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He glanced down to where Bethany’s dark head lay on his shoulder She hadn’t stirred either They’d made love countless times until they’d both fallen into an exhausted sleep

He reached for his cell phone lying on the nightstand and saw that Kaden was calling

"Jace Crestwell," he answered

"Mr Crestwell, I thought you’d like to know that Kingston returned to the apartment"

"He’s there now?" Jace asked in a low voice

"Yes, sir Cao Let himself in and he hasn’t left yet"

"Make sure he doesn’t," Jace said curtly "I’ll be right over"

"Yes, sir"

Jace disconnected the call as Bethany stirred beside hiazed at hi okay?"

He kissed her forehead "I have to go out for a while" He hesitated a moment "Jack came back to the apart off the veil of sleep "I’ll go with you"

He shook his head "No I’ll handle this, Bethany"

She becaitated and before she could work herself up and become more upset, he said firreement on this I need you to trust me I’ll handle it"

"Okay," she said quietly

He kissed her again "It’ll be fine, baby Trust me"

"I do," she whispered

"While I’e for your stuff to be moved here"

She bit her lip

"Are you having second thoughts?" he asked warily

She shook her head "No I want this I want you And I do trust you, Jace Please don’t think I don’t This is hard for me Jack is important to me You both are I know he’s not perfect I know he’s done things that aren’tgood But I just want hiranted"

"I know you do, baby Don’t worry I’ll call you when I finish up with Jack, okay? Is your cell charged?"

She shrugged and he rolled his eyes

"I’ll plug it in before I leave It’ll be on the kitchen counter"

He pushed aside the sheets and slid out of bed but then he leaned over, wanting to kiss her again, to savor the feel of her under his lips one last time before he handled the issue of Jack

This wasn’t a situation he wanted to be in But for Bethany he’d do it, even if his preference was to tell Jack to fuck off and stay the hell out of Bethany’s life froive hi Jack would make little difference in his life other than the inconvenience of confronting the other man

A part of him relished it He wanted to see for hi Bethany While Bethany considered his toward her were very brotherly

That he’d keep to himself because Bethany was na&ius, Jack included, and she’d never see the situation the way soht But then, Jace had little perspective when it came to her

"I don’t want you to worry about this, baby It’ll be all right Jack can call you and you can call hi as Kaden or Trevor is with you when I can’t be"

"Thank you, Jace" Her eyes were bright and earnest "This means so much to me"

"Love you," he said huskily

Her entire face softened and the worry fled her eyes He realized then what reassurance those words gave her and he vowed on the spot not to let a day go by without giving them to her

"I love you too"

He walked into the bathroom before he said to hell with Jack and pressed Bethany back onto the bed toto be very late getting into work, which was unlike hiive her a heads-up Despite it being just after the holidays, things were business as usual, and they had multiple projects in the works Projects that needed his, Gabe’s and Ash’s constant attention

And if he were honest--and he was--he knew that it had been weeks since he’d been able to give work his undivided attention Maybe he’d never ain He had Bethany now and she was thein his life Not work, not business, not even his partnership with his two best friends

• • •

Forty-five minutes later, he strode into the apartment complex and was met by Kaden in the lobby

"He’s still here?" Jace asked shortly

Kaden nodded "Yes, sir He hasn’t coood I’ll want you and Trevor to constantly monitor his presence Even when he leaves I want to knohere he goes, who he sees and what he does And I especially want to know if and when he contacts Bethany, if he sees her or arranges to see her Under no circu her alone I’ve let her know she isn’t to see Jack without you or Trevor or myself, but if Jack attempts to seek her out, she may not know about it until he’s there in her face And I want you in between them She is to be protected at all costs"

"Understood," Kaden said grimly

Jace walked to the elevator and Kaden fell into step beside hilance in his direction and Kaden’s jaent firm

"Sir, it stands to reason that if he’s a potential risk to Bethany’s safety and you’re going to confront him that he’s a risk to you as well I’d feel better if I was present for this discussion I will, of course,I chance to overhear"