Chapter 99: 99 ~ Mira
I was able to get my phone back due to Donna’s help. I wasn’t sure Jace knew about it yet.
When I switched it on, I saw several texts from Massimo. The summary of it was that he was telling me to take my chance and find the document he needed me to get.
I asked him what it looked like and he told me.
But I was skeptical about the said document being in this house. If it was, and it was so important, Jace would definitely keep it in a place that no one would be able to reach it.
I found my way into Jace’s office when no one was watching. I worried about the CCTV cameras but at the same time I didn’t give a damn. No matter how brutal he was, Jace would never kill me for snooping around. The worst he could do was keep me in a dungeon which he was already doing by the way.
I searched through different shelves and drawers and could not find the the document clad in velvet suede material.
Then I paused as I recalled a particular spot where I saw a letter Jace took from me years ago. I wondered if the letter was addressed to my family or vice versa. Knowing the truth now, I understood why he couldn’t answer when I asked why he married me. But even with that, it did not fully make sense.
I looked around the room. That shelf from few years ago was gone and a large painting was what replaced it. I got closer to it, hoping something would be underneath as my eyes zoomed in on the piece of art.
That was when the door opened.
"Snooping around yet again?" He said.
I paused. Unshaken and unsurprised by his entry or at least I was pretending to be so.
"Yes." I said confidently as I turned around and faced him.
There was a smile on his face. One I wanted to wipe off with another punch. But I could not help but admire his perfect dentition. The pearly whites stared back at me and when they closed up, my eyes zeroed in on his full lips.
The taste of those lips haunted my mind every now and then.
I didn’t know when he reached me from the other side of the room. He was standing so close, I could feel his minty breath fanning my face.
I drank in the scent of his cologne, it made me feel slightly dazed. A part of me just wanted to go into his arms and inhale the intoxicating scent. The other part wanted to knead him in his balls for coming so close to me.
My eyes locked with his steely gray ones but on the contrary all I saw was warmth. They softened whenever he looked at me.
His gaze trailed to my lips before coming back to my eyes as he softly held my chin.
"Can I kiss you?"
I swallowed. I was in a tight spot now. This was a first. He had never asked and I couldn’t help but wonder...
What changed?
"Yes," I whispered before I could remember my supposed hate for him.
Jace’s lips captured mine. It was soft, gentle and with deep meaning. It was unlike anything we’d ever shared. Maybe it was the fact that it had been so long.
He pulled me closer, I wrapped my arms around his neck as our lips and tongues mangled in beautiful harmony.
It wasn’t until I felt his hardness against my thigh that I decided to pull back. There was no way I was letting him fuck me. At least not anytime soon if I was to give in to the temptation.
"You got lucky this time." I said, panting as I wiped my lip gloss off his lip instead.
He showed off a heart-stopping grin. "A win is a win."
I bit back my smile as I brushed past him and walked out of his office. I ensured there was an extra sway in my hip because I knew he was watching.
~
When I got into my room, I called Massimo.
"I couldn’t find it. I don’t think it’s here in New York."
"Hmm." He hummed, sounding like he was in deep thought. "You have to search his place in LA."
"You’re saying I should ask to visit him."
"I’m pretty sure he’ll make you do that anyways."
He was right. I hated to admit it but that was the case.
"Yeah I guess so."
I wasn’t ready for any more small talk so I told him I needed to get some work done. That was how I ended the call.
~
I was on my laptop that evening, monitoring the progress of my restaurants in Lisbon and talking to a real estate agent about a property I planned on procuring when he walked in. I shut my system immediately.
"Here you go," Jace said, handed me a shopping bag.
"What’s this for?"
"I’m taking you out on a date."
"Oh," my mouth formed a circle. "What’s the occasion?"
"Does there have to be one before I take my wife out?"
I wanted to correct him about being his wife. But I figured it was a waste of time because despite our long separation, we were in fact still married.
"Okay, when do you need me to get ready?" I asked.
"Now."
I raised a brow.
"Please," he added.
"Good. Excuse me." I gestured towards the door.
He smirked instead. "You know I’ve seen everything." .
"Don’t push your luck too far, Jace." I told him with a deadpan look.
"Yes ma’am." He gave me a mock salute and stepped out.
I laughed after he was gone.
The dress was a silk sleeveless pastel green one. It had a deep cut opening at the back. I was apparently about to show off what months had the gym had resulted to with this fit.
Jace knocked on my door thirty minutes later as I putting finishing touches on my makeup.
I watched his movements slow down as his eyes devoured me in seconds. I managed to keep my expressions neutral.
"You’re a work of art," he said.
"That’s why you keep stealing me away?" I said, grabbing my clutch as I slowly got on my feet.
"Maybe. I want you to be for my eyes only."
He came closer, pulling me to him by my waist while his other hand palmed my butt cheek with slight force.
"Jace," I gasped.
He chuckled deeply. Then the laughter died down and his eyes were fixated on my lips again.
I gulped, feeling heat rise up my cheeks.
"Don’t even think about it. I just got my makeup done."
He groaned. "Okay fine. Let’s go."
Taking my hand, he led us downstairs. The car’s engine was running and waiting for us.
Opening the door for me, he made sure I was seated comfortably before turning to the driver’s side. There was a bouquet of white roses on the seat. I picked them up and smelled them.
"You’re driving?"
"Yeah. I’m sure you don’t know this but I get really carsick when I’m being driven."
"Oh. I had no idea."
Jace nodded. "I know."
"You hide it well,"
"A don is not allowed to show weakness." His jaw clenched slightly as he said that.
"That’s sad."
"For someone like you who’s big on emotions, maybe it is. But-"
"- for someone like you, it’s absolutely normal." I completed for him.
He glanced at me briefly. "Yeah."
The ride continued in comfortable silence until we reached a fancy restaurant.
It was a rooftop dinner. The romantic setting had me blushing besides myself.
As usual, he had the place emptied out for us and also finely decorated with candles and flowers.
"This is beautiful Jace," I said to him with a small smile.
"Anything for you, my queen." He kissed my knuckles.
My heart fluttered a bit as he said that. Pulling out a seat for me, he made sure I was comfortable before sitting opposite me.
"You’re sure this isn’t some media stunt to tell the world and Massimo that we are back together?" I teased him.
His faced morphed into a frown but I was totally unfazed by it.
"I can assure you it’s nothing like that. I just want to do it right this time,"
By ’it’ he meant our marriage that he had forced me into.
"Hmm," I took a sip of the sweet white wine our waiter poured into my glass as I stared him down.
"I know you’re not going to make it easy for me."
"You’re right." I said with a curt nod.
His fingers brushed over the side of my mouth, removing a small piece of food that had stuck there but his hand lingered. He stared at me like I was the moon and stars. I almost felt mushy on the inside. Almost.
Then out of nowhere he said, "Come live with me back in LA."
"Never," I spat out with immediacy.
"Mira what can I do to make you forgive me?"
The sincerity in Jace’s tone made me go quiet.
The truth was, I did not have an answer for that.
We could never go back in time to when he made me marry him to clear my brother’s debt. Or the times he trapped me in his house like a prisoner and stripped me of all my freedom. We could never go back to the day I told him I was pregnant and he looked at me like I had committed a hate crime. And what’s worse, he could never bring back the child we lost?
There was no erasing the past. It stayed imprinted in my memory. And all the hurt and pain would never go away no matter what I told him to do.
So I gave him an honest answer, barely above a whisper as I stared into his remorseful eyes.
"I don’t know, Jace."