Worth the Risk

by Karen Erickson

  “Come for me, Gracie,” he urged, and pleasure flooded her, filled her to bursting. A little cry escaped her lips, and she shivered uncontrollably with her orgasm, so thankful when he held her close until the quivering subsided. She plopped her head forward, leaning her forehead against his shoulder.

  “Don’t fall asleep on me yet.” He sounded amused but strained, and he released his hold on her, went to work on his belt buckle, pulling off his belt, throwing it to the ground. Before he could start on his pants, she dropped to her knees and knelt before him, undoing the snap, sliding down the zipper, exposing his black boxer briefs. She gazed up at him reverently, renewed energy suffusing her when she caught sight of his erection straining against the front of his underwear.

  “You don’t have to do that,” he started, but she cut him off with a pointed look.

  “I want to.” She stroked his cotton-covered erection, smiling at the strangled sound that came from him. Her hands shook, an after-effect of her overpowering orgasm, and she carefully tugged the front of his briefs down, his erection coming free.

  A wistful sigh escaped her. He was so big and beautiful. She hadn’t gotten a good look at him the other times they were together. Most everything had happened in the dark per her request.

  What a fool she’d been, to shroud his naked glory in darkness. She’d missed out.

  Well, she wasn’t missing out any longer.

  She wrapped her hand around his cock and came forward, dropping a delicate kiss on the tip. He moaned, and she parted her lips wider, taking him inside her mouth. He was hard yet soft, salty yet sweet, and she wrapped her tongue around the head, licking the underside and making him groan long and hard.

  “Gracie.” His voice was full of agony. “Stop. Please.”

  Ignoring him, she continued her ministrations. Why would she stop? He tasted so good and his gut-wrenching reactions to what she did thrilled her. She dragged her tongue down the length of him, lifting her gaze to find him watching her.

  The smoldering intensity she saw in his gaze sent a jolt straight to her core.

  “Stop.” His voice was firm, and he picked her up by her shoulders with ease, holding her against the wall. “I want to come inside you.”

  Oh. Her insides loosened, his words touching her to the very depths of her soul. He entered her easily, sliding deep, holding himself there for a long, breathless moment before he withdrew almost all the way out.

  They both moaned when he thrust back inside her, and he kept the lazy pace, driving her wild. He took his sweet time, ratcheting up the pleasure between them until it became almost unbearable.

  Had she ever been so caught up in passion? So needy and eager to have a man inside her body? She didn’t think so. Hunter did something to her, made her feel so strongly, it was almost scary.

  She opened her eyes to find him watching her, a languorous expression on his face, his eyes hooded. Sweat misted his forehead. He’d somehow in the excitement of it all had torn off his tie and unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt. He looked reckless, dangerous and when he reached for her, slipping his hands beneath her shirt to caress her bra-covered breasts, she moaned her encouragement.

  “You are so gorgeous.” His voice was husky, thrilling along her nerve endings, and she arched into his hands, wanting him to touch her bare skin. “Why is it I can never wait when I’m with you? Why am I always taking you against a wall?”

  His words thrilled her and she smiled. “I can’t wait either. And I happen to like walls.”

  “Same here,” he whispered close to her ear.

  He pressed closer to her and increased his pace, pushing into her so hard she thumped against the wall with every stroke. But she didn’t care, all she could focus on was their connected bodies, moving together as one, bringing each other so much pleasure she thought she might die from it.

  And when the second orgasm threatened to pull her under, she clutched his shoulders tight and went. Completely.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Your phone is ringing,” Hunter murmured in her ear, just before he licked it.

  Gracie pushed the hair out of her eyes and sat up, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. “It’s only three in the morning.”

  “Probably a wrong number.” He sat up as well, blazing a lazy path of kisses along her bare shoulder. She shivered, wished she could stay in the warm bed with him but she needed to grab her phone.

  “What if it’s not?” Not that she knew many people who’d call her at this hour, but maybe it was Becky, worried about her. And what could she say to her in explanation as where she disappeared to?

  Crap. Maybe she shouldn’t answer the phone…

  Leaping out of bed, she ran down the hall to where she left her purse, but it was too late. The ringing stopped. She pulled the phone out of her purse and checked the number, but she didn’t recognize it.

  “Everything okay?” Hunter asked when she reentered his bedroom.

  She set her cell on the bedside table and crawled back under the covers to join him. “I don’t know the number. And they didn’t leave a voicemail.”

  “A wrong number then, like I said.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, one hand around her breast, his mouth pressed to her neck. “You’re tense.”

  “I don’t like getting calls in the middle of the night. They worry me.” She tilted her head, giving him better access and he took it, sliding his mouth along her neck, his tongue darting out for a lick. How easy it was to fall back into his arms. A sense of rightness came over her, calming her, relaxing her and she melted against him.

  “Well, let me relax you, then,” he whispered as he cupped her face and turned her to him, pressing his lips to hers.

  The phone rang again, and she jerked out of his hold, grabbing the phone and answering before the third ring.

  “Hello, may I please speak to Gracie Hayes?”

  “This is Gracie.” She clutched the phone tight. Hunter scooted closer to her and rested his hand on her back, smoothing it up and down in a soothing gesture.

  “I’m calling from Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca.” The woman paused and Gracie trembled with fear. “It’s about your grandma.”

  Oh, no. “Is everything all right?”

  “She had a heart attack earlier this evening. She’s resting peacefully now, but when she woke up earlier she asked me to call you. She’d very much like you to come here if you can.”

  “Of course I can.” She stumbled out of bed and headed toward the living room where her clothes lay in a heap by the door. “I’ll leave as soon as possible. Tell her I’ll be there sometime in the morning.”

  The nurse gave her a few details and directions, but Gracie didn’t pay them much mind. She had GPS on her cell—she could find the hospital that way. Mind racing, she hung up, grabbed her bra and panties and slipped them on hurriedly. Stumbling into her skirt, she pulled on her shirt and glanced around for her shoes.

  She didn’t have a car. She’d have to rent one. Surely she could find a place to rent a car this time of night. She was in the middle of Manhattan, for God’s sake.

  “What’s going on, Gracie?”

  Startled, she whirled around with a gasp at the sound of his voice, her eyes widening. Hunter stood before her in a pair of unbuttoned jeans and nothing else, his expression full of concern. “I need to go,” she said, searching for her shoes once more. “I’m so sorry. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Gracie.” He went to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “Where do you need to go?”

  “I—” She blinked up at him, her throat going dry. She couldn’t tell him. Well, she could but she didn’t want to go into too much detail. It still felt too raw, too personal, talking about her little family, her only family member. Her grandma, spending such intimate time with Hunter…it was all crashing down on her at once. “Someone’s sick. I need to go check on her and make sure she’s all right.”

 
; “Who is it and where are they?” He gentled his hold on her, his fingers caressing, his eyes so warm as he stared at her. “Tell me. Don’t keep it a secret. I’m here for you. I want to help you.”

  And she wanted to believe him, really she did. But she’d never depended on anyone before. Old habits were hard to break. “It’s a…old family friend,” she lied. Why couldn’t she tell him? Why couldn’t she open up to him like he wanted her to? Like she wanted to? “She asked me to come see her in the hospital.”

  “Where does she live?”

  “Upstate. I need to go—”

  “Gracie.” He shook her a little. “Listen to me. You don’t have a car.”

  She frowned. “I know that. I’ll rent one.”

  He rolled his eyes and gave her another shake. “I’ll take you.”

  “No,” she said vehemently. “I need to go alone. She’s a very—private person.” More like she was the very private person.

  “I’m not letting you leave in the middle of the night to drive upstate in your imaginary car. You’re too upset.”

  “Don’t patronize me.” She jerked out of his hold, looking everywhere for her shoes. Where the hell were they? “You always expect everyone to just do what you say, don’t you?”

  “I’m trying to help you. It’s a damn shame you can’t recognize that.” He blew out a harsh breath. “Come on, Gracie. Let me in. Let me into your life.”

  She shook her head, relief flooding her when she found what she’d been looking for. Slipping her shoes on, she ran a hand over her hair. Her makeup was probably smeared all over her face, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t have time to freshen up, she needed to go. “It’s a private matter, like I said. Let me get up there and make sure she’s okay. I’ll—I’ll call you.”

  “You are the most frustrating woman I’ve ever met.” He grabbed her again. Tugged her close and wrapped his arms tight around her and she pressed her cheek against his bare chest, closing her eyes. Why couldn’t she let him help her? Why couldn’t she open herself up to him? Why was it always so damn hard? “Take one of my cars, at least. You do have a license, don’t you?”

  Nodding, she withdrew from him and met his gaze. “It’s been a while since I drove but yes, I have a license.”

  “Take the Mercedes. It’s safe and an automatic. Shouldn’t give you any trouble.”

  “How many cars do you have?” She still had a hard time grasping his lifestyle and how he took it for granted. It all seemed like a dream.

  “Too many.” He kissed the tip of her nose with a gentle smile. “I’ll take you down to the garage.”

  “Hunter.” She pressed her hands to his chest, the heat of his skin nearly searing her palms. “I don’t want you to hold this against me. Like you’ll make me owe you for this or something, using your car, your offer of help.”

  He frowned, his expression so fierce it almost frightened her. “Do you really think that little of me? That I would make you owe me for letting you borrow my car?”

  “I—I don’t know. I’m no good at this. I’m terrible at this sort of thing.” She’d messed up. Now he was angry.

  “No shit,” he muttered, withdrawing from her both physically and emotionally. “That was never my intention. I might be an asshole, but I’m not that big of an asshole.”

  “I never said you were an asshole.”

  “Yeah, but you implied it.”

  “Fine.” She threw her hands up in the air and grabbed her purse, tossing her cell phone inside of it before she slung it over her shoulder. “You’re right. I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to this sort of stuff and I don’t know why I thought I would ever change. Forget it. Forget all of it.” She started toward the door.

  “Wait a minute—where are you going?” He followed after her, slapping his hand against the front door before she could open it. “You do realize every single damn time you run away when the going gets too tough.”

  “That’s because you’re right. I can’t handle it. I can’t handle you.” Tears formed in the corner of her eyes and she blinked them away. “No matter how good we make each other feel, how good it is between us, it’ll never work. I don’t know why I bother trying.”

  “Gracie,” he started but she glared at him.

  “Don’t. Just.” She shook her head and cranked the door handle. “Don’t say anything, Hunter. Please.”

  He moved his hand away from the door and she opened it, slipping out into the hallway.

  And she never looked back.

  It started to rain about an hour outside of Ithaca.

  Of course.

  Grace leaned heavily on the steering wheel of the Toyota she’d rented. She was exhausted, she had eyestrain and the over four-hour drive had taken its toll.

  So had the rain.

  What had started out as a light sprinkle turned into a steady shower, then morphed into heavy sheets coming down steadily for the last thirty minutes. The windshield wipers were slapping back and forth at a frantic pace, and she peered out the windshield. Wishing yet again she’d taken Hunter’s offer of letting her borrow a car, she cursed herself.

  Wishing even more that she’d taken up on his offer to drive her, accompany her. Give her the comfort she so desperately needed.

  Weariness settled over her like a heavy wet blanket, and she wanted to close her eyes, she was so tired. She was such a fool.

  But she couldn’t worry about that now. She was close, so close to the hospital. Hopefully her grandma would be awake when she finally got to her room. She should be. It was almost eight in the morning. Would the hospital staff care if she fell asleep in a chair in her grandma’s room? Wouldn’t it be handy if there was an empty bed next to her grandma’s and she could crash out for a few hours?

  Yeah, in her dreams.

  Blinking hard, she refocused her attention on the road. Traffic had picked up, but not too much. Thank goodness, since she grew closer to Ithaca and she wasn’t that good in heavy traffic. How she’d managed to get herself out of Manhattan with her limited driving experience, she still didn’t have a clue.

  Her cell rang, but she ignored it. She wasn’t about to answer the phone in such terrible weather and an unfamiliar area. Besides, it was against the law. Maybe it was Hunter, checking up on her.

  She sighed. Yeah, right. He was probably still mad at the way she treated him. Why couldn’t she open up her heart? Why couldn’t she be honest? His expectations weren’t high—they were perfectly normal, yet she still couldn’t meet them.

  Grabbing the phone, she glanced at the screen, saw that it was indeed Hunter who had called. Smiling a little, she clicked onto the maps, bringing up her current location. She shouldn’t do this, punch in the hospital address while driving, but she didn’t want to stop. She knew she was so close…

  Gracie glanced down for just a minute, her thumb flying as she entered the address. The location popped up, only a few miles from her destination, and she smiled with relief, her gaze returning to the road.

  The horn startled her first, loud and insistent. She jerked on the steering wheel, shaking with fear when she realized she’d drifted into the other lane. Yanking on the wheel too hard, she sent the car into a spin and braked hard, but it was no use.

  She slid off the wet road, down the embankment, the car flipping onto its side. She screamed, a loud popping noise sounded and the airbag deployed, smashing her in the face.

  Knocking her unconscious.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Hunter lifted his head, his vision blurry. He recognized Alex’s voice but he couldn’t quite focus on him. “What?” he croaked. He’d come into work because he was supposed to. He’d settled into his chair and sat staring at the top of his desk for the past hour.

  Thinking of Gracie. Hoping like crazy she’d walk into the office like everything was normal.

  But she hadn’t. Nothing was normal any longer.

  Gracie was gone.
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  Alex shut Hunter’s office door. “You look like hell, man. What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know where Gracie is.”

  “What are you talking about?” Alex sat in the chair in front of Hunter’s desk. “She hasn’t come in yet?”

  “You didn’t start her leave of absence early, did you?” It was the last thing he’d held on to, that one little kernel of hope that kept him going. He hadn’t called Alex on purpose, too fearful of the answer.

  “No, we agreed it would happen after the Worthwhile launch, and that’s at the end of the week.” Alex frowned. Hunter’s final hope was dashed, just like that. “Has she called in? Maybe she’s sick.”

  “She’s not sick.” He didn’t think she was. But he knew he was sick with worry. Where the hell could she be? Why wouldn’t she return his calls or texts? He’d been burning up the phone lines since early Saturday morning, and there’d been no word of her.

  It was now Monday morning. And he had no idea where she was. Who was she with? Was she safe? Had something happened to her? Or was she so pissed she couldn’t even bother to call him back? So completely angry that she refused to come into work? Would she really risk her job because of what he considered a minor argument?

  He didn’t know. And that fact alone was slowly killing him.

  “Then where is she?”

  Hunter sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. He hadn’t shaved since Friday, and he was so tired his eyeballs hurt. He must look like absolute hell. “I have to come clean with you, man. Gracie and I, we’ve sort of been seeing each other.’

  Alex remained quiet for so long Hunter finally couldn’t stand it. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

  “I suspected it,” was all he offered.

  Hunter growled. “That’s all I get? No, that’s not a smart move, why the hell are you sleeping with an employee? None of that judgmental crap you’re so good at dishing out?”