Sticks and Stones (22 page)
Authors: Kerrie Dubrock
He palmed her
cheek before slowly descending his lips to meet hers.
“So, Grace,” he
said softly between kisses. “I’ve never made love on the sand, have you?”
A trill of
excitement filled her. “Here?” she squeaked.
“Yeah,” he
replied, huskily. “The grass is over five feet tall, neighbors are far enough
away and we’re the only two on the beach.” He smirked and showered kisses
around her lips and along her jaw, coaxing her.
Grace’s clothes
fell away along with her inhibitions.
He eased her
onto the blanket and removed his jeans. He stood over her briefly, admiring the
view, before kneeling next to her. Her auburn hair took on an ethereal hue in
the moonlight, causing him to pause.
God! She’s beautiful.
“Is something
wrong?” she frowned.
He swallowed
the lump in his throat. “No, everything’s right.” He steadied himself on his
elbows and covered her body. First he kissed her forehead, then her eyelids and
finally, he brought his lips to hers.
The gentle
massage of his lips against hers sent tremors of desire through her. But, it
wasn’t enough. Grace grasped fistfuls of his hair and sat up, not breaking the
kiss.
“Lie down,” she
commanded. Rick’s lips curved and he did as he was told. She straddled him,
slowly taking in the full length of him.
Desire and want
coursed through his body while he watched her move slowly up and down on top of
him. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his face against her
breasts.
Grace had never
known such passion. Ben was a vanilla sex kind of guy. Rick was exciting,
sensual and made her feel sexy. But most of all, he made her feel
wanted
.
Those thoughts, along with what he was doing to her nearly sent her over the
edge.
She was so
close, so close. Grace wanted to see him.
Needed
to see him. She laced
her fingers into his hair moving his head back to look at him. When his eyes
met hers waves of ecstasy sluiced through her. She continued sliding up and
down, until he joined her with a throaty groan.
Rick’s body
shuddered against hers when she peppered his face with kisses. He tilted his
head to the side, allowing her access to his neck. Grace quirked a brow and
began sucking. Hard.
“Whoa! What’re
doin’?” he laughed.
“I’m branding
you,” she replied haughtily.
“You gave me a
hickey?”
“Yep. You’re
mine now.”
Rick cocked his
head. “I’ve always been yours, Grace. You were too stubborn to accept it.” She
rested her forehead against his and took a deep breath. “Grace?”
She lifted her
head to meet his eyes. “Don’t make me sorry for falling in love with you.”
* * *
The next day
Zee made her way to Trump Tower. She had a bone to pick with a certain hockey
player. She ran into the elevator just before it closed.
The man riding
the elevator with her was a scrumptious looking specimen. Hell! He was sex on
legs! He stood over six feet tall, had black wavy hair and gorgeous chocolate
brown eyes. She blinked in surprise when he winked at her.
They stepped
off on the same floor and walked in the same direction. She was a little faster
than he was because, dammit! She needed to grill Rick and didn’t have time to
flirt.
So caught up in
her thoughts of the sexy man behind her and Rick’s unknown indiscretion, she
absently passed Rick’s door and had to double back.
Sex on legs was
knocking at Rick’s door. She arched an eyebrow and bustled in front of the
door, pushing him out of the way. “I get to talk to Rick first,” she spat.
“You know
Rick?” Sex on legs replied.
“You’re cute,
but talk funny.”
Sex on legs
leaned against the wall, smirking. “What funny? Maybe you talk funny to me,
pretty lady.”
Zee’s cheeks turned
deep purple. “Are you flirting with me?”
Sex on legs
shrugged, “Depends. Is it working?”
Zee flashed a
toothy grin and extended her hand. “Zee Winston and hell yeah, it’s working.”
He glanced at
the door, then back to Zee, taking her hand into his. “Dmitri Vanek,” he
crooned, wrapping her hand around his arm.
* * *
Rick snuck out
of bed and headed for the kitchen. He poked his head into the fridge and found
everything he needed to make a Denver omelet.
Quietly, he
fished through the kitchen cabinets until he found a bowl and a casserole dish.
He began taking
the ingredients from the fridge when his cell phone rang. He found it lying on
the floor of the lanai, along with their clothing from the previous night.
“O’Shea,” he
mumbled.
“Where the hell
are you?” Zee screeched.
Rick pulled the
phone from his ear. “Zee?”
“Damn right
it’s me! What the hell did you do to Grace?”
“Not sure what
you’re talking about,” he muttered, confused.
“Janice told me
you’ve deceived her. I want to know what the hell you did!”
Rick gulped and
reached for kitchen nook. “I’m gonna fix it. I swear!”
Zee bit back
her anger and tried to speak calmly. “If you won’t tell me, you need to fucking
fix whatever the fuck you did!” She disconnected the call and rolled her eyes.
So much for calm.
“Feel better?”
Dmitri asked, reaching for her hand across the table.
Zee blushed,
“Have you ever made love on silk sheets?”
* * *
Rick’s hands shook when he
chopped the onions, then his eyes watered. He wanted to be upfront with Grace,
but was afraid she’d push him away. And, she’d have good reason to. Maybe he
could make her understand. He was desperate. He
knew
she was the right
one.
Felt
it. Just like he knew he’d go far when he was drafted into the
NHL.
* * *
Grace crawled
from the four poster bed and peered out the window. The skies looked ominous
and waves crashed against the shoreline.
“Looks like a
day to stay inside,” she muttered, shrugging into a pink silk robe.
She descended
the short stairwell and found Rick in the kitchen, standing over the counter,
wearing nothing but royal blue boxer briefs. Her breath hitched, causing him to
turn.
Tears trickled
down his cheeks. Absently, he brushed them away.
“Hey, are you
okay?” Grace asked softly, nearing him.
Rick waved a
hand over the onions. “Always happens when I cut into them.” He swallowed hard,
knowing it was a half-truth.
She grabbed a
dish towel from the counter and dabbed his face. “I thought something was
wrong.”
He placed the
knife onto the counter and took her hands. “Something
is
wrong, Grace.”
Grace flinched and
pulled away. Whatever he had to say wasn’t good and she didn’t think she wanted
to hear it.
Rick’s stomach
clenched at her sudden withdrawal. Then, when she began to back away, his knees
buckled. He reached out for her, but she shook her head.
“No, just say
whatever you have to say,” she said, icily.
“Grace,” he
rasped.
“Goddammit
Rick! Just tell me!”
He rubbed the
back of his neck, trying to come up with something other than the truth. If he
was upfront with her she’d become a memory and that was something he wasn’t
prepared to handle.
In a panic,
Ricks’ eyes swept the room and spotted the food on the counter. “I, um, don’t
even know if you like Denver omelets.”
Grace blinked
her eyes and swallowed hard. “What?”
Ricks’ voice
shook. “Yeah, that’s it babe.”
She wrapped her
arms around him and placed her forehead against his chest. “You looked so
serious; I thought you changed your mind about me. Dee said we’d have obstacles
to overcome, but that we’re meant to be together. Sorry, I’m babbling.”
Rick gripped
her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re not babbling. Tell more
about this Dee person.”
Grace closed
her eyes tightly. “She’s a friend of mine who’s psychic. She sees us living
happily ever after…in a nutshell.”
“No shit?” Rick
grinned. “Why do you look so uneasy with that?”
“I’ve told
you,” she shrugged. “I feel like the bottom is going to fall out. That
this
is too perfect.”
“Has Dee ever
been wrong about her predictions?”
Grace shook her
head. “She said things could change, depending on one’s actions, but she was
right about Ben.”
* * *
Janice stared
raptly at the computer monitor, her eyes gritty from lack of sleep. Loud
banging jarred her from her thoughts.
“Ratman?” she
yelled, running through the condo. When she realized the noise was coming from
the front door she frowned.
“Ben?”
“Grace’s not in
love with me anymore,” he ground out, pushing past her.
She slammed the
door closed and snipped, “Like I give a shit. I’ve got my own fucking
problems!”
Ben snorted.
“Sorry, you’ll not get any sympathy from me.”
Janice fell
into a heap on the couch and pressed her hands to her face. “My jealousy ruined
everything; my friendship with Grace, our relationship.” She palmed her face.
“And what’s worse, I think I sold my soul to the devil.”
* * *
Grace dabbed
the corners of her lips. “Well, that was a mighty tasty omelet. Thank you.”
Rick placed his
coffee mug on the table and winked. “I know something else that’s tasty.”
“And that would
be?”
“What’s under
that pink robe,” he murmured, waggling his eyebrows.
Grace’s lips
curved. “You have quite an appetite.”
“Of that you
can be sure,” he agreed, lifting her from the chair.
* * *
Dmitri slid his
hand along the red fabric. “I like silk sheets very much, it seems.”
Zee giggled and
snuggled against him. “Don’t forget the handcuffs.”
“Ah, yes, the
handcuffs,” he smiled and palmed her cheek. “You’re what you say? Kinky?”
“Baby, you ain’t seen
nothin’ yet!” Zee chortled.
* * *
“You made a
deal with the devil, because you wanted everything Grace had?” Ben muttered.
“Yeah and I
don’t know how to atone for my deeds.”
“Maybe Grace
can help.”
Janice scoffed,
“After what I’ve done to her?”
“She’s forgiven
me,” Ben shrugged. “I just hope this hockey player finds someone else so I can
get her back. I still love her.”
* * *
Storms raged,
pelting large raindrops against the paned windows. Grace watched as the ocean
churned, splashing salty water against the shore. Rick came up behind her.
“It’s the kind of day to watch old movies and snuggle.”
“Or read a good
book,” she offered.
“Or to make
mad, passionate love,” Rick countered.
Grace turned and
pushed his chest. “You’re insatiable!”
“Your fault,”
he shrugged. “Grace, this may be hard for you to believe, but you’re so
different from the other women I’ve been with.”
“Stop!” she
ordered, lifting a hand. “I don’t want to hear about your puck bunnies.
Ever
.”
“It was just
sex with them,” he paused to collect his thoughts. “You’re so much more than
that.” Rick tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and pulled her tightly
against him, cradling the back of her head. “God, Grace, it’d really fuck me up
if I ever lost you.”
* * *
“Oh please! You
didn’t
love her. If you did you’d have been more thoughtful,” Janice
stared at Ben angrily. “You bought her fucking gift cards for her birthday and
Christmas! Do you know how cold that made her feel?”
Ben snorted, “I
doubt my actions towards Grace offended you.”
“I’m not a
total heartless bitch. I was there for her after you went on a rampage
criticizing the few pounds she gained. Did you ever stop to wonder why she had
so many goddamn candy bars around?” Ben rolled his eyes as Janice pressed on.
“She ate them because you were a careless, selfish fuckface, that’s why!”
“If I was so
terrible why did you pursue me?” Ben growled, jabbing his fore finger into her
shoulder.
“Because no
matter what you said or did to Grace, she loved you. I knew it’d break her to
take you away,” Janice replied, simply.
* * *
“Oh no!” Grace
cried.
Rick looked up
from the book he was reading and gazed at her. She sat at the other end of the
blue nautical print sofa with her legs outstretched and a book in her hands.
He watched as her lips turned into a frown, then as she brushed a tear from the
corner of her eye. “Good read or bad read?” When she didn’t respond he nudged
her elbow with his toes.
She glanced
away from the book with tears shimmering in her eyes. “Huh?”
“I asked if
it’s a good book or a bad one.”
“It’s
fantastic! I’ve run the gamut of emotions with this story! I’ve laughed, cried,
been surprised…this author is amazing!”
“What’s his
name?”
Grace shook her
head. “Her name is Camryn Corrigan and it’s her first book. She used to be a
crime reporter for a Chicago paper. There was a string of women disappearing in
Chicago a few years back and she later became the next target for a human
trafficking ring. Kinda scary, from what I’ve read.”
Rick grinned
and grabbed her foot, placing a kiss on the sole. “I love a woman who reads.
It’s very sexy.”
She placed the
book on the table and leered at him seductively.
“Now who’s
insatiable?” he murmured, inching towards her.
* * *
Ben sat on the
couch and ran his hands through his hair. “You’re right. I
was
a total
asshole to her.” He frowned and continued. “I wasn’t always like that; at least
I don’t think I was. In the beginning I used to bring her flowers, take her
dancing-even though I hated it. I did whatever it took to please her…”
Janice held up
a palm. “Save it because I don’t give a shit about your problems. She made you
a priority while you made her an option. You had something great but only
because Grace thought her love for you was enough to make the relationship
last. You two were polar opposites which is why you and I got along so well.”
“You cast a
spell on me, Janice. I never liked you when you were friends with Grace, or
have you forgotten?”
Janice laughed
harshly. “You and I are cut from the same cloth, whether you want to admit it
or not. We’re both cunning, selfish and egotistical.” She sat next to him and
patted his knee. “Actually, we’re better suited to be together and ya gotta
admit, the sex was great.”
Ben started to
object, then nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, the sex was great.”
“Admit it, Ben,
you still have feelings for me,” Janice cooed, rubbing his chest hair.
“Most likely
they’re not real. Maybe your hocus-pocus still lingers in my blood.”
“Not possible.
Ratman told me Grace put a spell of protection over you. I didn’t try to break
it, so our lovemaking, this time, will be for real,” she ran a hand over his
chest.
Ben gazed at
her. “I’ll be damned.”
She nodded, “You
may be.”
* * *
“Hey, why the
pout?” Rick asked Grace, the next day, as the plane began to descend upon
O’Hare airport.
“I’m not ready
to deal with reality, but here’s something I think you’ll understand,” she
mumbled, looking at her tablet. “ ‘I like sunshine and pretty things and
cheerfulness-and I dread responsibility’.”
Rick grinned,
“Using a Fitzgerald quote, aye?” He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Lass,
ye know what that does to me.”
“Yeah, the same
thing it does to me when you talk with an Irish brogue,” she sneered.
“Ah, gel, ye
warm me cockles, ye do, when ye speak the Fitzgerald,” he crooned.
“I bet,” she
giggle-snorted.
* * *
“We’ll stop at
my place so I can gather some things and then head down to your house, okay?”
Rick said.
Grace’s eyes
scanned the inside of the limo. A well stocked mini bar beckoned her. She
ignored its calling and responded to Rick. “I’ve had the most fabulous time
this week but it’s also been intense.”
Rick’s forehead
wrinkled. “Okaaaay, so what’re you saying?”
“I need some
alone time,” she murmured, gripping his hand.
“Have I done
something wrong?”
“Not at all. I
mean aren’t you sick of seeing me all day long?” she laughed lightly.
Rick cocked his
head. “I want to see you all day, every day, Grace. I love you.”
* * *
Grace watched
Rick slowly walk into Trump Tower. She had things to do, to get her life back
together and didn’t think he’d understand.
An electronic
hum stirred her from her thoughts. “Miss? Shall I take you to your home now?”
the limo driver asked.
She retrieved
her cell phone from her purse and pressed her finger to the keypad. “One sec,”
she mumbled.
“What a
surprise!” a deep voice laughed.
“Hi! Hey, are
you in town?” Grace replied lightly.
“Yeah, what’s
up?”
“Can you meet
me for a drink at Murphy’s…like now?”
The man replied, “I’d love
too.”
* * *
Rick tossed his
suitcase on the wooden floor and grabbed his phone from his back pocket. After
scrolling through his contact list, he pressed a button.
“Well?” Zee
growled. “Did you tell her?”
He rubbed the
back of his neck. “No! Did you tip her off?”
“No. I’ve been
a bit preoccupied,” Zee hesitated. “What’s happened now?”
“We’ve just
returned from Florida and she told me she needed alone time. What the fuck does
that mean?”
“Duh! It means
ya wore her out!” Zee cackled.
* * *
Grace ran a
fingertip around the rim of the wine glass. In order to get her business back
on track, she needed this meeting to go well.
“Grace?”