by Emma Tharp
Reaching in my pocket, I pull out my phone and the napkin that Grace left asking me to call her. It was like I started floating on air when Grace showed up at the bar to see me this morning. I was bummed when she left, but when I saw the note she left me, I've been happy ever since.
I plan on giving her a call as soon as I'm done with my shift later this afternoon. But I haven't quite figured out what kind of date I want to take her on. Not the movies. I want to talk to her, get to know the woman who is Grace Larsen.
Opening my phone, I decide to stalk Grace on social media. She has a Facebook page with a few pictures of her with Max and Cam, but nothing else that's telling. She doesn't have Instagram or Snapchat, but I'm not surprised. Her LinkedIn page tells me everything I need to know. She has a big-deal job. I’m stumped her son hasn’t figured out that his mom is a rock star.
Instead of waiting until the end of my shift, I decide I can't wait to speak to Grace. I dial her number.
"Hello." Her voice has a sexy, sultry quality that gets my blood pumping.
"Hey. I got your note." I make sure my tone is playful and flirty.
"Great. Sorry I had to get up and leave, but I needed to make a few calls for work."
"No problem. What are your plans for the rest of the day?"
"I just finished replying to a few emails and now I'm going to lay by the pool. Are you finished working?"
I wish. "No. I have a couple hours left. Stop by my place later for a date?"
"What did you have in mind?"
"It's a surprise. Come by at six."
"Okay. See you then."
“Goodbye.”
I let out the breath I didn't even realize I was holding. Now, I'm going to have to think of something very special for Grace tonight.
Seven
Grace
I have to rub my hands on my jeans since my palms are sweating so much when I knock on Chance’s cottage door.
He opens it and stands back, staring at me. I put in extra time today getting ready—curling my hair and choosing a teal tank top and white skinny jeans. I’m glad I did, and can't help the way my heart jumps when he stares at me and licks his lips.
"You look gorgeous, as always. Come in," Chance says and steps away from the door, inviting me in.
"Thank you." Once inside, I'm hit with the smell of fresh spices and garlic. "Did you cook?" I ask, once again surprised.
Chance closes the door and I follow him into the kitchen. This cottage is a charming Cape Cod home, very white, clean, and organized. It belongs to his parents, who he said are in Greece this summer. "I know how to boil water."
The table is set and there's a basket of bread in the center. There are also two glasses of wine.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" I ask.
"Nope. Have a seat." Chance brings two giant bowls of pasta with marinara sauce and meatballs to the table and sets one in front of me and the other in front of his spot.
"This looks great." Even though spaghetti and meatballs aren’t difficult to make, I'm touched just the same that he cooked for me.
Chance sits down and sets a paper napkin on his lap. "This is my specialty. Pasta and meatballs." He gives me a sweet smile and runs his fork through the spaghetti, twirling it. "I'm also an expert at omelets or anything on the grill."
"Not bad." I have a sip of wine and it tastes exactly the same as the Riesling at the bar. "I love the wine."
"I knew you did. You had a couple of glasses at the bar."
For the second time this evening, I'm touched. He pays attention. It's more than I expected from a twenty-two-year-old. I shouldn't have judged him. "Thank you for remembering."
"No problem. What did you do today?" he asks.
I chew a bite of my pasta, which is very good, buying myself a minute to decide how much I'd like to share with him. It seems silly at this point to hide anything. "It was a productive day. Did some work early in the day, then I put in an offer on the cottage my family used to rent. And I did more spying on Cam."
His brows shoot halfway up his forehead. "You did get a lot done. That's really exciting that you put in an offer on the cottage."
It is. When I saw that it was up for sale driving in to the Cape, I couldn't help but look up the listing. I've been doing well enough that I’m easily able to afford it. "It was a little bit impulsive, but I couldn't help myself. I really do love Cape Cod, and I feel at home here. My offer was accepted. It will be the perfect spot for me to come on weekends."
"You’re right. There's no place I'd rather be in the summer. By the way, I had lunch with Cam today."
My heart rate spikes. “What did you talk about?” Please say it wasn’t me.
“Nothing really, but I was surprised that he thinks you’re an administrative assistant.”
My hand comes to my chest. “Oh. Yeah. It’s not that I lied to him about my job. He simply assumed and I didn’t correct him. I’m afraid if he knows the truth he’ll try to go back to his old ways and squander money. This way, Cam is learning the value of earning his own money. It’s good for him.” I shrug. Maybe it’s not the right thing to do, keeping the truth from him, but for now, I think it’s for the best.
“I get it. You don’t need to explain. It makes sense to me.” He gives me a genuine smile and I can tell he means what he says.
"So, are you and Cam friends now, and isn't that weird?" I ask, thinking of how awkward this might make things with his peer group.
He shakes his head and pats my hand. “Not really. We’re acquaintances. No need to worry.”
Good. I don’t even want to begin to think about how strange it would be for Cam and Chance to get close.
I finish my glass of wine and Chance pours me another. It’d be best to stop at two glasses. Who knows what I could get myself into if I drink a third? "Is this your summer plan? To continue working at the bar until you have to go back to college?"
Chance leans back in his chair and pats his flat stomach after finishing the last of his bowl of pasta. I've barely put a dent in mine; there's no way I can finish it. "Yes. I’ll stay here until the end of August when I start my second year at BU. What about yourself?” His gray eyes seem to see through me when they take me in this way. "What's your summer plan?" He stands and takes his bowl to the sink.
I follow him and start running the water, but he turns it off. "Let's go take a walk on the beach. I'll get to these later."
"Okay. You cook me dinner and now we take a walk on the beach. You do realize the date is pretty cliché."
He hands me my glass of wine and we make our way out the door toward the beach. "Trust me, Grace, nothing about this is unoriginal."
Goose bumps sprout up the back of my neck at his innuendo. "Noted."
The sun glows red as it dips close to the horizon. Chance grabs my hand and we walk barefoot down the beach together. My stomach couldn't be more full of butterflies, and I inwardly reprimand myself for getting swept up in these silly feelings of mine.
"You didn't answer my question. What's your plan? I know you're not staying here all summer, but I'd really like to continue seeing you." We stop walking and he erases the distance between us.
He's close enough for me to feel his heat and smell the faint tinge of wine on his breath. A light breeze floats past us and I'm simply unable to look away from this beautiful man. "Do you want to see me again?” he murmurs, moving his face closer to mine.
My mouth is as dry as the sand under my toes and my heart is crashing in my chest like the tide behind me. I absolutely want to see him again. One hundred percent. How do I say yes to him, knowing that we are eighteen years apart? What do we have in common? But how can I say no when Chance is the first person since Henry that has my heart beating again? "Yes.” I hear myself say.
"That's good. That's very good." Before I can say another word, Chance bends down and fuses his mouth to mine, sliding his tongue between my lips.
I fully open to him and press my hands to his ches
t. His rock-solid chest. Intense desire spreads through me and I know if he offered to take me right now, here on the beach, I'd let him. Then Kristin's voice rings through my head. With much hesitation, I pull back and break the kiss. I’m nearly panting as I stare up into his gray eyes.
"We need to slow this down. You know about the three-date rule, right?" I say, my voice breathy and weak. Like my resolve.
He shakes his head, giving me a devilish smirk. "You're not going to hold me to some dumb societal standard, are you?"
Am I, when every cell in my body is screaming no? "It's the right thing to do. I have to leave in the morning, but I can come back next weekend." It might be a colossally bad idea, but in this moment, I'm powerless to deny myself.
Eight
Chance
Four hours left in my shift. That's all that stands between me and Grace. It’s been a long week of extreme hot weather, cranky customers, and an overall feeling of restlessness. Thinking about the time that I’ll get to spend with her this weekend has been the only thing that got me through.
And the text messages.
My phone goes off in my pocket. Pulling it out, my face lights up when I see the message is from Grace.
Really looking forward to our date tonight ;)
I type back a response.
Not as much as I am.
I put my phone back into my pocket and wipe down the bar with a big-ass grin on my face.
"Can I get a Coke?" I hear someone ask. Turning to look behind me, there's a small pang in my chest when I see Susanna, her long blonde hair swept over one shoulder. She is beautiful, but the familiar longing that I used to get in my gut every time I saw her is gone. It’s refreshing.
"Sure," I say, my tone short and clipped. I fill a cup with ice and soda, then top it off with a splash of grenadine, just the way she likes it. I set it on the bar in front of her.
She takes a sip of the drink and moans. "Perfect, as always. How have you been?" She bats her eyes at me.
No way in hell is she flirting with me. Except…I think maybe she is. “I’m fine.”
“Good. Glad to hear it. You should call me sometime.” She flips her hair and sashays away, Coke in hand, toward the lifeguard stand. I’ll be damned. She wants me again. That’s what I thought I wanted? Not anymore.
As I clean some glasses, my boss stops by and tells me to go on a break. I head toward an empty picnic table with a water bottle and a protein bar.
I mull over my feelings and how uninterested I am in Susanna’s advances. A week ago, all I wanted was to win her back. Now, I realize how fucked up it’d be if I decided to take her back. She dropped me like a bad habit with no explanation. Fuck that.
Cam slides onto the bench seat across from me. “What’s up?” he asks.
“Hey. Not much. I’m ready for my shift to end so I can get out of here,” I tell him, ripping the wrapper of my protein bar open.
“Big plans tonight?” Cam uncaps his bottle of soda and has a big gulp.
With your mother. “No. Not really. I’m kind of tired. I think I need to lay low and hit the sack early.” With your mother, I think again. “What about you?”
“Jenna and I are going to see the new horror movie that just came out at the theater tonight. You should come. Did you and Susanna make up yet?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m done with her.”
“I get it.” He nods and takes a bite of his sandwich.
Just then, my cell phone buzzes on the table and the screen lights up. It’s a text from Grace. It’s a picture of her modeling a sexy little dress.
I nearly dive for the thing and stuff it in my pocket, but Cam’s eyes glance toward it. His eyes shoot to my face, but I’m not sure if it’s because he saw the screen with his mom’s picture or if I surprised him with my sudden reaction.
“Everything okay, man?” he asks, scratching his jaw.
He doesn’t punch me, so it’s safe to assume that he didn’t catch the sexy pic of his mom on my phone. “Yeah, I’m good. But sorry, I need to get going. Break’s over.” I jolt up from the table and head back toward the bar, even though I still have ten minutes left of my break.
The remainder of my shift drags by—isn’t that how it always is when you have plans that you’ve been looking forward to all week? When I clock out, I can barely wait to jump in my convertible and shower to get ready for my date with Grace. Once I get home, I take what has to be the quickest shower of my life. I pull on a pair of dress shorts and a golf shirt since we have dinner reservations tonight and lock up the cottage on my way out.
It's been a long week of daydreaming about this moment. On our last date, Grace said there's a three-date rule for sex. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't beyond excited that tonight is our third date. I want to explore her body and find out what sets her on fire. I've never been with an older woman and the fact that she has years of experience makes me hotter than hell.
My blood is pumping so hard through my veins that when I pull up in front of her cottage rental, I need to give myself a minute to calm down before I jump out of the car and head to her door.
I give the door a few knocks and wait. Her light footfalls get closer and when she opens it, she steals my breath.
Nine
Grace
God, he is stunning.
Everything about him looks good, from his cleanly styled charcoal-gray shorts and his deep blue golf shirt that bring out the intensity of his eyes, to the sculpted body under the clothes. He commands my attention.
That’s what makes this so damn hard, carrying on with Chance as if I were twenty years younger. My rational side knows how foolish I’m being, but my silly heart wants this. To live a little and enjoy myself. All week my head and my heart have been at war, yet here I am, and here he is.
He pulls me into his big warm body, squeezing me close. Leaning my head against his chest, I breathe in his clean, spicy scent and am immediately at ease. It feels so good to be close to him.
"This is what I wanted all week," he says.
Me, too. When we pull apart, he puts his arms around my waist. My nerve endings fire to life as I look up into those steely gray eyes. "It’s good to see you, Chance.”
Like a magnet, he draws me to him. I tilt my chin up. He leans down and presses his lips to mine.
I forget to breathe.
He clutches me tight around the waist, erasing whatever distance is left between us. My knees weaken as I melt into him. I'm off balance, but I know he has me. He's not going to let me go. His warm tongue slips against mine and his hands rove down my back, caressing me, adoring me.
All the pent-up energy and desire from the week can no longer be ignored. Kissing me deeply, he licks inside my mouth and grips the back of my head. If we keep at this much longer, I could probably come. I can't remember ever being kissed this way. It's as if, for a moment, my world tips off its axis. Like I’m in a dream and all my nerve endings are supercharged and over-sensitive. But no, this is very real, and I've never felt so alive.
Chance pulls away and looks at me with heavy-lidded eyes. "We're going to be late for our dinner reservation."
"I'd rather stay in.” My voice is soft and breathy. I’m a bit dizzy and greedy, too. I want Chance all to myself.
He nods and puts his fingers through my hair. "Me, too. Want to order pizza?"
No. Not really. I'd like to eat you or have you eat me. "Sure."
"Or we could go to bed instead."
Suddenly, fear and uncertainty grip me and I don't know where it's coming from. Despite that, I take Chance’s hand as he leads me to the bedroom.
We sit at the edge of the bed and he kisses me again, gently this time.
Instead of enjoying the sweet taste of Chance or the gentle brush of his lips across mine, my mind races. What if I’m making a huge mistake?
Chance pulls away and stares at me with concerned eyes. He takes my chin in his hand. "Hey. What's going on? Talk to me."
I hesitate, but
there’s no use in trying to hide my feelings. I’ve spent way too many years doing that. "I'm older than you and I’ve had babies. It's been five years since Henry died. What if this is no good?"
"You know what they say. Practice makes perfect. I know we’re going to be good together. You're so sexy. I’ve seen you in a bikini."
I blush, my mind is still reeling. "What am I doing here?"
Chance takes my hand in his and presses kisses over my knuckles. "Hopefully, what I'm doing."
"What's that?" I ask.
"Falling for you."
My heart flutters, then skips a beat. His lips are on mine again, deeper this time, more intense. His mouth consumes me while his hands wander down my body, cupping my breasts, traveling down my waist until he reaches the hem of my dress. His hand makes its way up my thigh and I know where this is going. Every single inch of my body starts to tingle with need.
He slowly drags his finger between my thighs, moving my thong out of the way. With gentle strokes up and down my center, he teases me, heightening my awareness, making me want to cry out. When he plunges two fingers inside me, I let out a long moan. It's been so long since I've been touched by a man. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears.
“Lie back.” He motions toward the head of the bed.
I don’t know what he has in mind, but I’d do just about anything he asks me. Pushing up the bed, I lie down and watch Chance climb between my legs. He strips my thong off and moves my dress up around my waist. For a moment, when he presses my legs apart and I’m on full display in front of him, my pulse hammers so hard, I wonder if I’m really ready for this until his tongue licks up and down my sensitive center.
My body melts into the bed and I cry out his name.
Sliding his tongue over my clit, he glides two fingers back inside me. My eyes roll back in my head at the intense amount of pleasure coursing through my body. I run my hands through his hair, gripping the silky strands in my fists.