by Alicia White
He saw her walk into the door and couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was absolutely amazing. She walked into the bar as if she owned the place. Her shoulders held back, her posture perfect, she scanned the room, looking at every man and dismissing them the next instant. When her eyes scanned over him, he caught her eye for a minute, her eyes were gorgeous, and he stared at her openly. His body came alive under her scrutiny, and he felt his cock jerk in reaction to her pretty doe eyes.
He watched her as she went to the bar and sat there looking scrumptious as she talked to Justin. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he hoped that Justin was flirting, maybe even convincing her to stay the night. Just one night, if he could be lucky enough to have one night, he might feel alive again. Lately everything had been so bland, such a routine, everything feeling stagnant. He stayed back, watching and waiting. He didn’t want to introduce himself yet. He wanted Justin to make some progress.
She headed for the stage and he held his breath, wondering what her voice would sound like. The song started. He was blown away, and she sounded so unlike anything he’d ever heard. Her voice was deep and smoky. She sounded sad and belted out the words from Train’s “Marry Me.” He didn’t realize he had moved until he was standing almost directly in front of the stage. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He wanted to devour her, to protect her, to wrap his body around hers. She was his living, breathing fantasy, and he had no doubts that she would be his. He smiled up at her, and she pierced him with her green eyes.
She walked off the stage when the song ended, passing him and going straight for the bar. Since she had walked in, he hadn’t been able to move his eyes off her, and he did notice she was letting loose, maybe drinking at tad too much. However, he let Justin take the lead, since Justin was the bartender. He watched the two of them talking and noticed that she was getting upset, so he walked over, wanting to step in and take care of her.
Justin stood in front of her with a glass of water in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She didn’t seem to want either one of them. “Where the fuck is my drink?”
Justin quickly answered, “Ladies shouldn’t curse. It doesn’t sound attractive.”
Alyssa yelled back, “Oh, yeah, well fuck you!” She was overreacting, but he couldn’t understand why. “Listen, Justin, I’m not driving, I can handle another drink. Bella is gonna walk me back to the motel. Okay.”
“No. You’re cut off. And if you keep up with this attitude, you’re gonna be sorry.” He smirked at her, and Grant knew that was gonna make her even angrier.
“I’ve had enough. Fine. Fuck it! I’m leaving.” She stood up and would have stumbled if he hadn’t stepped up and grabbed her arm. He pulled her against him and felt her soft body rub against his. His cock came to life again, wanting out of the tight confines of his pants. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, a scent he wanted to consume.
“Again with the language. Alyssa. Bad girl. If you’re not going to act like a lady, then you’ll be punished.” Grant growled in her ear. He wanted to punish her and pleasure her. He leaned down and nipped at her neck. She jerked in his arms and he knew that he had affected her greatly.
She pulled away from him, and the separation wasn’t what he wanted. She bit her lip and leaned closer to him. He wanted her. He wanted to throw her over his shoulder and drag her back to their place. She pulled in close, breathing on his neck, and in a voice only he could hear, she whispered two little words that pushed him over the edge. “Fuck you.” Then she licked the shell of his ear, pulled back, and smirked at him.
He knew that she was testing him, and he gave her an evil smile in return. It was time for action. He leaned in, grabbing her, and threw her over his shoulder. “Baby, you should know now that testing me is a very bad idea.” He slapped her ass hard, wanting a reaction. When she started kicking and screaming, he smiled, enjoying every minute of her wild spirit.
“Bella. Bella. Help me. Grant, you asshole! Put me down, damn it.” She was screaming and shaking. He knew that she was a bit scared, but he couldn’t let the test go unanswered. He didn’t change his path. He continued walking toward his office.
“I take it back. I’m sorry, you’re right. Please, Grant, put me down. I’ll leave.” The pleading in her voice was almost his undoing. He wanted to put her down and take the fear out of her voice. Something pushed him, though, to continue down the same path.
“It’s too late. I don’t want you to leave. You’re going to take this punishment like a lady, and then I’ll walk you home.” He kept walking. When they reached his office, he shut the door and put her down. When her feet touched the carpet, she quickly looked for a way out. He watched her closely and walked over to the large chair in the middle of the room. He sat down and looked at her. They looked at each other and stared until she looked away first.
“I want you to come over here and lay across my lap.” He didn’t move, didn’t say anything else, just sat and waited patiently. He wanted her to come to him willingly. He wanted to give her pleasure and the punishment she seemed to crave.
“What? No, no. I’m serious, Grant. I apologize to you and Justin for my bad attitude. I just need to get back to the motel.” Alyssa was pleading with him. She started pacing. He felt guilty for making her feel uncomfortable, but again he couldn’t derail from the path that he started.
“Alyssa, look at me.” He waited for her to make eye contact before he continued. “You wanted to test me. I’m going to punish you. I’m going to tell you one more time to come over here and lay across my lap. If I have to get up and drag you over here, the punishment will be worse. Again, it’s your choice.” He leaned back in the chair and waited for her to make a decision.
She walked over to where he was sitting. He let her find her way. He didn’t want to help her. He really didn’t get the feeling that she wanted to stop. She craved this almost as much as he did. She awkwardly moved until she was draped over his thighs. The weight of her felt amazing. She held her breath, her muscles stiff. She didn’t speak, just waited, keeping both feet on the ground and holding his calf.
Grant started rubbing her ass, running his hand down her thighs. It felt good to be finally touching her. He wished that he would’ve made her drop her jeans so that he could rub her naked bottom, but he didn’t want to scare her more. When he heard her moan and move against him, his cock jerked. Grant laughed silently to himself, and she went limp on his lap. He started slow, slapping each cheek, and worked up until she was shifting, moving on his lap. With each slap that landed, Alyssa moved up to meet his hand, begging for more. After a few minutes, Grant rubbed his hands over her ass and thighs, bringing her down.
She was moving on him, humping his thigh, trying to rub her clit against his leg. He wanted her to come, to feel pleasure. He pushed his hand in between her thighs until he was touching her pussy through her jeans. They were soaked. He took his time, rubbing small circles and adding pressure, listening to her moans and sighs. After only a minute of Grant playing with her, she came with a loud screech. She lay across his lap twitching, and he felt such pride, he gave her pleasure. He helped her to stand up, but Alyssa wouldn’t make eye contact. She looked upset, and he didn’t understand what she could possibly be upset about.
“Alyssa.” Grant stood in front of her, and she wouldn’t look at him. She shook her head. “Okay, I’ll walk you to the motel.” He didn’t push her, just opened the door and let her walk in front of him. Justin was standing by the bar with a big smile, and Grant realized that he probably heard her come. He shook his head at him and followed her out the front door and down the street toward the motel.
He followed behind her, hoping the right words would come. He shoved his hands in his pockets to prevent himself from pulling her into his arms. He wanted to kiss her, to apologize, to beg her to talk to him. She walked in silence, staring at the ground, pretending not to notice him. When they reached the door, she pulled out the keycard and slipped inside the room without
ever turning around to acknowledge him.
He laid his head against the door, willing it to open, begging her in his mind. No words would come, and when he heard the locks shove into place, he closed his eyes and realized that this whole night was a complete disaster.
A knock at the door brought him back to reality, and he sat up straight as Justin opened the office door. He leaned against the frame. “Everyone’s here. You ready for dinner?”
“Yeah, I guess. Is Alyssa sitting at the end of the table surrounded by Jessica and Bella?” He felt bitter and irritated, although he tried hard not to show it. He had tried so many times to talk to her. Each time he got close, she pulled away.
“No, she left when you went to the office.” Justin shrugged his shoulders, which meant that he was pretending he didn’t care when in fact he did.
“Shit. I’m sorry, Justin. I ruined things for you again. For us.” Grant got up, feeling like hell. Justin stopped him when he got to the door by putting his hand on his shoulder.
“No. No, you didn’t do anything wrong, bro. Stop beating yourself up. She’ll come around or she’s not the girl for us,” Justin told him, the look completely sincere.
“Maybe I read the signs all wrong. I really thought she was the one, or at least I thought she could be.” He hadn’t meant to scare her, and he felt horrible. His heart felt heavy in his chest. Her pleasure was real, and she had enjoyed the spanking. Her body language couldn’t be a lie. She had an orgasm in his lap. That wasn’t fake.
“You didn’t read her wrong. I’ve told you that. She was just scared of her response. She’ll come around. Now, let’s go feed our guests and have some fun.” Justin gave him a smile.
“No. It’s over for me. You should move forward with Alyssa still. I know you want her.” Grant was having a hard time letting go, but he would step aside and let Justin and Alyssa be together. He wouldn’t stand in the way.
“Nope. It’s all or nothing. I’m not moving forward without you. Period.” Justin turned and headed back into the pub. Grant followed him. He could hear people laughing and wished that he felt like being surrounded by friends right now. The only thing he wanted to do was go upstairs to their large apartment and drink until he passed out.
He really wanted to talk to Alyssa. Maybe the three of them had a chance, or maybe he could convince her to still be with Justin. Justin deserved her. He would love her and take care of her. It might actually kill him to see them together and not be a part of it. He stopped when he saw their friends sitting around the large table. They all looked so happy. Clint, Clay, and Cody were all staring at Bella, laughing, talking, and touching her. Beau and Chase were deep in conversation with Jessica. They all looked so in love. He watched them, wishing that he had that with Justin and Alyssa.
Grant walked out and smiled, nodding to his friends. He didn’t feel like talking. He didn’t want to feel like this anymore. He didn’t want to fake it through dinner, but he would for Justin and he would for his friends. How could he go on like this? It had been weeks, but it felt like months. Seeing her walk by the pub, mingling during the town’s weekly market, and hearing her laugh with her friends. How much longer could he take this? They needed to hash things out. He knew she was a fighter. Why wasn’t she fighting now? Why wasn’t she at least saying something? It made no sense.
He walked back to the kitchen and started working, finishing with their meal. He thought this would be a good night to talk, after dinner, maybe take her to the ranch house she was staying at on the Coltons’ property. On the other hand, if they were extremely lucky, they could take her home and the three of them would finally talk. It looked like both those scenarios weren’t gonna happen after all. She was gone, their chances over. His chances were over. With that in mind, he finished the task at hand. Yeah, he’d push Justin toward her. He wanted them to be together.
Chapter 3
Alyssa wandered around town with no destination in mind. Her phone was beeping. Another text message from Bella, she assumed. Jessica and Bella were all at the pub now and wondering where she was and what had happened to send her running. She didn’t want to tell them. She had said too much already to Hannah. The beeps continued. She sat down, ready to see what they were saying.
“Where r u?” Jessica typed.
“I thought u would be here b 4 us.” From Bella.
She decided to text Jessica. Maybe she would understand her predicament. After all, she was having some issues with Beau and Chase. Bella, on the other hand, was in love and might not understand how she felt.
“I went for a walk. Too awkward there by myself with Grant & Justin.”
“I heard Hannah left early. Little slut. What’s going on?”
“I just can’t seem to deal with them. It’s Grant. He makes me crazy.”
“Come back. I’m here. We can run interference for each other, since both Beau and Chase are here. Please.”
“I guess. But you’d better stay in between us.”
Alyssa sat there on the bench, unsure of herself for the first time in a long time. She wasn’t beautiful like Bella, nor was she as confident as Jessica. She hated comparing herself to them. Every time she did, she felt worse. She was confused. That spanking, it made her feel things she didn’t want to feel. Like how wonderful his large hands felt against her ass or how his strong thighs held her in place, even how his calf muscles had flexed while she was holding onto him. Could she really walk in there? The embarrassment alone might kill her. Alyssa leaned down, putting her face in her hands, and moaned. Yup, it could actually kill her.
She started repeating an old mantra in her head, one she hadn’t said in years, one she used to say when her mom was degrading her. I’m pretty, I’m smart. I’m pretty, I’m smart. I’m pretty, I’m smart. It’s gonna be okay. Tears burned her eyes, and she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, trying to get her emotions under control. She wasn’t a scared teenager anymore. She didn’t want to run away from her problems. She pulled her compact out of her purse and looked at herself in the mirror, wondering what other people saw.
Her green eyes sparkled from unshed tears, her complexion clean and clear. She pulled out some lip gloss and applied a generous amount. It was time to walk back into the pub. It was time to face her fear. The compact closed on a soft click, and she stood up and walked back toward the bar. It didn’t take long to reach the door. Grabbing the handle, she pulled it open and stepped inside the dimly lit place. Jessica waved her over, and she smiled. Everything was going to be okay.
* * * *
Justin saw Jessica waving and turned his head, Alyssa had come back. He saw so many different emotions flicker over her face. She looked vulnerable and sad, although she masked it with a smile. The smile didn’t reach her expressive eyes, and for the first time he really saw how truly embarrassed she was. It took him back to that night, and he wished things had gone differently. He knew Grant had spanked her. He could hear different sounds coming from the office. Never had he thought to step in. She was so full of energy. He thought she’d be able to understand Grant’s need to dominate.
She had so much fire. It was awful to see it doused now. She looked lost, and he didn’t like what that meant. He wouldn’t move forward without Grant. They needed each other as much as they needed her. This was their dream, sharing and loving one woman. He brought the drinks to the table, passing out the cold beers. Justin didn’t say anything to her, just nodded and smiled. What could he say? Was there a way to fix it? He didn’t know anymore.
“All right. We’ve got ribs, salad, and baked potatoes tonight on the menu. I hope everyone is hungry.”
“That sounds wonderful, Justin. I hope you and Grant didn’t go to too much trouble to make dinner for everyone.” Bella smiled at him as she snuggled closer to Clay, laying her head on his chest. A twinge of jealousy shot through him as he watched his friends with the woman they loved.
“No trouble at all. Grant and I love to cook. We thought it would be fun
to have dinner here and then listen to you sing for us again.” Justin winked at her. “I’m gonna head to the kitchen and help Grant.” He turned on his heel and left the table, never once looking at Alyssa. They would all get over this and move on, no matter how badly it hurt right now. Should he talk to Grant and think of a different plan of action?
When he walked into the kitchen, Grant was removing the ribs from the oven. “Smells good. Man, I’m hungry,” he said, getting Grant’s attention.
“Let’s feed the crowd and hope tonight goes smoothly for once.” He sounded a little defeated, and Justin didn’t like where this might be heading. He was always the one that had to soothe the people around him, and Grant was no different. He needed him back, and he definitely needed him to be more invested in Alyssa.
“Stop. I know what you’re thinking, and you can stop it right there. We start as we plan to finish, together. We don’t quit. We push harder and show how we feel. Now, let’s get out there and have some fun.” Justin grabbed the salad and walked out of the kitchen. The pep talk made him feel a little better as well.
* * * *
Alyssa watched Justin leave the table, his strong, long strides eating up the distance toward the kitchen. She hadn’t meant to hurt him. This whole stupid mess should only be about her and Grant. It was really about her insecurities, and she was blaming them.
“He does have a nice ass, but I doubt it’s on the menu tonight.” Bella arched her brow and smirked at her.
“Too bad, he does have such a fine ass.” Alyssa wasn’t going to feel uncomfortable, so instead she decided to go for shock value.
