under his control

Lines You Don’t Cross Until You Do

Kale POV

I was about to combust, and my cheeks were so hot. I tried as much as possible to hide it, but god... his muscles pressed over my arm, and my d**k kept responding to every touch, so I crossed my leg.

He stood up and made his way to his system. “Come here, kid.”

I hated how he called me kid... the f**k. I was going to be twenty-four in two months. I took a deep breath and walked toward him.

"Go into the booth and sing me a song," he said with a smirk.

I quickly stepped in, and the glass door closed behind me with a soft click.

"Go on... Sing Kale."

I nodded and started to sing one of my original songs.

"Stop... You have to start again,” he said, pointing toward the mic in front of me. “And yeah… use the headphones." His voice came through the speakers in the booth.

I put them on.

“You can start now,” he said.

I nodded, even though he could already see me through the glass wall. The music started soft, and damn, my vocal cord was ready to unleash. The first line came out steady, and just as I was about to take it higher, his voice cut me.

“Stop.”

I flinched. The music stopped playing. “What?” I asked, pulling one side of the headphones off my ear so I could hear him better.

“You’re holding back, you need to be more expressive. Sing it like you're on CGT stage,” he said.

“But I’m not holding back…" I said, pulling the headphone completely off my ears.

Jace didn’t argue with me. He just walked over to the booth, opened the door, and stepped inside with me. The booth suddenly felt too small for both of us to be standing in there together.

“Sing it again... Mean it,” he said. His eyes pierced through me. I swallowed because my mouth felt dry.

I glared at him a little, then got ready again. The music started, and I sang again. This time it was stronger, with more edge to it and more feeling, so it was definitely better.

“Still not there,” he said.

I dropped my head because I was getting frustrated. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re capable of more,” he shot back right away, shutting me up. He stepped closer, his chest leaning on my back.

“Stop thinking about how you sound,” he said quietly, his voice was softer now, and his lips almost brushed my ear. “Feel what you’re saying.”

He placed his hands on my shoulder and pressed his thumb slightly. “Who were you thinking about when you wrote this?” he asked.

My heart skipped a beat. “No one.”

“Liar.”

I scoffed at him. “You don’t even know me.”

“I don’t need to,” he said. “I hear it in your voice.”

The room went silent. “Again,” he commanded as he let go of my shoulders and stepped back.

I exhaled slowly, then I sang, and this time I didn’t think about the notes or how I sounded. It was messy and a little rough, but it was real and it came from my chest.

When the last note faded away, the room stayed quiet. Jace didn’t say anything. He didn’t move.

I pulled the headphones off slowly and turned to him. “Well...?” I asked.

He looked at me for a long second, like he was really thinking. “That’s the one,” he replied.

My chest got tight, and it wasn’t relief I was feeling.

“See?” he added, stepping back a little. “You’re better when you stop pretending.”

“I’m not pretending,” I muttered.

He raised an eyebrow at me, then he let out a quiet laugh.

We moved back out into the main studio. The feeling in the room had changed because it was less professional now and more… something else that I didn’t know how to name. I picked up my glass without thinking and took a small sip.

“You learn fast,” he said.

“Or you’re just very bossy,” I responded.

“I am... I love to be in control,” he said easily.

To be in control, huh... I leaned back a little and studied him. “You always like this?” I asked.

“Like what?”

“Intense.”

He was quiet for a second. Then he said, “Only when it matters.”

My mind drifted away instantly. So many thoughts in my head.

“Say it.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You keep looking at me like you’re about to say something,” Jace said. “So say it.”

Shit. s**t. “No, I’m not...”

“You are.”

I exhaled sharply. “Fine,” I said, running a hand through my hair.

“Just say it, Kale.”

I hesitated just for a second. “I like you." The words hung there between us. I probably should’ve kept that to myself, but he didn’t look surprised. That was the worst part. He just looked at me, calm.

My throat went dry. “Well,” I added quickly, “not like... like... you, I just mean...”

“Relax,” he said, stepping closer to me.

“I’m just saying,” I rushed on, “you’re… interesting. And I... this whole thing is new and...”

“Kale.” I stopped talking. “You don’t have to explain it.”

My heart raced. “Oh,” I said. He didn’t reject me, and that somehow felt more dangerous than if he had.

“Good,” he said finally.

And that was it. Good. What the hell did that mean?

I tried to ask, but my phone buzzed in my pocket. I frowned and pulled it out. Unknown number. Again?

I glanced up at Jace, then back at the screen and opened the message.

“Careful what you say in that studio.” My stomach dropped. “Not everything there is as it seems.”

I froze and slowly looked up. Jace was still watching me, and suddenly the room didn’t feel safe anymore.