That's when I see it.
She's got one hand tucked under her cheek like a little child while the other one rests near her chest. I have full view of the small hummingbird tattoo on her right wrist. It's delicate and so detailed that it almost looks real.
I know that work.
Fucking Logan.
She saw him this week. Jealousy coils in my gut at the thought of him touching Faith. I know him well enough to know he can't keep his dick in his pants. He probably hit on Faith the entire time she was there. Had she enjoyed it and flirted back since Tuesday night went to shit?
Jeremy whistles softly. “You look like you want to kill someone.”
I shoot him a look as I carefully ease out from behind Faith's warm body. The second I'm off the couch, she makes a soft, sleepy sound and rolls onto her back, the shirt falling open again. Fucking A! I'm going to kill Zoey for dressing her up like this now that Jeremy keeps getting an eyeful of my girl's tits. I quickly bend over her and adjust the shirt. Then on second thought, I grab the blanket and pull it up to her chin. There. No more peep show for Jeremy.
“Dang. I never had a thing for small tits, but hers are real nice. I'd be willing to—” Jeremy's voice cuts off in a grunt as I give him a hard shove towards the kitchen.
“Asshole. Quit ogling her, she's too good for the likes of you.” Or me, I can't help but think. Even though I know Faith deserves better, I still can't let her go. “You just get home?” I ask as I keep my voice low so as not to wake Faith.
Jeremy walks to the refrigerator and grabs a carton of orange juice from inside it. He chugs almost half of it before he sets it down on the counter and grins widely. “I went home with one of the cage dancers.”
I think of the sexy cage dancers we'd seen at the nightclub; and I'd enjoyed watching them, but I hadn't been into wanting to party. While the others picked up girls, I spent my time bullshitting with Caleb since he wasn't scouting for pussy. After a while, I bailed on them and claimed I had a headache. After what had gone down Tuesday night, I just didn't feel like putting on a show and pretending everything was fine. Not to mention that I had no intention of hooking up with anyone. I had known that sooner or later I'd get razzed about it if I didn't start searching for available ass.
The second I'd spied Faith asleep in front of her apartment, I'd been thankful I'd bailed when I had. Anyone could have walked by and taken advantage of her. With as small as she is and as drunk as she'd obviously been, she never would have been able to put up a fight.
I'm beyond pissed at Zoey, and I am in the mindset to haul ass next door and rip her a new one for allowing Faith to go home alone. Unfortunately, if I do that, Caleb will get involved. If I get up in Zoey's face, he'll be up in mine. It's best to let it go if I don't want to get in another argument with Caleb over Faith. It's bad enough I've been seeing her behind his back. I'm so fucked when it comes to our friendship. He's going to want to beat the ever lovin' shit out of me when he finds out about us.
“What's going on with you and Faith? Better yet, why were you on the couch with her?” Jeremy asks, gaining my attention.
It's not like I can tell Jeremy that Faith has an aversion to my bedroom. I got rid of the bed, and it's been bad enough dealing with Jeremy grilling me about it. He knows about my kink, and the fact that I can't secure any restraints anywhere in my room has him downright suspicious.
“Nothing is going on,” I outright lie as I walk over and reach for the orange juice. “We're just good friends, nothing more. She locked herself out of her place and was waiting for either Caleb or Zoey to come home so she could use her spare.” I take a swig of the juice and hope he'll drop it.
“You like that shit?” Jeremy asks.
I glance at the carton of juice. “It's O.J. What's not to like?”
“I was referring to the shit coming out of your mouth.”
Fuck.
Jeremy crosses his arms over his chest as he leans a hip against the counter. “You think I didn't notice lately that your car is in the lot on the evenings I come home, but you're nowhere to be found? I know you're friends with Faith, but the second I heard you got her a little pussycat, and then you tore apart your bed and dumped it in the dumpster, I knew,” he says as he gives me a level stare.
I need to shut Jeremy's mouth for him before he goes and fucks up the only good thing to happen to me since...well, ever. I straighten up to my full height and give him a look that he's well-versed with. It's my 'I'll fuck you over hard if you mess with what I want' look. I point my finger at him and warn him in a low, deceptively calm tone, “You keep your mouth shut, you hear? No one can know about me and Faith, not until we're ready.”
“Am I allowed to ask why?” Jeremy asks dryly, but his eyes are now sober.
“Caleb's why. He's warned me off her numerous times, and shit will hit the fan when he finds out. Let me and Faith figure out our relationship before we have to deal with a pissed off Caleb.”
“You're fucked, man,” Jeremy says with a shake of his head. “You broke 'guy code' with him, and if this thing with her ends in a bad way, it's going to affect everyone,” he mutters.
I know exactly what he's saying. If I piss off Caleb, it won't be easy to remain friends with Zoey. We all hang and mix with the same circle of friends. Fighting with Caleb will affect not only me, but likely everyone else.
Jeremy shakes his head, his eyes shifting to where Faith is still out cold on the couch. “You sure this thing with her is worth it? Because if this is just a passing phase of yours, you need to end it now before things go bad,” he warns as he directs his attention back to me.
I hold his gaze. “I haven't fucked anyone since she came into my life. I've found that I can commit, and I'm doing my damnedest to make this work with her. She's not some phase, I think she's my future.”
A groan escapes Jeremy, and he looks a bit forlorn. “Not you, too. What the fuck am I supposed to do if my two best friends are tied down to pussy?”
“Find a pussy to hold on to permanently,” I joke.
Jeremy shoots me a look. “Not happening.”
Going by the way his body is tensing up, I'm guessing that the topic isn't open for discussion. “We'll see. Hey, do me a favor? Go get Faith's spare key from next door.”
“Really?” he asks, giving me a look that says he's not my errand boy.
“You think I should be knocking on their door this morning asking for her key after she spent the night on the couch with me? You do it and say that I'm in the shower. If they ask where I slept, I slept on the opposite couch.”
Jeremy sighs. “Fine.”
While Jeremy heads next door, I start pulling out eggs from the refrigerator. Scrambled eggs is about the only thing I cook on the stove. Every so often I glance at Faith, and she still hasn't even twitched. I shake my head as I stir the eggs in the frying pan. She's going to have one hell of a hangover when she wakes up.
We also need to have that talk I've been dreading. I don't want to do it while she's hung over, so it'll have to wait until later today. My chest tightens at the thought of admitting what went down at that camp when I was younger. I'd prefer not to tell her, but I know enough from watching Caleb and Zoey's relationship to know that the truth is always best. I just hope she doesn't look at me differently once I tell her. That woman has the ability to single-handedly crush me, and then I'll be in Jeremy's shoes. I have no urge to experience being in love with someone who doesn't return it. I know Zoey loves Jeremy, but not in the way he wants her to. I don't know how he does it. Day after day, he has to watch Zoey and Caleb, and those two can practically catch the air on fire when they are horny and in the same room together.
I'm just dividing the scrambled eggs onto two plates when Jeremy enters the apartment, carefully shutting the door behind him so that Faith doesn't wake up. He walks into the kitchenette area and sets a key on the counter. “That one for me?” he asks, nodding to one of the plates.
“Yeah, I don't think she'l
l be eating anytime soon,” I say as I grab some forks out of the utensil drawer. For a few minutes we're both silent as we stand around the kitchen and eat. When Jeremy's finished, he sets his plate in the sink and looks at me. “Zo's feeling pretty bad that Faith was locked out of her apartment.”
“As she should be,” I say with a hint of relish. I've always had a soft spot for Zoey. She's always picked up on the fact that I have a shit past and we've been able to understand one another. Even when she was pushing us all away, I could understand it. I'd still do anything for her, but Faith is beginning to mean something to me in other ways. I hope there never comes a day where I have to choose between them. Just the thought has me feeling ill.
“I didn't get much sleep last night, so I'm crashing,” Jeremy announces before he disappears down the hall.
I spend the next couple of minutes cleaning the kitchen. Since I know Faith will have a hang over, I grab a bottle of water and a couple aspirin to set on the table near her. Then, as an afterthought, I empty out the garbage from the bathroom and bring it in the living room. If she's a puker, she'll need it.
I can't resist staring at her as she sleeps. She looks so peaceful and innocent. I fight back a smile as I think of the naughtier side she has that I don't think she's even aware of. It'd made an appearance Tuesday night when she'd taken over. I'd enjoyed it up until I'd freaked out.
Wait a second. Where's her freckles?
With a scowl, I squat down in front of her and peer at her face. All I see is creamy skin and the faint traces of black smudges from her eyelashes. She covered up her freckles. A bad feeling creeps up on me, and I wonder if she'd been trying to impress someone. Like maybe Logan? I reach out and gently brush my thumb across her skin where her freckles should be. Do I have to go have words with that fucker? If I have to publicly stake my claim on her before I'm ready in hopes of keeping Logan from her, I will.
Faith stirs beneath my touch, and I jerk my hand back. I hadn't meant to wake her up. Her dark lashes flutter as her body shifts. She lets out a groan, putting a hand to her head. Yep, she's hurtin' this morning.
Her eyes slowly open, and she looks confused as she stares up at the ceiling. Her head moves slightly, and she blinks with surprise when she sees me still squatting before the couch. “Ace?” she asks, her voice slightly husky from sleep.
The sound of her voice has my dick hardening. I ignore it. “Morning. Do you remember being locked out of your apartment?” I ask lightly.
Her eyebrows draw together, and I watch as recognition flickers across her features. “I do. You let me stay here.”
“I have your spare. Jeremy went next door to grab it earlier.”
“Oh, tell him thanks for me.” She cautiously sits up, putting a hand to her head. “Ugh. I have the worst headache.”
“I've got some aspirin here for you. You feeling sick?” I ask, my hand reaching for the garbage.
“No. Well, maybe a little, but I don't think I'm going to throw up or anything. I need that aspirin,” she says as she brings her legs down to the floor and faces me.
The blanket drops, and her shirt immediately falls open. I get an eyeful of pert tits and delicate, little nipples. If she weren't feeling the effects of a hangover, I'd be reaching out and playing with those little buds that are just begging for my attention.
“Ace?”
My eyes jerk up from her chest to meet her questioning gaze. I clear my throat and motion to her shirt. “Your shirt's fallen open.”
She looks down at herself and gasps. She quickly pulls the material together with one hand and reaches behind her neck, searching for something. “The tie came loose, that's why the neckline is so low.” She looks at me sheepishly. “Will you retie it for me?”
“Turn around.” She turns her back to me and pulls her hair out of the way. I get a beautiful view of her bare back and her tats. If she'd worn this shirt for me, I'd be enjoying it a little more. Instead, she went out in it without the intent to look good for me. Was she secretly hoping to run into Logan? I carefully untie and retie her top before easing away. I grab the bottle of water and aspirin. When she turns around, I offer them to her.
“Thank you,” she says sweetly.
I give her time to down the aspirin before asking, “You wear that shirt for someone special last night?”
“No, it's Zoey's. She didn't like my original outfit.” She sips more of the water and gazes at me. “Do you like it?” she asks me curiously when she sets the bottle aside.
I'm still kneeling on the carpet, not yet ready to move away. I hold her gaze. “I'd like it a lot better if I knew it was meant for me.”
Puzzlement flickers in her eyes. “Why would you think I'd dress up for someone else?”
“You hid your freckles, and I see you've been with Logan,” I can't help but say in a tight tone.
She automatically reaches up and touches her cheek with her free hand. “Zoey did my makeup. Why would you think I've been with Logan?”
I nod to her wrist. “I see you got a new tat.”
She nods. “I got it Wednesday night. It was a spur of the moment decision.”
“Did he ask you out?” I'm barely hanging on to my temper at the thought of her going out with Logan.
Her pretty blue eyes search mine. “He did, but I turned him down. I said I was interested in someone else. You thought...are you jealous?”
“Yeah, Angel, I was jealous thinking you might be seeing him again,” I say bluntly.
“I'm not. There's only you...” She bites her delectable lower lip and her eyes drop.
I sigh with resignation. “We need to talk, but not while you're feeling like crap. Can I swing by later?”
Her eyes lift, and she meets my gaze dead on. “I'd really like that.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Faith
Ace doesn't show up until about mid-afternoon. My nerves are wound tight as I open the door and smile warmly at him. I'm really hoping that the outcome of our conversation is going to positive. If we breakup...
I watch as Ace steps inside and looks around the living room and kitchen. “Where's the cat?”
“Her name is Daisy,” I tease. He has a tendency to call her 'the cat' rather than by her name. “I put her in the bathroom.”
He nods, and his eyes still scan the living room as if he's nervous. That's when I realize that he is nervous. The fact that he's feeling uncertain has me wanting to reassure him. I do the only thing I can think of, I walk over to him and slip my arms around his upper back, hugging him like I've done so many times in the past. His arms immediately come around me, and I feel his lips brush the crown of my head. My cheek presses against his hard chest, and it simply feels wonderful to be in his arms again.
I pull back and look up at him. His eyes are dark with something I've never seen before. “Whatever you have to say to me, it changes nothing unless you want it to,” I promise gently.
His lips twist, and he looks away. “You haven't even heard what I have to say yet.”
“Do you think any less of me because of my past?” I ask bluntly.
My question has his eyes jerking back to mine, and he looks momentarily offended. “Of course not.”
I reach up and touch his cheek, which tics slightly beneath my hand. “Then you have nothing to worry about,” I assure.
He gazes down at me silently, and I see emotions swirl in the depths of his eyes. I recognize shame, doubt, hope, and a hint of wariness. These are all things that I've felt when I've confided in him about Justin.
I don't want to push him to talk if he's not ready, so I back off and ease out of his arms. “We don't have to talk. We can go do something instead,” I offer.
Surprise flickers across his face. “You'd do that? Just forget what an ass I was Tuesday night and move on?”
“If that's what you want,” I say steadily. I'm hoping he'll choose to be honest with me, but if I'm right about his past, I don't want him to feel pressured into talking about
it.
Ace shakes his head and rubs the back of his neck. “I don't deserve you.”
“That's sad that you don't think so, but it doesn't really matter. I think I deserve you, and I'm not giving up on us unless that's what you want to do.” I'm done feeling shy where my feelings are concerned. We either both fight for what we're developing between us or we risk losing it.
Something fierce flares in his eyes, and he steps towards me. “I'm not giving up on us. What we have is new to me and absolutely amazing. You have to know by now that I'd risk anything to keep you in my life,” he reaches for me and pulls me into his arms, his lips lowering to mine.
I expect him to kiss me with his usual assuredness and boldness, but instead, the kiss is sweet and more of a brush of the lips than anything. When the kiss is over with, my eyes flutter open. I look up at him and smile softly. “I really, really like you.” I think I'm in love with him already, but I'm not sure if he's ready for that type of emotional connection.
He smiles and tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. “I really, really like you, too.” I watch as he sobers up and draws in a deep breath, exhaling slightly. “I've asked you questions about your past because it's the reason you stand before me today. Our pasts help shape us into the people we are, and I've always wanted to know the good and the bad because you're important to me. I'm realizing that you need to know about my own past to understand why I'm the way I am. You need to know why I reacted the way I did Tuesday night,” he says quietly.
“I'd like to understand,” I agree carefully. “As long as this is what you want, too.”
He looks momentarily disgusted with himself. “I want to, but I hate appearing weak.”
I reach up and put my hands on either side of his face, making him look at me. “You are the strongest man I know. When I'm with you, I feel safe and protected. There's nothing you can say to me that's going to make me look at it as a sign of weakness inside you. I promise.”
Building Faith (Long Beach Series Book 2) Page 21