Reckless Faith
: Chapter 19

You’re too loved to lose.

Elle traced the inked words with her eyes. It was her handwriting. Her words. And Jace had tattooed them to his body.

That was permanent…which was nuts, right? That the man had permanently inked her words to his flesh because the letter had become ratty and old?

His heart beat into her ear as she lay sprawled over his chest, his breathing even and deep while he slept. She’d woken a while ago but hadn’t been able to get back to sleep. She also hadn’t been able to get up, not while cocooned in his arms.

She’d had sex with Jace. A year ago, she would have laughed in someone’s face if they told her this is where she’d be right now. She’d loved him for so long, but she’d always told herself that he would never be hers, not in the way she wanted him to be. So she’d forced herself to move on.

But this tattoo, like the candy, was another sign that he hadn’t forgotten her. He’d carried her with him, even when he’d cut off contact.

Unable to keep her hand to herself any longer, she traced the letters with a finger. She could still remember writing those words. The tears that had filled her eyes. The heartache that had seized her lungs. Because she’d been on the precipice of losing her best friend. Something inside her had known that once he was gone, nothing would ever be the same.

When the hand on her hip smoothed up her back, her gaze shot up to see Jace’s blue stare boring into her, his lopsided grin hitting her in the chest.

“Morning, Tink.”

God, even the rasp of his voice made the fine hairs on her arms stand on end. “Hey.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Honestly? No.”

The smile dropped. “Why not?”

She lifted a shoulder. “Because I’d wake up, feel you around me, remember what we did, and then I had to remind myself I wasn’t dreaming. That we’ve finally found our way to each other.”

If possible, his frown deepened. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”

“I’m the one who’s been fighting it since you got back.” She looked at his tattoo, once again running her finger over the letters. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Why did you lose contact with me? Why did you stop replying to my messages and visiting me when you were back in town?”

His intake of breath was loud, and when she looked up, there was pain woven through the depths of his eyes. “There were a few reasons. I told myself I had to let you go, otherwise I’d never give myself fully to the Air Force. And so that you could replace someone better. Find a better man, even while I was trying to become a better man for you.” His fingers tightened on her waist. “But really, I think it just became too hard to have you in my life while not having you the way I wanted. So I tried to let you go.”

“Yet here you are.”

“Yet here I am.” His hand began to caress her back again, moving from her hip bone right up to between her shoulder blades. “I think we both know we were always going to replace our way back to each other.”

She snorted. “You may have known. I certainly didn’t. I always felt…less than around you.”

His brows knitted together. “What are you talking about?”

“Jace…you were the best-looking guy in our class. Heck, maybe even the whole school. And you were funny and smart, and you had these dimples that made people stop and stare. Whereas I…I was so ordinary.”

For a moment, he was silent. Then he shook his head. “It’s wild to me that you don’t see it.”

“See what?”

“How beautiful you are, inside and out. How beautiful you’ve always been.”

Her pulse sped up, but she shook her head. “People reminded me every day that you were out of my league. They didn’t even know why you were friends with me.”

At the flash of anger on his face, she almost wanted to take the words back.

“I didn’t know,” he growled. “If I had, I would have kicked their asses.”

Exactly why she’d never told him what anyone had said. “We should get up. We both have work.”

He groaned and rolled them over until he caged her body to the bed. She laughed as he nuzzled her neck.

“I don’t wanna get up,” he complained, his hands roaming her body. “I want to stay in bed with you.”

She gasped and grabbed his wrist when he cupped her breast. “Jace. I have to get to the café, and you have a rappelling session this morning.”

Another groan as he continued to palm her.

She moaned and squirmed. “Jace…” His cell rang, and she grabbed his chin, nudging his head up. “Another sign to get up. Answer the call.”

“They’ll leave a message.”

“Go.” He tried to lower his head again, but she tugged his face back up. “Jace.”

“Mm, even your authoritative voice is sexy as hell.” One more kiss, and he finally rolled over to grab his phone from the side table. A crease formed between his brows before he answered it. “Eastern. You got anything?”

At the narrowing of Jace’s eyes, Elle’s belly clenched. She sat up, pulling the sheets with her. Was this about the guy who’d pulled a gun on them at the café yesterday? Had Eastern found out who he was?

Jace nodded. “Got it. Thanks for looking into it. I’ll make sure she’s not alone in the café again.”

Another twist of her belly.

Jace hung up but didn’t immediately turn to her.

She touched his shoulder. “What is it? Did Eastern replace something?”

“The stolen car was dumped last night. They looked it over and found prints from a guy by the name of Darcy Boyd.”

“Who?”

“He’s a criminal who’s done time in prison for battery and assault.”

Her skin chilled. “Okay. But why would he be after me?”

“I don’t know, Tink. Maybe he just saw you and took an interest. We’ll replace out. But until we do, you stay with at least one other person at all times. No closing the café on your own. No solo walks.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. She didn’t like it. But she also didn’t like how vulnerable she’d felt yesterday alone at work. “I’ll have to work with Tilly and Molly to adjust the schedule…but okay.”

Jace stepped out of the café onto the deck. He hated leaving Elle, knowing some asshole thug was hanging around town.

Why? What the hell did he want? Was it just that he’d seen her and randomly decided to harass her?

His hands fisted as he headed toward the skywalk. He’d asked Kayden to set up his rappelling gear so it was ready to go for this morning’s session. Kayden would run the session with him, because there needed to be two supervisors at all times and his brother was a former PJ in the Air Force, so he knew what he was doing when it came to rappelling. He’d completed some of the most dangerous rescues in the deadliest terrains.

Kayden met him halfway to the walk. “Hey.”

Jace dipped his head. “Hey. All ready to go?”

“Yeah, everything’s set up.” Kayden studied him. “You and Elle okay after yesterday?”

He’d texted Kayden about last night. Having as many eyes as possible looking out for Elle wasn’t a bad thing. “Not really. I need to know what the asshole wants and whether he intends to stick around Misty Peak and harass her more or get out of town.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t around to help. I can’t believe the son of a bitch pulled a gun on you.”

Jace didn’t care so much about the gun being pulled on him, more that Elle had been confronted with a firearm. “Eastern will get him.”

As they neared the skywalk, he saw a group of five guys standing around, no doubt their rappelling group. He frowned when he realized he recognized them as guys he’d gone to high school with. A couple had been in his grade, while two others were a year ahead of him.

When the last guy turned, Jace nearly stopped in his tracks.

Casper White. The guy who’d been an asshole to everyone around him—particularly Elle. The night of his last party before leaving for basic training popped into his mind. Of Casper touching her, refusing to leave her alone. He ground his back teeth together. He still regretted not nailing the guy that night.

Casper grinned at him. “Jace Walker. Good to see you, man!”

Jace stopped in front of him. “I thought you left.”

“I did. Moved to the Big Apple. I’m home between jobs though. Heard about the new skywalk and the rappelling sessions and thought I’d give it a go.”

Jace would have preferred he hadn’t.

Kayden held out a hand. “Kayden Walker.”

“Older brother, right?” Casper asked, shaking his hand.

The men went around the group, introducing themselves. They made jokes here and there about shoving each other off the skywalk. Jace didn’t so much as crack a smile. But yeah, he could see why Casper was friends with these guys. It sounded like none of them had changed since high school.

“Safety’s important today,” Jace said, a bit too much force behind his words. “So if we tell you to do something, we need you to listen.”

He started going through the safety aspects of the session, but when he saw Casper muttering something to the guy beside him, he stopped. “You got something to say, White?”

“Nope.” A cocky grin spread across his face. “Nothing at all, Walker.”

“Good. Then shut up and listen.”

The grin dropped.

He was probably being a dick to the guy, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He felt Kayden’s questioning eyes on him, but he ignored his brother while he finished the safety instructions. Then the group put on their harnesses before stepping onto the skywalk.

“You okay?” Kayden asked quietly beside him as they led the group. “Because if you’re not, we can cancel this session.”

“I’m fine. I just hate that guy.”

Kayden shot a quick glance over his shoulder. “The blond with the smug smile?”

“Yeah, him. He was an asshole to Elle in high school.” He was an asshole to a lot of people, but he specifically recalled the guy being a dick to her.

“I’ll set him up.”

Probably a good idea.

Kayden fell back to talk to some of the guys as they headed toward the rappelling location. It was in the center of the skywalk beside a huge tree. It was the only part of the skywalk where the railing had a gate that opened against the tree they’d be rappelling down.

They were almost there when Casper fell into step beside him.

“So, you still good friends with Elle Marshal?” he asked.

Jace’s hands fisted. “We’re dating.”

“No fucking way.” Casper shook his head. “Not that I’m surprised. I’ve been back a few times over the years, and she’s turned into a babe. Nothing like what she looked like in high school.”

Jace swung around and stopped, blocking the guy from moving forward, and Casper almost walked into his chest. “You don’t talk about her like that.”

Casper’s brows shot up. “It was a compliment. Am I wrong?” Then he had the fucking balls to laugh. “I mean, you saw her in high school. It’s why you didn’t date her back then, right?”

It took a lot of self-restraint to not hit the guy, and the only reason Jace stopped himself was because they were so far off the ground. Instead, he inched closer. “If I ever hear you talk about her being anything but beautiful again, I will hit you so hard you won’t get back up. Got it?”

Casper’s mouth opened and closed before a hint of anger entered his eyes. “I can say whatever the hell I want. But I’m not surprised that Jace fucking Walker still thinks he can dictate what others can and can’t do.”

Jace inched another step forward, but suddenly Kayden was there, stepping between them, facing Casper. “It’s time for you to go, man.”

Casper glanced up, red shading his cheeks. “What? No! I’ve paid for this. I’m doing my fucking session. He can go.”

“You can either leave by yourself,” Kayden said firmly, “or I can make you. Your choice.”

The red darkened, the anger in his eyes swirling. “Fuck you!” He looked at Jace. “Fuck both of you.” Then he stormed off down the skywalk, heading back the way they’d come.