynn took it from his hands without reservations. She rolled the condom down his length, letting her fingers wander into the sensitive area at his base and beyond. A wicked smile spread across her lips as the involuntary moans escaped his lips.

 
; After taking a few second to admire the view, she began pumping him slowly. Jace's eyes rolled back and closed as his breathing accelerated, matching the rate at which she moved her hands up and down his length. He eventually grabbed her by the waist with both hands and pulled her on top of him, but not before kissing her and letting Aislynn taste herself in his mouth.

  "This is how I've been imagining you this whole time…" he said, pulling her hair to the front, and letting it fall over her breasts. "I want to see you lose control again."

  You don't need to ask me twice.

  She pushed him down to the bed, grabbed him, and positioned him at her entrance. She inched herself down slowly at first, but the more of him she took in, the faster she wanted to go. After a few seconds of enjoying the delicious sensation of being completely filled by him, she started moving. Not surprisingly, the pleasure multiplied exponentially. Jace grunted and the sound inspired Aislynn to move faster. He put his hand on one of her nipples and pinched it in sync with her thrusts. The other hand made it to her hip and dug into her skin, helping guide her movements.

  You feel so good…

  "Slow down, babydoc…let me feel you for a while longer…" he said, breathing hard.

  Aislynn collapsed on top of him, and kissed him, as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. She dug her nails in his chest and breathed heavily on his neck, taking in his scent and committing it to memory. After a few delicious minutes, he rolled them over and got on top of her. His thrusts were slow and measured, letting his whole length come out of her, before pushing it slowly back in.

  Aislynn felt as if all parts of her, every particle that composed her mind and her body, aligned in perfect order anytime he was inside her. When he pulled out, everything turned into chaos again. Both in a physical and an emotional way, Jace brought harmony into a life of turmoil.

  "Oh, fuck," he said, as he sat back on his legs and watched himself thrust in and out of her. He took her leg and rested it on his shoulder, while her other leg snaked around his waist. The change in angle provided the most intense feeling deep within her.