“That’s what this is. Some of them plan their evening well in advance, but many like the thrill of a surprise.”
I feel like a prude when I admit to myself that I’ve always put so much planning into the act of making love—or sex. Jace was a first for me. I’d wanted him, to the point where simply being around him had affected my body, but I never thought we would act on it. And now that we have, now that we still are, I don’t want the thrill to stop.
“Which one did you prefer?” I ask softly.
He skims his teeth over the corner of his lower lip, tilting his head to one side. I reach out to brush a dark lock of hair away from his forehead, and he catches my hand in his. I release a shuddering breath when he slides his tongue over the pulse point on my wrist. “Do you really want to know that?” he challenges.
“I want to know everything about you.” He considers my statement for a lengthy pause. Lowering his gaze to my bare leg, he spreads his hand over my skin, kneading his fingertips until my thighs clench. He still has my panties in the pocket of his jeans. When I realize this, desire pools in the pit of my stomach. “Jace?” I whisper.
“The few times I indulged,” he starts, “I went for the thrill of it.”
“Weren't you worried?” When one of his eyebrows arches, I add, “I don't know, random sex just seems so…”
“I'm a fan of condoms, love. As you're very well aware. Although, there was that moment with you… Being inside of you, bare, was incredible. Something I’d like to repeat tonight, if you’re willing.”
I'm seconds away from voicing my thoughts—from telling him how good he felt the night in his foyer where he hadn’t even removed my clothing before we tore each other apart—but then I see a flash of red hair coming our way.
I draw in a breath through clenched teeth, my eyes cutting to Sonora as she parks her ass on the armrest closest to Jace. She tosses her hair over one shoulder and smiles down at us. I notice that she's no longer wearing her sling and that she's also somewhat dressed tonight, wearing a black corset that makes her breasts look like they are seconds from tumbling out. Sonora is beautiful—beautiful and the type of woman I see Jace with when I close my eyes. My stomach hardens at the thought of him being with her.
At the thought of him going back to this—for the thrill of it.
“Enjoying the party, Ms. Williams?” she asks politely. I tell her that I am, and she grants me an amused look. “It’s no fun yet, but I’m expecting it’ll liven up here in a few minutes, right Jace?”
He grants her a slight smile and a nod, and painful flames shoot through my chest.
“I'm glad to see your arm is better,” I say cheerily, changing the subject to something that doesn’t turn me into a jealous mess.
She traces her fingertips over her wrist and lifts her shoulders. Her breasts squish together. I hold my breath, just waiting for them to fall out of her corset, but they stay firmly in place. “It’s not fully healed, but a little pain never hurt anyone.”
“I broke my collarbone once,” I blurt out stupidly. Her lips quiver, and she covers her mouth with rose-painted fingernails. Out of the corner of my eye, I sneak a glance at Jace—to see if he’s looking at her fingers since he’s used her hands for his photos so often in the past—but his gaze is focused on the side of my face. Flushing, I meet Sonora’s big blue eyes. “I fell off a swing … when I was eight.”
Oh god, I need to shut up and fast.
“That kind of pain does hurt, sweetheart—but I’m talking about something different,” she says then lowers her attention to Jace. “Will you be staying tonight, E?”
I hate that there’s another wiggle of jealousy that goes through me when she asks him this, but I'm quickly placated when he shakes his head. “You know I don’t stay anymore, but I have alternate plans. I promise you won’t miss me.” She gives him a longing look, but he fails to notice it as he stands and looks down at me. “I have to run to the bathroom, love, but I'll be back shortly. Don’t worry, you’re in good hands with Sonora.”
Before I have time to protest, he strides away, and I turn to the redhead half expecting her claws to come out. That doesn't happen. She drums her fingertips on her bare thighs and inclines her head to the side. “You can relax,” she says softly. “I'm not the type of woman to attack another just because she has something that I desire.”
“I—” I begin, but the lump in the back of my throat prevents me from speaking.
She holds up her long, delicate fingers and shakes her head. “You don’t have to defend yourself, Lucy. As long as Jace is happy, I don't mind you. At the end of the day, that’s all I want for him. He's my friend, and he deserves that after everything he’s been through. He’s never committed to a woman like this before. I like that he is now.”
When I simply blink at her like an idiot, she laughs softly. “What?”
“You, you're just nice.” I don’t tell her that I don’t think Jace is committed or that my heart constricts at the idea of him telling me he wants more. “I didn't expect that from you.”
“Looks and predilections can be deceiving.” She eyeballs a good-looking man across the room and slides off the armrest. “Take care, Miss Williams.”
She begins to walk away, but my question stops her in her tracks. “Why do you come to these parties, Sonora?” She turns to face me, running her palms over the front of her corset.
“Why? Are you judging me?” she demands.
“No.” I shake my head because it’s the truth. I’ve spent five minutes with this woman, and she’s been kinder to me than most of my prim and proper friends back in San Francisco. I’m grateful for that. Grateful for what she’s said to me tonight. “I’m just curious.”
“I do this because I need this in my life. It might not make sense to you or anyone else, but it's what makes me feel alive.”
“Just because I don't understand it doesn't make it wrong,” I say, surprising myself. A tiny smile forms on her face.
“Thank you.” When Jace returns a few seconds later, I let him know I'm ready for another drink. “I thought you said you couldn’t handle your liquor,” he teases.
“Not usually, but I might just need it by the time B shows off his table and we get out of here.”
By the time Mr. B makes his grand appearance downstairs thirty minutes later, I’m regretting that third shot of tequila. The liquor has gone straight to my head, but luckily, I can still stand upright when we step behind the glass on the other side of the voyeur room. Noticing the naked woman standing a few feet away from us, her gaze wandering over the massive table in the other room, I revise my thoughts about the tequila.
I definitely needed it.