by Lia Davis
Jace snarled, and it was low and animal.
“You should know, Huntington Dane bet me that I couldn’t get both of you into bed. Ten thousand dollars is how much your ass is worth.”
Jace struck like a cobra. Their mouths crashed together. He tasted of wine and pussy. Vance had never been so hard.
This was proving to be a much-desired distraction. Maybe more than that, if he was honest. It wasn’t just to beat Huntington Dane at his own game that he wanted this. He wanted to experience Jace Lamont and Charlotte Harcourt. He was pretty sure they both wanted him, too.
He gave over to the kiss, to the heat between them, to Jace’s strength. He liked the weight of the other man pushing him down. So few of his lovers dared to handle him like this.
Jace broke away all too soon, looking traumatized, as if it had been Vance slamming him into the wall and kissing him. “Is that her I taste on our lips? She’s sweet, Jace.” He licked his lips.
Jace’s eyes darkened again. “Will you do it or not?”
Vance slowly righted himself, again, choosing his words very carefully. “First, tell me why you chose me.”
“You know why.”
“Do I? Was it because you think I’m everything you’re not? That would be a bad reason. We’re more alike than you think.”
“Never presume you’re anything like me.”
“What I presume is that you’d die for the girl in question. That you almost did. What I presume is that you want things from her that you don’t think you can have. What I presume is that you’re treating her like she belongs to you.”
“Goddamn it, Vance. I don’t need a social deconstruction or a lesson in how to treat my charge. I need your answer.”
Vance scrubbed a hand over his face. “Your charge?”
“Yes. I look out for her. That’s what I’ve always done. It’s what I always will do.”
“Isn’t there more to you than being some princess’s watchdog?”
“No.”
“I’ve seen the way she looks at you. She thinks you’re more.”
“Which is exactly why she needs to be protected. I did one thing right, and that was saving her. It’s all I’m good for. If you don’t want to do this, I’ll find someone who will.” He turned to leave.
Vance saw he was losing ground. “I’ll do it, but I have a condition of my own.”
“What’s that?”
“You join the Rugby team.”
“Can’t. She’ll be alone too much.”
“You have to start letting go sometime, Jace.”
He closed his eyes. “Fine.”
“Practice starts tomorrow and I’ve got a date with Charlotte on Wednesday. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes.”
Each word he spoke sounded like it was being torn out of him, but Vance wouldn’t give him any reprieve. “You should come. You want me to treat her right? Make sure that I do.”
“After what just happened here, I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
“Why don’t you ask Charlotte what she wants? If she thinks it’s appropriate?”
“I’m going to knock Dane’s teeth out for what he proposed.”
Vance poured himself another whiskey. “Why? Because he bet me money I couldn’t do something I want to do?” He took a sip. “You’ve got this Madonna/whore complex and I don’t know how to break it to you, but humans are more complicated than that.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then make me understand.”
“You wouldn’t. Your silver spoon is too far up your ass.”
“There’s still room for your cock, with the right lube,” Vance drawled.
His words obviously affected Jace more than he was willing to admit. He retreated.
“You don’t want to fight anymore? I was just starting to have some fun.” Vance watched the door close. “Too bad. He’ll be back.”
He took another drink of the whiskey.
Chapter Four
Charlotte
“So, how was your night with the Brat Prince?” Pandora asked her as they passed in the hall.
Charlotte had the urge to push the bag of bagels she carried behind her back to keep them safe from the ice queen in all her glory.
“Just fine. How was yours with Conrad?”
She paled, and for a moment, Charlotte had a flash of sympathy. But it was fleeting.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t you? Hmm.” She left Pandora standing in the hall.
Which was good motivation for her not to overthink what it was going to be like being in the same place with Jace after what had happened between them.
She was sure she wanted it to happen again, but sure he didn’t.
Or he did, but thought he wasn’t supposed to?
Things had changed between them whether he liked it or not. Whether she liked it or not. Part of her wished they could go back to the way it was when they were both young. They’d been easy friends then.
He thought nothing of letting her curl up in his lap, nothing of holding her hand. It wasn’t until her junior year of high school that he stopped holding her close, that he stopped seeking comfort from her in the dark when the torment of his own mind was the worst.
It was too late to back out now. He was sitting at the table in the small kitchen. It seemed as if he’d been there for a long time, waiting. Perched, like a great cat ready to pounce on his prey.
Although, if she was honest, she’d admit she’d liked it when he pounced on her.
“I’m joining the rugby team.”
That was not what she expected him to say.
“That all right with you?”
She moved to sit down by him. “If that’s what you want to do—”
He made sure they didn’t touch, that they didn’t brush against each other. As she moved closer, he shifted away.
“—then I’m good with it.”
“Vance says you have a date Wednesday night.”
God, way to drop it on her like a brick. She was suddenly concerned for the Brat Prince’s well-being. “He’s not a bad guy you know. I really hope you didn’t go confront him and get in his face.”
“I did. A little.” He looked up at her, meeting her eyes. “I apologized for what happened at the party. You’re right. You’re a grown woman and you can do whatever it is that you think you want to do. It wasn’t my place to say anything.”
“You thought you were protecting me. You always try to protect me.” She reached out to touch his hand and he stilled, like a junkyard dog who’d never known a kind word freezing under a gentle touch.
“What happened last night can never happen again. I took advantage of you.”
“No, you didn’t.”
When he looked away from her, she wouldn’t allow it. “Hey, no. Jace? Look at me. I trust you. You didn’t hurt me. You didn’t take advantage of me.”
“Didn’t I?” When he finally did look up at her again, he was haunted. “Or maybe I just wanted to.”
She knew he was trying to scare her, to frighten her away from him. “Jace, I’ve wanted something to happen between us for a long time.”
“Which is exactly why you need to go out with Vance. Have a good time. Have a normal relationship.”
“Normal? What’s that?”
“It’s your turn to find out.”
“What if I don’t want normal? Normal is other people’s ideas of happiness.” The idea of normal scared her more than anything else. It sounded like the worst thing, the most banal thing.
“I’d give anything for normal, Charlotte.”
“Would you, really? Anything? What is it that’s so special about normal?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Absolutely nothing.”
It hit her then. “You’re tired of being different. You’re tired of being the one everyone stares at. You think that being average is better than being you.”
“Yes!” he cried as if she
’d just discovered some cache of treasure. “That’s exactly it.”
“Excuse me, but fuck that.”
“You don’t have to walk around with this face.”
“Maybe not, but I choose to walk beside it. I choose to love it.”
She’d never seen him look so terrified. Not even when she was watching from her hiding place as his father broke his arm. Not when he threw the boiling oil from the hot pot on his face. Never.
“Don’t love me. It’s not right.”
“I’ve always loved you, Jace. Since the moment you hid me. I’m not even talking about what happened between us last night. You’re part of my family.”
“What I am is obsolete.”
“What?” Where did he get this?
“I’ve protected you, stayed with you. Your parents have provided for me like I was their own, but I understand that my time with you is almost over. After freshman year, you’re not going to need me anymore. You’re going to float up to the clouds where you belong. You’re going to be spending time with people like Vance. And I’ll be back in the gutter where I came from.” He said all this as if it were simple fact and not utter insanity.
“My parents love you, Jace.”
“I wonder how much they’d love me if they knew I put my dirty hands on their pristine daughter.”
“No parent wants to know that their child is having sex.”
He jerked his hand away.
“Jace, come back to me,” she whispered. “You’ve been trying to leave me for a long time and I don’t want—”
“It’s always about what you want, isn’t it?” he snarled. “Don’t push this. You’re not going to like what’s on the other side.”
He slammed out of the suite and the crash of the door had never sounded so loud, or so final.
“Did your pet dog finally bite?” Pandora stood in the entryway. “Well, never mind that.” She invited herself in and sat down at the table. “This suite is surprisingly similar to ours.”
“We’re on the same floor, Pandora. Of course it is.”
“The higher the better, right?”
“Look, I don’t mean to sound bitchy, but do you want something? I’ve had a hard afternoon.”
“So I hear.” Pandora flashed her that ice queen smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I have news that I thought you should hear.”
That couldn’t be good.
“Oh?”
“It seems my friend and usual partner in crime has made a bet with our brat prince. I wanted you to know that you’re only worth five grand. Such a shame.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Huntington Dane bet Vance ten thousand dollars that he couldn’t get you and Jace into bed.”
“What do I care?” Her cheeks heated as she imagined the scenario.
“Don’t be flip with me, Freshie. I know you didn’t go up with Vance last night. So here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to sleep with him. You and your trog both because I want Dane to lose. Do that, and all is forgiven.”
For a single moment, she was frozen. For a single moment, she cowered. She wanted to sleep with them both anyway.
But who the hell did Pandora Heyde think she was exactly?
Charlotte had spent her life in the shadows. She’d spent her time being told that she was supposed to be afraid. That she wasn’t to make waves. She wasn’t to be too loud for fear something or someone bad would notice her.
She was done with it.
“Forgiven? I think there’s been a misunderstanding. Everyone is trying to control who does what with my vag. It’s not a goddamn cotillion ball in there and, if it was, you wouldn’t be invited. The whole point of even playing that stupid game was to have an adventure on my own terms. I’ll do what I like, and if Jace couldn’t change my mind, you’re sure as hell not going to.”
Pandora yawned. “Lovely speech, but it lacks bite. But you did exactly that, didn’t you? You let your snarling dog drag you back to your room by your ear like a naughty child. Well, he’s gone mad. It’s time to either cure him or put him down, princess. For his own good, and yours.”
She inspected her nails carefully. “But cheers and kudos or whatever for trying to stand up to me. Pathetic, useless, but A for effort.
Charlotte refused to be cowed by her. This time. “You know what your problem is?”
“Oh, are you going to tell me?” Pandora’s grin widened, making her look positively vulpine. “Say you will. I’m dying of anticipation.”
“You don’t give a quarter of a damn about depriving your friend of his money—”
“—I... no. I really do.” Pandora nodded emphatically.
“The real thrill here is having power over Jace. He ignores you. He doesn’t look at your face, your breasts, or your ass. He doesn’t care who your daddy is or how big your bank account is, so you don’t understand him. He doesn’t make sense to you, and you can’t have that. But this, you control some aspect of what he does, that makes it right in your world.”
“Hmm. Does it?” She was exaggerated in all of her motions and expressions as she pretended to consider. “Why, you’ve deconstructed me so thoroughly. Whatever shall I do?” Pandora rolled her eyes.
“I have though, haven’t I?” Charlotte needled.
“So what if you have? Doesn’t change anything.”
Charlotte bit the inside of her lip. Pandora was made of some pretty stern stuff if she could be struck with such precision and it barely made a dent in her armor.
“I like playing with people’s lives. It’s what I’m good at. You’ll find that life is a much better place for you on my good side. Even though manipulation is a game I’m good at, I don’t always use my powers for evil.”
“That’s like saying the devil was once an angel.” She snorted.
“Well, wasn’t he? I mean, if you believe in that kind of thing. Me? I believe in people. I believe they can be counted on to fuck things up righteously, but I believe they can also accomplish great things if given the right tools.” Pandora wore a sly expression. “Do you have the right tools, Charlotte?”
It was like Pandora knew every thought she had and was showing her exactly how she could turn them against her. The images those words conjured, thinking about having both Jace and Vance at the same time made her so wet, she ached. There was a throb between her legs there’d be no denying.
Pandora laughed. “God, you’re so easy. I don’t know if you bore me or if I want to play with you until I break you. That in itself is its own game.”
The other girl rose from her chair and put her hand on Charlotte’s shoulder, pushing her hair to the side. “Can you imagine them doing this? One of them would be behind you, and my darling—” she bent so that she whispered in Charlotte’s ear “—and it should probably be Vance. Your Jace surely has a bigger cock. All the peasant stock do.”
Charlotte shivered with desire. She felt guilty as hell for being turned on by it and she didn’t know why.
Pandora pressed her lips to the corner of her mouth in chaste kiss that seemed anything but. “You’ll find I can be very nice when I get my way.”
“How nice?” Charlotte gulped.
“How nice do you want me to be?”
“I want you to teach me that.” She thought for sure Pandora would laugh at her, but she didn’t.
The smile she gave her might’ve been genuine. “There’s nothing to teach, really. You see what you want. You take it. If there’s someone standing in your way, you find out what they want and either deliver or withhold based on what motivates them.”
“What motivates me?”
“Experience. Curiosity.” Pandora leaned down again and brushed her lips over Charlotte’s neck. “Sensation.” Seemingly pleased with herself, she stood again. “Be a good girl now, and we’ll talk real soon.”
Charlotte hated her.
She admired her, too.
And she kind of thought maybe she’d like to know what it was li
ke to sleep with her.
See? This was what happened when someone denied their desires for too long. They went crazy.
Except this didn’t feel crazy, the thing with Jace and Vance. Sleeping with Pandora would be crazy, not because she was a woman, but because she was Pandora. That would be like inviting a highly skilled piranha into her panties and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.
What she was ready for could possibly be something else on her bucket list.
A ménage with Jace and Vance.
The she could knock two things off her bucket list at the same time. She was sure Vance was only interested because she’d demurred. He seemed to be that sort of person.
But where would that leave her and Jace?
She didn’t know, but something had to give. He had to stop treating her like some kind of saint.
Or worse, a virgin.
Chapter Five
Jace
Rugby turned out to be one of the best things that had ever happened to Jace. As soon as he was on the field, he had a singular outlet for all of his aggression.
He hadn’t even had to try out for the team since Vance was team captain and a plaque in the state of the art gym had his last name on it.
No one said a damn thing about his face. He found an easy camaraderie there. He was more than the gutter trash. He was more than a bodyguard. He could just be.
That was something he’d never known he could have and Vance had given it to him.
Jace sure as fuck wasn’t going to tell him what a gift it had been. No one could ever know. In fact, it made him hate the guy a little more. Vance had everything and it all been given to him.
Charlotte had spent years telling him that he was more than what they called him, more than poor white trash, but if he was, if he really deserved more, why didn’t he have it?
To be honest, he felt guilty for everything the Harcourts had done for him. They were rewarding him for his selfless act, but he hadn’t been selfless at all.
He’d seen her shining brown hair and it had been the color of his mother’s coffee when she was happy. When she wasn’t going to hit him with the belt or put the needle in her arm. He’d wanted to keep it with him forever.
And the girl had the biggest, most guileless blue eyes. Like the sky that day his granddaddy had taken him fishing and he’d gotten to be a kid. It was the best day ever.