Jace doesn’t know what the fuck he wants. Vanessa has confessed to me that Jace has done this before. Since my eighteenth birthday fiasco, he’s told the guys in our circle to stay the fuck away from me. The tension between us tonight, though, hits an all-time high when Dylan’s friend, Franko, gets flirtatious. Mind you, Franko’s no different with Vanessa. I learn that the guy’s a charmer, just like Foster. They even kind of dress the same. But boy does he get under Jace’s skin.

Vanessa knows what’s going on—or not going on—between Jace and me. She seizes the opportunity right there and then, suggesting that she can take the turtle to the animal hospital, and that I should let Jace drive me home. Then Franko injects himself into the equation, insisting that Vanessa shouldn’t drive alone this late at night. He gets Dylan’s nod of approval to ride with Vanessa, which seals my fate. I’m backed into a corner now. It’s either Jace’s car, or Dylan’s.

And I’m forgetting one thing.

These men have each other’s back.

Vanessa gives me my handbag and leaves with Franko. Then Dylan excuses himself, saying something about needing to get his phone out of his car.

And he drives off, closing out my options.

I’m not in the mood for a standoff tonight, but I can’t help myself.

“Get in the car. It’s cold,” he says.

“You’re running interference again,” I shout. “You didn’t want me, but you also don’t want anyone else to get anywhere near me.”

“That’s not true.”

“No. It is.”

“Franko isn’t serious about any woman.”

“Who cares?” I shout. “It’s my life. Stop whatever it is you think you’re doing.”

He pulls my car door open and points at the seat. I jump in. The sooner he gets me home, the better.

“What if I did want … something else with you,” Jace asks when he gets into his seat.

“Don’t even… you don’t know what you want.”

“Like hell, I don’t.”

“Fine.” I decide to challenge him. I want him to spell it out, because the truth is, he sounds like he’s just yanking my chain. “Something else like what?”

“More.”

“Yeah. Right. You’re only saying that because of what Franko just did.”

“That’s bullshit. You think I’m threatened by that guy?”

“Are you?”

“Hell no. I was protecting you.”

“From what? And why do you act like you care anyway?”

“You’re right.” His composure changes. He’s not the same Jace that I’ve known. “I ignored you,” he admits to me. “I avoided you, didn’t give you the time of day…and I was wrong for pushing you so far away.”

“Yeah, okay whatever.”

He turns to me and places one hand on the backrest of my seat. “And what about you? You pursue me for years, and when I consider coming around, you go cold on me?”

“My heart is not a revolving door, Jace.” I hate how melodramatic that sounds, but it’s true. “Can you just drive me home now?”

“Cherry…I never forgot about that night.”

“What night?” He stares at me with skepticism. We both know what night he’s talking about. “Oh no. No. Just no. Don’t you dare bring that up. What you did was unforgivable.”

“I thought it was better that way.”

“Better for who? Your ego? Because it wasn’t nice for me at all.”

“At the time I thought… look, it’s okay,” he says, and starts the car.

“No it’s not okay. How could you do something like that to another person? To me?”

“It’s a small world, all right? And we move in the smallest, tightest social circle in New York. You and your dad are practically family.”

“We’re not your family.”

“You know what I’m saying.”

“That’s the stupidest explanation I’ve ever heard.”

“No, it’s not.”

I’m close to losing it altogether. “Yes. It actually is. I know that I wormed my way into your place that night. I took responsibility for that. It’s on me. But you let me in, took something from me that I wanted you to have, then you kicked me out after you got it. No one has ever hurt me like that. Not up to that night, and not since then either.”

“I can’t change what happened. All I can do is tell you I’m sorry about how it went down. I was a jackass.”

“And now you’re not?”

“I didn’t exactly say that.”

“At least you’re honest.”

“I’ve never lied to you, Cherry.”

“So you’re trying to tell me you’re still a bit of an ass, and you want me. Am I supposed to feel all warm and cuddly now? Is the fact that Jace Knight has been the epitome of candor and sincerity meant to help me accept what you did to me and let it slide?”

“I’m not trying anything. Look, forget about everything I said.”

“Fine with me,” I say, folding my arms.

He starts the car and drives off in a huff. I’m sick of talking. He doesn’t speak another word until he stops the car at the security gate about a thousand yards from the front door of my place.

“Let me off here. I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

“It’s fine. I’ll drive you to your door.”

“No,” I insist. “I’m okay. I just need to clear my head,” I tell him, and open the passenger door.

“Cherry,” he calls my name just as my feet hit the sidewalk and my hand grips the car door to close it.

“What?” I ask, glaring at him.

“This isn’t over.”

I can’t even begin to form an appropriate sentence to answer him. Not without a string of insults and profanity all jumbled together.

So I keep my lips pressed together, and channel all that rage into my arm. I slam the door shut, and close another chapter in my life.

I said no to Jace.

He’ll probably never forgive me for turning his sorry ass away.

It’s something I never thought I’d do.

And I feel so free, I can laugh.

Or cry.

I punch in the access code to unlock the automatic security gates, then wait for the heavy wrought iron sections to part wide enough so I can walk through.

But Jace isn’t done yet. I feel his strong, heavy hand on my shoulder, and it’s too late for me to react. He spins me around, buries his hand into the hair at the base of my neck, and smashes his lips into mine.

He may have gotten the advantage of surprise, but not for long. Reaching my hands between our bodies, I plant my palms on his chest and push hard to break free.

“Why the hell did you do that?” I ask.

He meets my eyes but doesn’t answer me. Placing each hand against the horizontal metal plate built into the gates, he brackets me in. Now I can’t move. My brain starts to form the first word to give him a piece of my mind and Jace does it again, covering my mouth with his as he blocks every sound with an uninvited kiss. He slides his tongue along the seam of my lips and parts my mouth. This kiss is more intense than the last, and I know I’ll kick myself later, but I let him take my breath away. The moan that comes from my mouth into his reveals more than it should. It betrays my need. Soon I can’t even think.

God.

I forgot how much I missed Jace.

His kiss.

His touch.

I hang on to him with fistfuls of his dress shirt in my hands, pressing my body up to him, delighting in the throb of his erection on my stomach when I should be pushing him far, far away. The heat between our bodies drags me even closer as we lose ourselves. It’s a surprise to me when I hear myself breathing out that I missed him so much. Hearing my own words abruptly jerks me back to the real world. I can’t let Jace in again. He’ll only end up hurting me with an encore of that night.

But I can’t stop myself. My body’s only warming up, yet it’s already too far gone. I don’t even resist when he pulls from the kiss, gazing down at me with his intense blue eyes. Then it’s really too late, because looking into his eyes are like staring at the sun. It blinds me, shuts off all coherent thought, and makes me forget the pain.

Jace runs his hands down along my upper arms until our fingers touch. “That kiss was way overdue, kitten,” he says, lacing our fingers together. “Forget about going inside. I’m taking you to my place.”

I nod from the effects of his solar flare interfering with my brain.

And my core.

He leads me back to his car, pulls open the passenger door, and helps me inside.

I hope I don’t regret this in the morning.