Chapter 11
I sit at the stool, my brush in hand, trying to gather the focus I need to paint the skyline but Jace is making it nearly impossible staring at me all admiringly. Not to mention insanely nervous. I've never felt this anxious with a brush in my hand, usually, this is the one area I'm at completely at ease but Jace staring at me in that way only he does makes me feel anything but.
"Jace!" I scold as I turn to him, he has his chin propped up on his elbows and he's just looking at me adoringly. "It's hard to work with you staring at me." I imagine when he's near it would be hard to focus on anything other than him or even when he's not here at all.
"You didn't seem to mind when I was following you to your lunchtime art class."
"Yeah, well I liked you less then," I admit laughing. It's mostly true before that day I kind of wanted to punch him in the face, no scratch that I totally wanted to punch the sexy smirk clean off his face but now? All I can imagine is kissing the lips attached to that chisled chin.
"I don't know whether my heart should be broken in two or if I should be leaping for joy." He ponders for a moment and then chuckles "I choose the later it's okay if you didn't recognize our scorching chemistry from the start because I never gave up on us babe, " he says as he touches my chin with his graceful fingers.
Babe, he just called me babe and I liked it more than I care to admit. I went on this date hoping it would lift me from his spell but it seems I've only fallen under more.
"So, you admitted you liked me more, how much more?" He says biting those perfect lips, that for the hundredth time in the past half hour I've imagined devouring.
"Well, " I say, " before you were about here, " I say as I lower my hand, " and now you're about here, " I say standing up and lifting my hand as high as it will go.
He beams at me as if I just said the one thing he's always wanted to hear, "So if you're too scared to draw in front of me now because you see how amazing I am... how amazing we both are together, I'll draw you something."
"Oh please be my guest, " I say my interests peaked. "Show me how it's done."
He yanks the brush out of my hands and takes my seat. "Okay so turn around."
"No fair, " I complain, "you got to watch me but I can't watch you?"
"I've been staring at a blank canvas for the last thirty minutes."
I grin as I turn around. I'm so over pretending I don't want him. Pretending I don't want this. As soon as I consciously stopped trying to resist him it was like a new Clary was born or maybe reemerged. I feel lighter, happier, it seems a bit ridiculous but it's how I feel.
"Okay, you can look now."
He holds the canvas behind his back as he smiles down at me. The anticipation is killing me already. He turns it over to reveal the words "will you be my girlfriend?" Scrawled in bright purple letters.
I'm instantly grinning like an idiot, "I didn't take you as the type to want a girlfriend."
"I didn't either, not until you."
You've known him three days Clary, say no! This is crazy!
"I'll be your girlfriend Jace Wayland, " I say ignoreing the rational part of my brain. Screw logic, screw always protecting myself. He's just... irresistible, how could I say no?
A huge grin breaks out across his face as he lunges for me, he wraps his arms around my waist and spins me around. It's something out of an airport scene in a rom-com, I always thought they were super cheesy but now? Is there anything Jace does that isn't endearing?
He sets me down, his lips hovering just over mine, the closeness alone almost drives me out of my mind.
"Clary, " he whispers huskily, " I need to kiss you."
By the Angel it's like he read my mind, since I opened the door this morning I wanted to taste his lips, feel his skin against mine. I want to trace my fingers up and down his golden skin. I meet his eyes head on more than willing to oblige.
"Then do it."
Not needing any more reassurance Jace slips his hands around the small of my back pulling me against him. He bends down melding his lips against my own sending waves or shock crashing through my entire being. For the first time in what seems like forever I feel...I feel everything.
It's like every nerve in my body comes alive under his lips and I never want it to stop. I never want this feeling of bliss to ever go away. I wrap my arms around his neck as his hands tighten around my waist, deepening our kiss. Without my permission, one of my hands drops from his neck to his shirt gently tugging at the silky green fabric.
I untangle myself from him then, knowing full well what would happen next if I didn't. I almost ripped the shirt clean off of him, probably would have ripped the jeans off too.