Grace and Mercy

by Chance Carter

  Damn, she looked fuckable.

  Ethan felt his erection betray him as it sprang to attention. He shifted his position. She walked straight into his arms planting a delicious, wet kiss on his lips. Oh God she smelled good, he thought, as her kissed turned into an embrace.

  He had to get her the hell out of there and fast, he thought, thinking about his promise to Reagan. She had been the one to work him up tonight. She had earned his orgasm. He gently peeled her off of him and smiled kindly.

  “Here are the earrings,” he said, holding them out to her.

  She took them and tossed them into her purse, her eyes glued to his. He knew that look.

  “I have an early morning so …” he said, pausing.

  She snickered and squeezed past him, making her way through his front door. Ethan sighed in frustration, his cock completely uninterested in his dilemma.

  “Let’s have a glass of wine before I go,” she suggested, walking into his kitchen.

  Let’s not, he thought desperately.

  He watched her bend over, looking for a bottle of wine in the chiller. His eyes trailing up her legs, from her Jimmy Choo stilettos right up to the curve of her juicy ass, her lace panties playing peekaboo behind her short dress.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  “That’s not a good idea,” he replied quietly, looking at the floor.

  He wanted to look anywhere but at her.

  “Whatever do you mean?” she said, standing up with a bottle of Chateau Lafite in her hand.

  That was a five thousand dollar bottle of wine. Say what you will, she had taste, he thought.

  “Are you celebrating something?” he asked, nodding towards the bottle.

  She shot him a playful smile.

  “There is always something to celebrate,” she said, rocking the bottle gently. “Bring over some glasses.”

  He walked toward her empty handed and stopped behind the counter, keeping a buffer between them. She pouted and walked toward him.

  “Well, if you need a reason to celebrate, your movie premiere’s this week,” she said, inching close enough for him to smell her perfume.

  She set the bottle on the counter.

  “If you prefer, we can celebrate in the bedroom instead,” she purred, her eyes filled with desire.

  He had to look away. His cock was rock hard and was ready to make the decision for him. He had to end this quickly.

  “Can I take a rain check?” he asked. “It has been a long day.”

  She grinned mischievously and moved in closer, reaching for the belt on his robe. It easily let loose, exposing his raging, erect penis. She looked down and giggled.

  “This won’t take long,” she purred, leaning in to kiss him.

  He groaned and took her wrists in his hands, before she could grab his cock. She looked up at him, confusion replacing her desire.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, her disappointment obvious.

  He shook his head slowly.

  “I’m serious. Not tonight.”

  She let out a suffering sigh and stepped back. He felt conflicted. He didn’t want to upset her, he just wanted this night to end the way it was meant to. He tried to think of something to placate her.

  “Come to the premiere with me on Thursday,” he offered, without enthusiasm.

  Her smile returned.

  “Really? I’d love to,” she said, satisfied. “I have the perfect dress. It’s light blue, so why don’t you wear that blue silk Roberto Cavalli tie, so we can match.”

  He hid his impatience behind a tight smile.

  “Sure,” he agreed, “now, how about you go home so I can get to sleep,” he said gently.

  She nodded and picked up her purse from the counter. He led her to the door and she turned to kiss him goodnight. Placing his hands tenderly on the sides of her face, he kissed her on the forehead.

  “Goodnight, Mia,” he said, ushering her out the door, his relief escaping with a long, drawn out sigh.

  He made his way back to the bedroom and picked up his phone, grateful to see a text notification. He quickly pulled up his message. It was from Reagan. Thank you, God.

  It’s time for you to cum for me.

  He set his phone on the bed and calmly made his way to the shower. He turned on the water and shut his eyes as it flowed down over his body. With his eyes still shut, he unhooked the shower head and brought it to the underside of his cock and let the jet flow right on it. He imagined the powerful jet of water was Reagan’s tongue, licking his head, teasing him, and when his cum finally spurted out, splashing against the far wall of the shower in a powerful jet, he imagined it was flying into Reagan’s waiting mouth.

  “Mine,” he moaned, as he held himself up against the wall, the hot water pouring down his body. Although he was exhausted and spent, he felt something else.

  He smiled to himself, enjoying the solitude of the moment.

  He felt peace.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Reagan

  Reagan walked into the dog shelter, looking forward to walking Ragnar, who always helped her feel centered. Although she still had a small amount of regret, it was not directed at Ethan. She was more disappointed in herself. She prided herself on her self control, but in both interactions she’d shared with Ethan she let herself down.

  He was so genuine and honest. His enthusiasm was infectious. For a brief moment she felt safe and comfortable enough to play as herself, not just as Lady Grace.

  But that wasn’t everything. She didn’t want to admit it, but she really liked him. She could imagine someone like him in her life, an equal on every level. When she listened to him describe how he was feeling, she understood completely.

  He wanted something he couldn’t quite pinpoint, something that had been out of reach for him. She had those same feelings. Something was missing from her life too. Something she imagined was so far out of reach, it pained her to think about it.

  Something she wasn’t sure she deserved, and was fairly certain she’d never get.

  So, it had always been easier to disconnect and focus on work. She put all her energy into her job, and tried to forget the fact that she had dreams of her own.

  She wasn’t a damsel in distress. She could take care of herself.

  The difficult things that had happened in her life could have easily destroyed her. But they didn’t. They made her stronger.

  And she was fine with that.

  Until Ethan. He brought up all those damn feelings she had worked so hard to bury.

  She sat in the reception area, waiting for Ragnar to be brought out. Penny came out of the main office and saw her. She smiled, and then stopped when she realized something was troubling Reagan.

  “Hey Ray. What’s wrong?” she asked, sitting down beside her.

  Reagan shook her head and gave Penny a weak smile. She wanted to pour her heart out and confess all her mixed emotions, but this was not the time or the place.

  “I’m okay, Penny. Really,” she said, touching her friend’s arm. “Just thinking about some things.”

  Penny raised her eyebrows. She’d known Reagan long enough to know that something was troubling her.

  “Honestly, I’m fine. Nothing a little Ragnar love won’t fix. Where is that silly mutt?”

  As if on cue, Ragnar came bursting around the corner, dragging a petite volunteer behind him. He was way too excited to see his beloved Reagan.

  Even though the volunteer tried to pull back on the leash, the muscular black lab outmaneuvered her. He was a young dog, but he was a big boy and as strong as an ox. He was naughty, Reagan thought. She stood up and approached him, Ragnar pushing his head into her legs, making her lose balance. When he tried to jump up, Reagan quickly took control.

  “Ragnar, down,” she said, kindly but sternly. The dog immediately sat down, his tongue hanging wildly out of his mouth, his eyes connecting with hers. She scratched him behind the ears as he panted, his happiness unmistakeable. Everyone laughed, even the exha
usted volunteer who seemed anxious to hand the leash over.

  “Buddy, you need to work on your manners. You’re going to intimidate all those possible doggy parents,” Reagan said.

  Penny laughed.

  “You have no idea, Ray. He’s loud and obnoxious and goofy. Whenever someone tries to walk him, he acts like a donkey.”

  Reagan smiled warmly, wishing that someone would love him anyway, in spite of his behavior.

  “Come on, donkey,” she said, tugging his leash,“let’s get some exercise.”

  The dog pricked up his ears and followed Reagan outside, his tail wagging. Penny followed.

  “It’s almost noon, Ray. I was just going to take my lunch. Do you mind if I tag along?”

  Reagan smiled and nodded.

  “We’d love to have you. Tell me about your spa day,” Reagan said.

  Penny knew it was Reagan’s way of avoiding talking about what was troubling her, but she was happy to give her the time she needed. As they walked Penny gushed about her Sunday afternoon, constantly expressing her gratitude. Reagan was happy she could do something for Penny that made her feel so refreshed. She deserved it.

  They came to their bench by the pond and sat down. Ragnar walked as far as his leash would let him and stared at the ducks in the water. It was his nature to want to jump in after them, but the leash prevented him from going too far so he sat down, alert and ready for action. Reagan wished she could take the leash off him and let him go be a dog, but the shelter strictly forbade it. One day he’ll have a home and be able to run loose and play, she thought, sighing.

  He must have sensed something because Ragnar trotted back and put his head on Reagan’s knee. She rubbed him gently.

  Penny also noticed the shift.

  “Okay, Ray, what happened this weekend? You seem unnerved or something,” Penny said. “You’re being more quiet than usual.”

  Reagan knew Penny wouldn’t settle for a dismissal, but she wasn’t sure what to say to her. She didn’t know how to process her feelings herself, let alone explain them, but she tried anyway.

  “Honestly, Penny, I’m okay. It’s just that, well, I met someone this weekend that …”

  She paused to gather her thoughts. Penny sat forward, worried but curious at the same time.

  “Well, he...”

  Another pause. She honestly didn’t know what to say.

  “Penny, I met someone I really liked,” she finally said.

  Penny’s smile lit up her whole face. It made Reagan giggle.

  “Stop,” Reagan said with mock protest.

  She knew what Penny was thinking.

  “It’s not what you think. He confused me. I don’t know. It was just strange,” Reagan concluded.

  Penny gave her friend a playful shove and Ragnar looked up, wanting in on the joke.

  “You like someone,” Penny teased, emphasizing the like.

  Reagan huffed.

  “Stop. It’s just weird, and complicated, and I don’t know,” Reagan said.

  “Why’s it weird?” Penny said. “Why’s it complicated? Is he married?”

  Reagan stopped smiling for a minute and thought about the question. Was he married? She never asked. She didn’t think he was married, at least nothing she had ever read about him indicated he had a wife.

  “No, he’s not married,” Reagan said.

  Penny had a quizzical look on her face.

  “Was it a client, Ray?”

  Reagan put her head in her hands and groaned.

  “You fell for a client?” Penny said, surprised.

  She was more surprised that Reagan had finally allowed someone in, than she was that it was one of her clients. It had been a long time since Reagan had admitted feelings for anyone. Not since her marriage ended. That had been a very painful time. Reagan had experienced a lot, more trauma than any woman should ever have to go through. Penny nursed her through a lot of tears back then, and a few cuts and bruises.

  Reagan looked up at Penny through her fingers, a grin on her face, making Penny chuckle.

  “Tell me how it happened. What did this magical man do to break through that wall?” she teased.

  Reagan sat back, her smile softening as she thought about Ethan. She couldn’t really give Penny all the details.

  “He’s a very appealing man, Penny. I can’t tell you any more about him. All I can say is that he seemed to look past all the smoke and mirrors and he really saw me. He saw Reagan,” she said quietly.

  Penny smiled. It was one of the rare occasions she’d seen Reagan’s vulnerable side. She wanted to reassure her.

  “Ray, that’s a good thing,” she said, touching her gently on the shoulder.

  Reagan nodded.

  “I have no idea what any of this means, Penny. And I’m not sure it matters right now. All I know is that it felt good. Maybe I’m ready to be seen again.”

  Maybe that was the reason Ethan had come into her life. Maybe he was there to show her that she was ready to open her heart again. Penny put her arms around her friend and Reagan returned her embrace. It was the first time Reagan didn’t pull away first, and the moment was not lost on Penny.

  “Come on, we have to get both of you back,” Reagan finally said, standing up.

  Ragnar pulled up beside her and kept pace as the three of them headed back to the shelter.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ethan

  Ethan made his way through his Monday with a huge smile on his face. During the brief downtimes of his day, he reflected on the naughty night before, and how excited he’d been, his thoughts drifting to Reagan and her delicious, sensual curvy body.

  He was into her, yes. He thought about some of the sexy things he could imagine her doing to him, but there was more. He also wondered about her.

  What made her tick?

  What was her life like outside of work?

  Was she social?

  Quiet?

  Did she have hobbies?

  What made her happy?

  He recognized that his curiosity would go unanswered, at least for a while. While he was certain they would see each other again, he had no idea how or if things would develop further. He wondered how soon was too soon to text her for another ‘date’.

  Ethan’s assistant opened the door to his office and invited his next appointment in.

  “Welcome,” he said, standing up and reaching out his hand. “I’m Ethan McLaughlin.”

  As he settled in to his meeting, he had to force himself to push Reagan from his mind.

  Driving home proved to be stressful. The freeway was jammed up and he was stuck in traffic. As the car beside him slipped past, a young woman lifted her cell phone and took his picture, waving at him. He gave her a quick wave and turned on his radio.

  He sighed. The truth was, he thought, fitting Reagan into his life would be challenging, if not impossible. The public loved the idea of him hooking up with well known starlets, girls like Mia. That made sense to them. As soon as he showed up in public with a mystery woman, the press would dig into who she was.

  It was hard enough for him to accept the intrusiveness of the paparazzi, he couldn’t imagine how it would be for someone non-famous, especially if they didn’t want to be known. Also, he wasn’t sure he wanted people judging him, not to mention how it might affect his work.

  He knew he was overthinking things. He’d spent the past fifteen years avoiding media scrutiny. No matter what choices he made in his life moving forward, he was confident he could keep his private life his own.

  The traffic started moving and he made his way home.

  The rest of the week was stressful. He was pulled in every direction, with several projects demanding his attention. The day of the premiere was the worst. His latest project was in a tailspin with the casting director pulling out. He was fed up with the director, James, and said it wasn’t worth the bullshit.

  In spite of his best efforts, Ethan couldn’t convince him otherwise. All the progress they’
d made was a big fucking waste of time. He had to hire another casting director and pray they could pick up where things had left off.

  Ethan was in a foul mood, which didn’t happen very often. A text message came in. It was from Mia.

  Hi Handsome! Super excited about tonight! ;) I want to get there early so we can spend some time talking to the press. We need to talk to Entertainment Tonight this time. I need the exposure. There are a couple of great roles coming up that I’m vying for. LOL. You know how it works. Anyway, what time are you picking me up? Do you want to send a car for me? <3

  He quickly texted her back, knowing if he delayed, she would send him another text soon after.

  Been a long day Mia. We can go early but I want to keep it a short night. Would you mind if I slipped out before the film is over?

  Before he could even get his mind into another task, another text came in.

  Awwwww really? I want to go to the after party. :( Can’t we go. please? I will totally make it up to you afterward. ;) Come on, a night out will do you some good. <3

  He read her message shaking his head. She really didn't know him at all. He knew asking Mia to go with him would lead to a long night of socializing and all he really wanted to do was get home as early as possible and chill. He thought about Reagan and her shackles. Yup, that would work too. He texted Mia back.

  Ok, I’ll send a driver to you for five-thirty. Will meet you there. I’ll head over from the studio. We can hit up the party for a bit. See you soon.

  He had a suit at the office he could slip into and avoid going home first. He looked at his watch. It was already three-thirty and he still had a lot to do. His phone chimed again.

  Yay! :) Ok. I have to run, my stylist is finishing my hair and makeup. I DO NOT want those bitches on Fashion Police ripping me apart again. See you at six! <3