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Ayla’s heart raced out of control. She felt Jace step closer and put a hand on her lower back. She was having a hard time breathing again.
“But stay tuned. Tomorrow night I’ll give you a teaser of the song this heartbreak inspired.”
Taryn closed the app and scowled. “Such a heartless diva.” Then she smiled at the two of them. “But we’re good? True love is on track?”
“Thank you, Taryn.” Jace spoke for them because Ayla couldn’t catch a breath. “Deep breath in,” he added softly and far too close to her ear.
She pulled it in.
“And out.” He kept his hand on her back as if to reassure her, but all it did was make her heart race faster.
She pushed it out, still shaky but calming down. She looked up into his soulful deep-brown eyes. He wasn’t with Iluminada, hadn’t made the move on her. In fact, he’d been taken advantage of by that awful woman, again. Ayla wanted to hold him and kiss him and right his every wrong.
“Nice,” Taryn said. “I like you a lot.” She pointed at Jace. “And I probably won’t see you at four-thirty in the morning?” She pointed at Ayla.
“Yeah, you will,” Jace said, studying Ayla. “I’m going to learn how to run. If you two leave me in the dust, will you come back for me eventually?”
Taryn laughed. “It’s more than like, I think I love you. You have a brother?”
Jace laughed. “Yep. I’ll introduce you when we all go visit Summit Valley.”
Taryn smiled, but didn’t tell him that Ayla was planning to move there. Ayla appreciated that. “Okay. I’m leaving you two beautiful people loving each other and very much alone. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Taryn,” Jace said.
“’Night,” Ayla mumbled.
Taryn shut the door behind her.
Jace turned Ayla into him, staring down at her. “Ayla,” he said softly. “I love you and I’ll never stop loving you. I’ll do everything I can to never hurt you, to make you smile, to make your life happy and fun and full of light and adventure and fast ski runs.” His deep brown eyes begged her to return the words. “And when hard times come, I’ll be right there too. I’ll never leave your side again, Ayla.”
A warm sense of peace and light filled her. Ayla stared into Jace’s eyes, and she knew. She would’ve known without Taryn showing her that video. Jace was real. He was genuine. He didn’t want to hurt her, and she didn’t want to be without him.
“When you walked away at the airport, I knew I could never let that happen again. I love you and I need to be with you and—”
Ayla arched up and kissed him.
Jace released her hands, wrapped her up tight, and kissed her back. Wow, did he kiss her back. Her head swam with all the emotion and love and happiness he and his kiss brought to her.
The kiss slowly ended, and he cradled her close. “Do you believe how deeply I love you, Ayla?”
“No.”
His eyes widened.
“But I believe how deeply I love you.” She smirked at him. “And I think when I sell my condo and move to your gorgeous valley, I can make you spend every day proving how deeply you love me and skiing boring runs until I pass you up in my skiing abilities and learn how to launch myself off of cliffs and do flips.”
He blinked at her as if not fully processing what she’d just said. Then he whooped and picked her up off the ground, swinging her around. “Ayla! You’d move to Summit Valley? For me?”
“Not for you,” she teased as he still held her off the ground. She felt happy and like she was floating. All she wanted was to be with Jace, but living in that gorgeous valley would be incredible too. Could they fly her parents up for Christmas? “For the snow-skiing and for Bentley and I’m kind of thinking Ammon might be fun to ski with.”
He set her down and kissed her thoroughly, lighting sparks in her lips and her chest. “You are not getting within ten feet of Ammon.”
She laughed. “If he’s my brother-in-law, I might have to.”
Then her eyes widened. She couldn’t believe she’d gone there.
Jace’s dark eyes lit up. He kissed her and he kissed her and he kissed her. When he pulled back, he framed her face with his palms and studied her with those soulful eyes. “Are you really real?” he whispered in a worshipful tone that made her tingle.
