Perfect Storm (The Exes #1) Read online

  “I didn’t drive here. I walked.” We lived in a mid-size town in the Midwest, where a girl could still walk alone at night without fear of being abducted.

  “You’re not walking home at this hour,” Tracey said, checking her watch.

  “Fine,” I said, grabbing her shoulders and steering her through the door. “I’ll call an Uber to take me three blocks. Happy now?”

  I heard their groans of protest followed by giggles before I locked up with a smile on my face and a full heart. I loved those girls. They were the sisters I’d never had. And the only reason I’d had the guts to take a stand with Jace. Too bad it backfired.

  I locked the door and headed up the back stairs to the apartment we’d shared since we bought the building four years ago. We’d been close friends back then. He took one bedroom, I took the other. Until he somehow winded up in my bed one night… and I realized I never wanted him to leave.

  I tapped on the door, half expecting him to answer. When he didn’t I held my breath as I used my old key to let myself in. I told myself that I was invading his privacy. Since there was a rear entrance to the apartment, he could easily have a girl in there with him. Which would wreck me. I liked to talk tough about how I had every right to get on with my life, but I knew if I saw him with someone else I would feel sick to my stomach.

  We were such a mess. We couldn’t go back. We couldn’t move on. We were just stuck in this painful limbo, loving each other, but not being able to make each other happy. It seriously sucked.

  Jace’s eyes flew open as soon I stepped through the door. He rubbed his eyes. “Tell me this isn’t a dream. Tell me you’re really here.”

  And just like that my heart cracked wide open. God, I loved this man. But I wanted more than he could give me. I didn’t want to be just his business partner. I wanted to be his life partner. His wife. I wanted to see his beautiful brown eyes staring back at me from a perfect little face that made my heart swell, even when she cried.

  “I forgot something,” I said, clutching my key chain in my hand as I closed the door softly. “I thought you’d be asleep by now. I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “I was asleep or at least trying to.” He propped himself up on his elbows and his hard-on was evident through his black athletic pants.

  “Must have been some dream you were having,” I teased, because we still got along well. Except when other men were around. Then he got all territorial.

  “It was.” He bit his lip as his eyes raked over my body. “And she just walked in the door. Lucky me.”

  I groaned, closing my eyes as I tipped my head back. “Jace Andrews, you cannot say shit like that to me.” I didn’t think I could control myself if he kept it up.

  “What’d you come here for then?” he asked, seeming unfazed. “In the middle of the night.”

  Shit. He was right, it was almost three in the morning. Shame on me. “I’m sorry. I forgot a pack of pills here and I really need them.”

  “What the fuck for?”

  “Excuse me?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

  “Your birth control pills? What the hell do you need those for? You’re not screwing some other guy behind my back, are you?”

  This man tried my patience, every damn day, yet I stuck around. Why? “Behind your back?” I repeated. “You make it sound like I’m cheating on you. I’m not! We broke up, remember?”

  He bounded off the couch so fast I didn’t even have the chance to brace for impact. Before I knew it he was backing me into the door, his arms on either side of me, caging me in.

  I’d never been afraid of Jace. I knew he would never hurt me. He’d lay down his life to protect me, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a raging temper when something set him off and I clearly had.

  “Tell me you’re not sleeping with someone else.” His tone was dark and lethal, sending chills through me as his eyes seared mine. “Just tell me. I need to hear you say it.”

  I should lie, tell him I was because one of us had to end this sick mutual obsession that was driving us both slowly insane. “I don’t have to answer that,” I said, unable to force the lie past my lips.

  “Why else would you need the pills?” He closed his eyes. “I guess I should be grateful you’re not letting some random guy knock you up, huh? That’s what you want, isn’t it?” he asked, looking fierce. “For some bastard to plant his seed in you.”

  “No.” I had to blink back tears when I pushed against his hard chest and said, “I wanted your baby inside me, you asshole.”

  He dropped his head, looking ashamed. “Don’t. Don’t say this shit to me tonight. I can’t handle it.”

  I could smell the liquor on this breath, just like I was sure he could smell it on mine. We were both coping the best we could, which wasn’t well at all. “You can’t handle what?”

  I suddenly wanted him to suffer the way he’d made me suffer all those years. All those Christmases I’d prayed to wake up to a little velvet box under the tree. All those times he’d promised me a surprise and I’d been let down when it wasn’t the one thing I wanted more than anything. All those times I’d been late and thought fate was taking the decision out of our hands.

  “You can’t handle knowing how much I loved you? How much I wanted to be your wife? You can’t handle knowing how much I prayed you’d change your mind and love me enough to-”

  “It wasn’t a question of loving you enough,” he said, shaking his head as a pained look crossed his handsome face. “It was never about that.”

  “Then maybe you can’t handle knowing about the times I cried over negative pregnancy tests because I would have raised your baby alone if I had to. That’s how bad I wanted it.”

  He staggered back, looking stunned as he swiped a hand over his face. “You thought you were pregnant? With my baby?” He shook his head, in denial. “How? When? That’s not even possible. You were on the pill the whole time. Weren’t you? Or did you…?”

  I didn’t know what hurt more, knowing he didn’t want the same things I did or him believing I was selfish enough to take more than he was willing to give. “Things happen, Jace. Whether we want them to or not. You knew the pill wasn’t foolproof, even though I took it every single day without fail. If you wanted to be sure you could have used a condom.”

  He shook his head. “Not with you. Never with you.”

  But with every other woman before. And since. I didn’t know if he’d been with anyone since we broke up. I didn’t have the courage to ask. Or the right.

  “This is a waste of time,” I said, pushing away from the door. “I’m sick of having the same pointless fights with you.” I stalked down the hall and into the bedroom we’d shared. I’d been prepared for the avalanche of emotions and memories. What I hadn’t prepared for the physical pain at the sight of that bed. The dull ache in my chest. The burn in the back of my throat.

  “You okay?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe, watching me.

  He knew. What I was thinking, how I was feeling, how much I wanted us back.

  “Fine.” I pulled the nightstand open and started rummaging through it. It was filled with four years of memories I’d left behind. Photos of trips we’d taken together. Gifts he’d given me. Cards, letters, all from him. I couldn’t take it with me. If I had I would have spent every night home alone crying in my Jack while listening to our song. Ugh. I was starting to sound like a sad country song.

  Where were those pills? Ah ha! Pay dirt! I held them up triumphantly. “Here they are. I can get out of your hair now.”

  He stepped further into the room and kicked the door shut. “Or not.”

  My mouth went dry as I watched him put one foot in front of the other, stopping only when the back of my legs hit the edge of the mattress.

  “I hate fighting with you,” he said, brushing a hair off my face. “Making up was always my favorite part.”

  Mine too. “Yeah, well. There will be none of that tonight.” I was mesmerized. His eyes were fi
xated on my lips and I was counting the heartbeats until he kissed me.

  “You sure about that?” He grabbed my hips as I held my breath. “I’ve been counting down the days ‘til we could put this shit behind us and put our lives back together again.”

  He wanted us to go back to the way we were. But I knew that would never be enough for me. Was it so wrong to want to marry the man I loved and have his baby? I didn’t think I was being selfish, nor did he. Which placed us at this crossroads. He wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t budge. So we continued to break each other’s hearts instead.

  “I know that’s what you want,” I said, inhaling the sweet and powerful scent of alcohol on his breath. I could get drunk on him. I didn’t even need the booze. “But I can’t…” I shook my head, trying to convince myself as much as him. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, working with him every day, but I never expected the pain to be so close to the surface after three long months.

  “Yes, you can.” He scooped my hair up and placed it over my shoulders.

  I was wearing a black tight shirt with fasteners running the length of it and I suddenly realized that was like gift wrapping to a man like Jace. He could tear into it in no time. If I let him.

  He fingered the top snap, his eyes never leaving mine. “Three months is a long time, baby. Too damn long.”

  His voice was like a fine aged whiskey, smooth and deep and rich with spicy undertones. He didn’t just speak. He could seduce with that raspy voice and a few carefully chosen words. I knew this was the time to push him away, but I couldn’t. My friends had been right. I needed backup. A chaperone. Because I couldn’t be trusted alone with this man. Especially when there was a bed involved.

  “Especially for a woman like you.” He popped the top snap, his eyes darkening when I didn’t stop him. “You need this.”

  He was right. I was insatiable. He’d made me insatiable. “We shouldn’t be doing this.” It was a weak protest and he knew I didn’t mean it.

  “You need this,” he repeated, tugging on either side of the fabric until all the snaps gave away. “Just as much as I do.”

  My breasts were heaving with the force of my breath and he watched them for half a second before slipping his thumb and forefinger beneath the lacy barrier and tweaking my nipple. “How long’s it been, baby?”

  I refused to answer that, but one look in my eyes and he must have known because he smirked. “That long, huh?”

  He pushed the shirt over my shoulders and let it fall to the floor before reaching behind me to unhook my bra. I had plenty of chances to stop him. But I didn’t. Because sex with Jace was like a drug. One hit and you were hooked for life. I’d been on the wagon so long, three whole months. Was I really ready to fall off?

  He tossed my bra aside before reaching for the buttons on my pants. “This body…” He licked his lips. “This body was made for me.”

  He’d made no secret of how much he liked my body. He banged me every chance he got. In positions I’d never even heard of. Using sex toys that should have been illegal they felt so damn good. That was the kind of lover Jace was. Thorough. Voracious. Greedy. Generous. Addictive.

  He lowered his head to lick and suck my nipples while he undid my pants. Maybe he was afraid I’d change my mind and felt he needed to distract me. I didn’t know, but as soon as I felt his lips on me it was over. He was right. I needed this. I needed him.

  I fell back on the bed, taking him with me.

  He groaned, wedging his powerful thigh between my legs. “I’m gonna make you feel so good, baby. So hard. So deep.”

  I closed my eyes, pretending it was a different time, a different place. Pretending we were still together, in a committed relationship that just might last forever.

  He tugged my jeans over my hips and tossed them aside before standing to work on my shoes. They were black stilettos with peep toes and backstraps and he propped one on each of his shoulders as he worked the clasps while licking his way up my leg.

  I was already a hot mess when he tore my black lace panties off and fisted them in his hand, inhaling deeply. “You smell so good. I can’t wait to taste you.”

  No one gave oral the way Jace did. He was a master. The way he performed I’d just had one orgasm and was already chasing another while he continued to take it all in. And I wanted that tonight.

  He pressed my legs open with his shoulders while I sucked in a breath. “Take your shirt off.”

  He winked while pulling the soft black cotton over his head. He knew I was addicted to his chest. It was muscular and powerful. His shoulders were so broad, his arms so big. And he had a six-pack that verged on an eight pack. Mouth-watering. That was the only way to describe it.

  “Your jeans too,” I whispered, my voice hoarse. It was almost gone, but I knew it would come back when Jace made me scream. It always did.

  He did as he was told, for once, peeling the jeans off slowly along with this boxer briefs. And there it was. The appendage I loved the most. Sweet Jesus, I’d almost forgotten how huge he was. And what he could do with that equipment…

  He stroked his hard shaft, a smug smile teasing his lips. “You want this, don’t you, Cor?”

  He knew I did, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of admitting it.

  “How do you want it?” He stroked from root to tip, making my mouth water. “Hard and fast?” His strokes were more intense, faster. “Or slow and deep?”

  “Oh God.” There was no way any woman could resist this man. He was too much. Too hot. Too sexy. Too irresistible.

  “A little bit of both, huh? I think that can be arranged.” He dropped to his knees. “But first let me start here.”

  He’d claimed every part of my body when we were together, vowing that he’d make sure I never wanted another man to touch me.

  The first swipe of his tongue made me moan. The next made me whimper. When he dipped inside I sobbed. This. This is what I’d been craving. Not a shot of Jack. Not the feel of another man’s hands caressing my skin. This.

  He lashed at me like a man obsessed, taking what he wanted and giving me what I needed. He lapped and licked and swirled that talented tongue of his as he spread me wide, reminding me why I’d once believed this would be enough to keep me with him forever.

  I lifted my hips off the bed, shamelessly feeding myself to him while he growled and took it all with pleasure. I hooked my legs over his shoulders and pulled his hair, drawing his head even closer. I was probably smothering him, but I didn’t care. After four years of regular attention, my vayjayjay had missed him almost as much as I had. Yes, she had a mind of her own and knew what she wanted. Him. His tongue. His mouth. His hard shaft… deep. She was a greedy little thing who wouldn’t stop until she had her way.

  “I love that,” I whispered, panting. “Jace. Yes.” I was so close. I was ready. I just needed… I groaned long and loud when he hooked a finger inside me and found the spot at the same time he swirled his tongue around my swollen nub.

  It felt like my brain had short-circuited as my body trembled with aftershocks. My heart was thudding, my head was pounding. My blood felt like it was searing my veins. And I was… in love. God, I loved this man. So much it killed me.

  He crawled up my body, squeezing my tits together as he licked one nipple before sucking the other into his mouth. Jace was a breast man and he wasn’t shy about telling me mine had attracted him. Yeah, he was a filthy pig. But he was also a sweetheart. And I couldn’t seem to reconcile the two.

  He feasted on my breasts before moving on to my lips. Oh God. I knew what that look meant. Kissing was a big deal to Jace. He’d been a man-whore before we met and he once told me he’d have sex with girls but wouldn’t kiss them. Kissing was too intimate for a random hook-up.

  “Kiss me.”

  It wasn’t a request… because Jace didn’t make requests. He gave orders.

  I sank my fingers into his collar-length hair and tugged, bringing his face down on mine. I moaned into his mouth as our tongues
danced and I remembered a time when he’d made me come just from kissing him.

  Apparently he remembered it too because he whispered in my ear, “I’m going to make you come for me again.”

  He rubbed his hard shaft against me while his tongue dueled with mine. My mind was on sensory overload. It all felt so amazing and I never wanted to lose this feeling. I wanted it to last forever. And then some.

  “Jace,” I said, tearing my lips from his as I sunk my teeth into his shoulder. “A little faster.”

  He leaned back, scraping over me with his thumb, and I came apart just like that.

  My breathing was harsh, but he didn’t give me a chance to catch my breath before he thrust inside of me, hooking my legs over his shoulders.

  I squeezed my eyes shut until he flattened a hand on my stomach. “Open your eyes. Look at me, beautiful. Watch me love you.”

  I opened my eyes and watched him disappear inside me. It was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen, especially since his tight abs were clenching with every quick thrust of his hips.

  “You like, angel?” He slid his finger over my core, back and forth, and I could have sworn one more orgasm would have rendered me catatonic, but this was Jace and he knew my body better than I did. He knew how far he could push me. How far he could take me without breaking me.

  “Too much,” I moaned, biting my lip.

  “Not yet.” He loved stretching one orgasm into the next until I was thoroughly spent, my body completely boneless.

  I threw my arms over my head and surrendered, screaming when he lunged into me deeper and harder while rubbing that hot button relentlessly. Trying to hold back with this man was pointless. He always drew exactly what he wanted out of me. “I’m coming again, oh…”

  “Yeah,” he said, sinking his fingers into my hips as he unleashed on me. “That’s it.”

  I closed my eyes as he filled me. It felt like an eruption and I allowed myself to imagine what it would be like if I weren’t on the pill. If we were really trying to have a baby. That was a sobering thought as his eyes locked on mine and he withdrew.