Chapter 173: 173 ~ Mira
The sunlight on my face was what woke me first. That, and the faint scent of coffee drifting through the room. For a few seconds, I didn’t move for minutes. I just lay there, half buried under the duvet, staring at the soft curve of light cutting across the sheets.
Jace’s side of the bed was empty, but it still felt warm. Typical. He was already up before me.
When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I heard him in the kitchen — humming, of all things. The sound made me smile before I even saw him.
He stood there in a gray T-shirt and sweatpants, barefoot, hair still slightly messy. There were two mugs on the counter, a plate of toast, and something that smelled like scrambled eggs.
"You’re humming," I said, leaning against the doorway.
He looked up with a grin. "Don’t sound so surprised."
"I am surprised. I didn’t think ’The Mafia Don Hums’ was something I’d ever witness."
He chuckled. "You’re lucky I’m in a good mood."
I padded over to him and stole a piece of toast. "What’s the occasion?"
"Breakfast for my beautiful wife." He shrugged.
Yeah there was no way he cooked despite how simple these meals were. I could only trust him with making coffee which of course was a rare occasion.
I gave him a look. "Hmm. You only try to do something like this when you’re either in trouble or hiding something."
His grin deepened. "Maybe both."
I raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"
"Eat first," he said, sliding a plate toward me. "Then I’ll tell you."
I sat on the counter stool and took a bite. My goodness. Jace actually went into the kitchen and made this. And it was actually really good fluffy eggs, a little too much butter on the toast, but it tasted like home.
"Okay," I said, pointing my fork at him. "Talk."
He leaned on the counter, sipping his coffee like he had all the time in the world. "You’ve been cooped up here for too long."
"I’ve been resting," I corrected. After all the drama, it’s no wonder that I wanted to rejuvenate.
"Resting, pacing, baking, and driving Tomas insane," he said dryly.
Tomas was still here on some official duty. He would go back to New York and be with Donna soon. Donna Carmela didn’t seem lonely anyways but of course trust Jace to be overprotective and not acknowledge the fact that she now has a boyfriend.
I laughed. "He loves me."
"He fears you."
"Same thing." I shrugged.
He shook his head, amused. "Anyway, I was thinking maybe it’s time you took a little trip."
That caught my attention. "A trip?"
He nodded. "Lisbon."
I blinked. "Lisbon?"
"Your bakeries, remember? You haven’t been there in several months, nearly a year in fact." He reached over, brushing a crumb from my cheek. "You’ve worked so hard to build all that, Mira. It’s time you saw it again."
My chest tightened a little. I’d been meaning to visit and check in with my staff, see how the new branch was doing but life had gotten in the way. Just hearing him say it out loud made something inside me stir.
"Are you serious?" I asked, still not believing it.
"Completely."
"But... we just got back, Jace."
He shrugged. "So what? You deserve it. Besides..." His smile turned slow, teasing. "I already booked the flight."
I blinked again. "You what?"
"It leaves tomorrow morning."
"Jace!" I laughed, setting my fork down. "You can’t just—"
"Oh, I can," he said easily. "You’ve done enough worrying. You need something else to think about like sunshine, coffee, pastel de nata, maybe a little shopping. I’ll handle things here."
I narrowed my eyes, suspicious but touched. "You’re not just sending me away because you want the house to yourself, are you?"
He grinned. "Would it help if I said yes?"
"Absolutely not." I scowled.
He came around the counter and pulled me off the stool, his hands finding my waist. "It’s not about the house, Mira. It’s about you. You need to breathe again and on your own terms."
I smiled softly, resting my hands against his chest. "You’re sure you’ll be fine here?"
"I’m more worried about the poor chefs at your Lisbon bakery. You’ll have them shaking by the time you leave."
"Only if they’ve been slacking off."
"That’s exactly what I mean."
He bent his head, kissing my forehead gently. "Go, baby. Enjoy it. See your people. You’ve earned it."
"I don’t even have my things packed."
"Already handled," he said casually.
I pulled back. "You didn’t."
"I did. The staff helped."
"Jace!"
He looked far too proud of himself. "You can thank me later."
I groaned, half laughing, half speechless. "You are impossible."
"And you love it."
"Don’t flatter yourself."
He laughed, lifting me up onto the counter and stepping between my legs. "Lisbon will be good for you."
I twirled one of his shirt buttons between my fingers. "You’re not coming with me?"
He tilted his head. "I thought you wanted normal. Normal people go on trips without armed guards hovering over them."
I arched a brow. "You mean you don’t trust yourself to let me go?"
He smirked. "That too."
We both laughed.
~~~
The rest of the day drifted by in easy rhythm. It was just the two of us in our little bubble. We spent the afternoon sitting at the balcony, barefoot and sipping lemonade as the sun sank low behind the skyline. He kept sneaking glances at me, and every time I caught him, he’d just smile like he hadn’t been doing anything at all.
Later, when we went back inside, I found a small envelope waiting on the coffee table. I opened it and inside were two plane tickets.
"Two?" I asked.
Jace leaned on the doorway, that infuriating grin tugging at his lips. "What kind of husband would I be if I let my wife run off to Portugal without me?"
I looked at the tickets again, shaking my head as laughter spilled out of me. "You really don’t do halfway, do you?"
"Not when it comes to you."
I crossed the room and wrapped my arms around his neck, still smiling against his skin. "You know what?" I whispered. "I think I like you better when you’re spontaneous."
He kissed the top of my head. "Good. Because this time, I’m not letting you out of my sight."
And for once, there was no reason to argue.