“Told ya.” Emma chimes from behind me, nodding her head in approval. “Am I good or am I good?”
“You're good.” I admit, running my hands along the smooth material.
“I have a necklace that will go perfectly. Hang on.” She sings, disappearing again. Reaching up, my fingers settle on the silver compass that Kyle bought me. I have not been able to take it off since Ian sent it to me a few weeks ago and the thought of doing so now leaves me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Taking it off isn't a betrayal Grace.” Emma says from behind me, reading my exact thoughts as she catches sight of me gripping the charm in my hand through the mirror. “It's okay to wear a different necklace for one night.” She reassures me.
Nodding, I reach around and unclasp the chain, leaning over to lay it on the top of my dresser. Stepping up behind me, Em drapes a black lace choker around my neck and secures the clasp before handing me a pair of black drop earrings.
I pull out my silver hoops and put Emma's in their place, taking another look in the mirror once my jewelry is in place.
“You look amazing!” Emma sings from behind me. “But...”
“What now?” I whine, turning to face her.
“It's just, well..... This dress would look even better if you wore your hair down.” She says, eying my stylishly messy up-do.
“Let me guess, the makeup is too light too?” I ask, gesturing to my face where nothing but a light layer of mascara and eyeliner have been applied.
“Are you kidding? No way. Your makeup is perfect.” She says, smiling widely when she catches my surprised expression.
“I'm sorry... come again? Did I just hear you say that my makeup is perfect? I'm pretty sure those are words you have never uttered before in your entire life.” I say, laughing through my words.
“Oh shut up. I am not that bad.” She says, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the room behind her. “Now your hair on the other hand.” She laughs, glancing back at me with an innocent smile.
“Yeah yeah. Do your thing.” I sigh, plopping down on the closed toilet seat when she pushes me inside the bathroom.
The next thirty minutes are spent letting Emma curl, tease, and spray every square inch of my hair. But I have to admit, it looks amazing once she's done. I may give her a lot of crap when it comes to how particular she is with appearance, but let's be honest, she knows her stuff.
By six thirty, I am a ball of nerves. Pacing the living room wondering what the hell I was thinking agreeing to this. It's one thing to be around each other and instinct simply take over. It's quite another to plan to spend time together and try to fight that instinct.
In what world does a person agree to go on a date with a man like Zayne rather than just taking him to bed and having their way with him? He's not the type of man that you date. He's not a man that you talk to, share secrets with, get to know on an intimate level. No, he's a man you fuck. A man you fuck and then a man you get the hell away from. So why the hell am I not running?
“Would you sit down already, you're making me nervous.” Carver laughs at me from the couch. Normally Emma is my sanity but given that she had to leave for work a little over an hour ago, Carver has had to step into that role and let's just say, he's not near as good as Em. Mainly because he's male.
“This is a mistake. What was I thinking? Carver, I can't do this. Oh god, I can't do this.” I say, more to myself then to him.
Continuing to pace and not really paying attention to where I am going, I turn and run smack into Carver's firm chest. I jump, not realizing he had gotten up from the couch. He places a hand on each of my upper arms as I peer up to find him smiling at me, maybe even on the border of flat out laughing at my ridiculousness.
“Stop moving.” He instructs and I immediately stop the restless movement in my legs. “Now, take a deep breath.” I do. “And let it out.” He says. Once again, I comply.
“Now look at me.” He says, waiting until I meet his eyes before he continues.
“Do you like him?” He asks.
“You know the answer to that.” I reply dryly.
“Do you want a chance to be with him?” He asks it in a different way.
“Again, you already know the answer.” I repeat.
“Answer the question Grace. Do you want to be with him?”
“Yes.” I say, irritated. “What's your point?”
“You feeling this way has nothing to do with the fact that you don't want to go out with him but everything to do with the fact that you do.” He says, a quirky smile turning up his lips.
“This is how everyone feels about going on a date with someone they really like. It's completely normal to be freaking out right now. It means you really like him.” He says, still smiling his impossibly cute smile.
“I don't just like him Carv.” I say, trying hard to fight down the sudden urge to vomit.
“Then focus on that.” He says. “You've spent time with him before. Maybe not on an official date but it doesn't matter what you call it. At the end of the day, this is just another moment. Another fraction of time that you get to spend exploring your feelings for this person.”
I can't help but peer up at Carver with a look of sheer disbelief. Certainly this is Emma somehow linking into Carver and giving me the talk that she would have given me if she were here.
“Did Em coach you through this?” I ask, not able to contain the laugh that bursts from my throat at his offended expression.
“Please, that girl has nothing on me.” He says overly dramatic and we both start laughing.
“Feel better?” He asks, when we both regain our composure.
“Much.” I answer.
“Good, now you better get down there.” He says, glancing past me to the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. Following his line of sight, I see that I have less than ten minutes until Zayne is scheduled to arrive.
“I guess so.” I say, moving past him to grab my clutch purse and cell phone off the kitchen counter. “Wish me luck.” I say, turning back towards Carver who quickly makes his way towards me.
“You don't need luck Gracie. He would be a complete fool to let a girl like you walk away a second time.” He says, sweetly tucking a stray curl behind my ear. “But if it makes you feel better, good luck.”
“Thank you Carv.” I say, wrapping my arms around his lean waist and squeezing tightly. “Love you.” I say, giving him one last hard squeeze before releasing him and making my way towards the front door.
“Be safe.... And Gracie.” He says, waiting for me to turn around before continuing. “Have fun. You deserve it.”
“I will. Thank you.” I say sincerely, pulling open the front door and stepping out into the dimly lit hallway of our apartment building.
Deciding to take the stairs since I still have a few minutes, I make my way to the end of the hall and enter the stairwell on my left. Going down five flights of stairs proves more difficult than I originally thought, given the four inch stilettos that Emma insisted that I wear. By the time I reach the bottom, my feet already feel like I just finished walking down a gravel road barefoot.
Pushing my way outside, I am fully prepared to wait for Zayne to arrive, so when I glance up and see him standing against his black sports car, body clad in a black tailor made suit, arms crossed over his chest, I about damn near take a nose dive down the staircase.
There is no way that a man as beautiful as the one in front of me exists. And even more so, there is no way said man is here for me. Moments like this simply do not exist... Do they?
But as I approach the man that literally takes my breath away, all I can think is that maybe, just maybe, these moments do exist. Perfect little pieces of time that remind us why life is worth living.
Chapter Nine
“Remember, no peeking.” Zayne lets out a light laugh as he leads me down the sidewalk towards an unknown destination.
“How can I peek, you've had your hands over my eyes the entire ti
me? I don't even know where we are.” I remind him, not at all complaining about the fact that for the last two minutes I have been impossibly close to Zayne as he makes every attempt to block me from seeing whatever it is he's up to.
I can't help the giddiness coursing through me or the bubble of nervousness that lies deep in my stomach. All part of being on a date, I remind myself. Although I am not one hundred percent convinced that that's the case.
I'm sure most people get some level of anxiety from dating and while I may be completely inexperienced in the matter, I am almost certain that it doesn't even come close to the panic and yet sheer bliss that I feel in this moment.
The thrill that comes with trying to fight something that you know you can't fight. A challenge in a way, to see how much I can take before I finally cave and end up in his bed. For as much as I want that to happen, I don't just the same. I want to take things slowly and enter into this knowing that it's not just about the sex but that he feels something too.
From the moment he opened the car door for me and his hand grazed the small of my back, I knew I was in big trouble. Now.... Well let's just say that feeling has only intensified on the twenty minute drive over.
I can hear water lapping around us and while I knew we were close to the harbor, it isn’t until I hear my heels click against the old wood of a dock that I realize just how close we are.
“You're not planning on killing me and hiding my body in the Hudson River are you?” I joke, laughing nervously when I feel his body tighten against mine.
“I'm not a murderer Grace.” He laughs. “Besides, I certainly would not have put forth so much effort if all I was planning on doing was dumping you in a body of water.”
“So much effort?” I question, just as his hands slip away from my face.
At first I think I am seeing things and that the massive white yacht in front of me is simply my imagination. But when an older gentleman, I would guess in his sixties, wearing an all white suit steps onto the deck and greets Zayne by name, I realize the effort he was just previously referring too.
“You rented a Yacht?” I turn on him, my face surely displaying the amount of disbelief I feel.
“Technically I borrowed it.” He laughs. “A business associate of mine owns it.” He gives me a quick explanation before turning his attention to the older gentleman.
“Good evening Sam. Is everything set?” He asks, grasping my elbow and gently helping me onto the deck.
“We are ready when you are sir.” Sam replies, giving Zayne a polite nod. “Shall I bring you some champagne?” He asks, looking first to Zayne who gracefully climbs on board, then to me.
“Yes please.” I blurt, not waiting for his response. With the amount of butterflies now swimming in my stomach, I would drink just about anything to take the edge off.
Laughing at my eagerness, Sam nods again, this time in my direction. “Coming right up Miss.” He responds, giving me a toothy grin before turning and disappearing into the cabin that sits in the center of the expansive deck.
I catch sight of stairs before the door latches closed and Zayne pulls my attention back to him.
“She's beautiful isn't she?” He says, taking my hand and leading me to back of the boat that oversees the water. Releasing my hand, he leans against the smooth wood railing and looks out over the calm water that glitters with the setting sun.
“She?” I question.
“The boat.” He laughs. “Her name is Le réveil Beauté.” He says, running his hand along the smooth wood railing.
Catching my confused expression, he lets out an amused laugh. “It means Waking Beauty.” He clarifies, tucking away a strand of hair that blows across my face in the wind.
“Beautiful.” I mumble, completely numb to anything except the feel of his hand against my flesh, the smell of his cologne in my nostrils, and the look in his eyes.
“Very.” He agrees, slowly closing the gap between us as he leans his face down towards mine.
Just as his lips brush mine, I hear footsteps heading across the deck and quickly pull away to see a smiling Sam making his way towards us, two champagne flutes on a small silver tray.
I flick my eyes to Zayne who seems both annoyed and slightly amused by the interruption. He gives me a wink and then turns towards Sam, who stops just a foot from where we are standing and hands each of us a glass before lowering the tray to his side.
“Thank you Sam. I think we should be heading out soon. We only have about an hour left of the sun.” He addresses the grayed hair gentleman professionally, not bothering to look over and see the shocked expression on my face.
I don't know why but it never dawned on me that we would be leaving. I mean, dinner on the dock of a yacht is not unheard of. I just assumed that's what this was.
I turn towards him just as Sam disappears from earshot but before I have a chance to say anything, he laughs lightly and clinks his glass with mine.
“Cheers Grace.” He says, his smile sending goosebumps shooting down my body.
“Cheers.” I repeat, my voice losing a bit of it's volume under the intensity of his eyes on me. Before I do or say something that I will regret, I tip the glass back and drain the contents in one large gulp.
Zayne mirrors my actions and then takes my empty glass from me. Balancing both glasses in one hand, he reaches the other hand out for me to take.
“Where are we going?” I finally ask, my voice giving away my confusion.
“You'll see.” He says, entwining his fingers with mine and leading me to the cabin in the middle. “Come on. Let me show you around.” He says, holding the door open for me and waiting until I enter the narrow stairwell before ducking inside as well.
He steps past me, his body brushing up against mine in the process and causing my breath to catch in my throat. Stopping just past me, he glances back to my face, and gives me a knowing smile before setting his sights forward.
I try to act unaffected and pretend that my body isn't being engulfed in the heat that his touch radiates through me. At this point, I'm not sure whose benefit it's for. Clearly this man knows how badly I want him and yet, I can't bring myself to cave so easily.
Following him to the end of the staircase, he points to the left where there is a short hall and two white doors on either side of the hall.
“That's the kitchen and staff quarters.” He says, setting our empty glasses on a small round table next to one of the doors before taking my hand again and pulling me the opposite direction down the short hall.
“Staff quarters? Like in people actually stay here?” I question, immediately regretting my decision to down an entire glass of champagne on an empty stomach as I feel the heat rise in my cheeks. The alcohol slowing making it's way into my bloodstream.
“Of course they do. Think of it as a mini cruise ship. It has all the luxuries just personal sized.” He smiles sweetly at me before continuing on.
“All of these are bedrooms.” He says, gesturing to the three doors on the left wall as we pass. “And here.” He says, pushing open a door on the right. “Is one of the bathrooms.”
I lean past him and peer inside, completely shocked that it looks like a normal bathroom that you might find in an average apartment. I don't know what I was expecting, a toilet and standing shower tucked in a small closet sized room?
Well regardless, this is far from it. Though with the beauty of the ship, I don't know why I am so surprised that it would have an equally nice bathroom. I guess it's just my inexperience with yachts. Having never been on one, I don't pretend to know much about them.
“And this.” He says, pushing open the last door on the right. “Is the master.” He says, flipping on the lights and stepping inside.
Not sure what else to do, I follow him inside and then stop just feet from the door. The walls are covered in a deep burgundy and the bed is draped in all black. Black sheets, black pillowcases, black comforter. Hell even the headboard is black. Something about this room makes me fe
el vulnerable and on edge, especially with the champagne swimming in my stomach.
The floor is covered in a thick black rug that makes me want to take my shoes off and feel the thickness and the texture against my feet. I fight off the urge to make myself more comfortable and remain completely still as my eyes flicker from wall to wall. There is something so sexy, so seductive about the dark fabric against the dark walls and the slow steady sway of the floor beneath me.
I purposely avoid looking at Zayne but I can feel his eyes on me. “There's a master bathroom over there.” He says, forcing me to look in his direction to see where he's pointing to. Quickly following his line of sight, I spot another door on the left wall towards the back of the room.
“Soooo. What do you think?” He asks, slowly making his way towards me like a lion stalking it's prey. I can't help but feel a little scared, though I don't know that scared is the right word.
I'm not frightened as in I'm scared of being harmed. More like I am fearful of what might happen if I stand in this amazing room for a moment longer with Zayne's eyes burning through the small scrape of fabric clinging to my body.
“It's amazing.” I finally stutter out, taking a deep breath to steady myself. “Have you stayed here before?” I ask, turning to face him. I take a step backwards, purposely positioning myself in the door frame to prevent him from getting too close.
“I haven't.” He admits, smoothly sliding against my body as he once again pushes past me in a small space that restricts my ability to prevent his body from making direct contact with mine.
“Shall we?” He once again gives me a knowing smile and it takes everything I have not to push him back into that room and lose ourselves in the mass of black fabric.
I smile sweetly, thanking the heavens that humans do not have the ability to read minds, and then walk quickly past him, making it down the hall and up the stairs in the matter of a few seconds.
Once I reach the fresh air above, I take a deep breathe and immediately start to feel better, calmer, less affected. I quickly make my way to the back of the yacht and lean against the cool wood. But before I can fully calm myself down, the boat engine roars to life beneath me and causes an entirely different sort of panic to seep through me.
Embrace (Two Hearts Book 2) Page 6
