Read Online The Willingness to Burn by J. P. London - Free Book Online Page A

guy you barely know offers to take you on vacation and you go?” Jace said with a look of mock skepticism.
    “Well, of course I went.”
    “How did you know I wasn’t just going to hit it and quit it?” Jace asked, leaning into Maddy and pursing his lips.
    “You were taking me on vacation, I didn’t care.”
    Lilly and Evan both laughed.
    “You’re a dangerous one, Miss Maddy,” Jace taunted.
    “No, I knew you weren’t a psycho or anything.”
    “And how did you know that?”
    “Okay, well, maybe I spoke too soon. But if anything, you were a sophisticated psycho, and that I can live with.”
    “So you didn’t think he was going to chop you up into little pieces or anything?” Evan asked.
    “Him? Please …”
    “Hey! You watch it,” Jace said, waving a finger.
    Maddy turned to face Jace. “I’m just kidding, darling, You could totally chop me up into pieces.” She leaned in and kissed him.
    “That’s right.”
    “All kidding aside, though. Yes, I see what you’re saying,” Maddy began, “but, he works in finance. He’s successful. And I spent the entire day with him before agreeing to go. That and he’s responsible for my retirement anyway, so I feel like I kind of have to trust him.
    “Yeah, that’s true,” Evan said.
    The waiter returned with the bottle of champagne and showed it to Jace. Jace nodded and the waiter gripped the cork.
    “Wait, wait, wait!” Jace cried out.
    “What?”
    “I want to do it.”
    “Sir, for safety reasons, we don’t let patrons open the bottle themselves.”
    “I insist,” Jace said, standing up.
    Peter appeared to be obviously uncomfortable. Jace, recognizing this, followed with, “I’m gonna leave the cage on it.” Jace extended his open hand to Peter awaiting the bottle.
    Peter thought for a moment and then handed the bottle over.
    “It’s not quite a good luck thing, but it almost is,” Jace said and shot a wink at Peter.
    Peter nodded in understanding.
    “Just do it quick. I can get in a lot of trouble for this.”
    Jace nodded and twisted the bottle, his hand firmly around the cork.
    The bottle let out a sharp sound of air escaping and Jace’s hands adjusted to the shot.
    “You know how to open champagne,” Peter said, surprised.
    “I used to be a bartender.” Jace shot Peter a wink. “I got this, come back in a few.”
    “I didn’t know that,” Maddy said.
    “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that,” Evan said.
    “There’s lots you don’t know about me, darling,” Jace said and took the cage off of the cork. “I’m like an onion with all my layers.”
    “Uh huh, and like an asshole, will all your bullshit,” Maddy retorted.
    Jace laughed to himself and began to pour the champagne.
    “She’s got your number, huh?” Lilly asked.
    “Oh, you have no idea.”
    Jace took his seat and raised his glass. The other three followed suit.
    “Cheers guys,” Jace said.
    “Congratulations.”
    “To the things that make us celebrate, and the people we want to share them with,” Jace said.
    “Amen.”
    The glasses clinked together.
    *
    “You know, I really like your family,” Maddy said, looking back at herself in Jace’s vanity mirror and dabbing away some of her makeup.
    “I knew you would,” he called from the bedroom.
    “They show an interesting side of you.”
    “Oh, really?”
    “Yeah. All of the Wall Street guys I’ve dated only care about work. It’s like the only thing that matters to them.”
    “Wait, wait, wait,” Jace said as she heard a rustle from the bedroom. Then Jace appeared at the bathroom door. “You’ve dated other guys?”
    “Well … Maybe …” Maddy looked up innocently.
    “What was all that one in a million talk?”
    They both laughed. Maddy put the makeup remover down and pushed Jace out of the bathroom following him toward the bed.
    “I think they are what makes you different.”
    “How so?” Jace asked, plopping down on the bed and rolling under the covers.
    “So, in my experience,” Maddy