Wake Up Call

CHAPTER 8

Jace

Guilt has been eating at me all damn day and I've spent most of my time alone, trying to make sense of what I let happen last night.

I never take personal days off from the diner, but I knew that Avery needed time away from me.

My intention was to help her. To bring her here and let her know that I'll take care of her. I wanted her to see that there's someone in the world that she can trust, but that night she fell asleep in my arms, I spent the night rubbing her head and watching her so at peace against my chest that it gave me hope.

It made me want to be able to do that for her every day and night. It made me want to show her even more than before, just how much I can take care of her and protect her from whatever she's been running from.

I wasn't expecting the way my heart sank, when she woke up and hurriedly ran away from me as if she'd just made a huge mistake by being close to me. I've never felt anything like that before and I needed to know what it meant.

So I kissed her.

Huge mistake.

Now my mind won't let me forget the taste or feel of her lips against mine. I want more, but I know she's not willing to give it. I shouldn't have done it, but I couldn't stop myself from getting a taste and now her kiss is forever burned into my damn mind and I want to taste more than just her sweet lips. I want to give her pleasure and safety, but most of all I want to give her... peace.

Now, she's scared and on the verge of running away from me. That's the last thing I want so I need to be more careful for now on.

I stood in the doorway ready to chase after her when I saw her jump into that damn taxi with nowhere to go, but back to her hell.

There's no way I'm allowing anyone to hurt her again. Fuck that.

I'm not giving up on her.

💋 💋 💋

Avery

Barely awake, I look up to see Jace poke his head inside my slightly opened door. His thick, morning hair falls over his gorgeous eyes as he softly chuckles and motions for me to follow him. "Let's go." He flashes a sexy grin. "Oh and nice morning hair."

"I can say the say to you." I shake my head giving Jace a confused look. "Go where," I question. "We don't have to work for another hour."

My eyes study his body as he rubs his chest and then stretches. It makes me blush unwantedly and I find myself turning my head away and clearing my throat. "Are we supposed to go in early today?"

With amusement, Jace bites his lip ring and leans against the door, shoving it completely open. "We're calling in today," he says playfully. "I'm sure the boss won't mind." He turns around and waits for me to follow. When I don't get up, he tilts his head back into my room. "Well... go brush your teeth so we can go."

A twinge of excitement rushes through me as I push myself to my feet and rush to brush my teeth, before following him to the living room, curious to what the hell's going on. I'm too far into sleepy land still to be able to comprehend anything he's saying.

Without a word, he tosses me my leather jacket and then reaches for his own. My mind races with question as I watch him slip it on and I become more and more curious to what it is that we're about to do.

A week has passed since our conversation on the porch and we haven't spent much time talking since then. It's as if he's been trying to give me space to make me feel comfortable here again.