She watched him through the top row of bottles and boxes on the shelves and her pulse picked up. Drake was gorgeous, and for the weekend at least, he was all hers. What then? When the weekend is over do we go our separate ways? Sadness filled her and she forced the feeling down. No, one day at a time. We know we can't have a relationship, so we will just have what we have. If that's only this weekend, then that's it. We will make the most of it.
She was jerked out of her thoughts by him gently touching her arm. “Are you ready?”
Glancing down at his hands she saw a box of 'For Her Pleasure' condoms and she blushed hot. Ducking her chin to hide the evidence of her nervousness, she whispered, “Yeah, totally ready.” His finger touched her chin and she glanced up. “What?”
“You're beautiful.” He stroked her cheek gently and Grace closed her eyes at the intense pleasure of his touch. Her breath caught in her throat on a hiccup and she licked her lips self-consciously. “Come on,” he murmured, holding out his hand for her to take it.
Grace shifted the things in her arms to have a free hand and intertwined her fingers with his. Goosebumps popped up on her skin at the simple touch and she fought to keep her composure as they walked to the counter and paid for their things. She didn't even notice the cashier looking between them as she rung up the condoms. Grace simply floated along on the excitement she felt.
They got back in the car and continued to drive, finally stopping as they found a small hotel in the next town. Grace fiddled with the handles of her plastic bag as Drake procured a room for them and took the key. She barely took in the taupe walls and simple décor as they walked to the elevator. His hand brushed her lower back as they stepped into the elevator and the doors slid shut.
“Are you nervous?”
“Very,” she admitted. “I'm afraid I’ll mess up.”
“It's pretty impossible to mess up,” Drake reassured her.
“Ha! Well, you don't know me very well.”
“I hope to remedy that.”
Grace flicked her gaze up and stared into his dark eyes. “Yeah?”
“I want to know what makes you tick so I can figure out why I want you so much.”
Conversation ended as the elevator came to a stop on their floor and the doors opened. Drake offered his hand again and she took it, her pulse racing as they walked to their ivory door number three-fifteen. He slipped the card into the lock and turned the knob. The door opened to a tastefully decorated suite and Grace couldn't help but gape. When she traveled with her parents the best they did were one star motels. This was far from that.
“This is nice,” she managed to mumble.
“You still hungry?” Drake asked and she could sense he was trying to make her comfortable before anything happened.
“I feel like I could throw up.”
He grinned and Grace fell for him in that instant. His eyes crinkled up at the corners and the blue in them seemed to sparkle. Two dimples popped up on his cheeks. “Don't throw up.”
The feelings that ran through her were foreign, but she knew without a doubt that she loved him—wholly, completely. She had since the moment he’d stepped up to her booth at the bar. Maybe it was puppy love, or being foolish, but in the space of a breath Grace saw the rest of her life with him playing out in her mind like a movie. White picket fence, dark haired babies with his sparkling eyes, and dimples, and him kissing her every night when he came home from work.
She gasped as he brushed her tender cheek. “Are you okay?” he asked and she nodded.
“I'm fine.”
“Fine is an ambiguous word. Tell me what you're thinking.”
Grace laughed then. “No.”
“Do you want a pizza? I doubt much of anything is open. Or maybe Chinese or something? I'll take you for breakfast in the morning.” Drake sat down on the edge of the king sized bed, the deep blue duvet cover crinkling as he shifted to find a phone book.
“Um, sure a pizza would be fine.” Grace leaned against the wall and rubbed her forearm, hoping to dispel the nervousness she felt.
“What do you like on it?”
“Pineapple.” She chewed her bottom lip and waited for him to say he hated pineapple. Her father always complained when they ordered pizza, saying that pineapples threw off the taste of the whole pie even if it was on half.
“My favorite.” He grinned again and called a pizza place, ordering a large pineapple pizza and a soda. As he hung up, he shrugged. “Not the most romantic meal.”
“This isn't supposed to be romantic, right?” She reminded him. “We can't have a relationship.”
Drake nodded. “Yeah, you're right.” She watched him toss the phone book back on the nightstand and pat the bed beside him. “Come sit.” Grace walked to him and sat down beside him, leaving a large space between their bodies. Drake soon filled that gap, his hand coming to cup her cheek that hadn't been smacked and turning her face to his. His lips touched hers and she drowned in everything that was Drake.
His lips moved sure over her own, soon coaxing her tongue out to mate with his in a wanton dance. She shivered at his expert manipulation and allowed herself to be swept along in the tide of passion that danced between them. She moaned when he nipped her bottom lip, then slicked his tongue against the bite. “Did I hurt you?” She heard him whisper and she shook her head no. Grace slid her hands across his shoulders and her fingertips eased into his silky dark hair.
The sound of a knock penetrated her bubble of happiness and it burst as he pulled away. “Pizza's here,” he said apologetically and Grace pressed the back of her hand against her mouth.
Oh my...
She sat dumbfounded as Drake paid the pizza guy and brought the pizza into the room. The familiar smell of marinara, cheese, and pineapple filled her nostrils, but she found she wasn't hungry for food. “Drake, leave it,” she pleaded and she was thrilled as he placed it on the maple desk and moved back to the bed with a smile.
“You sure?”
“I've never been surer of anything,” Grace assured him as she reached up to tangle her hands in his hair again. She found herself shifted back on the bed with Drake lying over her, him holding his body up with his forearms as he kissed down her neck.
She moaned as he nibbled her ear and whispered, “So beautiful.” Grace didn't care how many times Drake had used that particular line in his years of wooing women. It meant more than anything to her in that moment. As Drake shifted to his side and his hand coursed up her side, she stared into his eyes, begging him not to look down at the sliver of skin he was exposing with each inch he crept upward.
Grace wanted him to see her as desirable, not as chubby, and she sat up suddenly. “Turn the light off.”
Drake sat up and looked at her curiously. “Why?”
Grace blushed and looked away as frustrated tears filled her eyes. “I don't want you to see me.” She closed her eyes as he caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned her face back to him.
“Why?”
Grace sucked in a breath and shook her head. “I'm not beautiful. No matter how many times you tell me I am.”
“Who made you believe that?” Drake's low growl made her jump and she opened her eyes.
“I just know that. Guys have never been interested in me, except for my boobs.” Grace shrugged and glanced away again. “I know what I am.”
“And what are you?”
“Fat. Ugly. Undesirable. Grace the nun,” Grace whispered, a tear leaking from between her lashes and splashing down onto the dark denim of her pants.
“Look at me.” Grace turned back and she couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her mouth at the intensity of his gaze. “Whoever made you feel that way or told you those things is an idiot. Because when I look at you I see perfection. We are humans and we're all flawed, but your imperfections only make me lo—like you more. Like the freckles on your nose. Maybe it sounds stupid, but I'm jealous because the sun got to kiss your skin more than me. It makes me wonder where
else the sun kissed you. You see your curves as something undesirable, but I don't. I want to hold something real, not a waif who refuses to eat. Yes, I have to agree with all the teenage horn dogs out there, your breasts are phenomenal, but they are only a part of you, Grace. What attracted me to you was your beautiful smile and bright eyes, and the way you blush and think no one notices. It's the way you declare yourself and don't back down, even when I pushed you away. It's you. I'm not turning off the light because I want to memorize everything about you...”
His voice trailed off and Grace heard the end of what he didn't say. Because we both know this is it. Tears pooled in her eyes and she whispered, “Thank you.”
“Just promise me something.”
“Anything!” Grace breathed.
“When you go out into the world, you will declare yourself. You'll show the world exactly what I see. Because the world would miss out on something really special if you don't.”
Grace's bottom lip wobbled and a fresh round of tears splashed down her cheeks. “I promise,” she choked out.
“How about some pizza?” Drake offered, breaking the sudden tension in the room.
Grace took a slice of pizza from him that was placed on a napkin and she took a few small bites, digesting both the food and his words. No one has ever said anything like that to me.
They ate in silence and Grace managed to force down one piece of pizza before hopping up and grabbing her bag from the drugstore. “Be back,” she promised him as she hurried into the bathroom.
Turning on the water at the sink she rinsed her mouth and hurriedly brushed her teeth. As she glanced up in the mirror she stared curiously at the girl staring back at her. She was still Grace, but she felt different, and it wasn't because she knew she was about to do things with Drake she had never done with anyone else. It was because of Drake. The girl staring back at her had wide, shining eyes, a flush of color on both cheeks, and a smile that wouldn't stop stretching across her full mouth. She was beautiful.
Grace stepped out of the bathroom and stared at Drake, who had removed his shirt and was propped up on the bed with a remote in his hand, obviously flipping through the channels on the flat screen TV on top of the dresser. Her mouth went dry at his body, the divots of his muscles and play of the soft lamplight playing on his golden skin.
“Stop staring or take a picture.” Drake laughed and she blushed hotter.
“I am taking a mental picture,” she whispered.
“Come here.” Drake patted the bed and she moved through the room to crawl up beside him. His arm came around her and she snuggled up against his pec. His nipple was dangerously close to her mouth and Grace wondered what it would be like to taste him. Before she could stop herself, her tongue slipped out and rasped across the flattened skin.
His muscle flexed against her cheek and she took that movement as an invitation to continue, so she did, her tongue flickering against the tip of his nipple. His hiss made her pause and glance up. “What?”
“I liked it.” He smiled before shifting and kissing her again.
The kiss started slow and soft, gentle pecks of lips grazing, and soon turned into a torrential flood of heat between them. Grace found herself pushed to her back and Drake lying over her, his hand sliding up her shirt. Instead of being embarrassed at her curves, she delighted in his touch. His hand cupped the underside of her breast and she moaned loudly as his thumb grazed over her taut nipple. She grew dizzy as the sweep of his tongue in her mouth matched the lazy sweep of his thumb back and forth over her nipple. When he broke the kiss and pulled away, she mewled in protest.
“Shh,” he murmured, kissing down her neck and across her collarbones. Grace busied herself by touching him. Her palms flattened against his back and she dug her nails in gently as he nipped her neck again.
He growled against her throat and she shivered. “Drake?”
“Hmm?” He glanced up and Grace swallowed nervously.
“Should I take my shirt off?”
“If you want.” He shifted to his knees and Grace sat up, biting her lip as she caught the hem of her shirt and slowly brought it up and over her head. The shirt dangled from her fingertips for a moment before she dropped it over the edge of the bed.
The way he looked at her burned through her body and Grace had to fight to breathe. His lids grew heavy and Grace shivered at the desire she saw there.
“So beautiful,” he whispered and Grace for once in her life believed she was.
They shifted back to lying on the bed and Grace gasped as Drake kissed down her chest to her full breasts still encased in the black lace bra she wore. His tongue traced lazy circles around her taut nipple and she wanted to grab his head and direct his mouth where she most wanted his tongue. As if he sensed her discontent, his mouth closed over her nipple and Grace arched off the bed, a loud moan escaping her lips.
“Yes,” she whispered, then squeaked as he shifted them on the bed to lying side by side. His mouth came to hers again and she kissed him, her hands unable to get enough of the feel of his skin and the bulge of his muscular back. As his hand came to the clasp of her bra, she shifted to grant him better access and she shivered with each pop she heard as the hooks released.
Once it came free, she quivered as his fingers eased the strap off her shoulder. “Tell me to stop and I will,” he promised her and Grace shook her head.
“I don't want you to stop.” She helped him pull the bra off the rest of the way and she grasped his shoulders, turning them on the bed until he lay on her again. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she moaned again as he worshiped her breasts, first one then the other with gentle hands and tender kisses.
He sucked at her nipples until she couldn't bear the pleasure building deep inside her any longer. “Drake, please.”
“Shh,” he murmured again and Grace groaned.
“No!” She grasped his hand and stuck it between her legs where the throbbing was the most insistent. “Make it stop.”
Drake paused his ministrations and stared into her face. “What?”
“It feels so good, but it aches. It's throbbing and I need it to stop,” Grace mumbled, lost in the heat of the moment.
“Do you still trust me?” Drake asked and she nodded.
“Yes, yes, yes!”
“Take your pants off.”
Grace was pulled from her delirious state and she gulped. “What?”
“Take your pants off and trust me.”
“Um, do we need the condoms?” she squeaked out.
“No.” Drake grinned and Grace felt her heart trip.
“Oh.” Disappointment filled her voice and she couldn't stop it.
“Sweetheart,” he started, touching her chin and she glanced up at him.
“What?”
“We have a long, long way to go before we need condoms.”
Grace blushed hot and she bit her bottom lip. “Oh.”
“Just trust me.”
Grace slipped off the bed and stared into his eyes as she unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down her legs. “Okay, they're off.” She stood before him naked, except for her silky red panties.
“Take your panties off,” he growled and Grace shuddered at the sound before doing as he asked. “Now, come here.”
She crawled back up on the bed and gasped as he pushed her to her back and kissed her again. His kiss grew more insistent and she was panting by the time he came back to her breasts. The throb between her legs was becoming unbearable and she clenched her fists in the duvet cover. “Drake...” she groaned out, unable to say more. She quivered as his fingertips swirled circles on her belly and his tongue swirled on her nipples. As his finger dipped between her legs, she clenched her thighs together.
“Do we need the condoms?” she squeaked out and Drake glanced up at her with a grin on his face.
“Let me worry about when we need the condoms, okay?” He shifted up to kiss her again and Grace relaxed again. His fingers resumed swirling against her skin an
d his kiss grew frantic as he dipped down low again, to barely stroke against the cleft there. When one finger dipped between and pressed against a spot there that throbbed incessantly, she moaned into his mouth.
Between the slow stroke of his finger against the throb and his kiss, Grace went higher and higher, pleasure eddying along through her veins. A rush of exquisite feeling built and she gripped his shoulders, her nails digging in. His fingertip moved faster and faster, and she arched off the bed as the wave of dizzying pleasure swept over her. Her toes curled and she sobbed out against his kiss as shockwaves pulsed through her.
“Oh!” she cried out as he broke the kiss. “Oh my God.”
“Shh,” he murmured again, shifting on the bed and pulling her with him. “How do you feel?”
“Beautiful.”
Chapter Fourteen
Grace woke with a start to a soft stroke against her arm. She realized quickly where she was—naked in bed with Drake Stone, and that she had come apart in his arms some time before. “Drake?”
“Mmm?”
“What happened earlier?”
She blinked as Drake stared down at her. “What?”
“Earlier when you were touching me...there.”
His eyes widened and he seemed to be in shock. “You don't know?”
“Um, nope. I mean, I know that your stuff goes in my stuff and if we don't use protection we could make a baby and that I'm gonna go to hell for it happening, according to my dad.” Grace shrugged.
“You had an orgasm.”
“Oh...can I do it again?” Grace asked, blushing at her words.
“I can make you do it as many times as you want, in many, many ways. I'm happy to show you.”
“What about you? Can you um...”
Drake grinned and Grace fell even harder. “Yes, I can, but most guys only get one good time out of it and when it's over it's over. So the good ones try to make their woman feel as wonderful as possible first.”
Grace warmed at his words and the thought of being 'his woman.' It was a fantasy, and she knew that fantasies never lasted, but for the next few hours she would believe it with all her heart, that she was his, wholly and completely, wherever that led them, and he was hers.
Saving Grace (Wild Rose Book 1) Page 10