“Good night, everyone,” I state, shooting Jace a quick smile before bypassing the staircase and heading down the hallway to the bathroom.

After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I enter my room. I take the velvet dress off carefully and lay it down atop the washing machine before pulling Jace’s gray t-shirt out of one of my suitcases. The soft material slides down my body, and then I pull off my tights. I take a seat on the bed, checking my phone for messages.

Katie sent me two photos from New York City, and there is one message from Julie asking if everything is okay. I reply to Julie first and assure her that I’m fine. I’m pulling up Katie’s text to respond to her when there’s a soft tap on my door.

“Come in,” I call out.

The door creaks open, and Jace walks into the small room. My heartbeat stutters, then races as he closes the door behind him. He’s shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of athletic shorts. Butterflies swarm my stomach as I stare at the defined ridges of his torso.

“I just wanted to say good night,” he tells me, taking a couple more steps forward so he’s standing at the edge of the bed. I turn my phone off and let it fall onto the bedspread.

I lean my head back against the wall and smirk up at him. “Good night.”

He remains standing in the same spot. “Nice shirt.”

“I’m starting to like it a lot,” I reply, well aware I’m talking about more than just the shirt.

“It looks really good on you.” His voice is low and suggestive; his eyes smoldering.

“You look better without one.” The words slip out unbidden, a product of the lust I’ve held in all day in front of his family and the strangers at the wedding.

Jace crouches in front of me, so we’re at eye level. The flirtatious gleam in his eyes captivates me.

I move first this time, sliding off the bed onto my knees. Now we’re both on the woven rug that covers most of the floor. Jace relaxes his posture so that he’s sitting with his long legs outstretched. I crawl into his lap, so I’m sitting between his open thighs.

The distance between us slowly shrinks, until our lips are only millimeters apart. We’re so close I can feel the pull of oxygen entering and carbon dioxide leaving his lips as I hover there for a moment.

Jace rests his large hands on my calves, then slowly begins to slide them up my legs. I shiver at the enticing sensation. My response shifts me even closer to Jace, and the slight movement is enough to close the minuscule gap between our mouths.

The touch breaks the tantalizing anticipation that’s been steadily building. Jace’s tongue invades my mouth hungrily. I straddle his waist and rock against him, feeling him harden under me. His hands creep higher and higher under the oversized shirt as I moan against his mouth, spurring him on.