Chapter 58
FIFTY-EIGHT
Ed smiled as Gracie walked into the pub and joined him at the bar. She felt unnerved by the faint flutter of butterflies in her tummy. He was a very handsome man.
‘Hello, my stroppy little minx.’ Ed smirked. ‘What can I get you?’
‘A large white wine, please.’ Gracie felt suddenly awkward.
‘Why don’t you grab a seat outside, it’s such a nice evening. I’ll go to the bar.’
Soon after, Ed placed the drinks on the table and sat down opposite her.
‘So, how are you, Ms Davies?’
‘I’m all right, thanks,’ she lied, really not wanting to discuss the Lewis situation.
Ed slurped the froth off his Guinness. ‘You don’t sound it. Look, I’m really sorry about what happened in Fowey.’
‘It’s cool. I overreacted.’ Gracie took a large slug of her wine.
‘No, I thought about it driving back. I get where you were coming from about me not telling you about my friends joining us. I just thought you’d be fine with it, that’s all.’
‘A woman’s runaway mind and all that.’ Gracie managed a smile.
‘Alas, I feel I will never fathom the intricacies of the female psyche,’ Ed laughed. ‘I found it quite flattering that you got jealous about Skye.’
‘I wasn’t jealous.’ Gracie’s abruptness gave her away.
‘Gracie Davies, your green eyes went even greener.’
She smiled. ‘She’s a pretty girl – that’s what you said, anyway.’
‘Come on, let’s not go down that route. I was drunk and maybe I was flirting a bit, but give me some credit, Gracie. I was down there with you. I respect you. I have to say they did think it was a bit odd you clearing off.’
‘I do feel embarrassed now.’ Gracie took a sip of wine.
‘Don’t be. But you do understand why I didn’t come back, don’t you? I haven’t had a holiday for bloody ages and it gave me time to forget about the court case.’
‘Yes, I know. And it’s not so far away now, is it?’
‘First week of September. I’m shitting myself. I’m meeting my barrister later. She seems really positive about it all.’
‘Well, you’re not guilty, so justice will prevail.’
Ed took another swig from his pint. ‘I hope so.’
Gracie’s voice lilted. ‘So did you enjoy the rest of your holiday? You’re looking even browner than me so the weather must have been good.’
‘It was amazing. I love waking up to the sound of seagulls. Being so near the sea really chilled me out. Glyn took a couple of extra days off, so we ended up going back to Newquay and surfing.’
‘Nice.’
‘And before you ask, I didn’t see Skye after you left.’
‘I wasn’t thinking anything of it,’ Gracie lied.
Ed groaned. ‘Back to work tomorrow. How depressing.’
‘Yep, I’m busy at the moment, got a birthday party at the hut and a Miscarriage Matters session tomorrow, myself.’
‘I’m glad it’s going well for you. Why can’t we be on holiday all the time? This work lark really does get in the way of our social lives,’ Ed laughed.
‘Maybe I need to find myself a rich man.’ Gracie laughed, suddenly thinking to Leo.
‘Well, don’t be looking at me with dollar signs in your eyes. All I can give you is a lot of fun and an extremely good seeing-to.’ Ed raised his eyebrows.
Gracie felt a twinge in her nether regions. Despite everything that was going on, and her reasoning for never seeing him again, she did still fancy the pants off him. She smiled and shook her head.
‘Another drink for the lady, at least?’ Ed laughed.
‘I’ll get them.’ Gracie wandered to the bar. Maybe he wasn’t so bad. If she looked at their ‘holiday’ through his eyes, she could see that she had been oversensitive. Bloody Lewis, he had tainted her so much with his infidelity she was worried she may never trust another man again. Just as she was reaching for her purse she felt a text buzz through on her phone.
Hey, my tipsy natural woman, fancy spending my last night in London together?
She smiled to herself. Just a text from a very famous Hollywood actor asking her out! But if she couldn’t trust a normal bloke, how could she ever trust somebody as handsome and sought after as Leo Grant? He had never made her feel anything short of special. But he was the father of her nephew and was rarely in one place for long. Once he had lost sight of her, she was sure he wouldn’t give her a second thought.
Noms was meeting him before he left to discuss some sort of compromise with Jack. She really hoped it would be a win-win situation for everyone. Leo might be famous and part of the jet set, but from what she knew of him, he seemed like good man and deserved to be happy, too.
Gracie walked back to the table. Ed was stroking a dog and speaking to a woman at the next table. She left as Gracie approached.
‘Just another one of my bitches.’ Ed smirked.
‘The dog was quite sweet, too,’ Gracie laughed.
‘That’s more like it. In Cornwall, I thought I’d lost you. I’d have been really sad if you hadn’t wanted to see me again.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, of course, really.’
Four drinks later, Gracie thought that she must have a word with herself about her drinking. She’d be putting all her weight on again, plus she wasn’t good working with a hangover. The wine also made her extremely horny. And turned off her NO button.
‘So, young Ed, what was it you were saying about being able to offer me a good seeing-to?’
‘Gracie Davies, I thought you’d never ask. Let’s go. I can’t wait to kiss those white bits again.’
Gracie stumbled into Ed’s flat and straight onto his bed. She felt reckless. Fuck Lewis, fuck everything.
Ed followed, jumped right on top of her and started kissing her hungrily. He pulled up her dress roughly, pushed her panties aside and stuck two fingers into her deeply. Gracie gasped.
‘Careful.’ Gracie put her hand on his.
‘Sorry, sorry – did that hurt? I just want you so bad, Gracie.’
She felt his rock-hard cock through his boxers and got wetter in an instant.
‘Let’s just fuck.’ Gracie loved feeling like this: enjoying pure animal passion with a man with a good body.
‘I want you on your knees.’
Gracie quickly pulled off her dress and panties and did as she was told. Ed entered her from behind making her cry out in pleasure. But she squealed as he pulled back her hair sharply.
‘You want it harder, you little minx?’
‘Ow,’ Gracie cried out as Ed pounded into her, the pleasure exceeding the pain. He eased up slightly.
‘Go on, then, fuck me harder.’ The dirty talk with Ed was arousing. He slapped her butt cheek and she cried out.
‘I’m coming, I’m coming, keep going,’ she said between pants.
She could hear from his deep breathing that he was about to come too.
She was shocked at how rude she had been. But it felt good. Really good.
‘Blimey, where’s Gracie gone?’ Ed laughed, as he collapsed onto the bed. ‘That was bloody amazing.’
‘I don’t know, but I’ll tell you when she’s back, shall I?’
‘I quite like this new more promiscuous one, to be honest.’ Ed grinned.
Gracie ran her tongue around her lips in faux-seduction style.
‘Oi, you sexy little… I want to know something.’
‘What?’ Gracie reached for her discarded knickers with her foot.
‘Are we still talking lovers?’
‘It looks like it.’ Gracie smiled. ‘I do like you, Ed.’
‘And I like you, too, but let’s stop the jealous dramatics from now on, shall we? Let’s tell each other when we are not happy. I won’t cheat on you, Gracie. You deserve better than that.’
Gracie leant over to kiss him and then lay back looking at the ceiling.
She had been adamant that it was over between her and Ed, but she couldn’t deny her feelings for him when she saw him. It frustrated her that her head couldn’t be in charge of her relationship destiny. Fact: hearts have minds of their own.
Right now, her feelings were leading her a merry dance. Sex was an escape from the real world; Ed was an escape from the real world. And at this moment, she needed that.