Page 25 of When Ben Loved Jace (He Loved Him #2)

“Did it ever stop hurting for you?” he asks suddenly. “Because it didn’t for me. And I don’t mean Travis. Yeah, that sucked, but when it comes to us… I still feel like something is missing.” He taps his chest. “In here. Ever since you left.”

I swallow, knowing exactly what he means. “You’ll find it again. I did.”

Tim looks wounded. I wish I could tell him what he wants to hear, but it wouldn’t be right.

“So anyway,” he says dismissively, "that’s my big sob story. The rest has been awesome. Eric invited me to move in with him and surprised me with Chinchilla. There’s no better cure for a broken heart than a dog.”

I smile at this. “I’m really happy for you, Tim. And proud. You came out!”

“I was outed,” he grumbles before shrugging. “But yeah. I got there eventually. Just a little late. Speaking of which, I have a class to catch.”

“What are you majoring in?” I ask as we stand and collect our things.

“Architecture,” he answers. “Only because that’s what my dad wants me to do, but I’ve managed to shift it away from a B.S.—appropriately enough—to a Bachelor of Arts, so I get to indulge in the creative side more.”

“Good!”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be working in the fast-food industry for the next thirty years to pay off my student loans. Do you happen to know of any actual sugar daddies?”

He laughs. I tell him more about my intentions until we both realize we’re walking in the same direction without needing to.

“What are you doing tonight?” Tim asks. “Have any exciting plans with Jace? ”

I shake my head. “He’s out of town.”

“Still? That must be rough.”

It is, but I don’t want to admit that to him.

“We could hang out,” Tim suggests. “Catch a movie. Something like that.”

I suck in air, knowing I can’t take much more of this. Not without a break to rebuild my resistance. “I need to reconnect with Allison. We haven’t seen each other much lately.”

“What about tomorrow?”

“Jace will finally be back.”

“Ah. Okay. Some other time then.”

He ruffles my hair, and I lean into it a little, enjoying the feel of his touch. Chinchilla is lucky in that regard. For the first time in my life, I find myself wishing I could trade places with a dog. At the very least, it would help justify how much I’ve been drooling when around Tim.

— — —

People swarm around where I’m standing in the airport terminal, most of them as good as invisible to me.

I’m staring with singular focus at the corridor where I know Jace will appear, my pulse already in overdrive, because I don’t know how this will go.

I’m not even sure what result I want anymore.

I adore Jace! But it would be easier if I didn’t.

What we have together is still new. A sapling.

Tim’s roots already burrowed in deep years ago.

Chopping down that tree isn’t possible. Lord knows I’ve tried.

Maybe there isn’t a happy ending to this story.

The breath catches in my throat as Jace appears at the end of the corridor, uniform meticulous, his expression serene.

I start walking before breaking into a run—driven by everything I feel for him and drawn toward the reassuring presence I’ve craved.

He opens his arms to me with a smile. I sob against his chest while clinging to him, because I’m so relieved.

Tim hasn’t managed to chase this feeling from my heart.

It’s all still there, safe and sound. I love him. How could I not?

Jace puts his hands on my shoulders and looks down at me in concern. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah,” I say, wiping at my eyes while nodding. “It’s just…” My chin trembles. “I ran into Tim.”

“Are you okay?”

Anyone else would ask if something happened between us. If I cheated. Not him. Jace cares more about my wellbeing .

I hug him again. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

“So am I,” he says, tightening his arms around me.

I take a deep breath and exhale, already feeling better. Everything will be okay, now that we’re together again.

“Let’s get you home,” I say, pulling it together enough to smile. I grab his rollaboard—as he calls it—and sprint for the door, making him laugh when I double back, since my car is in the parking garage.

I ask how his flights went and give him an update on Samson, avoiding the topic of exes, because part of me wants to pretend that none of it happened.

Jace is back! What more do I need? But I can tell, the longer we drive without me explaining my emotional outburst at the airport, the more his concern is growing.

“It’s been a weird week,” I say, before working my way through recent events.

As soon as I get to the part where Tim showed up at my place, I’m quick to reassure him that— “Nothing happened. I would never cheat on you. But seeing him again has put me through the wringer emotionally. More than I ever expected.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Jace replies. “I wish I could’ve been there for you.”

“You are now,” I say, tearing my eyes from the road to glance at him.

He takes my hand. “So how did it all go?”

I explain that I visited Tim’s house to meet his supposed sugar daddy, but decide to end the story there, because we’ve made it to Jace’s place.

We can discuss the rest later. Right now, I’d rather lose myself in him.

I watch Jace reunite with Samson, my need almost overwhelming.

My frustration increases when Adrien knocks on the door with a package that was delivered while Jace was gone. I catch Adrien’s eye.

“Gotta go!” he says, seeming to understand. “I don’t want the neighbors to see me near this thing. I told them the trailer belongs to the hired help. Live-in maids are so last century.” ” He shoots me a wink on his way out.

“Charming as always,” Jace says after shutting the door. He shakes the package. “This must be Samson’s new water fountain.”

“Great,” I say, taking the box from him and setting it aside, “but you have more important things to unpack first.”

Jace smirks. “Maybe I should take a quick shower. ”

“Good hygiene is a big turn on,” I say while loosening his tie, “but sometimes a girl just can’t wait. I’d rather lick you clean.”

Jace glances over at Samson, who is hogging the bed while grooming himself. “He’s been a bad influence on you, it would seem.”

“The worst.”

I press my lips against Jace’s before moving to his neck, my fingers unbuttoning his shirt all the while.

Whenever skin is revealed, my mouth moves there next, until I’m down on my knees.

I glance up while unzipping his pants, loving that his uniform is still hanging off him.

I want to keep it that way, so I carefully pull out his cock and balls while leaving the rest of his clothes in place.

I lay his meat across my face while staring up at him with big brown eyes.

Jace gets the message. He slaps me with it playfully before my tongue lolls out.

Then he positions himself, filling my mouth all the way up before I take over, my head bobbing as I slobber over his big beautiful boner.

When he tries to pull me to my feet again to return the favor, I shake my head.

I need him too bad. I’ve spent all week thinking of the things I want to do but can’t.

I’m on the verge of starvation. I have to satiate my own appetite first, although I do give him a show, unbuttoning my shorts and pulling out my dick so he can watch me play with it.

He even raises a polished shoe, carefully pressing it against the underside of my nuts, which feels incredible.

His uniform does it for me so much that, if I didn’t have other plans for him, I’d blow a load all over it.

I tongue his balls while squeezing his cock, which is rock hard. He’s ready for round two.

When I stand, he tries to go down, but I shake my head again. “I need you to fuck me.”

“Oh yeah?”

I nod and spin around. The bed is still occupied.

The cat can have it to himself. I bend over the kitchen table, making myself available.

Jace starts tonguing me, which always drives me wild.

I bite my own forearm to stop myself from moaning too loud, because for all we know, a happy family could be ambling down the sidewalk outside.

“Come on, baby,” I plead. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew,” Jace counters, sliding a finger inside .

Which is for the best, because sometimes I can be too hasty and it usually ends up hurting.

He doesn’t waste much time. Another finger joins the first. Then he decides I’ve loosened up enough.

I feel him push against my hole and gasp in shock when he plunges inside.

Jace’s big hands grip the table on either side of my head as he begins to thrust. Pain and pleasure battle each other until one wins out.

I sigh contentedly when his hips press against my ass cheeks and he holds himself there.

“I missed you,” I murmur.

“I can tell,” Jace replies, almost pulling out entirely before he slowly slides all the way back in again. “I missed you too.”

His strokes continue in this fashion, long and controlled, making me gasp and quiver, but I’m not completely satisfied. I have one more burning desire.

“Hold up,” I say. “I wanna turn over. So I can see you.”

Jace slides out and rights himself. I spin around and kick my shorts off.

Then I can scurry onto the table. His hands wrap around my ankles, holding my legs in the air as he buries his cock in me again.

He starts slow before picking up the pace.

I’m transfixed by his handsome face, mesmerized by his long torso and limbs.

I love how big he is. He makes me feel safe.

Like he can protect me from the world. From myself.

This is exactly what I needed. To be reminded that I belong to him completely. And I do, in every imaginable way.

His eyes are locked on mine now, the trademark kindness replaced by unbridled lust. I love getting to see this side of him.

The beast hidden inside the prince. His balls have been slapping my ass this whole time, but I don’t feel them as much, which means that they’ve pulled up tight and he’s about to—

“ Ungh! I’m gonna come!”

“Do it, baby!”

I’m the one gripping the table now as his thrusts intensify. Then he growls, slams himself against me, and holds himself there as his cock pulsates inside my ass. His strength spent, Jace collapses onto the table, my neck straining so I can meet him in a kiss.

“I love you,” he murmurs against my mouth.

“I love you too,” I say before biting my bottom lip. “Keep going.”

Jace stands up straight. Then he slow fucks me, as I’ve come to think of it.

That’s sort of his thing, when we’re not this desperate after too much separation.

He often takes his time, looking me over while doing so, his gaze filled with affection.

Jace takes my dick in his hand, the pace that he pumps it matched by the same deliberate rhythm, nudging me toward the edge until I feel like I’m about to lose my mind.

When I finally come, it makes an absolute mess.

“You really did miss me,” Jace says with a chuckle.

“Yeah.” I reach for him, lust swiftly replaced by emotional need. I place my hands on either side of his big head, kissing him repeatedly, until my back starts to complain.

I release him so we can get cleaned up. Jace strips down completely and puts on a pair of flannel boxers.

I wear his uniform shirt like a bathrobe.

We tumble into bed, which thrills Samson.

He climbs all over us until we roll onto our backs, Jace’s arm around me as the cat settles into the nook between our bodies.

Jace’s chest rises and falls.

“All that sexual tension wasn’t just for me. Was it?”

I wrestle with wanting to be honest while also not wanting to hurt him. “No, but I didn’t think of him while we were having sex.”

“It’s okay to fantasize about other people.”

“I agree. But I didn’t. You’re all I want.”

His arm tightens around me. “I know how bewildering it can be, when someone from your past returns unexpectedly. Like your entire world has been upended.”

I roll onto my side so I can see him. “Is that how it was when Victor showed up?”

Jace nods. “Yeah. I wasn’t happy in my relationship with Adrien, so it was impossible not to compare them. That’s normal too.”

“I’m happy with the choices I’ve made,” I assure him. “Had he changed much?”

“Victor?” Jace breathes out. “Seeing him on a college campus made it seem like things had changed. As if he had moved on to new things. But no. Ultimately, after the shock wore off, I discovered he was still very much the same. All the reasons we couldn’t be together still remained.”

“That’s the problem with Tim,” I say, pushing myself up on an elbow. “He came out. And he’s actually in touch with his feelings. I think he was before, mostly through his art, but now he talks openly about everything.”

“Including his feelings for you?” Jace asks without venom.

“A little, yeah. He hasn’t said that he loves me or anything crazy like that.

But he apologized for what happened in high school.

He regrets it. Tim ended up dating a guy who’s closeted, so he knows firsthand what he put me through.

It’s like he did all the growing that I needed him to, but now there’s no point because… ”

“We’re together,” Jace finishes for me.

“I don’t regret that. At all! I’m so glad we found each other. I love you! But it’s still kind of annoying that Tim has made so much progress. Just imagine, when Victor reappeared, if he had a scholarship, his own dorm room, and a career path all lined up.”

Jace is quiet for a moment. Then he laughs. “I honestly can’t. But I understand what you’re getting at. In my case, I was able to indulge in some nostalgia before being reminded that nothing had changed, whereas Tim is an entirely new person.”

“Or more like who I always wanted him to be,” I say with a tight throat.

“Maybe I should take some time off,” Jace suggests.

I shake my head. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to cheat.”

“Not because of him. I’ll take time off for you . I feel like you need me right now.”

“I do,” I admit, already on the verge of tears, because even the offer fills me with relief. “I know how busy you are though.”

“I will be during the summer,” Jace says. “Especially when tourist season starts. But you’ll be out of school by then and can travel with me.”

“Really?”

He smiles and nods.

As for me, I cry a little while kissing him, because he’s so damn sweet. Forget what could have been. The path to get here wasn’t always easy, but I ended up with the right man. I’m happy for Tim… but I’m grateful for Jace.