now,” I whispered.
“I don’t want to get rid of her.” Jace looked down at me, and the emotion in his eyes made my throat catch.
And damn if I didn’t want to keep him, too.
By the time we got home, after half the car ride listening to Hay talk about her panda, Hayden was sound asleep. Jace carried her up to her bed and took off her shoes. I covered her up and gave her a kiss.
“I’ve got to go,” he whispered. “Or we’ll do things with her here that she’s not ready for.”
I walked him to the front door. “Thank you for doing this for Hayden,” I said softly.
“I’d do anything for her. And you.”
I stared into his eyes. He meant his words. “Have a good night,” he said, then pressed a sweet kiss to my lips.
After I closed the door and locked it, knowing he was standing outside waiting to hear the locks engage, I pressed my back to the door and clutched my chest as happy tears pricked at my eyes.
Yep. There was no doubt about it. I was head over heels in love with that man.
18
Jace
My mom showed up in my kitchen just as I shuffled in for coffee. “Hey,” I said groggily. “Do I smell coffee?”
The visiting clan members had been gone when I got back from seeing Popo with my girls. As was our custom, they left my place looking a little cleaner than before they’d come, even though I’d had my monthly cleaning lady come by and do an extra once-over.
If I’d stayed in someone else’s house, I would’ve done my best to leave it in pristine condition as well. At least Mom didn’t have anything to fuss at me about. There wasn’t a dish in the sink or a speck of dust to be found, even now, a week later. I’d worked a late shift in the bar last night. Hayden had been feeling bad over the weekend, so Bri and I had gone another weekend without seeing each other. I was beginning to get desperate to see her again.
“Tell me about your progress with your human mate,” Mom said as she set pastries and a huge coffee on the table. “Sit.”
I downed two crullers and gulped the piping hot coffee before answering. “Really, really, beyond expectations well. I think that if she can get over the shock of being told about dragons, she’ll accept me as her mate. I’ve been mulling over when and how to tell her.”
“I’m so happy for you. I watched you over the clan meet weekend. I’ve never seen you look so content and settled, and that was without her even being there.”
I wondered if she’d seen Porter. I tried to keep them apart somewhat since I still hadn’t told her about him. I just didn’t know how to broach the subject. By the end of the weekend, I was fairly sure she hadn’t spotted him.
“She said my skin is often hot to the touch, but she dismissed it. I told her it was something I knew, and she just let it go.”
Mom nodded. “We only have experience with telling the alpha’s new mate. There’s no telling how this human will react. It may be necessary to get Sammy’s help.”
I sighed. “I hope not. I’ll discuss it with her, though. Maybe she’ll have an idea of the best way to go about it.”
She sipped her coffee and eyed me. “Just be prepared for possible blowback.”
“She’s friends with Skye. Maybe she’ll take it as well as Skye did.”
Mom smiled. “If she does freak out, be patient with her. It’ll be a shock, however well you manage to break it to her.”
Mom gathered up the trash after we discussed Aunt Missy’s upcoming birthday. “Well, I’ll leave you to it,” she said. “Good luck with your girl, and for heaven’s sake, don’t make me come chase you down next time.”
She tossed the bag in the trash but paused when someone knocked on my back door.
I knew who was on the other side. I sensed him. The very last person I’d have wanted to show up with my mom here. My brother.
Mom looked at me with raised eyebrows. “Aren’t you going to get that?” she asked.
I gaped at her.
“Jace.” She looked at me like I’d grown an extra head. “Don’t be rude. Answer the door.”
Damn it. I stood and walked to the door, opening it, and blocking the view as best I could.
Porter crowded inside. “I’ve got some information on Damon that