“No, she loved you. I hated you.”
“I’m sorry, Brian. I had no idea. I never meant to hurt her.”
“Well, you did.” Brian considered him for a long moment. Jace wished he’d just hit him again and get it over with. Brian relaxed his stance instead. He cracked his knuckles. “God, that felt good. Do you know how long I’ve wanted to punch this Jason jerk in the face?”
“Ten years?” Jace guessed.
Brian laughed. “Yeah.” He thumbed the bruise forming on Jace’s chin. “You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m glad you hit me. I feel better now. That secret has been eating me alive.”
“We’ll never speak of this again. Got it?”
Jace nodded. “Got it.”
They started toward the bus. “So are you and Aggie going to tie the knot?” Brian asked unexpectedly.
Tie the knot. As in marriage? Jace was so stunned by the idea he stopped walking in mid-stride. He stumbled, bumping against Brian’s shoulder. Marriage had never crossed his mind. Not once. But wasn’t that what a couple did when they were in love?
“No?” Brian squeezed Jace’s shoulder. “I guess you’re still pretty young. No need to rush it.”
“Do you think she would?” Jace sputtered. “Marry. Me?” Why did his voice sound like he’d reentered puberty?
“You’ll have to ask her.”
Jace’s brow crinkled. “Yeah. Maybe I will.”
***
Aggie grinned when Jace came up behind her and wrapped both arms around her waist.
“I’m starving,” he murmured. “Whatcha cooking?”
“Spaghetti. We have a guest.” She covered his entwined hands with hers. “Jessica’s here,” she told him. “Brian just brought her in from the airport.”
“Yeah, I saw her.”
“Where’ve you been anyway? You were gone when I woke up.” When she’d opened her eyes, Eric had been cuddled up against her naked body. She hadn’t been comfortable being left alone with him and had been a little put off that Jace had abandoned her and not made Eric leave.
“I was working out with Sed.”
“Is your body up to that?”
“It’s up to f**king you a couple times a day. I think I can handle lifting fifteen pounds.”
What had him out of sorts? “What’s the matter, baby?” She reached behind her to run a hand through his soft hair. It was getting long, and his brown roots were showing again. She was glad he hadn’t spiked it with gel today. It felt like silk against her fingertips.
“How do you feel about marriage?” he asked.
Her heart skipped a beat. “Marriage?” she sputtered breathlessly.
He stood there silently for a long moment. When she didn’t say anything, he released her and backed away. “That’s what I thought.” He disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door before she could get a handle on what had just happened.
Did Jace want to marry her? Her? A trashy dominatrix from Vegas. As a doting wife? Surely he was just asking what she thought about marriage in general.
The stove hissed as her pot of spaghetti boiled over. She grabbed the handles and sloshed the excess water in the sink before returning the pot to the burner.
Marriage?
Where had that come from?
In all their time together, marriage had never crossed her mind. She felt kind of guilty about that. How long had he been thinking about this? She walked down the hall and stood outside the bathroom door with her knuckles raised to knock. The sound of the shower being turned on made her pause. She didn’t want to leave him to fester. She knew how he internalized the things that hurt him, but she needed time to think about this. She didn’t think she’d ever get married. It hadn’t been on her life’s to-do list. But she loved Jace. Adored him. She didn’t want to lose him. But marry him? She wasn’t sure if that was best for either of them.
Eric leaned against the wall next to her. “What did he do now?”
Aggie glanced up at Eric’s twinkling, blue eyes. “Who?”
“Jace.”
“Nothing.” She spun away from the door and returned to the stove to stir the spaghetti sauce. She checked the meatballs in the oven. Glanced over her shoulder at the bathroom door. Stirred the sauce. Checked the meatballs. Glanced at the bathroom door.
Eric hopped up to sit on the kitchen counter between the stove and the sink. “He did something,” Eric insisted. “I’ve never seen you this upset.”
“I’m not upset.”
“Are too.”
“Not.”
“You can tell me,” Eric said. “I’ll help you straighten him out.”
“He doesn’t need straightening out.”
Eric clung to the edge of the counter and swung his long legs, his heels bumping against the lower cabinet repetitively.
“Stop fidgeting,” Aggie demanded. “You’re driving me insane.”
“Someone is cranky.” Eric hopped off the counter and stood behind her to massage her shoulders. “Chillax. Everything will be okay.”
As his strong hands worked her muscles, Aggie tensed further. She twisted away and brandished her spaghetti spoon at him. “Just go over there and sit down.”
“Jace and I can work all that aggression out of you, sexy. Let’s start without him.”
When his mouth descended on the side of her neck, she tensed. Exactly what kind of claim did Eric think he had on her? He cupped her br**sts and pulled her back against his hard body. She jerked away, spun around, and shoved him with both hands.
“I didn’t say you could touch me, Eric.”
His brow knitted. “I need permission?”
“Not only mine. Jace’s too.”
Eric grinned. “I’m sure Jace won’t mind.”
Aggie lowered her gaze. Eric was probably right. And why was that exactly? Shouldn’t Jace be at least a little jealous of Eric touching her? Kissing her? Coming on to her? She knew if it ever came down to Jace choosing between her and his band, the band would win, hands down. Not that she would make him choose—but if he had to. He said he loved her. Most of the time, he acted like he did. But sometimes, she wasn’t sure. She was so confused she felt like crying. Her lower lip trembled.
She squared her shoulders, turned her back on Eric, and returned to the stove. Forcing her turbulent thoughts from her mind, she drained the spaghetti and added it to the sauce. The meatballs went in next. She turned off the burner, grabbed the nearest jacket, and headed for the bus exit. “Dinner’s ready,” she mumbled to Trey and Brian as she passed the sofa. They watched her pass, and then exchanged troubled glances.