Alec sat cross-legged on the couch, while Izzy sat in the small loveseat next to it. Clary, carrying a pan of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, placed it on the wooden coffee table in front of them, and slid in the Blu-ray disk. She walked to the couch and butted Alec's knee with her hip.
"Move over."
He grinned, a strand of inky black hair falling in his eyes. "Are you too fat?"
She feigned hurt, slapped his knee aside, and squished onto the couch next to him, just as She'stheMan came on. It started out slow, but soon the three of them were clutching their stomachs and choking on pieces of their cookies as they watched Viola stuff a tampon up her nose.
Alec snorted and some cookie crumbs sprayed from his nose, sending the girls into hysterical laughter. He scowled at them, wiping his nose on the back of his sleeve. "Not funny."
Isabelle snickered at her brother. "Do you need a tampon for your nose too?"
Clary hooted with laughter, and even Alec joined in. "Good one, Iz."
She reached for another cookie, when her phone vibrated. Digging it out of her purse, her heart sped up when the name flashed.
JaceWayland.
"Hello?"
"Get over here," he drawled. "Right now."
Something about his voice made her stomach clench with anticipation.
"Did something happen?" She asked slowly, knowing nothing really had, that all he wanted was her in bed.
"Yes," he said. "I realized that I wanted to take you really, really slowly on the kitchen table."
The coil in her stomach began tightening. Just hearing his voice dip low and wolfish sent her hormones crazy.
"Mmm, is that so?" She kept up the teasing. "Then you can continue thinking about it. Tell me the details tomorrow."
"I imagine you below me," he murmured in such a low tone that she had to strain to hear him over the movie, "legs spread wide open. So fucking sexy. My mouth is on you, and I'm licking you, pleasuring you. Your hands are in my hair, your thighs are clenching around my head, and my tongue is tasting you, lightly at first, then rougher and rougher, while you moan my name. And when you come a little, it's the best thing I've ever tasted –"
The breath left her as her stomach coiled deliciously. "I'll be there in five." Clary snapped her phone shut. She had unconsciously crossed her legs while Jace was talking and had been squeezing them together.
God. She needed him. Now.
Her pants were freaking damp already…just by hearing his voice.
"Clary? You alright?" Isabelle peered closely at her flushed cheeks. Alec turned from the TV and looked at her too.
"Yeah," she said a little unevenly. Screw her voice.
"Who was that?"
"Jace. I'm sorry guys, but I have to go."
It was impossible to miss the look that passed between Isabelle and Alec.
"Clary," Alec said slowly, "we think you should be more careful."
"We haven't seen you like this since Ivan," Isabelle added carefully.
Ivan. Her ex. Who'd split her heart in two by his words. Thinking about him had almost gotten her killed, but Jace had saved her.
But he was when she was younger, when she didn't know better.
And now, when she thought about him, it didn't hurt as much as it did before. Somehow, someone had filled the void in her heart.
Clary smiled. "Thanks guys. I appreciate your concern, but it isn't anything like that. It's actually just like Friends with Benefits. God, Justin Timberlake was hot."
She hugged them, and picked up her purse, mulling over what she just said.
And she realized, with a shock, how much of a lie it was. Friends with Benefits her ass.
Because she was starting to feel very attracted to a certain someone. And even scarier, that person may have been the one to take Ivan's place.
…
Back at Isabelle's house, the Lightwood siblings stared at the door that Clary had just rushed through. Then they looked at each other.
"Wait…" Alec said. "Wasn't Friends with Benefits the one where the girl gets hurt by the guy?"
Isabelle nodded. "Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking."
They looked at each other again, and both of them grimaced. "We need to watch out for them," Isabelle said.
"We do. Silly little kids."
They laughed, and turned back to the movie again, just in time to see Viola stumble into Duke with a tampon up his nose.
…
The meeting hadn't started yet, and Jace leaned back in his chair, smiling slightly as he recalled Clary below him…on the kitchen table, exactly as he'd imagined a million times before, and better.
Who knew she'd be a screamer?
"Got laid last night?" Sebastian smirked next to him.
Jace sat up. "What makes you think that?"
"You had sex written all over your face. Good, hard, mind-blowing sex."
He grinned, running a hand through his blond curls. "You're good."
"So who was the lucky girl?" Sebastian asked.
Uh…
He was the last person Jace thought of telling, not that he didn't trust Sebastian, but because a few weeks ago, Seb had asked Clary out on a date.
"Just this one girl," he said, just as Valentine walked into the room.
"Short meeting today." He looked at Jace. "Nice job with the clients. Meeting adjourned. Sebastian, please stay."
Murmurs went around as everyone looked at Valentine in surprise, some in irritation. The meeting was so short they might as well not had one at all. Jace glanced at Sebastian, who shrugged.
Whatever. The sooner the better. The sooner he could get back to Clary.
…
Valentine waited until everyone had filed out, leaving him with one lone employee, Sebastian. The lad looked slightly nervous, but he dismissed the thought.
"Sebastian?"
"Yes, Valentine?"
He pulled out a chair opposite Sebastian and sat down. "So recently, I noticed that SAI's total income has been steadily increasing substantially more than ours. We've been selling the same product, yet they've earned more than us."
"Are they filching from us?" Sebastian looked surprised.
Valentine smiled thinly. Good, this was an eager lad. "No, but I suspect they may have released a new product, yet as hard as I could, I could not find anything on the market. I want you to ask SAI employees. Not directly, but indirectly. Try to get some info out of them on an upcoming product. Do you think you can do that?"
Sebastian sat up straight. "Yes. Definitely."
Valentine nodded. He'd picked this boy for a reason. Good looks, eager, suave with the ladies, sly and tricky.
Perfect.
Anyone ever watched She's the Man? It's hilarious. So…
CLOCKWORK PRINCE. ANYONE READ IT YET? IM RAGING AND MAD AND SAD AND I FEEL SO HOLLOW AND EMPTY AFTER FINISHING IT. (No spoilers, don't worry)
I CANNOT BELIEVE SHE COULD BE SO CRUEL IN THE END. SO SAD. ESPECIALLY SINCE I LOVED WILL SO MUCH.
I'm sorry Team Jem, but I think Jem is….ehhhhhh.
But of course, I loved the book, and I can't wait for Clockwork Princess! Not sure if I can survive a whole year D:
Okay, I'm done raging. Please REVIEW!