Chapter 3

I slowly opened my eyes to see Jace standing just inches from my face, his minty breath waking me up completely. I jumped back startled, nearly slamming my head into the wall behind me. "What the hell?" I questioned while throwing my hand over my chest.

My heart was beating so hard that I could see my hand moving up and down on my chest.

Silently he reached for my arm and gently pulled it away from my chest, eyes trained on my lips as he pulled me out of bed and over to the pile of clothes that sat on the black trunk at the end of the bed. "You sleep too much." He laughed. "Let's eat some breakfast and run over to your apartment." Without waiting for a response, he walked out of the bedroom, leaving me alone in the confines of my muddled thoughts.

Batting my eyelids lazily, I sauntered down the hallway, stepping into the dim kitchen to see Jace standing in front of the stove with a spatula in his right hand. I knew that Jace cooked, but seeing him in action was quite sexy.

His taut muscles significantly relaxed as he peered over his left shoulder to find me standing in the doorway. I sighed heavily and looked over at the clock. "Why did…" I stopped when I noticed the time. "Oh shit," I squeaked. "It's already eleven o’clock."

He quickly set my cooked breakfast on a plate and turned around, walking over to the kitchen table and setting it down. He looked over at the clock and smirked. "Yeah, that's what it looks like." He pointed at the chair next to the food and then walked over to fix himself his own plate. "Did I wake you up too early? I would've let you sleep longer, but I don't think that your landlord is going to be so patient with you moving your stuff." He paused to grab a fork. "That's of course, if you agree to."

I sat down and forked my eggs while eyeing his back. The gray shirt he wore was snug and revealing. Suddenly, I found my eyes trailing further down his body. It was beginning to be a bad habit of mine.

Finally, I tore my eyes away and shook my head, clasping my clammy palms together. ”That's not it," I breathed. "It's just that I went to bed so early last night and I actually slept more than five hours." I looked up to see him striding over to the table and pulling out the chair next to me. "I haven't been able to sleep much for as long as I can remember..."

He looked up warily from his steaming plate of breakfast and leaned back in his chair. He looked cool and collected. "Maybe you just needed to have me close by to sleep." He smirked playfully before shoving his fork in his mouth and chewing slowly. "Seriously though," he whispered. "You're welcome to rent out my extra room. It's already yours if you ask me." His husky voice sent a shiver up my spine.

I nervously ran my hand through my mess of hair and looked down at my plate. I knew that if I looked into the emerald of his eyes again then I would lose control and agree to his crazy offer. "I can't. I don't even know you and I couldn't-"

"It's yours, Avery," he cut me off. "You can't live out on the streets. You saw what happened to you last night. I won't let that happen again." He shoved one last forkful of food into his mouth and walked over to the sink. "I'll go and get dressed and then meet you at the car in fifteen minutes."

I exhaled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as his words sank in. Jace was right. It was either stay with him or risk death out on the streets.

Fifteen minutes later, we were inside Jace's black Mercedes and heading over to my old apartment. His hands gripped the steering wheel as the car sailed through the empty streets, nearing my old home with each second that passed. The closer that we got, the more nervous that I became.

"I hope that we have enough room in here to grab what you need." He looked over at me as I played with my old ring nervously. "Nice ring."

I quickly slapped his leg and pointed at the road. "Do you mind watching the road?" I snapped, suddenly nervous that Jace would get us in a crash.

He looked down at his leg with narrowed eyes and let out an amused laugh. "What, don't you trust me?"

I hugged my arms to my chest and bit the bottom of my lip. "Please just watch the road," I said firmly. "I hardly even know you. Besides, I learned long ago never to trust anyone. Everyone will hurt you in the end..." My voice trailed off as I leaned further into my seat. The softness of the leather made me comfortable and suddenly tired again, as if I hadn't gotten much sleep.

The smile instantly faded from his face and his gaze set on the road. "That's not the way to live," he breathed. "We'll have to find a way to change that."

I sat in silence as I began to play with my old ring again, gently tugging it on and off as I held back the burst of emotions running through my mind. I felt torn. I knew that staying at my place wasn’t an option but yet I didn’t even know Jace. How could I be so stupid to agree to his offer?

"Are we close?" Jace questioned, snapping me out of my painful thoughts.

I jerked my head up just in time to see us passing my apartment. The building was old, rotted and covered in moss. I wrinkled my nose. "It's right there. Go back just a little bit and pull over in that parking lot." I pointed over to the tiny parking lot and leaned back into the plush leather of the seat.

Jace pulled into the parking lot and stopped the car as I pursed my lips. "Good luck with that," he murmured, narrowing his eyes as he peered through the windshield and over at the bedraggled man fisting the door.

My heartless landlord stood outside the apartment door, pounding on it as his nostrils flared. "I know you're in there, girl. Your ass doesn't get naked until at least ten o’clock!" he screamed in rage. “Don’t make me open it myself.” He was always very persistent. I hated that.

I smiled quickly, appreciative of Jace’s help, before opening the car door and running over to the apartment door, ignoring the random faces that watched me. "I'm just here to get my stuff and then I'll be gone," I said, breathless.

He looked over at me with a gleeful smirk creasing his features. A mop of brown curls fell around his greasy, fat face. The scar on his upper lip stretched as he smiled. I always wondered how he got that scar. My guess was by someone kicking the crap out of him. He was a horrid man, and the thought had even occurred to myself on numerous occasions. "I should keep all of your-"

"Be cool," Jace interrupted. "I'm helping her grab the stuff that she wants and then you'll never see her again." I didn’t realize he had come to help me and as I stared at his impressive frame towering over the stumpy old man, I felt my heartbeat soar. I’d never had someone stand up for me before. "We'll leave with no trouble. You have my word."

My old landlord crossed his eyes and sighed in frustration as he reached for his set of keys and opened the door. "You have one hour to get your shit out." His voice sneered as he addressed me with a lecherous smile before turning around and hobbling away.

I licked my lips before stepping inside with Jace following closely at my heel. He stood there silently taking in the surroundings of the small apartment. It smelled of sweet vanilla. Just like Jace’s place had.

"I think that we can fit most of this stuff in my car." He paced the apartment while muttering under his breath. "You don't need your bed. You can have the one at my house. You don't need that TV, it's small and outdated." He stepped out of the bedroom and into the living room. "I have a dresser, TV and bed that you can have, so I guess all that you really need are just items that you can't live without."

I ran into his back as he stopped and peeked back into my room. "Is the floor your second dresser?" He looked down at the pile of clothes from the night we had first met and grinned. He was teasing me, but I had stuff that was more important on my mind.

I pushed him out of the room and back into the living room. "I can't just let you give me everything." I threw myself onto my worn-out couch and looked up at him as I grunted. The couch was sunken in and hurt my back. "It's too much. Plus I’m not staying long."

He rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen, grabbing an empty box. "It's easier to do it this way for the both of us." He walked back to my bedroom with me trailing behind him. "It's really not a problem."

He emptied out my dresser clumsily, throwing all of my clothes into the huge box. I looked down next to him to see him surrounded by my panties. A cocky smirk sat on his face. "Nice panties,” he winked, cocking an eyebrow as he stared at the assortment of underwear. He looked rather happy.

I ran over and knocked him out of the way. "I think that I should just take care of this." I grabbed for my panties and pushed them under my legs to hide them as I sat on the ground. "You just take that other empty box and pack up all of the bathroom stuff."

He laughed and nodded his head in agreement, turning around and walking out of the door as I tried to calm my racing heartbeat. This person was making me crazy.

Thirty minutes later, we were done packing and pulling back into Jace's driveway. I got out of the car and started reaching for the pile of boxes when suddenly I felt Jace's hand on mine.

He looked me in the eye with an intensity that made me shiver. "Do you mind?" he questioned. "I'm the guy so I'll grab all of this stuff. I'll bring it in and let you unpack it."

I backed away from his touch and took a deep breath. He had already touched me more than what I was comfortable with and it was making my insides summersault endlessly. I turned away and smiled as I walked into his house and into the spare bedroom. Jace followed behind, arms piled high with boxes, and set them down on the floor by the dresser. He was more helpful than I expected. It was nice.

He sat on the edge of the bed and watched me as I unpacked. "Can I help you with something?" I questioned. I couldn’t understand why he was hanging around so much. I wasn’t quite use to the company. I liked being alone.

He stood up lazily and smiled at me. "Take a shower in a bit and get dressed. We're going out tonight." He walked past me and grabbed the strap of the silver dress that was in my hand. Then he looked me in the eye. "I like that dress. I’m sure it looks nice on you." He looked at me briefly before turning away.

I stood up and threw my arms in the air in frustration. Too confused by what he had just said, I didn’t even realize that he could be flirting with me. "What do you mean we're going out?" I wasn't in any kind of shape to go out and be social. I had too much on my mind. I stared at him with confusion written all over my face.

He calmly leaned into my door and ran his hands through his hair. He looked as if he hadn't a care in the world. "Some of my friends are picking us up in a few hours and we're going out for a few drinks." He smirked confidently. "It’ll be fun. I'm a lot of fun."

I felt my cheeks flush as he ran his tongue over his lip ring. "I don't know about that. I really need to work tonight. I have no money." My voice filled with adrenaline, as I tore my eyes away.

"Who said that you need money?"

I dropped the dress to the floor and pulled a tendril of hair out of my eye. "I don't expect anything from you, Jace."

He grinned and pushed himself away from the door. "Be ready in a few hours, beautiful." Then he was gone, his footsteps echoing down the hallway as I swallowed a lump in my throat.

My mind filled with confusion at the thought of Jace thinking I was beautiful. A cold shiver ran down my spine as I bent over and picked up the dress that Jace said he liked.

An hour passed as I finished unpacking the rest of my baggage in an effort to make my new home feel as personal as possible. Finally, I finished, placing down a bottle of my favorite perfume on the bedside table before turning around and wiping a bead of moisture from my forehead. Unpacking everything had made me surprisingly tired, and I knew that I needed to freshen up especially if I was meeting Jace’s friends tonight. As much as I hated the idea, he seemed set on me going and after all of his help, I owed him.

Sighing, I walked out of my room and into the bathroom with a towel in my hand. The bathroom was small but very clean with a large shower in the corner.

Brushing a strand of hair out of my eye, I walked toward it and turned the water on before undressing and hanging my towel on a peg. The shower was hot and as I washed myself, I threw my head back and sniffed the air. It smelled of Jace, causing my mind to wander.

I stepped out of the shower and reached for the fuzzy black towel, clutching it between my fingertips as I brought it to my face and exhaled in contentment. I felt so much better after freshening up, however as I opened my eyes the sight that greeted me made me feel like I needed to shower all over again.

Jace stood calmly, toothbrush in hand, by the bathroom mirror, wearing nothing but a pair of tight white boxers. His taut abdominal muscles flexed as he turned around to face me.

Squealing, I grabbed the towel and covered myself up as his gaze set on mine. "Do you mind?”

His eyebrow twitched before he turned around again and tossed his toothbrush to the side before dropping his boxers and stepping into the shower.

I wanted to run and hide.

"We don't have a lot of time to get ready." He poked his head out of the shower and pointed to the shelf. "Can you throw me that towel?"

My insides turned over as I snatched up my clothes, grabbed the extra towel and walked over to stand in front of him. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" I threw the towel at him and stormed into my new room.

The image of Jace naked dominated my thoughts, as I got dressed into the little silver dress that Jace had said he liked, did my hair and walked out into the living room.

Jace stood there looking out the window. He wore a white fleece shirt with the top two buttons undone and a pair of fitted jeans. He was cool, calm, and collected. It was as if nothing had happened.

"What the hell Jace? Was it really-"

He walked over cutting me off. "Our rides here come on." He walked to the front door and paused to make sure that I was following. "Come."

"I'm coming," I mumbled, while following him outside and pausing at the end of the grass. I wanted to think of a reason not to go, any reason at all, but my mind wouldn't work.

He jumped into the backseat of the little red car and called for me to get in.

I strolled over to the car to see that it was already full. There were two men in the front and two women in the back. They stared at me expectantly, waiting for me to get in.

I backed away and waved my arms in front of me as my heartbeat began to hammer against my chest. "No. There's no room left in there. I'm just staying home."

I turned away to go, however before I had even taken a step forward I felt a large hand enclose itself around my own before I was pulled into the car and onto Jace’s lap.

He gripped my waist and then reached over and slammed the door shut. He was dead set on me going. I was stuck. "There's plenty of room for you right here." He snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me closer. It gave me butterflies. "This is my new roommate, Avery," he said to everyone as they sat quietly.

I looked around the car tentatively as everyone introduced themselves. It was as if the car was full of models and as they said hello I couldn’t help but feel completely inadequate compared to them all. I was just Avery. I wasn't beautiful, fun or even social.

"Um...hi," I said awkwardly. I found myself leaning into Jace’s lap for comfort and it surprised me. I didn’t even flinch when his hands rested on my thighs. Truthfully, Jace was the closest I could get to comfort while being trapped with these strangers

The rest of the car ride passed by quickly as Jace’s friends chattered amongst each other. I remained silent, eyes trained on the windshield as I tried to calm my racing nerves.

Finally, we pulled up to a large bar called Legends. It looked upper class and everyone outside was dressed well. It was very different from what I was used to and as the car pulled to a halt and the door opened, I smoothed down my dress and tried to remain composed.

We made our way inside and past the bouncer. Jace found us a big round table in the back that was spacious enough for the six of us. He pulled out a chair and motioned for me to sit as my eyes wondered around me. All of the workers wore white dressy clothing. I felt out of place. Even Jace wore white.

"What would you like to drink?"

I sat down and fixed my dress so that it wasn't exposing too much skin before I threw my purse on the table and smiled at Jace, trying to look calm. "I would like a Dr. Cherry and Sprite."

He smirked and arched an eyebrow, as if he was a bit confused by my answer.  "Oh come on. That's not even going to get you a buzz," he said, nudging my arm playfully as my eyebrow quirked.

I reached out and slugged him on the shoulder. "What makes you think that I want you to get me drunk?" His eyes danced in the disco lights as I stared at him. He looked good tonight, dressed in his snug white shirt and faded jeans, completed with a studded belt that gripped his sleek waist perfectly. No wonder all of the girls kept staring.

He bent down and placed his lips against my ear as a bolt of electricity ran up my spine. "Every girl wants me to," he whispered, before turning around and walking away toward the bar to get our drinks. Goose bumps prickled my arms as I bowed my head and swallowed. I couldn’t explain the way he made me feel when he was close to me but I knew that it was dangerous.

A beautiful girl with long blond curls plopped down next to me and popped her gum. She was trying to look sweet, but I could see the mischievous look deep in her eyes. "Hi, I'm Emma." She forced a smile. "Have you known Jace for long? I didn't even know that he had a roommate." Her blue eyes screamed jealousy as she waited for a response.

"No actually," I started. "I just met him a couple of days ago. He's been really great with helping me out." I shifted unfortunately, as she stared at me.

She leaned back in disbelief and blew out her breath. "Yeah I would say so," she said stiffly.

The girl was stunning: a tall, leggy blond bombshell. He had to be sleeping with her.

I played with my hands nervously before finally, Jace returned and set my drink down in front of me. He smiled and nodded his head in Emma’s direction. "Emma, Matt is coming with your drink."

She crossed her arms over her ample breast and huffed as her eyes narrowed. She didn't seem too happy about that Matt guy getting her drink instead of Jace. Jace didn't seem to care, though.

Jace sat down across from us and took a gulp of his drink. I watched as Emma slid out of her chair and walked behind him before snaking her arms around his chest. She attempted to kiss his neck, but he pulled away and leaned over the table.

"So, Avery how's your drink?" he asked. "Finish it up and I'll go grab us a couple more. Don’t waste them either. I can sit here all night and make sure that you're finishing every last drop." He reached up and pulled Emma’s hands away from his chest as if she was nothing more than an irritation. She looked angry.

I turned my head away as Emma turned red and bit her bottom lip. "It's fine. I'll probably just have this one," I responded. "I'm not much of a drinker anymore." I took another sip and played with my straw as I desperately tried to avoid Emma’s malicious gaze. It had been five minutes and she hated me already. I hadn't even done anything to her.

Jace smiled and walked over to sit down next to me. "Well tonight you are." He grabbed my drink and held it next to my lips. "I'll make sure that you're safe." His eyes seemed honest. He slammed his drink back quickly and set the empty glass down at the edge of the table. “You deserve to relax a little.”

I leaned in and took a big swig of my mixed drink. The cool liquid ran down my throat and awakened every sense. I swallowed it quickly and took one more before setting my glass down on the edge of the table next to Jace’s. He was right. I did need to relax.

"That wasn't so bad now was it? I have more drinks coming," Jace announced.

Suddenly a perky waitress appeared with two tall drinks and two shots piled precariously on a small tray. "Here you go, Jace," she said, before placing them down on the table and walking away.

Matt, the dark haired cutie with crystal blue eyes and huge dimples appeared next to Emma and set two glasses down in front of her. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a glass before throwing her head back taking a long sip. Matt watched her with widened eyes and laughed to himself.  "How did you end up with a second round of drinks already?" he asked Jace, while eyeing the liquid courage.

Jace nodded his head and grabbed a shot glass handing it to me. His fingers brushed mine and he smiled. "I have my ways."

I looked down into the glass and jumped back when the strong smell hit me. "Really! Jack Daniels," I huffed. Was he seriously trying to get me drunk? I hated Jack Daniels.      

Jace grinned and sniffed his shot. "It's not that bad, Avery." He looked happy and as if, he really enjoyed spending time with me.

I couldn’t let him think that I wasn't grateful, so before I had a second to change my mind, I squeezed the glass tightly in my hand and slammed the shot down. The liquid burned as it slid through my parted lips and down my throat. The feeling was raw and caused me to cough violently.

Emma sneered as Jace reached over and patted my back.

I pushed Jace’s hand away and took a sip of my mixed drink. "I'm fine, seriously," I said, annoyed with Emma's reaction.

Jace downed his shot hungrily and then smiled at me with rich eyes. "You looked pretty hot doing that, just saying." Then he reached over and ran his finger over my lip. I jumped away, and he smiled. "Are you saving some for later because all you have to do is ask for another one and I'll buy it."

I pushed my shot glass away and stifled back a laugh. He was too silly and carefree for me to not to laugh.  "I think that I'm good for now," I replied, feeling the drink flooding through my veins. I felt alive and suddenly nothing around me mattered so much.

Emma glared at me dirtily before grabbing Jace by the arm. Her blond hair cascaded around her tanned face as she tugged his arm. "Come on," she breathed seductively. "Let's dance." Her black, low hanging dress did wonders for her perky breast. They were almost on full display as she eyed Jace as if he were her toy.

Jace scratched his forehead as if deep in thought before finally, standing up. His belt glowed in the darkness of the club as he towered over Emma. "I'll be right back," he said to me as a grimace creased his lips. I swallowed, nodding at him before watching as he turned around and followed Emma onto the dance floor. It was obvious that he didn't want to go, but for some reason still did.

A group of gyrating bodies surrounded them as they danced together underneath the glare of the disco lights. Emma draped her arms around Jace’s neck and began to swing her hips from side to side in a dance of unadulterated lust. My gaze didn’t focus on her though – instead, I stared at Jace. His dark hair and imposing frame had me in a daze. He seemed distant as he stared off into nowhere.

Suddenly, a hand tapped me on the shoulder. I looked beside me to be greeted by another member of the group. He was the owner of the vehicle however, we hadn’t exchanged words yet. He had short blond hair, golden eyes and a smile that looked as if it could make a girl melt from a thousand feet.

"Hi, I'm Reece," He smiled sweetly. "Come dance with me. I feel a little left out." He lightly grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet as I brushed a strand of hair out of my eye and smoothed down my dress.

The silver beads shimmered in the disco lights as I followed Reece over to the dance floor. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. Seeing Jace out on the dance floor was somehow enough to convince me to let Reece pull me out there. Either that or I just didn't want to look silly sitting there alone.

I stood by the side of the dance floor frozen for a moment as I tried to decide whether this was a good idea or not. However, after glancing over to see Emma grinding her slutty little body all over Jace and running her hands down his arms, chest and legs I knew I had made my decision. I wasn’t going to let her have fun while I sat bored and alone, looking silly, in the big bar.

I let Reece pull me out to the middle of the dance floor as I began to sashay from side to side. It was a new experience for me but it felt good and as I let the music consume me, I felt my body begin to loosen up.

Reece was dancing behind me, smoothly rubbing his body against mine as his hands explored my dress, fast, insistent fingers playing with the silver fabric that clung to my slender frame. However as his hands moved slowly up my dress to my breast I felt a pang of discomfort strike me.

I jumped forward and turned around to face him with narrowed eyes. "What are -?"

A thick, husky voice interrupted me. "Let me dance with her.” It was Jace. He didn't look pleased as he watched Reece walk away. He smiled at me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded my head.

I swallowed a lump in my throat as Jace grabbed me firmly pulling my body against his. His face was just inches away from mine as he gripped the back of my leg sensually and dipped me backwards until I could smell the Old Spice aftershave that lingered on his neck. It was strong, sweet, and intoxicating.

I felt a blush stain the porcelain of my cheeks as he leaned forward and pressed his face into my neck. Feeling relaxed, I leaned back and extended my neck as I let his body support mine.

The staccato beats of the music surrounded us as we danced together. Jace’s body fit mine perfectly. It drove me mad. I should've been mad at him for touching me, yet I was enjoying the moment. Most likely it was due to the liquor.

We continued to dance for what felt like forever and as his body began to get closer to mine, I felt my heartbeat skyrocket.     

I tried to calm my racing nerves as I felt the room starting to spin around me. It was all so overwhelming: the music, the drinks, Jace.

Suddenly I felt him grab my hip with hunger written in his eyes. He moaned softly, bowing his head as he exhaled and ran his hands over my silver dress. His breath warmed my full lips, as he looked me straight in the eye.

We were so close and yet so far away. Suddenly, he froze and then frowned before backing away. "I'll be right back." He gently let go of me and walked away leaving me alone on the dance floor.

I stood there breathing heavily, my body wet with sweat. The relentless pounding of my heart was so loud it deafened me. I had no idea what I was feeling but I knew that it was a new experience for me.

Exhaling, I walked off the dance floor, pushing myself past the group of heaving bodies that surrounded me.

Finally, I freed myself, walking over to the table unsteadily as I felt the effects of all of the drinks from earlier. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions: anger, hurt, pain – I was confused.

Suddenly, a husky voice broke my reverie.

"Avery, wait." I heard Jace behind me. He went to reach for my arm, but I shook it off. I couldn’t let him get close to me anymore. It was too much.

"Let go, please," My slurred voice shook with emotion.

He ignored my plea, turning me around before placing his hands on my shoulders and looking me in the eye. "What's wrong?"

I exhaled slowly and ran my hand over my face. "I don't know. I just don’t feel good. I'm just going to walk home." I grabbed my clutch bag from the table and started for the door, but Jace stopped me in my tracks.

"Are you kidding me? I'm going home too then," he said sternly. "You don't have to leave all by yourself. I made you come so we'll leave when you're ready."

I sighed in defeat before watching as he waved over at his friends, signaling that he was leaving with me.

Emma and a busty red head rolled their eyes and continued dancing while Matt and Reece looked disappointed.

Jace turned to me. "I have a friend leaving right now. He'll give us a ride."

He placed his hand on my lower back and walked me outside and over to his friends car. The cool air flooded my lungs as I stepped over the gravel and into the safety of the car.

It took us about ten minutes to get back to his place and the journey passed by quickly as I listened to Jace converse with his friend.    

When we arrived home, I thanked Jace for the drinks and went to my room without another word. I undressed quickly before crawling into my soft bed and enveloping myself in the quilts. It had been a crazy night. A whirlwind of thoughts sped through my mind like a tornado, my parents, my apartment, my past. I just needed to find a level of peace within myself but trying to find it was proving to be just as hard as I had imagined.

I turned off my bedside lamp and let the darkness consume me just as it always had.