by Phoebe Lane
It's happening. Here we go.
Aislynn approached the door, took a deep breath, and opened it. She found Evan holding a couple of bottles of wine and Jace carrying a big pastry box. Aislynn didn't really register Evan's greeting as she was immediately consumed with Jace. He was casually dressed in jeans and a button down shirt, a warm smile on his lips that spoke words he somehow knew shouldn't be said out loud. Not yet.
"Hi, guys," Aislynn said, almost as a whisper.
"Evan has been hypnotized by the smell of the food outside ever since we parked. I swear, he's like a greyhound," Jace joked.
"This food calls to me like a moth to a—" Evan said, staring at Ellie, who now stood behind Aislynn. And just like that, all talk of food was forgotten.
He entered the apartment and embraced Ellie in a long and passionate kiss. Aislynn suspected something new was going on between them just by the way they looked and held each other. It was always the little things that made Aislynn's mind wander.
Jace approached her and chastely kissed her on the cheek. She felt a bit disappointed, but grateful that he was being conscious about her mom's presence and the importance of first impressions.
As he lifted his lips from her cheek, he ghosted the tip of his nose over the side of her face and whispered in her ear, "This will have to do for now. But just know that in my head I just tasted your lips and gave a proper hello to Fourteen."
Aislynn closed her eyes, her breath coming out ragged as he lightly ran his fingers over her belly button. She felt a delicious warmth spread all over her body, like the one caused by a vintage glass of scotch on a cold night.
"Get a room, you two," Pam said behind them, and Aislynn froze. She turned around and realized Pam was looking at Ellie and Evan, and not her, thankfully.
She turned back to Jace, her cheeks now tinged a dark shade of pink, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips.
"Breathe," he whispered. "How's everything going so far?"
"We've had some hiccups, but the last few hours have actually been okay," Aislynn said. "Are you ready to meet her?"
He nodded without hesitation. "Are you?"
Things became very clear for Aislynn at that moment. She reminded herself she was not a little kid anymore, even though Pam insisted on treating her like one. She was no longer four-year-old Aislynn making a mess in the kitchen, or fifteen-year-old Aislynn bringing a boy home to meet her parents for the first time. She was an adult Aislynn now—responsible, educated, and independent—allowing her mother to meet the man she was falling in love with. There was no need for tiptoes or eggshells.
I've been through enough. This should be easy, in comparison.
Aislynn focused on the bright green eyes that stared back at her. Like a traffic light, they gave her the go-ahead signal and the motivation to live her life the way she wanted, not the way Pam felt she needed to. Aislynn gave in to the desire, her need, to melt into Jace's arms and taste his lips. The sound of multiple soft gentle kisses shared between them echoed in her ears until her eyes fluttered back open, his scent now dancing around her like the smoke of soft, burning incense.
"Yes, I'm ready," Aislynn said with confidence and took his hand.
"Atta girl," Aislynn heard Ellie proudly whisper as they all walked together into the kitchen.
"Mom, this is Jace Quinn. Jace, this is my mom, Pam," Aislynn said, grateful that the rush of confidence she had just experienced was also being reflected in her tone of voice.
"It's so very nice to meet you, Mrs. O’Neill," he said, extending his hand in greeting.
"Good to meet you too, Jace. And you can call me Pam," she said, a pleasant smile on her face.
"How did you know that was her last name?" Aislynn whispered in his ear while Ellie introduced Evan to Pam.
"It was in the email you showed me," he answered back.
"Damn, you're good."
"I sure hope so," he said, before turning his attention back to Pam. "How do you like San Diego so far, Pam?" he asked.
"I have to admit I'm not in love with the humidity, but everything else has been great. The market was amazing, and I got a great view of the coast," Pam said.
"Dinner smells absolutely delicious," Evan added, his southern accent slightly more noticeable than usual, and Aislynn wondered if her accent may have changed too since Pam had been in town.
"I'm glad you think so, 'cause the food is almost ready. You guys sit while I finish up," she said, turning around to get the mac and cheese out of the oven.
"We brought dessert," Jace said, reaching for the pastry box. "Aislynn said you were cooking southern food, so we got—"
Aislynn interrupted him with a dramatic gasp. "Buttermilk pie?"
"Happy pre-birthday," he said, and Aislynn hugged him.
Jace and buttermilk pie. It doesn't get any better than this.
There was no other way to describe dinner than to say it was just normal. And a normal dinner, a normal conversation, a normal anything with Pam was automatically abnormal in Aislynn's eyes. She was afraid her mom would bring up an inappropriate subject, like Christopher, for example, so she cautiously observed her throughout the night. Thankfully, her efforts were proven unnecessary. Pam had been rather quiet, pleasantly participating in conversation when addressed directly, and busy finishing and serving dinner. Like a good Southern mom, feeding people was her preferred way of showing love.
Well, that and being critical. But maybe that's just with me.
"Mom, you look tired. Do you want to crash here instead of going back to the hotel?" Aislynn asked as they finished cleaning up the kitchen after dinner.
Ellie and Evan were watching a movie in the living room, and Jace had left earlier explaining he had an early meeting the next day, although she suspected he just wanted to give her some time alone with Pam.
"I think it's the time difference. It's actually two hours later for me. Would you mind driving me back to the hotel now? I have an early morning appointment at the spa that I don't want to miss," Pam said.
"Sure, let's go. I'll finish this up later."
Aislynn felt a nervous energy creep up into her chest as she got her car keys and walked with Pam to her car. She could feel the anxiety and the anticipation bubbling in her chest, rendering her lungs unable to expand to their full capacity. She couldn't understand where and why this feeling was coming from at first, but it became clear as soon as she found herself locked in the car with her mom.
It's me and her now. No escape.
Aislynn waited for it…and waited some more. She expected the subject of Jace to be the one thing Pam would focus on, so she spent her time running through worst case scenarios in her head and lining up quick comebacks for whatever curveball Pam was getting ready to throw at her. But once again, her efforts were unnecessary. After a few minutes of utter silence, Aislynn looked over and realized that Pam had fallen asleep. Her head was resting against the window and a soft snore escaped her lips.
Aislynn finally felt the oxygen fill her lungs and her muscles relax. She put on some soft music and let her mind wander to her favorite person to think about these days, the person she had been so sure Pam was getting ready to rip apart.
My Jace.
Jace walked out of the bathroom after a long, hot shower and put on his pajama bottoms. He worked in his home office for about an hour, and got together some of the things he needed for his meeting the following morning. He had lied to Aislynn and told her it was a business meeting, when it fact it had to do with her birthday.
That girl has a wicked sense of perception. Sherlock has nothing on her.
He poured himself a drink, feeling satisfied with what he had been able to arrange, and then headed to bed. He tried to watch some TV, but all he could think about was Aislynn. She had been really tense on and off throughout dinner, although her mom had been perfectly pleasant and non-confrontational. Pam had even asked him to join them for dinner to celebrate Aislynn's birthday, and had graciously accepted his of
fer to make them reservations at one of his favorite restaurants.
He had finally started falling asleep when he heard his phone chirp with a text from Aislynn.
Hey, are u still up?
Yeah, in bed already, but still awake. How are things going?
OK. I just dropped my mom off at her hotel.
Things seemed to go well with her tonight…right?
Yeah.
There's something off.
Are you sure you're OK?
She didn't respond right away, and he could almost picture her hesitating and struggling with how much to say. She'd probably typed a few responses and then erased them.
Yeah. I can't sleep. Have a lot on my mind.
He couldn't exactly explain what made him do it, but he suddenly felt and urge to get up from bed and walk out into his living room. He was surprised to find Aislynn sitting on the steps of the deck, her back facing the house. He smiled to himself and watched her for a moment, mesmerized by how beautiful she looked as the wind made lose strands of her hair dance around her face. The soft light of the moon made her almost glow.
Then come inside and into bed with me.
Aislynn read his text and immediately turned around. Her eyes locked with his, and a shy smile spread across her lips. Jace walked out to the deck and held his hand out to help her up.
"I'm sorry. My car just sort of drove itself here," she said.
"Why are you out here all by yourself? You still have a key."
"I wasn't sure if you were up, and I didn't want to wake you."
"I really love your car for bringing you to me," he said and pulled her to him, her arms wrapping around his neck.
"I was nearby, and I didn't want to go home, and—" She suddenly stopped and shook her head, eyes turning down. "I'm sorry. That's not really why I'm here."
"What is it, babydoc?" he asked. He could feel her struggle, how hard it was for her to open up, tell him what she needed and how she really felt.
"I want you. I want to be with you tonight…all the time," she said, letting out a deep breath.
"That's the best thing I've heard all day," he said, softly kissing her lips. "Now, that wasn't that hard, was it?"
"You have no idea," she said as she let out a deep breath and walked behind him into the house.
He gently pulled her jacket off her shoulders and tossed it on the sofa. He then pulled out the pin holding her hair up and watched it cascade down her back slowly.
Why does that turn me on so much?
Once inside his room, Jace stood in front of her and very slowly undressed her. He took off her scarf, then unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down her legs as she ran her fingers through his hair. She crawled into bed wearing only her plain white t-shirt and panties, the white sheets on his bed a perfect background for the angelical vision in front of him.
He lay down next to her and just watched her. She took deep, steady breaths and moved closer to him, their fronts now touching and the heat of their bodies intermingling. Jace couldn't resist running his fingers through the long strands of hair falling over the side of her pillow. The smell was subtle and fruity, making his tongue tickle.
"I think I want to marry your hair," he said.
Aislynn's laugh was the most enchanting sound he had ever heard in his life, second only to the wonderful sound of her moans when she was coming.
"That's only legal in three states, and I'm pretty sure California isn't one of them," she said, eyes closed, her tongue moistening her bottom lip. "Jace?" she said as her hand caressed the stubble on his face.
"Yeah?"
She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. They were sparkling, like when new tears start to form, but she didn't look sad. He wondered what she had been thinking about to make her this emotional, but before he could give it any more thought, she crawled on top of him and kissed him.
The kiss was soft, so very soft, but he could feel the sentiment behind it almost crush him with its intensity. She pulled away to catch her breath, her eyes expressive, but lips closed tight.
"Aislynn, please…say it…tell me what you want. I don't want it to be this hard for you to trust me, to reach out to me."
She kept staring at him, her silence absolutely deafening. The only sound in the room he could hear was her heart, which beat faster with each passing second. Her eyes moved down to his mouth and her fingers traced his lips slowly. Her hand crawled down his neck, to his chest, and rested over his heart.
He waited her out. He had to. She needed to do this. He had counted one hundred and ten heartbeats before she finally spoke.
"I'm trying not to love you," she whispered, her eyes closed off to him. His heart took off running almost as fast as hers and a rush of adrenaline shot through his body.
Don't stop there. Say something else. Please.
"But I do." She opened her eyes, and he was surprised to see they were full of determination. And love. Lots of love.
"My brave girl," he said with an exhale and reached up to touch her cheek. His chest wanted to explode with love for her.
"No, not brave," she said, shaking her head. "I'm so scared, Jace."
"Scared or not, I love you, too. So much, babydoc," he said, holding her face with both his hands now. He had never spoken truer words. He loved her.
I love you.
"And I'm scared, too. After everything that happened to me, what happened to you…but I'm ready for this. I'm all in," he added.
Aislynn's breath hitched and she leaned down to kiss him. She kissed him with all the love he had seen in her eyes moments before. Jace rolled over and hovered above her, not able to stop himself from tasting her lips, her tongue, her neck. Somehow, all their clothes disappeared and Jace reveled in the feeling of her warm skin on his.
"Say it again, Aislynn."
"I love you," she said without hesitation. "I love you...I love you," she repeated with kisses in between.
"Tell me what you want. Ask me for what you need," he said.
"Just…love me," she whispered, moving her hands slowly over his back.
I do.
He kissed her without urgency, without haste, but with all the love he felt for her. His hands explored her body, touched her in all the places he had now learned made her crazy with need. There was no big production or mind-blowing new sexual position. It was soft, and slow, and just what Aislynn had asked for.
Just love me.
I do.
He slid slowly into her, her body welcoming him with the most delicious warmth and wetness he had ever felt. They fit together perfectly, and the sensation nearly made him lose his head. He felt her push her body into his, their hips meeting in a synchronized rhythm, her breasts molding perfectly in his hands, love exchanged effortlessly between two healing hearts. And after what felt like hours of exalted physical sensations and overwhelming emotions, he made her lose control.
He watched as she let herself go, the feeling of her orgasm overtaking her, her cries of passion filling his ears, her walls contracting around him over and over again—it was a vision he would never be able to erase from his mind.
And he never wanted to.
Because he loved her.
I do.
Aislynn woke up to the wonderful smell of coffee and a soft voice murmuring sweet words in her ear. She hoped they were both just part of a dream, and that she could continue to sleep until the dream was over.
"It's not a dream, babydoc. Happy birthday," Jace whispered.
No control over my brain-mouth connection yet, it seems. Need to get a handle on that.
Aislynn smiled when she heard his voice again, but kept her eyes closed, still not sure if she was ready to face the day. The bed was quite comfortable, and she felt confident that she could find a way to convince Jace to stay wrapped up in his sheets with her all day. She blindly searched his side of the bed for his warm body and the bargaining tool hidden under his pajama bottoms, but only found empty, cold space.
She opened her eyes and sat up on her elbows. Jace was standing to her right, an amused smile on his face and a huge cup of coffee in his hands.
"Hi," she said, her voice still heavy with sleep. "Why aren't you naked and in bed with me? I had a plan and you're ruining it."
"As enticing as that sounds, I have to go to my, umm…meeting," he said while sitting in bed next to her. "I didn't want to leave before wishing you a happy twenty-ninth-plus-one birthday."
Aislynn threw her head back in laughter. "See, this is why I love you!" She basked in the feeling of being able to say those words openly and without reservations. "Thank you so much for the birthday wishes but you're lying. Where are you really going?"
"I'm not lying," Jace said, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yes, you are. You don't wear jeans to work, you hesitated when you said the word 'meeting,' you're forcing yourself to look me straight in the eyes, and you're blushing. All of that put together means lie!" she said, amused.
"That's really annoying. No coffee for you!" he said, getting up from the bed and walking toward the bedroom door.
"Oh, come on! Tell me what you're up to!" she yelled as he left the room. She waited a few seconds and then heard the coffee grinder going in the kitchen.
He's making me coffee. God, I love him.
After brushing her teeth and getting dressed, Aislynn walked over to the kitchen and found Jace working on his laptop on the kitchen island. A steaming mug of coffee was waiting for her next to his. She walked behind him and wound her arms around his neck.
"Are you going to let me surprise you and not ask me where I'm going?" Jace asked, turning to put his arms around her waist and pull her to him.
"This is about my birthday?"
"Yes. And I remember you said you hate surprises, but I really think you'll like this one."
"The only thing I really want for my birthday is to be with you...and for my mom to have a personality transplant, and not find a way to ruin my day. Oh! Is that what you're getting me?" Aislynn joked.