"We're not getting married." Jace groaned.
"Oh you!" Grandma tittered, taking a long sip of wine. "I'd like to take you out to dinner once we land, just the three of us. And then you may both enjoy the rest of your week, all expenses paid. Beth, I know how you enjoy hiking."
"You hike?" Jace asked in a shocked voice.
My nostrils flared in irritation. "Don't sound so shocked that I like exercise and nature, Mr. Senator. Sometimes I get bored with all the white walls in my office. I like getting dirty."
His eyes dilated.
On instinct I leaned in, my hand gripping the armrest between us like it was the last barrier before I jumped onto his lap and ripped his tie off. I'd always wanted to do that. Attack a man and have wild crazy—
"And, Jace," Grandma said, ignoring our exchange, where I was daydreaming about taking advantage of him and he was most likely assuming I was suffering an aneurysm, "eating has always been at the top of your list. Don't deny it. You're basically obsessed with fine wine and dining."
"Do you wine taste?" It was out of my mouth before I could stop myself.
Jace's face lit up, the dimple at the corner of his mouth distracting me from breathing. "My family owns a few wineries near the Oregon Coast. I love it."
I'm so marrying him for his wine. Don't judge me. Girls have needs.
"Interesting." I scooted closer, inhaling his scent, allowing his wine-loving presence to wash over me, and then in an instant, Jace jerked away from me and glared at Grandma.
"I see what you're doing."
"What?" Grandma examined her nails.
"She likes wine. I like wine. She likes hiking. I like hiking." He rolled his eyes. "Oh look!" He laughed dryly. "It just so happens I have a priest waiting to marry you. And a special license! Well, I'll be damned." His eyes narrowed. "You belong in a home."
Grandma's icy glare could have single-handedly ended global warming. "The only home I'm going to is the White House, and it's to be sure to secure your failure should ever try to run for office."
"Try me."
"Already have."
"Guys." I placed my hand on Jace's chest and let it shamefully stay there an extra few seconds while I gently pulled Grandma's talons out of my arm.
Jace's face broke out into one of those creepy politician smiles, you know the ones I'm talking about, where you see too many teeth and the eyes get all small. "You're right. Where are my manners? Let's try this again." He cleared his throat, "I don't do relationships. I refuse to be played by a woman who eats blood-pressure pills like candy and cheats at Bridge."
"Why I never—"
"I won't play your games, and now Beth knows that as well."
"We all know that," the lady from the seat in front of us chirped in an irritated voice.
"Drink your damn happy juice," Jace fired back under his breath then crossed his arms. "Grandma, stop meddling. Yes, we'll do dinner, and then this," he pointed at me and her, "is done."
For some reason, I felt like crying. I wasn't really sure why. I mean, I agreed with every single thing he'd said, but that didn't lessen the sting or make me feel the rejection any less.
But the thing about women and how we think? Regardless of what a guy said about not wanting commitment or the stability of a relationship, deep down, every girl imagined that if he just found the right one, he'd change his ways. So hearing that he'd met me, kissed me, slept with me and still wasn't willing to change his ways? Yeah, it stung.
Maybe Jace wasn't trying to reject me, but that was what it felt like. It felt like the final nail in my relationship coffin. If I couldn't perk a politician's interest, really what did I have going for me? I swallowed thickly and gazed up at Grandma.
"Beth? Do you agree?"
Her eyes held magical powers. I could have sworn I felt her reach into my brain and touch the truth with one of her bright red nails. So I looked away for a brief moment before nodding, giving her my best fake smile. "You know me, Grandma. I'm all about my career. Settling down really isn't in my future."
"Well." Grandma slumped. "If you're both sure."
Jace reached for my hand. "We are. And we appreciate the effort."
Okay, suddenly I wanted to punch him in the face.
"Jace," I said in a sickly sweet voice.
"Yeah?"
"If you don't stop speaking on my behalf, I'm going to use your body as my own personal Frankenstein experiment when you're sleeping, got it?"
He pulled back and smirked. "Got it."
"Well," Grandma sighed loud enough to wake up every single child under eight in the back of the plane, "I guess what's done is done. And again, I'm so very sorry for the inconvenience. We'll be landing around dinnertime. I've already apologized to the kids for crashing their honeymoon. They've agreed to take your bags back with them to the hotel while we go have our peaceful dinner, then we can meet them there for a nightcap."
"Fine." I smiled tensely.
"Ta-ta." Grandma waved and walked back down the aisle.
With a sigh I slumped back against my chair, trying to look at the positive side of things. Just because Jace didn't want me didn't mean I was a loser. It just meant I was… single. Still single. Did it mean I was bad in bed? Possibly. It also meant that I was probably a terrible kisser. Who could blame me when my practice had been with Vampire Lover and McDonalds' Employee of the Month?
"She's up to something."
"Jace," I swore, "stop being so…"
"So what?"
"So… suspicious. She apologized. We get a free vacation. Leave it at that."
"But—"
"I'm going to sleep."
"Okay." He sounded disappointed.
I wanted to see the look on his face. I wanted to dissect every single look, every touch, every sigh, but I knew in the end the equation would still equal out to be zero. No matter how many tallies I put in his favor, he still wouldn't want what I had to offer.
Because in the end, I wasn't even sure what I had to offer, except for my heart. And for thirty years — even that hadn't been enough.
Chapter Eight
"You mean to tell me he wanted to be kidnapped?"
Grandma nodded. "Yes, that's correct."
"And he wanted to be rufied?"
"Of course."
"And he asked you to give him some time before you revealed his location?"
"That's what I'm saying."
"Did you murder Senator Brevik?"
"Oh honey, if I'd had murdered him. I wouldn't have gotten caught — that's why I'm here."
"You're here because you got caught."
"I let you catch me. To give him time."
"Fine. I'll bite. Time for what?"
"Love."
Jace
Once the plane dropped down in Honolulu, I was beyond ready to lose my cool. The little girl in front of us had, for the past hour, chattered about school, life, her mom, her gas — really anything that she'd thought might interest us. But the real kicker had been when Beth had started coloring with her.
And I'd been left to watch.
I'd watched her hands glide over the paper.
I'd watched her delicate fingers as they held the color blue.
I'd watched when her face lit up from the praise the little girl gave her.
And then I'd ruined it by scowling when the little girl gave her a high five, and I'd been left out.
Irritation pierced me in the chest. And I was ready to lose my damn mind over it. Every time I tried to imagine a reason for me to be upset that Beth wasn't giving me attention, the more upset with myself I became.