Page 76 of Her Filthy Mistake

With that, I’m at peace as we chat about the future and celebrate my upcoming contract and tour.

Chapter Forty-Three

Zoe

Joining Jace at his job after we arrived in Vegas is nerve-racking. What if his boss doesn’t like me? What if I screw up his contract? My stomach clenches as I fight back nausea. The weight of Jace offering me the position as his manager holds more responsibility than anything I’ve ever done.

I can’t fail him. He’s dealt with so much rejection from the music industry that I want to please him. But I also don’t want to alienate the people who already support him.

“Zoe….” Jace squeezes my hand as we walk toward the front door of the hotel. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” My response is stiff under the bright Vegas sun.

“No, you’re not.” He stops in the middle of the busy sidewalk as people stream past us and stares into my eyes. “What’s wrong?”

I lick my lips and shrug. “What if I screw this up?”

He cups my cheek with one hand. “You’re not going to screw anything up.”

“But I don’t want to disappoint you.”

His other hand comes up and cups the other side of my face. Having his strong, warm hands cradle me sends some of the uneasiness floating away. “You’ve never disappointed me. There’s no way you ever could. You’ve always believed in me. Even when I pushed you away, you still believed in my talent.”

As the world continues to drift past us, his eyes are serious. But in this moment, despite the crowd, the sun, and the glitz and glamour of Vegas, the only thing I see is him. This beautiful man who loves me. And holds nothing back in showing me that I’m his number one priority.

“I’ll never forget that.” His lips lower to mine, and I can’t stop the whimper that emits from my lips as I stand on my tiptoes and press my palms against his chest. The steady beat of his heart and the pressure of his lips against mine eases the remaining anxiety that had my nerves jumping.

He pulls back, and I smile at him. “I love you. I’m sorry I was freaking out. I just want all the good things you deserve to happen to you.”

His eyes twinkle as he wraps his arms around me and hauls me flush against him. “Darlin’, you’re in my arms. That’s all the good I need. When it comes down to it, I don’t care about singing or writing, contracts, stages, or fans. None of it matters if I don’t have you.”

He kisses my temple as I inhale his heady scent, basking in it. He’s mine. He’s mine. I couldn’t stop the smile from arching upward if I had to.

After he pulls back, he says, “But since I have you….” He winks, sending a shiver along my back. “The rest of it is the icing on the cake.”

“You’re too sweet.”

“Sweet?” He rolls his eyes while stepping back with his arm slung around my shoulder, pulling me tighter until my head rests against his chest as we resume walking toward the building. “Apparently, I need to do a repeat of this morning and do it right if you think I’m sweet.”

Heat floods my body. The man knows how to do it right, and he’s gladly willing to do it repeatedly against the wall of his condo, the kitchen island, the bed, the shower, and that was just since we arrived last night. And while there’s always a layer of sweet devotion to his lovemaking, it’s sometimes masked by an almost feral lust that brings me crashing to my knees.

“You are sweet.” I smile at him and wrap my arm around his waist. “But you’re also a filthy talking savage that rocks my world.”

“That’s better.” His chuckle tightens my nipples and sends heat curling low in my core.

“Darlin’,” he growls deep in his throat as he grasps the door handle and yanks. The crisp air from inside whooshes out to greet us. “If you keep that up, I’m going to drag you to my office and bend you over the closest object.”

“What?” I widen my eyes in mock innocence. The lobby of the building is large, spacious, and pure luxury. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

From what Jace has told me, the business includes a hotel with fantasy suites, which I can’t wait to explore with him, a nightclub, and their office spaces.

“Yes, you do. You’re a little vixen.” He smiles and waves at the receptionist. The redhaired woman’s eyes scan us from head to toe and back up to Jace’s face. Her smile is wide as she meets his gaze. “Good morning, Sir.”

“Sir?” I arch an eyebrow.

“Shut it.” He tweaks my upper arm with a light pinch, and my toes curl. His body tenses as his lips brush my ear. “I’m going to punish you if you don’t stop vibrating with need.”

“I can’t help it,” I murmur against his chest.

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