"Been there, done that. I don't follow strange men around.” Grace knew she sounded like a little goody two shoes, but being proper was all she had as a defense.
"You let strange men sleep in your bed.” Damn if that bed didn't make him dream of her all night. Wrapped in her scent, it left him wanting to know what she'd feel like wrapped in his arms.
"No, I let a sick
guest
sleep in my bed.” Bedroom, bedroom, bedroom. All she could hear was bedroom, and all she could see was him in her bed. His hair just like it was now only it was like that in her mind because she had ran her hands through it.
"Oh. So, then you let a
guest
go traipsing off alone in a strange place. What if I got lost?” He feigned a fearful reaction. Maybe he could use her manners against her. He wondered how proper she was in bed. Could he get her to say please and thank you? That sent a lick up his spine.
He was twisting everything she said around on her. Since he could see her house from the street, she had to laugh at him. He was flirting. She was sure of it. The same way the boys at school tortured the girls in the halls. That innocent, I'm not sure how to tell you I like you, so I'll be stupid flirting. It was nice. He seemed nice, and God was he nice to look at.
Grace knew Ethan wouldn't really go for a girl like her. He was from the city. She watched HBO, and no way did she measure up. He was out of her league, but here he was flirting. He must be bored.
"Grace, what's the deal with this place again?” Megan stopped in front of the Courthouse and shifted her weight to one hip.
"Yeah, Grace, what's the deal?” Ethan bumped her again. He wanted her attention.
"You've got to be kidding me? You don't remember the courthouse?” Grace shifted her gaze from a smiling Ethan to a frustrated Megan, who looked at the map now.
Megan shrugged.
"Oh good grief!” Grace snatched the map from Megan and started up the tale of the courthouse. It was a nice distraction. Chase, Ethan, even Megan seemed genuinely interested to hear it. That filled her with confidence she didn't realize until then she was missing.
Since everyone was interested and encouraging her, she went on to talk about the rest of the buildings. Before she realized it, there were about seven people tailing them to hear her talk.
She volunteered with her mother once upon a time to do the tours and such. It felt good to relive it. The high school kids, her students, rarely wanted to come take the tours, but the grade school kids loved it. It gave her hope for a fun school year ahead.
Ethan looked her over with a new appreciation. Grace was smart, very educated and not just book smart. She was good with people. It didn't scare her to have a crowd of strangers around. She wasn't rude when the rough biker guy asked a question. She just answered. Grace was oblivious to his perusal of her though Ethan practically snarled at him for doing it.
He had never felt the need to protect a woman before, except family, and he had plenty of women in his family. Scaring off boyfriends for his cousins wasn't the same; it was fun. The sensation he felt when those men looked at Grace was different, more instinct, like a dog protecting property. It felt strange. Like she was his territory, he was two steps away from pissing a circle around her.
Finally the tour was over, and Megan had to have ice cream. Ethan stood on the boardwalk again prying conversation out of Grace.
"You sure know how to draw a crowd, woman.” Ethan rocked back and forth like he was going to jump on her at any minute. He felt like he would jump on her at any minute.
"I used to volunteer.” Grace looked up at him, shielding her eyes from the sun.
He had a lot of energy. He watched her intently the whole tour. She couldn't think of anything but his eyes and those lips. She wondered how those lips would feel against her skin, how he would taste. She started to wonder if he would have the same energy in the bedroom. She needed to buy more batteries. “I have to put more sun-block on."
"Hand it.” Ethan held out his hand. Megan and Chase were leaning on the rail at the waterfront sharing a cone. Though Grace had no problem eating cookies for breakfast, she said she didn't want ice cream for lunch.
Grace looked for Megan, but she was consumed by Chase. Was he licking her?
Damn their public displays.
"I can reach.” Grace fished in her purse and pulled out the tube. Wanting him to touch her and letting him was two different things. She squirted sun-block in her hand, and Ethan slapped his large hand over it scooping it up before she could protest.
"Turn around. I won't bite.”
At least not yet.
She stood there looking at him for a moment then slowly turned to face away from him. In less than a second, she was oh so glad she did.
Ethan was still working it over in his head how Grace just left him to his own devices. She was friendly, but she seemed to be that way with everyone. He tried playing with her, flirting, but got nothing. She was a real ice queen, a challenge.
He, of course, had never been challenged by a woman before. Therefore, chasing after Grace even for polite conversation was new to him. It was interesting; she was interesting. How long had he been rubbing her shoulders now?
Grace wanted to melt under his rough fingers. He rubbed the sun-block across her upper back and lifted the braid to rub it across her neck. He slid his fingers under the straps of her tank-top but over the straps of her bra to get all of her shoulders. It was like a massage, and she didn't want it to stop. He chatted her up at every turn, and she really didn't know what to say. No man had ever shown so much interest. Mitchell had known her since childhood. They didn't have to get to know each other. Ethan, she wanted to get to know him alright, inside and out.
"Grace.” Ethan stood in front of her now.
Her eyes were closed with her head tilted up and her glossy lips parted. She wanted him alright. He could see it in that face and those nipples. It was scorching hot outside; that wasn't from a breeze. He felt better about his own disposition now. His cock was semi hard and moving rapidly for his waistband.
Her skin was smooth and tempting, making him want to lather up the front as well. He spent way too long spreading the sun-block, even under the straps of her shirt, and she let him. He called her name again, “Grace."
"Humm,” she said slowly.
"I'm done.” Ethan dropped his voice a notch.
Her eyes snapped open, and her head fell forward.
"Oh.” She fought the blush.
"How are you so tan if you wear so much sun-block?” Ethan was curious. The woman used SPF 50 sport. She could land on the sun and not get a tan.
"What ... I don't. Ugh! It's sprayed on, okay.” The man asked the most personal questions. How can she answer him without getting flustered?
"Why do you do that?” Ethan had her talking, and he didn't want her to stop. He hated that she sprayed on a tan. She was beautiful, and he liked all her freckles. He wanted to see more of them. He really wanted to grab a pen and connect them into neat shapes and diagrams.
"To hide the freckles,” Grace said in a disgruntled tone. He really didn't know anything about polite conversation with a lady. “I hate them."
"I like your freckles. I think they're cute. Are they everywhere?” Ethan was swaying again. She had him pumped up with energy. Just talking to her was really getting him wound up. He never knew what she was going to say next.
"Comes with the territory.” Grace pulled at her red braid.
God, did he say he liked my freckles? He has to be kidding. Teasing me?
“Are you ADHD or something?"
"What?” Ethan stopped. That was a thinker. Why would she get that impression?
"You have been moving nonstop since the courthouse.” Grace looked up at him. Her skin still tingled from his touch. He had done more with a few moments than any other man had done in her life. Maybe she didn't need batteries. Maybe she needed one night with Ethan.
"Have I? Huh, I must just be all wound up from all this conversation we've been having.” He felt wound up but hadn't realized his body was showing it. That was very unlike him. He was always calm around women; they were always wound up around him. Until Grace that is.
"But I haven't been talking to you.” She raised a brow.
"EXACTLY!” He smiled. “See Megan and Chase, they are over there. You and me, we're over here. So, that means I have to depend on you, my
lovely
hostess, to entertain me.” He started swaying again, this time on purpose.
"Oh.” Grace sucked her bottom lip in. He was trying to be friendly, and she was being a bad host. She needed to stop thinking about his body and just lighten up. “Okay, well, we can go to the museum."
"Sounds good,” Chase said as he approached. Megan was clicking slower by the minute behind him.
Grace hoped she would sit down, so she could escape Ethan awhile. She wanted to ask Megan more about him. He wasn't at all what she was expecting. She liked him. Of course, he was gorgeous, but he was funny and flirty, and he paid her an unusual amount of attention. She didn't know what to do with him really. Well she did, but he was Chase's brother, so she wouldn't.
Once Megan and Chase were actively in the mix, it was easy to talk, mainly because they talked while Grace listened. Ethan did his best to include her. It was really becoming uncomfortable to have his full attention. She wasn't used to it. He pulled out her chair at lunch and dinner. He also let her order first. Mitchell never did any of those things.
He insisted she try what he had for dinner and made no hesitation to try her meal. He acted like he had known her forever, but he had only known her a day.
Of course, Grace and Megan didn't order desserts. Ethan and Chase did. Ethan insisted Grace try his. She reached for a spoon, but he gave her a bite off his own. Having him feed her, though it was innocent enough, seemed provocative. Maybe it was the look in his eye. Whatever it was, Grace was still burning from it.
Ethan always seemed so comfortable. She started to feel more relaxed around him in some ways like talking, but more wound up in others. Like the butterflies when he was sweet, and the lightning style fire when he touched her. Ever since he put the sun-block on, he touched her a lot. Not inappropriate touching but Grace felt the simple brushes like strokes of fire across her skin.
It was about nine thirty that night when they headed back to her house on Ann Street. She never would have believed she could spend a whole day in this town exploring, yet they had. Apparently Ethan and Chase had lived a fairly luxurious life full of travel. Though they decided against diving, they were set on surfing. Of course, Grace was afraid of the ocean, so she would delay the beach as best as she could.
The guys were both excited about the chance to surf and wondered if the waves would hold up to Hawaii. Grace had no idea what they were talking about, so she walked next to Ethan quietly. Her father died at sea, so her mother never took her to the beach. She had been a few times with Megan but never dared enter the water.
Out of nowhere, she felt his fingers clasp on to hers. It was impossible to pull away from them. They were behind Megan and Chase. Somehow that made it more thrilling. She dared a look upward to see him, and he was already looking at her. He gripped a little tighter and shook her hand slightly. Maybe her mood was too obvious. He was trying to comfort her or cheer her up.
What he was actually doing was giving her a heart attack. She relished the feel of her hand in his. The strength of his long fingers gripping hers made her feel somewhat protected. Her hand actually felt small in his. Not that she was constantly comparing, but her hand was the same size as Mitchell's, actually bigger. He let go as they started up the stairs to the porch.
Grace unlocked the door and let them all in.
Full from dinner at the Net House, everyone piled into the living room and stretched out. Chase sat in the lazy boy and reclined it. Megan sat on Chase pushing his blonde locks around with her fingers. Grace watched them as she settled in at one end of the couch. Ethan took his seat at the other. Intimacy, she never really shared that. Mitchell would barely hold her hand in public, yet Ethan had held it all the way home.
Ethan watched Grace as she studied his little brother and Megan. Something in her eyes looked sad and lonely. He felt the urge to just reach out and hold her but fought it. Hell, he didn't even know her other than what Megan told him and what little he found out today. Getting personal information out of Grace was proving to be a full time job.
He thought about it. She teaches high school English, her mother died four years ago, and she lives alone. Alone, in this huge house with no pets, no plants, it was creepy. The place was outdated, in desperate need of a makeover. How can she afford it? Teachers make no money. Maybe that's why it was outdated.
Here she was alone, doing it on her own with no help, unless there was another man in her life. That could explain things. He shook that thought off. For some strange reason picturing Grace with another man seemed wrong.
"I feel like I could explode,” Megan said.
"That's because your little belly never eats like that.” Chase rubbed her belly.
"I
wish
my belly didn't eat like that.” Grace pulled a pillow over her belly hugging it. “I'm surprised the Morehead City Dunkin Donuts hasn't called to check on me."
"Now, I don't believe that.” Ethan responded as his gaze focused on the ceiling. Grace had an amazing body. She had to be aware of it. She did eat though and he liked that. Too many women he met were like Megan, complaining about being full, yet she barely touched her plate.
"Oh, believe it, mister. Grace eats like a man baby!” Megan winked at Grace. “I don't know how she keeps up that fabulous body. Must be all the gymnastics and cheerleading she does."
"Thank you, my loving cousin, everyone, last surviving relative.” Grace threw the pillow at her. Chase caught it before it hit his little princess, who squealed and balled up on his lap. “Fabulous body.” Grace mumbled.
"I'm just saying you always had a knockout body. You remember in high school. Man, we used to wear the hell out of those cheerleading uniforms."
"You were a cheerleader?” Ethan sought her eyes now. He couldn't imagine her being loud and bubbly. She seemed so quiet and reserved. He liked the idea of those curves in a little uniform though. Maybe she still had one around.
"Yep.” She nodded. Megan wore the hell out of the uniform. Grace always felt a little self-conscious.
"She's the coach now. Tell them, Grace."
"I coached high school cheerleading. You know at some colleges it's not considered a sport.” She added that last part and hoped Megan wouldn't pick up the past tense.
She hadn't told her she had to give up the coaching spot. The principle told her she just wasn't excited anymore, and the squad was falling behind.
If the coach doesn't have any spirit, how can the squad?
The painful words rang in her ears again.
That was another reason she moved to the elementary school. She didn't want to be another joke.
"She is so modest. They won the Nationals, went to Florida to compete and everything.” Megan boasted. “She's writing a book now, too."
"Thank you, Megan, now you have bored them to tears. I think I'm going to roll myself upstairs and take a shower.” Grace didn't want to talk about work or the fact that she had to give up the coaching position to a younger teacher from a big city school, who just moved here.
Grace definitely didn't want to talk about her book. She wanted to write about her mother, but that meant admitting her mother was dead. And well, Grace hadn't really dealt with that fact yet.
"It's still early.” Chase groaned, nuzzling his nose in Megan's neck. “Let's get in some more comfortable clothes and play a board game or watch a movie."
"Yeah,” Megan chirped. “We have the best collection of old black and white movies.
Casablanca, The Seven Year Itch,
you name it. Plus, there are lots of great new chick flicks."
She jumped up, forcing the chair to straighten. “It'll be like old times, Gracie, but with boys, come on.” She grabbed Grace's hand and pulled her from the couch.
"You're strong for a little thing.” Grace followed her cousin without all of the bouncing up the stairs.
As Grace entered her room, she heard the groans of two men stretching and thudding down the hallway to their respective rooms. Ethan was now in her mother's room. Megan and Chase were obviously playing around as laughs and giggles escaped the guest room walls.
Grace pulled on a pair of cheerleading shorts and a T-shirt that said COACH in big letters across the breast line. They were both a little more snug than they used to be, but they still fit. It wasn't like Ethan was looking to get in bed with her anyway.