Jace

I wake up to the smell of cake.

Why the fuck am I waking up to the smell of cake?

I roll over in bed, my eyes still closed, and pat the other side of the bed, reaching for Nova but finding nothing but empty space.

I slowly blink my eyes open and stretch my arms above my head, a loud yawn escaping me at the same time. I sit up and the covers pool at my naked waist.

Since the bedroom is open to the rest of the apartment it’s easy to see Nova in the kitchen, hips swaying, as she dances around the kitchen with a spatula mixing up a cake. 

“Oh!” She startles when she sees me awake.

I grin at her and slip from the bed, pulling on a pair of clean boxer briefs from the dresser drawer.

I head over to her and lean across the stainless-steel island countertop.

“Whatcha up to?”

She flicks a piece of hair out of her eyes that’s escaped her messy bun.

“Heard it’s my boyfriend’s birthday.” She shrugs.

“Hmm, you mean I slept with someone that’s taken last night. Shit.”

She laughs and smacks my arm. “I was trying to get this done before you woke up.”

“The smell woke me up.” I slide onto one of the barstools. 

She sets the bowl she’s stirring on the counter. “No eating until tonight.” She wags a finger, trying to drive home her point, but she just looks fucking adorable.

“You can’t taunt me with a delicious fucking cake and then make me wait hours to eat.”

She mock pouts. “Aw, the poor baby. Boo-hoo.” She rubs closed fists against her eyes like she’s crying.

I stand up and before she can blink I’ve grabbed her by the hips and lifted her onto the island.

“You’re going to be punished for that,” I warn her with a growl against her ear.

“Ooh, sounds fun.”

“You’re so much naughtier than you think you are.”

“Mmm,” she hums. “Maybe I do know and I like to act innocent.”

I pick her up again and throw her over my shoulder, intending to take her back to bed.

“Jace!” she shrieks, beating my back. “I have to finish your birthday cake.”

I sigh and set her back down.

“Fine,” I whine. Though, I’d much prefer sex to the cake—but hey, I better get some pretty fucking great birthday sex tonight so I guess I can wait.

I can be a gentleman when I want … Sort of.

I set her down and she scurries back behind the island, using it to put space between us. I nearly roll my eyes.

Does she really think that would keep me away?

“We’re out of eggs,” she announces. “Can you go get some?”

I mock gasp, placing a hand to my chest. “Are you sending me to run errands on my birthday? I’m ashamed, Nova. You should be giving me facials and rubbing my feet.”

I know we’re not out of fucking eggs. I bought two dozen yesterday.

She rolls her eyes. “If you don’t get out of here we’re going to end up having sex on the floor and I don’t have time for that. I need to get this done so we can get to the cabin.”

By cabin she means Xander and Thea’s second place. They got it to be a place for all of us to go in the summer for the lakes and in winter for snowboarding.

Thea got the wild idea to host my birthday there.

My birthday is not something I really like to celebrate but all these fucking girls seem to like to throw parties, and since I’m a sucker, here I am.

I throw on some clothes, grab my wallet and keys, and kiss Nova on the cheek.

“How long should I stay gone?” I ask, knowing if I come back too soon she’ll send me back out for another meaningless errand.

Her lips purse. “An hour.”

I sigh and slip out the door.

I can’t believe I’m twenty-eight years old. Another two and I’ll be thirty. 

When the fuck did that happen?

I head down to my truck and drive around for the next hour. I don’t bother picking up the eggs because I know we have enough.

When I get back, Nova’s finished with the cake. It appears to be chocolate cake with chocolate icing. 

My favorite.

With Happy 28th Birthday Jace scrawled sloppily across the top in some kind of blue gel icing.

Someone else might look at this cake and think it’s a mess but to me it’s the most perfect fucking cake I’ve ever had, all because my girl made it for me, and the love and thought behind it is what means the most.

I hear the shower running, so I open the bathroom door and step into the steamy room.

Nova’s humming a song as she showers.

I shove my jeans and boxer-briefs off and yank off my shirt.

I open the shower curtain and slip in behind her.

She jumps, startled by intrusion, and moves to cover her perky breasts.

“You scared the crap out of me,” she scolds.

I chuckle. “Sorry.” I bend to place a kiss on the freckles that dot her nose.

 I love those fucking freckles.

She turns back to the water, rinsing the shampoo out of her hair. 

I watch the soapy water cascade down her body, licking my lips in appreciation. 

Nova’s so fucking beautiful, and smart, and sarcastic, and talented, and perfect.

I’m one fucking lucky bastard.

I place my hands on her wet waist and her eyes flick up to mine.

“I love you.”

Her smile grows. “I love you—”

I plaster my mouth to hers before she finishes. Her mouth opens beneath mine with a gasp, and I use the opportunity to brush my tongue against hers. She moans, her arms wrapping around my shoulders, nails digging into my back.

I push her back against the tiled wall and lift her up so her legs wrap around my waist.

She leans her head back and moans my name.

I’ll never fucking stop loving the way she says my name when she’s turned on.

Like she’s so fucking desperate and I’m the only one who can relieve the ache.

At least I better fucking be the only one.

I circle my tongue around one pert nipple and then the other.

“Jace,” she moans again, her body shuddering in my arms.

I smile against her skin, kissing my way up from her chest to her neck, to her cheeks, and finally her lips.

Her fingers find my hair, tugging on the strands.

I move my lips to her ear. “You’re the best fucking gift I’ve ever been given.”

I don’t know what I did before this girl was mine.

I was dark.

I was angry.

I was impossible.

Nova had her own set of baggage, but somehow, when we collided, it was pure magic. Like we were two puzzle pieces made to fit together. 

Now, we were both the people we were always meant to be.

I laughed. 

I smiled.

I fucking lived.

And Nova … She was as bright as a star, just like her name.

She bites her lip, looking at me with heavy-lidded eyes.

“Fuck me.”

I don’t have to be told twice.

I slip inside her and she moans so loud, her pussy clenching around my dick.

“Fuck,” I groan, burying my head in her neck.

This girl is my undoing. Always.

I move my hips and she rolls hers against me.

I’m not going to last long. Not with her doing that.

I breathe out a ragged breath. Trying to get a control of myself and not blow my load like a teenage boy who just saw boobs for the first time.

Nova doesn’t help when she starts begging.

“Please.”

“Jace.”

“Fuck me harder.”

“Harder.”

“Like that. Oh, God.”

Every sexy word and sound that leaves her mouth threatens to unravel my sanity.

“I’m coming,” she declares, shuddering in my arms a moment later and letting out a sound that’s part scream and part moan.

I follow behind her a moment later.

I keep ahold of her for a few more minutes, so we both can regain our senses.

When we reach that point, I finally set her down.

“You’re so bad,” she says, but she’s smiling so I know she doesn’t mean it.

“No, babe, I’m the birthday boy.” I lower my lips to her ear. “Think we made a baby? That’d be the best fucking birthday present ever.”

“I guess it’s possible,” she replies, grabbing the conditioner and slathering it on her long dark hair.

“This might be the best birthday ever.” I grin.

She smiles back. “And it’s just starting.”

We make the long drive to the cabin—Nova drives her car while I’m delegated to holding the cake in my lap in a glass container—singing along to the radio the whole time.

It helps pass the time.

When we arrive at the cabin, the others are already there.

We head inside, not bothering to knock.

Everyone’s gathered in the kitchen, watching the baby.

Xael blows bubbles and makes some kind of baby cooing noise.

Xander kisses her cheek, mumbling some kind of praise.

I set the cake down and reach for the baby. “Give me my favorite niece,” I plead, holding my hands out for the baby. 

I may not be related to Xander and Thea by blood, but none of that matters.

We’re family.

Xander hands me the baby and I cradle her in my arms.

She looks up at me with wide brown eyes.

I turn, facing Nova with a little smile.

I want this. I want it so fucking bad.

Her lips lift slightly in a smile, but she quickly hides it, not wanting to give anything away to our friends since they’re all nosy bastards.

I bounce Xael in my arms and she lets out a giggle, smacking my chest.

“Look, she wants to get away from you,” Thea jokes. “She’s definitely my daughter.”

“Are you kidding?” I scoff. “She’s showing her affection.”

Thea rolls her eyes and pops a grape in her mouth.

“I never thought you’d be this excited over a baby,” Cade comments.

I shrug. “What can I say? You guys don’t know every-fucking-thing about me.”

Thea snaps her fingers. “No cussing in front of the baby. If I’m not allowed, neither are you.”

“Yeah, man,” Xander agrees. “What do you think the swear jar is for?”

He nods to one on the kitchen counter. It’s not nearly as full as the one they have at their actual house.

I tap Xael’s cheek. “You don’t care how many bad words I say, do you?” She giggles again.

“Here, give me back my kid before her first word rhymes with duck.”

Xander grabs the baby from me.

I move to stand beside Nova, wrapping my arm around her and drawing her close. I bend and kiss the top of her head and she leans against me.

“All right,” I begin, “what’s the deal with today. You know I don’t like to make a big deal out of my birthday.”

“Exactly,” Thea chimes. “That’s why we have to change things. Birthdays are awesome.”

I wish I thought the same thing.

When my mom was alive she always made me feel special on my birthday—a breakfast of my choice, followed by some kind of special gift, and then there would be a nice dinner she’d make with more gifts and cake.

I really fucking love cake.

It’s the best part of any celebration.

But when my mom died, my birthday ceased to exist to my father.

There were never gifts or even cake.

I didn’t complain to him, though. I learned at an early age to not cross my father.

“We’re going to cook out,” Cade says. “Eat cake. Have gifts. And maybe get wasted.”

Rae, his wife, smacks the back of his head.

“Or not,” he adds.

I chuckle.

Getting wasted used to be the most appealing thing to me, but not anymore.

I wasn’t ever an alcoholic, I just liked the free, weightless, unencumbered feeling I got when I was drunk. Like none of my problems existed.

But when I’d come down from that, and reality hit, it sucked.

Once I met Nova, it no longer appealed to me.

She understands me in a way no bottle can.

“Well, let’s eat then,” I plead, smacking my stomach. “I’m starving.”

Nova shivers in her blanket and scoots closer to me.

The sun descended a little while ago, and the moon has taken its place.

Even though it’s June, the night air is chilly. I wrap my arm around her, trying to offer as much warmth as I can. 

We all sit around the fire pit—except Xael who Thea took inside to put her to sleep—warming ourselves and eating cake.

It took so fucking long to get to the cake and everyone knows it’s the best fucking part.

Nova slathered the cake in icing, which is my favorite part. I swear there’s not a thing she doesn’t know about me. I don’t think anyone in all of my twenty-eight years has ever known me this well.

If you’d told me when I was twenty-three I’d fall head over heels for a girl and she’d be my forever, I would’ve thought you were crazy. I didn’t want to be tied down, but furthermore I thought I didn’t deserve love. My father made me feel like a worthless piece of shit so I believed he was right and that I’d turn out to do nothing and have nothing.

Constant negativity like that eats away at you.

It’s sickening.

But when my dad was dying … I think he looked at me and saw all he’d thrown away.

He tried to make amends and I accepted, because he was my dad, and he was going to die, but the main reason I forgave him is because I saw the sincerity in his eyes.

That meant everything to me.

When he finally passed away, I don’t think either of us had any regrets anymore.

I finish my cake and stand to grab another piece.

Too much cake is never a bad thing. How do you think I got these abs?

I sit back down and wrap my one arm back around Nova. 

Cade’s talking about some kind of project he’s working on. He’s an architect and works for Xander’s dad. Xander nods along with him but I don’t think he’s really paying attention. 

Thea and Rae are engaged in conversation as well.

I feel like we’re all such boring fucks now, but you know what, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I kiss the side of Nova’s head and she smiles up at me.

“What was that for?”

I swallow down a huge bite of cake and shrug. “Because I can—because I want to.”

She lays her head back down on my shoulder and lets out a contented sigh.

“Bleh, you guys are too sweet I can’t handle all the sugar,” Thea interrupts. “Remember when you both were allergic to love and relationships? Those were the good old days.”

Xander shakes his head beside her and mumbles something in her ear.

Out loud, she says, “I can give Jace a hard time if I want. It’s my favorite hobby.”

Thea is very much like my annoying little sister. Thank God I never had any actual siblings. Poor Cade is actually related to her.

I ignore them and turn to Nova at my side. “This cake is perfect.”

“Thank you.”

Looking at the time, I cringe. It’s late and we have a couple hours’ drive back. 

“We should go,” I whisper to Nova, licking the last of the icing from my lips.

She sits up, the blanket falling from around her shoulders. “You’re right.”

I stand up and hold my hands out for her, helping her up from the low-sitting chair.

“Thanks for this, guys,” I say, truly meaning it. They didn’t have to go through all this trouble for me. I would’ve been fine if today passed by like any other day.

“You’re welcome.” Cade holds out his fist for me to bump.

“Yeah, man, you’re welcome.” Xander and I clasp hands. 

I hug the girls goodbye—because they won’t settle for any less—and then we head out.

Rae had fixed my presents in a bag and set them by the door so I could grab them easily when we left.

I kind of wish we could stay the night and hang out here, but I have to work tomorrow. It’s nice out here. Even though it’s not far from the city, only a few hours, it feels like you’re in an entirely different world.

Nova and I head to my truck and the hinges creak as we open the doors.

I know I should suck it up and get a new truck, but for some reason I can’t let it go. It’s like it’s as much of a part of me as, say … my tattoos.

Nova stifles a yawn and leans her head against the window. “I’m so tired,” she mumbles.

“Go to sleep.”

She shakes her head no but her eyes are closed. “It’s a long drive home. I should talk to you.”

“That’s what the radio is for,” I tell her.

She makes some sort of noise, and I have no idea what it actually means.

I chuckle to myself and turn up the radio. No way is she going to be able to stay awake. 

Sure enough, I’m barely on the road for fifteen minutes when her light snore reaches my ear.

I chuckle to myself and drive on.