LOGINNaomi's povThe light hit me first. Not harshly, but in gentle flickers filtering in through the narrow gaps in the curtains. I stretched lazily, a soft groan escaping my lips but the sound was immediately cut short by a sudden, sharp ache in my hips.My eyes snapped open, wide and staring at the unfamiliar ceiling fan. I rolled onto my side, pushing myself up onto an elbow. The bed was empty and the pillow beside me was cool. Not just cool, but cold, as if it hadn't been used in hours. Jace was gone.For a heart-stopping second, I genuinely wondered if I’d imagined everything or it had all been a dream brought on by too much wine, too many reckless thoughts of the heat that always seemed to exist between me and Jace. Maybe I had just thrashed myself into a sore-muscled mess and imagined the rest. Then I moved, and the ache in my body said otherwise.The soreness curled deep in my thighs, down to where the sheets were still tangled around my legs, and I felt the unmistakable, dull so
Jace’s POVShe pulled me closer, her legs tangling with mine, her body an open invitation. The heat emanating from her was a living thing, erasing the cold, professional fear that was trying to grip me.“You should,” I said again, voice rough. “You should tell me to back off. You should scream, run, anything.”She shifted, moving her body beneath mine, adjusting herself to fit snuggly with me. Her eyes were wide, honest, and fearless.“I’m supposed to protect you,” I whispered.“You are. Just… not from this,” she said, her voice dropping to a breathy whisper that was more powerful than any shout. “I’ve never felt safer. Not with anyone. Not ever.”At that moment, I believed her. The last shard of my resolve shattered. The fight was over. All that was left was the truth of our bodies.All the restraint I’d built, all the lines I’d sworn I wouldn’t cross—they blurred. She touched my face, and I leaned into it helplessly.Then she kissed me again, and whatever was left of my control burn
Jace's povMy hands shot out faster than I could even process the move. One grabbed her shoulder, the other the back of her head, and I slammed her—not too hard—against the cool glass of the sliding door.Her sharp gasp was swallowed by my mouth as I kissed her.It wasn’t gentle. There was no slow build, no tenderness. It was a detonation. All the pent-up tension, the unacknowledged anger at myself for wanting her, and the blinding want for her, right now, exploded into that kiss. It was rough, desperate, fueled by weeks of forced discipline. I tasted the faint ghost of the cider she’d had at the bonfire. It’s messy, a little reckless, all teeth and confusion. I didn't care if I hurt her. I needed to consume her, to silence the voice in my head telling me to stop.She didn't hesitate. Not for a second.She gasped into my mouth as her hands shot up, threading through the short, messy hair at the back of my head, anchoring me to her and tugging like she had been waiting just as long. Sh
Jace's povExcept I couldn’t sleep.It was way past midnight when I gave up.I threw on a T-shirt and headed downstairs for water. The house was silent. The fire outside had long since turned to low, smoking embers. I hadn't slept, couldn't sleep. The lie I’d told about checking the security feeds had lasted maybe thirty minutes. After that, it was just me, trapped in my room down the hall, pacing and trying to understand the chaos that erupted every time she looked at me despite the boundaries I needed to maintain.I slipped out, not bothering to turn on any lights. I moved like a ghost through the massive kitchen, pulled a bottle of water from the fridge, and twisted the cap off, taking a long, desperate drink.I needed air so I pushed the sliding door open and stepped onto the deck. The night was vast and black, smelling purely of cold sea spray now. I walked toward the railing, the exact spot where I had been sitting hours before.I was halfway there when I heard a soft, almost he
Jace's povI stood a few yards away from the girls, resting on the thick trunk of a red cedar tree and watching the four of them lose control over their laughter.If I was being honest with myself, I was only watching one person.Naomi.The air should have been filled with the smell of the ocean—waves, salt and everything in between—but all I could detect was the scent of cheap sugar, wine spritzers, and the dizzying, bright fragrance of her perfume. Or maybe sunscreen.I kept my back against the rough bark, letting the shadows swallow me. I was wearing dark cargo pants, a heavy, dark green hoodie pulled over a similar color T-shirt. It was too warm for the hoodie, but the added weight felt like a necessary layer of armor.I had felt agony in its purest form earlier. The girls had spent eight hours in a relentless cycle of noise and light. At first, they had gone swimming, where Naomi’s wet hair would stick to her neck in curls, and the flimsy fabric of her swimsuit barely covered any
Naomi's povBy lunch, the house smelled like grilled burgers and sunscreen. The sunlight poured in from every corner, glinting off countertops and catching in Priscilla’s glossy hair as she took command of the kitchen like she was running a military operation.She had her playlist blasting through the Bluetooth speaker—something upbeat that aggressively screamed summer—while Sarah stood by the toaster, squinting at a batch of buns that were definitely beyond saving. Anna was next to her, shaking a metal shaker like she was auditioning for some bartending competition.“Are you sure you know what’s in that?” I asked, watching her pour something suspiciously pink into mismatched glasses.Anna grinned, hair sticking to her cheeks. “Absolutely not. That’s what makes it art.”All four of us were chaos in motion. Oil popped on the stove. Priscilla barked orders. Sarah shrieked when a bun almost caught fire. And over it all, Anna and I’s laughter rang bright and unrestrained.Jace had helped







