An Ace Of Hearts (Book #1) (Completed)

Chapter 43: A Love You Deserve

AHVI TAKEDA

"Jace, here are your clothes." Ren's voice made me drop Jace's hand and take a few simultaneous steps away from him. My heart thundered in my chest as my brother walked into the living room. Jace looked disappointed by his arrival, his gaze settling on me as he frowned slightly.

"I think I will take a shower." He said as he turned around. He pulled his phone out of his pocket as he walked back to the living area. I stood in the kitchen, still shaking.

I wondered what would have happened if Ren had walked in on me holding Jace's hand. Finding out that Jace liked me, more than liked me, was exhilarating but it also came with danger. Ren couldn't know. If he found out... I didn't want to dwell on that thought for longer than absolutely necessary.

As I walked out of the kitchen, going to my room to call Eman, my phone beeped with a text. My stomach hollowed out as I pulled it out wondering if it was Unknown again who had reached out. Sending a prayer to the heavens, I unlocked my phone and pulled up the text. It was Jace. I sighed in relief.

Jace The Asshole Hyde:

Meet me in Ren's room. Now.

My heart fluttered at the sight of the text. I knew it was wrong since Kiara had died. It was so wrong for us to sneaking together when his girlfriend's death was under investigation. But I had waited for us to be together for the past ten years. I wasn't going to give up on even a moment with Jace. If it made me a bad person, so be it.

I walked out of my room five minutes later and slipped into Ren's when I noticed that the hallway was clear. I could hear Ren, Warren, and Tariq's voices coming from the living room but I didn't wait long enough to hear what was being said.

Jace was waiting for me inside the room but I paused when I noticed that he was shirtless. Why on earth was he shirtless? His back was turned to me but when I opened the door to the room, he turned around to look at me. My gaze had left his face long before though, traveling lower, taking in his lean torso and the tattoos covering every inch of skin he had exposed.

"Harley." His voice made me snap out of my trance. My cheeks heated as I finally looked him in the eye. He had fully turned to face me now and was smiling in amusement.

"What?" I asked, keeping my tone unbothered. His girlfriend just died, I reminded myself as my gaze itched to look at his chest again. Jace didn't have bulky muscles like Tariq did. He was on the leaner side but he had definition which made me drool ever since I had noticed them four years ago; when I moved in with Ren.

"You're staring." He answered.

"No, I am not. Why did you ask me to come here?" I changed the subject, trying to steer it away from the rightful accusation he was making.

His shoulders drooped slightly at the question and he took a seat on the edge of Ren's bed. I found myself walking toward him before I could stop myself but not before locking the door behind me. When I reached him, he pulled me toward him with both hands. His arms wrapped around my thighs as he rested his head on my belly.

I glanced down at him, freezing for a moment. Gingerly, I raised my hands and caressed his hair, holding him to me. This was so weird, being so close to Jace, the way I had always wanted to. But it felt exactly how I had imagined it to feel: it felt right.

"She is gone." He mumbled and I stopped my caresses. Did Jace miss her? Did he realize that he didn't hate Kiara? The questions whispered at me, unbidden and I shook my head slightly to shut them out.

"I'm sorry," I answered. I felt relieved when Jace said that he didn't feel sad about Kiara's death before. It sounded twisted and maybe it was, but I couldn't help but be glad that he didn't care enough about her to hurt over her death.