Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“Never better,” he replied tightly before returning to the table and rejoining my friends. I stood next to the counter, gripping the edge and oscillating between the instinct to tell everyone I wasn’t feeling well and the other option— taking the seat next to Jace and revelling in the neediness he so effortlessly drew out of me.
Thankfully, Zara chose that very moment to call down the stairs, “Mam, where are my purple pyjamas?”
“I’ll get them for you now,” I called back before addressing Jace and my friends. “I’m just going to put her to bed. I’ll be back down in a few minutes.”
“I can do that,” Jace offered, but I shook my head.
“It’s fine. I need to search for the pyjamas, and you won’t know where to look.”
He sat back and nodded, while I left the room and went upstairs. I didn’t even mind that my friends were probably grilling Jace about being back from his tour and what his plans were moving forward. I couldn’t trust myself not to do something stupid, especially with how attractive I found him tonight. And let’s face it, all the time.
I took my time helping Zara with her bedtime routine before finally returning downstairs. To my dismay, my friends were gathering their things to leave. I glanced at the clock. Was it ten already? Time flew when you were avoiding your ex—and the lust he inspired.
“You’re leaving?” I asked as I went to give them each a hug.
“You know I don’t like to miss my eleven o’clock bedtime,” Ozzie said with grin. The man had become obsessed with this sleep expert who preached about the importance of going to bed at the exact same hour every night.
“We’re meeting at my place next time,” Lotte said. “Don’t forget.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
“I’ll stop by for coffee on Monday morning,” Margie said with a grin and a wink. Thankfully, she didn’t mention her reason for stopping by was so that we could discuss how my date with Rufus went. I was really nervous about Sunday.
Before I knew it, I was alone with Jace. Shutting my front door after waving goodbye to my friends, I returned to the kitchen and found him tidying up.
“I can finish that. You should get going,” I said, and his eyes lifted as he carried some glasses over to the dishwasher.
“I don’t mind.”
I stood watching him for a minute, unsure how to approach Jace being in my house this late at night. A tingly shiver tiptoed down my spine. There was something appealing about a man as sexy and handsome as Jace doing household chores. “Oh, just a heads up,” he said, breaking the quiet, “that mother you mentioned, the one with the ponytail? She introduced herself to me at the school today.”
I grimaced. “Laura? What did she want?”
Jace placed the final glass in the dishwasher and closed the door. “She mentioned organising a play date between Zara and her daughter and asked for my number.”
I’ll bloody bet she did. Pressing my lips together in annoyance, I asked, “And did you give it to her?”
Jace shot me a wry look. “Course I didn’t. This isn’t my first rodeo. I told her that if Zara wanted to hang out with her kid, she could arrange everything with you.”
His reply had a smile pulling at the corners of my lips. “You did?”
He nodded and started to smile, too. “Oh, she’s pleased with that.”
“I’m just happy to hear that Laura didn’t get her way on at least one occasion in her life. The woman is a terror. She has all the parents petrified of stepping out of line. Last year, one parent tried suggesting a tracksuit version of the school uniform that the kids could wear to be more comfortable if they chose. His daughter has autism, and wearing the full uniform was causing difficulties. Laura launched a massive campaign against the suggestion, and the father was beaten into submission, metaphorically speaking.”
His smile faded as he studied me. “That’s messed up. She ever try that kind of shit with you?”
I shook my head. “I make sure to stay in my lane and avoid her. I also keep my distance from the parents’ association. They’re not my kind of people, plus they’re all super nosy and know that my ex-husband is a famous rockstar.” I waggled my eyebrows at him, and he laughed. “If I went to their meetings, they’d just use it as an opportunity to grill me about you and the rest of the band.”
Jace frowned. “I’m sorry you have to do that because of me.”
I shrugged. “I don’t mind. Even if it weren’t for you being Zara’s dad, I’d still avoid them.”
“Well, parents’ association aside, it seems like a great school, and Zara has tons of friends.”
“It is. She loves it there.”
A small quiet fell, and we simply stood, a few feet between us, before I remembered I needed to ask a favour. Normally, I’d ask it of his mother, but since Jace and I were now dealing with one another directly, I’d have to make the request of him instead.