Embers of Torment (Power and Passion #2)

Chapter 11

Della

M y stomach fluttered like I'd swallowed a kaleidoscope of butterflies as I walked through the lobby to the bank of elevators on Jace's side of our apartment complex. The earth-toned communal space connected my six-story building to Jace's eighteen-story tower. When the doors opened, I stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the second floor.

Reaching my destination, I strolled toward the fitness center, trying to appear calm and relaxed, even though the incessant fluttering increased with each forward step. My finger went to my bottom lip, tracing its outline as I neared the entrance. All I'd been able to think about since last night was Jace's titillating kiss. It wasn't aggressive or rough like most of the guys I'd dated, theirs making it clear where their minds were heading. Jace's was different. It was soft and inviting, letting me choose how far to take it. He didn't try to force my mouth open. I did it willingly, giving him an eager response.

That was before I realized what the bejesus I was doing and had to will myself to end it, even though my body was screaming not to stop.

And now I was acting like a nervous Nellie, feeling uncomfortably timid and anxious at the prospect of seeing him again.

Opening the glass door, I scanned the gym and its variety of equipment. Plenty of people were working out, but none of them were Jace. Disappointed, my shoulders drooped as I walked across the tan-and-orange patterned carpet tiles toward the wellness studio.

Jace said he'd be here, so w hy did he bail on his workout? Did my abrupt ending of our kiss irritate him? But that didn't make sense. Jace didn't seem like that type of person.

I entered the exercise class, mulling over Jace's reason. I jumped when someone cleared their throat behind me.

"It's about time you got here."

I spun around to see Jace grinning at me, that darn, sexy-looking lock of ginger hair falling across his forehead like usual. He gave me an elaborate bow, then motioned with a sweep of his arm to the back of the room.

"Your humble workout partner at your service. Although I do hope you'll grant me the favor of exercising in the back row rather than the front. I prefer to minimize the number of gawkers enjoying my missteps until I figure out what I'm doing."

My unease evaporated, and I couldn't help but laugh at Jace's playful expression and comments. He seemed to hold no bad feelings toward me over what happened last night—at least, none that I was aware of based on his antics.

"Well, Hortensia? Are you prepared to be amused at my expense?" Jace said, sounding cheeky.

"Okay, you can stop with the dramatics." I hooked my arm in his and zig-zagged around the other participants as I walked him to the mirrored wall. "I'm sure you'll do fine. I doubt you're clumsy, and I bet you can dance."

I set my backpack on the wood flooring. Jace followed my lead, setting the one he brought next to mine.

"We're about to find out, aren't we?" Jace hilariously waggled his eyebrows, making me burst out laughing.

Naomi from the fourth floor stepped into line beside us. Smiling, she eyed Jace and leaned toward me. "Della, your friend is adorable."

I moved closer and whispered, "I know, but don't tell him that. I don't want to inflate his ego." We both giggled. I turned to Jace, catching his raised brow. Ignoring it, I smiled pleasantly. "Are you ready for this? It'll be an energetic workout."

"Not in the slightest. No laughing at me, either. Deal?"

"Deal."

Our instructor, Georgia, welcomed everyone. Positioning herself in front, she turned on the music and started us with some warmup stretches, followed by an easy dance. Once we went through the various steps, they repeated, giving Jace a chance to learn the basics. A new song came on with more vibrant beats and challenging moves. Jace did well for someone who hadn't attended a hip-hop exercise class before. He went the wrong way a few times but got the hang of it quickly enough, although he was routinely a half beat behind.

The hour flew by, and I was sure it was because I had so much fun. Jace was a trooper to give it a go and never complained. He grinned, sweated, and labored through the steps the best he could, almost keeping up.

I was impressed.

After an easy cool-down dance, Georgia turned off the music and dismissed everyone. She joined us at the back wall.

"You must be my newbie," Georgia said, smiling at Jace. "I saw your registration online this morning. Welcome to our group. What did you think?"

"I have to admit. It was a tougher workout than I imagined."

"Well, hopefully, you enjoyed it. That's the key: have fun so you keep doing it."

"Oh, I did. I'll be here again if Della doesn't kick me out." Jace winked at me, which I ignored.

"I better run. Thanks for joining us. I'll see you next time." Georgia spun around and went to the front of the room to gather her equipment.

Jace bent over and retrieved a towel from his backpack. My eyes traveled from his muscled arms to his chest as he wiped the glistening sweat from his skin, a wisp of hair peeking out from the neckline of his tank top. I swallowed, envisioning Jace's sweaty body hovering over mine while we did the bedroom rodeo like two sex-starved rabbits.

"Della?"

"Huh?" I pulled my eyes away from his chest, wishing I could see it without a shirt. I blinked at him. "What's up?"

"How about we go outside and chill? I don't feel like going back to my apartment right now."

"Sure." I followed Jace from the fitness center to the outdoor deck. My gaze worked its way down his muscled back to his tush, nicely outlined in his track pants. Holy moly, he has a gorgeous butt. Do I need to worry about Adam's feelings? I mean, my God, look at what the frick I'm missing. Yes, darn it! You do. Adam's your best friend. Don't screw it up.

I silently groaned.

"Did you say something?" Jace looked at me curiously as he set his water bottle on a table by the railing and sat in one of the chairs.

"Nope. Sure didn't." I put my backpack on the ground and peered at the harbor, visible through the swatch of green space diagonal from our building. Successfully clearing the barrage of steamy thoughts from my brain, I sat across from him and smiled. "What do you have planned for the afternoon?"

"Based on your list of things you like to do, I thought we could go to a place I found on Newbury Street in Back Bay with sip and paint classes. From what I saw online, it looked like fun. What do you think?"

"Umm…didn't I make it clear last night that I don't want to go out with you?"

"You did, and this isn't a date. We'll go as friends. Come on. We can have a drink while we dab some color on a canvas. I've never painted before, other than a wall, and it'll be interesting to see how bad or good I do." Jace gave me one of his winning smiles. "I'll even allow you to laugh at my priceless artwork."

"Ugh." I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. "I swear. You're making this difficult."

"I am not. It's an easy yes or no answer. I'll be the perfect gentleman. Like I said last night, I won't kiss you again unless you want me to. See? Friends, nothing more."

"All right. I'll go. What time?"

"Let me see what they have open." Jace pulled his cell phone from his backpack and googled the business. "They have three spots available for their two o'clock class this afternoon and a few openings for their noon and three o'clock sessions tomorrow. Their evening classes are all booked."

"I wouldn't mind going today. Can you reserve it, and I'll reimburse you? It's not a date, so I should pay for myself."

"How about I take care of the cost of the classes, and you spring for an early dinner? There's an artisanal pizza place next door."

"Deal. Can you drive, or do you want to take the T?"

"I don't mind driving. How about we meet in the lobby at quarter after one?"

"Yep, I'll be there."

"Then I better book the class before we lose the spots." Jace returned to his phone, tapped a few times, and typed on the screen. "Done. That was easy."

"Cool." I relaxed in my chair, taking in the scene along the waterfront while secretly stealing glances at Jace. I was struck with a rush of excitement when I thought about our upcoming excursion, and I had to admit. A little piece of me wished we weren't going as friends.

After parking in the public lot on Exeter Street, we walked a half block down Newbury to Canvas Paint Bar. Climbing the short flight of stairs, we found ourselves in what looked like an art studio with an array of colorfully painted canvases decorating the brick walls. A young woman named Gwen greeted us warmly upon arrival. She checked us in and led us to one of several tables for four that filled the room. A second workshop with a glass-paneled double door was visible to our right, allowing multiple classes.

"Tamra will be your instructor this evening, and she should be starting your class in about ten minutes," Gwen said, smiling pleasantly. "In the meantime, feel free to check the place out. The restrooms are down the hallway. There's a nook in the corner with a cleanup station and a display of extra paint in case you need more. We also have an assortment of aprons hanging on the wall. Make sure you put one on before you start. We serve food and beverages, which you can order from the bar in the back. Other than that, have fun."

"Thanks," Jace and I said in unison.

Gwen left to greet a group of six who had come through the door, ultimately escorting them to the other classroom.

I scanned our table. Staff had set up each seat as a personal workstation containing a miniature easel with a blank canvas. Paint, brushes, and the rest of our supplies lay beside them.

Jace inspected his. "I think I'm going to enjoy this."

"Yeah, me too. I'm glad you suggested it."

"We should put our aprons on and get something to drink."

I followed Jace to the nook in the back. Taking the apron he handed me, I slipped it on and adjusted the neck strap. I was reaching back to tie it when Jace stepped behind me and took the strings from my hands. I could feel him gently tugging. Then he leaned over my shoulder.

"How's that? Tight enough."

"Yep. Perfect." Goosebumps worked their way up my arms and across my shoulders.

"Now to the bar. What do you want to drink? It's my treat."

Attempting to control the havoc his nearness was doing to my body, I spun around and focused on the menu on the wall. "How about a pineapple mimosa? I've never had one of those."

Jace went to the counter and ordered two mimosas. We took our drinks to our stations, now joined by another couple who introduced themselves as David and Victoria.

Victoria smiled at our amused expressions. "I see you caught that. Victoria and David, just like the Beckhams."

"That makes it easy to remember," Jace chuckled.

"Hello. Everybody, take your seat, please. We're going to get started." A dark-haired woman wearing an apron and a microphone headset spoke to us from a stage by the front window. A stand full of supplies was on her left, and a table containing an easel holding a beautiful nightscape was to her right. "I'm Tamra. I'll be your instructor this evening. We'll replicate this dusky mountain scene during our class this afternoon." Tamra removed the painting and propped it beside the easel. She replaced it with a blank canvas.

"Whoa, that's gorgeous. I hope mine comes out something like it," I said, shaking my head.

"If not, that's all right. Nothing wrong with moonflowers," Jace laughed.

"True." I couldn't help grinning at him.

"Okay, everyone. We're going to begin with the background," Tamra said, regaining our attention. "We'll paint the top half in horizontal sections in royal blue, baby blue, green blue, and then yellow. Then we'll divide the bottom half into two layers of orange and cornflower blue. So, let's start on the top edge and paint a two-and-a-half-inch strip in royal blue." Tamra picked up her tray of acrylic paints and a brush and painted the first layer while we followed along. Finished with the royal blue, she worked her way down the canvas with the other colors.

I concentrated on the task as instructed while Jace and I peeked at each other's work. Tamra walked around the room to check our progress.

Tamra went back to the stage. "Now we're ready to paint the mountains behind the lake. Using your small brush and the black acrylic, create a horizontal line about an inch and a half below the midpoint of your painting. That will form the bottom of the mountain range. Your line doesn't need to be perfectly straight. Starting on the left side of the canvas, you'll draw another line two to three inches above that. That will be the top of the mountains. This line should gracefully rise and fall to mimic mountain peaks, dipping lower in the center so they appear further away. Once you've drawn both lines, fill the space between them with black paint."

Jace and I followed along as before. When I finished with my mountain range, I felt Jace nudge my arm with his elbow.

"Wow, you've got a masterpiece going on there. How about a toast to our creative inner selves." Jace held out his mimosa, encouraging me to bop his plastic cup.

"To our new line of work." Giggling, I touched his drink with mine. I enjoyed my afternoon with Jace far more than I thought I would. He was so easygoing and fun that it was impossible not to.

Next, Tamra had us paint white multisized dots in the uppermost section to imitate stars. Once completed, we painted multi-colored streaks above the mountains to resemble a dusky sky, with more on the bottom half to simulate shimmering water. And for the final touch, we used black to create trees on the side and bottom. When we finished, it was like we were in a forest, peeking across the expanse of a mountain lake at dusk.

I stared at mine. It was surprisingly gorgeous.

Jace whistled as he studied my canvas. "I'm impressed. That's no moonflower. You've created a beautiful piece of art."

"Thank you. Yours is just as lovely." I extended my cup, and we toasted to our success again, polishing off the last drops of our mimosas.

After drying our paintings with one of the hairdryers around the room, we bid our instructor good night and went next door for an early dinner. We sat at a table for two and ordered a chicken parmesan pizza and two iced teas. It wasn't long before an employee brought us our food and beverages.

Jace eyed our artwork, which we'd propped against the window. "I have to say. I enjoyed the sip and paint class. Now we'll have to find something else unique to do."

I swallowed the bite of pizza I'd taken and wiped a drip of sauce from my lip. "And what makes you think I'm willing to hang out with you again," I teased.

"Because you had fun, and you know it."

"True. Remember we have our movie night at your place on Friday. You can entertain me then."

"Ahh, that's an easy one. I'll be a gracious host and on my best behavior. By the way, are you going to wear that weird unicorn thing? Hocus Pocus is hardly a scary film."

I smiled smugly. "I can't tell you. It's a secret."

Jace's face lit with amusement. "Man, you're cruel, forcing me to wait a week to find out if a horned ball of fluff is joining me."

I playfully smacked his arm. "Oh, shush. You secretly love my outfit and wish you had one."

That comment had Jace burst out laughing. "Somehow, I can't picture myself wearing a unicorn onesie."

"I don't know. It might be freaking sexy on you."

"Hmm?" Jace raised an eyebrow. "You want sexy."

"Nope. No way. Not at all. I misspoke, and I take it back." I vigorously shook my head.

Jace laughed again.

After he quieted, we finished our dinner, and I paid the bill. Done for the night, we returned to the garage, and Jace drove us home.

I thanked him for our outing in our building's lobby and headed to my elevator. I was halfway there when I stopped and swiveled toward Jace.

"Are you escorting me to my apartment or what?" I said snarkily, although I couldn't hide my grin.

"Am I allowed?" An amused smile curved his lips.

"If you behave, you are."

"Then I guess I'm walking you to your door."

We rode the elevator to the sixth floor while I stared at my image in the mirror. Holy crap. What am I doing asking Jace to come with me? Tempting fate like an idiot? It's because I want him to kiss me again, that's why. But you can't do it. You can't, you can't, you can't. It's not fair to Adam. With my track record, there's no way a relationship between Jace and me would last. And when it bombed, like it eventually would, there'd be a whole shit show of drama to deal with. I can't do it.

I leaned against the wall as we neared my floor, mentally groaning. Ugh, why is life so freaking hard?

Jace's hand went to my back as we exited the car. An instant sizzle shot up my spine, my body craving for his touch to progress to something less proper. We reached my door, and I dug in my purse for my key. Finding it, I looked up to tell him goodnight, my gaze instantly zeroing in on his lips.

Those pliant, sensually shaped, delicious—

"You're staring," Jace said, his voice soft like a musical note carried away on a summer breeze.

"Huh?" My eyes traveled up his face, and I held my breath. He was gazing at my mouth, and there was a hint of something in his eyes.

Lust? Maybe? Holy moly, this isn't good.

"Well, hey. I should go." Jace took a step back and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Thanks for going with me. Have a good night." He spun around and briskly took off down the hall.

I watched him go, my mind screaming. Tell him to come back. Do it, do it, do it. Come on, Della. Tell him!

But I couldn't.