by J. C. Allen
Jaxson finally relented. It was easy to see that this was weighing on him far more than anything we’d encountered in the past year or so.
“Yeah. Maybe. But I don’t want to alarm them about anything yet. Not until they get back from their honeymoon.”
That, we could all agree upon.
“Yeah, okay.”
I stood up and tried to shake this shitty conversation from my head. I knew it was going to stick with me for some time.
“I have to take Grace home. Let me know if you need anything.”
Both of my brothers gave me curious looks as I left, but I ignored them. I wasn’t in much of a mood to talk something as lighthearted as Grace and I, anyways. I walked back out into the bar area and found Grace wiping the bar top.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
There was no way in hell I was going to tell her what just happened. In fact, I was glad she could resume normal conversation with me and give me a reason to talk about literally anything else. It made me smile a bit, shaking the grimness off from earlier. Her eyes were bright as she smiled at me naturally.
“Yeah,” I lied. “We can go. Did you count your tips?”
I walked around the bar and put my jacket back on, noticing how she watched me when I did. They weren’t exactly eyes of someone who was nervous to look at me—they were much more intense. She blinked quickly and looked off into space when she realized I was staring at her.
“Uh, yeah. Do we split it?”
“Nah, you keep it.”
She gave a shocked look and widened her eyes.
“But it’s like three hundred dollars.”
Does it matter that badly to her? Jesus, she’s gotten into a bad spot.
Admittedly, it was a lot for one bar night, but I was not surprised at the way this night went with the way Grace controlled the bar. After all, we did run out of all our vodka and most of our beer.
“I own the place hun, I don’t need half of it. You keep it.”
“Oh. Okay. Thanks, Matthew.”
She grabbed the wad of cash and stuffed it in her mini-purse.
“You ready?”
“Yeah. We don’t have to clean up?” she asked in her sweet, soft voice.
I laughed, relieved for something to laugh at.
“God no, that’s for the prospects.”
Like Jason. The one who just died. So much for laughing.
I knew Jaxson would still tell the cops, but we couldn’t exactly mention being in the middle of a possible war with a mafia we had never even seen before outside of Rosella’s uncle.
I had a bad feeling that what happened last year was nothing compared to what was coming.
I pulled up to Grace’s place, relishing the feeling of her body pressed against mine before she got off.
“I’ll walk you to your door.”
I stopped her when she stepped off and stuffed the helmet in my seat. I didn’t want to say I was afraid of my shit getting stolen out here, but… OK, I probably was just a little bit.
“Thanks,” she said, not nearly as resistant to my help as she had been last night at the wedding.
She stuffed her hands in her thin jean jacket and walked next to me. I glanced down at her watching the ground like she just learned to walk. Poor girl was so nervous, it was kind of cute.
“Can I ask you a question?” I said.
“Yeah.”
She looked up at me as we prepared to climb the staircase to her place. I had to get this question out before I left her; I felt pretty good about my chances of seeing her again, but after what I saw with Jason… well, I didn’t want to leave anything to chance.
“In high school, you were one of the rich kids that got bussed in, and you have this purse on.”
I continued even though she rolled her eyes. Maybe there’s a story with that purse.
“Given all of that, why do you live somewhere like this?” I asked.
She sighed and looked up at me.
“My parents are rich. But I’m not.
That didn’t seem like the full story. Surely, there was more to it than that. Rich parents usually had rich kids; it just worked that way.
But she did not seem willing to say anything else. There wasn’t anything else that she was ready to say to me, and I wasn’t about to try and pry it out of her. Not when things were going so well after such a shitty revelation in the office.
So I just nodded in understanding. She walked off to her door. I didn’t say anything else but followed her, wanting to make sure she got to her place fine.
But then, when we reached the door, a pink letter had been posted. That could only mean one thing that Grace began to slowly realize.
“Is that an eviction notice?”
6
Grace
I stared at the door, keys in my hand and eyes wide open.
The drop of shock made me sick to my stomach. I reached out with shaky fingers to take the paper that said I had three days to pay in full. I won’t have all the money in three days. I’ m over three months behind as it is.
I’m… I’m…
No…
The landlord had told me that he would wait for me. I had told him as soon as I got the job at the bar too, but clearly… that wasn’t enough. I had gotten played, and now, I was getting this damn eviction notice. I wasn’t getting out of this—I doubted even my parents could have sent money over fast enough, yet even now, I shuddered at the idea.
“Grace? You okay?”
Matthew’s hand came down on my shoulder and squeezed. It made me realize I was holding the letter and shaking from the terror of being homeless soon. About the only thing I could think of was to rob a bank, and I didn’t have the guts, knowledge, or freedom of spirit to attempt something so audacious. It just wasn’t…
Fuck.
“Yeah. I have to go.”
I unlocked my door, but in the process of stepping inside, he grabbed my hand. I spun around to face him, just wanting to get on with my day.
“Well I don’t want to leave you upset. Let me come inside.”
That made the tears well over in my eyes and embarrassingly fall down my cheeks as I nodded. He gave me a soft smile and stepped inside. At least it was warm in here—they hadn’t cut out the heating yet.
But heaven knew that as soon as I paid the rent—if such a miracle occurred—that would probably get ended as well.
I moved to sit on my couch. Matthew followed me there, seating me, and then said he was getting me something to drink. He came back with two cans of sparking water. They were my last two, and I knew I wouldn’t be getting groceries anytime soon. Guess we’re really about to find out what it’s like to be homeless, huh.
“Thanks, Matthew.”
I cuddled up on my couch, crossing my legs as I wrapped my blanket around my shoulders. He sat a reasonable distance away on the other end of the couch, but I still inhaled his scent with every breath and felt his presence on every other one.
It was about the only good thing that I could cling to in that moment.
“No problem. Were you uh, not expecting that?”
He took a swig of the water and made a face at the sparkle. So much for him not figuring it out. Fucking pink piece of paper was right there for everyone in the world to see!
“No, I wasn’t.”
I sighed and gave up on the water. I set it on the table next to my purse and looked at it with anger. It made me want to cry again, thinking of all the things I would have to leave behind.
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s not your fault.”
I wiped my stuffy eyes and turned to face him. He dropped his can and leaned across the couch to me. The rough, warm expanse of his hand covered my cheek, and I leaned into him. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I was so weak, I just wanted anything to prop me up—no matter how bad it might be in the long term.
“I have a spare room at my house, you could stay there.”
“What? No I couldn
’t impose.”
I shook my head, but his hand stayed firm as his thumb moved down to start grazing my neck. I was slowly feeling my will to resist any advances—perceived or real—vanish.
“You wouldn’t be, my house is pretty big, you might not ever see me. Plus, Michael is there right now, so you would be helping me out. And it would only be until you get another place. A safer place, maybe.”
I stared back at him in shock. He seemed like an even kinder person for offering it to me in the first place, which was certainly not helping my less than innocent crush on him. I could not live with him for that reason alone. Being just down the hall from him while we slept, or when I was showering and he was so close by, or knowing he was naked close by too… no way.
Plus, it was way too much, moving into his bachelor pad. It would hardly be fair.
And yet, what other option did I have?
Still, out of perhaps stupid, stubborn pride, I kept looking for reasons that it wouldn’t work.
“I don’t know Matthew, it sounds like a lot of work,” I whispered.
“Well, this place doesn’t seem much better to me.”
He grinned, hitting me with that glint in his eye. It was almost blinding. It wasn’t doing me any favors for my ability to withstand the temptation.
“I know it isn’t. But you’re…you.”
“Right, and I make you nervous for some reason?”
His hand moved to my shoulder, which he rubbed with his thumb. His other hand held the dip of my waist and hips, and I heated up more and more at his presence.
“Yes. Yes you do..”
I cleared my throat and playfully shoved his knee… but my hand lingered. He was so warm, it seemed incomprehensible the heat that he brought inside and outside of me.
“Why?”
“Because…”
My heart rate picked up, beating with the space of my breath.
“I like you Matthew. I have since high school.”
It felt like I had lost a hundred pounds admitting that, but it felt good. There had been so many moments over the previous couple of days when I thought I would have said it, and it sucked horribly that it took a damn eviction for me to say it. But, better late than never.
“I like you too, Grace.”
My eyes widened at that. He grinned at me, causing me to flush even more. It was my best case scenario, but also my worst case for staying calm.
“Why?”
He laughed his breezy, booming laugh. He shrugged his heavy shoulders and, in one swoop, he lifted me onto his lap so that I straddled him. The heat between my legs spread and pooled up even more when I felt the length of his cock there. Is this about to happen? Is this really about to happen?
“Because you’re different.”
“Different?” I said.
I knew he meant it as a compliment rationally, but emotionally, hearing that just never felt quite right.
“Yeah. You know how to be yourself. You know how to make me laugh without even trying. I want you.”
He gripped my hips and pressed me closer to him. I gave up trying to fight it.
“I—I want you too…”
Suddenly, it felt like all my dreams had come true, even when I was going to be homeless and felt like I had nothing. But I didn’t have “nothing.” I get to have him.
I didn’t know for how long or even to what extent; maybe he just wanted to fuck me, and that was it. I didn’t know, and I was admittedly a little scared of finding out the answer. But he was looking at me now with gold in his eyes, from simply seeing me, and I felt like a new person. I had to think, right or wrong, that he wouldn’t have looked at me like that if all he wanted was just sex.
I leaned forward. He met me halfway, planting a kiss on me that I felt in all my toes. My hands flew to his hair, long enough to reach his neck, and pull backed, deepening the kiss. He held me harder and grinded me over his cock. I mewled against his mouth just as he slipped his tongue against mine. My body fluttered with anticipation.
I had been here before with him, hotly making out and wanting to make the first move but not being able to. It was the kind of thing where I just needed him to break the barrier to my first time; I felt like once that happened, an entire world of sexual options would open up with him and I would get to have the most insane sexual encounters with him.
But I still needed him to go first.
I ran my hands down the front of his hard pecs and six pack, relishing the warmth of him as he kissed me right down to my soul. I broke for breath, catching his eyes on me as he breathed heavily. I inhaled his minty scent, mixed with the sips of alcohol he had and the pine that blew through the wind as he rode on his bike. It swirled around in my head as I was left wondering how much more I could get of him.
My hands stopped at the waistband of his jeans, my palms brushing the hardness of his cock. A bit in shock, I shivered. I had never felt it on my hand where I could take advantage. He bit his lip, looking at me with that intriguing smolder.
This was the moment.
“Grace…” he said with a soft warning tone.
I shook my head at him, undoing his belt, then his button, then the zipper. He was getting harder by the second. When I touched him thorough his briefs, I think it may have been a rock instead. His groan was of appreciation when I reached further down.
The way he said my name. The gasp he gave.
That was the push I needed. That was him breaking the barrier.
Now…
Let’s go.
I took his cock in my hand. I gasped at the heat of him, the weight, the feeling of it all. I licked my lips and moved in to kiss him. Even though I had crossed a new line I had never crossed—or perhaps because of it—I was still nervous as hell. A swarm of thoughts ran through my head at my inexperience and not knowing what to do. I sighed with relief, though, when he turned his head into the kiss and covered his hand with mine, drawing it up and over his tip leaking with fluid.
He went faster, and I started to turn my hand when he groaned at liking it. He moved his hand away afterward, letting me take over. I had the confidence that I knew what I was doing, or at least I knew what I was doing with Matthew specifically.
I continued to go faster and faster as he seemed to get even harder. As I breathed into his mouth, he breathed into mine. We shared the same heat as I pushed him further over the edge.
And then, much to my surprise, it all released when he gripped my ass and exploded on the lower exposed part of my stomach. I gasped at the heat as he shuddered and shook until he finished. I had to release his throbbing cock reluctantly, because it felt like letting go of my control over him.
But I had done it.
Well, I hadn’t done “it.” But we had gone further than I ever had in my life, and it was empowering. It was invigorating. And he hadn’t even touched me yet! The feeling that more things like that were to come was intoxicating.
I got up to clean myself. When I came back, he had tucked himself away and remained on the couch with a sly grin.
“That was hot.”
“Um… yeah,” I agreed, smiling a lot.
“Any thoughts on moving in yet?” he followed up.
You have impeccable timing for trying to ask such questions, don’t you?
I smiled at him as he stood, ready to go. I didn’t want him to leave.
That was mostly because I knew he wasn’t going to like the answer, no matter how much I liked gripping his member in my hands.
“I can’t Matthew,” I said, my smile fading. “I mean, I barely know you. It is very nice of you, but I couldn’t impose.”
“You mean resist me?” he said, arching his brow and tucking a stray hair behind my ear.
“Sure,” I said, but it was more just going along with the joke than actually agreeing with him.
He chuckled and shook his head. I didn’t blame him for not getting me; I’m not sure I understood myself, either.
“That’s fine. You might
feel different when you officially get kicked out on your ass.”
“Whatever Matthew,” I said, rapidly losing the good feelings that our sexual encounter had just given me.
He smiled softly at me and tilted his head at me. Such a sweet, empathic look was making it very hard to stay angry at him.
“Grace, I worry about you.”
Oh, Matthew…
“You don’t have to. I’ll be—”
“At least come over and see Michael. He asks about you.”
I sighed. I loved that kid, and I couldn’t say no to him if I tried. Damn you, Matthew, figuring out my actual weak point.
“Okay, I will. Tomorrow morning.”
“Cool. Thank you.”
I couldn’t waste any more time, though. If he stayed longer, I might have wound up saying yes.
I walked him out. He kissed me again with a real goodnight before disappearing.
I waited until I heard him rev off on his bike before I took myself up on that good cry and shower, wondering just what the fuck my life was to become in about seventy-two hours.
7
Matthew
It didn’t sit right with me to leave her there, but I still did. Grace left me no choice.
I had no idea how to care about her or show her that I did without making a fool of myself or making her feel bad. It was, honestly, something that I had never done before, and I didn’t want to try it out on her. She looked at me like I hang the sun in the sky, but I didn’t. Never had.
Now I knew why she was hesitant both times we almost had sex. As much as I liked to think about it, I didn’t know if I could be the one to do that. I would want her all the time, and I didn’t know if I was good enough to keep her.
And yet you invited her to live with you. It’s like you want to cause yourself trouble.
Or you like her so much, you’re willing to embrace the trouble to try and make it happen.
For the moment, though, I had to move on with my evening. When I swung by mom’s place to pick up Michael, she was in the living room watching television with him.
