AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"It would be hard." I tried not to think about Jace in uniform, about the photo, but the sexiest images of him in camo came flittering into my mind, warming my blood all over again.
"I was no hero," he said, almost bitterly. "I was just another enlisted grunt trying not to get killed."
I shivered at the thought of Jace being in combat. "I’m glad you didn’t get killed,” I said softly. “So what did he do instead?" I asked, curious about this brother.
"Drugs, mostly." The words came out dark, final.
"Oh." That was definitely not what I’d been expecting, and I felt a little ashamed for prying. I didn't know what to say, and Jace was staring at his hands now. "I didn’t mean to pry. you can tell me to stop if you don’t want to talk about it.”
Jace shook his head.
“So Is he ..." Is he what? I shouldn't make him continue talking about something that was clearly unhappy.
Jace sagged against the back of the chair. "He's no better. I was over there today, actually. With my mom. He hasn't been home in a while. That's not usually good news."
"Oh, Jace. I'm sorry." I thought for a minute. Maybe I could hire an investigator or something. "Should we try to find him? I could help." I couldn't really help. But I could pay for help.
Jace tilted his head to the side and squinted at me. "That's nice of you. But no." He sighed, stretching his arms over his head, and then standing up again.
I took that as a signal to leave, though I didn't want to go back to my quiet room, my night punctuated only by Elvis's snoring. I didn't want to be alone. I got to my feet slowly, and stood still, unsure what to do. "I guess I ..." I looked around. Darkness pressed thick against the windows and I knew it was very late. "I should ..." I trailed off again, turning to move toward the door.
Jace caught my hand, tugged me toward him. My feet followed gladly, and a second later I was pressed against his chest again, in the circle of those huge arms. "Get some sleep, pretty girl," he said. And then he leaned down and caught my lips with his, kissing me long and slow and soft. My body turned to flame, and then to liquid, as the kiss worked its way through me.
I didn't want to leave, but when Jace released me and then opened the door to his room, I knew it was time to go. I was just afraid I'd wake up in the morning to find this was all a dream.
Chapter Eight
Jace
We spent another week in the same rhythm, getting to know one another in the evenings, playing games, kissing sometimes. Things were moving slowly and we were both tentative, careful. But it felt good and I was in no rush. This one part of my life felt good and right—while the other parts, namely my family, were less right.
Juliet had been between movies for a while, so her days were spent mostly at the house, reading scripts for potential projects and fielding calls from her agent. That meant I had a lot of time to relax and study.
At least until Zac showed up again.
I was just coming downstairs, having showered after our Monday run, when there was a racket at the side door. I could hear Chad outside, in heated conversation with another male voice as the doorknob rattled.
I crossed the room and peeked out the window, surprised to see Zac standing on the step, red-faced and yelling at Chad.
Zac wasn’t a big man, and I knew between Chad and I, we could subdue him easily if needed. What I didn’t know was whether Zac had a weapon. I checked the blade I always wore to ensure it was strapped to my hip.
"What's going on?" I asked, pulling the door open.
"That bitch changed the locks on my house?" Zac screamed, turning to face me.
Zac had been gone for the last month, since the day Juliet had found him eating the personal chef's personal goods on the kitchen counter. The locks had been changed the next day at my direction.
I looked down at the man in front of me, trying not to think about the closeness he’d shared with Juliet at one time. I kept my tone professional. "No, Mr. Stevens. I changed the locks. The security company felt it was in our client's best interest."
"It's my house, you stupid piece of—"
"Ms. Manchester's name is on the deed." There was really no arguing this point, so watching this cretin get red-faced and angry was more entertaining than threatening. He wasn’t reaching for anything in pockets or at his waist, so I was pretty sure he was armed only with his charming personality.
"Whatever. This is my house. Let me in."
Part of me thought Zac might be working himself into a heart attack, his face was so red. But at this point, my only obligation was to Juliet. Of course there’d be paperwork if he keeled over outside her house, so it was better to just keep things calm. "No sir," I told him. "As I'm sure Chad informed you, you're on our list of restricted visitors. I'll let Ms. Manchester know you're here, and she can decide if she'd like to see you. Chad," I said, looking over Zac's furious head. "Does Mr. Stevens have an appointment?"
Chad made a show of looking over the clipboard he held again. "No, Jace, he does not." Chad grinned, unable to hide the fact he enjoyed having the upper hand now and then.
