Hey guys! I'm so sorry it's been a while, but all my energy has been drained for a while from some pretty severe allergies :( I just got a spare weekend and some free time to write, so sorry again and hope you like this!

Ya'll ready?

LEGGO.

"Absolutely not."

"Too bad Clarissa."

"I refuse."

"I repeat, too bad Clarissa."

I glare up at him, baring my teeth. "Bite me."

He simply smirks his infuriating smirk. "I'd love to."

Oh, of course. Rolling my eyes, I throw my head back in pride- even if I was currently sprawled on the floor with a sword pointed at my neck. Jace justs raises an eyebrow, bending down as quick as the wind and grabbing me by the arm, hauling me up. I stumble and regain my footing, still with a sword pointed at my neck. Jace is panting with effort, our latest battle draining us both. His golden skin is glistening with sweat, the dark fabric of his undershirt drenched. His hair turns a bronze color, the ends curling and stuck to his neck slightly. God, he looks annoyingly good- even all sweaty and hot. The things I would-

With a jerk, I step back with eyes wide, reeling out of my imagination. A small smile is playing on Jace's lips, and I can tell he knew where my mind went. I scowl again and throw my hands up in exasperation. "Alright, I yield smartass." I mumble, stalking off of the mat. Jace tsks from behind me as I wipe my sweat with a towel, ignoring him.

"Now now, is that the way to talk to your king?" He questions, and I turn to see him lazily twirling his sword in his hand, a sly smile on his face. I roll my eyes and take a long swig of water.

"Yeah, if he's your fiance." I say casually, crossing my arms. Jace just shrugs, tossing the sword onto the mat and coming over to get his own waterbottle. He takes a long drink and I watch him quietly, all attempts at being secretive abandoned. Heat radiated off of him, and I let my eyes slowly look over his figure. No wonder he trained all the time- It showed in his lean figure, built for speed and ability and so much more.

He lowers his waterbottle and cocks his head at me, eyebrows raised. "Yeah?" He asks quietly. I bite my lip, racking my brain for something to say. "How did you do that jump-kick again? I was wondering-"

Jace cuts me off.

A hand wraps tightly around my waist, and Jace's lips crush down on mine. I forget my flustered self and fling my arms around his neck, drawing him closer to me. Jace groans into my mouth, one of his hands roughly weaving itself into my hair and holding me infinitely closer than I ever thought possible. I stand a little taller on my tip toes, a part of me cursing myself for my short height. I feel Jace chuckle deeply, shaking his whole body. I break apart for a moment, our lips still ghosting over each others as I attempt to gain back my breath.

"Why is it always the training room?" I murmur against his lips. Jace shrugs.

"I don't know." Jace says quietly, and I gasp a little as he hauls me up by my legs, giving me a split second to wrap them around him or fall. His arms hold me closer, my arms clinging to his neck as I look down him in surprise. He grins devilishly up at me, a glint in his molten gold eyes. Shaking my head lightly, I kiss him again, even as he starts walking, just hoping he didn't accidently bang me into a wall. I hear the door to the training room open and close behind me, and I tear myself away from him to glare.

"What if somebody sees us?" I hiss in anger. Jace rolls his eyes, looking impatient, ruffled, and hot as hell.

"Do you think I care?" He says impatiently, ceasing his hurried stride long enough to stare at me down, daring me to say something. I look back for a minute, contemplating. Then, I shrug.

"Oh, what the hell." I mutter, demanding another kiss from Jace's giving lips. He continues walking, fingers digging into my thighs and dragging another small groan from me. How long was this walk?

Finally, I hear the distinct sound of our heavy wooden door opening, dragging slightly against the thick carpet flooring. It shuts and I feel my back pressed against it in a hurry. I arch into him, frantically clawing at his skin, burning to feel more of it. It had been a week since we made up, and the farthest we'd gotten is here. But I couldn't stand it anymore.

And apparently, neither could he. He picks me up again, slowly walking me over to the bed. He drops me, letting me bounce lightly on the puff of black sheets beneath me. I stare up with wide eyes as Jace slowly climbs over me, eyes never leaving mine. His eyes drop down to my mouth, a small smirk playing on his lips. With a groan, I back up a little bit.

"Stop that." I demand. Jace raises a brow, backing away an inch.

"Stop what?" He asks. I bite my lip.

"Looking at me like that." I say, still annoyed. "It makes me.." I trail off, squirming under his heated gaze. Oh god.

A slow, sexy grin spreads across his face, wide and unforgiving. His face is so close to mine I can make out every line and plane of his face. "What, Clarissa?" He says tauntingly, and I almost jump at the feeling of his hand on my thigh. Slowly traveling up, tracing light patterns against my skin.

A devilish smirk paints my own face as I lean forward, pushing him back roughly and quickly, surprising him so much he falls backwards. Jace raises an eyebrow, leaning back on his elbows and watching in interest as I crawl over him, my unbound hair falling over my shoulders and throwing shadows over Jace's lovely face. His lips are slightly parted, watching my every move as I settle over him, my arms supporting me as I smirk down at him.

"Things like this." I whisper, and I let my lips ghost over his neck, one of my hands playing with the hemline of his shirt. Jace tips his head back, letting a groan escape his lips. I smile against his skin, paying back his sweet, sweet torture. His hand comes up and settles around my waist, holding me close as I pepper little kisses all over his neck. His breath picks up a little bit, and I let my hips move over him to a rhythm only we could hear. I raise my head and slowly lean in, my eyes not leaving his lips as I come in a little closer, until I'm just above his lips…

And a knock sounds on the door.

Jace jerks back in surprise, half lidded eyes flying wide. After a moment he growls in anger, grabbing me by the hips and lightly putting me to the side. I sit in confused shock, blood still pulsing as Jace mutters to himself, pulling down his undershirt and running a hand through his tossed hair. He yanks open the door.

"What?" He snaps at the young maid waiting outside the door, her eyes flying wide and her cheeks blushing a blood red at the sight of Jace and I.

"I-I'm so sorry your highness! It's just, you've been asked to report in the counsel room." She stammers, eyes down.

"Okay. You're dismissed." Jace says, sounding wired and impatient. She drops into a low curtsy and walks as fast as possible as she can without running. Jace slams the door, spinning on his heel to face me again. His cheeks are flushed, lips swollen, and I wanted to kiss him so bad it hurt.

With a sigh, I sit on the edge of the bed, trying to calm down my pulse. Jace walks over, still running a hand through his hair. His eyes fixate on me, and he groans in impatience. "Damn maids." He mutters, bracing his arms on either side of me on the mattress. I shrug lightly, biting my lip and looking up at him, a little shyly. He groans as his eyes fall to my lips, and I can sense his fingers tightening and curling into the sheets. "For the love of the Angel, you've got to stop that Clarissa. There is no I can make it to that counsel meeting in time if you do." He warns me, lips dangerously close to mine. I shrug, scooting back on the bed and sprawling across the comfortable covers.

"Okay, go to your boring counsel meeting. I'll be here, waiting." I say lightly, letting my eyes freely roam his body. He rolls his eyes and disappears into the bathroom, muttering something about a cold shower.

I sigh, falling back flat against the sheets. For the last week, Jace and I were either at eachother's throats or eachother's lips. That electricity was unavoidable- we had tried training to burn off steam, but it only ended in him giving me that look that made me forget all about roundhouse kicks and scissor blades. We always stopped eventually, but I was worried that one day we wouldn't. And that I wouldn't want to.

With a groan, I roll off the bed and head into my own bathroom to change out of my sweaty clothes. Turning on the hot water in the shower, I yawn and stretch my tired body, already worn out despite it only being noon. I peel off my clothes and toss them to the side, grabbing a fluffy towel from the rack and hanging it next to the shower, stepping into the warm,inviting water. I almost sigh in relief, the tension and soreness already leaving my muscles. Angel, it felt good to relax.

I absentmindedly grab the loofah and start scrubbing, my mind drifting back to Jace. He was all that was on my mind recently. It took way too much effort to keep myself from grabbing him and dragging him to the closest broom closet and having my way with him. And that knowing little smirk on his face that never left didn't exactly help.

He knew how much I wanted him, which made it ten times worse. I could tell we was provoking me, trying to get me to lose my reigned in temper. Oh, not that I didn't do the exact same thing. A little smirk plays on my lips as I flashback to all the little things I've been doing the past week, purposely driving him crazy. Little things, nothing more than a few well timed grins and flutter of eyelashes, a smile to his advisor or a brush of skin in random and innocent moments. It usually ended up in Jace cornering me in a hallway and returning the favor. Well, not that I minded.

Although, this was enough for now. We didn't need everything worked out- we could just enjoy it. My shoulders drop a little in relief, the decision to finally enjoy something in my life for so long coming as a welcome choice. Feeling a grin spread across my face, I hum a little bit while turning off the water, feeling light.

I don my most simple dress, not intending to do more than sit and read all day. Pushing my wet hair back from my shoulders, I walk out of my bathroom to see a fully dressed Jace pulling on shoes, his hair still slightly damp. He looks up and smiles lazily, running his eyes over me. Even though I'm completely covered, I still squirm a bit. Oh, damn him.

"Alright, time to see what these old hags want." He mutters, standing up. I raise my brows, crossing my arms.

"Old hags?" I question with a little laugh. Jace just shrugs.

"It's true. They're all just old, bitter men who resent the fact I got the crown and probably try to poison me on a daily basis." Jace says cheerfully, running a hand through his hair. I roll my eyes and sit down on the vanity, grabbing a brush and starting to work through the knots. I don't even hear Jace's feet against the carpet, until two fingers tuck under my chin and lift my head up until I'm staring into Jace's heated eyes. He leans forward slightly, that second feeling like a minute as his lips barely brush against mine, eyes locked with mine. I let them fall close for a second, reveling in Jace's closeness. I swear to the Angel, if he doesn't kiss me...

"I'll be right back." He whispers. And by the time I open my eyes, he's already left the room.

I sit in shock, eyes wide and electricity still pulsing through my veins. By the Angel, he had way too much of an effect on me. With numb hands, I pick up the brush and start brushing my hair again.

o.O.o

The door slams open and I almost jump, the book falling from my hand. Oh Angel, I had lost my page again. With a groan of frustration, I look up to glare at Jace, who had just entered the room. "Seriously, this is the third time I dropped my-" I falter at the look on his face. He looks distracted, and a little angry. I get up, walking over to him. "Is everything okay?"

Jace sighs, almost pulling out his hair with his hand. "Well it's not that big of a deal, but I have to go to a neighboring kingdom and negotiate some peace contract. Really any one of those counsellors could do it, but they keep claiming it would be more impactful if I came myself." Jace practically growls, obviously annoyed. I bite my lip, creeping forward a step.

"Why are you so angry about a trip?" I ask quietly. Jace chuckles ruefully.

"This is with the Malachi kingdom- also, the kingdom who hates my guts the most. Apparently, my father screwed them over in some war treaty a couple of decades back- we've not exactly been the best of friends." He shrugs, and I sit back down again, wanting to return to my book.

"So, when are you heading out?" I ask casually, reaching for my fallen book.

"Tonight, I'll be back in ten days." My hand freezes. Ten days? Wow, that was…

"Okay." I grind out, my voice maybe a little higher than I'd prefer. Ten days without Jace? While that may be a relief, how weird would it be living in a castle without Jace? Guess it was time to find out.

I straighten up, casually straightening out my dress. Jace laughs a little, leaning against the vanity. "Going to miss me?" He asks, his voice teasing. I roll my eyes and sit down elegantly on the window seat, flipping open my book.

"Sure, let's go with that theory." I say loftily, ignoring him. I see Jace shake his head out of the corner of my eye, and he disappears into his closet. As soon, as he's out of sight, I let my book fall into my lap and tip my head back with a sigh. Ten days. That was possible, right? I hadn't become that invested with Jace, right? Even as I thought it, I felt a pang at the thought of not being able to kiss him whenever I wanted to, even if some peace and quiet would be welcomed. Angel, he was infuriatingly complicating.

I let my head rest against the wall, my eyes closed. I hear the distant sound of Jace rustling around in his closet, probably packing for his trip. What was this even to negotiate? And was this with all the other kings of Idris. My stomach twists into horrible knots at the thought of Jace and Valentine confronting each other.

Jace emerges, holding several bags that he tosses next to the door. "I need to go discuss some things with Magnus, I'll be back before I leave." He says, and I nod without looking up. The door closes behind him.

I sit in silence for a moment, contemplating what to do. I couldn't stand re-reading this book again- I knew I should've brought more than one book. Did this place have a library?

My head shoots up in excitement, and I jump up and sprint to the door and fling it open, looking down both sides of the hallways to see if I could still spot Jace. I catch a glimpse of his blonde head disappearing around a corner, and I break into a run with my feet slapping hard against the stone underneath them. "Jace!" I shout as I turn the corner. He stops and jerks around in surprise, eyes widening as I come barreling towards him. I skid to a stop, panting a couple of feet away from Jace.

"Yes Clarissa?" He asks, a little bemused. I hold up a hand, letting myself catch my breath. Finally I straighten up, my cheeks still flushed.

"Do you have a library?" I pant. Jace's mouth opens a little bit, and he gives me a look as if a Drevak demon started to dance in front of him.

"You sprinted from the bedroom, shouting like a mad-woman, just to ask me if I have a library?"

"I really like books." I say meekly.

Jace rolls his eyes, turning and walking down the hallway. "Follow me Clarissa." He sighs, sounding exasperated.

I smile to myself and follow his long strides, walking silently next to him. He leads me down a few winding hallways and a staircase, and we arrive in front of two large, wooden doors. Jace grabs each handle and pulls hard, and the doors silently swing open to reveal one of the biggest rooms i've ever seen.

Trying to suppress a gasp, I walk in a trance into the library. It's magnificent, with a ceiling so high it ended in a huge dome of stained glass that cast beautiful light patterns that hit the books. So, so many books! Hundreds, maybe even thousands of books sat on a spiral bookcase that went up and up, several ladders attached to them. The circular floor had thick carpet on the floor, looking soft enough to lay on your back and read all day. Plush, overstuffed couches littered the floor, dark and comfortable.I almost moan at the thought of spending days and days sitting in here, reading away the hours.

An awed laugh bubbles from my throat as I run into the center of the room, looking straight up into the red, yellow, and blue colored rays of light streaming from the ceiling. Oh Angel, I love this room. I lower my head and finally lock eyes with Jace, who's leaning against the doorjamb and staring at me, a strange look in his eyes. I lower my arms that I had risen without my knowledge, clasping them behind me. "What?" I ask curiously.

Jace shrugs, still staring at me. "Nothing. I never knew that you loved books so much." He says offhandedly, but he's still giving me that strange look. I shrug, biting my lip.

"There was a really big library in my home, it was pretty much where I spent my childhood." I say lightly, walking over to the closest book and stroking the spine of the thick, worn leather cover gently. I don't tell Jace that the library was the one place Valentine never sought me out, demanded something out of me or threw his words in my face.

He clears his throat lightly, and I turn to face Jace. "I'm going to go prepare for tonight, you take your time." I nod and turn back, choosing out what seemed to be the best titles. Jace chuckles and the door closes again, but I'm already lost.

o.O.o

I let out a huff of breath as I kick the door of my bedroom shut, my arms full of over a dozen books to keep next to the bed and read to my hearts content. I let them all fall onto the bed, coughing at the dust from underneath the worn book covers. Sighing happily, I collapse next to them and start sorting through them, rating them from what I wanted to read first in order. A Tale of Two Cities sat on top, the chocolate brown cover with gold lining shining up on me.

"That's a favorite." Jace speaks from behind me. I jump in place and twist to see Jace standing in the doorway, dressed for travel in black pants and a tunic. It brought out the gold undertones in his skin, which made him even more infuriating.

"Me too, I re-read it every year." I say quietly, standing up and walking over to him. "Are you leaving now?"

Jace nods. "I'll see you in ten days, I guess." He says with a shrug, and I return it. An awkward silence falls over us as we stare at each other, a few feet apart. Finally, I shrug.

"One for the road?" I ask with a smirk. Jace grins.

"I thought you'd never ask." I grab onto his shirt and bring his lips into mine. He responds immediately, pushing me backwards until my back is against the wall. His hand grabs my thigh pulling it up until it's resting on his hips. My arms grab roughly onto his hair, pulling his lips harder onto mine until they open under the pressure. I groan into his mouth at the taste of him- the taste of smoke and vanilla. His breath is hot against me as I savor the last kiss for ten days, remembering the feel of his body against mine. Then, I pull away.

"I have a book to read." I gasp, pushing him hard enough that he stumbles back, eyes still a little dazed and dark. flicking my hair back, I smirk and walk away, plopping back down on the bed and picking up my book. Jace stands in shock for a minute, before growling something that I'm sure I didn't want to here, and walking out with his bags in his hands.

This is going to be an interesting ten days.

Hey! So I'm back, I hope you guys are cool with this chapter! and don't worry, Jace will be back in 2 or 3 chapters! I love you all!

keep reading…*MUAH*- Madeline