Happy Hour

by Mari Carr

  Grace grinned. Fatigue never felt so good.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning flew by in a flurry of activity. Upon waking, they’d permitted themselves one more foray into the magic of the previous night, Trey taking Grace from behind as she sucked on Jamie’s cock. It was hot, sexy and somewhat bittersweet as they all realized it was the last time. While Jamie had expressed his desire for another day, Grace knew for her, with Trey, it had been a one-night thing, an experiment, an adventure. Nothing more. She had to admit she was anxious to have Jamie all to herself.

  They’d showered, dressed and gone to a breakfast buffet bar. Grace laughed as she watched both men take the expression “all you can eat” to new extremes and she felt certain the restaurant hadn’t made any money on them. After breakfast, they pulled up to the curb in front of Trey’s apartment.

  Trey grasped her hand and tugged her out of the truck, shutting the door behind him. Jamie remained in the driver’s seat and Grace knew he was giving them a few minutes alone.

  Trey kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  She smiled. “I think I should be saying that to you. Last night was amazing, Trey. I don’t think I can tell you what it meant to me.”

  “You’re beautiful, Grace. Inside and out. I wanted a chance to show you that.”

  “You are going to make some lucky woman a wonderful husband one day.”

  Trey laughed. “I don’t know about that.” He took a step back and she knew the magic of the evening was fading as Trey, the lover, left and her beloved friend returned. “You going back to Jamie’s?”

  She nodded, wondering if that idea upset him. “He invited me to spend the day with him.”

  “Good. I’m glad.” His answer was short and his tone gave her no clue to his thoughts.

  “See you Monday?” she asked.

  He reached up and ruffled her hair playfully as she giggled. “See you Monday, Gracie.”

  She climbed back into the truck and as they drove away, her concerns about her relationship with Trey being awkward when they returned to work faded. They’d both gotten what they wanted and Grace knew Trey would take the secret of their threesome to his grave. He wouldn’t tell tales, wouldn’t brag or expose her. He would always be her friend.

  As she glanced across the seat at Jamie, she realized the same didn’t hold true for him. While her emotions hadn’t been engaged as far as Trey was concerned, her heart was definitely succumbing to Jamie’s charm. Hell, it had always beat faster for the man. This weekend had only solidified her crush on him and she knew returning to “just friends” status with him would be much more difficult.

  “Where are you going?” she asked when she realized he was heading for her house, not his. Her heart lurched with the thought that perhaps he’d changed his mind about spending the day together.

  “I thought we’d swing by your place so you can get some clean clothes and your toothbrush. Anything else you might need for the night at my house.”

  “Night?” His invitation included another night in his bed? She wished she could restrain the grin bursting to get out.

  He looked over and spotted her barely suppressed giddiness. “You thought I was finished with you? Damn, Grace, I haven’t even started taking you all the ways I want to.”

  She tried to deny how hot his words made her. Jamie was a master of dirty talk and she feared a few more sentences from him would have her bursting into flames on the front seat of his truck.

  He reached over and grabbed her hand, holding it in a gesture that was friendly and possessive at the same time. “It’s going to take a lot more than one night between the sheets to get you out of my system, angel.”

  As they pulled up to her house, she captured his words, tucking them inside and holding them close. He made her feel special. It had been such a long time since anyone had made her feel like this. She only spent a few moments in her house, Jamie waiting patiently on the couch as she packed an overnight bag. She briefly toyed with the idea of packing a sexy nightie, but dismissed it, knowing full well Jamie preferred her naked.

  She was about to leave her bedroom when she caught sight of him lounging in the doorway. He looked perfectly at home in her room and it struck her that no man had been in her bedroom in nearly six years.

  “Let me see what’s in your bag.” His voice was laced with the commanding tone that had her instantly going wet. Suddenly she was regretting she hadn’t thought to throw a few extra pairs of panties in.

  “Why?”

  He shrugged. “I have a feeling you might have missed some of the essentials.”

  She looked at him, confused, and then opened her bag to double check. “Toothbrush, comb, some makeup, extra clothes. It’s all here.”

  Jamie shook his head and she thought for a moment he looked disappointed. “Where do you keep your toys, Grace?”

  Rather than waiting for an answer, he crossed the room to her nightstand.

  “Toys?” she asked.

  He turned to look at her. “You’re a grown woman with an amazing sex drive. There’s no way you’ve spent the last six years without a man and not taken care of those needs by yourself.” He pointed to the drawer of the nightstand, but he didn’t open it and she was touched that he respected her privacy. “Are they in here?”

  She shook her head. “Under the mattress,” she whispered, amazed she was revealing her secret hiding spot. There was no way she would leave her toys anywhere Maddie could stumble upon them easily.

  He grinned and lifted the mattress. She fought back her blush when his eyebrows rose slightly. “Damn, Grace. You don’t mess around, do you?”

  She rolled her eyes and tried to act nonchalant. “There’s nothing that shocking under there.”

  He reached down and pulled out her favorite vibrator, as well as the large dildo she’d impulsively treated herself to after Cheryl dragged her to a sex-toy party. Unfortunately, she’d never had the nerve or desire to use it. Sex alone wasn’t so satisfying that she attempted it often, plus she was always worried about Maddie hearing her.

  Jamie also picked up the fur-lined handcuffs—still in their package—that she’d won as a door prize at the same party. There were some scented massage oils that Cheryl had given her for Christmas a couple of years ago after nagging her about her lack of dating. Jamie threw all of it on top of the bed and it wasn’t until he lowered the mattress again that she realized his smile was gone, replaced by a frown.

  “None of this has been used,” he said.

  “That’s not true. The vibrator—”

  “Dammit, Grace. You’re a grown woman with needs just like anyone else. Why would you deny yourself even that little bit of happiness?”

  She shrugged and chuckled. “I’m a forty-year-old woman, Jamie. Sure, I like sex, but—”

  He quirked one eyebrow and she corrected herself.

  “I love sex with you. By myself, not so much. I’m not a young, horny guy, driven by my hormones. Most nights, I’m too damn tired to bother. And I know you won’t like this, but after a while, it is possible to not even miss it.”

  He put his hand over his heart in a gesture that implied she’d stabbed him. “I would always miss sex, Grace. I can see we have a lot of time to make up for.” He reached for her overnight bag, adding the toys in with her clothes.

  Her anticipation regarding the coming night rose another level and she was surprised to realize she was looking forward to being alone with Jamie in bed. While the threesome experience was wonderful, mind-blowing, it had shown her she was, at heart, a one-man woman.

  “Ready?” he asked. She nodded and they left her house together.

  Jamie stretched and tried to remember when he’d had a nicer Saturday. After picking up some clothing at Grace’s house, they’d hit the grocery store for salad fixin’s to go with the chicken he’d barbequed and a couple of movies. Just before dinner, he’d pulled her pants down, bent her over his kitchen table, and teased her wit
h her vibrator until she came. Throughout the entire meal, he’d been stiff as a pike remembering the sounds of her cries as she climaxed. She had a voracious sexual appetite and he loved trying to sate her hunger.

  After they’d cleaned up the dishes, she made him sit through Bridget Jones’ Diary, which wasn’t as bad as he’d thought it would be and he made fun of her obvious infatuation with Colin Firth. His movie pick, The Hangover, had just ended and Grace, who was lounging against his chest on the couch, was still giggling.

  “The sad part about that movie is I can see you, Trey and Lucas doing all of that.”

  “Trey insists that the first guy to succumb to the death he refers to as marriage is getting a Vegas bachelor party.”

  Grace grinned. “The harder they fight, the harder they fall. I can’t wait to watch Trey get knocked on his ass by the woman who claims his heart.”

  She started to rise, but Jamie pulled her closer, not ready to give up the comfort and warmth of their positions. They’d wasted the entire day in utter laziness, watching movies, having the private picnic in his back garden, and Jamie wished he could do the whole thing over again tomorrow and the day after and the day after that.

  A quick glance at the clock proved it was only nine o’clock. Despite the early hour, all he could think about was getting her back into his bed. She was a comfortable companion and he couldn’t help but wonder why she’d never remarried.

  Before he could think better of it, the question left his lips. “How come you never dated after Drew’s death?”

  Grace took his question in stride, shrugging lightly. “Actually, I did try dating once. About a year after Drew’s accident. Don’t you remember? His name was Bill and he was a realtor. We went out a few times.”

  Jamie felt the niggling of a memory. “I sort of remember that, but it wasn’t anything serious and I don’t remember it lasting very long.”

  She nestled closer, taking one of his hands in hers, idly toying with his fingers. “Oh no, nothing serious. Maddie was thirteen and at the beginning of her teen angst years. She strongly disliked Bill.”

  “You stopped dating the guy because Maddie didn’t like him?”

  Grace shook her head. “I don’t think it was Bill she disliked as much as the idea of me being unfaithful to her father’s memory. Maddie adored Drew. She was the epitome of a daddy’s girl and she had Drew wrapped around her little finger. She was devastated by his death.”

  Jamie frowned. “Maddie wasn’t the only one who’d lost someone, Grace. Don’t you think you deserved the chance to try to find some happiness?”

  “I think there’s a difference between an adult losing a spouse and a child losing a parent. Maddie needed me. She needed me to be stable, strong, consistent and reliable. She’s my daughter and there’s nothing I won’t give her if I’m able to. Bill came along too early in the grieving process for Maddie. I can see that now. My little girl was broken and I wasn’t about to do anything that might scatter the pieces she was struggling to glue back together.”

  “That was years ago. Don’t you think it’s safe to say the hurt healed a while ago?”

  Grace sat up and he didn’t stop her, knowing she wanted to have this conversation face-to-face. “Time moves so quickly and it’s easy to fall into routines, patterns. By the time Maddie was old enough to accept the idea of a man in my life, I wasn’t in the mood to go look for one.”

  Jamie laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I was old enough to know I didn’t want to prowl around the nightclubs searching for Mr. Right, which limited my choices to colleagues and available fathers of my students. Neither of those choices seemed right.” Her words pierced his heart a bit until she added, “I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined this weekend.”

  “Didn’t Maddie try to fix you up with Rhonda’s father?” Jamie asked.

  “Ugh. Have you met Mr. Scott? There’s a reason he’s been divorced three times. Infidelity seems to rank at the top of that list.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  She leaned forward and kissed him gently, her tongue lightly running along his lower lip. “Twenty questions over?”

  He wasn’t finished talking about her feelings toward a relationship, but her kiss managed to scatter his wits and he decided they’d have plenty of time for talk later. The image of her pile of barely used sex toys floated through his mind and just like that, his cock stole all the blood supply from his brain.

  “Let’s go upstairs. I want to tie you to my bed and do all sorts of naughty things to you.”

  She licked her lips and he was struck again by the realization he wouldn’t have to hold back with her. He watched Grace respond to his words with heated interest and he knew she was a kindred spirited—adventurous and up for anything.

  “Have you ever been restrained in bed?” he asked, pleased that he’d been able to introduce her to so many new experiences already.

  She shook her head.

  “Good. I have a feeling you’re gonna like this.” They rose and Jamie took her hand, leading her upstairs to his bedroom. She was quiet and he suspected she was worrying about the bondage. He didn’t say anything more as they entered his room, giving her time to decide. If she was completely against the idea, he wouldn’t do it. He pulled off his T-shirt as he turned to look at her. She was standing at the foot of his bed, her hand loosely gripping the corner post of the footboard.

  He fought to restrain a groan as she looked at him with heavy-lidded eyes that studied him from head to toe. He decided to up the ante and the heat, so he pushed his jeans over his hips, kicking them off. He’d gone commando all day, so with the removal of two pieces of clothing, he was completely naked, while she stood before him fully dressed. He placed his hands on his hips and let her look her fill.

  Last night they’d spent the evening trying everything a threesome had to offer. Tonight, Jamie intended to dedicate some time to the sexiness of just looking and touching.

  “You’re really beautiful,” she said at last and he grinned, shaking his head.

  “Grace,” he started, but her light laughter stopped him. She walked closer, until she was standing right in front of him.

  She ran a single finger down the center of his chest. “I can’t help thinking it. Your body…” Soft strokes accompanied her words as she explored his pecs, the brown disks of his nipples, his abs. She stopped short when her fingers would have brushed his cock and her gaze rose to his face.

  “I love your face. So kind and expressive.” Again, her fingertips followed her words, caressing his cheek, his jaw, his brow. “Your eyes are so blue, so bright. I feel like I could get lost inside them and never want to be found again.” Her index finger trailed along his lower lip, and as he watched, she subconsciously moistened her own lips.

  “Kiss me,” he whispered. The softly spoken comment was a demand and a plea, wrapped into two simple words.

  She rose on her tiptoes and brushed her soft lips against his. Neither of them opened their mouths or tried to deepen this kiss. For this moment, they were content with this simple, pure, almost chaste touch.

  When she pulled back, he let her go, curious to see what she would do next. Her gaze dropped at the same time her hand engulfed his erection. He sucked in a harsh breath, surprised by the firmness of her grip after her too-soft touches on the rest of his body. He wondered briefly why he was letting her do this, play with him. It wasn’t like him to simply wait and watch.

  He suspected she was trying to find her way as well. She’d admitted last night she hadn’t had sex in years, hadn’t seen a naked man. In some small way, he thought she was trying to reacquaint herself with all the particulars of the male figure. He grinned, aware he was an all-too-willing model.

  Her hand stroked his flesh and he gritted his teeth in a fight to stave off the inevitable explosion. He’d been rock hard and hurting since fucking her with the vibrator before dinner. He hadn’t taken his own pleasure then, foolishly thinking it
would be better to let the anticipation build. Now he was seriously struggling to keep from blowing over a simple hand job.

  “Get undressed, Grace. I want to touch you. See you.”

  She smiled and obeyed, removing each piece of clothing leisurely, seducing his senses until he felt the urge to growl like a wolf and claim her as his mate. Once she was naked, he decided it was time to take over. Expand on Grace’s limited experiences. Let her see what it would mean to be involved with him.

  Gripping her hands, he pulled her until her back rested against the upright corner post of his footboard. Leaning into her, he kissed her as he positioned her hands behind her back, around the post. “Don’t move,” he murmured as he broke the kiss.

  Her eyes, which had been closed, opened slowly and he could see she was lost in a haze of desire. He retrieved the handcuffs and other toys he’d discovered under her mattress and her lips parted with a gasp. Tossing the massage oils, dildo and his tube of lubrication on the bed, he opened the package containing the cuffs.

  “You said you trusted me.” He’d cherished those words since she’d uttered them. She nodded, reaffirming them and he grinned.

  Wrapping his arms around her once more, he reclaimed her lips as he snapped the fur-lined cuffs onto her wrists, binding her against the corner post.

  “Don’t move,” he teased and she laughed quietly.

  “How do you do that?” she whispered.

  He gave her a curious look. “Do what?”

  “Make everything fun. You’ve got me handcuffed to your bed and I’m laughing, happier than I’ve ever been.”

  His heart nearly burst at her admission. He made her happy. “You’re easy to please, Grace.” He ran his hand along her arm, down her waist until he gripped her hip. “Open your legs.”

  She obeyed without question or comment and again he was overcome by her innate trust. She didn’t realize how much her confidence in him meant.

  He placed his forehead against hers. “It’s gonna get serious now. If I do anything you don’t like, just tell me to stop and I will. Okay?”