Page 14 of Jace

“Jace,” Caleb says, his voice soft, “What happens if this… if we get too deep? You know… if… I’m close to the danger. Or a Viper sees us together?”

I cup his face, my thumb brushing his cheek.

“Then we figure it out,” I say, meaning it. “But I’m not letting you go, Caleb. Not now.”

He leans into my touch, and for a moment, it’s just us, the club and the Vipers fading away.

But I know it won’t last.

My life doesn’t allow me to forget.

And as I kiss Caleb again, softer this time, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m pulling him into a storm I might not be able to stop…

Chapter 6

Caleb

“Get a grip, Caleb,” I say, doing my best to steady my breathing and center myself just a little bit. “You’ve got this.”

The truth though is that I can’t stop shaking.

It’s not the cold, though my apartment’s drafty windows let in the late-night chill.

It’s the memory of the Wolf Rider clubhouse—the pounding music, the leering bikers, Jace’s fist clenched like he was ready to break Snake’s face.

And that kiss, out in the dark, his hands claiming me, his voice rough and commanding, calling mehis.

My lips still tingle, my body still hums with the heat of it, but my mind’s a mess. I’m falling for Jace, hard and fast, and… it scares me to death.

Jace is a storm, wild and unstoppable, and I’m not sure I can survive the wreckage. It might sound dramatic, but this is unlike anything I’ve known.

I’m curled on my couch, a mug of chamomile tea gone cold in my hands, staring at the stack of ungraded essays on the coffee table.

I should be working, losing myself in my students’ messy handwriting, but all I can think about ishim.

The way he stood up for me, his body a shield, his eyes blazing with something fierce and protective. The way he kissed me, like he was staking a claim, guiding me into a world I don’t understand but can’t resist.

I touch my lips, my pulse quickening, and I wonder what I’m doing…

I’m a teacher, not some biker’s boy.

But when I’m with Jace, I feel alive in a way I never have, like I’m more than the quiet, studious Caleb everyone expects. Growing up I was told that this was my path, that I was a hard worker who got good grades, and I played along, thinking it was my only option.

Now though, now I’ve seen another way of life.

But I’m brought out of my thoughts when my phone buzzes, and I flinch, half-expecting it to be Justin, ready to lecture me about ditching him at the Spur last week. But it’s a text from Jace:

JACE: You up?

My heart stumbles. It’s past midnight, and the clubhouse party was hours ago.

I should ignore it, set boundaries, protect myself from whatever this is. But my fingers move before my brain catches up, typing back:

ME: Yeah. Can’t sleep.

Three dots appear, then:

JACE: Open your door.

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