Chapter 7

Even though I wasn't so turned on that I'd lose control, if Jace answered the phone or left right now, I'd be mortified.

He swallowed hard and grabbed his phone, pressing the button to hang up. He continued kissing my neck and collarbone.

But the phone rang again a second later. I knew that if he didn't answer, there would be no peace for either of us.

Turning my face to the side, I said, "You should answer it."

Jace looked uneasy. He pulled the blanket over me, picked up the phone, and walked to the balcony.

Even though he closed the sliding door, I could still hear him.

"I can't come over. Ask the nurse to help you.

"I didn't say I wouldn't take care of you... I know it's my fault...

"Fine, stop crying. I'm coming, I'll be there soon."

Then I heard the click of a lighter.

Jace was smoking.

For the first time, he was smoking at home.

It was nearly ten minutes before Jace returned. The air was tinged with the tobacco smell.

His eyes looked uneasy as he said, "Um... I have to go out for a bit. It's Tanya, she's in the hospital, and there's no one to look after her..."

For once, he didn't lie to me or try to hide the truth.

A chill spread through my body under the blanket. "Is it appropriate for you, a man, to take care of her?"

"I'm just going to find a caregiver for her," Jace said, straightening his clothes.

I knew I couldn't keep him here. Embarrassment and sadness welled up inside me. "Jace."

"Hmm?" He looked up at me, his eyes still uneasy. He must've been afraid that I'd cling to him and not let him go.

As a business magnate of Seavora, he had never shown fear. Yet here he was, nervous and uncertain in front of me.

In that moment, the words I wanted to say stuck in my throat.

I forced a bitter smile and said, "Be careful on the road."

After saying that, I curled up under the blanket and closed my eyes.

A moment later, I heard Jace's footsteps approaching. He kissed my forehead.

When his lips left, he whispered, "I'm sorry..."

So he knew this would hurt me, yet he still did it. Maybe my constant forgiveness made him think that hurting me once or twice was no big deal.

Jace left, but the desire he ignited inside me hadn't died down. I submerged myself in the bathtub to cool it down.

I was lying in the tub, staring blankly. As the last bit of my emotional turmoil finally faded away, Lena's call came through.

"What's Jace doing in my department? Who is that Tanya Twain to him?"

I wasn't surprised that Lena knew, and I didn't hide the truth from her.

Lena instantly got angry. "He's your fiancé, but he's going to take care of a widow in person? Is he out of his mind? Doesn't he know that will bring unnecessary trouble? Why would he get involved?" Even Lena thought it was inappropriate.

I didn't mind sharing my humiliation with her. "What if I tell you he left right in the middle of something?"

Lena was stunned for a few seconds. "Did you two do it?"

"No, we only got halfway," I said, feeling like a fool as the words left my mouth.

"Damn!" Lena, usually so elegant, swore loudly. "Jace can stop halfway even with his pants off? If it's not that he can't do it, then it's..."

She trailed off, not finishing her thought.

She didn't say it, but I understood. She meant that Jace didn't love me enough.

If he loved me, he wouldn't have left me like that. If he loved me, he wouldn't be spending the night with Tanya.

It was sad for Tanya losing Desmond, and it was right for Jace to take care of his close friend's widow, but he had crossed a line.

"You are thinking about giving up on him, right? Then just let him go and find someone better," Lena advised me.

I stayed silent. 'Giving up on Jace is simple, but what about his family?'

Now his family felt like my own. Matthew and Lindey treated me like their daughter.

They had raised me all these years. Lindey, especially, was like a mother to me. She was the one who taught me what to do when I got my first period and washed my stained clothes for me.

Lena seemed to get why I was quiet. "Rea, maybe we're overthinking this. Think about how good Jace has been to you over the years.

"Everywhere he goes, he says you're his fiancée. Maybe he's just being super nice, taking care of a widow.

"I don't think he'd cheat on you with a pregnant widow. He wouldn't want to be a stepdad, right?"

But I thought about the way Tanya looked at Jace. "What if she's the one in love with him?"

"What?" Lena was surprised for a second, then sighed. "That's not impossible. Jace is the perfect guy for a lot of women, especially a widow like her.

"He really needs to keep his distance from her, especially now.

"When a woman is vulnerable, even a little kindness can become her lifeline, something she clings to desperately."

Lena paused for a moment before adding, "I'll keep an eye on things tonight and make sure nothing happens."

I realized that Lena was only working a temporary shift. "No, you should rest after your shift. You can't keep watch forever. If something's really going on between them, then..."

I paused, thinking about Jace's recent behavior, before finishing my sentence. "...then it's probably been happening for a while."

Lena snorted. "True, but Rea, don't get too caught up in this. If Jace really cheats on you, just cut him off and move on. You haven't lost a thing. Trust me, you're an absolute gem and can definitely find someone better."

"Heh," I laughed. 'If that's the case, should I be grateful that Jace has kept our relationship proper and restrained all these years?'

I purposely yawned and ended the call with Lena.

On nights like this, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. By dawn, Jace still hadn't come back.

I had an early field assignment today, so I got up early and left before Matthew and Lindey woke up. Leaving so early was partly to avoid their questions.

Jace's room renovation was real, but Lindey's real goal was to create a romantic atmosphere for Jace and me to take things to the next level.

But their hopes were dashed, and for me, that was also humiliating.

As a woman, if you couldn't get a guy to drop his pants, it could feel like a total fail.

Around eight o'clock, just as I arrived at RiverwaveCorp's business partner's office, Jace called.

I stared at the number, hesitated for a few seconds, and didn't answer.