New Beginnings

by Elle M Thomas

  “Not at all, Eve, I think you make valid points and we will not be rushing into anything,” said Tim firmly.

  “One of the doctors Amy first saw did tell her that there was a possibility that she and Paul were trying too hard and although at the time I thought it was a very odd thing to say I kind of get it now. Your head can do strange things to your body and whilst I am not saying that's happening to you, it might be worth thinking about.” Eve smiled.

  “Thank you, Eve,” Sam replied with warmth in her tone before turning to Gray, “Are you going home on Saturday?”

  “Not planning on it,” snapped Gray.

  “Come on, Gray, you have to,” insisted Sam.

  “No, I don't,” Gray replied coldly. “And for the record, it’s not my home, nor yours.”

  “But everyone will be expecting you and you could bring Eve along to meet everyone.” Sam completely ignored Gray’s reference to their home.

  Gray laughed, but not the laugh Eve was used to hearing, it was a harsh, cynical laugh, “You are joking?” he asked. “You want me to come to a bloody garden party organised by her, and all in the name of charity, after what she did, what she put us through? Where the fuck was her charitable nature then?” Gray shouted angrily, confusing Eve.

  Sam moved next to Gray. “She's trying to make amends and I think she is genuinely sorry for not seeking help sooner.”

  “Amends? Is that what she's trying to make? She didn't seek help at all Sam, in case you've conveniently forgotten,” he snapped furiously.

  Eve looked across at Tim who obviously knew what they were talking about but could see that she was oblivious and smiled across at her before giving her a wink.

  “Maybe it's because I'm a woman and I am planning on becoming a parent that I can see why she made the mistakes she made,” said Sam, leaving Eve still unclear who 'she' was.

  “No way, Sam. I would have thought you planning on starting your own family would have made you see things clearer. Don't let her get anywhere near your children, ever, no matter how fucking charitable she becomes, do you hear me? Promise,” he insisted.

  “Grayson, I can't promise—”

  Gray cut her off immediately and turned to Tim, “If she can't promise me then I need you to. You know what happened and if you can't guarantee me that you consider her an unsuitable person to be around your child or children, so help me I will…I don't know what I will, but I will.” Gray sighed, sounding tired suddenly.

  “Sam,” said Tim smiling across at his wife. “I’m with Gray on this one, non-negotiable, darling.”

  Sam sat pouting as she glanced between the two men around her.

  “Okay, I'll keep her at a distance. Grandpa would love to see you, Gray, and he would love Eve,” said Sam, changing tack.

  “You think I want to subject Eve to her?” Gray sounded immoveable in his viewpoint.

  After a single cough, Eve looked across at Tim again. “Bathroom?”

  “Top of the stairs, first door on the right,” smiled Tim.

  Eve almost ran up the stairs to escape the atmosphere and potential for argument. She used the bathroom and washed her hands before descending the first couple of stairs where she could still hear raised voices, and wondered if she could have a wander around upstairs to avoid returning to the animosity downstairs, but decided that if she was discovered she'd look like a proper nosey so and so. Sitting on the third step down she decided to just stay there for a while and avoid them all.

  She was relieved that she could only hear voices rather than what they were saying and rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes momentarily.

  Tim sat and watched Sam and Gray continue to argue and debate whether he could, would or should attend next weekend’s garden party, and all the wrongs that had been done over the years. He tended to agree with most of what Gray was saying and wouldn't have been attending himself if it wasn't at Sam's insistence. He allowed them several minutes to get it out of their systems and hoped they'd then realise that they were shouting at the wrong people and might even notice that Eve had left. Now he thought about it, she'd been gone a while and showed no signs of returning.

  “And stop!” shouted Tim calmly. “I thought we were going to have a nice dinner and get to know Eve better, but it's not quite working out, is it? You two are ripping chunks out of each other for the same reason you always do, and Eve, well, she asked for the bathroom over fifteen minutes ago and I haven't seen her since.”

  “Where is she?” asked Gray looking around the room.

  “I don't know,” replied Tim sharply. “You two sort yourselves out and stop arguing while I find your girlfriend.”

  Tim had reached the door and no words had been exchanged between Sam and Gray making him shake his head at them both which in turn made them both laugh.

  Tim left them as Gray spoke, “Sam, I realise you are emotional, hormonal and pissed on Tim's lethal Martinis, but I do wish you wouldn't defend her.”

  “I don't mean to, but I still have this weird notion that we could all be one, big, happy family,” replied Sam.

  “You are a romantic, no, a fantasist, and that makes you vulnerable, Sammy, which scares me. Eve is already vulnerable, not that I really know the details beyond her husband's death, but I don't want to expose her to all the crap. Then add Sienna into that and phew!” he said making the explosion noise at the same time as he made an exploding gesture with his hands.

  “If you're serious about her and you obviously are, otherwise, she wouldn't be here and you wouldn't be so scared for her, she will have to meet our family sometime, including our mother.” Sam rested a hand on his arm.

  “But it doesn't have to be next week, does it? Sienna will be there, won’t she?” He sighed as he pushed a hand through his hair nervously.

  Sam shrugged, making him laugh at her.

  “You are a shitty liar, but thanks for trying and when you have kids you will be a great mum, the best,” he said, kissing her in the middle of her forehead.

  “Better than Eve?” asked Sam mischievously.

  “I haven't given that any thought whatsoever and am sure that I don't know Eve well enough to judge,” he replied, with a shake of his head.

  “You too are a shitty liar.” Sam repeated his own comment, making him laugh.

  “I should go and find Eve in case she's run off with Tim, or just run off after seeing how dysfunctional we are,” said Gray, getting to his feet and leaving the dining room.

  “Hey there, Eve,” said Tim as he turned to ascend the stairs. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, sorry. I wasn't too keen on coming back down while they were still going at it. I don't really do conflict,” she admitted honestly. “I did consider having a nose around your upstairs, but I thought I should save that in case I get a return invite.” She smiled as Tim sat on the stair below her.

  “You'll get used to them. They don't mean anything by it and it's not each other they're arguing with. Gray and Sam adore each other, but Gray wants to protect her and Sam wants to heal him.” Tim rested his chin in his hand. “Look, Eve, this is not something for me to share and I have a feeling Gray will explain himself, but they're complicated, the Sharps.” He arched his brows, making her laugh.

  “Ah, so this is how it goes down, is it? You coerce your wife to distract me so you can woo my girlfriend on the stairs,” came Gray's voice from the bottom of the stairs.

  “Busted again,” said Tim, getting to his feet to descend the stairs, passing Gray at the bottom and closing the dining room door behind him.

  Climbing the stairs two at a time Gray sat next to Eve and rested a hand on her knee before speaking. “I’m so sorry, baby. Sometimes I get blinded by things and I can only focus one thing, like with Sam.”

  “I got that and I can understand things getting under your skin, especially families,” replied Eve, putting her hand over his.

  “Our mum is a sore subject, very sore, so where I can I avoid her, but as you may have gather
ed, she is throwing a charity thing next weekend and Sam and I are invited.”

  “But you don't fancy it?” She figured his reluctance was obvious.

  “You picked up on that?” He smiled as he brushed the hair off her face while she looked across at him. “I really do not fancy it, but I feel like I need to go to keep Sam from getting sucked into all the shit.”

  “You'll go then?” Eve rested her head on his shoulder, loving how much he cared about his slightly younger sister.

  “Maybe, but don't worry I don't expect you to suffer it too,” he said hesitantly.

  “I am not pushing myself and I have no desire to get caught up in whatever shit 'all the shit' is, but if you want to go and you want me to come with you, to stop you from getting sucked into the aforementioned shit or just to hold your hand to stop you punching something then I will,” she offered apprehensively. “All families have 'shit' and I completely get the avoidance thing...” She allowed her voice to trail off.

  “Stop saying shit. How long since you've seen your parents?” asked Gray perceptively.

  “Not since Max's funeral,” she replied bluntly.

  “A year. That is impressive.” He smiled but seeing her expression, he stopped. “Sorry. That'll be another one of our conversations to have.”

  “Mmm. It's probably a good job we can't have sex this weekend with all this talking to do,” she said smiling at him now.

  “I think I would rather have sex and I recall an earlier promise,” he said, brushing her nose with his own.

  “I always keep my promises, so maybe we should consider an early night,” Eve suggested seductively.

  “Come on.” He got to his feet. “Another cup of coffee, half an hour of amusing conversation and then we bail, okay?”

  He pulled her to her feet where she suddenly laughed at the image over his shoulder. “Is that you?”

  “What?” Gray turned then groaned. “Fraid so. That is me with my dad, out sailing when I was about twelve-years-old.”

  “Nice hat,” grinned Eve as she studied the image of the twelve-year-old Grayson, bright eyed and carefree with his dad, who looked like Gray now, although some years older. “You look happy,” said Eve, thinking out loud.

  “I was, he was a good man our dad,” he said affectionately.

  “Was the hat yours?” She looked at the sailor's hat on Gray's head, noting that he referred to his dad in the past tense.

  “It was a joke. Dad loved his boat and was in the navy in his youth and somebody bought him the hat, but that day I was allowed to wear it because I was lead shipman for the day.” He smiled fondly at the memory.

  “That's sweet. I notice how you were the boss even then.” She giggled as she saluted him and threw in an, “Eye, eye, captain,” for good measure.

  “I was actually the skipper,” Gray corrected.

  “Well, in that case, skipper.” She grabbed his shirt and pulled his lips to hers for a kiss but stopped short of actually kissing him as she whispered, “I do hope you kept the hat, Skip.”

  “You wanna play dress up, do you? Maybe we could save it for date night,” he said before closing his lips over hers and invading it with his tongue until she was breathless. “Come on, coffee, laughter, polite conversation and home to bed.”

  Chapter 12

  Eve stirred from a long and relaxing sleep to find Gray's legs over hers and an arm draped across her breasts while his warm breath blew across her bare shoulder. She had slept in just a pair of skin tone embroidered short pants and could feel Gray's morning arousal pressing into the back of them. Leaning back against him she smiled to herself and then let out a shallow laugh as he rolled the nipple of the breast that his hand was covering between his thumb and forefinger.

  “Morning, baby,” he whispered hoarsely, causing her whole body to rise in goosebumps.

  “Morning, Skip,” she replied using the name she’d given him the night before.

  He rolled her onto her back whilst still teasing her nipple. “You really are going to persist with that, aren't you?” He arched a brow as his gaze took in her body that was exposed from the waist up.

  “Oh, yes. I can't wait for date night with the hat,” she replied, reaching up to run her hands through his ruffled hair.

  “With or without a hat I can't wait for date night, Mrs Sharp.” He lowered his head towards her erect nipple that he held.

  “Gray,” she gasped as he took the nipple between his lips and circled it with his tongue.

  Ignoring her protest, if that's what it was, he drew her nipple into his mouth, abrading it with his teeth until he was happy with the results. Pulling back to admire his efforts he transferred his attention to the other nipple and started by flicking his tongue across it, blowing on it before closing his mouth over it. She had always had sensitive breasts but had never found this kind of thing so arousing; it felt as though each nipple was directly connected to her clitoris that she knew was standing as proudly as her nipples and she was sure that if he continued doing this she could actually come from this alone.

  “Grayson.” She gripped the sheet beneath her until her knuckles were white and her thighs were clenched together, attempting to provide some relief and contain the moisture she could feel coating her sex.

  “Ssh.” He raised his face towards hers as a hand disappeared beneath the covers and rested on her mound making her swallow hard.

  “I can't,” she moaned, remembering her period and although she didn't really suffer with heavy periods courtesy of the pill nobody had ever suggested touching her at this point in her cycle.

  “Evie, last night was amazing, you were amazing, but you didn't come and I need you to,” he told her as his fingers spread her lips through her pants and searched for her sensitive spot.

  “Gray,” she repeated but found his lips over hers, opening her mouth for himself and attempting to claim it as his own.

  Pushing against his shoulders she lifted his face from hers, “I haven't brushed my teeth.”

  Laughing at her, Gray shook his head. “What is your obsession with dental hygiene? Were your parents dentists or something?” he asked semi-seriously.

  “No, although my mum was married to one,” she replied honestly.

  “Really? But not your dad? How many husbands has she had?” asked Gray, seizing the distraction to begin circling Eve's clitoris through her pants.

  “Oh God!” she moaned as she realised just how close she was to climaxing.

  “How many husbands?” asked Gray again.

  “She's on number five, or divorcing him, but the dentist was number three,” replied Eve, gasping but avoiding questions about her dad and determined to avoid more questions about her parents, especially when she was in bed with Gray. She reached down and found his bare erection, gripping it firmly in her hand she allowed her thumb to find the liquid that was already leaking from it and in circular movements coated the tip while beginning to pump her fist around him.

  “I was making you come.” His words almost sounded like a reprimand.

  “You too!” she cried as she felt the clenching in the pit of her stomach spreading through her.

  “Eve, we're gonna make a mess,” he replied explaining his reluctance.

  “We don't have to.” Eve knelt up and faced him. “Lie down,” she told him making him smile as he complied, resting back against the pillows with his hands behind his head.

  “I might need you to utilise those hands.” She grinned before straddling his head.

  “I like your thinking, but I am going to insist on a repeat of this minus the underwear.”

  “Not a problem Skip!” she replied earning a spank across her behind prompting her to say, “And I may insist on a repeat performance of that. Now...” she mused as she lowered her mouth towards Gray's erection that was glistening with arousal and anticipation.

  She closed her mouth over the tip and slowly lowered her lips to the base before pulling back to the tip where she circled it with her t
ongue. She licked down its length and back up, making her smile as she heard the appreciative groans from Gray. Sheathing him once more she began to move in earnest, holding herself up on one hand while the other cupped his balls, rolling and squeezing them.

  Having almost forgotten her own pleasure as she focussed on his, she felt Gray's hands holding her hips in the position that kept her naturally open to his touch that was on her again, a finger, no, a thumb thought Eve by the pressure that was being applied to the sensitive tissue around her clitoris that he was circling now. As her arousal increased so did the pace with which she was moving her mouth around him. She was struggling to distinguish between all of the sensations flooding through her now; the obvious pleasure between her thighs, the empowerment she felt from Gray's responses to her and the excitement rushing through her whole body as she sensed that they were both close to their climaxes.

  Eve reached hers first when Gray pressed the seam of her shorts against her clitoris tipping her over the edge of pleasure where her muffled cries and pulsing around him seemed to be enough to send him over his own edge as a firm thrust of his hips sent the first spurt of hot semen into her, hitting the back of her throat, forcing her to pull back slightly to avoid gagging. As she pulled back and then forth slightly the next spurt came followed by more as she milked him with her mouth until he was spent and still, allowing her the chance to move so that she was lying flat on her back next to him with her breathing as fast and laboured as his.

  “So, you won’t kiss me but you'll do that?” panted Gray, running his fingers through his hair.

  “So it would seem.”

  “You are an odd one, baby.” He grinned, rolling towards her. “And it seems I like odd.”

  “Thank you, I think.” She frowned up at him. “Nobody has ever wanted to do that to me during a period though,” she added.