Page 7 of Always. Forever.

He bends his head slightly to look at the entrance to my apartment block.

“Let me walk you to the door,” he says, getting out of the car before I can tell him not to worry. I want this awkwardness to be over so I never have to see him again, even though the thought of that makes me disappointed. We walk side by side to the entrance doors. Needing to get this over with, I spin around.

“I know I won’t be seeing you again but thank you for dropping me home, and again, I’m so sorry for last night. I honestly don’t drink a lot, so when I do, it doesn’t agree with me.”

Jace laughs, shaking his head. He stares into my eyes and grabs a loose bit of hair, tucking it behind my ear before leaning in closer.

“You will be seeing me again, don’t worry about that.” He smirks while backing away, walking back to his car.

A big grin spreads across my face and fireworks go off in the pit of my stomach.

“Fuck,” I breathe out.

Chapter One

Present day

Afterapplyingthelastof my makeup, I step back, assessing myself. Some days I can barely bring myself to stand in front of the mirror, but other days, I put in some effort and make myself appear half decent. I grab the oversized black blazer—since I’m conscious of my hips—and slip it on over my red spaghetti-strap top. I’m wearing black wet-look jeans. I’m not skinny but I wouldn’t class myself as overweight. I’m a comfortable size twelve, but I’m sure at least half of my weight sits in my hips. I’m happy with my weight. Am I ecstatic? No, but who is. I have cellulite and stretch marks. Girls don’t realize that even the skinniest girls have them, most people do, and it’s not something you can help, but I understand why people are embarrassed by them. I rub my body in bio-oil some days and then other days I don’t give a shit. We’re girls, we will never be happy with our bodies, no matter what we look like.

I walk out of my en suite bathroom and into my closet to grab a pair of pointed-heel pumps. Heeled shoes are a godsend. It can change a whole outfit, especially five-inch heels. I slip them on and glance up, staring at myself in the full-length body mirror attached to my closet.

“So beautiful.”

I spin around to find my gorgeous boyfriend leaning against the doorframe, looking me up and down.

“Jace, you scared the shit out of me.”

He stalks toward me, grabbing my hips and pulling me in, trying to kiss me, but I dodge him.

“Ah ah, I just did my lipstick, you are not ruining it.”

Jace groans as he kisses up my neck.

“Do we have to go out, Ry. I would much rather stay in and watch you strip out of this outfit.”

I shuffle out of his hold. “You know we have to go, we can’t not.”

It’s then I get a good look at Jace. He’s to die for in his fitted dark-blue jeans and white fitted Ralph Lauren tee that highlights his broad shoulders and muscular arms.Maybe staying home would be the better option.

“You sure I can’t persuade you?” He smirks, knowing the way he’s dressed is doing things to me. I snap out of my haze.

“C’mon, we are going, I’m not staying in this house with you one minute longer. Bridget put a lot of effort into this meal today.”

“You did pick up your dad’s present from the kitchen side, didn’t you?” I ask Jace while he drives us to the restaurant for his dad’s birthday meal.

“Yes, I did. I also picked up the banners that Bridge asked us to bring.”Oops, I forgot about those.Jace is way more organized than I am.

“Oh, well done, you know how unorganized I am.” I smile sweetly at him.

He laughs. “I definitely do, Ry.”

I roll my eyes at him and then take a minute to appreciate how fucking sexy he is. I always watch Jace and think how lucky I am. Who knew that night in the club would bring me here, with him, now. How Jace still wanted to speak to me after that, I will never know, but I could not be happier that he did.

I still remember receiving a call the night after he dropped me home. He was the perfect gentleman and wanted to take me out for an official date, which we did, and I had this instant connection with him. We live together in his, now our, apartment and are in a perfect, happy relationship. It’s crazy how someone so perfect can walk into your life when, one, you’re not expecting it, and two, you don’t actually want it.

I run my gaze over his face. I love watching him drive. All ladies can agree how hot it is to watch a man drive, especially when driving with one hand firmly holding your thigh while rubbing circles and the other holding the wheel. Their arms just pop. All the veins and the muscles showing. Just like Jace now. After all this time, I still get butterflies and tingles between my legs while watching him. As if reading my mind, he smirks and flicks his beautiful blue eyes to me, and I can see the lust there. It’s like we’re one person, and whatever I feel, he feels it too.

“You good, babe?” he says with a sly smirk.

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