Free MIDNIGHT DIVINE (The Helio Trilogy Book 1) by Valerie Roeseler

wrists to keep his
hands on my face as he tries to pull away. We speak through our gaze before I
pull his hands down to lead him back to the car. I parade backwards and give
him a coy smile, “Come on. I’ve got some packing to do.” All anger is wiped
from his face and replaced with egotistical pride.
     

Chapter 5
    Alice meets me in the foyer
as I come through the door with Jack. “Are you ok?” she questions, worry
creasing her forehead.
    I smile at her with
reassurance. “Yeah. I’m good. I’ve got to pack though,” I explain and look over
my shoulder to Jack. He's got that shit-eating grin plastered across his face
again —beautifully
irritating.
    “Oh. Are you sure?” she
eyes Jack as if he's dangerous.
    “It ’ s fine, Alice. I’m a big girl. You can go to bed now.
I’ll be at practice tomorrow, I promise.” Momma bird's scared for me. I
smile at her again, and she nods to me with acceptance. I close my bedroom door
to pack and hear angry mumbling from Alice as she lays into Jack about taking
care of me. My chest lifts in adoration of her protective instincts.
    I emerge from my room with
my bags and guitar, noting Alice has retreated to her bedroom. “Help me load my
car?” I request. He obliges and carries everything out to my car to load it into
the trunk. I close the trunk, taking into account I've never been to Jack’s
house. “I’ll follow you?” I suggest.
    “If you can keep up,” he
challenges with his famous cheeky grin.
    “Oh, you're on!” We race to
our driver seats and rip the engines in unison. I follow Jack close until we
get to the highway. He cuts over into the right lane and slows down to drive
parallel to me. I look over at his mischievous grin as he swirls his index
finger in the air to signal he wants to race. I rocket ahead of him, cutting
him off before he can gain the lead again. After fifteen miles of staying in
front of Jack, he swerves into the opposite lane to drive parallel to me again.
I wiggle my eyebrows at him and let him pass to lead the rest of the way.
    Jack turns down a winding
dirt road, and I slow down with careful steering. I'm unfamiliar with the
untamed road and don't want to bottom out. Maneuvering around random pot holes
for what I imagine to be ten minutes, Jack pulls in front of a ten foot tall
iron gate that takes my breath away. The intricate design of filigree vines are
gorgeous. Where are we? Is this his house? Jack leans out of his window
and taps a code into a silver security box. The gates open without a sound, and
he creeps forward as I follow him onto a blacktop driveway. I'm so focused on
following Jack, it takes me a moment to realize my surroundings.
    Jack rounds a cul-de-sac as
a huge estate comes up in front of me. Oh, wow! I park next to Jack, and
I can’t take my eyes off of the mansion beside me. The Tudor style country
house glows in the night with spotlights on its exterior red brick. The bricks
are irregularly framed with timber, and groups of tall narrow windows line the
second and third story. It's fairytale vines of ivy stretch up the frame of the
house in a welcoming way.
    Jack knocks on my window,
startling me, and I roll it down with wide eyes, afraid to enter the estate.
Jack gives me an unsure smile. “Are you getting out, Sunshine?" he
inquires and opens my door before I can respond. He holds out his hand to help
me exit — ever the gentleman.
    “Jack.” I whisper,
releasing a heavy breath as I blink at the estate over my shoulder and back to
him. “Tell me this isn't your house.”
    Jack shrugs, “This isn't my
house.” His tone is inscrutable. “It’s my mother’s.”
    What? “You live with your mother?”
    “Yeah. It’s complicated,
and I’m all she’s got to take care of the grounds right now,” he clarifies, but
it doesn't ease the discomfort I feel about staying with him.
    “Are you sure she’s ok with
me being here?” I urge.
    “It’s fine. I swear."
He points to the top right corner of the