Muse: Fighting Fate Book 1

By Maree Green

After a life-altering tragedy during her childhood, Mia Campbell is left with an incapacitating fear of crowds - especially angry ones. Now at eighteen, with her college life finally before her, she only has one goal: To remain unseen...

Jace Wallace is about to start living a rockstar's life. As lead guitarist for the newest internet sensation, Fighting Fate, he's rocking the stage - and a different girl - every weekend, and that's the way he prefers it. With the band's popularity about to explode to new heights, he doesn't have time for complications. Or commitments. He only has one goal: To succeed...

The only thing standing in the way of achieving their goals? Each other.

When unusual circumstances bring the two of them together, and one thing quickly leads to another, Mia finds herself proposing an arrangement she never thought she'd ever consider. A no-strings-attached relationship. But when feelings start creeping in, and their one goal blurs to include another, they're both forced to make a decision.

Sit back and take what Fate hands you, or fight for what you want.

** Please Note: this book contains sexual content and the kind of language you would expect from up and coming teenage rock stars.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Maree Green
• Release date: Apr 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9780992501501

Maree Green

Maree began her writing journey in the early 2000’s while she was home raising her 4 beautiful children. As they grew, so did her style of writing, slowly progressing from children’s stories, to epic Young Adult sagas, to spicy New Adult romances. While the type of story has changed over the years, the underlying message in each story has always remained the same. Love.When she’s not writing, she can be found working with her husband on their property in Nanango, Queensland, Australia, looking after a menagerie of animals, and exploring as many creative challenges as possible.

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A Fighting Fate novel

By Maree Green

Copyright

Copyright 2014 Maree Green

Published by Density Lane Press in 2023

Muse

The Fighting Fate series

Revised edition

Originally published by Maree Green in 2014

ISBN 978-0992501525

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this e-book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite book retailer and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Chapter 1

Mia

Heaven.

Every person has a different idea of what that would be.

Mine?

Mine was right here, in Aspen, curled up on the sofa in front of a warm, crackling fire with a soft, fluffy blanket and my Kindle.

Okay, so the howling wind outside the window was killing the ambience a little, but considering this had been the first chance I’d had to be alone in the last three days, I wasn’t going to complain. I was just thankful Aiden, my twin brother, had convinced me to come.

I almost hadn’t. This kind of thing was a big deal to me. I didn’t do . . . people. Well, lots of people. Together. At one time. In one place. It was too overwhelming for me. Let’s just say I had anxiety issues, and the result of me being amongst lots of noisy people was never a good one.

But this trip was important. It was a celebration, and considering my brother was just about to hit the big time, I didn’t want to start it off by letting him down.

Okay, so when I say he was about to hit the big time, I mean his band, Fighting Fate, was about to hit the big time. He and his three closest friends had somehow just become the latest Internet sensation, and ‘things’ were happening.

Don’t ask me what things—I have no idea. They’d been uploading their songs to YouTube for ages, but it seemed one had caught fire and gone viral. Now they had offers for God knows what, coming in from who knows where. All I knew was they’d just signed on with an agent or something, and it was time to celebrate. With people.

Before you ask why I would subject myself to being around a bunch of noisy people, knowing full well it would make me so anxious, I just have to say, in my defense, Aiden had promised me the others would be out skiing every day, and partying every night.

He didn’t exactly lie. Not entirely. He just didn’t mention the possibility of everybody having different schedules, constantly coming and going like they were participating in some kind of tag-team event and bringing hordes of new found friends home with them.

So far, I’d managed pretty well, but I had my limits, and I was getting very close to reaching them. As I gazed around the currently empty room, I felt my inner calm slowly returning. Tonight, they’d all gotten dressed and filed out the door together, and from the sound of their excited chatter, they were in for a long night out.

Lying there, listening to the soft pops of the crackling fire, I had to admit I was a little surprised the guys had managed to pull the whole trip off. The only reason most of us were allowed to go at all was the fact that Amy’s uncle owned the house we were staying at, and he was supposed to be staying in the house next door—also his—to keep an eye on us, but we had yet to see him or any activity next door.

With a sigh and a stretch of contentment, I smiled and snuggled deeper into my blanket, but before I could even finish the page I was reading, the front door was thrown open with such force, it slammed against the wall, making the pictures rattle.

My gaze darted to the tall, dark-haired figure that abruptly swung in through the opening and shoved the door shut after him.

Fuck me! It’s blowing a gale out there!

I waited for my heart to disconnect itself from my throat before taking in the hottest guy I’d ever known. Don’t judge me. It was entirely true. At six foot two, with dark, almost black hair, deeply tanned skin, vibrant blue eyes, and a body that looked like it was carved from stone, Jace Wallace was like a freaking Greek Adonis.

With wide eyes, I watched him carefully shake the fine white powder from his hair before he started to brush it off his coat. When he finished, his gaze came up to meet mine, and for the first time ever, I allowed myself to look into those gorgeous, mind-altering eyes.

After a hot minute of me forgetting he was a real person and staring like a creeper, I blinked. Apparently, that’s what happens the first time you lock gazes with a Greek Adonis. My heart kind of flat-lined before stuttering back to life again.

I know. It was pathetic, but there you have it. Jace Wallace was like my very own form of kryptonite. He made me weaker than anything else I’d ever come across and all that crap. Unfortunately for me, he was also one of my brother’s best friends and bandmate.

And he barely knew I existed.

You might ask how that was even possible since he’d been at my house practically every weekend for the last five years, but I have one word for you: anxiety.

Okay, so it wasn’t really the anxiety that made me hide every time Aiden had friends over, but it was anxiety’s fault I avoided people in the first place, ultimately turning me into some shy girl who had no idea how to communicate confidently with the human population.

Breaking his gaze, Jace frowned and stepped farther into the room, throwing his keys onto the table by the door. I took the opportunity to look at him while I could. Out of all the guys in the band, Jace was the one who looked most like a rock star. It wasn’t just his appearance, even though, with all his hard lines, chiseled contours, rippling abs, and that perfectly shaped V that disappeared into his jeans, he most certainly did fit the bill. He just had this way about him. A confidence that drew people to him.

He also had a certain raw determination. A need to succeed. It was there in the strong set of his jaw and the resolute way he stood, as though daring anyone to just try to tear him down.

But sometimes, when he didn’t think anyone was watching, I saw a fragility within him. A sensitivity that seemed to cry out for nurturing. It was only fleeting. A look he got deep in his eyes, but it was that tiny little crack in his armor that made me the hopeless, pathetic fangirl I was.

I watched him shake himself off further as he moved closer to the fireplace. Sliding my Kindle onto the coffee table, I stretched and forced myself to engage in conversation, which was a lot harder than it might sound.

Aren’t you staying out with the others?

The smile he gave me was one I’d seen on numerous occasions but never once directed at me. Yeah. We just finished dinner, so I thought I should bring Mark’s truck back before we went out. I wasn’t really comfortable leaving it there overnight.

Mark was Jace’s stepdad, and I knew for a fact he wouldn’t have cared about his truck getting damaged. Just as long as Jace was okay. You should’ve told me, I said without pause. I could’ve driven you all out. I wouldn’t have minded.

His smile turned sheepish. I didn’t really think.

It was the bashful look that did me in. It really shouldn’t have worked on someone so hot, but damn.

It always amazed me how different all the guys acted behind closed doors. They were all really sweet, despite their potty mouths, but get them on a stage and they were the most arrogant pricks you’d ever see.

The lead singer, Dean, wasn’t as bad as the others. He had a kind of sexy sensitivity that drove girls crazy. Because of that, his girlfriend, Lila, was the most envied girl I knew. Personally, I thought she was a manipulative bitch. To me, it was obvious she wasn’t with Dean because she loved him.

Dean, on the other hand, was head over heels. Sunk. He didn’t even look at other girls. It was a disaster waiting to happen, and I knew when it did, it would either break the band completely, or they’d get some really good songs out of it. I hoped for the latter.

Do you want me to drive you back? I asked, thinking about how amazing it would feel being in a confined space with him.

His gaze turned toward the window, and he frowned. The weather’s getting pretty nasty out there. I don’t think it’s a good idea for either you or Mark’s truck to be out in that. Thanks for asking, though. I’ll just call a taxi.

I nodded, then watched him disappear down the hall toward the bedrooms before quietly slapping my palm against my forehead. Arrrhhh! What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I just flirt like every other girl on the planet? I was so pathetic!

Sighing, I threw back the blanket and pushed myself to my feet. The second I stood, though, my balance was thrown. Confusion set in as I stumbled to the side, reaching my hands out to grab hold of anything that would stop me from falling down. What the hell?

It was only after I’d latched onto the arm of the sofa that I noticed the haunting sound of rumbling in the distance, and I suddenly realized the reason I’d lost my balance was because the floor had been shaking.

Jace rushed back from the hall. Are you okay?

I looked at him, my brain a little dazed. Yeah. What was that?

He continued coming closer until he was standing beside me. I have a feeling it was an avalanche.

My eyes widened. Oh, wow. Really?

He was frowning, his expression thoughtful, but before he could say anything else, his cell started ringing. I watched him answer, totally wrapped up in the sensation of being so close to him. I was sure it was the closest we’d ever been. I leaned forward a fraction and inhaled deeply, trying to take in his scent.

Transfixed, I watched him as he gazed at the fire, one side of his mouth creeping up as he listened to his cell. You’re missing me?

I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say reality can really be a bitch sometimes, and this time, she really slapped me in the face.

I didn’t need to hear the high sing-song voice through his cell’s speaker to know who it was. Kacey. She wasn’t his girlfriend. Jace didn’t do girlfriends, but it was obvious from the way they’d been flirting with each other since they’d arrived in Aspen that Kacey was in line to be his next . . . whatever he called them these days.

With a slight pout, I took a step back, then my own cell started to ring. Scooping it up off the coffee table, I caught my brother’s name on the screen before answering it and stepping closer to the fire. Aiden, are you all right?

Aiden laughed in my ear. Yeah, I’m fine, baby girl. I was worried about you. Is everything okay there? Is Jace with you?

I looked up at the dark figure by the couch. He was looking right back at me as he listened on his own cell. Yeah, he’s here. Do you know what happened?

Apparently, there was a small avalanche on one of the runs. Nothing bad, but there’s talk that the road back to the cabin might be cut off.

Oh, okay. I’ll— I broke off as the lights began to flicker, then suddenly went out. Oh, crap!

Aiden went on sudden alert. What?

The lights just went out. I looked back at Jace, who was now off the phone. I was glad the fire was burning brightly.

What’s Jace doing? he demanded.

I don’t know. Tucking my cell under my chin, I said to Jace, Aiden wants to know what you’re doing.

Tell him I’ll stay here until we know what’s going on.

Lifting it back up, I went to relay the message, but Aiden was already way ahead of me. Yeah, I heard. I’ll go try to find out what’s happening and I’ll call you back, okay?

Call Jace. I’m going to turn my cell off to conserve power, just in case.

Good idea. I’ll talk to you soon, then. See ya, baby girl.

I ended the call and switched off my cell before placing it back on the coffee table and heading straight for the back door. I wanted to bring in as much firewood as I could. Just in case.

With a flashlight tucked awkwardly under my chin, I’d just bent down to pick up the first log when Jace appeared beside me. Here, load me up.

I gazed at his outstretched arms for a split second before beginning to pile as many logs as I could on them. We worked quickly, getting all the logs inside and stacked by the back door in hardly any time at all.

With the door firmly closed from the wind, I looked down at my dirty shirt and arms. I might go have a shower, I mumbled.

Yeah, good idea. Who knows if there’ll be any hot water tomorrow.

I gave him a horrified look and shuddered. Was he trying to scare me?

Chapter 2

Jace

Not good.

Soooo not good.

My body was frozen, and unfortunately, it wasn’t from the fucking cold. I would’ve happily taken the biting chill of the blizzard outside than this.

The curse that slipped out told me how much trouble I was in as I watched the soft, round curves of Mia’s ass disappearing down the hall to the bathroom.

The sound of the door clicking shut was the only thing that seemed to release me from the hell I’d suddenly found myself in, and with a slight discomfort in my jeans, I forced myself to walk in the opposite direction. Down, boy.

After lighting some gas lanterns I’d found in a cupboard, I stood in the middle of the kitchen, leaning my hands on the bench, and tried to work out what the fuck just happened. I’d known Aiden for almost five years, been at his house practically every weekend, known he had a twin sister, seen her in passing every now and again. But I’d never actually seen her, if you know what I mean.

Jesus Christ. Those eyes! I didn’t think I’d ever seen anyone with eyes that color. I didn’t know whether to call them blue or green. They were bewitching. My mind went utterly blank when she looked at me back in the living room.

I mean, I’d had chicks go on about my eyes before, but plenty of people had eyes my color. It was only my dark hair that made them seem unusual. Mia’s, though . . .

Groaning, I pushed away from the counter. I had to get a grip. There was no way I could go there. Not only because Aiden was my best friend, but because I didn’t chase chicks. I didn’t do the whole girlfriend thing. It was the one rule I made sure never to break.

A picture of Mia’s firm little ass in those ridiculously sexy yoga shorts came unbidden to my mind. Son of a fucking bitch, but she was hot. I wondered how many guys had touched that. I growled at the thought. I so didn’t want to think about that.

Grabbing a can of bourbon out of the fridge, I walked back into the living room and sat on the edge of the coffee table, chugging a quarter of the can in a vain attempt to numb my mind.

Shaking my head, I tried to get my thoughts to focus on Kacey instead. That was where they should’ve been. It was obvious she wanted me, but she’d also been playing hard to get, which was another thing I didn’t do. Like I said: I didn’t chase girls. It was part of my code of conduct. Chasing girls would contradict the whole I-don’t-do-girlfriends thing. If you chased a girl, she automatically thought you liked her enough to keep her around.

Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t use and dump. After what I saw my mother go through with my asshole of a father, I made damn sure I was respectful to all women. The fact was, every girl I was with knew the score. She did the chasing. I was honest with what I was after. And if she was cool with that, we went with it.

You might think that makes me sound like a dick, but I didn’t have anything else to give. The ability to trust and love freely had been taken away from me by a man who had once called himself my father. I’d worked hard over the years to free myself from the hold his words had on me, and I wasn’t about to give that up again. Ever.

The sound of the shower turning off, followed by a muffled clunk, drew my attention and I groaned, balling my hands into fists. Damn it, now all I could think about was Mia’s naked body, dripping wet.

Motherfucking hell.

Chugging another mouthful, I placed the can down beside me and reached for my guitar instead. If anything was going to have the ability to distract me from this, it was music, but for some reason, I wasn’t too sure it would this time.

Chapter 3

Mia

I stepped from the shower, freshly washed, shampooed, shaved, and scrubbed. I hadn’t been taking any chances during that shower. If there was even the slightest possibility that there could be no hot water tomorrow, there was no way I was going to have hairy or greasy anything. I just hoped I hadn’t missed anything. Showering by candlelight was more difficult than I’d anticipated.

Wrapping myself in a massive, fluffy towel, I grabbed a smaller one off the shelf and quickly started drying my hair, trying to mop up the drips still falling from the ends. I was just starting to get more vigorous with the whole drying process when I heard another low rumbling in the distance. I froze.

Oh, for the love of God! This could not be happening. Not when I was practically naked. But sure enough, the ground began trembling beneath my feet. With a gasp, I reached to the side to steady myself on the towel bar. The towel I’d been drying my hair with went flying God knows where, and before I could think of anything else, the mirror started rattling.

Holy shit!

The second I saw the mirror coming toward me, I leaped back with a scream. There was nothing else I could do. I swear! It shattered on the tiled floor before me, the deafening crash echoing painfully in the tiny box of a room, spraying thousands of pieces of mirror in every direction.

The door immediately flew open and Jace was there, his eyes wild with worry. Are you okay?

I stood staring at him in shock. I couldn’t actually believe that’d just happened. And I’d screamed. Like, really loud.

Drawing in a deep breath, I looked down at the shattered mirror around me, inspecting my feet and legs for any signs of blood. There wasn’t any pain, so I didn’t think anything had cut me, but I wasn’t so sure of myself just then.

Seeing no signs of injury, I gazed back at Jace, who was still standing there waiting for my answer. I . . . think so, I said. The slight waver in my voice surprised me. I thought I was tougher than that.

Don’t move, Jace demanded softly.

I watched him move toward me, his boots crunching on the broken pieces of mirror as he approached. When he was a hair’s breadth away from me, he bent down and literally swept me off my feet.

Okaaaay. I hadn’t been expecting that.

The breath instantly whooshed out of my lungs, and my arms automatically reached around his neck, clinging. My heart leaped and immediately went into some weird, frantic beat. Even my breath started coming a little faster than normal.

Jace strode from the room carefully, not stopping until he’d reached the safety of the hall. There, he slowly lowered me to the ground, my back almost against the wall. He didn’t move back when I was on steady feet, but just stood there staring down at me, with me watching him right back.

Damn, he was tall. The top of my head only reached his chin.

Unblinking, I drew in a slightly shaky breath. I couldn’t seem to break his gaze. My heart was still going crazy, and I was sure the rise and fall of my chest was more than obvious. The slight pressure of his hands on my hips sent tingles all the way up my spine to my scalp.

I trembled under his gaze, frozen, like some pathetic prey caught in a hunter’s trap, too scared to move, or even breathe, in case he pounced.

Please pounce . . .

But he didn’t move. Jace looked just as frightened to move as I felt. He just stood there gazing back at me, a slight flicker of uncertainty in his otherwise hungry eyes.

That was about the time I realized I was still clinging to his neck. The idea of it confused me, and I was suddenly wondering how my arms ended up there in the first place. It then occurred to me that might be the reason he hadn’t moved back yet. Crap.

Smooth, Mia. Real smooth.

Just as I was trying to figure out how to make some sort of graceful exit, Jace leaned forward and kissed me.

My brain instantly went into shut-down mode. The warmth. The softness. The sweetness.

The shock of it lasted for less than a hundredth of a second before I was resurrected, and I latched onto the opportunity he was presenting me with both hands.

The kiss was slow and sensual, his bottom lip sliding softly over mine as he took a long, teasing taste of me. I shivered involuntarily and melted a little against the wall, pulling him closer. His hands tightened on my hips in response, and he pushed me harder against the wall, one of his thighs sliding in between mine.

Heat flared, and a tiny little noise rumbled in the back of my throat. Damn, that felt good. I went to push back, needing to feel more friction, but felt Jace pull away instead.

I blinked, confused by his sudden departure, but when I heard a faint ringing, I realized it was his cell. He watched me intently as he answered the call, never taking his eyes off me, or bothering to move back any farther than he already had.

Yeah? We’re fine . . . Okay . . . Are they? . . . She’s good . . . I’ll let her know. Okay, bye.

I knew without a doubt that was Aiden. I never got to find out what he was supposed to let me know, though, because as soon as he’d stowed his cell back in his pocket, he was kissing me again.

My response was eager, my hands finding their way around his neck again and my fingers lacing in his hair. They clenched the dark strands tightly, pulling him back into me. His hands found my hips again, then began moving upwards, his thumbs rubbing over my ribs, just beneath my breasts.

I gasped from the sensation, breaking the kiss at the sudden overwhelming feeling, but Jace didn’t stop. He just kept nipping at my lower lip, while I panted breathlessly into his mouth. Holy!

Who needed air, anyway? Hungrily, I claimed his mouth again.

I simply couldn’t control the effect he had on my body. Now that he’d touched me, I was addicted. I wanted more. I needed more.

Pressing myself harder against him, I kissed him deeper, our tongues tangling as we eagerly tasted one another. His hands began to search more of my body, roaming down to my hips and then around to find the curve of my lower back, where he pulled me in firmly against his own needy body.

Needing to feel more of him, I started my own exploration, moving my hands down the sides of his neck, over his broad shoulders, and down his chest. Holy shit, the boy was ripped. I could feel every little contour of his chest and stomach through his shirt.

It wasn’t until I felt a slight coolness caress my skin that I realized the towel hadn’t stood up to the challenge of staying on my body. Whoops. The instant Jace’s hands found my bare skin, I felt a tingle of electric shocks over the entire surface of my body. I gasped. Holy mother of all that’s good . . .

Jace pulled away, a slight look of shock on his face. He gazed down at my naked body, and I watched him swallow hard.

Mia . . . My name came out sounding a little strangled, and my pulse took off like a rocket. I pulled him to me again, claiming his mouth in my own hungry kiss. I needed to feel more of him. I needed to have his lips on me, his hands on me. Everywhere.

Jace groaned into my mouth, and in that moment, I felt like I could conquer the world. I tugged at his shirt, trying to lever it upwards and off.

Thankfully taking the hint, he shucked it off, throwing it to the floor and reclaiming my body as fast as he could. My hands went straight to his naked chest. I wanted to feel those contours with nothing between us.

Our kisses turned nothing short of frantic. Jace’s hands were like magic. They moved to caress everywhere I wanted them, and when his thumbs brushed over my breasts, catching my sensitive nipples, I was sure I was a nanosecond away from fainting.

I gasped, a strangled cry escaping me, and Jace started kissing my throat, licking and nipping his way down to my collarbone, then back up to taste the sensitive spot below my ear. I honestly had no idea I had so many spots on my body that could feel so good. My hands clenched harder and harder with each new spot he found, while I tried yet again to catch my breath.

Fuck, Mia, he breathed between kisses. How have I not noticed how fucking hot you are? God, I want you so bad right now.

An unknown little thrill surged through my body with his words. I didn’t know what words to use to respond. It was all so new and unfamiliar to me. Instead, I pulled him harder against me and kissed him with everything I had.

Next thing I knew, Jace’s hands gripped me just below my ass, and he was lifting me upwards. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his hips and locked my arms around his neck. The warmth of his naked chest against mine sent tingles all through my body, all of them surging toward where I needed him most.

His tongue delved into my mouth, tangling with mine and driving my need for him further than I ever thought possible. Then he was moving down the hall. How he could navigate it so well in the dark was beyond me, but I wasn’t going to stop him to ask.

The first sense of where I was came when I felt the softness of a bed underneath me. I didn’t think twice about pulling Jace down with me, the weight of him on top of me giving me a weird little thrill. I ran my hands over the hard cords of the muscles in his arms, relishing the firm lines of them all the way up to his toned shoulders.

His hips settled between my legs, and I could feel the hardness of his erection against me. I moaned softly. Jace, I whispered.

Jace’s answering groan set me off even more. Fuck, Mia. You’re killing me. Please say you want this . . .

His words made me pause. Did I? I knew I was caught up in the moment—caught up in my fantasy of him, but was this the right thing? I knew I was sick of hiding. I was sick of always missing out because I was scared. I didn’t want to miss out on this.

I wasn’t stupid. I knew Jace didn’t do girlfriends. I wasn’t expecting anything else. I just wanted to feel. For one night.

Yes, Jace, I breathed. I want you.

A low growl sounded deep in his throat, and I arched into him even more. His kisses moved down my throat, over my collarbone, and down to take gentle licks at my straining nipples. My hands clenched even tighter in his hair. I’d never felt so much sensation at one time. I wondered if it was possible to die from sensory overload.

But Jace just kept on going. His tongue lapped farther south, moving over my stomach to my belly button in a slow, tormenting rhythm. When he started kissing the insides of my thighs, I almost leaped right off the bed, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the immediate burst of sensation when his tongue touched the very core of me. OH MY GOD!

My hands dragged the sheets into my tight fists as he relentlessly teased me with his tongue, and within a few short minutes, my world was shattering around me and I was gripping Jace’s head for fear of his abandonment before I was ready to let the ride of ecstasy go.

When the intense waves subsided, I loosened my hold, my body falling languidly against the bed, and Jace began kissing his way back up to me again. When he reached my breasts, the stirring inside me reignited, and my body reacted instantaneously, arching upwards for more. By the time he came back to my mouth, I was panting again and hungrier than ever for his kiss.

It wasn’t until he came down on top of me properly, tossing a condom wrapper on the floor as he moved, that I realized somewhere along the way, Jace had disposed of his jeans. Jesus. Was he freaking Superman? How had I not noticed him doing that?

The feel of his erection pressing against my stomach created the most intense ache inside me I’d ever felt.

You need to tell me now if you don’t want this, Mia, Jace said, his voice strained.

I shook my head. I needed him inside me. Now. But I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. Instead, I kissed him forcefully and tilted my hips to urge him inside.

Jace groaned loudly, allowing me to do what I needed. He kissed me hard, forcefully, thrusting his tongue inside, tangling it with mine. I moved my hips more, my hands coming down onto his hips to pull him farther inside me. All restraint gone, Jace thrust inside me. Hard.