Grace finishes playing the piano and steps in front of the windows, looking out she admires how beautiful Paris looks in winter. Even from a distance, the city lights reflect off the thin layer of ice lying on top of the Seine River. It’s good to be home, she thinks, as she wraps her arms around herself.
Feeling chilled, she heads to the kitchen to make herself a cup of cocoa. Her phone rings and a fireball of excitement shoots into her heart. Picking up her phone, she sees Ben’s number, reminding herself that next time she sees him she needs his picture for her phone.
“Hi, Ben!”
“Hello, Grace.”
“Are you in Napa?”
“No, I’m still in Ocean View. I had to meet with a new artist today so I didn’t fly to San Fran yet.”
“Oh,” Grace says, confused. “I thought you were leaving a few days ago?”
“So did I, but things changed. How are you?
“I’m good. Tired. I did a photoshoot today and the photographer was impossible. It took hours.”
“You sound worn-out.”
“I’m still trying to get used to the time difference. So, what are you up to?” she asks, enthusiasm still ringing from her voice. She hears a car engine rev.
“I’m dropping the car off, then taking a cab to my hotel.”
“Are you okay?” Grace asks, she hears angst in Ben’s voice.
“I’m good. I’m actually just really looking forward to going home for a while. I’m at the rental shop. Can I call you later?”
“Of course you can.”
“Okay, I’ll call you when I get to the hotel. Goodbye.”
Grace hangs the phone up and stares at it for a little while before she sets it on the end table that sits next to her sofa. Michelle walks into the loft, her camera bag slung over her shoulder.
“Bonsoir,” Grace says, barely glancing over her shoulder.
“Hey,” Michelle says, setting her camera bag down on the table.
Michelle flops down on the couch next to Grace, “What’s up?”
“Not a darn thing,” Grace says with a smile.
“Did Ben call already?”
“Yeah, but we didn’t talk long. He’s dropping off his rental car.”
“You’re glowing,” Michelle says, as she studies Grace’s face. “You really like him don’t you?”
“I do.”
“So, how is this going to work? I mean, he lives in the States?”
“I’m trying not to over think it, Missy. I’m just taking it one day at a time.”
Michelle pats Grace on her leg before she rises from the sofa. “That sounds like a fantastic idea.”
Michelle pulls her wild hair toward the back of her head and ties it up as she walks into the bathroom. Grace smiles to herself. While she is glad that she is able to feel this way again about a man, she is still cautious. Ben has made no commitments to her, and she wonders if anything serious will even come from the relationship they have. They had a loose-ended conversation about Ben visiting her in Paris before she left Ocean View and Grace is unsure of how much value their talk really had.
Grace lies in her bed reading a book and waiting for Ben to call her. She is lost in the novel she is reading when her phone finally rings.
“Hi,” she says with a wispy breath.
“Hey,” Ben says. “Were you sleeping?”
“No.” She yawns. “I was waiting for you to call.”
“It’s early there.”
“Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you some more.”
“Me, too. Actually, I have a question for you.”
“Oh?”
“How would you like to meet me in San Francisco?”
“Umm when?” Grace asks, her stomach filling with butterflies at the idea of seeing Ben again so soon.
“In a couple of days? I have some meetings I can’t postpone, but then I have tons of time off after that.”
“I would love to come see you.”
“I can pay for your plane tickets,” Ben says, almost cutting her off.
“No need, but will you pick me up at the airport?”
“Of course.”
Grace is unable to control a deep yawn.
“I’ll let you go. Call me when you have your arrival date and time, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll book it tomorrow. Goodnight.”
“Good evening, Grace. Talk to you tomorrow.”
Grace’s heart races, elated at the fact that she will see Ben in a matter of days. She cannot control her excitement and she jumps out of bed, walks to the computer, and goes online to book the earliest flights.
The weather in San Francisco is cool, but the sun shines bright in the cloud painted sky. Grace searches through the crowd of people waiting for the passengers exiting security. She spots Ben waving his hand in the air to get her attention. It feels like a switch goes on, lighting up her insides when she sees him. She glides over to where he stands and drops her luggage on the ground before throwing her arms around his neck. He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her body close to his. He cups her face into his hands and places a deep kiss on her lips. She is instantly happy and content in Ben’s arms. This is bad, she thinks, feeling so good in his arms.
Their taxicab comes to an abrupt stop in front of the W Hotel, one of San Francisco’s most elite hotels. Grace looks at Ben shocked because of the speed at which the taxicab driver drove up the crowded one-way streets to their destination. Ben extends his hand to help Grace out of the taxicab.
“Always the gentlemen,” Grace says, looking up to smile at him.
They enter the sleek, grand, modern lobby arm and arm. Stepping into the elevator sends a thrill through Grace’s body. Goosebumps make their way across her skin as she bites her lower lip and sucks on it, staring at Ben. She cannot help feeling extremely attracted to him. He grabs her hand, puts it to his lips, and gently kisses her knuckles as he stares into her eyes. She loves how he always keeps eye contact. It makes her feel as though she is the only woman in the world.
The first thing Grace notices about their suite is the fireplace cut into the wall in the sitting area of the large room. Four small fires encased in spotless glass flicker in a symmetrical line as they warm the room. “Wow, Ben.” She turns to face him and to her surprise, he is undressing. She does a double take. “I guess I don’t have to ask what you want to do.” She laughs. Her stomach ties into knots when she thinks about him touching her the way he did the last time she was with him.
His shirt already removed, he takes his time walking to where she is. He remains quiet as he caresses her. With one hand, he unbuttons her pants and pulls them off her. She lightly places her hand on his shoulder as she steps out of her pants. He wraps one arm around her and forces her towards the nearest wall while he drives his tongue into her mouth. His hand slides into her panties, his fingers playing between her legs.
His tongue skims over hers in passionate swirls. They suck on each other’s warm wet lips, their breathing becoming rapider by the minute. His hand rubs against her wetness and it sends extreme excitement throughout her body. He grabs her by both of her shoulders and shoves her against the wall. Practically ripping her blouse open, he sucks on the delicate skin by her collarbone. His luscious lips kiss down her body, over her breasts, onto her stomach, and down in between the middle of her thighs. Taking her panties in between his teeth, he tugs at them, bringing them down into a wad that rests between her thighs. She grabs a lock of his shaggy hair and pulls his head into her while loud moans unconsciously escape from her parted lips. Without hesitation, Ben ravages her clit with his tongue. She cannot get enough of how good it feels to have his warm mouth on her. Sucking, biting, and licking every crease and fold.
Grace is lost to the touch of his lips on her wet skin. With every circle he makes with his tongue, she falls further and further into ecstasy. Grabbing his hair tighter and squeezing it into her fist, she erupts into a long orgasm. He rises to his feet, grabs her with both of his h
ands on her shoulders, and suckles on her neck again.
“I missed you,” he says, in between kisses.
“Me, too.”
Grace steps out of her panties that have made their way to her ankles while using Ben’s shoulder to balance herself.
Taking her by the hand, he steers her to the oversized bed covered in stark white sheets with matching throw pillows. Her blouse and bra still cling to her body as he guides her to sit on the edge of the bed. With need coursing through her veins, she looks up at him standing before her. Unbeknownst to her she gives her lips a quick lick and he lets out a gasp. Slowly, Grace slips her fingers around Ben’s belt buckle, her mouth anxious to have him. The jangling sound of metal hitting metal fills the silent room. She slips his belt off him, all the while still staring up at him. Her long blonde hair flows freely onto her shoulders and into her open blouse. He bends down and pulls her blouse off her shoulders with care, then does the same to her lacy bra. She sits on the edge of the bed with only her hair covering her, her hand inside his jeans.
Grace clasps her hand around his thick, long, throbbing dick. “You’re going to make me lose my mind,” he says, with a heavy breath.
Her gaze finally leaves his as she looks at what she has in her hand. Again, her tongue slides across her voluptuous lips before she takes him into her warm wet mouth. Her lips stretch over his girth and feeling him in her mouth makes her ache. Heavy breaths and sobs of lust seep out of Ben’s mouth, his head flung backward while he relishes her sucks. It does not take long before he erupts into her mouth.
Hours later, sounds of laughter fill the suite as Ben and Grace lay together, naked, holding one another.
“I’m so glad that you came,” he says, as he kisses her on her forehead.
Grace snuggles her head into the space between Ben’s arm and his chest.
“Why don’t you have a girlfriend?” she asks, rubbing her chin against his smooth chest hair. The question seems to take him off guard and he remains silent.
She lifts herself up and stares into his eyes, waiting for his answer.
“I had a girlfriend about two years ago. We lived together, but obviously we broke up.”
“We’ve never really talked about our past relationships.” Grace settles back onto Ben’s chest.
“It doesn’t really matter. That’s probably why.”
“I want to know everything about you, Benjamin McKay.”
Ben laughs. “How does it feel to have the shoe on the other foot?”
Grace whacks at his chest.
“I had a serious girlfriend all through high school, but when I went off to college I broke up with her. I was ready to experience what life would be like without that kind of commitment.”
“I had a very serious boyfriend in high school also. We were actually engaged.” Grace confesses.
“Really?”
“Yeah. We moved to L.A. when I was seventeen, with my friend Jaden. My fiancé started doing drugs and he cheated on me,” Grace says, sadly recalling her life with Ian as an addict.
“Oh.”
“So, I caught him cheating on me and I went back to my parent’s house in Oregon. It took me a while to pick up the pieces, but eventually I did. I got a job and then James gave Michelle and me tickets to Paris and rented the loft there for us.” Grace looks to Ben to make sure she should continue with her story.
“Go on.”
“He…Ian is his name…showed up in Paris after I had not seen him in five years. We had a fling and I thought we were in love again, and then I found out that he had a live-in girlfriend in L.A. who was pregnant.”
“Ouch,” he says, empathy emanating from his eyes.
“Because I was so close to Ocean View, I decided to visit with James and try to get my head together after everything that happened with Ian and…Sean. That’s when I met you.”
“That is why you were so reluctant to date me, right?” Ben says with his eyebrow raised.
“Exactly. I don’t want to get hurt again.”
“I’m not going to hurt you, Grace.”
“What’s your story?” Grace asks, as she lifts herself up into a sitting position, turns her body to face him, and crosses her legs in front of her.
“Two years ago, my girlfriend Megan broke up with me. We lived together in Napa, in her apartment. My cabin wasn’t built yet, but we were supposed to move into it together and eventually, I guess get married.” Ben whips the white sheet from his body and jumps out of bed. He walks over to the table sitting by the sliding glass doors and grabs an apple from a bowl. “Want one?” He smiles.
“Sure.”
Ben walks back to the bed, without a stitch on his muscular body, and flops down on the bed.
“Why did she break up with you? What happened?” Grace asks before she sinks her teeth into her shiny, red apple.
“We just fell out of love with one another.”
“And you haven’t had a girlfriend since?”
“No. I hadn’t met anyone that I want to commit to,” he says, with a smirk on his face.
“I don’t know how a guy as sweet, good looking—”
“And wealthy, educated, and from a prominent family.”
“Yeah, and all that too.” She laughs. “I don’t know how a man like you stays single. You must have women fainting at your feet on a daily basis.”
“I know what I want and I won’t settle for anything less.”
“And just what does the illustrious Mr. McKay want?”
Ben bites into his apple and chews while smiling. Grace loves how he looks with the growth that has sprouted on his face since earlier in the day. “I want a beautiful woman, with a good head on her shoulders. Someone my mother adores, my father slaps me on the back after meeting her, and who gets me hard just by the scent of her.”
Grace smirks. “Doesn’t sound like too much to handle.”
Ben throws the uneaten half of his apple in the trash. “Are you hungry for more than a piece of fruit?”
“I thought you would never ask.”
“Ms. Hathaway, would you prefer dining in for the evening or hitting the town?”
Squishing her lips to the side, Grace thinks. “Room service sounds really good. If we go out, you have to get dressed and I prefer that you stay naked.”
Chapter 21
Billowy, white clouds glide through the pale blue sky as Ben and Grace lie side by side on their backs staring up at them. Without looking, Ben reaches for Grace’s hand and takes it into his. He pulls it to his lips and places soft kisses on it. A rush of warmth moves over her body.
“Are you ready to get out of here? I’m getting hungry,” he says, his gaze still on the clouds that float across the sky.
“Sure. If you’re hungry, we should go.”
Grace lifts her body off the blanket that lies on the green grass of Golden Gate Park, and her eyes follow three bicyclists that wisp by on the walkway several feet away from them. Grace laughs. “Your hair!” she says, running her hand over the back of Ben’s head.
“What, you don’t like this look?” He laughs.
“Honestly, you look amazing. As always.”
“You’re biased,” Ben says, as he rises from the ground.
“How long have we been here?” she says, noticing that the light of the day has dramatically changed since they first arrived at the park.
“I think about two hours or so.”
Grace smiles. She has never been able to have a comfortable silence like this with anyone, except Ian. It is nice to know that she has met a man that she can lay with for hours and not speak one word. Not like it did when her ex, Eddie used to ignore her.
Ben grabs the blanket, tucks it under his arm, and then grabs Grace’s hand as they leave the park. “I’ve made reservations for dinner tonight. I’d like you to wear something nice, if you don’t mind.”
“What do you have up your sleeve, Mr. McKay?”
“Just a nice, romantic dinner on the wharf.�
��
Happiness bubbles up inside her. Ben constantly goes out of his way to show her how much he cares, be it arranging romantic dinners for the two of them or making sure that the room attendant brings a rose with their room service.
Instead of turning on the path to leave the park and head back to their hotel, Ben pulls on Grace’s arm. “Let’s walk a little. My legs feel like rubber after lying there all that time.”
Grace leans in close, wrapping her arm around his.
“Have you been to San Francisco before now?” he asks.
“Nope.”
“It is one of my favorite cities. During the day, it’s a buzz of a variety of characters.” He nods in the direction of a man sitting on the grass, stroking the strings of his guitar. “And in the evening, it turns into an eclectic metropolis.”
“What are some of your other favorite cities?”
“London is my favorite of them all. Paris,” he pulls her closer. “New York. Really, all the major cities. I like to watch people and enjoy the hustle and bustle, but I am also very much looking forward to going home for a stint.”
Grace takes a deep breath through her nose, feeling drowsy, but enthusiastic for what the night has in store for her. Being on Ben’s arm, walking together fills her heart with a happiness she has craved to feel again for so many months.
“Did you know that you can walk across the Golden Gate Bridge?” he asks.
“No, I didn’t. I’d probably freak out though.”
“Oh, why is that?”
“Heights. They petrify me.”
“We should go regardless. Once you’re home in Paris, you’ll regret not experiencing it.”
“Okay,” Grace gives in.
Ben pulls on Grace to veer to the left. “I need to show you something I think you will find quite spectacular. I know you are hungry, but it is not much further.”
Grace smiles. So far, San Francisco amazes her. The architecture, the food, the people, all of it inspires her. She can only imagine what else the city offers hidden among the high trees of this immense park.
The Falling of Grace (The Falling Series Book 2) Page 23