Yours Completely(39)

“What about you? What's your story?” she asked, breaking into his thoughts. “I will admit, I did some preliminary research on you when you first booked the wedding, but I haven't really done much since.”

“What did you find out?” he asked, nearly finishing off his glass. He'd had this conversation with women hundreds of times, but was glad Ella at least admitted to looking him up.

“Your company is a conglomeration. You own companies ranging from pharmaceuticals to grocery stores to a lawn mower factory, with basically anything and everything in between,” she replied.

“Go on.” He took a sip of his champagne and waited for the part where she read all the articles listing his favorite colors and suit designers.

“Your father started the business, and you've picked it up. All the investors say that you are very good at it. I mean, I guess that's rather obvious.” She motioned to the inn, obviously referencing the wedding. “You have one sister and you work primarily in New York City. And that's basically all I know.”

“That's all you looked up?” Jace stood up a little straighter.

“I made sure you could pay the bill,” she explained. “That's all I cared about. For everything else, I wanted to know what the bride wanted. Not what the media thought the bride wanted. It's much better to get the information straight from the source.”

“That's seriously all you know about me?” he asked, loving that she hadn't read anything else. Most of the people that tried to get close to him ended up pretending to know more about him than he did. It was nice to have someone not know his favorite place to vacation in the Bahamas and constantly be asking to go there.

“Yeah, I actually feel bad that I don't know more.” she admitted. She looked up at him, guilt in her eyes. “Why are you smiling?”

He didn't quite know how to answer. It was wildly refreshing and kind of a turn on to know that she had no expectations. He would of course blow them out of the water if she did, but to not have them was wonderful and freeing.

“You want to go for a walk?” he asked, not answering her question. He didn't know how, but she was even more perfect than he first thought. If her family wasn't so crazy, he would have thought he was dreaming.

She followed his gaze to beyond the party, toward the quiet lake. Some time away from the hum of the party sounded marvelous. Especially if it was just the two of them. She nodded and he grabbed her hand. With both of them grinning like school children, they headed off toward the exit.

Jace opened the gate to the path around the lake. Ella took one last glance back at the party, her need to watch and plan the reception pulling her back for a moment. A motion caught his attention, and he focused in on her stepsister. Allison raised her champagne glass in a silent cheers before grinning at the two of them and motioning them to leave. Jace flashed her a smile and hurried out the gate before anyone could stop them.





Chapter Seventeen


The lake rippled with moonlight and Ella was fairly sure that if she looked closely enough, she would see pure magic. Her hand was hot in Jace's, but she didn't dare let go. She was afraid she'd stop breathing if she did. Her heart was beating so fast and hard, and it was because of him. The way he made her feel was magical- more so than any moonlight on the lake.

The corners of her lips tugged upward when he pulled her off the main cement walkway and onto the carefully manicured dirt path. They were going to the small gazebo. Her thoughts flashed to the last time the two of them were there. The way the sunlight had caught his dark hair and sparkled through his eyes. The ache to kiss him reared back to life, and she hoped this time she could.

The gazebo was completely empty. Jace held her hand as they walked up the steps and stood in the center of the small wooden structure. A soft starlit breeze floated across the lake, sending chilly goosebumps up Ella's arms. She rubbed her arms without thinking, looking out at the perfect night.

Without saying a word, Jace removed his jacket and settled it around her shoulders. It held his warmth and smelled like him. Clean with just a hint of cedar. It was difficult for her not to bury her nose in the fabric and just breathe him in.

“Thank you,” she whispered, heart fluttering. She'd never felt so nervous and yet so comfortable at the same time. Being with Jace felt right, even if he turned her to jelly. “So, just to recap: you aren't marrying your sister and you didn't sleep with my stepsister in my stepmother's office.”

“Nope.” Jace shook his head, a crooked grin crossing his face.

“That's good,” Ella replied. How could she feel so breathless and yet like she didn't need to breathe at all?