The Runaway Viper (Viper #2) (7 page)

I bite my lip and allow my eyes to trail down his partially glistening body and find the towel parted a delicious amount. I can already see he is hard, and I release my lip. My mouth dries as I reach out for the material and I feel lust filter through my system, stealing my woes and casting them aside.

I smirk at the sight, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“Definitely stiff.” I nod and agree and release the towel. Jace does too and it drops entirely, leaving my husband bare and turned on before me. “Really stiff,” I exhale, my breathing drawing thin. His penis is directly within my eye level, and I can’t help but lick my lips.

Jace doesn’t even utter a word as he reaches out for me. He takes my
hand, mock disgust smothers his face as he gazes upon what little I have on. “You’re a little too overdressed for my liking,” he speaks with minor revulsion as he pulls me up to my feet.

I look down at myself, frowning at how little I have on. As if to read my mind, Jace toys with the bottom of my top and pulls it up my body. Apparently the panties and top I had on were two pieces too much. The moment my arms are freed from my body, he pulls my close to his body. I’m flush against him, his infatuation suddenly heightened. His lips trail along my shoulder, kissing and suckling at my skin. My head tilts back and my lips part as my breathing becomes heavier.

He grazes his fingertips along my waist, upon my hip until they’re wrapping around the sides of my thong. I feel him give it a tug before he gives a firmer tug and the material rips. My body follows the motion of his sexual aggression, and I falter slightly as my thong tears becomes free from my body.

Jace catches me, and when I look, there’s a fever pitch ignited in his eyes that’s truly mouth-watering. I feel the butterflies flock together in a mass frenzy, and I feel myself moisten. I shouldn’t be looking for this sort of intimacy, but I’m suddenly craving it. My addiction to him has gone unfed for too long in amongst the craziness of Clara hunting us again, but now that he’s before me, I feel myself forgetting all inhibitions and worries.

“Do you want this?” he asks me, and I see the worry ink his eyes as he realizes our current predicament.

“Stupid question,” I reply seductively and reach up to kiss him.

I half expect Jace to take me on the bed, but when I find myself spun around and thrust against a wall, I can feel the anticipation prickle across my own skin. He has me pinned again and has that greedy look in his eyes. I know he has his own tension to work out, but with mine combined, I can see he’s ready to give me absolute heaven in a place far from paradise.

He releases me and I begin to slump. Jace reaches for me again, placing his hands firmly on my ass. He’s calculated this moment - I know that when he lifts me, my feet no longer on the ground and I’m pinned between his aching body and the cool wall of this motel room.

“Tonight it’s just you and me,” he whispers against my skin, and my hands fall to the base of his head, my fingers delicately joined waiting for the moment of lust to enrapture us.

I arch stiffly against the wall as he thrusts into me, my body taking on the fullness with utter delight. I gasp in heavenly appreciation and just relish the feeling of him pumping his full length into me. I feel the breath pushed from my body as he races my body to a climax and with it my mind clears for the first time in days. It really is just him and me.

It’s with my moment of peace that I find myself beginning to unravel, and I don’t withhold. As one hand claws into his back, the other gripping fiercely at his hair, I fall into bliss and allow my body to be overcome with the sensual orgasm Jace has allowed me. I struggle in his arms and suddenly, Jace’s thrusting stills, his hands gripping upon my hips in a pleasurably painful way as his comes within me.

He leans against my body; I can feel the heat on his body radiate around mine, the feel of his perspiration mingling with mine as he recovers for a moment.

The orgasmic end to what has been the longest couple of days finally takes over, and our bodies succumb to the exhaustion. Jace carries me to the bed, settles me down, and climbs beside me. I shift my body slightly to get comfortable and then don’t move. I remain laying across him, my arms rested upon his bare chest, my head lying upon them comfortably. I can feel Jace’s hand trail up my naked back only to cover the same track back down my spine.

I lift a little, turning and twisting myself to look at him. I settle against him, trying to find a comfortable position once more. When I settle he just grins at me, not speaking.

"We're like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, you and I," I muse staring up into his blue eyes. I hear him chuckle, and his hand comes to stop on my lower back. "Except without all the constant gunfire and certain death."

“And the robberies and murders,” Jace counters quickly, pointing out the obvious to my theory.

“And that,” I agree and just giggle with embarrassment. “Okay, maybe we’re not like Bonnie and Clyde at all. But we are like fugitives,” I comment, moving my arms so I can kiss down Jace’s chest with ease. “Think how dangerously we’re living,” I point out as I drag my lips over his body.

Jace acts quickly, flipping me onto my back and pinning me down. Apparently a few moments of rest
was all he needed! “I think it adds to the excitement of it all, Mrs. Mason.” He then kisses me, deepening the lust that was already intoxicating us both. “The thrill of the chase, the thrill of the catch, the thrill of it all. It all adds to the excitement, doesn’t it? Think of the memories we’ll have. They’ll be like no others.”

And it suddenly hits me – I agree with him. For the first time since running from The Viper Rooms and having Clara hot on our trail I have found myself enjoying my time with Jace instead of looking over my shoulder. I feel like I did when we married. I’m excited, weirdly optimistic, and full of absolution.
He’s given me copious memories to indulge in and use to envisage our future.

“And tomorrow you will see your family and you’ll realize why we were destined to meet,” he muses, leaning back into the kiss again.

“Why were we?” I ask, delaying him from kissing me. My curiosity has me smirking at him, eager to bite the truth and let it sink in.

“Simple,” he breathes against my lips. “To prove to you that everything has to fall apart to fall back together again.”

“How do I look?” I ask as I step out of the bathroom.

I see Jace lift his gaze from his
iPad and his face ignites. I’m only dressed in jeans and a white top, covered with a gray cardigan and deep pink scarf, but the look on Jace’s face makes me feel like I’m dressed like a million dollars. I blush and bashfully look down at myself. I haven’t made much of an effort. I didn’t want to overdo it.

“You look beautiful,” he tells me. Placing his
iPad down, he stands and covers the distance to me. “You ready to go?”

“As I’ll ever be,” I exhale nervously. “And if we don’t leave now I will either throw up or lock myself in the bathroom.”

“Let’s go then,” Jace quickly says and knows how I’ll be. I will chicken out if we aren’t in the car and heading to my parents within the next few minutes. “This room is too stuffy, so hopefully the fresh air will help you out.”

“I highly doubt it,” I snort as I go for my purse.

By the time I have it hitched over my shoulder, Jace is already at the door and holding it open for me. If it wasn’t for him looking both ways down the corridor, I could almost fool myself that we were merely on vacation. I ignore his alert posture and try to keep myself calm. Within twenty minutes I will be in front of my old family home and confronted with a lot of memories, nightmares, and home truths.

When we make it outside, I feel my lungs relish the feel of fresh air filtering into them, instead of the musty air from our room. Taking my hand, Jace unlocks a black
Camaro, and we rush over to it. He’s not willing to keep us hanging around in the open air any longer than necessary, and once he has the engine running and we’re buckled in, he drives out of the parking lot and joins the traffic.

Now I’m trapped, I keep my eyes looking out of the window, taking in the familiar scenery. I take in the luscious homes, the sky scraping palm trees, the bright weather and signs. This place will always be more than just home to me. The summer feel of Miami Springs hasn’t changed and the Floridian weather is still at its peak. I feel like I never left.

I slide my hands down my jeans. I’ve been sitting with them clasped tightly, the sweat building upon my palms in trepidation for what we’ll find. I look ahead just in time to catch movement from Jace in my peripheral vision. He’s reaching for me.

“Your hands are clammy,” he states the moment our hands join.

I smile weakly. “I’m nervous.”

“They love you,” Jace comments dryly, not allowing me to dispute the point. “I promised to give you your family back. I’ve managed to keep all my promises, now I have to make this one happen.”

I smile tightly, but force myself to look at him. “It’s not that. I know they love me and always will, but it’s that first initial moment of seeing them. I don’t want to see something I don’t want to.” I sigh, more trying to shift the nervous energy gripping me. “I don’t want to see the shock, or hell, the horror of me just turning up. How do we even know they’ll be home?”

“Josh,” Jace smirks confidently, keeping his eyes on the traffic ahead. “He told me that your parents haven’t moved and won’t. They’re waiting for you to come back.” I just stare at him. I don’t do anything, just stare. “I was emailing him earlier,” Jace comments after seeing the confusion fall upon my entire expression. “He’s a little in shock
Delvine found you and is trying to get Eli to find anything out. I will find out how the hell she found us.”

“Today she can wait,” I tell him and squeeze his hand tightly. I mean
it, today I don’t want her to cloud anything. Clara Delvine will not destroy my first meeting with my family after all this time. “Today I want my parents to meet the man who saved me. I want them to see how I’ve grown up.” I pause for a moment, taking an almighty breath. It’s cleansing and reaches right down into my soul. The intake is so fierce my eyes flutter close for a moment. When I open them again, I admit one final truth. “Today, I want them to know what happened to me.”

“Joely,” Jace gasps, and I can tell this is news to him. Before I used to preach how I never wanted them to know, how they would hate me for it, but I can’t be free of Clara entirely if I just lie to them. Then all I have to worry about is breaking my contact.

“I want them to know, Jace,” I tell him, my tone arguing with him but not threatening. “I just need them to understand what happened to me.”

Jace gives me a quick look and then grins wildly at me. “You’re like a phoenix, Lee.” His comment catches me off-guard and I’m wordless to respond. When my silence is met with him, he laughs. “You became this beautifully strong woman from a weak, manipulated object. You’re exactly like a phoenix.” He lifts my hand up as he finishes his analogy, kissing along my knuckle. “From ashes comes beauty.”

And as we pull into my old street, I know now is one of the moments I have waited years to have back.

My present and future are about to meet my past.

***

I look up at the house, and I don’t dare to breathe. It’s as if I’m cast back four years. The house hasn’t changed; the flowers still cared for lovingly, the lawn still cut to perfection. There is still the same chair set on one side of the porch where Dylan, Josh, and I spent many evenings with our friends. The swinging chair still sits on the other side of the door and the only thing that seems to have changed is the lick of paint and the cushions now on the seats.

I look at Jace, my eyes watering, and bite my lip.

“Go on,” Jace guides me forth with a soft murmur. His hand is pressed to the bottom of back, offering me the leadership my mind forgot I needed.

I take a gulp, to level my breathing and still my racing heart. I take a slow step, followed by another. My walk to the front door is not rushed, if anything I’m riddled with nerves and hesitancy and want back to disappear back into our motel room. I raise my hand to the button for the door bell and press it. I’m now standing here like a stranger, an intruder, waiting for the people inside to open up.

When the door pulls away from the frame, I am met with a waft of a familiar smell – baking, fresh flowers, and my mother’s perfume. It was a scent that always greeted me when I came home, regardless of the time or day. It was one of the perks of having a housewife as a
mother, she was always here, always waiting.

As light from the back of the house permeates through the large corridor leading to the kitchen I am met with my mother. She's still as beautiful as ever, the light behind her almost like a bright aura. The smile drops from her face the moment she realizes who’s standing before her. My breathing falters as I watch her grasp the door frame for support.

"Joely?" she utters with a thick voice. The emotions are pulling hard at her, my presence wreaks havoc upon her. "Oh my," she speaks again, this time standing straighter. She takes a slow step forward, possibly worried I'll disappear.

“Hey Mom,” I whisper tearfully, not sure what else I can say.

What she does next jolts me into reality. She takes a swift step forward, reaching out for me quickly only to wrap her arms around me and pull me tight against her body. I react and wrap my arms around her, getting one of the main things I have dreamed about for all the time I have been gone. I nuzzle my face into her neck, just holding onto her tightly. She hugs back just as fierce and all at once the distance I created between us disperses.

“I didn’t think you’d ever come back,” she murmurs and pulls away, her arms never leaving me. She then looks to Jace and back at me.

“This is Jace,” I tell her, my voice is so sweet and delicate as I hunt for the motherly approval. “My husband.”

Her eyes widen and she then begins to grin. “It was hard to tell from the photo.”

“Photo?”  I huff, knowing there is only one culprit. “Josh?” I ask and cross my arms over my chest. “Josh sent you the photos, didn’t he?”

“No, he brought them to me,” she announces and again the same sad smile graces her lips. “You looked so beautiful and happy, Sweetheart,” she speaks sadly, her hand going to her heart. “I wish I’d have been there.”

“Mrs. Gilbert, one day I will make sure you are there,” Jace intercepts, extending his hand out to take my mother’s so he can greet her properly. “Jace Mason.” He takes her hand, only to kiss it like a true gentleman. “It’s lovely to finally meet you. I’ve been trying to get Joely back to you for quite some time.”

“Mom,” I break into the moment, “I’m done running.” I don’t know if it’s enough to warrant me a place back in the family fold, but I need to be here, I need to look for some forgiveness.

“Then you stop,” she murmurs at me, in her motherly tone. She ushers us in, ready to start anew with me in their life along with Jace.

I’m led into the house and now I’m reminded of the time change. The house has been decorated, showing how Carrie and I are no longer living here. This is a home for my parents, one for them to grow old in.

My mother clearly notices my attention flickering all over. “Your room is still the same as when you left for college. Your father and I couldn’t bring ourselves to change anything in there without your say so.”

“Okay,” I whisper, not sure I’m ready to go back to that accumulation of memorabilia of a past I ran from. I look around, wondering who else is home. I want to see them, get the first meetings over with.

“Your father’s at work right now,” my mother interrupts my thoughts. “He’s home early on Thursdays. You picked a good day.” She glances at her watch and smiles. “He’ll be home real soon.”

I nod and look at Jace who silently prompts me. “Mom,” I call out to grasp her attention. “Can we discuss the past four years?” I ask her. She stops puttering around in the kitchen and I find myself guided to the same dining table we spent most every meal at.

“Where do you want to begin?” she asks as she settles opposite us. I can see she’s still in shock I’m here, but I know her, she’ll deal with that later.

“Where I ended up,” I state coolly. I know my mother will be the easiest to speak to. “I work in an exclusive gentlemen’s club, Mom,” I start to say and the nerves erupt in a frenzy upon me. “I’ve done stuff I’m ashamed of, but I don’t let it define me.” I stare at her, ready for an outburst, but I can see she is just out to listen to me. Not judge. “I have been made to do things I never dreamed I would do, but that life I was given saved me. I fell down in New York and a lady helped me. She gave me a home, money, a job. Jace is the reason I got out.”

I’m met with silence again so continue.

“Please do not think I am a whore or anything. I’m not. I don’t pride myself on that job. I’ve worked hard to maintain playing the piano. I met Jace and he saved me far more than I thought necessary. Please don’t think any less of me for that small piece of my life.”

“I think you’ve come out of this a stronger woman,” my mother praises me. “You aren’t the girl who survived that crash. You aren’t even the same girl you were before. You’re stronger willed, driven. You’re everything I hoped you’d become as a result of that crash. I just didn’t expect this.”

I smile gratefully, but it falls the moment I hear the door open and brace myself for the new person about to come into the room.

“Honey, I’m home!” I hear my dad’s baritone voice yell out, and I smile wistfully. He still greets my mother with the same, cheesy greeting he always did.

“I’m in the kitchen!”

I feel my eyes water. They haven’t changed at all, and I feel like it’s all a distant memory when I sat at the breakfast bar with a laptop writing a paper, Cassie and Spencer studying upstairs, Mom cooking, Dad at work. I look down at my hands, wringing them together more. Even with Jace beside me, his hand on the table before me, I cannot stop the wash and flurry of sheer terror overcome me.

“He’s wanted you back as much as I have,” my mom breaks my minor meltdown by reaching for my clasped hands. I
suck in a deep breath, bid my tears away, and look back at her. “Now is not the time for tears.”

I nod and hear my father coming down the corridor. If his habits haven’t changed then he picked up his mail and read it before taking his shoes and blazer off. He’ll tear his mail open after, look at the sender, and if nothing interests him enough, he’ll go to my mother first.

My heartbeat mirrors each of his steps and I wait to be met with the sight of my father. He walks into the room, and I just sit up. I’m alert and praying with all my might that, he’ll accept me. However, my hopes are dashed when he stares at me for all of two minutes and turns and leaves the room.

My mouth falls
open, my breathing heavier than ever. Oh God
. Oh God
. My breathing turns into heaving as my mother tells me she’ll be right back. I turn in my seat, looking for a quick exit, but Jace turns me fully to face him, slamming his hands upon my knees.

“Joely, breathe,” he commands me lightly. I’m looking at him, can see the
demeanor he’s taken on, but my father’s swift exit is hitting me too hard. “Lee, he’ll be back. It’s a shock. We’ve ambushed them without any warning. You can’t expect to win them over right away.”

“The way he looked at me,” I pant, and a hand goes to my chest, twisting with my scarf as if it’ll help ease my breathing. “We shouldn’t have come back.”