Their hour with the kids flew by. Eric had more energy than all twenty kids put together. On their way out the door, Eric pounded Jace on the shoulder. “Let’s go grab a beer or two. What do you say?”
Jace smiled. Was he finally making that elusive connection with Eric? “Yeah. Sounds great.”
Two beers turned into ten or twelve. Jace lost count. Being a quiet drunk, Jace stared into his magically refilling mug while Eric chattered enough for five people with everyone in shouting distance. He kept himself and half the bar entertained. Jace wasn’t sure that Eric was even aware of his presence. He wondered what Aggie was up to. Three weeks was long enough to let his pain fester. Maybe he’d drop in on her the next day. Assuming he didn’t die of alcohol poisoning or asphyxiate on his own vomit in the night.
“You drunk, yet?” Eric asked near midnight.
Jace closed one eye to get rid of the three or four extra Erics in his line of sight. “Define drunk.”
“Wanna go get a tattoo with me?”
Jace nodded.
“Let me pick it out. I promise it will be wicked awesome.”
Jace shrugged.
“Then you’re drunk enough.”
Apparently, Jace was also drunk enough to get his nipple pierced, which hurt less than expected. And too drunk to stay conscious through the tattooing, despite the evil grin Eric sported as he talked to the tattoo artist who was preparing the skin on the top of Jace’s foot for Eric’s idea of a “wicked awesome” design.
Chapter 14
Aggie checked the peephole and grinned, her heart thudding with excitement. She threw the door open and tossed herself into Jace’s arms with a happy squeal. She hadn’t seen him in almost a month and had been starting to think she never would again.
“Sorry to just show up like this,” he said. “I should have called first.”
She kissed him hungrily, clutching the sides of his open leather jacket and pulling him into the house. She slammed the door closed and pressed him against its surface, still kissing him as she fumbled with the dead bolt. She eased away and gazed at him, her cheeks aching from smiling so broadly.
“I take it you aren’t mad at me,” he murmured.
“I missed you,” she said, kissing him again. “I thought you were on tour again.”
“We were, but it looks like we’re going to have to cancel more tour dates.”
“I thought Trey was okay now.”
“Yeah, he’s fine. Sed injured his throat a couple days ago. Blew a vessel in the middle of a concert. Passed out. Fuckin’ blood everywhere.”
“Jeez, are you all on a bad luck train, or what?”
“Eric thinks the album is cursed.” He laughed and lowered his eyelids to conceal his chocolate brown eyes. “I brought you…” He flushed as he reached into a pocket inside his jacket.
Oh God, adorable.
He pulled out a single rose and presented it to her. He didn’t look at her as she accepted it. What had once been a perfect blossom was now squashed from her enthusiastic hug. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. Her heart gave a little pang.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
His eyes shifted to hers for a moment and then back to the floor. “Do you like it?”
She could just picture him buying it for her, embarrassed and uncertain. A flower had never meant so much to her. She touched his stubble-rough cheek, and his gaze finally met hers. “I love it, Jace.”
He grinned, his eyes softening as he looked at her. She melted and leaned closer to kiss him. His firm lips commanded every sense to full attention. She moaned softly, her eyes drifting closed, her free hand curling into his chest. He was just as good as she remembered.
“Uh… Mistress V?” a hesitant voice said behind her.
Shit! She’d totally forgotten she had a client waiting in the sanctum. Reluctantly, she pulled away from Jace.
“You’re busy. I’ll go,” Jace said. His gaze focused over her shoulder at the huge, tattooed man at her back.
Good ol’ Larry. One of her few regular customers.
“I don’t want you to go. Will you wait? He’s my only appointment tonight. It’ll only take me three minutes.” She kissed him again. “Three minutes.”
“I paid for twenty,” Larry said gruffly.
Aggie grinned. “Three minutes,” she whispered.
Jace nodded. “I’ll wait.”
She leaned away from him and went to punch in the code to disarm the alarm. She opened the door to her personal home and ushered Jace inside. “Make yourself at home,” she said. “There’s some leftover soup on the stove if you’re hungry. Wine in the fridge.” He stepped across the threshold, glancing around anxiously. Probably on the lookout for her mother, who was not home. Supposedly, she was at a job interview—her first in a month. Aggie drank in the sight of Jace in her home. God, he was fine. She’d forgotten how attractive he was. “Or you can get naked and wait for me in my bedroom,” she whispered into his ear.
He grinned. “Go take care of your friend. I’ll be fine.”
She turned to find her customer watching her with a dark scowl. “Did I tell you that you could come out of that room, you f**king wuss?” she yelled.
“No, Mistress V.” Trembling, he stumbled back into the sanctum.
“I’m going to beat your ass for disobeying me!” she added for good measure. She turned back to Jace and brought the rose to her nose, inhaling its delicate fragrance. “Will you take this to the kitchen so I can put it in water?”
He nodded, accepting the rose. She planted a tender kiss next to Jace’s amused lips. “See you in a few, baby.”
She closed Jace into her home and locked herself in the soundproof room with her customer. She found these big, tough guys were always the easiest to break. Easy because they wanted to submit, but never had the opportunity to do so in their daily lives.
“Why are you still dressed?” she asked. “I told you to strip. I am not pleased.”
“Forgive me, Mistress V.”
“I will not! Your discipline will be strict and painful.”
It took him longer to get his clothes off and the restraints on than it took her to make him cry and beg her to stop. She gave him a little time to pull himself together before she took his money and escorted him out the front door.
“Same time next week?” he asked.
“Are you going to make it the full twenty minutes next time?”