Blood of Cupids (4 page)

Still, it was too much. Between my head spinning from the
beer, my insides stirring from the tracing of my palm, and the personal
questions, I was just about to explode.

“Yes. She was.” I made sure my sentence sounded final.

He seemed content with that answer, not begging for more. I
was grateful.

“Do you have a last name, Grace?”

“B…”

I started to say it, but stopped myself short. What if he’d
heard of my family? I knew it was a long shot, but I didn’t want anything to
cause this night to end. I didn’t want him to see me as the daughter of Patrick
“Bowie” Brennan. I wanted him to see me as Grace—just normal Grace.

“No, it is just Grace… for now.”

“Okay just Grace.” He seemed disappointed, but
understanding.

It was obvious I was not ready for any more questions that
would cause me to open up to this stranger.

With that evident roadblock to our conversation, Ryan slid
my pint toward me, indicating for me to finish.

“So you
are
trying to get me drunk.”

“Absolutely.” He smiled.

I couldn’t handle it anymore. I didn’t want to talk, but my
body was completely ready to cross that line. I took a giant gulp and threw
myself at him, wrapping my arms around him and smashing my lips to his. It
wasn’t elegant by any means. It was a complete drunken, sloppy kiss, but I
didn’t care. We found our rhythm. I climbed on top of him, my legs straddling
his hips. His hands discovered my lower back and slipped up my sweater,
caressing my untouched skin. I pulled away, wanting to see him. I wanted to see
his beautiful face. What had this night turned into? How had I come to meet
this overpowering man?

He nodded to me, and I nodded in return. Ryan spread his
hands around my hips and lifted me onto him as he stood. He pushed through the
door, and crossed the street. I needed to kiss him again. I was addicted. I
squeezed my legs, attempting to get closer to him. I felt him reach into my
pocket; this was escalating quickly, and not an ounce of me cared to stop it.
My attention moved to his hand, which seemed to be searching for something. I
felt his fist clench as he pulled out my keys. My keys? I broke our kiss and
looked around. We were at my door.

“How did you know I lived here?” I ask, pushing away from
him.

She was sweet, different. It was simple, normal even, to
talk to someone who knew nothing about me. All the other girls in and out of my
bed were constantly grabbing for information about the “life”. They found our
club fascinating, and were only counting how many dicks they had to suck before
one of us asked them to be an “ol’ lady”.

It was also refreshing to know that there was no way Grace
had ever slept with my Pops. That was always an interesting conversation to
have.

I shouldn’t have asked about her mother. I clam up when
people ask about mine; why would I have done the same? She seemed to become
hesitant, not even willing to give me her last name. If this night were heading
in the direction I was planning, I would need to steer clear of anything that
personal. More beer would help.

I slid her glass closer to her without breaking our eye
contact.

“So you
are
trying to get me drunk.”

“Absolutely.” Was it weird how adorable I thought she was,
or that I kept using that word to describe her? It was like I was talking about
a kitten: a fucking hot kitten with a body that needed to be released from the
confines of her clothes.

Before I could take another breath, she pounced on me. My
jeans tightened instantly. My body was not used to this much talking before any
action. Her knees slammed to either side of my hips and the idea of being
inside of her was flooding my thoughts. I wanted her skin. My hand slipped up
the back of her ribbed sweater. She was so soft against my calloused fingers. I
wanted to dig in, to claim her as my own.

She pulled away. Had I done something too wrong? Was she
startled by the thickness growing beneath her weight? No. Her eyes were just
below the level of extreme desire. She wanted me, but was trying to play timid.
There was no need for that. This was the part I was good at.

I nodded, asking her permission. With her, I’d be a
gentleman—for now. At her positive response, I ploughed my fingers into her
hips and lifted her as I stood. She was lighter than I thought she’d be, and
I’m stronger than I look. I assured myself yet again that this was going to be
fun. I deserved this fun.

For the first time, I found myself wishing that my apartment
wasn’t a shit hole. Still, I didn’t know this girl, and the time it would take
to get the ten miles to my place might be just enough time for her to sober up
and realize she didn’t know the man with whom she was about to crawl into bed.
Lucky for me, I knew she lived right across the street.

I crossed the streets with ease, even though our faces were
plastered together. This didn’t feel like habit as so many of my other
conquests have. It felt like passion. Grace was definitely something else. She
was something I had yet to experience.

My instincts were solely set on finding her bed, and without
even a thought, I slid my hand into her back pocket. Her body was firm, and her
ass tensed at my touch. Yes, there was a body under her clothes and it was
about to be claimed as mine. I pulled her keys to freedom, but the sound of the
metal caused her to look up. A hint of concern spread across her face.

“How did you know I lived here?”

Shit. My mind was clouded beyond judgment. I hadn’t thought
of this issue. How was I going to explain that I was stunned by her beauty, her
innocence, and followed her into the bar, hoping to learn more? I was so good
at lying. Why couldn’t I think of one damn excuse?

“I saw you leaving your apartment and I was stunned by your
beauty, your innocence, so I followed you into the bar, hoping to learn more.”

Fuck. Seriously? Did I not have a filter anymore? Why the
hell was I compelled to not lie to this girl? That was it. I’d definitely
fucked up my chances.

“What?” She paused. “Wait, so when you were looking around
in the bar, it was for me?”

I had already laid the groundwork for my sexless evening,
might as well get it over with. “Yup.” I couldn’t even look at her. It was
fucking embarrassing. How had it all turned to shit so quickly?

I softened my grip, allowing her to unwrap her legs from my
hips, but instead she grabbed my face, forcing eye contact.

“Thank you.”

What? Why was she thanking me? I didn’t get to ask why, for
in the next second, our tongues were entwined, and she was pulling at my shirt.
I would have to thank the two pitchers of beer for eliminating the creepy
factor of our first encounter.

“Grace. Grace.”

“What?” She breathlessly whispered in reply.

“We need to go inside.”

She looked around, realizing that her hands had already
undone the button on my jeans.

“Right. Okay.”

She loosened the command of her thighs and climbed off of
me. My hips felt empty. I wanted to be closer. I needed to be closer. She
grabbed my hand, pulling me through the doors of the brownstone, and up a
single flight of stairs. She stuck the key into the keyhole, but the implied
action was overwhelming. I flipped her around and slammed my body up against
hers. Her knee slid up my thigh and I grabbed her ass and pulled her into me. I
didn’t want to hide my hunger, my readiness, for her. She gave a slight yelp as
I pushed into her hips. Yes. She had no idea what was in store for her. I
turned the knob and allowed the door to swing open from our combined weight.

Wow. Her apartment was gorgeous. What kind of money did this
girl come from? I was very happy with the decision to not travel to my
apartment. Things would have turned out quite differently had she seen how I
kept my place, especially now that our damn prospect didn’t have to do every
menial thing I asked of him. 

I threw her onto the brown leather couch, and watched her
jaw drop slightly as I peeled off my hoodie. Yes, this was the part I was good
at. I crawled on top her, letting her enjoy my weight. I slipped my hand under
her chin and lifted her lips to mine. Now I’d take it slow. I had her. She was
mine tonight.

I slid her lips between mine, tasting every bit of her sweet
breath. My fingers combed into her hair and I felt her body chill beneath mine.
I rocked my hips, making sure she knew what she was in for, and she tilted in
return. I couldn’t remember the last time I had this much fun enticing a woman.

It was time to take it up a notch. I grabbed the base of the
cinched sweater, and caressed her body as I brought the shirt over her head.
The act tousled her hair, causing my breath to catch slightly as I was hit with
the fruity scent of what I could only assume was her shampoo. I quickly caught
myself, reminding my desire that I now could take in the body that lay beneath
me. Her skin was pale, matching the color of her face. Her bra was tight and
overflowing, as her chest had risen in response to my seduction. I couldn’t
keep my hands off of her. My palm spread across her chest, wanting to take her
neck between my fingers, reminding her that she was mine. Not yet. I wasn’t
about to scare her off before getting what I wanted, and I wanted her. I wanted
to be inside. I wanted her warmth to encompass me. How much longer could I
allow this seduction to continue before I took her as mine?

My finger traced her collarbone, tickling her skin beneath
my touch. My lips moved to her neck, and she arched into me.

“Calm down, Grace, or this evening will end too soon.”

Her only response was a small exhale of breath. My kisses
traced the curves of her body, and I found myself sliding down to the floor,
eye level with her naval. A small indent ran down the middle of her stomach,
begging me to travel quicker to my final destination. I looked up at her,
needing to ensure her ecstasy. Her head was arched back, and she was lightly
panting. I hadn’t even gotten to the good stuff yet.

My fingers worked quickly, pulling her pants from her body,
and witnessing the masterpiece that was about to be mine. She looked untouched.
No scars, no tattoos, only perfect, pearl skin. And I was about to take it. I
lowered my mouth to the satin barrier lying between her and my desire, and blew
my hot breath. She inhaled deeply, and I couldn’t help but smile. It was a
wicked smile. I felt positively wicked, and I loved every second of it. This
was exactly how I wanted to celebrate. What had I rightly done for karma to
grant me this woman tonight?

I needed her lips again. I crawled on top of her and took
her mouth in mine. I felt pearls of sweat forming on her chest. This was too
easy. It was time to move to a less constrictive region of the apartment. I
cupped her ass and rocked back, swinging us both to our feet. From there, I
quickly caught the back of her knees and cradled her petite frame to my chest.
I looked down at her and smiled. Her expression halted me. I couldn’t quite
make it out. She was obviously turned on, and perhaps still drunk, but there
was something about her that I was missing. Still, I wasn’t the type of guy to
stop and ask for directions, and I wasn’t about to let a thoughtful stare end
the plans I had for her tonight.

I made my way down a small hallway and found an open door
containing a bed. Perfect. I took it all in. It was definitely her bedroom.
There was a small window seat with a pile of books neatly sprawled out.
Otherwise, the room was immaculate. For some reason I expected more pink.
Instead, the colors were dark. There were splashes of emerald green, but other
than that, the brightness I had seen in her up until this point was not mirrored
in her choice of surroundings. I guess we all have a dark side.

I placed her on the bed and gave her a small kiss before
kicking my pants to the ground. My intentions were obvious as I took my place
above her. I reached under and unhooked her bra, releasing her still taut
breasts. They were full and peaked, begging for me to taste. I did not deny
their call, and her hands found their way to my back as I took her in. I
suckled harder, wanting more, needing more of her. Her nails dug and my back
prickled from the muted pain. That was it. I couldn’t take it anymore. My hands
discovered the satin barrier and I began to tug. I felt her hands leave my
back, and then everything came to a stop. I pulled up, catching her stare.

“You okay?” My words were forceful, deliberate. I can’t say
I was happy she had stilled my passion.

“Yes.” She was cautious.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ryan,” it took her forever to form the words, “I’ve never…”
What was she trying to tell me and why was it taking so long?

“What?”

She was silent. My need for her hadn’t ceased, and this
brief pause pissed me off. I sat up. “Grace, what the hell?”

“I’m a…”

Her eyes filled with sorrow and fear, and it dawned on me
what she was attempting to tell me. Oh God, I hoped I was reading her wrong.

“You’re a…” I couldn’t even say the word. It was so far from
my knowledge.

She nodded, apologetically.

Fuck.