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worry about that right now; we’ll get to it later. Grab another egg,” he instructed, stepping behind me. The close proximity between his body and mine became the only thing I could think of as I felt his hot breath across the nape of my neck. “Now you take it and gently, but not too gently, hit the center of it against the counter. Like this.” Jace placed his hand on top of mine and guided me.
    The egg cracked evenly in my hand.
    “ And there you have it, a perfectly cracked egg,” he whispered against my ear, while reaching around me and using his other hand to drop the egg into the bowl.
    His body pressed against mine, and I cocked my head to the side, giving him full access to the sensitive area where my neck met my shoulder. I closed my eyes the moment his lips touched my skin, enjoying the warmth it ignited inside of me. I withered against him, surprised by how quickly I’d been consumed by desire.
    “ Now add a little milk… and stir,” Jace said, pulling away.
    I bit my bottom lip and took in a deep breath, gathering myself, while doing as he’d instructed. Following Jace’s step-by-step instructions, I made two slightly imperfect omelets.
     
    * * *
     
    “ So, does it hurt?” I asked after we’d finish eating our omelets and had moved to sit in Jace’s living room.
    “ It can, but if you know what to expect and try your best to relax, it shouldn’t.”
    I twisted my legs to sit Indian style and faced Jace directly. “So tell me what to expect.”
    “ Tell you what to expect…” he trailed off, his lips twisting into a tiny grin.
    “ What’s the very first thing you feel?” I asked, sounding more nervous than I’d intended.
    “ Warmth,” he answered firmly.
    I chuckled. “Warmth? You’re so flipping vague sometimes, I swear.”
    “ What? You asked and I answered.”
    “ I know, but you could have elaborated a little. I mean, just saying warmth… that makes me think it feels like I’ve peed on myself or something.” I scrunched up my nose.
    Jace laughed that low and rich laugh of his again, the one that was always so contagious. “Okay, how about this? A building warmth like glowing sun drops consumes you before turning into a burning sensation. An intense pressure blasts through your entire body next as you begin to change, then disappears once you’re finished. Better? Because that’s pretty much the best I can do.”
    “ Y-yeah,” I stuttered, unblinking. He’d said that it wouldn’t hurt… not if I relaxed, but what he’d just explained sounded an awful lot like hurt to me.
    “ Relax, you’ll be fine. I’ll be there with you the entire time,” Jace said, his hand moving to cup my chin.
    I relaxed against his touch. He’d suddenly become my anchor in all of this craziness and I was so glad to have him.
     
    * * *
     
    I spent the rest of my day at Jace’s house watching TV and eating, glad I’d decided to skip school. By the time 5:30 rolled around, I couldn’t put off going home any longer; it was time I put on the best performance of my life and all for my parents. The anxiety from what was about to happen to me the moment the moon rose was enough to bring upon a full-fledged panic attack if I wasn’t careful. My chest had tightened, making it harder for me to breathe and my vision had become slightly blurred.
    “ Calm down; you’ll be fine. I promise you,” Jace said, resting his forehead against mine while we stood at his front door, saying goodbye.
    “ I’m trying… I’m just a little freaked out,” I admitted between deep breaths.
    “ I know. I can hear your heart beating a mile a minute.” He smirked. “I’ll be outside your window when darkness falls, okay?”
    “ All right.” I nodded.
    Cupping my head with both of his hands, Jace bent down and kissed me deeply. Flickers of warmth sparked to life and danced from my lips all the way to my toes. When he pulled back I sighed and licked my lips, tasting every last remnant of him before