"Smoke and Mirrors"

I couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement as Jace's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze burning with a desire he couldn't quite hide. The deal we'd made was simple: we'd smoke each other's cigarettes, back and forth, the tension between us growing with every passing moment. I took another drag on his cigarette, feeling the smoke curl around my tongue as I exhaled. As I leaned in close to take the cigarette from his mouth, our lips brushed together, sending shivers down my spine. Jace's eyes flashed with attraction, but I could see the wariness lurking beneath. He was trying to resist me, but I could tell he was fighting a losing battle. I pulled back, a sly smile spreading across my face as I took another drag on the cigarette. Jace's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in frustration. I could tell he was trying to get a handle on his emotions, but I was determined to keep him off balance. Just then, Ethan appeared at my side, a concerned look on his face. "Lila, are you okay?" he asked, his eyes flicking between Jace and me. I took another drag on the cigarette, feeling a surge of amusement at Jace's obvious discomfort. "I'm fine, Ethan," I said, exhaling a stream of smoke into the air. "Just having a little fun with Jace here." Ethan's eyes lingered on Jace, a hint of warning in his gaze. "You sure you're okay with this?" he asked, his voice low. I rolled my eyes, feeling a pang of annoyance. "Ethan, I'm a big girl," I said. "I can take care of myself." Just then, Rachel appeared at our side, a bright smile on her face. "Hey, guys!" she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "What's going on?" I gestured to Jace, who was still watching me with a mixture of attraction and wariness. "Just having a little cigarette break with Jace," I said, my voice husky. Rachel's eyes widened, a look of surprise on her face. "Oh, really?" she said, her voice dripping with curiosity. Jace's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in annoyance. "It's nothing," he growled, his voice rough. I raised an eyebrow, feeling a spark of amusement at his rudeness. This was the Jace I was used to - the one who was always pushing boundaries, always trying to get a rise out of me. Ethan's eyes flashed with warning, but I just laughed, feeling a thrill of excitement at the tension between us. "Oh, come on, Jace," I said, my voice teasing. "Don't be such a grump." Jace's eyes locked onto mine, a glint of anger in their depths. "I'm not being a grump," he growled. "I'm just stating facts." I snorted, feeling a surge of amusement. "Facts?" I repeated. "You mean like how you're secretly attracted to me?" The room seemed to hold its breath as Jace's face darkened, his eyes flashing with anger. For a moment, I thought he was going to lash out at me, but then he seemed to rein himself in, his expression smoothing out into a mask of indifference. "I'm not attracted to you," he said, his voice cold. I laughed, feeling a thrill of excitement at the challenge. "Oh, really?" I said, my voice husky. "Then why are you still standing here, talking to me?" Jace's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in frustration. I could tell he was trying to get a handle on his emotions, but I was determined to keep him off balance. As we stood there, locked in a silent battle of wills, I could feel the tension between us building to a crescendo. I knew it was only a matter of time before one of us cracked, and when we did, the consequences would be explosive.