Chapter 8 Let Loose

Jace turned to Kiera, his hand still on her waist as they left. "What was that all about?" he asked in a whisper as concern etched on his features.

Kiera shook her head, not wanting to think about it. Instead, she focused on Jace, taking in every inch of him.

"You should come with me," he said suddenly. "I can make sure you're safe."

Kiera hesitated, uncertain whether it was a good idea to follow a stranger. But there was something about Jace that made her feel as though she could trust him.

"Okay," she said softly as she nodded.

He gave her a reassuring smile and Kiera couldn’t help but feel grateful for his timing.

She felt safe with him like she had finally found someone who could protect her from the dangers that lurked in the shadows.

By the time they arrived at his private bar and made their way to the shelf where they sat on their respective stools, Jace let her have her way and drown her sorrows with a few drinks while her lips fed him with her problems.

Thanks to the fact that Kiera was a light drinker, it did not take long for her state to grow from tipsy to drunk.

The air was thick with laughter and music but Kiera felt detached from it all.

Each glass she had drank, left her unsteady, a reflection of the turmoil inside her. She desperately needed someone to lean on, someone, who would understand her struggles.

Luckily, Jace was there. He was all she needed.

Refilling her glass, she picked it up, bringing it to her lips when Jace snatched the glass of wine from her and emptied its content in his mouth.

“Not fair,” she pouted cutely as she battered her eyelashes at him.

“Kii, what’s not fair is me letting you drink yourself to a stupor,” Jace explained as he reached for her hand.

With their fingers gently brushing against each other, Kiera’s heart skipped a beat from the feelings as her memories suddenly flooded back—memories she had tucked away in the deepest corners of her mind.

Her eyes widened, the realization dawning on her. She never thought she would see him again after all these years. But fate had a way of playing its games.

Kiera turned so they were sitting face to face and suddenly grabbed Jace's arm, her voice trembling with emotion. "Jace… oh my God, it's you. I thought I'd never see you again. I am so sorry for not recognizing you instantly.”

Jace's frustration flickered across his face, barely contained beneath his attempt at a reassuring smile while his brows creased into a mild frown.

He wasn’t happy she did not recall at first and he wasn’t going to let her off the hook.

"Kiera, it's been so long but I can't believe you barely remembered me,” he complained.

"I... I'm sorry, Jace. There are so many things I've tried to forget. But I recall and right now I just need someone to talk to, someone who understands."

Jace nodded, his concern deepening. "Of course, Kiera. I'm here for you. Always have been, always will be."

“Everything has been a big mess, Jace. I am so tired,” Kiera lamented as she stared into his charming blue eyes.

Her presence alone evoked a mix of emotions within him, and he struggled to compose himself. His gaze fell on her dishevelled appearance and tear-streaked face and his heart clenched.

At that moment, something shifted between them as their gazes locked with an intensity that defied words.

Time seemed to stand still as a wave of desire surged through her veins, her heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation and longing, leaving the world around them to fade into a blur.

The more Kiera stared into Jace’s eyes, the harder it became to resist the magnetic pull drawing her towards him.

Throwing caution to the wind, Kiera leaned in and pressed her lips on his leaving thousands of sparks ignited in her stomach.

For a moment there, Jace stiffened as his eyes remained unblinking. Kiera, on the other hand, let her eyelashes flutter to a close and poked at his lips, begging silently for an entrance.

Everything had happened so fast, that Jace did not know when he parted his lips, welcoming her warm tongue as their lips locked in a perfect kiss.

In that stolen moment, their lips danced in perfect harmony, their breaths mingling, and the world melted away, leaving only the intoxicating taste of their forbidden connection.

For years, Jace had secretly harboured feelings for Kiera, his love kept hidden beneath the shadows. He had followed her news from afar, believing she had found happiness and decided to wish her well.

Now that he learned the truth—that her life had been a nightmare, overshadowed by the pain inflicted by her husband, he felt all his restraints begin to snap and his hidden desire, resurface.

She pulled back long enough to stare into his eyes, To Jace's surprise, a single teardrop fell from her eyelid, rolling down her cheek once more.

“Hey.”

At once he used his finger to wipe her tears away but more flowed and when she opened her mouth to speak, her voice trembled, laced with anguish and vulnerability as she let out her struggles.

Just listening to her suffering, Jace's heart ached for her. He wanted to protect her, to shield her from the darkness that had consumed her life, but he knew he had to tread carefully.

“I promise you, I'll be here for you. You deserve happiness, and I'll do everything in my power to help you find it."

Kiera nodded, her tears mingling with a bittersweet smile. “I've longed for this attraction, for someone to make me feel desired and protected."

His eyes softened and he listened. "Am I that terrible? What does she have that I do not? Why does Nicholas treat her better than he does me?”

“Kiera.”

She shook her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked at Jace, “Do not tell me it is okay. I'm lost in my marriage, suffocated by my husband's indifference. Education, family background and looks, everything she cannot compare to me yet he…"

Her voice broke and she bit her lower lip, forcing the scream that threatened to break free.

“Why?! What did I do wrong? Who did I offend, Jace? Why am I not good enough? Tell me, why?”

Quickly, Jace held her arm, forcing her to look at him. “Stop it, Kiera. You are more than good. You are every man’s dream.”

“But not his," she cut in.

“Who needs a scum? You deserve better. To be loved, cherished, adored, worshipped, showered with kisses and…”

“Then do it,” she interjected swiftly.

“What?”

Biting her lower lip, she held his gaze, her eyes filled with a mixture of longing and desperation.

And at that moment, she surrendered to her desires, leaning in and capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. Jace's eyes widened with surprise a second time, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions.

He wanted to resist, to respect the boundaries of their friendship, but his love for Kiera overwhelmed his every sense.

And in no time, he too reciprocated her kiss, feeling intoxicated by her scent and breath.

Their kiss deepened, a subtle blend of need and longing. Feeling the alcohol kick in and throwing away her reasoning, Kiera reached down between them and fumbled with the zipper of Jace's trousers.

‘Fuck!’ Jace cussed in his mind as their breath became hotter and heavier.

Her fingers brushed lightly across his manhood through his trousers as she broke the kiss slightly to moan.

“You’re going to make me go crazy, Ki.”

“Great. That’s what I need.”

Her lips crashed on his once more.

Jace's mind raced, torn between his desire and the weight of the situation. He questioned whether it was right to give in, knowing that Kiera was intoxicated and vulnerable.

Breaking the kiss, Jace held Kiera's face in his hands, his voice laced with desperation. "Kiera, we can't do this. Not like this.”

Her fingers slid up on his chest and he sucked in a deep breath, trying to keep his mind focused on what mattered most.

“You're married, and I can't let this happen without you being fully aware of your actions."

“I… I want…to.” He grabbed her hands with little force, while his free hand snaked into her hair to keep her head in place.

Jace's heart both ached and longed for her but he knew better than to go through with it.

"Kiera, we can't go any further,” he said, trying to reach her mind.

Unfortunately for him, her desire had escalated and she wanted nothing more than to have him.

Pushing past his hold, she captured his lips once more with her hands playing on his erect manhood and his chest.

He sucked in a deep breath. With how heated things had gone, there was one way this could play out and he had all he needed with the shelf acting as a good ground for their crazy desires.