The door to Jace's room had barely been shut before Jace's lips had captured Clary's, unwilling to let go. Clary returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm, her body aching from the restraint of the past few days. Every place Jace touched her body, the aching was replaced with a need that burned.

Pushing the door closed with Clary's body, his mouth traced her quivering jawline and traveled down her sensitive throat. She slapped her hand over her mouth to smother the moans Jace's ministrations were eliciting. He paused at her collar bone. Peering up from his golden hair, Jace's desire-glazed eyes unlocked something in Clary that had been desperate to be released.

She pushed Jace backwards onto his bed, her forcefulness surprising the both of them. Picking up where he had left off, Clary explored Jace from the collarbone down with her mouth and hands. Sliding his shirt up the plane of his stomach and over his heaving chest, Clary marveled at the impossible hunger her hands possessed to feel those muscles, a hunger that never seemed to subside.

Seizing Clary by her hips, Jace lifted her over himself and onto her back. Clary tossed aside his shirt and continued to kiss lower and lower. She knew she was driving Jace crazy and was perhaps being unfair. She had left Jace "hot and bothered" several times before, her self-confidence failing her at the last moments.

Make no mistake, Jace made Clary feel a way she never dreamed possible. He could set her stomach on fire with a glance, make her insides melt with a touch. Clary had always been a confidant girl, but Jace's perfection was unmatched, making it difficult for anyone to feel attractive in comparison. And he was experienced in ways that made Clary blush.

Clary couldn't stand the way her negative thoughts would get in the way of giving all of herself to Jace. Because when they were alone, a war raged inside her. The self-consciousness battled with the way Jace's attention also made Clary bold. Which was why her hands were undoing the button on Jace's pants.

Jace gasped and pressed her hips up to meet his. In one swift motion, Jace undid the zipper of her dress and had it lying on the floor with his shirt. Clary's breath caught in her throat as Jace brought his mouth to her inner thigh, and kissed.

His kisses now traveled upward. Each kiss was a fan to the fire in the pit of Clary's stomach. It had become a futile effort to stifle her moans. She was beyond worrying that someone would hear. She wanted Jace to know just how he made her feel.

Jace's kisses halted just before reaching uncharted territory. Propping himself up on his elbows above her, Jace eased himself up until they were face to face. Lifting a hand, the tips of his fingers brushed her hair from her face and caressed her cheek. Their chests pressed forward to meet as they fought to catch their breath.

"You are extraordinary. Did you know that?" Jace's voice was weak with need.

Clary gazed up at him in response. The yearning in his face mirrored her own and further emboldened her. She arched her back and reached behind her, undoing the clasp of her bra. She stopped there, teasing and challenging Jace with her eyes. His hand trembled against her cheek as it lowered to her shoulder. He half-laughed at himself self-consciously. Clary traced patterns with her fingers along his hip bone in encouragement. Jace's trembling hands slid the bra's straps over her bare shoulders almost too slowly for Clary to bear. Jace stared. Clary suddenly worried that he was disappointed. Her breasts had never been her best feature. But Jace looked back up at her and in his face she saw amazement.

Jace's hand reached her breasts hesitantly at first, and then caressed with more confidence. Clary was unnerved by how well he knew to move his hand, causing a wave of heat to rush over her. Each touch flipped on a switch to another level of desire she had never before reached.

With a grunt, Jace's hands returned to her hips, grabbing the thin material of her panties. His eyes found hers, asking silently for permission. With a breath, Clary gave an almost imperceptible nod. And then she was naked.

Clary froze. While she and Jace had gone rather far in some areas, he had never fully seen...her. Nerves suddenly began to overtake the fire in her stomach. Her breath heightened not with lust but with fear. Her eyes searched for something to focus on. And then she looked at Jace.

Clary had seen some unbelievable things since becoming a part of the Shadowhunter world, but the way Jace now looked at her-as if nothing in the world would ever be worth looking at again-was by far the most perplexing. In fact, that's all he was doing. Staring. It was slightly unnerving.

"Ahem. Um. Jace?" Clary took a breath to strengthen her voice. "Earth to Jace. Are you-"

But Clary did not get to ask Jace what he was because his mouth silenced her words as body collided with hers.

Everything disappeared but Jace. The scent of his hair mixed with sweat, the contraction of his muscles against her body, the forbidden sounds that came from his mouth pressed to hers. Both their hands were everywhere. Clary worried for a moment that one could possibly implode from too much desire. The things that Jace's hands and mouth were doing were nothing compared to earlier. All the doubts and fears that Clary had harbored were discarded along with their clothing, all thoughts on Jace, her and Jace, her body and Jace's hands, her body and Jace's mouth...

A complete feeling of joy filled her. All she ever really wanted was to be near Jace, and even now her longing had only intensified. The closer Jace was, the closer she wanted him to be.

Both knew that this was it, there was no going back. Clary grabbed hold of Jace's face and stared into his eyes, urging him forward. Jace looked back at her with his characteristic love and determination, a half smile playing on his lips. His eyes held all the answers to the secrets of her heart. With a devilish grin, Jace pressed her hips to his once more, titling hers up to meet him.

And he was inside of her. The movement of Jace's hips was the lead Clary needed, making her own hips circle in a way that caused Jace's eyes to roll back into his head. Jace and Clary moved in a rhythmic motion, together as one in the way that their souls were joined. With each thrust, Clary felt herself being pushed further towards the edge of desire.

Jace's confidence was never more appreciated, allowing his hips to move in a firm yet gentle motion that was causing Clary to shudder involuntarily. The shudder spread from between her thighs to the rest of her body, her breath rising double-time.

She knew that Jace was nearing the same edge by the way his body shook in response. His moans were like whispered secrets of his own heart filling her ears. She responded with urgency, her own voice rendered nearly inaudible between gasps.

Clary cried out. Her nails trailed scratches into the scars on Jace's back. He did not seem to notice as he arched in completion, holding Clary to him, unwilling to ever let her go.

Together, they collapsed back onto the bed. Clinging to one another, breath out of control, Clary's blurred gaze found Jace's. In that moment, they were whole, unable to break their gaze.

Clary was startled when Jace's chest shook slightly against her in a chuckle.

"And just what is so funny?"

"Nothing at all. Just that I believe we are going to have to do that again. And again. And again. And perhaps once or eight times more just for good measure."

Clary rolled her eyes as Jace lifted her on top of himself and kissed her with dizzying confidence.