Unstoppable (Fierce) (31 page)

His fingers were tender as they reclaimed the flesh that had always been meant to be his. I resp
onded with soft gasps and moans that encouraged him to venture lower. He eased my black jeans over my hips, baring me under the colorful skyline passing overhead. The light danced along my skin, highlighting the faded bruises. Jace placed gentle kisses along each old wound. “Never again,” he murmured.

I grasped the armrests as his hot breath parted my very core.
His tongue was firm and nimble as it slid easily along the slippery skin, making my thighs tremble from all the sensations spreading throughout my body. His mouth clamped down on me as he threaded two fingers together to enter my body where I ached for him the most. “Jace,” I groaned. “I need you.”

He lifted his head as his fingers touched that hidden spot deep inside. “You have me, baby,” he murmured softly.
“Always.”

His eyes never left my face as his fingers toyed with me until I dissolved into a quivering mess
underneath him. I couldn’t help myself as I cried out, even though the world raced on in fast forward just outside of the car.

I pulled him up my body, tearing his jeans away with one impatient hand. He sprang forward, full and hard, into my fingers, and gasped when my hand closed around him.

I was too crazed to tease him. It had been too long. I needed him inside of me or else I felt I might shatter into a million pieces.

He was in no position to argue. I knew he ached for me from the deep moans in his throat as I guided him where I needed him to be. He plunged inside of me with a decisive grunt. “Jordi,” he said as he buried his face in my neck. “God, it’s always been you
. There’s never been anyone who even came close. Tell me you believe that.”

“
I believe you,” I whispered. “And it’s always been you, too,” I assured him. “No matter what.”

He nodded as he began to stroke. He touched my
lips with his finger, before bending for another deep kiss. I closed my ankles around his hips, urging him deeper.

He looked deep in my eyes as he watched my face, as if carving this very moment onto his memory. I could barely breathe as I lost myself in the intensity of his gaze
. “I love feeling you all around me,” he murmured. “You were made for me. I knew it the first moment I touched you.”

I clutched him closer. “I knew it, too,” I confessed. “I
was just afraid to believe someone like you could love someone like me.”

He traced my face as he softly began to sing. “
She doesn’t know
, s
he can’t believe… she’d find the person that would never leave
.
She hangs onto the past and every ghost, all lies that hide who loves her most. She’s beautiful but she can’t see just how perfect she is to me.”

My eyes widened. It was the son
g Vanni sang to me in New York. What other surprises did this man have in store for me?

“It’s my song, Jordi,” he confessed softly. “And you’re the reason I sing.”

I pulled him down for another kiss. I knew in that moment I could never love anyone the way I loved Jace Riga.

My lover.
My hero.

My heart.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Denver, Colorado

April 8, 2012

Jace’s
absence that first night in Vegas was explained away as a family emergency, which – surprisingly – most folks bought without a fuss. I knew PING had to be scrambling, digging for extra dirt, but so far no one was talking – probably on pain of death from Vanni.

And, d
espite my greatest fear, I didn’t wake up to a leaked sex tape and more scandal by morning. It seemed, for now, Eddie’s threat had been nullified by all the leverage that secret security cam in my dressing room gave us.

Andy and Vanni definitely believed in fighting fire with fire. It made me even sorrier I didn’t open up to them sooner in what was going on. I also got a video conference lecture from Graham, who, along with Maggie, reiterated
that I could come to them at any time about anything, that we were a family now and that I could trust them to take care of me.

How could I tell them I simply wasn’t used to anyone
looking after me? All my life I had been emotionally on my own.

Having them neatly sweep up the mess I had made was a completely new experience.

But I knew our reprieve would be short lived. Jace stated his intent clearly: we were a couple now, and the whole world was about to know it. Once I filed for divorce, it would all be common knowledge anyway, and he was intent that I do that as soon as we made it back to California. Jace had even researched how to do it, keeping this information in his pocket until such time as it was needed.

He had waited long enough, he said. He was ready to show me off to the world, damn what the press or anyone else had to say about it.

That included Eddie himself. And though he hadn’t contacted anyone yet, I knew better than to trust his absence from my life entirely. No doubt Eddie would want spousal support, though who knew if he’d have the cajones to ask for it after the beat down he had received courtesy of “Bionic Boy.”

I was just thankful we never had property together or had any kids. I was willing to throw as much money at the problem as necessary to get the wheels in motion. T
he proceedings would begin by the end of the tour, and then I would finally be free of Eddie Nix.

And I was totally ready to be rid of him.
After we had our reunion in the limo, Jace moved all his things into my hotel room for the rest of our stay in Vegas. It was only for a day, and we worked practically from sun up to midnight, but it still felt like a long overdue honeymoon.

Our bi
ggest challenge had been deciding when to tell Shelby the details about what had happened. It had to be soon, because Jace and I would be traveling together the remaining weeks of the tour. It was only right to be open and honest with her before the rumor mill finally caught up to us.

I
had wanted to do it together, but Jace felt the blow would be softer coming from him alone. He knew that the ambiguous way he had to keep her close had ultimately led her on, and he felt like a shit about it. He never encouraged her feelings beyond friendship, but he hated having to lie to her at any point about anything. That just wasn’t the kind of guy he was.

Yet it was tricky to unravel the huge tangled mess.
Given she had already cut herself once, there was no telling how she’d take the news that the man she wanted most was in love with the woman who threatened her the most.

On top of all that
I finally confided in Jace about her binging and purging, and sadly he was not surprised. He had always found her distorted view of her own slender body troubling. That meant we had to handle her very carefully. It wasn’t so much a right way or a wrong way, but a safe way.

We finally decided to wait until after our final, sold-out show in Vegas
, so no more performances would be compromised.

It wasn’t like I could object
to whatever he suggested. We had done things on my timetable for nearly a year. I could give him one more night.

In the meantime I had him all to myself. As anxious as I was for us to go public with our relationship and stop sneaking around, I wanted one more night when I didn’t have to share him with the world. He turned off his phone and I t
urned off mine, and we left reality and all its problems just outside the door.

I was the first to arrive in Denver
the next day. After what happened in Vegas, Terrell was a lot more open-minded about my set change. Randy had a lot to do with his change of heart. He suggested a Bon Jovi hit about touring, which would show off my voice in a new way with more melodic rock.

Likewise he suggested the title track from a Journey album, which would require a bit more rehearsal time. I flew from Vegas to Denver, where I planned to work as many hours in the day as it took to have a polished show by Friday. It was our second to last stop on the tour, and I really wanted to go out with a bang.

Jace planned to stay behind. Not only did he want to come clean to Shelby about our relationship, he was going to dump the T&L endorsement as well. Shelby could continue if she wanted to, but Jace had never been comfortable with their size discrimination, especially after the CEO made the comments he did.

“It’s because of people like Phillip
Larabee that girls like Shelby binge and purge,” he told me as we lay in bed that Sunday morning. “They perpetuate this myth that a woman’s value is associated with the size clothes she wears. And every time I appear in one of their ads or take their money, then I’m agreeing.”

I no longer argued with him. We had entered a new phase in our relationship. He got to choose what was right for him. There could be no partners where there were saviors and victims. If we wanted to strengthen what we had and stand the test of time, we had to walk side by side.

So with that trust, I left him to do what he felt was best with Shelby and with T&L. I had plenty to keep me busy with the actual business of touring.

He flew in by Sunday
afternoon and met me at the venue. We worked together to choreograph the new songs, and it was clear to everyone associated with the tour that we were now officially a couple. He no longer withheld kisses, hugs or possessive touches that clearly staked his claim.

I was a little concerned that Shelby hadn’t flown in with him, but he was tight-lipped about it until we got to the hotel that evening. We now shared a room openly, and though it was no longer officially a secret relationship, we ordered room service to avoid any paparazzi drama.

He took me into his arms the minute the door closed. “God, I’ve missed you,” he said into my hair.

“It was only twelve hours,” I reminded him with a smile.

“Twelve hours, twelve minutes… twelve seconds. I’m not wasting any more time with you.” His lips covered mine and I swooned a little against him.

True to his word he lifted me up into his arms and carried to the bed. When we finally got around to ordering said room service, it was closer to midnight.

While we were waiting for the food, I finally asked him, “So how did it go with Shelby?”

He sighed as he leaned back against the headboard. “It wasn’t pretty,” he admitted. “There was a lot of crying and a little screaming. She felt so betrayed that we didn’t trust her enough to tell her the truth.”

It was my turn to sigh as I snuggled in the crook of his arm. “I really made a mess of things, didn’t I?”

“Eddie made a mess of things,” he clarified. “But yeah. Your choices have consequences the same way mine do. We can’t change the past so we have to do what we can to make things up to the people we’ve wronged so we can all move on.”

“I’ll talk to her when she gets here on Wednesday,” I promised. “I really want to salvage my friendship with her, Jace. It really was like having a sister. I miss it.”

He smoothed my hair out of my face. “You’re a good person, Jordi. You’ve got a good heart.”

“Too bad I make stupid mistakes,” I quipped.

“Yeah, too bad.
We’ll have to have you horsewhipped,” he said before he slapped my ass with his hand. “Or maybe I could just give you a spanking.”

I laughed as I pulled him down on top of me. “You can do anything you want with me,” I promised bravely.

“If that’s the case,” he started with a playful growl and proceeded to tickle me until I nearly peed my pants. When he finally showed mercy me, I struggled to catch my breath. He eyes softened as he looked down at me. “If that’s the case,” he repeated, “then I think I’ll love you.”

I stared at him in wonder. He was offering the moon and the stars and all the heavens, and I still didn’t know what I did to deserve any of it. “I’ll take it,” I said as I pulled him down for another kiss.

Over the next couple of days we fell into a comfortable pattern. We’d work hard for at least twelve hours at a stretch for the tour, before retiring to our room for some much needed couple time. It was such a treat to be able to sleep next to him. Sometimes I reached over and caressed him just to feel the warmth of his body underneath my hand. He felt so solid and real.

Likewise he would not let me far from his sight. He constantly had his arm around me or my hand in his. It was as though he feared if we weren’t touching one of us would simply disappear and the fairy tale would be over.

By Wednesday, rumors had leaked.

FIERCE WINNER IN RUMORED RELATIONSHIP WITH RIVAL, SWEETHEART SHELBY GODDARD REPORTEDLY CRUSHED!

FIERCE DIVA’S MARRIAGE FINALLY HITS THE SKIDS!

STAR CROSSED LOVERS SHACK UP FOR A ROMANTIC RENDEZ VOUS IN COLORADO!

I could only imagine what the rumors were doing to Shelby, which made me feel like an even bigger heel. Why did my happiness have to cost her hers? We weren’t in competition with each other anymore. There had to be a way we could all find our happily ever after.

I honestly wasn’t even sure if she’d make it to Colorado, but she showed up that Wednesday afternoon, pale and sickly. Jace immediately went to see if she was all right, and she assured him she was.