by VK Powell
“Thanks. I’ll be out in a few minutes. Don’t let them touch Dani. I mean it.”
The hot water pounded Grace’s back, relieving the tension between her shoulders, and easing her headache, but the memory of the previous two days blurred. Dani’s story about what happened at the club sounded feasible, and Grace really didn’t want to doubt her, but she couldn’t remember. She pulled on a pair of comfy sweats and joined the others in the living room.
Mary Jane handed her a cup of coffee and she sat at the small dining table, four sets of eyes trained on her. “I believe I was drugged at the club two nights ago.”
“Oh, honey.” Mary Jane slapped a hand over her open mouth.
“What the…” Trip grabbed the edge of the table, knuckles bleaching from the force.
“Who’d do something like that?” Clay asked.
“Dani can tell you more.”
Everyone swiveled, and Dani retold the account of what happened exactly as she’d relayed it to Grace originally. “And that’s how I ended up here.”
“And how you ended up in bed with a drugged woman? I can’t believe you’d take advantage of Grace like that. So not cool.” Clay eyed her suspiciously.
Grace placed her hand firmly on Clay’s arm. She appreciated Clay’s protectiveness, which had lingered since their one and only kiss in high school. “I love you for being concerned, but I asked Dani to stay because I didn’t want to be alone.”
“And she just saw an opportunity?” Clay wasn’t convinced. “How do we know she didn’t drug you herself just so she could get you here, like this?” Clay waved back toward the bedroom.
“As if she’d need to drug me. Really, Clay?”
“She makes a good point,” Trip said. “Besides, I don’t think Dani would—”
“Maybe we should get another version of the story,” Clay said, wavering but still not giving up. “Grace went to the club with Jay. Do you think she can verify any of this?”
“Once Cynthia showed up, I’m not sure Jay saw much of anything else. We don’t need to involve her in this fiasco. Dani told me what happened, and I believe her.”
Clay pulled her cell out of her back jeans pocket. “We should ask Jay.” She dialed the number. “Get over to Grace’s cottage ASAP. I know what time it is. Well, that’s great, dude, but we’ll talk about it later. Just get here quick.” Clay ended the call. “Now we wait.”
“Did you get checked out at the hospital and report this, honey?” Mary Jane asked.
Grace shook her head.
Trip eyed Dani hard this time. “Didn’t you think that would’ve been a good idea?”
“Stop it, Trip. She tried to convince me, but I refused.”
“Any idea who this guy was?” Clay tapped her fingers against her thigh.
Grace shook her head again, but Dani said, “I’d know him if I saw him again. He was manhandling Grace, so I won’t forget his face. And I might’ve broken his nose.” She raised her right hand, and her knuckles were skinned, bruised, and still a bit swollen.
“What?” Grace stared at her, shaking her head. “You didn’t tell me you hit the guy.”
“He was trying to drag you out of the club. What was I supposed to do?”
Grace glared at Trip and Clay with her best see-there expression. “Let me get you some ice for the swelling.”
“I iced it pretty well after we got home. I’ll be fine.”
Mary Jane patted Dani’s arm. “Well, that’s something, honey. You may be able to clear up this whole mess.”
“Do you remember what the guy was wearing, Dani?” Clay asked, her tone a bit mellower than before.
“Not specifically, but he wasn’t trendy or anything.”
“So, fashion fail. Makes sense for someone who’d do something like this.”
A knock sounded at the cottage door, Clay opened it, and Jay strolled in. Her satisfied grin vanished when her eyes focused on Clay’s tense expression. “What’s going on, guys?”
Clay motioned for her to pull up a chair at the kitchen table, and Mary Jane poured her a cup of coffee. The room was quiet for several seconds before Clay spoke. “You took Grace to the club Wednesday night.”
Jay scanned the faces around the table, and Grace could almost hear her wheels turning trying to decide what they wanted her to say. If she were a suspect in a crime, she’d fold like a cheap chair. “Yeah…so?”
“Stop hemming and hawing and tell us what happened, Jay.” Mary Jane rolled her hand.
“Yeah, Grace and I went dancing, as friends. When Cynthia showed up, Grace told me she’d get a ride home. You guys know how jealous Cyn can be. We started dancing, and one thing led to another. Before you know it, we were in the back room grop—”
“We get the idea.” Grace shook her head and glanced toward Mary Jane. She didn’t need to hear what happened in the back rooms of clubs.
“She was all over me.” Jay’s eyes sparkled and her grin widened. She was back in that room, having Cynthia again for the first time in months. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t complaining, but she gets so hor—”
“For the love of Christmas,” Mary Jane said. “We get it. You screwed like wild rabbits in a public place with no sense of decorum. Stay focused, woman.”
Jay’s face flushed bright red and she nodded.
“Hey,” Trip encouraged her, “Did you see what happened to Grace later?”
Jay tilted her head to the side. “I saw her go to the bar and order a drink after Cyn interrupted our dance.”
“Did you see her leave?” Clay asked.
“I thought I saw somebody carrying her out later, after Cyn and I…you know.”
“And you didn’t think that was a bit unusual?” Trip gave her a hard stare.
“Maybe, but—”
Clay shook her head. “You beat all, you know that? Who was carrying Grace out? Damn it, think woman. This is important.”
“’Fraid not, Clay.” She looked around the room and stopped at Dani. “Could’ve been her, but I can’t be sure. Did something bad happen?”
“No, Jay.” Grace took her hand and walked her back to the door. She didn’t want another tongue wagging about her Savannah nightmare. “Sorry for the inconvenience. I’m sure Cynthia wasn’t happy either. Please don’t use my name when you explain why you had to jump out of bed so early this morning.”
“Don’t worry, Grace. She saw Clay’s ID on my phone and knows I’d never be—”
“Whatever.” Trip waved her off. “The next time you take a woman out, make sure she gets home safely. Butch rule number—damn it, you should know. Just get out.”
“I’m sorry.” Jay started to hug Grace good-bye but caught Clay’s stare and closed the door behind her.
Grace took a deep breath before facing them. She’d spent enough time reliving a bad dream. “Okay, that’s over. As you can see, I’m fine, and Dani has done nothing wrong. I couldn’t have asked for a more chivalrous, caring, and devoted guardian the last couple of days. I appreciate your concern, but I’d really like you to leave now.”
Dani stood and started toward the door.
Grace shook her head. “Not you.” She waved her finger at the others. “Everybody else.”
Chapter Sixteen
Grace closed the door behind them slowly, struggling for a way to keep Dani with her. She’d monopolized her for two days, and Dani was probably itching to get away. When she turned around, Dani was within touching distance. “Oh, hi.”
“Grace?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Can I go, please? I’d like to take a long hot shower and clear my head.”
The hurt in Dani’s voice was so evident Grace winced. She wouldn’t meet Grace’s eyes, shifting back and forth ready to bolt. “I’m sorry about the third degree. My friends are a little overprotective.”
“Don’t blame them. I’m the outsider. I have a feeling if I stayed here the rest of my life I’d still be an interloper. Why should they take my word ab
out anything?”
Grace stepped forward, but Dani moved back. She traced the frown lines across her forehead, almost feeling the tension underneath her skin. “Southerners can be skeptical, clannish, and exclusive, but you’re an honorable woman, Dani Wingate. You were there when I needed you in a big way. They understand that now.”
Dani finally looked up, her eyes swirling with pain. “Do they?”
“Yes.” Grace eased forward and entwined their fingers. “Stay with me, Dani, if you want.”
“Your friends are close if you need anything.”
“But they’re not you. I need you in a totally different way.”
Dani moaned when Grace thumbed the inside of her wrist.
“Can I take that as a yes?” Grace brought their joined hands to her lips and kissed the back of Dani’s hand. “Please stay, and not because you think I’m unwell, but because you want to be here…with me.”
Dani was quiet too long, but when she looked up again, her expression was a blend of mischief and hunger. “I need a shower.”
“I’ll wait.” She kissed Dani lightly on the lips before shoving her toward the bathroom. “But be quick or I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.”
“Don’t.”
Dani stripped on her way to the shower, and Grace paced the bedroom floor. She was attracted to Dani, but she’d convinced herself to move on, and now she was going to have sex with her. Had the drugs scrambled her thoughts, confused her about what was best? When Dani cleared her throat, Grace turned and the answer crystallized, as plainly as Dani’s towel-clad body—no matter what happened later, she wanted to be with Dani now. She opened her arms and realized she was opening her heart as well, consequences be damned.
Dani tucked the edge of the towel tighter around her breasts. “Are you sure about this, Grace?” At least one of them should be certain. All Dani could think about was how much she wanted Grace at this moment, like no one before.
“Mostly, but that’s okay with me.”
Dani needed to say one more thing and hated it, but Grace deserved the whole truth. “I don’t know what this means. Yet. You understand, right?”
“Totally. And the good thing is, we don’t have to know. Come here, please.”
Dani trembled as she closed the distance between them. She was never nervous about having sex, until now. The room with its queen-sized bed closed around her, bringing Grace nearer and heating the air surrounding them, the perfect setting for seduction. It also felt intimate.
“Stop.” Grace pressed her forehead to Dani’s and whispered. “I see those wheels turning. You’re scared as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Let it go and just enjoy whatever happens.”
Dani wanted this so much, but could she stay in the moment? Her whole life had been about planning and execution—escape her horrible family situation, get an education, find a fulfilling job, buy a home, enjoy pleasure when it came along, and keep moving.
Grace stroked Dani’s naked shoulders to the top of the towel and then drifted lower until her hands cupped Dani’s bare ass. When Grace finally kissed her, Dani lost herself in the softness of Grace’s lips, the sweet smell of her perfume, and her own body’s reactions. Grace rolled her tongue against Dani’s, caressing and exploring. Grace was teasing, and Dani was breathless for more.
“Stay right where you are, Doc, while I set the proper mood.”
“Thought we just did that?”
“Patience. It gets better.”
Dani tried to kiss her again, but Grace sidestepped. “I don’t seem to have any patience when it comes to you or any self-control either. Why do you suppose that is?”
Grace gave her a mischievous smile, ripped the covers off the bed, and threw them in front of the fireplace, followed by the bed pillows and others from a nearby chair. “Because I’m just too damn sexy to resist?”
Grace guided Dani onto the quilt, its deep thickness drawing her in and heating her blood almost as much as Grace’s kiss. “Probably.”
Grace joined her, gave a naughty grin, and pinched the tucked edge of the towel between her thumb and forefinger. “What happens if I tug this?”
Dani’s pulse throbbed between her legs. She’d never let anyone tease her before. Now she wondered why. “Find out.” Grace rested her palm on Dani’s breast and plucked the towel loose, letting it fall around her. “God, Grace. You’re killing me.”
“Not my intention at all.” She scanned Dani’s body bringing heat and moisture so quickly that Dani groaned. “Do you like me looking at you?”
Dani struggled for her usual self-restraint, but Grace reduced her to a mass of uncontrollable need. “Y—yes.”
“What do you want?”
“You without these.” Dani pulled at the sweats covering Grace’s body. Since Grace had given the green light, Dani’s hands itched to touch her, to bring her slowly to the edge and then tip her over.
“Do you want to undress me, or should I?”
“You. Slow.”
Grace ran her hands under the garment and cupped her breasts, moaning from the contact as if Dani’s hands touched her. She slid her arms from the sleeves and into the body of the shirt and shifted it up under her neck. She stared at Dani and teased her puckered nipples. “See how much I want you, Dani? I’m already hard.”
Dani squeezed her thighs tight, the image before her too provocative. “More.” She sounded urgent. Grace started to shuck her shirt off. “Don’t. Just the pants.” Dani knee-walked toward her, reaching for her, aching for physical contact.
Grace stuck her arm straight out to stop her. “Not yet.” She hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her sweat pants and tugged slowly, past her navel and lower.
“Damn, Grace.” Dani scrubbed the heel of her palm between her legs, but Grace gave her an evil eye and shook her head. By the time Grace pulled the pants off her legs and threw them across the room, Dani saw the glistening moisture between her legs and felt it between her own. “Now?”
Grace stretched out on the quilt and the early morning sun cast light across her flushed face and full lips. Dani momentarily forgot her physical discomfort and just stared at Grace’s body. She’d never seen anyone more beautiful or wanted anyone as much. “May I touch you?”
Grace seemed taken aback by the serious tone of Dani’s question. Her answer was a whisper of permission layered in need. “I really wish you would.”
Dani stretched out beside Grace and propped up on her elbow to watch Grace as she touched her. Did she feel the charged energy between them, the heat surrounding them as Dani did? She traced the outline of Grace’s bottom lip and felt it quiver. Without realizing it, she’d hoped for this closeness with someone and basked in the feeling, capturing the image in her mind. Only Grace. “In case I forget later, thank you for this.”
Grace’s hooded eyes followed Dani’s hands and she mumbled something that resembled uh-huh.
“What do you want me to do, Grace?” For some reason, Grace’s needs mattered as much as her own, a foreign concept for her until this moment.
“Anything you want.”
Grace’s words were an instant shot of adrenaline. She kissed the side of Grace’s face and down her neck, drawing her own pleasure from the moans they urged from Grace. Dani outlined Grace’s puckered nipples, following the rise and fall of her chest as her body responded. She lightly brushed her hand between Grace’s breasts, down her torso, but stopped shy of her center. Grace jerked in anticipation.
“Dani.”
“Yes, Grace?”
“What are you doing to me?”
“Anything I want, remember?” Dani enjoyed teasing Grace, seeing her pupils dilate and her skin flush as her arousal grew. Nothing was more beautiful.
Grace cupped Dani’s hand and attempted to urge it between her thighs. “Touch me. I need…to feel you.” Her breath came in hot, jagged spurts, and Dani clamped her legs tighter against another rush of heat.
“Soon.”
“Is teasing me…all day…part of your plan?”
“Quite possibly. I love seeing and feeling you respond. Is that okay?”
“As long as you don’t mind a little quid pro quo…and stop when I say uncle.” Grace started to reach between Dani’s legs, but she stopped her. “I need to touch you, Dani.”
“Not yet.” Dani glanced down, and the image of Grace’s hand so close to her crotch ratcheted up the pressure. She wanted Grace to touch her but wasn’t sure she could let her. Allowing anyone emotionally close enough to really pleasure her didn’t come easily.
“I can’t take this anymore. I need skin,” Grace said. “And to be out of this damn sweatshirt. I’m dying from the heat.”
“Sit up.” Grace complied without question, and Dani straddled her legs and skimmed her hands slowly up Grace’s sides. How could skin be this soft, this hot? She brushed the fullness of Grace’s breasts, and Dani’s clit twitched and strained. She cupped both breasts and the tips hardened and teased the center of her hands.
“Suck my breasts, Dani.”
Dani tucked her head under Grace’s sweatshirt and her distinctive fragrance filled Dani and swirled through her. Inhaling deeply, she committed the scent to memory. Dani captured one breast in her mouth and the other nipple between her thumb and forefinger. Cocooned between flesh and fabric, she ached to devour the soft, delicious parts of Grace, to hear her moan and beg for more, and to finally tease her to orgasm and taste her release. She groaned and slid her center along Grace’s leg, the pleasure turning to pain.
Grace pressed Dani’s head tighter to her chest, and her hips rose and fell in time with Dani’s pulls. “Dani, please.”
Dani stripped the shirt over Grace’s head, eased her back down on the quilt, and glided down slowly, savoring the scent of her. “Are you ready for me, Grace?”
“So ready.” Grace breathed deeply and then seemed to stop breathing as Dani worked her way up her body again. “Tease.”
“Definitely.” Dani rotated her center along the length of Grace’s leg, stopped midway, and rubbed their pelvises together. Grace was so open and responsive that Dani wanted to savor her heat and urgency for hours. Grace groaned and tried to pull her up, but Dani lingered, sucked on Grace’s breasts again, and worked their bodies into a heated rhythm.