She blushed. “I know, but…”
Evander placed his index finger over her lips. “Trust me.”
His tone was serious, as was the look in his eyes. Grace relented with a nod. Again, he seized the hem of her shirt and yanked it over her head. He sank to his knees to slide her pants over her hips and down her legs.
Clad in only a white bra and panties, she shivered, though the air was moist and warm. Evander kissed her stomach as he pushed her panties down. He climbed to his feet, and then spun her around to unfasten her bra.
“You are beautiful,” he whispered against her shoulder.
Holding Evander’s hand for support, Grace stepped into the water. It was the perfect temperature, hot but not uncomfortable. Moaning, she sank down in the bubbles. He disappeared into the living room and returned with a glass of white wine for each of them.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he replied as he knelt beside her on the rug and then sat with his legs stretched in front of him. “I’m perfect.”
Grace laughed. “Then why are you single?”
“I haven’t met the right woman,” he confessed.
“How will you know?” she asked.
Evander paused to sip his wine and then looked into her eyes. “They say your heart will do this somersault thing and your pulse races. Perhaps you spend every moment thinking of them. Even in the fleeting moment that you met her, you know that you can’t spend the rest of your life without her.”
Grace’s mouth went dry. She took a sip of her wine and set the glass on the floor. “Get in here.”
He raised his eyebrow. “Sure?”
“That floor can’t be comfortable. And I’m down for any chance of seeing you naked, again.”
In one swift move, he climbed to his feet and stripped off his sweatpants. Grace swallowed a gasp when his cock, framed by a patch of curly dark hair, came into view.
“Don’t believe in underwear, do you?” she teased him.
Evander chuckled and climbed in behind her. “I find them restricting.”
Once he was settled, he pulled her against his torso and wrapped his arms around her. Grace closed her eyes. All the stress of finishing her manuscript melted into the water. Her heart fluttered. She couldn’t imagine going back to the States now, but she had two more days before she had to worry about it. Until then, she decided to enjoy the moment, and Evander.
Chapter Nine
Evander kissed her temple as he threaded his fingers through hers. Her body fit his so perfectly. He wanted her and made up his mind that he was going to have her. Cupping her breast, he rubbed his thumb against her dark nipple. Grace moaned but made no move to stop him. Good, he thought, because he wasn’t going to stop until she came. Rolling her nipple between his index finger and thumb, he pressed his lips against her ear.
“How long has it been, mia bella?”
Grace winced at his question but answered. “Too long. I haven’t been with anyone since then.”
“Are Chaz and Lisa’s scenes based on personal experience?”
She laughed. “No. Just my imagination.”
“You have a wild imagination,” he teased.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “And how long has it been for you? An hour?”
Evander chuckled. “Two months.”
“That’s surprising.”
“That kind of life gets old,” he admitted. He released her nipple and began massaging the other one. “It seems we both have some pent up energy to release.”
Laughing, she turned in his lap to face him. Grace cupped his face in her hands. Her thumbs traced the outline of his lips. The line of his sculptured chin. Slowly, she brought her mouth to his and kissed him. Dropping her hands from his face, she stroked his chest. Evander groaned. He curved his hands around her ass to knead the taut muscle before flowing up her spine to caress her neck. The bubbles were evaporating and the water cooling, but he didn’t care.
Grace’s mouth was soft and moist around his tongue. His hands flowed down her slick back to curl around her ass. He parted the halved skin and dipped his fingers inside to touch her core. She sank down over his finger, taking him deep inside her supple pussy. Did she taste as sweet as her tongue?
Evander used his index finger to explore her walls. He imagined how slick they would get when she was aroused. His erection strained against the curve of her thigh as if begging him to remove his finger and put his cock inside of her instead. Patience, he told himself. Grace moaned. She threaded her fingers through his hair, clutching his dark curls like a lifeline. Tearing her mouth from his, she arched her back, giving his mouth access to her stiff nipple.
“Evander.” She sighed. “I knew you were bad for me.”
He chuckled against her breast. “You have my permission to spank me.”
“Maybe later.”
Grace bobbed up and down on his finger as he stroked the walls of her pussy. Water sloshed over the sides of the tub. Releasing his hair, she gripped his shoulders. Her nipple puckered in his mouth. He applied more suction to the berry as he swirled his finger against the opening of her pussy. Evander squeezed his free hand between them and teased her clit with his fingers. She tensed in his arms.
Evander flicked his tongue against her nipple, and then let it go to claim her mouth. Her limbs trembled when she climaxed. She dug her nails into the tops of his shoulders, but he didn’t flinch. He rubbed her clit and pushed his finger as deep inside of her as it would go, down to his knuckle.
“Oh. God,” she panted.
Her scent was driving him crazy. He’d love nothing more than to replace his finger with his cock. But, this moment was all about her. Once her orgasm subsided, Grace collapsed against his shoulder. He removed his hands from between her leg to cuddle her to his chest.
“You’re welcome to use that in your book,” Evander said as he kissed the top of her head.
“Shut up.”
Grace pulled away to kiss him. She reached between them to wrap her hand around his cock. Evander gripped the sides of the tub. His eyelids slid closed, but he quickly regained his composure. Her hand felt good, and each caress was bringing him closer to an orgasm; however, he didn’t want to come like this.
“Stop,” he said, yet didn’t remove her hands.
“Why?”
Evander opened his eyes. Grace frowned at him and he kissed her pouty lips.
“You need to get back to work,” he said and then looked deep into her eyes. “And when I come, mia bella, I want to be deep in your wet pussy.”
Grace gasped, but stopped stroking his cock. “Fine,” she said.
Leaning forward, Evander pulled the stopper in the tub and stood. He held out his hands, she took them and he helped her to her feet. Grabbing a white towel from the rack, he wrapped it around her quivering torso, and then one around his waist before they climbed out of the tub. She squealed when he scooped her up into his arms and carried her back into the living room.
“Write,” he said as he positioned her in front of the computer.
“I don’t know,” Grace teased as he left her side to go into the kitchen. “I may need another bath.”
Evander stopped pulling out items from the refrigerator to make sandwiches and turned to look at her. “Anytime.”
Chapter Ten
Grace worked into the wee hours of the morning. Evander’s nimble fingers jumpstarted her creativity, and she was almost to the dark period of her book—the part when the hero and heroine break up. It was close to five a.m. when she crawled into bed next to a snoring Evander. At ten a.m., she awoke in his arms but made no move to get up. Instead, she snuggled back against his torso. The rise and fall of his chest against her back comforted her, but it also scared her. By this time tomorrow, she’d be heading back to the States. Suddenly, the sound of Prince’s “Computer Blue” filled the cottage. Groaning, Evander peeled himself away from her to go into the living room to answer it.
“Fuck,” he yelled when he returned to the bedroom.
She sat up in the full-sized bed. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s work. I have to go back to Athens.”
“Oh.”
It felt as if Grace’s heart fell out of her chest. She knew this day would come, but she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. Turning her head away, she tried not to let him see the disappointment, and tears, in her eyes.
“Come with me,” Evander said as he crawled back into bed next to her.
“Evander…”
“You can write while I’m at work,” he said as he gathered her into his arms. “I just need more time with you.”
Grace’s heart fluttered. “But I paid my rent through tomorrow,” she smirked. “What about my deposit?”
“Maybe you can work something out with the landlord,” he teased. “Or maybe you can extend your vacation one more day.”
“If I do that I’ll never leave.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
Grace opened her mouth, but closed it without speaking. She listened to his heartbeat before replying. “Okay. I’ll go to Athens.”
In record time, Grace packed up her two suitcases. When she wheeled them outside for Evander to load into the trunk, he was tinkering with the car engine. He’d taken off his white shirt and draped it over the driver’s side seat. His jeans hugged his ass, and she resisted the temptation to smack it.
“Don’t tell me it won’t start,” she chided.
“Okay.”
Silently, he jiggled a few wires. Grace rolled her eyes.
“Did you call Stephano?” she asked.
“He’s not answering. I think I know the problem. Try starting it up.”
Huffing, Grace climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition. After a few tries, the car’s engine roared to life. Evander slammed down the hood. He caressed the white steel as he beamed at her though the windshield.
“See? She purrs like you when you come.”
Grace had no comeback for that. She got out of the car and went to lock the front door. He had loaded the last of her suitcases in the trunk. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her for a long time, before holding her passenger door open.
“I want you to meet my parents before you leave,” he announced while fastening his seat belt.
Grace paused in mid-air while fastening hers. “Are you crazy?”
“I’m a lot of things.” He grinned. “But crazy isn’t one of them.”
She clicked the latch on her seat belt together. “I’m not dressed to meet your parents.”
He looked over her pink halter top and denim shorts. “You look great. Anyway, I have to drop off the keys to the cottage.”
“Is there time?” Grace asked, still trying to stall.
Evander leaned across the console and kissed her. “There’s always time.”
An hour later, they parked in front of his parents’ house. It was a small, two-story home surrounded by animals. Chickens strolled in front of the car and Evander had to be cautious not to hit one. A lopsided garage and barn stood a few feet from the house. There was no fence surrounding the property. The sounds of dog barking filled the air, as did the scent of manure.
Grace became nauseous as Evander climbed out of the car and walked to her side to open the door. This, she thought, was way too much for her to handle. She wished that she had worn something more appropriate. Her hands trembled when the front door opened and a petite woman emerged. The woman was dressed in a white shirt and black peasant skirt, her dark hair was tied back with a yellow bandana. As she wiped her hands on a red checkered apron, she smiled brightly.
“Hey, Mama,” Evander called as he walked toward his mother and kissed her on the cheek. “This is Grace.”
Grace peered into the woman’s bright blue eyes. Ignoring Grace’s outstretched hand, his mother pulled Grace to her chest for a long, tight hug. She immediately felt at home while inhaling his mother’s earthy scent. The woman pulled away and said something in Greek while holding Grace at arm’s length.
“She said that you are beautiful, but too skinny,” Evander translated.
Grace laughed. “Thank you.”
The woman said something else and motioned for them to follow her into the house. Grace looked at Evander.
“She’s going to feed us, now,” he said as he draped his arm around her shoulder and guided her to the front door.
Grace frowned. “I thought you had to get to Athens?”
“I do, but I can’t say no to Mama’s cooking.”
Inside, the house was bright and airy. Grace could picture Evander running around as a child. A man sat at the dining room table, reading a newspaper. He stood when they entered. His resemblance to Evander was uncanny. The only differences were that his father had gray hair and was a foot shorter. Evander went to him and shook his hand, then handed his father the keys to the cottage. The man said something in Italian, to which Evander replied with a grimace before turning to Grace.
“My father,” Evander said to her. “The comedian.”
Grace frowned. “What did he say?”
“He said you’re classier than the other women I’ve brought around and he hopes that I’ll make an honest woman of you.”
“Did you tell him we just met three days ago?” Grace laughed.
“What does time matter when the heart is involved?” his father said in English as he walked toward Grace and hugged her. He smelled like tobacco from his pipe. “It’s written on his face. He knows.”
Grace looked at Evander, who quickly turned his back. He shouted something in Greek to his mother, who poked her head out of the kitchen to reply, and then returned to her duties. The scent of meat and tomatoes filled the small space. His father guided her to the dining room table and cleared off the newspapers. Evander brought her a glass of iced tea and sat beside her.
Evander stroked her upper arms as she sipped her drink and fielded his father’s questions. Fifteen minutes later, his mother emerged from the kitchen with a steaming pot of stew and crusty bread. While they ate, his mother showed Grace pictures of Evander as a child. Grace laughed at the one of him dressed as a tiger for a school pageant when he was seven. Two hours flew by, and they had to rush to get back to Rhodes to meet the ferry.
With both her belly and heart full, Grace hugged his parents. She promised to visit again. Already, she loved them as her own. Still she was anxious to get to Athens and prayed that the car would start. When it did, Evander backed out of the dirt road and headed for town.
“They like you,” Evander said. He rested his hand on her thigh.
“I like them,” she confessed.
Evander was quiet while he navigated the country road. Grace covered his hand with hers. Fifteen minutes into the drive, his silence weighed heavily in the car.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him.
He took her hand and rested it over the bulge in his pants. “All I could think about was taking you out behind the barn and fucking you blind.”
She grinned. “Maybe next time.”
“Will there be a next time?”
Grace’s smile faded. “I don’t know,” she said honestly.
Evander abruptly turned off the main road and onto a grassy path. He parked the car next to some tree but kept the engine running. Twisting around in his seat to face her, he stared into her eyes with so much intensity that she had to look away, but then he gently turned her head back around to face him.
“Grace,” he said. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone. I don’t want to let you go.”
Her breath was shaky as she inhaled. “I don’t know if I can do another long-distance relationship.”
“I won’t hurt you like he did. Don’t punish me for his sins.”
A tear slid down her cheek. “I don’t know how it can work,” she said. “I’ll be in America. You’ll be here.”
“It can work. We can visit each other. Phone calls. E-m
ails. We’ll figure it out.” He cupped her face in the palms of his hands. “But you have to trust me.”
Grace did trust him. Her heart wouldn’t be beating so hard if she didn’t. It scared her because she refused to be a fool again. Yet she wasn’t ready to walk completely out of Evander’s life either. What she did know was that she needed him. Right now. She leaned forward and kissed him. As soon as their lips met, she knew that they weren’t going to make the ferry.
She unfastened her seat belt, and then his. Evander pushed back his seat so that she could climb into his lap. The space between him and the steering wheel was tight. Her hip tapped the horn as she moved to pull his T-shirt over his head and toss it into the seat beside her. Grace cursed the fact that the car didn’t have a backseat, but that wasn’t going to stop her from having this man inside of her.
Evander reached behind her to turn off the engine, and then untied the straps of her halter. While he pushed down the fabric to expose her breasts, she worked on unbuttoning his fly. Her hands trembled, making it difficult for her to grasp the buttons. But, she needed him in her. Now. Finally, he was free, but she couldn’t push down his jeans in the tight confines of the car.
“I have an idea,” he whispered against her shoulder.
Evander opened the car door and she almost tumbled out. She giggled. He caught her before she hit the ground. Once she got her footing, he walked around to the trunk and opened it. Grace stripped off her clothes and tossed them onto the seat. Evander pulled out a blanket from beneath her suitcases. Walking to the front of the car, he spread it over the hood while she worked on pushing his jeans down his hips.
“You’re eager, mia bella,” he teased.
“Shut up and take me.”
Grace was eager. She’s waited a lifetime for a moment like this. She didn’t want to spoil it by talking. Grinning, Evander stepped out of his jeans and tossed them over his shoulder while she lay spread-eagle on the hood of the car. He stroked his erect cock as he stared down at her.
“I bet you’re also wet,” he said while planting a kiss on her stomach.
Midnight Muse Page 4