Jace blinked twice and sat back, the spell effectively broken. Picking up his phone, he nodded. “It’s past my bedtime, too.”
His shirt rode up as he got up and stretched, revealing another glimpse of lean, tanned skin. My heartbeat was still pulsing in my ears as I averted my gaze quickly, then hoisted myself up.
“Ready?” Jace asked, smiling like nothing was amiss. I nodded and adjusted my shirt over my black leggings, hoping he didn’t notice the trembling in my hands.
We walked upstairs together, making small talk aboutTreasure Dogs, until we got to the staircase that led to my and the kid’s bedroom. I turned around after going up one step, finding myself even with his height.
“I guess I’ll see you in the morning!” I said too brightly, trying to cover the rapid thrumming in my chest, still not recovered from whatever had just happened downstairs.
“Sweet dreams, Polly.” Jace’s words were lighthearted, but his eyes were intense and vibrant.
I shivered as goosebumps spread across my skin, jumping up a stair and giving a lame wave. I ran up the rest of the way, forcing myself not to look back.
I shivered as I changed into pajamas. I shivered through brushing my teeth, trying not to picture that sliver of abs or how his head tipped back when he laughed.
I rolled my eyes. I needed to get a grip. If Jace were my younger,femaleemployee and I was his older,maleboss, I’d be considered a lecherous old creep.
I froze while putting moisturizer on my face. It was worse than that. I was like Mr. Freaking Rochester fromJane Eyre,leering at my attractive, young employee from the shadows. And instead of a wife locked in the attic, I had a creepy painting of my father, whose eyes followed you wherever you went.
Whatever interest I’d felt, whatever flirting I’d thought was happening, I had to ignore it. I laid awake in bed for a long while, not even opening my e-reader, sexual frustration my companion, until I finally drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
JACE
Babe, nice lingerie is for seducing a man. I’m already fucking seduced.
Samantha Young,On Dublin Street
“You about done there, little miss?” Ryla shook her head without looking at me, happily swinging her feet and watching her tablet at the table. Ryla had the habit of eating her Cheerios one at a time, the slowest I’d ever seen anyone eat cereal before. It was Wednesday and the kids had summer school, which meant we had to leave around nine. But I couldn’t find Max anywhere.
“Max?” I called out as I walked upstairs, not getting an answer. I checked the kids’ bedrooms and the playroom, but nothing. Maybe he’d gone to the basement. I knew he liked the quiet and comfort of the theater room; I’d found him there yesterday, midafternoon, curled up on a chair, until Ryla and I enticed him to build a fort with us.
I paused, seeing Polly’sopenbedroom door.
“Max?” I called in the direction of her room.
There was no reply. I hesitated. I shouldn’t go into Polly’s room.
From our conversation last night, to seeing ‘Have Fun’added to Barry this morning, Polly continued to surprise me. Talking to her felt effortless. I’d never had this much natural, instant chemistry with a woman. I’d found myself waking up before my alarm this morning, just like the previous two days this week, excited to see Polly before she left for work.
Was her room tidy, her bed made with crisp, hospital corners each morning? Or perhaps her room was the only place she could take a free breath, letting piles of chaos rule. My curiosity battled my integrity as I took a step toward the threshold of her door when a noise from downstairs halted my progress.
I jogged down the stairs, seeing that Ryla was still at the table, eating her Cheerios one by one. Then I heard that noise again, this time from the front entry area.
Max snapped his head up as I opened the study doors, holding what looked to be a Harry Potter wand.
“Are you doing magic?”
“Oh, yeah. I um, kind of,” Max started to say. I pumped my fist, walking into the study.
“Yes! My man! That’s what I’m talking about!”
Max’s face did an impression of a deer in headlights, so I pulled back my excitement. Studying the magic kit in front of him, it looked to be a deck of cards, crayons, and some tape. Very makeshift.
“What are you working on?” I sat down in a chair opposite him.
I only received a shrugged response.
