Jace: Hidden Realms of Silver Lake (Four Sisters of Fate Book 5) Read online

  “Ours is not.”

  Interesting. They dug into their meals. The whole time Ivy kept glancing up at Jace, marveling at his amazing appetite. She supposed it took a lot of energy to transform into a dragon and fly.

  As if they were in a race, he finished first and then leaned back. “How long do you plan to stay here?” he asked.

  That took her aback. “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know because you aren’t certain how long Poppy will need you, or you don’t know how long you’ll want to stay here?”

  She couldn’t tell which way he wanted her to answer. “I’m not committing to anything right now. I want to enjoy my time here.”

  “I see.” Jace picked up his wine glass and polished it off. “Do you think you’ll stay around to take care of all four of the Faiten sisters’ children?”

  She couldn’t tell if this was idle dinner conversation, or if he really wanted to know. Being non-committal seemed the best course of action. “Poppy hasn’t said anything about it. I just want to take it one day at a time.”

  As if she’d said the right thing, he set down his glass and smiled. “You have a good attitude.”

  “Thank you.” Ivy continued to eat, but it became quite evident she couldn’t finish all of it. “Do they let you take the food home that you don’t eat?”

  He laughed. “Yes, my curious one. Our laws might be a bit different, but things like our phones and television technology are more similar than you would think. Many on Tarradon have either studied or visited Earth, which is how we have similar devices. Since we speak English too, most people tend to visit only English-speaking countries.”

  “That makes sense.”

  She had so many more questions about the difference between the realms. “You mentioned something about white lighters. Are they like our Wendayans… I mean like witches?”

  “I guess so, assuming you have witches who put evil spells on people. We call those dark lighters.”

  “We have those, for sure, but they aren’t Wendayan. They’re just plain witches.”

  “Good to know in case I ever visit.” He nodded to her plate. “Are you ready to go? After we ask for a carry-out box, of course.”

  “Yes.”

  While she was really looking forward to spending more time with him, once they entered the house, it might be a bit awkward. Would he act like they were merely friends and say goodnight, or would he walk her to her room and kiss her goodnight? Ooh, the thought of that heated her blood, causing a few blue sparks to shoot off her arms. Shit.

  “What did I just see?” he asked.

  Ivy could pretend that he was imagining things, but most likely it would happen a lot more in the future. “That’s part of my Wendayan magic.”

  “I see.” Jace waved to get the waiter’s attention. When the young man came over, Jace asked for a box and the bill.

  She appreciated that he didn’t ask for any more details. Being around Jace unnerved her enough. Brody fussed, and she stroked his forehead. Now she was glad she’d agreed to let Jace borrow the Faiten sisters’ car. If she’d teleported the three of them, no telling where they would have landed.

  Jace carried the baby carrier as they left the restaurant. She walked next to them and brushed the hair from the baby’s face. “I wonder what you’ll look like when you learn to shift?”

  Brody blew a bubble in response, and Ivy grinned.

  “I imagine much like Slade. The two look so much alike already.”

  “I hope I’m here long enough to watch Brody transform and fly for the first time.”

  “I guess when a shifter does that, it’s like watching a human kid take his first steps.”

  She sighed. “Maybe so.”

  At the car, he placed the carrier in back and strapped him in. Brody seemed to be fighting to keep awake, but she suspected he’d be out by the time they arrived home.

  Sure enough, back at the house, Brody had indeed conked out. Jace removed the carrier from the back seat. “He’s so sweet when he’s sleeping.” Jace grinned, forcing Ivy to look away before more blue sparks shot off her body. “Let’s put him to bed.”

  She loved how Jace acted as if he wanted them to do things together. Part of her wanted that too—the horny part—but part of her didn’t. The more time she spent with Jace, the more disappointed she’d be when he realized she wasn’t the woman for him.

  Inside, after placing the leftovers in the refrigerator, they put a sleeping Brody in his crib. Poppy and Slade still weren’t home, which worried her. She hoped Primrose and her baby were okay.

  Ivy straightened after placing a kiss on Brody’s perfect little cheek. “I guess I’ll head to bed too,” she said as she faced Jace. Being in a baby’s room wasn’t the most romantic place, but it was where they’d ended up.

  He cupped her face, and her insides instantly melted. It was a little too dark in the room to tell, but it appeared as if his beautiful hazel eyes had swirls of teal in them. “I had a great time tonight, Ivy.”

  “I did too.” That was the truth.

  “I don’t know where this will lead, but I’d like to see you again.”

  Her knees weakened, and her throat nearly closed up. “I’d like that too.”

  Before she had the chance to turn, he leaned over and kissed her. She hadn’t meant to moan, but the sound just escaped. Ever so lightly, his hands slipped down to her shoulders. When he broke the kiss and leaned back, Jace smiled. “Good night, Ivy.”

  He spun around, walked out, and pulled the door closed.

  She swooned, certain she would have amazing dreams tonight.

  Chapter Five

  The next morning, Ivy was in the kitchen heating up a bottle for Brody when Poppy breezed in. Ivy had heard them both return last night, but she hadn’t had the chance to ask about her sister.

  “How was Brody?” Poppy asked.

  “A perfect angel.”

  “Great. I see he has a new toy.”

  Ivy smiled. “Jace bought it for him.”

  Poppy tilted her head. “That is so sweet. I need to thank him.”

  “I’m sure he’d appreciate it. How is Primrose?” Ivy asked.

  Poppy smiled. “She and her son are doing great. The little bruiser weighed over ten pounds, which for Primrose is a lot. It was why she had some difficulty delivering him.”

  “Another boy in the Faiten family. How exciting. What is his name?”

  “Remington, but they plan to call him Remy.”

  “I love it.” Ivy couldn’t wait until the day she could name her child.

  “How was your date?” Poppy asked with a glint in her eye.

  “Very nice. Brody slept through the whole thing.”

  She smiled. “He is the best baby.”

  “I agree. Can I make you and Slade some eggs? I can easily add a few more to the mix.”

  “Slade and Jace aren’t here. They went back to Plux. Something about the plumbing in the hotel they are building was having issues.”

  Ivy worked hard not to show her disappointment. Most of the eggs she was cooking were for Jace. “Oh.”

  Poppy pulled out two dishes from the cabinet and set them next to the stove where Ivy was stirring the scrambled eggs. “Spill it,” Poppy said.

  “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

  Her shoulders sagged. “Tell me about your date with Jace. I want the details. I might not have mentioned it, but until I met Slade, I spent most of my life working in the pottery shop. I didn’t spend a lot of time gossiping about men, and I realize now what I was missing.”

  That was interesting. They had more in common than she realized. “Well, we went to Highlanders’ Steakhouse where I ordered the fish. It was divine.”

  “You had a good time?”

  Another little moan escaped. “Yes. He is the nicest man. Jace even helped me take care of Brody.”

  “Jace helped take care of the baby?”

  “Yes, before we left for the r
estaurant. Mind you he put the diaper on backward the first go around, but at least he tried.”

  Poppy appeared to be working hard not to laugh. Then her eyes widened. “Ah, the eggs are burning.”

  Ivy looked down. “Oh, shit. Sorry.”

  Poppy finally laughed. “Don’t worry about it. You’re doing a much better job than I would have.”

  Ivy dished up their rather dried up eggs, and then pulled the bread out of the toaster. At least she hadn’t ruined that. “Is Jace coming back this evening?” she asked as innocently as possible as she sat down at the table.

  “I don’t know, but I doubt it.”

  “Oh.”

  Poppy reached across the table and clasped her hand. “Jace is wonderful, but he has a business to run. I’m sure he’ll come back when he gets the chance.”

  “I hope so.” Ivy was sure she failed to hide her dismay. It was stupid really. She’d just met the man, but oh, what a man he was. Men like Jace Sanders didn’t go out of their way to commute an hour each way to visit someone like her.

  In relative silence, they finished a good portion of their eggs. Just then Brody let out a wail. Ivy pushed back her chair. “I’ll go check on him.”

  Poppy smiled. “While I’d love to hold and cuddle him, I promised I’d check on Primrose. Magnolia isn’t in any shape to lend a hand, since she has to run the store with Acacia. Between serving customers and making the artwork, they’re really busy.”

  A second later she teleported, no doubt arriving in the exact spot she intended.

  Hopefully this week, Poppy would find the time to help Ivy hone her skills.

  “Have you called her yet?” Tanner asked.

  Jace looked up from his desk. “When would I have had the time?”

  Tanner slid a chair in front of Jace’s desk and sat down. He had the same cocky smirk that Jace had when Slade was confused about Poppy. His situation was different though. Ivy might stay in Tarradon for a time, but she would probably return to Earth when this job was over.

  Even Slade had said he didn’t believe Poppy really needed help with the baby. Her mom had volunteered to be with all of the girls and watch out for their babies, but Poppy said she was doing her grandmother a favor by letting Ivy stay with them.

  “We’re just waiting for the inspectors,” Tanner said. “You could fly there after work tomorrow and return later that night.”

  The ever-logical Tanner. “I don’t want to bother her. I know Poppy and Slade take care of Brody at night, but Ivy needs her rest.”

  Tanner’s eyes rose. “She needs her rest, huh? Is that the real reason?”

  His second in command was asking some rather personal questions, but if he had any suggestions, Jace was willing to listen. “Fine. I don’t know why I’m not there every night.” Jace tossed down his pencil. “Ivy is amazing, funny, and sweet.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “She’s my mate.” There. He’d said it out loud.

  Tanner jumped up from his seat. “That’s fantastic! I will ask again. What’s the problem? You should be with her. Seems to me something else is holding you back besides being an hour apart.”

  “Okay. The truth? She’s from Earth. What if she wants to go back?”

  Tanner crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve known you for what, four years?”

  “Something like that.”

  “While you don’t date one woman for long, you do seem to be quite adept with the ladies.”

  “Your point?” Jace asked.

  “I can’t believe you can’t convince her to stay. Have you told her she’s your mate?”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? She’s spent all of one day with me. Ivy’s already nervous when I’m around. If I told her that, she’d probably beg Poppy to take her back to Earth.”

  Tanner shook his head. “Don’t short-change yourself. You have a lot to offer her.”

  “A mate who often spends weekends working?”

  “That’s your choice. I’m here to pick up the slack. I think you need to examine what it is you’re afraid of: commitment and settling down perhaps? Having a family of your own?”

  “Excellent questions. I’ll get back to you on that.”

  Tanner chuckled. “You do that, boss.”

  Ivy finished washing a pot and then dried it, her mind spinning. After five days of not hearing from Jace, she was beginning to give up hope that he cared about her. She hadn’t bought a phone yet, and she didn’t own a computer, so she wasn’t sure how she expected him to contact her, but he could have called Slade and then asked to speak with her.

  With each day that passed, her insecurities increased. She suspected Jace thought of her as a pleasant diversion. Damn. Why did she always like the unattainable ones?

  Poppy appeared next to her. “Is something wrong?”

  Ivy shook herself out of her mental wandering. “Just thinking about Jace.”

  Poppy rubbed Ivy’s shoulder. “You miss him, don’t you?”

  She spun around. “Yes, though I don’t know why. I hardly know him. I probably was taken in by his handsome face, his witty charm, and his ability to make me feel comfortable.”

  Poppy grinned. “I’d say that is a great start. Come over to the table. I want to tell you about me and Slade.”

  Ivy tossed down her drying cloth and moved over to the table. “I’d love to hear the story.”

  “I’d say it was love—or rather lust—at first sight. The moment I saw him in the diner where I planned to work for two weeks, I knew we had something special.” She smiled. “He told Jace about seeing me, and of course, his best friend had to check me out.”

  “How wonderful that the two of them have such a great bond.”

  “It is. Anyway, after I happened to spill a tomato on his lap, Slade left me his business card and wrote something rather enigmatic on the back. It said: We need to talk, and you know why.” Poppy sighed.

  “What did he mean by that? Did he want you to pay for staining his pants or something?”

  “He wouldn’t say right then, but apparently, he knew right away that I was his mate. Only when I actually showed up at his door that night, he decided not to tell me that I was. He broke the news to me later. Much later.”

  “That is so romantic.”

  “In retrospect, it was.” Poppy waved a finger. “Which gives me an idea.”

  From the way she was biting her lip, possibly to keep from grinning, it was a rather daring suggestion. “What is it?”

  “Why don’t you go to Plux?”

  Did she mean she wanted Ivy to move there? Or just go for a visit. “I don’t understand.”

  “Our first date occurred when I just showed up at Slade’s doorstep.”

  “Wasn’t that awkward?”

  “I shocked him for sure.” She giggled. “He’d just stepped out of the shower, and because he thought it was Jace at the door, he opened it up only wearing a towel.”

  The image of Jace being practically naked had a few sparks shooting off Ivy’s arms, which she immediately tried to cover with her hand but failed. Thankfully, her embarrassment cut them off.

  “What did he do?” Ivy asked.

  “He told me to look around while he changed. We then sat on the deck and talked and talked. Let’s say one thing led to another. I knew what I wanted and took the opportunity to seduce him.”

  Ivy sighed. “I wish I were like you—so bold and so sure of yourself.”

  “You can be too. You’re beautiful both inside and out.”

  Poppy was so good for her ego. “Thank you, but that’s not who I am.”

  “You’re not on Earth anymore. Besides, I have it from good authority that Jace really likes you.”

  Her heart raced, and her mind spun. “Really?”

  “Really. Trust me.”

  What was the worst thing that could happen? He’d tell her he didn’t want to see her again. No, the worst would be finding him in bed with another woman. That might happen
if she didn’t make her move soon. “Okay. I’ll do it. Can I borrow a car?”

  “It’s a long drive. It would take you hours. Just teleport. I’ll even draw you a map that will show you where Jace lives. It’s close to where Slade had his house.”

  “What if I appear in the middle of the road in front of his place instead of at his door? My aim sucks, remember?”

  “You’ll be fine, but if it will make you feel better, you can show up in town instead of at his apartment. Tell him you’re interested in seeing the hotel he is building. If Jace suggests you go out to dinner, then you know he really likes you.”

  If he told her he was too busy to see her, she’d be heart broken. “What if he’s not there?”

  Poppy chuckled. “Then he’ll probably be at his office. The man takes his job very seriously, even though he claims Slade does all of the work.”

  Ivy inhaled deeply. “If you can help with my aim, I’ll do it.”

  “Great. And it’s a deal.”

  Ivy checked the clock. “I’d say head out in about an hour. By five o’clock the men are usually ending their workday. Slade told me he and Jace always stayed around on site afterward to check the progress of the day’s work. I imagine Tanner and Jace will do the same.”

  This was exciting and scary at the same time. “What should I wear? I don’t want it to look like I’m there for a date. I want to see what he does with his life.”

  “In that case, I would go casual yet sexy.” Poppy stood. “Let’s see what you brought to wear.”

  This was like being with her best friend, Clara, when they would talk about boys and dress up, pretending they had dates. They headed into Ivy’s bedroom. She grabbed her jeans and sandals, while Poppy looked through her tops.

  “I think I have just the thing,” Poppy said. She disappeared and reappeared a few seconds later with a magenta top that looked tight fitting. “This will be perfect. It’s cooler in Plux, so the long sleeves will come in handy, but it will show enough to entice.”