KIMBERLY

the sound of the shower turning off or the massive hangover I was experiencing that woke me up. I may have gotten a little carried away last night, the memories from the night hitting me like a truck.

I looked over to see a glass of water on the nightstand, not wasting a second to pick it up and down the contents.

A stupid mistake. Jace stepped out of the bathroom, a loose towel hanging around his waist. With cheeks full of water and wide eyes, I stared... hard.

Then, the overwhelming sensation of nausea prompted me to rush into the bathroom, throwing up all the contents of my stomach.

My hair was immediately pulled back in a makeshift bun as Jace stood over me. "Thanks for reminding me why I don't drink."

"Shut up," I murmured, waiting for the nausea to pass, the feeling of his hand rubbing my back through his shirt oddly comforting me.

When I was sure I wouldn't throw up anymore, I rinsed my mouth and brushed the taste out, replacing it with fresh mint.

"I have to head into the office today," he stated. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Irritation surged through me.

I don't know why, but I hated how he was trying to look after me now. I didn't need it nor want it from anyone... most certainly, not from him.

"I'll be fine," I gritted out, moving past him.

What's wrong with me?

He rolled his eyes at my attitude. "Good."

Without another word, he left the bedroom. A little under ten minutes later, I heard the door slam shut, inducing a heavy stream of tears out of my eyes.

God, I couldn't do this anymore. Everything about this arrangement felt so wrong.

I made a promise to him and here I was... with another man.

I hated myself so much.

I needed to get out of here. I needed space. I needed... needed... I didn't know what I needed.

All I wanted was for these thoughts to just go away. All I wanted was peace.

The blurry vision made it difficult to pack, but I still did it, haphazardly throwing all my clothes and shit into the luggages. I called our private jet's pilot to let him know that I wanted to leave within the next two hours and didn't want Dad to know.

If he found out, I'd be bugged with incessant calls, and I really didn't have the energy to deal with it right now.

He must've sensed the desperation in my voice because he said I could head to the airport within the hour.

So, what did I do to pass the time? Cry my fucking heart out.

The void inside felt like it was growing by the day. The guilt from how I felt with Jace around made it get bigger exponentially, until I felt nothing but the hollowness of my insides.

As much as I depended on faking it, the exhaustion that came with always pretending you were fine was enervating. I could sleep for a hundred days straight and it wouldn't be enough.

After the hour was up, I left Jace a chaotic note and called for a bellhop to help me with my bags into the uber that was waiting for me.

But, no matter what I did, the tears still fell, emptying the reserve I had been filling up with pain for so long.

♕♕♕

"Where the fuck are you?" Jace seethed over the phone.

I had just gotten out of my uber, on my way back to the apartment—freshly out of tears, might I add—when Jace called about my whereabouts.

"Didn't you read the note?" I questioned, feeling too tired to have a snappy retort.

"Writing 'I'll see you in NY' doesn't really explain shit," he snapped. "This isn't a fucking game, Kimberly. You can't just leave."

"Well, I'm in New York," I snapped back. "And, as my note says, I'll see you when you come back. I don't know how I can be clearer than that."

"Why are you like this?"

I took deep breaths, letting silence fill this gap in the 'conversation'. "I don't have the energy to deal with this right now," I admitted. "I gotta go."

I hung up before he could finish his sentence and attempted to bring my bags into the elevator. A long ride later, I stepped into the penthouse, seeing Vivi and Momo on the couch, watching a Turkish drama.

Immediately, I rushed over to her and sprawled myself into her lap. Momo took her rightful place, covering my feet, as I lay there, the tears making a reappearance.

I guess I wasn't out of them after all.

♕♕♕

Jace and I haven't spoken since the day I left Brazil.

The only form of communication between us was the 'I'm sorry' text I sent him, but he left me on read.

Based on the flight details Savannah so graciously forwarded to me, they would be landing tonight and an overwhelming part of me wanted to be in the airport to apologize in person.

Despite the situation we found ourselves in, it was absolutely, positively disgusting how the man still turned me on and was the source of my wet dreams for the rest of the week.

I was so mad at myself.

But, my eyes were craving the large-physique, the beautiful facial hair, the cool eyes, the full pink lips, those thick fucking thighs, th—

No. Bad Kim. Don't think about your future husband like that. That's what got you into this mess.

I realize how contradictory my inner thoughts were, but I was a stubborn bitch. I would not give in. I would not give up.

Unless he did first. No. Not even then.

Like the responsible adult I was, I was avoiding my problems with shopping therapy. Mom and Effie have been calling me everyday since I got back about wedding decisions, and the more they asked, the more I didn't have the energy to muster up any interest.

I didn't get this many calls the week prior, but when I asked, they told me that Jace was calling the shots in lieu of me. I was about to retort that Savannah was probably answering for him but kept quiet in case it was actually him.

That certainly didn't help the guilt.

The night of our family dinner, he seemed somewhat sympathetic about my reluctance to marry, so it wasn't completely far-fetched that he would do this for me. So, I sucked it up and answered the important questions. It was the least I could do after how badly I fucked up.

I was in the fifth store for tonight when my phone started ringing.

"Hello?" I answered, bringing the phone up to my ear, which is surprisingly difficult with the number of bags I was carrying. The only thing a man would've been useful for.

"Are you going to the airport?" Dad questioned at the other end of the line. He had been mad that I came back early, but I didn't care.

Rolling my eyes, I deepened my voice to match his, "Hello, Kimberly. How are you?" Then, changing back to my voice, I replied, "Hey, Dad! I'm doing great. It's so good hearing from you with no ulterior motive."

"Kimberly," his voice warned, clearly not amused by my spectacle.

Sighing, I decided that getting him angrier would ruin my mood, so I stopped. "Yeah, I'm heading there soon. I have time."

"The flight lands in 30 minutes."

Shit.

I put the dress back on the rack and exited the store. "Correction: I'm heading there now."

Hanging up the phone, I called an uber to the airport. I had taken the subway for my shopping ventures, but I was deeply regretting it, knowing I didn't have control over my purchases. In a few minutes, my uber pulled up and we headed to the airport.

♕♕♕

As expected, I stood out like a sore thumb in the airport. I needed someone to stop me when I pulled up to an airport with an oversized white blazer, a strapless red leather dress that ended mid-thigh, and lace-up red heels.

I made my way to the tarmac where the private jet was going to be. Thankfully, their flight was delayed, so I arrived right on time. Spotting Jace's Range Rover, I placed all my bags inside before moving to the steps of the jet.

The first person out was Van, practically running out and falling to the ground. "Sweet, sweet ground. How I love you so!" She got up finally noticing me. "Kimberly! Sorry you had to witness that."

I laughed, missing her vibrancy for the last week. "You're all good. I take it you're not a fan of flying."

"Absolutely not," she replied, pulling me into a big hug. "I'm always going to be an island girl."

The next person out was Benicio, whose eyes widened at the sight of me. He seemed genuinely frightened by my presence, pulling his phone out. I knew he was on edge while I was in Brazil, but this was something else.

"My uber's gonna be here soon," he rushed out, power-walking to the airport door. "Goodbye."

Uber?

"Why's he taking an uber?" I questioned, turning to Van. "There's enough space for all of us."

"Honestly," she started. "I don't blame him. Jace scared the poor guy shitless."

What?

Seeing the confusion on my face, Savannah continued, "Ever since you left, Jace was in a pissy mood. For some reason, it was worse towards Beni. The poor guy was glared down. If I didn't know Jace so well, I would've thought the guy took his favorite toy or something."

Interesting. Very interesting.

Speaking of the devil, Jace finally got out of the jet and holy damn.

In front of me, Jace stood dressed in sweatpants—gray sweatpants, thank you very much—and a short-sleeved black shirt that fit perfectly around his defined, bulging biceps. The biceps were even more defined by the two suitcases he was carrying in both arms with ease.

He wasn't making this staying neutral thing any easier.

"Did you forget about your fucking luggage, Van?" Jace grunted, sending a pool of heat to my core.

The girl next to me replied "Oopsie!" cherrily, still making no moves to grab the luggage, which I internally thanked her for.

If I could see him flex those muscles for another 10 minutes, I'd be good for my inevitable self-pleasuring session tonight. I reluctantly looked up to his face.

I am no better than a man.

But, seeing where his eyes were trained, neither was he. "What the fuck are you wearing?"

I was about to retort with a cheeky response, as per usual. But, after what happened, I still owed him an apology. I walked up to him the way I always do, but I probably should've turned down the sway. I couldn't help it, it was like second nature to me.

But, Jace just narrowed his eyes at me, trying to gauge what my next action would be. Honestly, I was trying to figure it out too.

The second I was chest-to-chest with him, I moved my mouth to his ear, which proved to be quite difficult. I was pretty tall for a girl, but Jace still towered above me, a feeling I wasn't used to.

His height advantage worked in my favor, because standing on my tippy toes to reach his ear, caused my breasts to graze against his hard chest. My nipples tightened and it wasn't because of the cool air.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, the smell of him intoxicating me.

I immediately retracted myself from any physical contact with him, my legs barely carried me a step away, when I was suddenly pulled back by my blazer.

His heat was overwhelming. I wanted to take my clothes off, but even that wouldn't be enough to cool me down from the overbearing presence that was Jace.

"Don't ever do that again," he said darkly. "I swear to God, Kimberly. You're fucking lucky I had time to calm down or a nice collar would be around that pretty little neck of yours."

My breath hitched, betraying the cool facade I was so desperately trying to hold onto. Not trusting myself to open my mouth, I kept quiet, scared a moan would escape me if I hadn't.

This was turning into the exact type of relationship I didn't want to have with him.

I hated how I liked it. Only infinitesimally. Maybe a tad bit more.

Willing my legs to take me away as fast as they could, I finally escaped the chokehold he had on me. Savannah's eyes were wide with amusement as she watched the scene between us unfold in front of her. She had front row seats, and given her reaction, it was the best show she'd ever seen.

I seated myself in the car, waiting for them to join me.

Reluctantly, I looked out the window to see Jace and Savannah talk about something. Jace looked bothered and Savannah had a teasing smile on her face. Given the events that transpired, it didn't take a genius to guess what they were talking about.

Suddenly, Jace charged for the car, moving to put the suitcases in the back. "Who's fucking shopping bags are these?"

My burst of laughter answered the question, making him sit in the driver's seat with a glare aimed at me.

Savannah got into the back of the car, an innocent look replacing the teasing one she had earlier. Curiosity infiltrated my thoughts, and I hated it. I didn't like the unknown. I never did.

In any situation, I wanted to have all the details. It gave me control.

But, the cheshire grin that broke out on her face under my curious glint let me know that I wouldn't be finding out anytime soon.

Fuck that.

The drive to Savannah's wasn't too long, but it was long enough for me to contemplate what I was doing here.

Not existentially, but literally.

I don't know what compelled me to actually go to the airport to welcome them after the flight, but I knew it was the desire to see Jace again. I was becoming delusional because of that stupidly perfect body of his.

Completely delusional.

God must've been really against me today because the two of us found ourselves in traffic that didn't seem like it would go away anytime soon.

Just my luck.

I was now horny and the subject of my horniness was sitting right next to me.

"So," I sucked my teeth, "How was the rest of the trip?" As much as I proved otherwise by the way I made my way through any party, I hated small talk. Especially, when I needed to initiate small talk.

Jace kept one hand on the wheel and the other resting against the center console. It wasn't often that I found myself in the passenger seat of another man's car, and I have been missing out alright.

Every time he turned the wheel or gripped it, my mind was infiltrated with thoughts about how nice it would be to feel those hands all over me. Preferably, doing the same, addicting motions.

"Fine." His one-word answers were going to be the death of me. They forced me to put in the effort to keep the conversation going. And, I didn't like it at all.

Crossing my arms, I turned my head, looking out the window. "Wasn't Benicio helpful?" I was curious regarding what Van mentioned about Jace's behavior towards my ex-fling at the end of the week.

Plus, I never knew what he said to Beni in the lobby.

At my mention of the guy, the car suddenly made a sharp turn, completely juxtaposing the smooth ride we had so far. My eyes shot to him, trying to gauge what caused this hiccup.

As expected, he remained stoic, as if the last five seconds hadn't happened. "He was fine. Thank you for your suggestion."

I was surprised by the rare 'thank you' from him. I would've made a comment about it, but I didn't want him to take it back, so I opted for something else that was sure to get under his nerves. "That's not what Savannah said."

"And what, pray-tell, did my assistant say?"

"That you, my dear fiancé, could not stop glaring at him for one second," I retorted snarkily. "It leads me to wonder if our conversation in the Korean restaurant had anything to do with it?"

I was playing a dangerous game right now. A game with no winners.

He scoffed, insulted by what I was implying. "If you're referring to how he gave you three measly orgasms in the time that you two were fucking, you couldn't be more mistaken." I rolled my eyes at his emphasis on those two words.

"Then, what was it?"

The arm that was resting against the center console suddenly moved. His veiny hand came to rest on the exposed skin of my thigh.

Holy fuck.

My breath hitched as his fingers started teasing the skin, tracing it seductively.

I needed to be more careful with my wishes, considering how this one came true in less than five minutes.

Oh God.

His fingers moved up, and up, and up, his touch becoming light yet more unbearable with every inch he covered. If he were to move up any further, he would feel how wet I was.

Suddenly, he pulled back, the feeling of being drenched in ice water replacing the burning heat of his fingers. Before I could question what that was, he opened his mouth. "I needed to make our fake relationship more believable. It's more realistic for a guy to be mad at any man who touched what was his, no? Plus, it covered up how pissed I was at you."

I nodded, not trusting words to come out of my mouth. My heart was racing a mile a minute, and I did not expect anything but a moan to come out.

I was officially going insane. I'd been so consumed in my thoughts about him and his devious hands, I didn't realize the car stopped until he got out.

Why was he getting out?

Why were we in the parking garage?

I exited the car and went to the back, not prepared to see him grabbing my shopping bags. I completely forgot about them, my mind still racing from the events that transpired. "It's fine, I got them." My words came out breathy, much to my dismay.

Jace snapped, "Just shut the trunk and walk."

What's got his panties in a twist?

I stuck my tongue out at his retreating figure, but still did what I was told. I wasn't used to being ordered around, and the brat in me wanted to defy him. But, there was something about that tone that made me feel aroused.

I didn't like it.

Well, I did like it.

But, I just didn't like that I liked it.

It was disorienting how we went from being mad at each other—well, him being mad at me—to this.

We walked together in silence, Jace slowly his stride so I wasn't too far behind. It's not my fault he was basically a fucking giant with long-ass legs. But, the slight space between us was nice after being trapped in the heat of the car for too long.

The peace was short-lived by the time we reached the elevator. I don't know what it was, but something about elevators screamed sex, or at least sexual tension.

The two of us stood side-by-side as we waited for the elevator to go to my apartment floor. I never thought I would be so bothered by the fact that I live on the top floor, but now, I was desperately wishing for the elevator to zoom up.

I was seconds away from slapping the bags out of his arms—arms that were carrying those bags with such ease—and wrapping my legs around his face, desperate to finish what he started in the car.

Fuck me.

Literally.

He broke the silence, "My mom wants to meet you."

"Huh?" I questioned, unsure if I heard him correctly.

"I was planning on visiting my mom tomorrow," he explained. "Since we're getting married, she wants to meet you. Are you comfortable with joining me?"