Boycotts and Barflies (26 page)

Susan just continued to smirk. “Whatever you say, Grace.” Susan rolled her  eyes as Grace stormed out of the room.

Hand in hand, Grace and Michael went upstairs. She was going to stop in Meg’s  room first, but instead, she pulled Michael to the end of the hall and into her  room where they could be alone.

As Grace gently closed the door behind them, she felt herself being pushed  back against it and Michael’s lips were all over her neck and ear. She heard him  murmur ‘loophole’ in between kisses. Trying to stay  upright as her heart raced  in her chest, she held on to the sides of Michael’s shirt as his kisses trailed up  and down her neck and finally stopped on her lips.

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Until their lips touched, she didn’t realize exactly know much she had missed him. Grace felt every part of her body react to his touch, aching to be closer to him. His chest crashed into hers, causing the door to bang slightly behind her back. Much too soon, Michael pulled away from her lips, leaving her breathless and weak-kneed.

“I told you I missed you. You’re just lucky I controlled myself in front of our

mothers.” He laughed as he pulled Grace away from the door.

“Susan would have loved to have seen that,” Grace replied, still trying to clear

her head.

He released her hand and turned to inspect her bedroom. Immediately, he walked over to the pictures that were sitting in frames on the dresser. He picked up each one and examined them, occasionally asking Grace questions, like when it was taken or how old she  was in the picture.

Grace sat down on her bed, her legs crossed as she sat back and watched the man she loved wander through her room, looking at all of her childhood treasures. When he came across her prom picture, he let out a chuckle.

“Who’s the stiff?” he asked, pointing to her date, who wasn’t exactly smiling in the picture. As she recalled, he was trying to look tough.

“His name was Bill and he was on the chess team.” Grace mumbled the last part into her sleeve.

Michael grinned and took a few steps closer. “He was on the what?” His eyes were twinkling as he moved closer to her.

Grace playfully clamped her hands over her mouth to show she had no intention of repeating what she’d just admitted. He jumped on her and started tickling Grace’s sides. She began to thrash around under him on the bed, laughing hysterically.

When she could take his torture no longer, she gasped, “Chess team. The guy was on the chess team, OK?” Michael froze above her and started laughing until he had tears in his eyes. She gave him a smack on the arm and pushed him off the bed, causing him to land on the floor with a loud thud. A minute later there was a knock on the bedroom door.

“What are you two up to in here? Did I win some shoes?” Meg sang as she  pushed the door open, Ryan at her side.

Michael was still on the floor laughing, holding the prom picture up to them  and managing to choke out “Guy … chess club … dork.” Meg took the picture  from his hand and after examining it herself, she and Ryan joined Michael in  laughter.

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“If you guys are done mocking my childhood memories, I’m going downstairs

to watch a movie,” Grace said with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

She started to storm towards the door when Michael threw himself in front of

it, blocking her escape. “Move, Michael.”

“I’m sorry I laughed at your dork—I mean date,” he said with the cutest,

dimpled grin on his face. When he smiled at Grace like that, she couldn’t stay

mad at him. All she could think about was kissing him, so she did.

“Wait!” Grace ripped her lips away from his, a light bulb suddenly going off in  her head. “Where the heck is Jack?” Grace and Meg looked at each other, their  eyes huge as they both had the same thought.

“We got a call this morning from The Vault that they needed someone to come  in last minute and cover the holiday. Derek broke his leg, apparently. We drew  straws and Jack lost. He just left for Portland a few hours ago. I doubt he’s even  home yet, why?” Ryan asked, still confused by the incredulous looks Grace and  Meg were exchanging.

“It’s probably nothing, but Bianca is home sick, and alone,” Meg said  suspiciously. “Maybe we’ll have Amanda make a surprise visit over to the  house tomorrow.” Grace nodded in agreement and actually found herself a  little excited.

If someone was knocked out now, maybe no one would last until New Year’s. Looking for something to do, they all decided to watch a movie while Liz and  Susan continued their visit. Downstairs, Grace and Michael lay across one of  the L-shaped couches an d Ryan and Meg took the other. Grace threatened to  make everyone suffer through The Sound of Music if they didn’t stop bringing  up her prom date. Eventually they backed off so she let Ryan and Michael pick  the movie. Grace set up the television while Meg braved going into the kitchen  and facing the gossiping Susan and Liz. As the opening credits of the movie  started, she came back into the room with two huge bowls of popcorn and  Ryan trailing behind her, laughing.

“How bad was it?” Grace fearful y peeked up from the safety of Michael’s arms. “They’re on to you, my friends. You better watch out.” Ryan laughed as he  handed a bowl of popcorn to them, then grabbed Meg, pulling her onto the  other couch.

Grace nervously glanced at Michael. “Do you think you could kiss Ryan or  something to throw them off the trail? Maybe you two should sit together on  the couch and snuggle—that might help too,” she offered in a near panic as she  started to stand up, but Michael didn’t let h er get very far.

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“I’m not lying on this couch with anyone other than you, and I’m most

definitely not kissing anyone other than you,” he said as he laid back and

pulled her against his chest.

“That’s getting pretty close to a rule violation over there.” Meg glanced from

the adjoining couch and scowled.

“Stupid rules,” Michael groused as he turned onto his side, holding Grace in  front of him. She gave him a kiss then turned over so she was facing the TV, her  back pressed tightly against his chest. He grabbed the blanket from behind the  couch and tossed it over them, earning another dirty look from Meg.

“What?” he asked innocently as he laid back down, pulling the blanket up to  Grace’s shoulders.

“If I see that blanket moving in the wrong places, you two are in trouble.

You may want to keep your hands visible, just to be safe,” she advised, glaring

at Michael.

He rolled his eyes at her. “Just watch the movie, Meg. Just watch the movie.” Meg huffed and laid her head against  Ryan’s chest as they snacked on the huge bowl of popcorn in front of them. Grace set their bowl on the ground since there was nowhere to put it with them snuggled up on the couch.

Susan and Liz, not so subtly, cruised through the room just after the movie started. The smiles on their faces were gigantic when they found Grace and  Michael in each other’s arms. They didn’t dare say a word and Grace kept her eyes locked on the television, trying to ignore them. On their way out of the room, they turned off the  lights, probably trying to make it dark and more romantic, knowing them.

Grace was watching James Bond flirt with some scantily clad woman when she felt Michael’s hand, which was under the blanket, stealthily playing with the bottom of her shirt. He lifted her shirt up slightly and started slowly running his fingers across the exposed section of her stomach. She wasn’t sure if he was trying to drive her crazy with the leisurely pace of his movements or if it was to make sure his activities would go undetected by their watchdog, Meg. Whatever the reason, Grace gave him a little nudge with her foot to try and get him to stop, because her resistance was beginning to crumble. Of course, it had the opposite effect.

The next thing Grace knew, Michael reached up an d brushed her hair back behind her ear, saying something about it being in his face, loud enough for  Meg to hear. With the side of Grace’s neck fully exposed, she felt his warm breath 201

flowing across her skin. Every breath he took, every time he exhaled, caused a  delicious tickle from the nape of her neck to her ear, causing her entire body to  come alive.

Again, she tried to nudge him with her foot, but he whispered “What?”sweetly in her ear. “I’m not doing anything.”

Grace tried to pay attention to the movie and the constant barrage of objects that were being blown up on the screen, but all she could think about was  Michael lying behind her and the feel of his hard body pressed against hers.

A while later, he began round  two of his playful assault. This time he decided see how far he could hike her shirt up her stomach before she would panic and yank it back down. Grace tried to ignore him and see just how far he was willing to take this little game of his, but when she felt his fingers graze over her bra, Grace elbowed him in the gut. Instead of being apologetic, he shamelessly snickered behind her.

Fine, two can play this game.

He was easy to tease because he was a man, and Grace found she didn’t have to do much to get him worked up. A little incidental contact in all the right places and he was done. Grace pretended to stretch, and as she did, she made sure to rub her hip and rear firmly across his groin. Immediately, Michael jumped, and sank as far back into the couch as possible. Grace looked over her shoulder and

smiled at him.

“Sorry,” Grace whispered, but he could tell from the look on her face that she

was anything but sorry. He gave her a warning look, but she quickly shrugged

it off and turned back to the movie. She waited another minute before she sat

up, pretending the blanket had come off her feet. She innocently moved the  blanket to cover their feet again but as she laid back down, Grace carefully  tucked the blanket around Michael’s legs, thighs and hip, causing her hands to  come in close contact with his rear, giving it a little squeeze before laying back  down, snuggling closer to him than ever.

Michael let out a playful growl when Grace laid her head back on the pillow  they were sharing. She heard him murmur “C heater” into her hair. Grace  proudly smiled at her successful revenge.

As time passed, she could actually feel her plan working when she occasionally  would shift her hips, causing more rubbing and contact with his now very  stimulated groin.

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“Grace,” she heard him whisper. “Truce?” he whimpered as he pulled his hand

out from under her shirt.

Grace moved her body a few inches away from him as a sign of her acceptance of his truce, allowing him room to breathe,  settle himself, and avoid the constant contact with her ass which he was apparently enjoying way too much.

Thank goodness he caved, she thought as she closed her eyes in relief, trying not to think too much about the dangerous game they had started to play. Shoes, Grace. Stupid, expensive shoes, Grace.

Michael must have been thinking the same thing because he leaned forward and whispered softly, “How much are these shoes you want, anyway?”

Grace rolled onto her back and looked into his stunning baby blues and said, “You can buy shoes, but you can’t buy eternal bragging rights, Michael.” Then she gave him a kiss on the tip of his nose and went back to watching the movie. “Bragging rights are overrated, if you ask me,” he muttered softly, enveloping  Grace in his arms again.

The movie dragged on, and when it finally ended, Ryan started the next one. Grace yawned and snuggled closer to Michael, the effects of her long day finally catching up with her. She could feel herself getting really sleepy, so she nestled in the comfort of Michael’s arms, knowing she would be asleep in minutes. Michael yawned as well and kissed her head. That was the last thing Grace remembered before she drifted off to sleep.

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Chapter 16

M eg had fallen asleep on Ryan, but when she felt  his chest shaking underneath her head, she immediately woke up. Before she could even open her eyes, Meg realized he was laughing at something. She pushed herself up off of his chest.  “Ry?”

He looked down and kissed the top of her head. “Shh, sleepyhead. Don’t wake them up. This is too funny,” he whispered, pointing over to Michael and Grace, who were both sound asleep.

They looked adorable together, snuggled up tight under the blanket. Michael had his arm wrapped around Grace’s waist and she had rolled onto her back, their faces only inches apart on the pillow, Grace’s hand clutching the front of  Michael’s shirt. Meg was smiling at the sight of them together when then the talking started.

“Avocados … I need three,” Grace mumbled.

A few seconds later, Michael answered her. “I only have two.”

Meg bit her lip to control her giggling while Ryan continued to shake with laughter.

“They’ve been doing this for a half hour. A few minutes ago, they were talking about pine cones. Just give them some time and they’ll do it again,” he said, pointing back in their direction.

“I know Grace talks in her sleep, but Michael too?” Meg said in amazement,

waiting for the odd conversation to continue.

“Grace,” Michael whispered.