by Various
“Okay, I’ve got umm–” She skidded to a halt just inside the doorway of the bedroom. Graham was completely naked, sprawled out spread-eagle on top of the comforter sound asleep.
Chapter 13
~ Genevieve ~
The smell and sound of bacon sizzling woke Genevieve. She stretched and groaned softly.
“You awake?”
Her eyes sprung open to see Graham wide awake and smiling, standing in the doorway of the bedroom in just the boxers she’d washed the previous night. She returned his smile, sitting up in bed.
“I am. Something smells amazing.”
“Tastes amazing too. Stay put.” His eyes drank every inch of her in. “And no need to rush in getting dressed on my account.” He gave her a wink before turning and disappearing from the doorway.
Doing as told she remained in bed and waited for his return. When he did return, there was a silver platter in his hands. On the platter was a plate of breakfast, glass of orange juice and a vase with red roses in it.
“Awww, you didn’t have to do that.”
“Yeah, I did.” He placed the platter on the night side table next to the bed and sat down next to her.
Grabbing the vase of roses she brought them to her nose and inhaled their fragrance. “When did you go get the roses?”
“As soon as I woke up and saw the bouquet I gave you last night I ran to the store.” He cringed. “I’m sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am about last night.”
“How are you feeling?” The bacon smelled too good and she was helpless to resist it any longer. Putting the roses back on the tray she grabbed the plate he prepared for her and popped a piece of bacon into her mouth. He looked better. The swelling in his lip was gone and the darkness around his eye had lightened – slightly.
“Much better. Between the lack of sleep and beer.”
She leaned over and kissed him softly. “I understand.”
“But the good news is that I’ve finally got things settled with Dane.” He grimaced. “At least I think I did; things started getting hazy as the evening progressed.”
“Can I ask what the deal is with your ex?” She’d been wanting to ask since he’d mentioned he’d been married, but didn’t want to pry. After the outburst from Dane, she felt it was something she needed to know and couldn’t hold her curiosity any longer.
Graham sighed and stretched out on the bed beside her, on his back with his fingers laced behind his head. “Well, she’d been with Dane for a couple of years and she wanted to get married. Dane, however, cared for her, maybe even loved her, but he didn’t want to settle down. He likes the fast life with no one telling him what to do or tying him down.”
“I see.”
“So she had enough and he was sick of her nagging for something more serious so they broke up. She presented him with an ultimatum and for lack of a better way of explaining it, he told her to not let the door hit her in the ass on her way out. Not too long afterward she started calling me and dropping by. Eventually things got serious between us and to make a long story short I gave her what she wanted. But I wasn’t really what she wanted.”
“I don’t get it.”
“I think she always wanted Dane. She married me because I was a Dane substitute. I didn’t see that at the time, but realize that now.” He shot her a rueful grin.
“Has Dane ever considered taking her back after you two split?”
Graham laughed. “Hell no. Dane holds grudges, he saw her going to me as a betrayal even though they were broken up at the time and had been for some time. Dane and I always had an agreement to never date someone the other has been with. I broke that rule to be with Emma and Dane and I had a severe falling out over it. He even refused to attend the wedding. I think he still had a thing for her, but he just wouldn’t admit it.”
“Then why be with her if it meant you’d have issues with your brother?”
“I was stupid. I love being part of a couple and I did have a connection with her, or thought I did.” He shrugged. “Truth is I want to be married and have babies and grow old with someone. I just picked the wrong girl to do that with. And in truth, I knew Dane would eventually accept it.”
Genevieve let out a loud huff of air and nodded. “So how are your feelings toward Emma now?” The last thing she wanted was a rebound guy. She doubted her healing heart could handle being left for someone else so soon after Alex.
“I have no feelings, good or bad really. Embarrassment would be about it since we split because she was fucking the FedEx guy. Which, let me tell ya, Dane won’t let me forget. Either way, she’s part of the past and that’s about it.”
She caught his eyes and nodded. She knew everything she needed to know and she had no intention of wasting any more of their day discussing Emma or Alex. Graham was right, now that Dane was on the same page as them there was nowhere to look but forward.
“In that case, on to more enjoyable topics. So what did you have planned for last night anyhow?”
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Can’t say or I’d be giving away what we’re doing today. You’re not opening the store today are you?”
She shook her head, turning her attention back to the breakfast in front of her and popping another piece of bacon in her mouth. “Nope, I don’t open on Sundays until December through New Years. I work from open to close almost every day so I like having at least one day off.”
“Do you have any employees?”
She shrugged. “One. Brittany, but I haven’t needed her since the break-in and she’s a university student so her studies come first. I brought her in for the afternoon a couple of days ago.”
“Could she have…”
“No. She doesn’t even have a key.” She gave him a lopsided grin. “I guess I have some trust issues when it comes to the store. Dane already checked into her despite my telling him it was a waste of time and she was clean.”
Finishing the rest of her breakfast, she removed the tray from her lap and placed it on top of the night stand. She repositioned herself, stretching out beside him and cuddling to his side. Nipping at the side of his neck, she was rewarded with a low groan coming from him. Encouraged, she slipped her hand onto his stomach, tracing the lines of muscle. Her fingers moved lower, until they reached the waistband of his boxers.
“No. No no no.” Graham’s hand shot out, grasping her wrist lightly and moving her hand back up to his chest, despite his rapidly growing erection. “This hasn’t changed a thing. We have a day of fun and excitement planned. You’re not distracting me with sex.”
She groaned, rolling over to her back and rolling her eyes. “Fine. Woo me then.”
Laughing, he sat up and slid from the bed. “Get ready and dress comfortably. It’s going to be a packed day.”
“But if we wear ourselves out with activities today then how are we going to have energy for tonight?”
“Trust me, I’ll have plenty of energy for tonight.” He winked and exited the room. “Now get your ass moving!” he shouted from the other room.
A day of fun and excitement, huh? She smiled. She couldn’t wait.
~*~*~*~*~
~ Graham ~
This wasn’t what he’d planned for the previous night, but looking at the look of excitement in her eyes and smile on her lips, he was actually glad those plans got derailed. He wasn’t sure if Coney Island was something she’d be into, but from what he could tell, he couldn’t have picked a better date.
“Oh damn. He’s not going to put that in his nose!” Her nose crunched up and she buried her face against Graham’s chest, periodically looking at the carnie who was about to shove a moving drill up his left nostril. The carnie turned the drill on and she let out a little, barely audible “eek” sound, but turned her head so she could watch.
Instead of watching the carnie, Graham’s eyes were on her. With each inch the carnie pushed the drill into his nostril the wider her eyes got. By the time the drill was fully entrenched in his nose and he
began to move it in and out her mouth had dropped open into a big O to match her wide eyes.
The carnie pulled the drill from his nose to a round of cheers and whistles.
“Thank you everyone. Have a great visit.” His announcement of being done was greeted by groans of disappointment, but people quickly left the room in search of their next thrill.
Genevieve pulled away from him and gave his hand a tug. “Aren’t we leaving?”
“Nope.”
“Holy shit, about time you came around here, asshole.” The carnie leapt down from the stage and made his way over to Graham and Genevieve.
Genevieve’s body froze, her brow furrowing as she watched the carnie approach them. She leaned into him, whispering., “You know him?”
“He’s my cousin.”
“I’m Kirk.” He extended his hand to Genevieve. “Since you don’t know who I am I guess my suspicion that I’m the black sheep of the family is justified.”
“Genevieve.” She hesitated then grasped his hand, giving him a smile as their hands shook. “You’re cousins?”
Kirk released her hand and stepped into him, giving Graham a brief hug before stepping back. Grabbing a black band from his pocket Kirk pulled his shoulder-length scraggly black hair into a ponytail. With his hair tied back, his tattoos – a combination of flames and chains circling his neck went on full display.
Graham nodded. “Yup. We have a diverse group of people in our family, you’ll see.” He waited for her response, watching her expression.
“I bet.” She smiled.
Kirk hooked his thumb in Graham’s direction. “He show you any tricks?”
Oh fuck me, Graham groaned inwardly.
She tilted her head to the side, looking up at him questioningly. “Tricks?”
“Yeah, tricks. We came here to learn the trade together. He pussied out after the fire eating and refused to swallow the swords. Decided to sell out and become a cop instead.”
“I didn’t sell out.”
Kirk ignored him, jerking his thumbs in his own direction. “When I do things I go all the way.” He gave Genevieve a suggestive smile and wink. “Keep that in mind when you get bored of him.”
Her cheeks turned a rosy colour as she turned her attention back to him. “So, you fire eat?”
Graham nodded, becoming slightly embarrassed himself. “Yup.”
“And you were planning on becoming a carnie?”
“Yup.” When it looked like she was going to burst out laughing he put a finger to her lips. “But keep in mind, I was eighteen and it seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“Stay there. I’ll be right back.”
Before Graham could respond Kirk rushed out back and a couple of minutes later he reappeared with a bottle of oil, two performance torches and lighter. Kirk’s expression was determined as he set his eyes on Graham.
“Fuck no, man. I’m not…” He hadn’t practiced in a couple of years and he didn’t want to embarrass himself – or worse – in front of Ginny. He was beginning to regret bringing her to Coney Island after all.
Kirk thrust the items at him. “Don’t be a pussy, women dig a man who can do a trick or two.”
Genevieve released his hand and went to stand beside his cousin, crossing her arms over her chest and hitting him with a challenging smirk. “Yeah. Come on, show me what ya got.”
Well, fuck. He looked from his cousin to Genevieve and back again. “It’s been a couple years since I’ve done this. I’m not even very good at it.”
Kirk elbowed Genevieve and nodded. “Yeah. That’s why he dropped out of carnie school, couldn’t handle it.”
“Fine, I’ll eat the fire, I’m not doing a blowout.”
His cousin turned to face Genevieve full on. “I’d do a blowout for you. That’s just all I’m saying.”
Fuck, I’m looking bad by the family kook. “Fine.” He looked directly at Genevieve, waiting for her to turn her attention from Kirk back to him. When she did he shook the closed bottle at her. “Do you really want to see me potentially singe off my eyebrows showing you a blowout?”
Excitement flashing her eyes, she eagerly nodded her head. “Oh yea, yes yes please. Would love it.”
With a sigh of resignation he gave in. Opening the bottle of oil he dipped the two torches in, dosing the wicks, and then set it on a nearby table. Placing both torches in one hand he quickly lit them and tossed the lighter onto the table next to the oil.
“You seriously want to see this?” he asked Ginny, already knowing the answer.
She nodded, smiling wider than he’d ever seen.
“Fine.” Bending back so his open mouth was aligned with the ceiling he brought the first torch to his mouth and quickly snuffed it out, closing his lips around it. He quickly removed the extinguished torch and then did the same thing with the second.
Ginny squealed and clapped as he straightened and took a small bow for her benefit.
“Are you going to show me the other thing?”
“Yes.” Grinning he grabbed the lighter and relit one torch. He looked at the oil; it had been a while but he still remembered how bloody awful the stuff tasted.
“Over here hun, we don’t want to be in the line of fire,” he heard Kirk say as he moved her over to Graham’s left.
Taking a swig and keeping the oil in his mouth, he took a deep breath, stared at the torch for a minute and blew the oil onto the flame. A whoosh sound echoed through the room and a massive ball of fire flared out starting from the torch and extending out and up eight feet in the air.
“Holy shit. That’s awesome! Oh my God!”
He smiled hearing Ginny’s excitement as he extinguished the torch and spit out the remainder of oil from his mouth, before wiping his lips with the back of his hand.
As soon as he placed the torches on the table, Ginny threw herself into his arms, pulling him into an enthusiastic hug. “That was so cool!” She reached up and kissed his lips, but quickly pulled away, making a face of disgust and swiping at her lips with the back of her hand. “Oh that’s so gross.”
“Are you happy now?” He smiled down at her, pleased he could make her happy with such a small thing.
“Absolutely.”
“Good, now let’s let Kirk get back to work, or what he considers work anyhow.” He caught Kirk’s gaze and smiled, making a mental note to make an effort to hang with Kirk more frequently. They’d been close as teenagers and into their early twenties, but the years caused a separation as years sometimes do with families.
“Hey man, I get paid and laid for this. Living the dream,” Kirk interjected. He motioned to the room. “This could have all been yours.”
Graham looked down at Genevieve and nodded. “I think I have everything I need right now.”
Chapter 14
~ Genevieve ~
The day had been a whirlwind of activities and by the time they got to his house she had just enough energy left in her to walk over to his beige suede sofa and collapse onto it as she waited for Graham to get them a couple of wine coolers from the fridge.
“Don’t tell me I’ve worn you out.”
Genevieve smiled as she looked up and saw Graham crossing the room with two coolers in his hands. “Exhausted me, yes. I’m glad I listened to you and wore jeans and a t-shirt.”
“So you enjoyed yourself?” He placed the coolers on the glass coffee table and sat down next to her, pulling her against him, her back to his front.
“It was so much fun. I work all the time, at least it has been that way since I opened the store, and whenever I did go out it was to stuffy dinner functions.” She didn’t have to tell him they were Alex’s stuffy events, she knew it was a given.
He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a soft squeeze. “Yeah, well. I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about stuffy formal events with me.”
She relaxed into his arms, letting her head fall back against his shoulder and sighed – amen to that. “I can’t believe you can
do that whole fire-eating thing. It was really cool. Although I really can’t see you being a carnie.”
Graham chuckled. “Yeah, neither can I to be honest.”
“Then why did you want to do the training?”
“I was younger, thought fire eating was cool. Kirk got the crazy idea of taking the classes and it wasn’t hard for him to convince me to go along and give it a try.”
“So why didn’t you continue?” She turned in his arms as he repositioned himself so he was lying flat on his back, so she was stretched out over his body, staring down at him.
Graham laughed a little harder. “Meh, the fire eating is fun, even though I don’t do it anymore. I actually got a kick out of it and it really makes you the life of the party, but shoving swords down my throat and drilling my nose. Nah, it wasn’t my thing, I really hadn’t thought it through.”
Genevieve stroked the side of his face; despite shaving that morning a shadow was beginning to form on his jaw. “Today was one of the best days I’ve ever had. Thank you.”
He smiled. “You’re welcome. Although I think the day I met you would have been mine.”
She cocked her brow at him, a saucy grin spreading across her lips. “You mean the day you let me blow you without telling me I had the wrong person?”
He cleared his throat, a flash of guilt passing through his eyes. “What I mean is the fact I met you. Not necessarily the circumstances…”
She loved seeing him squirm and couldn’t resist teasing him further. “So you didn’t enjoy my lips on you?”
He groaned, shifting under her, an erection beginning to form in his jeans.
Sitting up on him, straddling his lap, she undid his belt and pants. “So, do you think maybe I should try again?” she shrugged, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. “I mean, I don’t want you to get the impression that I’m horrible at it. I would like to have a second chance.”
He took a deep breath in and slowly released it. “I, ummmm. Yeah. I’m good with giving you another shot.”
Grinning, Genevieve hooked her thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans and tugged them down. Grabbing the waistband of his boxer briefs, she gave them a yank down, exposing his erection to her. The yearning between her legs ignited at the sight of his beautiful cock, proud and ready to pleasure her in any way she wanted it to.