The Rhythm of My Heart

by Velvet Reed

  Grace and Ashley are out in the swarm of gyrating bodies. My eyes haven’t left her as I watch the way she moves with the beat of the music. In her yellow dress and heels that have ensured my cock has been at half-mast all night, her body sways in a sensual rhythm that has me imagining exactly how she would move when she is under me completely naked.

  “So the best friend is a little crazy… Hot as hell, but still crazy,” Sam says, as he takes another swig of his beer.

  Without taking my eyes off Grace, I reply, “She’s actually really nice from what I can tell; you just need to back off with the snarky comments that set her off.”

  “Are you kidding me, Cole? She bit my head off for saying the word karaoke, for fuck’s sake.”

  I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, she did. She actually did the same with me today, but I think Grace is right, she’s just has a passionate and protective nature. You should relax and get to know her better because if things go like I want them to with Grace, you’ll be seeing her around.”

  Sam sighs. “Yeah, all right. Grace seems great by the way; I like her already.”

  I drain my beer and stand ready to head for the dance floor. “I like her too, and right now I’m going to go dance with her so that every guy in this place knows to keep the hell away. You should see if Ashley wants to dance too.”

  Sam rolls his eye and a smirk turns the corners of his mouth up. “Can you guarantee I’ll keep my balls intact if I do?” he asks.

  A loud laugh escapes me. “I guarantee nothing, man.” I walk away, heading for Grace and her gorgeous body.

  Chapter 7

  Grace….

  Ash and I have been out on the dance floor for a while, when I see Cole walking toward me. I’m still amazed that he showed up here just to spend some time with me. I’ll have to do something special for Ash because she invited him when this was supposed to be girls’ night. She really is the best friend I could ever ask for.

  Cole stops in front of me, his eyes focused on me and me alone. “Hi,” he says.

  Biting my lip and feeling a blush creep up my cheeks, I give what I hope is a seductive grin and softly reply, “Hi yourself.”

  “Can I have this dance?” he asks.

  I’m taken aback by his request. “You dance?” I enquire.

  Cole smirks, “Sweet Cheeks, for you I’ll light up this dance floor.”

  Raising an eyebrow, I ask, “Sweet Cheeks?”

  “Yeah, Sweet Cheeks,” he says, running the back of his knuckles along my cheek. “That blush you have going on is all kinds of sweetness and it has me wanting to see it a whole lot more.” Then he reaches forward grabbing my hips and pulling me toward him.

  The moment our bodies collide, that spark I’ve felt with Cole before rushes through me again. My stomach is alive with fluttering activity, as his grip on me tightens and he begins to move his body with mine. I wrap my arms around his neck and inhale his scent. It’s clean, fresh, and all man.

  His gaze never wavers as our melded bodies take on a rhythm of their own that’s in sync with the music bouncing off the walls. This is intimate. This contact we’re sharing, the connection we’re making, it’s intimate and it’s pulling me in.

  Cole moves his hands slowly up my body, his fingers skimming the sides of my breasts and continuing to my shoulders. I close my eyes briefly, savoring the contact as my entire body shivers with delight at his touch.

  His hands move in a slow caress along my arms and when he reaches my hands, he removes them from his neck. He reaches for my waist and turns me so that my back now rests against his firm chest and his right hand splays across my stomach. With his left hand, he takes mine and moves it up to his neck again so that my arm is bent and my hand finds the hair at the nape of his neck. I slowly move my trembling fingers through his hair as his breath rushes out warming my skin and again he runs his left hand down the length of my arm to my hip.

  With our bodies aligned perfectly together, we dance; swaying along with the music as it changes and the start of “Heartbeat” by Enrique Iglesias penetrates through the room. This song is perfect because not only is my heart racing, but I can feel Cole’s beating wildly against my back. The lyrics speak volumes; Cole is already stealing my heart… I can feel it.

  So lost in the song, it takes me a second to realize that my hair has been pulled to the side and Cole’s lips are peppering soft wet kisses along my neck and shoulder.

  Goosebumps break out across my skin and desire ripples its way through my system. His touch is all-consuming and by God, I want and need to be consumed. “Grace,” he whispers as he kisses and licks my ear lobe. My body shudders in reaction and moves closer to him allowing contact with the very hard and impressive bulge that presses into my lower back.

  Dear God, is it normal to feel like this so soon after meeting someone?

  I turn in his arms without breaking contact and look directly into those bright blue eyes, which are heated and sparkling with desire. My gaze moves to his lips as his tongue trails across them and I lose all control. Throwing myself forward, I wrap my arms tightly around his neck and crash my lips to his.

  As everything around us fades away, Cole’s arms engulf my body completely so that there isn’t even a millimeter of space between us. His hungry lips assault mine and I can feel the need radiating off him in waves. Our lips part, our tongues meet and embrace, dancing with each other in the confines of our mouths.

  His taste is exquisite and his technique exceptional as he takes control of the kiss. I vaguely register his hands roaming my body as my fingers tangle further into his hair, pushing his head closer to mine. I don’t know how long we stand there so completely wrapped up in each other, but when we both pull back, our chests are heaving and our breathing labored.

  Cole leans forward and rests his forehead against mine. My eyes close as I relish the sweet gesture. “Most spectacular first kiss ever, Sweet Cheeks.”

  My heart swells at the comment and his new name for me. I really like it. “I couldn’t agree with you more,” I simply reply, knowing I will always remember this moment forever.

  After a few more drinks and a brief discussion in the ladies room where Ashley told me that people were gawking at Cole and me while we made out, along with the comment that she thought that we were going to devour each other, I realize it’s after one in the morning. I don’t want the night or my time with Cole to end, but I don’t want to look like a complete mess on our first official date later today.

  “Well, I think I’m going to call it a night since I have a hot date tomorrow,” I tell everyone while looking at Cole. “You ready to go, Ash?” I turn for her reply and I observe some brief glances between her and Sam. Hmmm, I wonder what that’s about.

  “Ash?” I ask again.

  She quickly turns to me with a slight tinge of red to her face. “Umm, yeah sure, I’m ready.” She grabs her bag, standing to go.

  Cole stands as well. “We’ll walk out with you,” he says, as he places his hand to the small of my back and starts to guide me to the door.

  When we walk out into the cool night air and the breeze hits my bare skin, I shiver involuntarily and Cole wraps his arm around my shoulders as we head for my car.

  “You should have brought a jacket.” I just shrug and snuggle closer into the warmth of his embrace.

  We stop when we reach my car and I find myself once again entranced by his blue eyes as his arms wrap around me.

  “Can you open the car before you suck face again, Gracie. God knows how long I’ll be standing here freezing my butt off while you two play tonsil hockey,” Ashley interrupts.

  “I could always keep you warm.” Sam smirks and Ashley looks at him in disgust.

  “In your dreams, Vagina Man.” She shoots back.

  “Vagina Man?” I repeat with a laugh.

  “Yeah, that’s his new name considering the quantities of vaginas he looks at every day,” Ashley chortles.

  “For shit’s sake, woman, it’s
my job!” Sam exclaims in frustration. “It’s kind of hard not to look at them. Jesus! It’s not like I have EVER had sex with any of my patients or rate them out of ten.”

  “Oh. My. God. You rate them, don’t you?” Ashley says in horror, her hand flying to cover her mouth.

  “Fuck it, I give up!” Sam says, throwing his hands in the air. “Grace, it was great meeting you. Cole, I’ll wait for you in the car,” he says, and walks off.

  “Bye, Vagina Man,” Ashley calls out to Sam’s retreating form but he just shakes his head and keeps walking.

  I let out a heavy sigh and hit the button to unlock my car. “Just get in the car, Ashley,” I admonish.

  “What?” she asks but I just shake my head at her and she disappears inside my Camaro.

  “Well… they’re going to be fun to be around.” Cole chuckles as we focus back on each other.

  With a quick glance back to my car I sigh. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her tonight. She’s not normally like that.”

  “I guess they’ll just have to deal with whatever their problem is because I plan on being around you quite a bit,” he informs me while pecking my lips quickly.

  “Is that so, Dr. Tierney?”

  “Damn straight it is, Sweet Cheeks,” he cockily replies then lowers his head and kisses me again. This kiss is different from our first one, it’s slow and soft and the perfect way to end the night.

  “So, I’ll see you tomorrow?” he whispers as he pulls away.

  “You’ll see me later today, Cole.” I correct as I slide into my seat while he holds the door open for me.

  “See ya round, Cole,” Ashley yells across me.

  “Night, Ashley. Oh, and do me a favour and take it easy on my man, okay?”

  “Ha, yeah right,” Ashley snorts.

  I roll my eyes and start the car. “Goodnight, Cole,” I say turning to him again.

  “Night, Grace,” he replies with a wink and closes my door.

  I pull out of the parking lot; ignoring Ashley, I begin counting down the hours and minutes until I get to see those bright blue eyes again.

  Chapter 8

  Cole….

  When you fall asleep with the semi you’ve been sporting all night, and then dream about the best kiss in the history of mankind; you’re bound to wake up with a raging hard-on.

  Grace has consumed my thoughts and dreams. That kiss was exactly as I told her... spectacular. My anticipation and excitement about spending time alone together today far outweigh the enjoyment I had last night. The memory of the way our bodies moved as one on that dance floor and the taste of her skin and mouth have been imprinted on my mind and soul.

  I pull myself out of bed and head for the shower, and as I step into the hot spray of water the throbbing of my cock demands attention. Reaching for the body wash, I squirt a generous amount into my hand and lather it into bubbly foam. I start rubbing it over my chest and stomach; my hands make the trek down south to my groin where my cock is as hard as a rock.

  Wrapping my right hand around the steel-like rod, I begin to stroke it up and down with a slow fluid motion. As I close my eyes and my head falls back on my shoulders, the image of Grace forms perfectly in my mind.

  The picture of us dancing replays like a movie reel behind my eyelids and I feel as if I’m experiencing it all over again, holding her against me, feeling her body, licking and kissing her neck. I can hear her soft moans and feel the racing pulse in her neck.

  My balls begin to tighten and I lift my left hand to brace myself against the shower tiles, as I pump my cock faster with my right hand. The memory of our kiss plays out, our tongues caressing each other, her tugging on my hair, and I can’t hold back any longer as I grunt out my release. Breathing heavily while still braced against the wall, the water continues to cascade down my flushed skin as I drop my head forward and suck in a deep breath. All the tension leaves my body, running away with the water down the drain.

  I pull up outside a small cottage-like house, which is white with pale yellow shutters and a small porch. It’s not what I had envisioned Grace’s place would look like but it suits her to a T. I climb the few steps and knock on the door while trying to calm the nerves, which are suddenly running wild in my stomach. I don’t understand this nervous feeling; I left her less than twelve hours ago after we spent the evening at the club. It seems crazy to feel like this. Then again, a woman has never elicited this kind of reaction from me before.

  “Just a minute.” I hear her beautiful voice call out. Just that sound and those three words bring a smile to my face and calm me down some. Seconds later the door swings open and the vision before me steals my breath. My eyes take in her gorgeous face and welcoming smile. I let my gaze wander down to the blue sundress, which encases her body. My gaze continues its path to devour her toned, tanned legs and the beige sandals that complete her outfit.

  “Hi,” she says, with what I hope is excitement in her voice.

  “Hi, Sweet Cheeks,” I reply and move forward to place a quick kiss on her soft pink lips.

  “Come on in.” She motions as she steps aside to allow me through. When I turn back to her, she raises a questioning brow. “You’re really going to stick with calling me sweet cheeks, huh?”

  I nod my confirmation and flash a sexy grin. “Absolutely. I told you that your blush is sweet. You look amazing by the way.” And there it is. That gorgeous pink tinge takes over her cheeks right on cue. So goddamn beautiful.

  “So, umm. I wasn’t sure how to dress since you didn’t say where we were going. Is this okay?”

  “What you’re wearing is perfect,” I tell her.

  “Okay, well let me just grab my bag. I’ll be right back. Make yourself at home.” She smiles and heads down a hallway.

  I glance around the house and step into the living room. It’s warm and homey, the kind of space where you could relax and just be. There’s no clutter or excess girly crap but there are photos everywhere around the room. Most are of her dad, brother, and little Ruby; there are also some of Grace and Ashley in both serious poses and playful ones.

  When I look over toward the entertainment unit, I see a photo of a woman with the same stunning auburn hair as Grace. She doesn’t appear to be that old; she has the same big brown eyes and a smile, which is full of sheer joy. This must be Grace’s mom. Hmmm, I wonder when I’ll get to meet her, too.

  “That’s my mom,” Grace says, startling me.

  “She’s lovely,” I tell her.

  “She was. Her name was Maggie and this is my absolute favorite picture of her.” Grace beams.

  “Was?” I question and turn to give her my full attention.

  Grace picks up the frame and looks at it with such deep emotion in her eyes. “Yeah. This picture was taken when I was about eight-years-old. She passed away when I was ten,” she says with a small sad smile.

  I reach out and touch her arm. “I’m so sorry, Sweet Cheeks. I didn’t know.”

  “It’s okay, you couldn’t have known. She was amazing and the best mom a child could ask for,” she says, looking up from the photo.

  “She looks so young and vibrant. Will it upset you if I ask how?”

  “Not at all. I loved her and she is still a big part of my life – her memory is, I mean. She was only thirty-seven when she died. I’m sure you know how much of a bitch breast cancer can be.”

  This woman amazes me. Grace’s love for her family is so profoundly evident in her words and actions. The fact she experienced such a great loss so early in her life, especially for a little girl to lose her mother, hasn’t affected the wonderful person she has become.

  “Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of people affected by cancer; probably more so because my dad’s an oncology specialist. I’m really sorry you had to experience that, Grace. I’m sorry you lost her,” I say sincerely, rubbing up and down her arm in a soothing motion.

  With a smile, Grace says “I was able to experience life with her for ten years, so that makes me very bles
sed. I would never disgrace her memory by not living my life to the fullest and appreciating what she gave me.”

  I’m speechless, utterly speechless. So I do the only thing I can think of in this moment, I lean in and softly graze my lips across hers. Grace kisses me back; this kiss is the sweetest, closed mouth kiss I’ve ever experienced. It’s not hungry or frantic; it’s soft and conveys meaning beyond any lustful desires.

  Breaking apart, we stand there staring into each other’s eyes for an unknown amount of time. “Well, that isn’t exactly the brightest start to our date,” Grace chuckles.

  “It’s the perfect start. Thank you, for telling me about your mom,” I whisper and brush my fingers down her soft cheek.

  “Okay, let’s get going. I’m starving.” I grab her hand and lead her to the front door, but as we are about to leave, I turn back and look at the picture of Grace’s mom one last time. I can never thank you enough for helping create such an amazing woman.

  Chapter 9

  Grace….

  Cole and I take seats across from each other in a booth at the local steakhouse. I love this place and I’m really glad we came here instead of some swanky, stuck up restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against fancy restaurants; it’s just places like this have a more relaxed atmosphere. The tables are made of thick wood and the light fittings are rustic metal. There are deer heads and other animal heads mounted on the walls; strangely, this doesn’t put me off, just adds to the country feel. The patrons are a huge mix of couples, friends, and families. Kids are coloring on their special placemats as far as the eye can see.

  A waitress appears beside us to take our drink order. I order a soda because it’s lunchtime and Cole orders a beer. “You sure you don’t want something else?” he asks.