Just The Right Black

Chapter 37

Jace placed Ariana on the large marble slab near the sink which was right in front of the vanity. He walked to the bathtub and turned the taps on adding some Epsom salt. Ariana just sat there and watched him with a smile forming on her lips. He dipped his hand on to check the temperature before he adjusted the taps and finally turned them off.

"Ready," He turned around and looked at her, "Why are you smiling?"

Ariana shook her head as the smile disappeared,
"I wasn't." She looked away,

Jace was in front of her in seconds and his fingers held her chin and lifted her face upwards. He had a smile on his face as he just studied her face. A moment passed and they stayed like that but Ariana was not prepared for what he said next.

"Take your clothes off."

"What?!" She snapped and pulled back, away from him,

"You can leave it on if you'd feel comfortable with it in the bath."

Ariana looked at the bath then at him.
Oh.
"You-you should leave."

"Why would I do that?" He folded his hands with a frown on his face, "It's my bathroom."

"The bath's for me...not us."

"Oh, I don't know about that." He smirked,

Well, two can play this game.
"You can stay if you have no problem watching a naked woman in your bathtub," Ariana said, "Just know that when I'm done, I'll step out dripping wet and go get the towel to wipe myself dry then I'll put my clothes on."

He stared at her with his jaw slack, mouth agape.

"Like I said, only if you have no problem watching."

Jace blinked, trying to ward off the image she'd just put in his head, then swallowed hard before he left the bathroom in silence shutting the door behind him.

Ariana almost laughed.
Men will always be men.

She got down from the slab as slowly as she could trying not to move too much because everywhere hurt. She took off her clothes and walked to the bathtub. She lifted her leg one after the other slipping them into the bubbly water and then slid down. Her head was thrown back revelling in the soothing bliss of the bath.

Ariana sighed a peaceful sigh and cleared her mind of everything. Before she knew it, she was out like a light.

Jace paced in the bedroom and couldn't help but think that Ariana was more dangerous than he initially thought. He knew she was strong both physically and mentally. He knew she was other things too but what she said had him shocked to his bones.

He hadn't expected that from her, ever.
She is one temptress.

She had him using up the last of his strength to gain back his control. The images she'd put in his head had taken up space in his head, rent-free.

Damn!
Jace shut his eyes trying to get rid of the images but they only got clearer. He snapped his eyes open and stared at the bathroom door. He was tempted to open it and go in and get a real picture of everything she'd said but he forced himself to sit on the bed as he raked his hand through his hair.

Damn woman!
Ariana Feilman was going to be the death of him.

Half an hour passed and Jace was lying in bed as he stared at the ceiling. He sat up and looked at the bathroom door then got up and walked to it.

"Ariana?" He knocked on the door and called,

No answer.

"Ariana?" He called again,

Nothing.

Jace opened the door and he caught sight of her sleeping and naked in his bathtub. Her clothes left a trail from the sink to the bathtub.

Jace sighed and stepped inside the bathroom, he gathered her clothes from the floor and put them in the laundry basket before he walked towards her. Squatting near the bathtub, he watched her sleep. The bubbles floated around her covering as far up to her chest, not that he was looking. Her pink lips slightly parted making him lick his. Her lips were the star of his dreams, he wanted to lick, bite and just taste them. Not necessarily in that order.

Her lashes fell against her cheek, long and raven like her hair. Her eyebrows; thick and untouched. Jace reached out to touch her and was about to place his hand on the side of her face when she jerked awake and Jace pulled away.

"Dad!" She gasped,

Her hands came up to the front of her face as she frowned deeply. She dipped her hands into the bath and brought them back up rubbing them together.

This was a side of her he'd seen only once and it worried him and broke his heart to see her like this again.
"Ariana?" He whispered as he watched her,

Ariana froze then slowly turned to look at him, her expression became stoic. Jace looked into her eyes to figure out what was going on in her head but she immediately looked away when he was on the brink of putting his finger on it.

Not this time. You're not hiding from me this time.

Jace rose up and went to get a towel, he came back and stood next to the tub holding out the two ends of the towel in front of her. She looked up at him and he looked away. Jace heard the splash of the water as she stood from the tub and wrapped the towel around her body. Jace turned to look at her then, her head was bent as she stepped out of the tub. She was about to limp away but Jace swept her up into his arms and walked back into the room.

He would lose his control with her in his arms all wet but he was distracted with the look on her face. Or rather, the absence of one. Jace placed her gently on her side of the bed before he walked into the walk-in closet and got one of her loose sweatshirt and shorts, he picked one of her panties as well then went back to the room and placed it next to her.

Ariana looked at it then at him. Jace turned around and heard the quiet rustling behind him.
"I'm done." She said a moment later,

Jace turned around and found her on her feet right in front of him, as close as she could be to him. Their chests brushed making him stiffen when he felt her nipples brush up against him. She had her eyes on mine and vice versa and without taking his eyes off her, he reached for the towel she was holding.

"Get in the bed."

Ariana had no idea why everything he said made her heart skip a beat. She sucked in a deep breath, her nipples tightening as it brushed against him. Jace clenched his jaw so tight he thought his teeth were going to crack.

He caught sight of her hand reaching up and he could have sworn he lost his breath when she placed it on his chest right on top of his heart. Ariana didn't understand but she just needed to feel close to him after going through that yet again. She leaned in and rested her head into his chest, she felt him stiffen for a second and then his arms were around her, the towel pooling at their feet. She felt better in his arms as he pulled her closer.

"I'm here. I've got you," Jace whispered into her ear, "I'm not going anywhere."