by Anne Conley
"Are you still coming to terms with it?"
Grace realized that if Uri and Heather were married, they must have gone through the same thing, and she looked at the woman with new eyes.
"Yeah. How long did it take you to accept?"
Heather thought a moment. "Too long. Life's too short to not be spending it with the one that's made for you. I had to see for myself. I regret that. Not taking his word on faith, I lost a couple of precious weeks with him."
Heather's eyes were on Uri the entire time she spoke, her love pouring out of them. Grace saw the devotion the other woman felt towards her partner, and she felt a twinge of something. Did she really want to feel that?
"Did you meet…Damien?"
Heather visibly shuddered, which Grace knew the meaning of before she spoke the words. "Yeah. Uri saved me from him. That was the decider for me. I saw his form and couldn't deny the truth any more."
Grace was silent. The same had happened to her, and she couldn't deny that she should feel the same way.
Watching the men play, she certainly felt something for Rafe that she'd never felt with any other man before him. Watching his perfect body gracefully work in tandem with Uri's was like watching an intricate dance. The muscles in his back flexed with each contact with the ball, and his powerful legs moving through the sand flooded Grace with desire that pooled deep inside her.
She wanted him. But she also knew that she couldn't have him unless she was willing to give herself to him, wholly and completely. And she wasn't sure she was ready to do that.
"You know that God chose you for him, don't you?" Heather's voice was quiet, yet firm. She spoke with an intensity that made Grace look at her. Heather was still watching Uri, her eyes a mask. "He chose perfect mates for His boys."
"I'm not sure about that, Heather. I would like to believe it, but…"
Heather turned her body to face Grace, and she took the woman's hands in her own.
"I struggled with that too, Grace. I wasn't going to tell you this, but Uri saved me from a life that I don't know how I was going to keep living. I was an exotic dancer, stripping for money to support myself, my mother, and my sister. I couldn't find a way out of it." Her eyes bore into Grace's. "I was a stripper, and he fell for me. One of God's perfect beings fell in love with a stripper. How can you argue that logic?"
Grace dropped her gaze to the sand, lost in thought. Heather released her hands and turned back to the game.
"Just think about who you're denying here. Are you denying God? Raphael? Or are you denying yourself? You're worth more, Grace. I don't even really know you, but I know that."
They watched the rest of the game in silence, Heather appreciative, Grace contemplative. When the boys had beat the third pair of guys, they forfeited the net for a couple of games to come sit with the girls.
Rafe threw himself next to Grace and leaned over the cooler to dig around for a bottle of water. She admired, once again, the bunching of muscles on his back as he rummaged around. He grabbed a towel, and wiped sweat off his face, then her eyes swept downwards as he rubbed the towel across his chest. Raising powerful arms to continue rubbing sweat off, he caught Grace swallowing hard.
"What?" He asked her, unaware of the effect he had on her.
Grace averted her eyes downward, a flush crawling up her cheeks. "Nothing. Um, good game."
"Thanks." He twisted the top off the water bottle, and took several swigs from it. Grace was spell-bound, as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, while his lips cradled the top of the bottle. She licked her lips, and swallowed past the lump in her throat. When her gaze traveled back up to his green eyes, she realized he'd been watching her watch him. He finished drinking his water and smiled at her, a shrewd expression on his face.
"I know what you want, Grace." His voice was husky, and sent a shiver straight to her toes, despite the heat of the Texas sun.
"What?" She was afraid to ask, but wasn't sure what else to say.
He leaned closer to her, his voice a whisper against her hair. "You make it easy for me to forget what I am, what I was. You make me feel so…human." His lips caressed her earlobe as he spoke. "I want you, Grace."
Her air was gone, her voice a ragged whisper, as she replied, "I know."
"I know you do, and as soon as you're ready to give yourself, I'll be here." He cupped her chin in her hand, pulling her face around to look at him. "But I'm not Brad, Grace. I want all of you. Not just the part you're willing to give me."
He didn't let go of her chin, and she blinked at him, unable to form words.
"It's okay. I can wait. I'm patient. Of course, I may not have as long to wait as I once did." He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. It was just a touch, but her breath caught in her throat, and she let out a small gasp.
"So, it's done then? You're human? No matter what I say?"
He took another swig of water, finishing the bottle off. "I'm hungry, thirsty, sleepy, and lusty." He waggled his eyebrows at her, good-naturedly. "I'd say it's pretty much a done deal." His face became serious as he clutched her hand. "But I don't think the Boss would have made it a complete metamorphosis if you didn't feel the way you do. You just need to realize it, now."
Uri interrupted them. "You guys ready to go? I'm starved."
They went to a restaurant that Grace suggested when Heather expressed a desire for good, fresh seafood.
It was a casual place, on the wharf, and when they got there, Uri found a booth that was set apart from other diners. Grace called Bree and Nicole, and they met them there, Bree gawking over the hunky addition to the group, while Nicole was polite. Heather greeted them graciously.
"I understand you ladies like to go out dancing from time to time?" As they seated themselves, Heather broke the silence.
Bree answered, "Yeah, it's a good way to blow off steam. There's a great dance club not too far from here."
"We'll be in town tonight and tomorrow, do you think we could go?"
Nicole shrugged, but the twinkle in her eye belied her indifference. Bree, on the other hand was visibly excited at the prospect. "Yeah, we haven't been to the Lounge since the storm. I'm sure it's back up to speed."
They all turned to Grace, who felt Rafe's hand squeeze her knee under the table, sending shivers up her spine. She wasn't sure if the squeeze meant to go dancing, or to stay in, but she readily agreed. "Sure, I'm always up for a little dancing."
As they chatted and ate, Grace watched Uri and Rafe. They weren't opposites in appearance, more like complimentary. Uri was a golden boy, blond hair, crystalline blue eyes, and he carried himself with a demeanor of tranquil introspection.
Rafe was darker, with longer auburn hair, those amazing green eyes, and an irreverence that seemed to seep from his pores. They were both extremely fit men, as evidenced earlier on the volleyball court. But where Rafe was tall and wide, Uri was leaner, with a more wiry build.
Both men were attractive in their own right, but experience with Rafe told Grace he was caring, funny, generous, and self-assured. Her memory traveled to the hurricane, where he'd put all of her own needs ahead of his. Even before things got bad, he'd gone shopping for things that he'd hoped would be fun for her. She remembered the movie night, before they lost power. His eagerness coupled with uncertainty over the movies he'd chosen. Her heart melted a little at the memory.
His hand was still on her knee, perfectly still, yet managing to spread warmth all down her leg with the contact. She rested her palm on top of it, stroking the back of his hand lightly. She could feel the raised veins pulsing, and she was aware of his shudder at the contact. Grace felt a thrill of pleasure at the idea that she affected him as much as he affected her.
After consuming an enormous amount of food, mostly eaten by Uri and Rafe, the group went back to the mainland hotel to get ready for a night of dancing.
"Oh my gawd, girl!" Bree gushed, when they got back into their room. Rafe had excused himself to get dressed in Uri's room. "Does he have
any other brothers? Hook a sister up!"
Grace giggled, wondering what Bree would think if she knew the truth about Rafe and Uri. "Um, yeah. He does, but I don't know where they are."
"Well, it's too bad Uri's taken, but Heather seems nice. And it's obvious that Rafe only has eyes for you, girl."
"Whatever," Grace scoffed, secretly pleased that he was so obvious with his affection, but still unsure what to do with it. She knew what he was, but wasn't comfortable with the idea of forever.
Nicole spoke up. "So, are you two going out? Like, is it official?"
Grace shrugged, "I'm not sure. I think he wants more than I'm ready to give him."
Nicole's eyes widened. "You're not going to sleep with him? He's god-awful sexy and looks like he'd be better than Brad. Something about him tells me he knows how to make a girl happy, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, it's not that. He wants more than sex, and I'm not sure I want to give him that. You know?" Grace was at a loss to explain anything further. Her roommates wouldn't believe the archangel business, any more than she had at first. And if she brought the "L" word into the mix, they would laugh her right out of the hotel room.
"Well, it's obvious he wants more than sex." Nicole stopped straightening her hair and looked at Grace squarely. "He's got it bad, Grace. I've never seen a man look at anybody the way he looks at you. If a guy looked at me with half the love in his eyes that Rafe looks at you with, I'd be all over him in a heartbeat. That man would do anything for you."
Bree chimed in with, "And he has, Grace. He stayed with you during the hurricane, saved you from being carried away to Oz in the tornado, helped you get to shelter. All of that. He didn't have to do any of it. And he barely knew you, then. And he almost died doing it!"
Grace thought about what her friends said, as she continued getting ready. She had never truly given herself to a guy before, not in the sense Rafe was looking for. She had constant reminders in her mother's phone calls of what happened when you give yourself completely to a man.
You got used.
Nicole was better at reading her thoughts than Bree was, and she said, "He's not Carl, Grace. And you're not your mother. You need to see where this goes."
"We just want you to be happy, Grace."
"I'm perfectly happy without a man, ladies. I don't need Rafe to be happy."
"Maybe not, but he couldn't hurt." That was Nicole's reply, before she turned back to the mirror and her hair straightener.
Grace couldn't stop the thought, yes, he could.
An hour and a half later, the girls were on their way down to the lobby, giggling in the elevator. Uri, Heather and Rafe were waiting in the lobby. Rafe's laughter at something Uri was saying stilled in his throat as he saw Grace. Uri let out a low wolf-whistle as the girls approached. Rafe's eyes never left Grace as they walked slowly over the where the girls were standing.
The intensity of his gaze riveted Grace, made Bree giggle, and elicited a jab in her ribs from Nicole, who whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "See that look? That's what I'm talking about, Grace."
Nicole and Bree faded into the background as Rafe descended on Grace, his walk and face suddenly taking on a predatory feel. Grace felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights, unable to move or even look away, as her destiny approached.
The closer he got to her, the harder her heart pounded, the warmer she got, the more confused she felt.
The look on his face was definitely predatory, but underneath that was a look of desire, tenderness, and even reverence. Feeling his eyes on her, Grace felt an undeniable sensation of being taken care of, being cherished. As if anything she could possibly think of to do, he would be okay with…
When he reached her, Rafe gathered her in his arms, and whispered in her ear, "You look lovely, the most beautiful girl in the room."
His voice against her ear was soft, and tickled. Grace leaned up and kissed his lips, a soft brush of skin against skin. His hands went to her hips, squeezing gently.
His voice continued against her ear, "I would like to talk to you, soon."
Grace gazed into his eyes. "Haven't we done enough talking?"
His eyebrows rose in surprise. "Have we? I don't think so. There's still some things I don't seem to understand."
"Y'all ready?" Heather's voice came up from behind them.
"Sure." Rafe answered her easily, as if he couldn't feel the tension between him and Grace at all.
The dance club was packed, just like Grace liked it. Sweaty bodies crammed against each other on the dance floor, bodies pulsing to the rhythm of the house beat. As usual, she immediately made a bee line for the dance floor, Heather at her heels, while everybody else went to get drinks and a table to call base.
Grace was impressed with Heather's dancing. She knew that she taught ballet, but the way she moved brought to mind her previous, more carnal line of work. Grace did her best to keep up with the sinewy motions of the other woman, but quickly gave up, losing herself to her own head. When she felt Rafe's arms on her waist, she lost all thoughts of dancing altogether, and just went to wherever her body took her with him.
The press of him against her backside caused a fount of rushing emotions. A certain sense of serenity fell upon her, at the same time as an incredible heat rushed through her body. She almost came apart with the intensity of the feelings coursing through her and surprised at the ache of desire that she felt. She turned in his arms, until she was facing him, and saw the same emotions cross his face. Grabbing the front of his tee shirt, she led him off the dance floor and into a back hallway, where there was a modicum of privacy, although the noise level was still pretty high.
Her emotional state was still too high for her to speak, so she just pushed him against a wall and held him there, her eyes locked with his, hand on his chest.
Rafe didn't fight her, if anything, he seemed uncertain of what she would do next and curious to see what would happen. She had to admit, she was curious, too.
"Now that we're alone, I'm not sure what to do." She began hesitantly.
He put a finger over her mouth, tracing her bottom lip. "I know what I want you to do." Involuntarily, her lips parted, at the sensation of his smooth fingertips on her skin. Rafe's finger traced her jaw line, then ran down her neck to her collarbone, leaving goose bumps in its wake. Grace trembled under his touch, pressing her body closer to his in the confined space. The atmosphere had filled with sparks, and each touch of his fingertips left a trail of static across her skin, until she was itchy all over, and she squirmed.
"Grace…" His eyelids drooped. His voice was husky with desire, and Grace wished they hadn't come dancing at all.
"Do you think…" She didn't know how to ask for what she wanted. "Can we leave?"
He chuckled at her obvious discomfort. "Are you ready to give me what I want?"
She swallowed hard. She knew what he wanted, and she still didn't know if she could give it to him. Stalling for more time to gather her lusty thoughts, she asked the obvious question, "What do you want, Rafe?"
He lowered his mouth to hers, in a gentle kiss. His lips were soft against hers, questing, as his tongue traced her lower lip the way his finger had done before. She eagerly opened up to his mouth with a whimper, pressing her body against him again. As soon as her mouth was open, he took possession of it, his tongue claiming it as his hands went around her waist, hauling her up against his body. His muscles were taut, as if he was a spring coiled up tight, just ready for action. Grace's trembling increased as her need for him intensified. The burning hunger that she felt for Rafe could not be quenched with just a kiss, and suddenly, Grace was afraid that nothing could ease the hunger.
Her fingers twirled around the ponytail at the nape of his neck, tugging gently on the tie he was using to hold it back. When his hair was free, she buried her fingers in it, as she continued to kiss him.
Rafe spun her around, so that she had her back against the wall, and he lifted her up. Grace wrapped he
r legs around his waist, and he leaned against her, so that she could feel the powerful evidence of his arousal through his jeans. The coarse seam pressed against her core, as he ground his hips against her. A guttural moan escaped from somewhere deep inside her, and she didn't recognize it as her own.
Still holding her up against the wall, Rafe broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers, absorbing her ragged breathing.
"That's not all I want, Grace."
"You want to sleep with me." Grace was so turned on right now, she was completely okay with the notion.
"No." He didn't let go of her, his grip didn't lessen, and he didn't break eye contact. Eyes intensely staring deep inside her, her vision clouded with the now familiar green haze that she attributed to Rafe's presence inside her mind.
For the first time since realizing that's what it signified, she wasn't angry at him.
"I want all of you, Grace. I want you to give yourself to me and know that I would never do anything to hurt you. Do you understand? I need your love."
She gulped, trying to tamp down the desire that still threatened to overwhelm her. She had the need to kiss him again, to make him stop talking, to lick the Adam's apple that rose and fell when he spoke. Grace managed to suppress the urges that threatened to overwhelm her and lower her legs from around his waist, straighten her skirt, and nod dumbly. "I understand."
"But you're still not ready to do it, are you?"
She looked down at her feet, afraid to look at his face because she was scared she would tell him anything to get him to make her feel the feelings that his touch promised. She slowly shook her head from side to side. "I don’t know." She swallowed again, feeling like shit.
Surprisingly, he embraced her, his warm arms enveloping her as he kissed the top of her head. "That's okay. I can wait." Grabbing her hand, he led her back out into the main part of the club. He found Uri and said something in his ear that Grace couldn't hear, and Uri looked at her and nodded, taking a sip of his water. Making a shooing gesture to the both of them, he turned back to watch his wife dance with a gleam in his eye.
"Where are we going?" Grace yelled to Rafe as he led her out of the club.
