"Are you going to be okay?" Mom asks for the millionth time as she holds onto the car door.

She and Carl have everything loaded up and are ready to roll. Except Mom keeps stalling, repeating the same questions over and over like she's too scared to leave me.

The only thing I'm waiting for is for her to finally get in the damn car. All my things are already packed, sitting safely in the back seat of my Lexus, everything in the house is shut off, and the doors are locked. Everyone's ready to leave but Mom. Even Jace is sitting on his bike patiently waiting for us to wrap up our goodbyes.

The only one who isn't lingering around is Ms. Amy. I gave her the big pot of Chowder I cooked, that no one had touched, and she went home thinking we'd be close behind her.

That was twenty minutes ago.

"Yes, Mom. I'm going to be fine," I try to reassure her, again.

I've said it so many times, I might actually believe it myself at this point.

"I gave Amy some money to help for groceries and stuff like that but if you need anything extra you have the emergency card right?"

"Yup. I got the card, keys to the house so I can check on things, and condoms so you won't come home to find out you're going to be a grandmother. All of it's covered, some of it's unnecessary but I got it, for the tenth time."

"Okay, I get it. I'm repeating myself." She nods and holds up her hands to stop me from going on, which with the list she gave me, I really could keep going. "It's just...we've never been apart this long before. So I'm a little freaked out. It's a mom thing, sue me."

She lets go of the car door to wrap me in another tight hug and kisses my cheek.

"Alright, I'm going now," she says more to herself as she sits in the passenger seat, opting to let Carl take the first driving shift.

Said driver leans over to wave. "Thanks again for all your understanding, Lex. I'll take good care of your mom."

"Thanks, Carl." I wave back.

Mom shuts the door but quickly rolls down the window. "And I'll call you when we get there. Probably won't be until sometime tomorrow night."

I slowly step backward, creeping towards my car. "Okay, Mom. Sounds good. I love you."

"I love you too, honey." She starts to roll her window up only to stop and roll it back down. "Oh, Jace!"

Still leaning against his bike, Jace looks up from his phone,

"You take care of my baby!" Mom shouts loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

Jace smiles. "Not a problem, Ms. Cherly. She's in good hands."

The last thing I hear from her is a muffled, "Mmhmm" before her window is finally rolled all the way up. Carl starts the car and as they back out of the driveway, both of them wave goodbye before driving down the road.

Wasting no time, Jace slips his phone in his pocket and grabs his helmet. "Ready to go home, roomie?"

As ready as I'll ever be.

"Yup." I slip into the driver's seat of my new car, ready to try this baby out for the first time.

Jace walks out of the biggest closet I've ever seen in an apartment with his arms full of clothes, hangers still attached to them. He drapes them over his desk haphazardly and turns around.

"Alright, that's half the closest cleared out for you. I emptied a few drawers too and Mom made some space in the bathroom," he says with a smile.

I sit on the edge of his bed, a little stunned and very grateful. "Wow, thank you."

We brought up all my stuff when we first got here and stuck it in the corner of his room so we could eat. After tearing up some chowder, Ms. Amy gave me a tour of the place despite the fact I've been here before and insisted I make myself at home.

With school in the morning and nothing left to do, I'm focusing on getting unpacked. The idea of digging through my bags at 6 AM sounds time-consuming and stressful.

"What, you thought you'd be living out of suitcases for the next few weeks?" Jace smirks and sits in the office chair at his desk.

"I didn't say that."

I get up and grab one of my bags. Setting it on the bed, I open it and start pulling things out. From behind me, I can hear Jace messing with the hangers his clothes were on. The two of us work in silence for a few minutes until I feel his warmth against my back, not touching but so close.

"Here." He tosses the hangers on the bed. "If you need more just let me know."

I wait for him to step away, my body growing more sensitive the longer he stands behind me. When it seems he isn't going to move, I turn around and face him.

"Maybe we should set some ground rules."

"Good idea." He walks over and shuts the bedroom door. "I got a few myself."

My pulse starts to race, instantly regretting the whole idea of having this talk with him. But if we don't get things out in the open, I can see this entire situation going haywire.

I sit on the bed while Jace pulls his chair over to sit across from me. He sandwiches my legs with his like he did this morning, making us face each other. He's so close it's hard to focus, which is probably his goal.

Think, Lex, think!

"So..." Shit, where was I going with this again? "It's probably a good idea if we sleep in separate beds like your mom said. But if you don't want to give up your bed, I understand. I don't mind taking the pull-out."

"No, you take my bed." Jace's voice deepens, making my stomach flip. "And I'll stay in the living room as long as you want me to."

Why does he have to say it like that, like he knows some secret I don't?

"Okay, and uh...I don't want you to feel like you have to change your routine for me. Hanging out with the guys or...girls, whatever else it is you do, you don't need to drop all of that for me. I can keep myself entertained."

With his arms resting on his thighs, his hand lightly strokes my leg. "Okay. Same goes for you, and if you wanna invite over any friends, feel free."

I don't know if he's implying that I should invite guys over or should only invite over people who are strictly friends. Either way, it doesn't sound good.

"And..." I lightly brush his hand away from my leg, my stomach sinking at the loss of contact. "Stuff like that should probably be avoided."

"Like me touching you?" Something dark flashes in his eyes. "I can't make that promise, sweetheart. Especially if you're gonna ride on my bike again."

"You know what I mean, Jace."

"I know what you're saying, but we both know you don't fucking mean it."

"Jace," I plead, using what little courage I have left to look him in the eyes. "Please."

He leans back in his chair, making it easier for me to breathe while chewing over my words. His internal struggle plays across his face, respecting my wishes or caving to his desires. I get it's a tough choice for him. Jace has never had to deny himself of something he wants before.

"I'll try my best to behave," he grinds out through tight lips.

It's not a 'yes' but it's not a 'no' either. It's the best I'm going to get though.

"Thank you."

"My turn," Jace growls. "It only makes sense we ride with each other back and forth to school. We can take my bike some days and your car on others. But it'll save gas for the both of us."

I can live with that.

"Deal." I nod.

"And one other thing, though it's not so much a rule as it is a promise." His gravelly voice terrifies me, my fear forcing me to look down as he leans forward. "I'll play by your rules for as long as I can, but I meant what I said last night at the party. We're not friends. There's something between us and I'm not giving up on that."

I'm shaking so bad I don't know how he doesn't see it. How can he not see the way his words affect me? The way they play with my emotions. Is it too much to ask for a little mercy?

But mercy has never been something Jace is good at. Tenacious and relentless to the point that I forget my own name has always been more his style.

"Baby," his husky voice calls while hooking my chin with his finger and gently lifting it, his eyes flaring with a lethal heat. "I want what we used to have...fuck, better than what we used to have. I care about you, Alexis, and I know you care about me. You can try and deny it all you want but I'm gonna do everything within your goddamn ground rules to get you to finally see how good we are together. I'll stay on the couch until you're dying to feel me next to you. I'll do everything I can not to touch you until you want me to. And after this, I won't kiss you again until you ask me to, and you will, baby. You'll fucking beg me to 'cause sooner or later you're gonna stop fighting this. You're gonna realize that you need me just as fucking bad as I need you."

I'm barely able to process his words when Jace pushes out of his chair, sealing his lips to mine with a need I've never felt before.

Forget the slow-burning dance our mouths performed at the party. This kiss is aggressive, starved. Jace's physical promise that he's not going to let me go until my heart's securely in his hands. It's too much and not enough all at once.

Why the fuck did I agree to stay here again?

Before I know it, I'm laying across the bed as Jace hovers over me and snugly fits his body between my legs. His tongue seeks entrance to my mouth and I don't hesitate, my body developing a mind of its own. The second our tongues connect, a strangled moan escapes me and my hands wrap around his neck.

We push and pull each other, moving to a rhythm that was once lost but is purely us. Like a memory becoming clearer by the second. Digging my fingers into his hair, I cling to him as our mouths fight for dominance. A flash of a once passionate and lust-filled Lexi claws to the surface. Nothing's felt as intense as this, as me and him. And right now, I'm convinced nothing ever will.

Propping himself up on one tattoo-covered hand, Jace's other one skims down my jean-clad thigh, gripping me as if I'm the sole thing on this earth keeping him grounded. My mind tries to fire warning alarms while Jace crushes his body to mine. Stop this, my reasonable thoughts yell at me. You won't survive him if you don't let go!

It's true. I should end this before things get too far. Before there's no turning back. But my heart and body hum in agreement. It might already be too late, they purr in unison savoring every touch, every slide of our tongues, and sip of our lips. But there's nothing more consuming than the way Jace's actions speak to me.

Each press of his strong body. Every dip of his head, deepening our kiss more and more. Even the small growls ripping from his throat. It's all saying the same thing. Like it or not, you're mine. You can't ignore this. Admit it now before things get harder.

And something has definitely gotten harder, rock hard. The slightest jerk of his hips verifies that. His stiff body tries to hold back but he can't help it. He presses against me again, testing my sanity and his all at the same time.

A heady, raw need cinches in the pit of my stomach, demanding something or someone to dull the ache between my legs. Without thinking, I twist my hips against Jace's length and gasp, trembling at the feeling of him.

"Fuck," he growls against my mouth, his hold on me tightening, bruising. "You're gonna fucking kill me, Alexis."

He said those same words last night, drunk and lying face down on my bed. I didn't take him seriously then, but the way he says it now, it's hard not to believe him. It's hard not to believe every word he's said in the last two days, especially with the way my name falls from his lips like a fucking prayer.

A whimper falls unwilling from my mouth as desire shoots through every nerve ending, blinding me to the potential dangers. He swallows the sound, breathing me in, consuming me, branding me with his lips.

I thought our last kiss changed things but no, this is the one that will sear my soul. Because this kiss doesn't just prove how much he wants me, it stakes his claim. It confirms what I've always known, that when it comes to Jace Hall, I am completely and royally fucked.

That realization causes me to groan in frustration, despite how tightly my hands clutch him and my lips continue to devour his. But my frustration becomes Jace's, a growl of his own wrenching from inside of him as he lurches back, tearing himself away and leaving me with the ghost of his touch on my skin.

Staggering, Jace yanks his hands through his hair, his chest rising and falling rapidly, panting for his next breath. His deep blue eyes watch me, wide with shock.

He didn't mean for things to go as far as they did. He intended to tease me, leave me wanting more...and he did. But he also screwed himself in the process, teetering on the edge of his self-control.

Seeing him lost with need, because of me, how I affect him, it does something. Fills me with excitement and a renewed sense of what I'm capable of.

At the end of the day, Jace can play me like a fiddle, spark the strongest desires deep down in the core of my being, but I can do the same to him. If he wants to play this game of cat and mouse, then I need to sharpen my claws. Cause I'll be damned if I'm going to let Jace get what he wants without a fight.

"Next time we do that," Jace rasps between breaths. "It'll be because you asked for it."

He doesn't give me a chance to say anything before he storms out of the room. When the door swiftly shuts behind him with a thud, I fall back on the bed and sigh. My fingertips skim my lips, reliving the feel of him, the taste of him.

Don't fall for it, Lexi, my self-doubt chides. Keep your guard up. Sweet words and sweeter kisses mean nothing when it comes to what matters.

If only I could believe that.

"No. Fucking. Way!" Ava's shocked brown eyes have grown twice in size, her voice getting higher with each word. "You two are shacking up?!"

"Shh!" I look around the school library, praying no one heard Ava and her big mouth.

Second period study hall is normally so relaxing. No stressing over boy trouble or gossiping. I can just slip in my earbuds, listen to some music in the back corner, and do my last-minute homework.

But not today.

Today I need a one-on-one girl-talk with my bestie. It feels like Ava and I hardly get that kind of time together anymore. And even when we do, I never have anything this big to talk about. Sure, there was Derek, but kissing Jace at the party, taking him back to my place when he got too drunk, and then moving in with him rates way higher on the OMFG scale than anything that ever happened with Derek. The fact it all occurred in just two days is the icing on the cake for A.

"We're not shaking up. We sleep in different rooms," I whisper.

"Yeah, but you guys can slip into the same bed after his mom goes to sleep."

Ava wiggles her eyebrows at me suggestively, cracking my mask of professionalism.

Biting my pencil, a small chuckle free's itself before a nearby table shushes us.

"Sure, we could." I nod, unable to wipe the smile from my face. "But we're not going to."

Ava scoffs. "You're nuts, Lex. How can you resist crawling into bed with him and feeling those thick tattooed arms around you? Shit, just those sinful looks he gives you should be enough to make you want to jump on his dick and pray for forgiveness another day."

"I take it your trip to confession yesterday was a big help for you."

A's parents are strict Catholics, but their daughter has yet to get the memo. Though something must stick considering our Monday mornings are filled with her unholy references. I don't do church but Ava's given me the gist of it.

"I think I scared the shit out of Father Thomas again. He left the booth before me." She stares off reminiscing on her Sunday shenanigans while I unsuccessfully fight back a snort. "Anyway, we weren't talking about me. We were talking about you and that sexy piece of biker gang candy."

"Jace is not in a biker gang."

Ava tilts her chin down and gives me that I'm-not-buying-it look.

Jace and the guys are not a 'gang'. They're just friends who like to ride motorcycles. Four guys do not make a gang. At least not one I've ever seen outside of naughty romance novels.

"Gang, no gang, it doesn't matter. The fact is, you're living with your biggest temptation and from that kiss you described, that's not the only thing big." She smiles wide at her dirty joke.

"Kisses," I correct, making Ava's eye's shoot open impossibly more. "Did I forget to mention he also kissed me in his room last night?"

"Bitch!" Scandalized, Ava smacks me on the arm.

"Shh!" Another table hisses at us.

"Did you get another feel of his impressive cock?"

"Ava!"

The nearby study group gets up from their table, shooting us dirty looks as they grab their books and relocate across the room. I can't blame them. The library isn't the best place for this kind of conversation, but it's the only time we have without the guys.

Ava gives our pissed off classmates the one-finger-salute before turning her excitement on me again. "So did you?"

"Yes, briefly. He was just trying to prove a point."

"Which is?"

That he's gonna ruin me before my mom gets back from New York.

"Something about not giving up and making me ask for it next time. I wasn't trying to listen to him, since it's not gonna happen."

I don't know why I feel the need to lie to Ava. I heard everything Jace said, practically hung onto each word. But saying that out loud sounds weak and makes it harder to deny that even though I'm scared, I'm also dying to see what he does next. Those weren't idle threats Jace served me with. He plans on following through with each one and knowing that excites me. I've never been so turned on in my life, which is exactly why I barely slept last night.

"Look, he wants the P, you want the D. The two of you just need to succumb to all that sexual tension and bang already. After that, you'll be able to think clearly and figure out if it's more than just lust." Ava nods to her own advice.

Problem is, as hot as Jace makes me feel, I already know it runs deeper than that. That's exactly why I ran away from him at the party.

Jace has already broken my heart once before, giving him the power to do that again sounds like the worst idea in the world. Fuck that, the worst idea in the entire universe. Because if I let myself fall for him again, I have a feeling I'll fall harder and deeper than the last time. I won't be able to survive another blow to my vital organ after that.

Jace could crush me. So why risk it?

I shake my head, trying to get rid of my burning thoughts like an Etch-A-Sketch. "Alright, enough about my bullshit drama. What's going on in Ava-land?"

"Not much." A shrugs. "Just been hanging out with Caleb, trying to keep him from getting lonely."

That comment stings even though I know that wasn't her intention.

If Caleb's been lonely, it's because the four of us haven't hung out a lot lately. We haven't even had a movie night in over two weeks. I can't help but feel like that's my fault.

Letting the guilt wash through me, I clear my throat. "How about Marcel? He hasn't been lonely?"

"Are you kidding me? He's been spending most of his time practicing his DJ skills, babysitting Marisol, or visiting his grandmother. I don't think he's even noticed how little time we've all spent together."

Sounds like Marcel. He's never been one to sit around with nothing to do.

"So just you and Caleb then. Sorry."

"It's not a big deal. I know you have a lot going on right now. Besides, I might have a better idea now as to why Caleb hates your new roommate so much," Ava says while looking down at her notebook, pretending to study.

I don't want to take the bait. I shouldn't. What happened between the guys should stay between them, but...

"Okay, spill already."

A's smile spreads wide. "Alright, I don't know all the deets, but from what I understand, Jace and Caleb made some kind of pact when they were in junior high and Jace broke it."

I scrunch up my nose. "A broken pact? That's why they hate each other so much?"

Neither one of them were good at keeping secrets. Hell, Caleb even confessed to us getting into the whiskey bottle his dad kept in his office when we were thirteen, and that was days after it happened when neither of his parents even knew the bottle was empty yet. How in the hell did they make a pact and manage to keep it secret from me all this time?

Ava sighs. "You know Caleb though. He can hold a grudge better than anyone. Remember Maci from freshman year?"

Yeah, Caleb's first real girlfriend. He liked her and got hurt when he caught her kissing another guy.

"He still won't say her name and she doesn't even live here anymore. Shit, they were only together for like a month, tops," Ava adds.

Caleb's a great guy. Some might even say the perfect guy, but no one's perfect. Everyone has flaws and holding grudges is Caleb's. It's never been an issue for any of us but that's because we would never betray him.

At least, not intentionally. What one person might see as innocent, another might see it as a knife in the back. I wonder if that's how he'd see this?

"Maybe I shouldn't tell Caleb about me staying with Jace," I suggest, picturing the look on his face if he found out.

"How can you hide something like that? He's gonna figure it out when he sees you two carpooling every day."

I chew on my lip and shrug. "Maybe he won't, and I'm only gonna be staying there for a few weeks. So, it's not like I'll have to hide it forever."

Ava raises her brows so high they touch her hairline. "If you think that's a good idea, then go for it. But he's only going to be more pissed if he finds out you kept it from him."

She's right, but how the hell do I tell my best friend that I'm living with the person he can't stand more than anyone in the world? 

💋____________________________________💋

Hey everyone, sorry if this chapter feels like a little filler but I hope you all enjoyed that spice in the middle. 🔥 At this point I'm trying to figure out what I want to do with Ava. I had a big plan for her but now I'm not sure I want to take it in that direction anymore. So, let me ask you, are you a fan of Ava's or naw? And by "naw" I mean could you see her doing something shady? Again not sure what I want to do just yet so let's see what you all have to say.

On top of those questions, what did you think of the ground rules? What about Jace's promise? Do you think Lexi could sharpen her claws and start giving him a taste of his own medicine? And how do you think Caleb will react if he finds out about all of this?

Let me know what you think in the comments and if you like what you read, please hit that star button!

P.S. Thinking I might base this story in Florida. Mostly because of the cover and it's beautiful beach and palm tress. Let me know if you got any opinions on this idea!

The teaser for chapter 23 will be posted on my Instagram and Twitter in a day or two. Keep an eye out for it!