Jace

by T. A. Grey

  Mara made an uncomfortable face. “I don’t think so. She’d be so worried. She’d want to come right over here and guard me herself. She hates Corey. Maybe even more than I do. I’d rather not tell her. Or maybe wait until it’s over.”

  “I think that’s a smart idea. Two of my team members will be dropping by today—Gio and Mac.”

  “All right,” Mara said.

  “They’ll be watching you for a while. I need to get some work done and I can’t take you and I can’t leave you alone. They work with me at SPS. Gio you met. I think he has a liking for your friend Tia.” He grinned like he was remembering something funny.

  “Where are you going? Why can’t I go with you?” Already her stomach twisted with nerves. She didn’t want to be in his house cooped up here by herself, let alone with two strangers.

  “Gio and Mac finished setting up your security system. They hired a cleaning company to come in and clean your house. They said the things that were broken were boxed and placed in the spare bedroom for you. For now though I need to check the footage, and talk to my friend at the police department. I’m hoping for a break in this case.”

  Oh, that’s right. Her house had been ransacked by Corey. How was it she’d managed to forget that when she finally could go home again it’d be to a bunch of broken junk?

  “Okay,” she said much too softly.

  The doorbell rang making her jump. “That’s them,” he said.

  Jace came toward her heading for the door. Mara stepped to the side but he went with her and then she was up in his arms again kissing him. He kissed her like he wanted to imprint his kiss on her forever. Like he cared. Her heart broke a little inside at the sweeping beauty of it.

  When he pulled away they were both breathing raggedly. His eyes were bright. “I like you a lot, Mara. You know that, right?”

  She nodded. He stroked her cheek then went to answer the door.

  Gio, the Italian womanizer as Mara now thought of him, strolled in with a nod in greeting. The other man she’d never met. Jace said his name was Mac. He was broad shouldered but tall with a lean waist. He had the body of a man who actively used his muscles all the time. Fit and strong. His hair was a light blond and his facial features looked European, like he had some Swedish in his blood.

  He acknowledged her with a look. That was all. He looked serious and grim without even a scowl or frown.

  Jace grabbed her hand and led her into the bedroom. When the door was closed he pulled her back into his arms. “I’ll be gone all day, but I’ll call later to check in on you.”

  Mara frowned. She was back in his arms feeling safe and warm and good. She didn’t want it to end. The thought of him leaving her was not a good one. She kissed him one last time for good measure.

  “I’m gonna miss you,” she admitted quietly.

  He gave her a toe-curling smile. “Oh yeah?” He kissed her again.

  “Yes,” she affirmed, her voice breathy.

  He placed another smooch on her lips, this one harder. “I like you a lot Ms. Colgen.”

  “I like you, Mr. Mathews.” A stupid smile came over her face and there was nothing she could do to stop it. He made her feel so happy sometimes.

  One last time he pulled her in for a tight, warm hug. Mara sighed as his arms closed around her, keeping her safe. “I’ll be back later. When I get back I expect you to be in my bed.”

  “Wha-what?” Mara asked, startled. She pulled away from him, eyes wide.

  “You heard me.” His head dipped so he could kiss her again. “Your games are sexy and fun but I want to be with you again. Unhurried and not on the damn floor. My bed. Tonight.”

  He kissed her again and left before she could so much as protest.

  Mara called her mom and spent two hours on the phone catching up with her. It was difficult not to tell her what was going on her life. Her mom knew how much that house meant to her and how crazy Corey was. That’s why she couldn’t tell her and cause all that worry. Her whole life, Mara had felt this struggle to make things better for her mom every time her mom worried about something.

  The rest of the day had passed hunky-dory, albeit boring. She’d watched TV with Gio as he tried not-so-subtly to pick information about Tia from her. Mac had left to take a walk around the house, or ‘perimeter’ as he called it. He never said much…at all.

  “So, has she ever been married?” Gio asked her during a commercial. They were watching the History Channel.

  “Nope.”

  “How old is she?”

  “Thirty,” she answered.

  “Hey, does she think I’m some kind of slime ball? You should tell her I’m not, you know, put in a good one for me.”

  Mara shot him a glance and he rolled his eyes. “Come on, all I did was tell how great her legs and ass are. Why is it so bad that I complimented her? Hell, I’d take her out right now if she didn’t look like she wanted my dick chopped off every time I looked at her,” Gio said.

  “You know, I think it may have something to do with the fact that you made lewd comments at her, but I don’t think she really would listen if I even did put in a good word for you.”

  He shook his head like he couldn’t believe any of this craziness. “She wore practically nothing. I love it and tell her; so and I’m the bad guy. Shoot me in the head already.” He stood and left the room, a foul scowl on his face.

  Mara’s lips twitched with stifled laughter. This was too good. The thing was, she could totally see Gio and Tia together. They were both confident and loud. However, she was not going anywhere near Tia while complimenting Gio. The last thing she wanted was to have her head bitten off by Tia’s sharp teeth.

  It had been five hours since Jace left and he still wasn’t back. Mara grew bored with sitting there doing nothing and decided to check out his house. In the living room there were several pictures of Jace as a kid wearing a huge grin. Most of the pictures had his mother in it. She was beautiful with a full head of black curly hair and she looked like a woman who knew how to laugh. Yet there was pain in her eyes, just beneath the surface. Mara recognized that glossy look. She’d worn it too when she was with Corey. That picture must have been taken when Jace’s mother was still with his father. What was the whole story behind that?

  There were no pictures of his father though. Little wonder why. The man had been violent; isn’t that what Jace had alluded to?

  Gio came into the room, spotted her looking at the picture of Jace as a young twenty-something year old man with his arm around his mom. Their heads were leaned in touching each other.

  “Have you met April yet?” he asked.

  “Is that his mother’s name?”

  “Yeah, she’s something.” Gio grinned at the picture.

  “How so?”

  “She can make pie that brings you to your knees.” He peered at her with one eyebrow arched and a very serious expression in his yes.

  “Oh well, that’s always nice.”

  Just then, Mac came back inside. He didn’t pay them any attention.

  “She makes each of us our own pie come Thanksgiving and Christmas time, don’t she, Mac?”

  Mac finally looked at them. He touched his stomach. “April’s pies?” Gio nodded and Mac’s eyes widened. The first human response she’d seen out of him all day. She would almost dare to say he looked enthusiastic at the mention of April’s pies.

  “Her apple pie is unparalleled,” Mac said. It was the first time Mara had ever heard him speak. He had a deep, raspy voice with the edge of an accent she couldn’t place. Definitely European. He sounded deadly serious, like if anyone disagreed with him he might discreetly take them out back and put a bullet through the back of their head. Mara shivered with a cold chill at the thought. The hair on her arms stood up. There was definitely something deadly about Mac.

  “Who cares about apple pie? You can buy it anywhere. No, you gotta try her Italian chocolate cream pie. Best damn pie you’ll ever eat in your life,” Gio said, nodding slowly.
He looked dazed as if he was thinking of chocolate pie right now.

  “Why doesn’t he have any pictures of his father?” Mara asked suddenly. She hadn’t meant to burst out with it, but it happened, and couldn’t be taken back.

  Mac simply left the room leaving Gio to glare at him. Now Gio had to answer. He shrugged, started to speak, then shrugged again. When he was done she felt like they’d just had a conversation without using any words.

  What his gestures said was clear. What is there to say? Well, I could say a few things on the matter but it isn’t my place. So you’ll just have to talk to Jace.

  “Is he alive?” she asked.

  Gio nodded. “Oh yeah. He’s up at—” he caught himself before revealing too much. “You’ll have to ask Jace about that. It’s not my place to say.”

  “Can you at least tell me---”

  “Nope,” he interrupted. He plopped down on the couch and turned a football game on. Immediately he shouted out at a fumbled pass.

  The telephone started ringing. Mara ran into the kitchen to answer it, spotting Mac out on the back porch by himself. She was breathless when she answered. “Jace Mathew’s residence.”

  “I know who I’m calling, it’s my own house.” It was Jace.

  Mara cracked a smile. “When are you coming back?”

  “Why, do you miss me?” He sounded entirely too pleased.

  She scuffed. “Not at all. I’m just bored and you’re funnier than either of these two.”

  “Are you telling me Mac isn’t busy chatting your ear off right now?” he sounded too disbelieving to be real. She giggled.

  “You know the man doesn’t talk. Although I did learn he likes your mom’s apple pie,” she said.

  She took the phone off the receiver and headed back toward his bedroom, thinking about what he said before he left today. He might have told her to be waiting for him tonight but she didn’t know if she would do it or not. If she did then he might want to have sex with her, to which she might not be able to say no, and if she couldn’t say no, she’d definitely sleep with him and then she’d only fall in more love with him.

  Mara gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth—hard. She jabbed a tooth in the process. Her gasp was loud enough to get the attention of Mac outside. She glared at him when he looked at her and he turned away.

  “What’s wrong?” Jace asked, alert.

  “I…I stubbed my toe,” she lied.

  “Did you?” He sounded suspicious. She laughed it off.

  “It’s nothing, I promise. Besides, weren’t we talking about something?”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment. She shut herself in his bedroom to get some privacy.

  The L-word rang in her mind. Once she thought about it, it wouldn’t go away. It was like a bouncy ball ricocheting around in her mind. Do you love him? You love him. You better not be in love with him, girl. What if he’s another Corey? What if he’s worse than Corey? What if these wild feelings you have for him are so much bigger than what you had for Corey? What are you going to do when he breaks your heart?

  “Mara, are you there?” His voice broke through the spell.

  “What?”

  “Are you all right? You don’t sound good.”

  “Aw, thanks for the compliment,” she said, laying back across his bed.

  He had a masculine bed but it was soft and comfortable and smelled like him—heavenly.

  “I’m about halfway through the footage and don’t have anything good yet but I’m still hoping for the best.”

  “Only halfway through? Does that mean you won’t be home for a long time?” She pouted at the thought of all the boredom to come.

  “Probably at least another four to five hours.” He cleared his throat and when he spoke his voice had lowered. “You gonna be waiting for me in my bed when I get home?”

  Mara’s eyes popped open at that sexy voice. Her own words sounded softer when she answered. “I don’t know. I’m still thinking about it.”

  “You’re in my bed right now. All you have to do is take your clothes off and climb under the sheets. It’s not hard, trust me.”

  Mara sat straight up, her eyes darting around the room. “How do you know where I am right now?”

  He laughed a little. “I am a security specialist. I have cameras in my house, sweetheart.”

  Slowly laying back on the bed, her suspicious gaze searched for the camera in the corners of the room. “You can see me right now?”

  “You don’t have to whisper, Mara.”

  Shit. She had been. “I don’t like this. You can see me but I can’t see you.” She bit her lip as a sudden thought came to her. No way. She couldn’t. It was way too crazy. Her eyes flared. Fuck it. Let’s do it.

  Mara ran to her room, grabbed her favorite toy from her duffel then locked herself back in Jace’s room. She kept the toy clutched to her. “Do you know what I have?” she asked, still whispering.

  He sounded nervous. “No. Do I want to know what it is?”

  Feeling decidedly wicked, she grinned, hoping he saw it. “Well that depends on how frisky you’re feeling, baby.”

  “You’re making me uneasy here, sweetheart. Why don’t you behave yourself? I’ll be home in a few hours then I’ll take care of you.”

  Her body flushed. “Really, and how do you propose to do that?” Her blood warmed, arousal making her wet.

  “If you’re in that bed when I get home I’ll show you,” he promised.

  Why oh why did this man’s simple declarations get her all worked up? Maybe it was because she knew that so long as he touched her it’d feel good.

  “No, I want you to tell me about it now, Jace. You make me hot, do you know that.”

  He groaned but the sound came from far away as if he’d pulled away from the phone to do it. “Babe, sweetheart, I can’t do this right now. I really should go and get back to work.”

  “You can see me right now?” she whispered, feeling so incredibly naughty. He could see her but she couldn’t see him. So wicked.

  “Yes.” He didn’t sound very happy about this, like he knew she was planning something. And she was.

  Mara lay back on his bed while holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder and slipped off her stretchy yoga pants. There was a sharp intake of air over the phone from Jace. She parted her thighs and ran her hands along them, warming up her skin and getting ready.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, sounding choked.

  “I miss you,” she said so softly.

  “Don’t do this to me, sweetheart. I’ll be home in a few hours and then I’ll take care of you, I promise.”

  “But I’m bored right now, baby and so wet.”

  He groaned. This time there was no mistaking the sound.

  Mara slipped her panties off then kicked her legs open with her knees pointing toward the ceiling. She opened herself for him…wherever he was. She pulled out Mr. Kinky, her handy home vibrator that never failed to please.

  “What are you doing?” He sounded alert now, panicked.

  “Nothing. Just need to relieve this tension that’s been building inside me.”

  “Mara, don’t.” He tried to make it a command but she only laughed at him.

  Her nipples were already puckered into tender tips and tingling. It was so wicked knowing he could see her and do nothing about this. She hoped it made him hot and wild.

  “It’s not quite as big as your cock, is it?” The toy was shaped like a phallus but the material was gelatinous and soft. It had a tickler that arched off the dildo and would ‘tickle’ her clitoris when she turned it on. She waved it in the air. “I guess it’ll just have to do.”

  “Sweetheart, now is not the time to—oh, Jesus!” His exclamation came as she sucked on the tip of the clear-colored shaft. Once it was nice and wet she trailed the toy down her stomach and over her sex. His breathing grew heavy…so did hers.

  “Baby…I’m feeling very bad,” she told him.

  Another curse.
“God, you’re beautiful.”

  Glowing from his compliment, Mara switched the vibrator on and let the tickler wake up her nerve endings. It was hard to keep her eyes open. Her channel grew sleek and needy. It didn’t take long; she was too worked up, too excited knowing he could see her. Would he touch himself?

  I hope so.

  “Jace,” she moaned.

  She took her time sliding the toy inside her. Her wetness engulfed it like a mouth, her wet core easily taking the piece. It stretched her but wasn’t nearly as hard, hot, and thick as Jace’s cock was. She missed the feeling of him inside her. Sex had never been so exciting or felt so good in her whole life. Mara wanted him to come home and fill her up like she wanted it.

  “Babe, fuck, shit.”

  She pushed the toy in and out of her, getting her juices flowing and working quickly toward that peak. “Do it with me,” she whispered.

  “No matter how hot that sounds, I’m at work in my office right now. My door isn’t even locked.”

  “Go lock it,” she told him in a whisper. Her breath caught on a moan as the shaft went as deep as it could. When it was pressed hard the tickler reached her clitoris beautifully, just like it was made to. She played around with the settings until erotic pulses flicked her needy bud in the perfect way. She pumped the cock into herself wishing it was his much bigger one taking her.

  “I’m not getting up to lock the door. I don’t want to miss a second of this.”

  “Oh.” Her breath caught.

  “Fuck, I’m so hard right now.” He sounded pained.

  Her lips parted. She couldn’t say anything anymore. All she could do was try to keep breathing. In and out she pleasured herself. Her body swayed in tune to the toy, hips rising and falling, back arching. She was so wet the toy moved even easier now.

  “Jace—” she said, her voice catching.

  This was it. Her core clamped down on the tunneling toy as her body erupted in a burst. Pleasure rippled through her on a strangled cry.

  She swore she heard a grunt over the line and briefly flirted with the idea that he might be touching himself too, stroking that big hard cock because of her. Oh, the idea was so wicked, her channel ached at the thought.