I mean, just look at the way he cares for his family. He calls Angie three times a week just to talk to her. About nothing. He just loves her. His mom, every day he talks to her. His siblings, the same. A day doesn’t go by when he doesn’t talk to his family, and I love that so much. It’s so beautiful and speaks volumes for the kind of person he is. He loves. With all his fucking heart, and I would be the luckiest girl in the world to be on the receiving end of that kind of love. He’s everything I never knew I could ever want or need.

Yeah, I need him.

Which might be pathetic in some people’s eyes, but in mine, it’s perfect. He makes me happy, and since I’ve never had that, I’m holding on tight. That does freak me out a bit. Am I grasping and holding on just because I’ve never had it, or is it real? I go back and forth asking that question. But when I look in his eyes or I see him across campus and he’s grinning ear to ear at the sight of me, or when he sits front row at all my gigs, or when he looks up at me from the ice, making sure I’m there, I can’t help but believe it’s real. That I found the one.

Grinning, I head to the back as Todd comes out. “Ready?”

I nod. “Yeah, let’s do this.”

“Awesome.”

We already set up and we were supposed to go on ten minutes ago, but, oh well. Jace got off late and I wanted to visit with him. I doubt Todd minds because he’s all smiles.

I follow him onto the stage, and the crowd is a little less packed than normal tonight, but I don’t care. I’m not worried about anyone but the guy three tables back, devouring a sub. We start with Todd’s set, and I’m really only here to support him and make him sound better. I think I do that, but I can’t tell since Jace just looks bored. It’s obvious he doesn’t like Todd, and I think it’s funny. That a guy is actually so into me to be jealous of someone else. It makes me feel a certain way and I almost forget the words to Todd’s song, causing me to look away.

Like I thought before, he’s a distraction.

When Todd’s set is over, we turn to the center, our guitars facing each other. With his gaze on me, he starts the intricate opening to “I Was Made For Loving You” by Tori Kelly and Ed Sheeran. It’s my favorite song right now. Mainly because it reminds me of Jace. As I join in, my fingers moving along the strings in unison with Todd’s, I start to sing, my eyes closed and the lyrics coming from my soul. I swear they wrote this song with Jace and me in mind. As I sing, a little grin on my face, I can’t help but wish it was Jace who was singing with me.

If he could sing.

As Todd joins me on the chorus, our voices blend so perfectly, I’m almost speechless at how awesome we sound. When he takes his part, I open my eyes to find that his eyes are locked on mine. There’s intensity in his eyes and maybe something more.

Jesus.

Looking out in the crowd as the chorus starts, I try not to laugh. I don’t know what he is thinking, looking at me like that. Yeah, the song is all about being in love, but Jace is it for me. I was made to love him. As my eyes lock with his, Jace’s mouth curves as his head moves to the beat of the music. I swear, he is hanging on every word coming out of my mouth. Almost like he has been waiting his whole life to hear me sing this song.

I hope he has.

Because I’ve been waiting to sing it to him.

I fall onto the bed beneath him, and his mouth takes mine as his fingers move up my ribs, cupping my breast. Hungrily, our mouths move together as he rubs his hard cock against my hot center, taking away my breath. Arching against him, I cry out when he takes my nipple between his fingers, squeezing hard, his mouth covering mine to capture my cries of desire. Moving my hands up his back, I dig my nails into his shoulders as our kisses become more urgent and a little sloppier.

Not that I care.

Pulling away, he bites into my bottom lip, a deep sound coming from the back of my throat before he lets go, a grin pulling at those wicked lips. Reaching for my shirt, he pulls it up and over my head. “You were so fucking hot tonight.”

Gasping for air, I grin as his fingers dance along my ribs. “Just take me.”

“Oh, I am. I just need you naked.”

He unhooks my bra and his eyes fall to my breasts as I say, “You too, get naked.”

Pulling his shirt up, I take him by his work pants, unbuttoning them and pushing them down his hips with his help. When he gets them off, along with his boxers, he throws them over the edge. I kiss up his chest, my eyes drifting shut from the intoxicating smell of coffee coming off his skin. Threading his fingers in my hair, he pulls my head back, capturing my mouth before he takes ahold of my breast. I’m throbbing for him, my body is on fire, and I have to have him in me. Pulling my mouth from his, I nibble down his jaw, his hands working to get my pants undone. But he doesn’t get far with my mouth distracting him.

“Fuck,” he breathes when I take his nipple between my teeth, biting lightly. His hands take me by the hips, squeezing me as I go on all fours, licking the head of his cock. “Oh, fuck me.”

“Trying,” I whisper against his cock before taking it in my mouth and moving my lips up and down him. Soon, he is thrusting into my mouth the way I wanted him to. Taking me by the back of my head, he is quickly fucking my mouth with an urgency that has me dripping down my thighs. My eyes are watering with each thrust, but I love it. Fucking love it. Each thrust is demanding as I suck him in and he pulls out, his sounds of pleasure encouraging me not to stop. I want to taste him, but soon he is stopping, pulling me up to kiss me.

“Jace,” I pout as he lays me down, pulling my jeans off. “I wanted you to come in my mouth.”

He pauses, my jeans at my knees, and says, “Really?”

I nod, a grin pulling at my lips. “Yeah.”

Pulling my jeans off, he throws them over his shoulder. But he pauses when his eyes fall on the scars on the insides of my thighs. I hadn’t realized the lights were on due to the white-hot desire coursing between us. I almost press my legs together to hide them, but then his fingers are tracing them before he looks up at me. “These don’t define you, Avery.”

My throat is thick with emotion as I nod slowly. “Okay.”

“You hear me? This isn’t you anymore.”

I nod with more force, tears stinging my eyes before he nods and goes back up on his knees. Pointing to his cock, he says, “As you were.”