under his control

The Breaking Strain

Kale's POV

It was already 2:17 AM. I stood outside Jace’s private studio office with my heart in my throat.

The hallway was dead quiet. There was no one there. No Peter, no security, just the low hum of the vents.

I shouldn’t have been there, but the damn messages from that phone kept me up all night.

"Don’t go to the penthouse. He’s not who you think he is."

I was there anyway. My hand shook when I twisted the knob of Jace's private office in the studio. It was unlocked... Of course it was. Jace didn’t lock doors. Nobody came in unless he said so.

The office smelled like him. Leather. Cologne. That stupid rose candle.

He wasn’t at the desk. He was looking out of the window shirtless. His grey sweatpants were low on his hips, so low that I could see the upper half of his glutes.

I tried to look away but damn he looked so fine. His well sculpted muscles gleamed under the soft light. He took a sip of wine from the glass in his hand.

“You lost, Kale?” He didn’t turn.

Hearing my name in his voice still did something to me. “No,” I said. My voice was rough. “I have questions.”

That made him turn slowly. His eyes moved over me. Mine scanned him too, making my d**k twitch. His v-line was visible with a hard bulge under his sweat pants. The prints looked so big, my throat tightened. His face tightened when he saw me without the silk.

“Questions,” he said. He set the glass down. “At two in the morning.”

“Yeah.” I stepped in and shut the door. The sound was too loud. “About what was in the bags. About the phone. About what the hell I am to you.”

His face didn’t change. "The bag was a gift from me to you."

"No... Not that... The straps.. those tiny clothes."

"That's still a gift. It will come in handy soon." He smiled. “And the phone is none of my business.”

“Bullshit.” The word came out sharper than I meant. But I was done pretending. “You want to act like you don't know about the mysterious messages? And why would someone warn me about you.”

He didn't answer immediately. He just picked up the glass and took another sip.

"Really!!!" My fingers dug deeper into my hoodie and my cheeks burned. He was just too nonchalant.

Jace sighed like I was being dramatic. He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. “Kale. People want things from you now. Votes. Access. That text could be from anyone. A fan. A producer. It means nothing.”

“It meant something to me.”

“Then you shouldn’t have read it.”

I laughed. It sounded bitter even to me. “Right. My bad, for thinking. For wondering why the guy running this competition is buying me leather and telling me to look like s*x on TV. And boom someone is warning me?”

There. I said it, I got the load off my chest.

Jace didn’t blink. “And what did you think that was...?”

“I don’t know!” The words tore out of me. “I thought maybe you wanted me. Maybe this..." I waved a hand between both of us..."was real... and then I thought maybe I’m just another contestant you’re packaging. I don’t know which is worse.”

He just looked at me and then he pushed off the desk. He took two steps. Stopped a foot away from me. I could see the tension in his jaw. I could smell him.

“You want to know what you are to me?” His voice was low. “You’re the only person in five years who didn’t look at me and see a brand, or money... or a way in.”

“That’s not an answer Jace.”

“It’s all you’re getting tonight.”

My chest hurt. “Are you hiding something?” I asked... Quieter. “From me, from the show, and from whoever sent that text.”

His eyes flicked to my hoodie pocket.

“I’m protecting you,” he said.

“From what?”

“From yourself.”

That was it. That line.“Don’t,” I said. “Don’t make this about me being naive. I’m 24, Jace. I walked into this. But I deserve to know if it’s going to ruin me.”

"You won't understand kid." He said.

"Then explain this." I pulled out the phone from my hoodie, walked straight to him and placed it in his hand.

His face changed as he read the messages. Then he looked up, at me. “I don't know.”

“Fuck... you're driving me crazy Jace." I said as I dragged my hands over my hair.

He took two steps forward. “But do you really believe this,” he said. This message... Anyone could have sent it. A contestant, a rival. I mean anyone with jealousy would send you this.”

God. Part of me wanted to believe him. The other part was trying to dig deeper, to know the truth.

Jace stepped in closer. This time he didn’t stop. He reached up and tucked hair behind my ear. His fingers were warm. It pissed me off how much I leaned into it. “Now,” he said, “you decide if you trust me.”

“I don’t,” I said.

He nodded once. "Then leave."

I frowned. "What?"

"Walk away from everything. From me, from the competition."

"Why?"

He looked at me for a long moment. His expression cracked for the first time since I'd met him.

"Because if you stay..." His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "...I can't promise you'll survive what's coming."