that he’d take care of her now.
There were several problems with that and they buzzed heavily in his mind as he rose from the bed, tore off the condom and disposed of it. Not bothering with his underwear, he crawled back onto the bed and pulled Bethany into his arms before reaching down to pull the covers over both of them.
He didn’t want to scare the hell out of her and he had a very good idea that she wasn’t like other women. She was different. Somehow more fragile. The last thing he wanted was to push her too hard and scare her away.
The other problem was . . . Ash. What the hell to do about his best friend? A friend he shared everything with and had never had a problem sharing a woman with.
Never again would he share Bethany with Ash.
He closed his eyes, inhaling her sweet scent as he surrounded her with him, with his touch. Hell, who was he fooling? It wasn’t that he was surrounding her with him. No, he was surrounding himself with . . . her.
He sighed, knowing that this wasn’t going to be easy. It was likely going to be messy as hell. He’d talk with Ash in the morning. Let his friend know how he felt and go from there. He had no idea how Ash would respond. It wasn’t as if this had ever come up between them. They were always so in tune with each other. Jace had never had to worry that he would tire of a woman before Ash or vice versa. Or that he’d want a woman Ash wouldn’t. They were in sync. Their bond went deeper than simple friendship.
Only now, things had changed in a huge way. Ash was his friend. His brother. As close to him as Mia. And yet for the first time, Jace sought to cut him out of the picture. He wanted no part of Ash when it came to Bethany. And that was fucked up. He knew it was fucked up. But it didn’t change a damn thing.
He just hoped to hell that Ash would understand. He had to.
He glanced down at Bethany, knowing he’d been quiet. He’d said nothing to her since Ash had left, other than he had to take care of the condom. Not exactly romantic.
Fuck it all. He was worried about being romantic?
He shouldn’t have worried. Bethany was sound asleep, her eyelashes resting gently on her cheeks. He sucked in his breath at how beautiful—and vulnerable—she looked. He was instantly assailed by a fierce surge of protectiveness that defied explanation.
Whatever this was between them, it wasn’t going away. It was here, tangible and solid. Now he just had to figure out how to play this out, because when morning came, he was not letting her go.
Chapter six
Jace came awake with none of the sharpness he usually possessed. He was a habitual early riser. He didn’t even own an alarm clock. He woke every morning at the same time no matter whether it was a workday or not.
This morning, however, he roused reluctantly, his body loose and sated, contentment slogging through his veins. He reached automatically for Bethany, wanting the feel of her skin beneath his fingers.
Finding only an empty spot, he frowned and came more fully awake, rising up on his elbow to stare at the very vacant space next to him. The only evidence she’d been there was the indented pillow, though she’d spent the majority of the night with her head nestled on his shoulder, her body curled into his side.
How the hell had Bethany gotten out of bed without him knowing it? He shook his head and threw his legs over the edge of the mattress. He pushed upward, stretching as he went in search of her.
He ambled into the living room of the suite, rubbing his hand over his nape and up into his hair. It was completely silent. And empty.
His gaze went to the closed door of the second bedroom just across the living room and he was struck by the thought that it was very possible Bethany was inside that room. In bed with Ash. He clenched his fists and inhaled sharply. He strode across the distance and hesitated once he reached the door, his hand hovering over the handle.
The very last thing he wanted to see was Bethany in Ash’s arms. Rage sizzled hot in his blood. He sucked in several breaths in an attempt to get control. His