Page 36 of Power

I smiled, tracing a finger down his chest. “Good, but for right now, we’d better get to that errand I talked about.”

“Your secret errand?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he removed the blindfold.

“A little excursion. And something tells me you’re going to be very out of your element with what I’m about to do.”

Still smiling, Jace helped me off the table, and after I got cleaned up and dressed, he got himself ready and grabbed something from the hall closet.

Dear everything holy. Jace was wearing a fitted, long-sleeved black shirt that showcased his muscles, black pants, and sported a motorcycle helmet, tucked under his muscular arm. The type of helmet with a polished green face shield and sleek black exterior that would turn him into one of those thirst traps I was guilty of watching online, where all you saw was the muscular, godlike body, face masked so the man could be whoever you wanted him to be.

In my wildest fantasies—and, God, I’d had many about a bike-riding hottie—I imagined the guy beneath the mask would be a sex lord who knew my body better than I knew myself. I swallowed, trying to play the role of unaffected human. Based on the heat boiling my cheeks, I was failing miserably. Based on the slant to Jace’s lips, he knew it too.

“You look like you’re dressed for the city,” I said. “Hope you’re ready for some country.”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “Where exactly are we going?”

I grinned, feeling the power shift. Now it was my turn to keep him guessing.

“Let’s just say, those fancy shoes are about to get very, very dirty.”

16

JACE

Waiting for Scarlett to perform her finishing touches of getting ready, I opened my phone and typed a message directly to Axel.

Me: Need your expertise. Time-sensitive.

Axel: My specific areas of expertise include tequila brands, luxury watches, and making women forget their own names. Which one do you need?

Me: The last one. Sort of.

Axel: *skull emoji* HOLD UP. Is Jace “I’ll Die Alone with My Stock Portfolio” Lockwood asking ME for advice about WOMEN? Dude, I’m totally screenshotting this.

Me: *middle finger emoji* I’m exploring a no-strings arrangement and have a question.

Axel: I don’t know whether to be flattered or check if the world is ending. The mighty Jace Lockwood, taking romantic advice from the guy you called, and I quote, “emotionally stunted with the commitment capacity of a goldfish.”

Me: Have you ever … had trouble walking away from someone?

Axel: Oh, yeah. This one woman could bend her legs behind her head. Like a human pretzel. *pretzel emoji* Still dream about that flexibility.

Me: Not what I meant. Ever develop actual feelings?

Axel: *barfing emoji* Not once. That’s your first mistake. Catching feelings is like catching an STD. Preventable if you’re careful.

Me: Your analogies remain disturbing as ever.

Axel: Wait. WAIT. You’re actually INTO someone? The same guy who told me relationships are “inefficient business mergers with excessive emotional overhead”?

Me: I don’t want these … complications.

Axel: Damn. All these years, I thought your emotional suppression meant your hardware was defective. *laugh out loud emoji*

Me: At least I don’t need a spreadsheet to keep track of my “dates” like some people.

Axel: That spreadsheet is a work of art. Color-coded and everything.

Me: You’re useless.