Fever

But Jace had heard it and a surge of triumph scorched through his veins, sending him spiraling over the edge. She hadn’t called Ash’s name in the heat of passion. She’d called his.

“Going to come,” he gritted out. “With me, baby. Let go now.”

Her hands that had been firmly pressed to his chest suddenly left his skin and then dove into his hair, tightly fisting the strands. She returned his kiss, nearly savage as she took his mouth every bit as hard as he’d taken hers.

Breathless, frantic, hot. Their tongues rolled and clashed, their lips arching and molding against each other.

Her cry was sharp, echoing across the room. Her head flew back, her breasts arched forward. She closed her eyes and let out another cry as she went liquid around him, her release catapulting Jace to his own.

He followed her, his own cry mixing with hers. He vaguely heard Ash’s growl and then the entire bed shook as Ash pounded into her ass, forcing her forward onto Jace’s chest.

Jace caught her, wrapping his arms tightly around her, holding her as Ash drove into her over and over. She nuzzled into his neck and hung on to him as if she feared falling. And then Ash went still, his face showing agonizing strain. He leaned over, his chest pressed against Bethany’s back, and the three lay there, quiet, shaking, still quivering in the aftermath of explosive orgasms.

Holy fuck but Jace felt turned inside out. He’d come so hard, it had felt as though every ounce of liquid in his body had been ejaculated into that condom. He’d never resented a condom so much in his life. He wanted to come inside Bethany. Feel her squeezing every drop of semen from his cock.

He reached up for a lock of hair, toying idly with it as he attempted to regain control of his shattered senses. He wasn’t sure what the fuck had gone on here exactly. All he knew was that Bethany was a complete game changer.

She lay over his chest, sandwiched between the two men. Her eyes were closed and her chest heaved as she struggled for breath. Ash uttered a groan and then finally levered up, pressed a kiss to Bethany’s shoulder and then he slipped from her ass, alleviating the intense pressure around Jace’s cock, which was still buried in Bethany’s pussy.

She moaned softly and Jace immediately wrapped his arms around her, covering the bare expanse of her back now that Ash was gone.

“I’m wasted,” Ash said. “Long day, long evening. I’m going to leave you two to it and crash in the other bedroom.”

Jace nodded, relieved. Ash never did stay after. He never slept with the women. He fucked them and then left them to Jace. Not that Jace typically indulged in cuddle time either, but he at least shared a bed with their partners afterward.

But he made no move to separate himself from Bethany. He liked the feel of her surrounding him. He was still hard even after the mind-numbing orgasm, and he also knew he should pull out soon before the condom leaked or broke under the strain, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not yet. He wanted a few more moments of her in his arms, her limp, warm body cuddled sweetly into his.

She stirred against him and he stroked her hair, kissing her forehead as she fluttered around him. God, but she was making him even harder.

“Need to take care of the condom,” he said.

When she would have lifted herself off him, he wrapped his arms around her and rolled so she was beneath him. Then he eased from her pussy, regretting every inch he lost of her.

Her eyes were a mixture of sleepy and confused, almost as if she couldn’t quite process what had just taken place. That made two of them. He had no idea what the hell had happened. He could safely say he’d never felt so . . . possessive . . . over a woman, much less one he’d only met a few hours ago and one he knew nothing about.

It was a situation he’d remedy immediately.

His nature was to control. To come in, take over. It was what he wanted now. It was his first instinct. To lay down the law, inform Bethany that she was his and 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 hand tightened around the handle to the door until his knuckles were white.

He gave the handle a sharp twist and pushed inward, his eyes immediately seeking the bed. His gaze narrowed and his brows came together when he saw Ash sprawled on the bed. Alone. No sign of Bethany anywhere.

Ash stirred and his eyes opened. His head lifted, and he scowled when he saw Jace.

“Is the hotel on fire?”

Jace didn’t answer and Ash’s head flopped back onto the pillow.

“No? Then go the fuck back to bed and leave me the hell alone,” Ash grumbled. “It’s too goddamn early.”

“I was looking for Bethany,” Jace said quietly.

Ash’s head came back up, his gaze sharp. “I left her with you, man.”

“She’s not there. She’s not anywhere in the suite.”

Ash pushed himself up to his elbows, the sheets tangling at his waist. “She bail?”

Jace’s lips tightened. “I don’t know. Maybe she just went down for something.”

Ash lifted an eyebrow as if to say he thought Jace was a dumbass. Jace blew out his breath and turned around to walk back out of Ash’s room.

“Hang on a sec, man, and I’ll help you look,” Ash called.

“I got it.”

Jace’s gaze swept the room again, looking for anything. A clue. Something that told him she’d be back. When he got back to the bedroom where he and Bethany had slept, he noted this time that none of her clothing was where it had been tossed the night before. There was nothing that suggested she’d been here at all.

“Jace, she left a note.”

Ash’s voice drifted to Jace and Jace strode back out of the bedroom to see Ash standing in the living room in front of the coffee table holding one of the stationery note cards with the hotel logo. Ash held it out as Jace walked over and reached for it.

Flipping it open, he frowned as he read the feminine cursive that flowed across the surface.

Thank you for a wonderful night and for dinner. You made it special. I’ll never forget it or you.



—Bethany



“Son of a bitch,” Jace muttered.

He turned away from Ash and then savagely threw the note across the room. It hit the wall and fluttered downward. She’d left! Without saying a word. Without waking him up. She’d slipped from his bed and walked away. He didn’t even know her fucking last name. Or where she lived. Or how to find her.

He’d thought he had time to find out all of those things. He’d planned to learn as much as possible about her over breakfast. He’d had it all worked out. Breakfast in bed. Spoil her ridiculously. Make love again, preferably after Ash left. And then let her know in no uncertain terms that they would be seeing each other again.

“What’s the problem, man?” Ash asked quietly.

Jace spun back around. “She’s gone. That’s the problem.”

Ash’s lips tightened and he sent an inquisitive look in Jace’s direction. “What, exactly, were you wanting from this? Another night? Two? Then what? It’s not like we ever do long-term. I realize this may not have gone the way you wanted, but you have to appreciate the irony of her being the one to walk away. That’s usually what we do. She made it a hell of a lot easier on us.”

Jace’s teeth ground together, his nostrils flaring as red-hot anger whipped up his spine. It took every ounce of control not to lash out at his best friend. He exhaled forcefully and then lifted his gaze to meet Ash’s.

“Yeah. Easier.”

He couldn’t keep the disgust from his tone. Didn’t even care. He turned and stalked back into the bedroom to get dressed. He yanked on his pants and shirt, not bothering to shower or shave. He had no idea how long ago Bethany had left and he wanted to make sure he questioned the staff in the lobby and the doorman.

His mind was already working through his options when he walked back through on his way to the door.

“Jace?” Ash called.

Jace paused and turned to see Ash still standing in the living room, a troubled expression on his face.

“What’s going on, man? You’ve acted differently with her from the moment you saw her at the party. We’ve fucked a lot of women together but last night you didn’t act like you were down with what we were doing at all.”

“I wasn’t,” Jace said quietly.

“Then why did you do it?”

Jace stared at him a long moment. “Because it’s what I had to do to have her.”

Without waiting for a response, Jace turned and left the room. He got on the elevator and stabbed the button for the lobby and simmered with impatience as he waited for the doors to close.

Yeah, Ash was going to think he’d lost his fucking mind. Maybe he had. He certainly couldn’t explain this . . . He didn’t even know what to call it. Obsession?

He knew it wasn’t simple lust. He’d experienced that plenty of times. Lust was uninvolved. Lust was about sex and sating a need. Physical release with no emotional involvement.

And yet how could he possibly think he had an emotional connection to Bethany when he knew nothing about her?

He stepped off the elevator with purpose. She may have run, but he was damn well going to haul her back.

Half an hour later, he was ready to put his fist through a wall. After questioning every single employee who may have seen her, he’d gotten exactly nowhere. The doorman reported seeing her walk out of the hotel just after dawn. She hadn’t asked for a cab, hadn’t hailed one herself. She’d simply walked away.

Without a fucking coat.

It was half raining, half snowing and it was goddamn cold. And she’d walked out without a coat.

What frustrated him even more was that he wanted to track down the catering service and demand information on Bethany, but it was Sunday, which meant that until Monday, he was screwed.





chapter seven





Jace got out of his car after telling his driver to circle and wait and then pulled up the collar of his coat to prevent the drizzle from sliding down his neck. He hurried toward the women’s shelter that was sandwiched between an older Catholic church and a soup kitchen on the fringes of the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.

It would be getting dark soon, a fact that aggravated him, not because of the approaching evening, but because it had taken him all day to gather the information he wanted. And it had taken until now to track her down.

The only information the catering service had on file was her full name and this address. Had Bethany listed another employer as her contact information? He could have called the shelter to get information, but the moment he’d gotten the barest hint of where she might be, he’d left his office and had come straight here.

He ducked inside the door and shook off the rain. An older woman looked up from where she sat at a desk a short distance from the door, alarm in her eyes. He supposed it wasn’t an ordinary occurrence for a man to burst into a women’s shelter, and if his employees were anything to go by, he’d been brooding and moody the entire day so he was sure he didn’t look very friendly.

“Can I help you?” she asked as she hurried forward.

His gaze swept the interior, taking in the smallness, the sparseness of the room—and it was merely a room. Cots filled most of the space. There was a sitting area toward the back, with a dilapidated couch and a few odd chairs situated around a television.

There were maybe ten women in view and he was struck by how subdued they were. They ranged in age from very young to quite old and they all had a tired, hopeless look to their eyes that made his gut seize.

Was this what his Bethany did? Did she volunteer her time here and then work odd jobs when she could for extra money? He felt a surge of pride. He remembered her reaction to the notion that they were somehow paying her for sex. And she hadn’t stuck around when it had to be obvious to her that he and Ash had money. Ash had been right about one thing. It was usually them ending things with women. Never once had they had a woman walk away from them with no expectation for what she could gain monetarily.

Even with his coat on, the inside of the shelter felt chilly to him. His gaze narrowed when he saw that most of the occupants wore more than one layer of clothing. Even the older woman standing in front of him had a jacket and gloves on.

“Why the hell don’t you have the heat on?” he demanded.

The woman looked startled. And then she laughed. He blinked, not expecting that kind of response.

“You’ll have to take that up with the city,” she said, anger vibrating in her voice. “They’ve cut so much funding that we can’t afford to fix the heat. It went out last week. All we have are a few portable heating units, and we use those at night so the women can at least sleep warm.”

Jace cursed under his breath.

“Was there something I can help you with, Mr. . . . ?”

He extended his hand. “Crestwell. My name is Jace Crestwell, and yes, there is something you can help me with. I’m looking for someone who works here. Her name is Bethany Willis.”

The woman took his hand but frowned. “I’m Kate Stover. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Crestwell. But we don’t have anyone named Bethany who works here.”

His brows drew together. “She put this as her contact address on an employment document.”

Ms. Stover pursed her lips a moment and then she sighed. “Many of the women use this address,” she said quietly. “It helps when trying to obtain employment. Some businesses aren’t too keen on hiring a homeless woman.”

Jace stared at her, not fully comprehending what it was she was suggesting. No. It couldn’t be. But if it was . . . Ms. Stover was eyeing him with suspicion, and her lips had gone tight, as if she already regretted what little information she’d given.

He cleared his throat and made his best effort to appear nonthreatening and as if he hadn’t just been blown away by the possibility forming in his mind.

“Ms. Stover, I’m very interested in hiring Bethany. It’s a very well-paying job and it would certainly improve her circumstances. If you’re concerned that I’m a jealous lover, crazy ex or current husband, I can assure you I am none of those. I can provide my business name and a number of references and you may call my partners in business as well as my receptionist to verify my identity and my intentions.”

As he spoke, he shoved his business card at her and watched her eyes widen in surprise. She stared up at him, studying him a long moment. Uncertainty was evident as she grappled with whether to trust him. He held his breath, waiting. Until finally she appeared to relax and her gaze softened as she returned his card.

“You said her name is Bethany. Can you describe her to me?”

Jace cleared his throat, barely able to speak past the knot growing there. “Petite. Very thin. Young. Maybe mid-twenties? Black hair. Hangs past her shoulders. She was wearing it up in a clip. And she has very vivid blue eyes. Unforgettable.”

At that, the woman’s eyes brightened with recognition and then her face softened. “Yes, I know Bethany. She was here Saturday morning to see if we had a bed for the night. It was regrettable, but I had to turn her away.” Sorrow was heavy in the older woman’s face. She lifted her hand to smooth the silver strands of her hair away from her face. “It’s the thing I hate most about volunteering here, when I have to turn women away because we have no room for them. A job would most certainly be welcome in her circumstances, I’m sure. She spoke about using this address to give prospective employers, but they were odd jobs. A permanent job would be wonderful.”

Jace’s mouth dropped open in shock. This wasn’t what he’d expected at all. He wanted to refute that Bethany was homeless, even as his nagging suspicion had swelled the moment he’d begun speaking to Ms. Stover, but then he thought back to Saturday night. The shabbiness of her clothing. The tired look in her eyes. The way she’d asked if dinner was part of the proposition. Sweet mother of God. He felt sick to his bones. Had she accepted Ash’s offer because it was the only way she had a place to sleep that night? Had she felt she had no other choice?

“Have you seen her since then?” Jace asked tightly.

Ms. Stover shook her head regretfully. “No. But she comes through every so often. She’s stayed here before.”

“Do you know anything about her? Anything at all that would help me find her?” Jace said urgently. Then he tempered his eagerness and adopted a calmer tone. “I’d prefer to hire her but I can’t keep the job open forever. It’s imperative I locate her at once.”

He was going to hell for lying to an elderly woman, especially one who ran a shelter for women who were no doubt abused by bastards who’d lie just as he was lying. But no way was he ever going to hurt Bethany. If he could find her, he’d make damn certain she didn’t spend another night on the streets. The idea of her being there now made him want to put his fist through the wall, and that