Chapter Seventeen
Zachary
“Well, Lais is even less smooth than you,” Grace said, sipping from her Pimm’s as the three of them walked away.
“If my brothers didn’t catch on before, they will now for sure.”
“Catch on to what?” she asked, and I could tell she wasn’t faking her confusion.
I pointed between the two of us. “This.”
“I’m sorry. I had no idea Lais was going to run her mouth. She usually doesn’t. She’s a very discreet person, but I think she was just very relaxed tonight and—”
“Don’t worry about a thing. You look like you feel better.”
She nodded. “The Pimm’s is helping. Won’t you drink your Sazerac?”
“I just wanted a taste. Lais was right. I’m not even sure how they call this a Sazerac. I can get you another Pimm’s if you want.”
“Yes, please. Actually, I’ll come in with you. I don’t feel comfortable staying out here on my own.”
I put a hand on her back and then moved it up to her shoulders, pulling her closer. It was fucking possessive, but I wanted everyone here to get the damn message. She was off-limits to everyone. She was mine and mine alone, and that was it.
We stepped inside and went straight to the counter.
“Will you drink something with me too?” she asked.
“I’m driving. Otherwise, I’d take a bourbon on the rocks.”
It took a while before our turn came, but then we got the drinks right away.
“Want to go outside again?” I asked Grace.
It was claustrophobic in here. I had to pull her even closer because there wasn’t much space. I didn’t mind, but this wasn’t relaxing.
“Sure. It’s hard to breathe in here.”
She took a few sips as we headed outside. I could feel her relaxing more with each one.
“Grace, I’m not trying to prod, I promise, but is there a reason this incident scared you so much?”
She lowered her eyes to her glass. “It’s not normal, is it?”
I shook my head. “I don’t like the word ‘normal.’ It’s just that I’m trying to understand what happened.”
“I honestly don’t know. The way he cornered us... My ex got a bit like that toward the end. I’m not even sure how that happened because he didn’t used to be like that.” She bit her lower lip. “For a long time, I thought it was something in me that made him react like that.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Grace. Don’t think that for a second.”
She shook her head. “I don’t, not anymore, but when the person you married is starting to change behaviors and become meaner and more hateful to you, you start wondering what you’re doing wrong.” She looked up from her glass, putting on a smile, but something wasn’t right with it. “But I’m forgetting all about it. Let’s not mention it again. Friday evenings are for fun.”
“Grace, you don’t have to pretend for me. If you don’t feel like staying here, we can always go. I just wanted to better understand what happened. I like to see you smile, but this”—I pointed to her mouth—“this isn’t your real smile.”
It instantly fell. “You can tell?” she asked.
“Yes. There’s a big difference. You light up completely when you smile genuinely, and this was just—”
“For show,” she finished. “I know. It’s my high society smile,” she said, but now she was smiling for real. “I perfected it when I was fourteen and went to my first cotillion. I enjoyed myself, but it was a little bit awkward. I felt like I never truly fit in with everyone else.”
“Kudos for even going. Mom suggested it once, and we all turned her down. I believe she then went on a rant about how unfortunate it was that she didn’t have any daughters.”
Grace laughed. “Mom always told me that I didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to. But I didn’t want to let her down, you know?”
I was starting to understand that she sometimes did things because she didn’t like to displease others.
“You’re a great person, Grace.”
She tilted her head, then straightened it, taking a sip of her drink. “Do I detect surprise in your tone?”
“No, not at all.”
“There’s prejudice because of my brothers. I swear to God, every time I’m out in the Quarter and I say the name Deveraux, people do a double take. Not everyone assumes I’m related to them because the name isn’t so uncommon in the South, but enough put two and two together.”
“Anyone giving you grief?” I asked bluntly.
“If I say yes, what will you do?”
“You don’t want to know.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “You have a dangerous side, don’t you?”
“I like to call it protective.”
“Yes, let’s go with that. Protective sounds much better.” As she downed her second Pimm’s, she rolled her shoulders back. “I’m starting to feel my body go soft already. I’m not really used to coming out to bars to drink.”
“I thought it was a favorite pastime for all New Orleans locals.”
“No, I didn’t even do it when I was in college.”
“Where did you study? Loyola?”
“Of course. You?”
“Same.”
She looked around several times.
“What do you need?” I asked.
“A comfy place to sit.”
I laughed. “Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t think there’s a bar in the whole Quarter that can boast comfortable seating. Not even Julian’s bars. I swear those chairs are torture devices.”
“Ha! See, I knew there was a reason I don’t like going out even though I do enjoy drinks.”
“I have a proposition,” I said.
“I’m listening.”
“Let’s take the party somewhere else.”
“Such as?”
I didn’t even hesitate. “My house.”
Grace looked down at her feet and then back up. Fuck, I wanted to push this. I wanted to flirt, and I definitely wanted to kiss her, right here and now. But I needed to be certain that she wanted it. The last thing I would do was corner her somehow. She was special and needed to be treated as such.
“Sure. Is it close?”
“No. Actually, it’s in Lakeview.”
“Lakeview. I haven’t been in that neighborhood for a while.”
“We can leave anytime you’re ready.”
She showed me the empty glass. “I’m ready.”
“All right, then let’s go.”
“I’ll text Lais to let her know I’m leaving.” She took out her phone and typed out a quick text, then put it back in her back. “Okay, I’m all set.”
I’d parked at the edge of the Quarter, near the Mississippi. Walking out of the area was more difficult than walking in had been. The crowds had doubled. I kept a hand firmly on Grace’s back as we maneuvered past all the people.
“Oh my God,” she exclaimed when we finally came out of the Quarter. “That was a bit insane.”
“I agree. My car is right here.”
I took a good look at her for the first time tonight as I opened the passenger door. She climbed in, and her dress rode up a few inches. Her legs were endless. The memory of her completely naked in that bed was branded in my mind.
Pace yourself, Zachary. She only agreed to come for drinks. And if that was all she wanted, that was fine. Honestly, I just wanted to spend time with her.
After I climbed in, she asked, “How come you live in Lakeview?”
I shrugged. “No reason. Just found a house I liked there.”
“I took you for the Garden District type,” she replied.
“That’s too close to my family’s mansion. I love them to bits, but I wouldn’t want to live two streets away.”
Grace laughed. “I totally understand. I’m close to my parents, too, but I wouldn’t want to live next door either.”
“Some of my brothers have stuck around the Quarter. Julian actually owns a house in the Quarter, and Chad isn’t very far away in Marigny. Xander is in the business district, but I wanted to find the perfect house and didn’t really care where it was.”
“That’s smart.”
The rest of the city was just as alive as the Quarter but thankfully not as crowded. I parked right in front of my house.
Grace smiled. “Oh, I can see why you like this.”
From the outside, it resembled the mansions in the Garden District. It was a revival colonial style with columns, a huge wraparound porch, and a balcony on the second floor. The yard wasn’t fenced, but the gardening team kept my perimeter trimmed to perfection.
“Wow. This is a surprise,” she exclaimed as we walked through the front door.
It was completely modern on the inside. The living room had floor-to-ceiling shelves with a mix of books and wine bottles as well as rum and scotch. I had a huge dining table that was, quite literally, shaped from a tree. She drew her fingers over the surface.
“It’s so elegant even though it’s raw.”
“What can I tempt you with?” I asked as she sat down at the head of the table.
“This is really comfy,” she said. “It has armrests too.”
She glanced at me, pressing her lips together. “I want to taste your favorite bourbon.”
“On it.” The bottles on the shelves were for display only. I had a separate bar area in the dining area. I put ice in two glasses and poured bourbon into each before returning to Grace.
“Cheers,” I said, clinking my glass to hers.
“What are we toasting to?”
“An unconventional start.”
“And for you luring me to your home.”
I grinned at her as I sat at the corner of the table. “I did well, didn’t I?”
“Yes, very smooth. Well done.”
I swallowed hard before taking another sip. She did the same.
“Grace,” I said, “I wasn’t joking about wanting you to be comfortable. You seemed on edge out there.”
She nodded, playing again with the pendant at her neck. I found the gesture extremely sexy, especially because it reached right into her cleavage. I had an insanely good view. I only saw the tops of her breasts, but it was more than enough.
“I know. I mostly went because Lais likes going out. But honestly, this is more my type of relaxing. Staying home with a drink, maybe a good movie or a book. I’m a very homey person. Although, I do get a bit of cabin fever in my apartment. Should’ve looked for something bigger.”
“Why didn’t you?”
She took another sip. “I just wanted to move out quickly. I took the third option that the realtor showed me. I loved the building and the location, but I’ll move into something bigger as soon as I can.”
She uncrossed her legs and then toed off her shoes. “This is much better!” She played with her bare feet on the raw wood floors, then started to shimmy in the seat.
“Want to move onto the couch? That’s even more comfortable.”
“Sure, why not? Let me just put my shoes away.”
“Forget them. They’re fine where they are.” I’d taken mine off at the entrance.
We descended a few steps from the dining table into the living room. I particularly liked the layering of the space. The sunken living room was what really attracted me to the house. It was just so different.
“You throw parties often?” she asked.
“Not at all.”
“Oh, I assumed... because of all this space.”
“I grew up in a huge house, but with so many other siblings, even that sometimes felt cramped. So, after college, I decided that I was going to buy the biggest house I could find on the market.”
Grace laughed. “Now, that’s a statement.”
“Kidding. I didn’t actually buy the biggest one. But obviously I have more space than I need. When I bought it, I figured maybe my family would drop by from time to time, but we mostly gather at the mansion. It’s most comfortable for our grandparents, and for our parents too.”
I sat next to her at an angle that allowed me to make eye contact and drink her in.
“What? Do I have something?” she asked, moving her lips. I realized I’d been staring at her mouth. She touched the corners with her fingers and then looked down at herself. “Did I spill bourbon on myself or something?”
“No, Grace. I just can’t stop looking at you because you’re fucking beautiful.”
She drew in a sharp breath, looking up. “Zachary, this entire week, I swear to God, I was looking forward to our texting more than anything else.”
I decided to lay out all my cards. “So was I.”
“It was like... I don’t know, stoking a fire inside me. I was smiling every time my phone buzzed, thinking maybe it was a message from you.”
Hell yes. I put my drink on the small wooden table in front of the couch and moved even closer to her, touching her jaw. “Grace, I know what we discussed at the ranch.”
“I’m not sure I handled that well,” she whispered. “I just didn’t know what else to say. I have no experience with...”
I frowned. “What?”
“Spending the night with someone I’m not dating. I mean, I’ve never done one-night stands.”
I laughed. “That’s a very polite way to put it.”
She rotated her glass in her hands, glancing down at it for a split second before making eye contact again. She shook her head and licked her lips. And then I captured her mouth. Fuck, how I’d missed it. Her lips, her taste. I could taste her even with the bourbon and the Pimm’s she’d had.
I lost myself in that kiss faster than I thought possible, deepening it more and more, following her cues. When she sighed, I pushed her farther onto the couch. I heard liquid sloshing and then felt Grace move her arm. I opened one eye and noticed that she’d put the glass on the table. I’d completely lost control.
All I could think about since having Grace was having her again. My entire body was vibrating with that desperate need. I drew one hand up her thigh, but not under her dress, not yet. I just touched her from her knees to where the fabric started. She moaned again, and I felt the skin on her legs turn into goose bumps. So I moved one hand onto the inner thigh.
“Grace, I want you. But I want you to feel at ease, not forced in any way.” Knowing a bit more about her marriage now, I wanted to be careful.
“Oh, Zachary. Just your concern makes me feel good.”
That was all I needed.
She pressed her chest against me. As I went farther up her inner thigh, I moved my thumb under her dress, drawing circles. A split second later, I realized Grace was shaking slightly in my arms. I inched my hand farther up, and she clenched her thighs together, trapping my hand between them, humming. She parted them the next second. I went even farther up, dragging my hand over her panties. Fuck, they were already soaked.
I pushed the fabric aside and slid three fingers into her. This time her moan was unmistakable; it shook her entire body. That turned me on to no end. I moved two fingers up and down that slip of fabric. I wasn’t in a hurry. I wanted to turn her on so badly that she’d beg for my cock.
I needed to hear her, but I wanted to explore her as well, so I paused the kiss and took my hand from under her dress. She gasped, but then I immediately yanked the dress over her head.
“You’re so sexy,” I murmured. This woman was perfection.
She was wearing white lace lingerie that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Because it was transparent, I could see her nipples and her pussy. I threw the dress behind me and nearly toppled the glass of bourbon. That gave me an idea. I grabbed it and held it between us. Grace looked at me through hooded eyelids, her chest quickly rising and falling. I liked how open she was for me already. Tilting the glass, I poured the bourbon over her, starting from under her bra. I caught the liquid with my mouth before it reached her navel.
She gasped, rocking her hips upward. “Zachary!” Her breath hitched.
I did it again, pouring just slightly next to the place where I’d done it before, where her skin was still warm.
“Oh my God!”
Then I poured under her navel and lowered her panties until I’d almost uncovered her clit. This time, I caught the liquid before it reached the fabric. She bucked off the couch so violently that her pussy nearly collided with my face. I wouldn’t mind her sitting on my face, but I had other plans for now. I needed to get her panties out of the way. I yanked them down quickly past her knees and then her ankles, and she spread her thighs wide before I even got to ask for it. She was so ready for me, her pussy plump and wet.
I traced two fingers from her clit to her opening, keeping them there before moving them in a large circular motion.
“Zachary!” Grace exclaimed.
Hearing her say my name sent me into overdrive. With my free hand, I undid my pants and put my hand inside, squeezing my cock and moving my hand up and down. Then I realized Grace was watching me. She tilted her head slightly so she had perfect view. Her eyelids were even more hooded than before.
She licked her lips and said, “I want to do that. I want to touch you. I want your cock in my mouth.”
I nearly burst right then at her words. Rising to my feet, I pushed my pants out of the way, then put one foot on the couch and positioned myself so that my cock was right in front of Grace’s mouth. She immediately licked the crown, and the sensation shot through me. This was going to be intense. She looked at me while I slowly pushed into her mouth. I watched her intently so I could tell how much she could take me in.
She moaned when I was halfway in. I pulled out before pushing into her mouth again. This was fucking good. She was the most beautiful woman in the world, and this was my very favorite view of her: spread open on my couch with my cock in her mouth.
“Touch yourself, Grace. I know you’re dying to.”
She nodded, her eyes almost pleading. I saw her shoulder move as she put her hand between her thighs, and then her mouth clamped tighter around me.
I could die a happy man right now. Taking off my shirt at quick speed because I didn’t want any clothes in the way, I then pushed in and out, taking her cues very seriously. As she moved her hand faster, her body started to jerk, and I pulled out. Her eyes widened.
“Keep touching yourself. I want to see you come right in front of me.”
She winced but didn’t stop moving her hand. She was very, very close to the edge, and I knew what would send her over. I pushed the strap of her bra down on one shoulder, revealing one breast only, then took an ice cube from the glass and drew shapes with it on her sensitive skin. I pressed the flat of my tongue against her nipple, then pulled my head back and ran the ice cube over her hard nub.
“Oh my God!” Her voice shook. She was close.
I took the nipple in my mouth again, playing with the ice on her breast before letting it slide in a straight line from under her bra to her clit.
She came right away, and I pulled back because she didn’t need my help at all to ride this wave of pleasure. I watched her succumb to it while she moved her hand frantically, her hips jerking off the couch. She jackknifed as she dropped her head back. It was beautiful to see Grace unleashed like this.
When her body finally started to calm down, I felt like I was going to explode. I needed to be inside her. I didn’t bother sitting back on the couch; I wanted her in a different position. When she opened her eyes and drew in a deep breath, I leaned in and held my hand out for her. She immediately put one in mine. I moved her until she was up on her knees, then turned her around.
“Grab the headrest, Grace. You’ll need it.”
She leaned forward until she could reach it, and I kneeled on the couch to be at the same level with her. I didn’t waste any more time. I slid in, and she pushed herself against me at the same time, taking me in to the hilt.
“Fuck, Grace.”
I’d wanted to ease in. I thought she needed it, but clearly I’d been wrong, as she could take all of me at once. Her moan was guttural. She was so damn snug around me that I could barely breathe. I needed a few seconds to compose myself before slamming into her. I had an almost animalistic pace that Grace enjoyed; I could tell by the way her body moved against mine, as if seeking even more friction. Her cries filled my living room, echoing around us.
This was what life was all about: being here with Grace, buried balls deep inside her. I didn’t need anything else in this moment, just to hear Grace cry out and feel her get even tighter around me.
“Gra—ce, fu—uck.” My voice broke twice on the two syllables, but this was just too good. Too intense.
She leaned even farther forward, and I realized she’d put her forearms on the top of the couch. She needed more leverage. I moved us deeper onto the couch because I wanted to maintain the angle, then started moving even faster. She laid her head on top of her crossed hands and her hair moved to one side, completely baring the side of her neck. I leaned over, placing a wet kiss just beneath her jaw.
“This is so good,” she panted. “I didn’t even know it could feel like that.”
I simply groaned in response; I was far too far gone to form sentences. Instead, I brought my hand to her clit. I only touched it twice, and Grace came. This woman was made for me. I could play with her body just the way I wanted to. The way she responded to my touch was insanely sexy.
Once more her entire body convulsed. She groaned loudly, calling my name. “Please don’t stop.”
I wasn’t going to even though I was going so hard that I was half afraid I’d break her. But she needed it, and so did I.
Her orgasm triggered mine. She was still coming, and judging by the way she clamped around my cock, she wasn’t done yet. Giving this woman pleasure was my life’s mission from now on. Every orgasm had to be like this one: never-ending and so powerful that she was now incoherent as well. I only understood “Zachary” and “Oh God.”
Her body started to relax and soften just as I rode out my own climax. I pushed in and out of her long after we were both done, until my dick started to relax too. Then I stilled but still didn’t pull out of her. I grabbed the shirt I’d discarded and put it under us on the couch as I finally pulled out and rested us both in a sitting position.
Grace’s face was completely flushed. She closed her eyes as if she was still processing everything. But as we sat next to each other, she opened them slowly and took a deep breath. Then she licked her lips. “I’m parched,” she whispered.
I grabbed my glass of bourbon from the coffee table and held it out for her. She took a sip and then dropped her head back.
“I’ll never be able to drink bourbon without remembering this evening,” she murmured.
“Fucking perfect,” I replied, realizing I wanted to give her as many memories as possible that she couldn’t sweep away. I wanted to make a mark.
“Um,” she whispered, looking down, “I think I should go clean up. Don’t want to make a mess. Good thinking with the shirt.”
“Let’s go together.”
She wrapped my shirt tightly around her lower body as we walked around the house. I had a small bathroom here that I rarely used, but it was the closest. She was covering her breasts with one hand.
“Grace, what are you doing?”
She licked her lips. “I don’t know. It feels a bit weird to walk around naked in your house.”
“We just had mind-blowing sex on the couch,” I reminded her.
“That was different,” she said in a low voice.
“Why are you whispering?” I asked on a laugh.
“I don’t know.”
I liked all facets of Grace, the shy one and the dirty talker from earlier. I kissed her forehead and pointed to the shower. “This is small. I’ve got a bigger one upstairs.”
“This will do,” she said quickly.
Five minutes later, Grace had wrapped herself like a burrito in towels. I’d put one around my waist, more for her benefit than anything. She seemed to feel uncomfortable watching me walk around naked.
“Do you want to go back to the living room?” I asked.
She turned around, looking up at me. “What’s the alternative?”
“I can show you the upper level.” I put my hands on her shoulders, drawing my thumbs over her clavicle. “My bedroom is there.”
“I see. First you lure me to the house, then completely ravage me on the couch, and now you’re trying to lure me to your bedroom.”
I loved the playfulness in her voice. We’d come a long way, and I was honored that she trusted me, wanted me, and I wasn’t going to spoil that.
This woman was mine.
“That was my intention from the start, but...” I chuckled, shaking my head.
“What?” Grace asked.
“I’m used to being in control, though for some reason, I lose it when I’m with you.”
She licked her lips. “And you don’t like that?”
“I actually fucking love it. I don’t even know why.”
She smiled brilliantly. Not her society smile but the real one.
“All right, then. Lead me to your bedroom before we defile some other place in this house.”
I burst out laughing. “I like how you think, Grace, because that was on my mind as well.”