"Why, thank you." I hummed my pleasure.
Jace set me down once we were inside the penthouse and locked the door behind him. "Are you hungry?" he asked.
I shook my head. "No. I'm just sleepy."
"You should eat." He stated as he shrugged out of his suit jacket. "I doubt you've eaten yet."
He knew me well. "Nope. But I'm not hungry."
"You can't not eat," He scoffed. "Gail made lasagna. We'll just have to heat it."
"I'm not hungry, Jace." I protested. I thought about stomping my foot, but refrained.
"Well, I am." He walked from the door into the kitchen. He pulled a casserole dish from the fridge and set it in the oven to bake. "Foods cooking," he walked toward me, his eyes narrowed as though he were stalking me. My heart leapt as he set his hands on my hips, his thumbs working small circles against the fabric of my skirt. "How about we take a bath while the food's in the oven?"
That sounded delicious. "I think we should do that." I nodded and he laughed.
"You're so easy to convince."
"I think you're just the master of persuasion."
"I am." He dipped his head and kissed the tip of my nose.
He weaved his fingers with mine and pulled me toward the stairs. With every step we took, my heart pounded louder and harder against my chest. I could hear it clearly and I wondered…was it possible Jace heard it too?
I allowed him to lead me to his bedroom where a large soaker tub sat tucked in a corner of the bathroom. He guided me to a bench and sat me down. With a wink, he turned away from me to rummage through a linen closet. He produced two white candles and set them at the foot of the tub before lighting them. He turned on the water and added bubbles to the stream. He moved to flick off the lights before coming back to stand in front of me.
My heart raced and in an attempt to quell my sudden nerves, I asked. "What scent are the candles?"
"Vanilla." He purred.
My stomach tightened. "Oh,"
"Stand for me?" It was a question - not a command. "I want to undress you."
This was new to me. Jace seemed to prefer me to strip for him rather than undress me himself, but if that was what he wanted…who was I to argue?
I stood from the seat and watched as Jace stared at my body. He brought his hand up to the button on my blouse and worked it with slightly trembling fingers. His jaw was firmly closed and his blue eyes were pinned on mine as he worked each button. This felt intense. It felt different. I liked it.
He pulled the fabric of my shirt from the skirt before unzipping the zipper at my back. His hands skimmed against my skin as he peeled off the clothing. When I was standing stark naked in front of him, he hissed in a breath.
"You're beautiful."
I smiled. "I'd like to undress you."
His eyes were weary for a moment before peace settled into their crystalized depths. He nodded and I lifted my hand to the blue tie at his neck, untying the knot before pulling it from his person. Then I went to work on the buttons of his shirt. With each button I opened, I kissed the skin I revealed. This man was so perfect. His every curve, scar and fear were all a part of him. And, I loved him. I wished I could tell him. But I couldn't. Instead, I had to settle for showing him my love.
When I pulled the last button from its place and kissed his skin, I rose from my crouched position, running my hands along the hardness of his abs and over his chest to sit on his shoulders. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed the hollow of his neck. He drew in a sharp breath and I knew he was struggling with the slow gentleness I exulted, but he didn't stop me. I kissed my way up his neck to his chin as I pushed his shirt from his shoulders. My breasts grazed against his chest as I worked to remove his shirt and his hands fisted, but still, he didn't touch me. He let me work slowly to remove his clothing without eager interruption. I smiled as I placed a soft kiss onto the skin beneath his ear as my hands trailed a tender path to the waist of his pants. My fingers worked the button at his waist before I lowered myself to my knees. I tugged on the zipper and pulled his pants from his hips, down his legs to his feet. When they were pooled around his ankles, Jace stepped from the fabric. In only his boxers, he stood before me. The fabric was tented to expose his need for me and I smiled, looking up at him from my knees where I sat on the floor. I hooked my hands around his ankles, sliding my palms up the length of his legs, over his boxers where I dipped my fingertips into the waistband. I pulled his boxers from his hips, careful not to touch his penis as I moved. All the while, I kept my eyes trained on him. And he watched me with hot blue eyes that sent surges of shivers coursing through my body.