Love and Chaos: A Growing Pains Novel (38 page)

Just another reason he’d landed in the right place from being so long in the wrong one. It
had taken Cassie to make him realize the color in his life had slowly seeped out in the last five years. That he’d been pushing so hard for a family, he hadn’t woken up to the woman he’d be having the family with.

He bent his shoulders for Cassie’s inspection, wanting to kiss her so bad he had to clasp his hands under the table so he didn’t tilt up her c
hin. To distract him, he finished replying to Kate. “I don’t really have a size in these types of shirts. If it fits the shoulders and arms, it doesn’t fit anywhere else.”

“
Marcus’ll fix that.” Kate leaned back in the booth. “So anyway, let’s get this party started. Who wants a shot?”

“No, no shots!” Cassie waved her hands at Kate. “I don’t want to scare him.”

“Jace,” Ben said, leaning toward him. “What were you thinking in this picture? You seem totally at ease. Is that one of your favorite spots?”

“Ugh. Nerd!” Kate hollered at Ben. She pushed Jasmine toward the mouth of the booth instead of just asking to get out.

Jace couldn’t stop laughing.

The night wore on as nights often do when the girls didn’t have to work the next day and Ben was largely outvoted. Had Cassie known K-Jaz would use Cassie’s new love as an excuse to take a day off, she probably wouldn’t have blindly walked into the trap. This was an intensive prescreening that would be relayed directly to Krista, who would then use it to formulate a plan of attack at dinner tomorrow.

If Jace stuck around that long.

The haze of drunk had firmly settled over everyone but Jace. He wasn’t far behind, but the sheer girth of the man gave him a hefty tolerance. They had moved to a bar with music and dancing, and not only was Cassie drunk, they made her take a shot with Redbull in it, knowing
that propelled her into absolute insanity
.
This was evidenced by the fact that she currently stared over at the bartender, bullying him into free drinks.

“Ma’am, we don’t do buybacks here,” the bartender explained for the third time.

Cassie leaned against the bar, closing one eye so she could focus on the dude on the right, who, when both eyes were opened, looked exactly like the dude right next to him.

“Listen here, young man. This is
supposedly
an Irish bar, am I right?”

“It’s an Irish bar in name. But the owner is from Arizona.”

“I do not care for such details. Let’s stay surface level here, son. Now. Irish bars, I happen to know, will give a free drink after a certain number of drinks are purchases. Purchased, I meant to say. You, sir, being the excellent bartender you are, would remember that we have purchased four rounds. The fifth is free, even in stingy bars. You wouldn’t want to be a stingy bar, would you, Ace?”

The bartender shook his head at the ceiling, a smile working up his face.

“What the fuck is taking so long?” Kate fell against the bar next to Cassie, laughed wildly, wiped all expression off her face, and stared at the bartender. “Is this bitch giving you a hard time? Also, what is your number?”

“Okay, okay—I’ll get you a round. But it’ll be shots of my choosing.” The bartender winked and turned to the shelf of liquor behind him.

“Well, it’s a win-lose. I can admit that.” Cassie leaned against the bar next to Kate. “How do you like my man? Is he not the hottest damn bastard you have ever seen in your damn life?”

“Swear one more time for an even three.” Kate instructed.

“Damn.”

Kate nodded once. “He is stupidly hot, Ca
ss. Ridiculously, crazy, stupid hot. Almost dangerously hot. I would crawl right up that, I’ll tell you what.”

“He’s too controlling for you. You’d punch him in the mouth.”

“Where’d you punch him?”

Cassie leaned in with one eye closed, trying to focus on her friend’s face. “He told you I punched him? What a dick! I’m going to punch him again for that slip in secrecy.”

“He didn’t tell me, I just figured you did, psycho. You punch everyone. If your arm wasn’t attached, you’d probably punch yourself.”

“I can still punch myself with an attached arm,
dooffus.”

“Okay, Miss Literal, but what’s the color of your sofa?”

“What does that have to do with anything—“

“Here you go, ladies.” Satan put five shots on the bar, filled to the brim.

“I did ask for this…” Cassie heaved a giant sigh. “Kate, tip the man.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m too busy hating myself for talking him into free drinks.”

Kate dug out five dollars. “She’s some bitch, huh?”

Cassie looked around. “Who?”

“You, idiot. Anyway, he
the one,
or what?”

“Kate, it’s only been, like, five days. Or something. Five suns.”

“Yeah. But you are really strung out on this guy. And he is
totes
into you. Totes magotes. That is a stupid damn expression, and I love it. He is watching us right now, too polite to tell Ben to shut it so he can come over here, but desperately wanting to kiss your ass-face.”

“Such beautiful lines of poetry do you weave.” Cassie tucked her hair behind her ear.

“You love him?” Kate pushed. Literally pushed—as in, knocked Cassie into the bar.

“Yes, okay? It is going to kill me if Sean isn’t on board.”

“He knows that. Peter sent a picture of you and Jace when you were in that cow-poke town. Marcus showed Ben. Ben asked for it to be texted, and then…”

“Showed Sean. Shit. What were we doing?”

“Sitting on bar stools, facing each other,
staring
at each other, your hands leaning forward on his knees while he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. Peter entitled it, ‘When you know, you know.’ Sean’s mouth got really thin, like it does when things are slipping beyond his control.”

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about it now.” Cassie turned to grab two shots. “Call Jaz over. We need one more hand.”

“He’s fucking hot, though, Cass. Hotter than Sean, I think. It’s close…but…yeah. Let’s ask Jasmine.”

“Ask me what?” Jasmine asked as she wobbled over.

“Yes or no—“ Kate said. “Is Jace hotter than Sean.
Go!”

“Yes. Maybe. Yes. Probably. I like how, like, freaking
manly
he is. Sean is all smooth operator hot, yeah. And he’s got that fire beneath—the man would melt your panties off, true—”

“Gross you guys! That is my damn brother! Damn, damn. Even three. From now on, if we use one swear word, we have to use an even three.”

“Fuck you, fuck her, fuck…other stuff. Right.” Kate pointed at Jasmine. “Your answer.”

“God, you love to celebrate the swearing.” Jasmine rolled her eyes, lost her balance, and barreled into Kate.

“Jaz!”

“Sorry. Anyway,
Jace will just
rip
the panties off. No sweet lines or charming smiles. He’ll give you a hot stare and rip them right off. Me likey.”

“If you guys keep this up, I am going to literally cat fight you. I don’t like this fantasy crap with my man.” Cassie held up a fist with one eye
still closed.

“C’mon, let’s
go back to the table and do these.” Kate gestured the other girls on. We are going to need to dance some of this off before we pass out. Or Ben throws up.”

As they got back to the table, Jace was focused on Ben. Cassie set the shots down and leaned into the side of him, prompting him to put his
hand on her thigh. “Cassie, you didn’t tell me Ben did those paintings in your house…”

“Yeah. Four of them, I think.”

Ben thought a moment. “Yes. Four. I think. She stuffs money in my pockets when she wants one. I try to gift it—what do I need so many for? But she’s pushy. Did you know that about her, Jace? Pushy. I am sorry to offend you.”

“Okay you sods, ant
e up!” Kate held up a shot.

“No.” Ben waggled his head, which was probably his drunken answer to shaking it. “Can’t.
Kaz, I am drunk. I will throw up. I can’t.”

“We’ll dance it off, Ben. You’ll be good. It’ll be okay.” Cassie thumped him on the back.

“No.” Ben waggled his head again and burped.

Cassie picked up
a shot, stared at a smiling Jace until he picked one up, and clinked glasses with the girls. “May Jace not run away screaming after tonight.”

“Amen!” K-Jaz chorused.

The table filled with coughing. “Ohhh,” Cassie wheezed, beating on her chest. “That was gross.”

She turned and stared at Ben. Ben waved his hands in front of his face. “No, Cas
s. I have to put my foot down. I just can’t. Please understand. It isn’t personal.”

“Ben, I hope you aren’t going to make me feed you a shot in front of my new boyfriend
, whom I love. I would hate to scare him.”

“Cassie, he knows you
’re crazy. You don’t need to prove it.” Ben put a hand over his mouth because he knew what was coming.

He was right.

Cassie took the shot and advanced. “You will take this shot, Ben. Take it. C’mon, Ben, take the shot. You have to!”

“This is her signature,” she heard Jasmine explain behind her.
“When she is drunk, this is what sets her apart from everyone else.”

“Peter hinted at it at the winery already.” Cassie could hear the laughter in
Jace’s voice. He wasn’t scared. Thank God. Maybe he would stick around.

Regardless, she had no control of her actions anymore. The party spirit had taken over.

She grabbed hold of Ben’s nose and pulled his head back.

“No Cas
s!” he mumbled through his hands.

“Jaz, get his hands!” Cassie instructed.

Jace started laughing.

Ben loosened his hands to fend Jasmine off, fighting to the last. Cassie was on it, though. She wiped his flailing arms out of the way and dipped the shot glass to his lips. “Take it!”

Knowing defeat, and not wanting to spill alcohol all down his front, Ben’s hands went limp. He let Cassie get the stinging liquid into his mouth. After, he gave Jace a baleful look. “You are a courageous man. A courageous man.”

Cassie and Jace fell in the door two hours later, sweaty and messy,
Jace’s shirt ripped at the shoulders, and Cassie down to a small singlet. It turned out, Jace could dance. Really well, actually. He moved his body with great rhythm, all the ladies in the bar staring at him as he worked his way around the dance floor. He could dance on his own or with her, always large and in charge.

There had been many threats to cut a bitch if they didn’t stop staring.

She and Jace stumbled into her room, tearing at each other’s clothes, desperate to get naked.

“I want it hard, Jace. I’m too drunk to feel soft.” Cassie ripped at his pants, pushing his slacks and boxer briefs down together. His large shaft sprung free, bouncing.

Cassie fell to her knees, taking it in a greedy gulp, pushing past her gag reflex as she looked up at him, porn star style. She rubbed along the hard stem wrapped in velvet for a few minutes before he bent and lifted her by her upper arms. He tossed her onto the bed.

“Where’s your toys?” h
e asked.

She ripped
off her bra as she pointed to her nightstand. “A bag at the bottom.”

“Light,” he instructed.

With an excited giggle, she rolled out of the bed and stumbled toward her dresser. She lit two candles on top and then flopped back onto the bed, the kinky factor rising as Jace looked through her naughty toys. She leaned against the pillows and spread her legs, knees in the air, rubbing her sex to spread the wetness around.

Jace
saw her movements, his wild hunger rising. He took out the smaller of two vibrators. He put them on the nightstand and reached for her. He grabbed her ankle and pulled. Her body slid across the bed, her hair fanning out behind her.

He
lined her up at the edge and, with his hand on the base of his manhood, guided into her wetness. “Hmm,” he said, leaning into her body until he was in as deep as he could go. He thrust a few times as he licked his fingers, placing them on her nipple and tweaking.

Eyes fluttering, she arched up, enjoying the heat working into her core.
She didn’t get long to bask in it, though. He pulled out, his sex glistening, before pulling her off of the bed. He ripped the comforter off, completely. “Do you love these sheets?”

“No. They’re expendable.”

Jace turned to her quickly, grabbed her in a cradle, and threw her back onto the bed. He grabbed the items on the dresser and climbed in after her, pouring some oil into his palm and rubbing it up her body. His strong hands kneaded her, heightening the heat tightening her core. He rubbed over her breasts, focusing on her nipples until she was writhing in pleasure, before taking his hands away and rubbing some lotion on himself.