Rayna touched her forehead. Grace couldn’t see the scaly skin that Arianna was talking about but before she could reassure Rayna, Wanda said, “All right. Are we ready to start?”
With another quick look at Gideon – he was staring at Wanda and if he felt Grace’s hot gaze, he made no acknowledgment of it – Grace forced herself to concentrate on what Wanda was saying.
* * *
“It’s still kind of early. Do you guys want to stop at Grind My Beans for a fat free latte?” Arianna stopped in the driveway.
“Sure,” Rayna said.
“Awesome. Gracie?” Arianna said.
“It’s been a long day but thank you for the offer. Next time, all right?” Grace smiled at the young girl.
“Okay.” Arianna took Rayna’s hand. “Oh my God, your hands are so rough. Is that from all the animals?”
“I’m a plumber as well,” Rayna said.
“Ew.” Arianna dropped her hand and Rayna laughed.
“I wash my hands, Arianna.”
“Right. Let’s go.”
Grace followed them down the driveway before stopping abruptly and checking her pockets. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” Rayna said.
“I think I left my phone on the table. Have fun, you two.”
She walked up the driveway and hesitated before opening the front door and stepping inside. She could hear Wanda and Murray talking to Warren and Emsley in the kitchen and she crept down the hallway. She was tired and pissed off and in no mood for small talk.
She wanted to go home and have a hot bath and forget all about stupid Gideon and stupid Cheri Ladd and her ‘come fuck me’ laugh.
She froze in the doorway of the dining room. Instant red hot anger flooded through her body as she watched Cheri who was standing too close to Gideon, suddenly rise to her tiptoes and press a kiss against his mouth.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Grace said as Gideon pushed away from Cheri. “I forgot my phone.”
She stalked across the room, snatched up her phone, and stomped toward the door.
“Grace, wait,” Gideon said.
She flipped him the bird behind her back, not caring how childish it made her look. She could hear him behind her and, anger still roaring through her veins like an inferno, she quickly ducked into the half-bath. Before she could close the door, Gideon’s hand caught it and he muscled it open.
“Get out of here!” she said.
He squeezed into the room and shut the door, locking it behind him and blocking it with his body.
“Out of my way, you dick!” She tried to push past him, grimacing at him when he leaned against the door.
“Let me explain, Grace.”
“There’s nothing to explain. I came back for my phone, you had your tongue down that fruit tart’s throat… what’s there to explain?”
“Fruit tart?” A grin crossed Gideon’s face and Grace glared at him.
“Nothing about this is funny, Gideon. Move so I can go home.”
“Not until I explain,” he said.
“I told you, there isn’t -”
“She kissed me. I didn’t want her to. She was the one who stuck her tongue down my throat, and I pushed her away. You saw it happen, Grace. You saw me push her away.”
“Whatever. I don’t care if you date her or not. Do whatever the hell you want.”
“You’re jealous,” Gideon said.
“I am not jealous!” She put her hands on her hips and fumed when his gaze dropped to her tits. “Stop staring at my tits.”
“You wore that shirt tonight so I would stare at your tits,” he said.
“I wore this shirt because it brings out the colour of my eyes,” she said haughtily.
He laughed, a low sound that made her pussy sit up and take notice. “You shouldn’t lie to me, Gracie. Lying gets you a spanking.”
Every muscle in her lower belly tightened with a spasm of pleasure so big it was almost painful. She took a step back, her body bumping up against the wall. “I… stop that, Gideon.”
“Stop what?” He took a step toward her, an almost feral look of need on his face.
“Stop saying you’ll spank me.”
“Why? It’s true. If you keep lying to me, I’ll take you home, put you over my knee, and spank you.”
“You-you wouldn’t dare,” she breathed.
His grin widened. “You know I would.”
He closed the short distance between them like a big cat stalking its prey. He penned her in, his hands braced on the wall on either side of her head, his chest brushing against her breasts.
“Gideon, what are you doing?”
He bent his head and tasted the skin on her throat. “I like that you’re jealous, Gracie.”
“You kissed her.”
“You know I didn’t. And you know why I didn’t kiss her.”
She swallowed down the moan when he nipped at her earlobe. “I – why didn’t you?”
“Because it’s only you I want, Princess.”
This time she did moan, a soft whispering sound that drifted from her mouth. She had no idea what had gotten into Gideon, but she didn’t want him to stop.
He lifted his head and studied her face. “How did you sleep last night?”
“I – uh, what?” She blinked at him.
“Did you sleep last night? Because if you didn’t, we need to come up with a solution.”
Her tongue darted out to wet her dry bottom lip and his low groan sent shivers of awareness down her spine. “Maybe you should sleep in my bed again tonight.”
“I don’t want to keep kicking you out of your bed.”
“I suppose the guest bed isn’t as comfortable as mine,” he said.
She moaned again when he pressed his lower body against hers, nestling his thick thigh between hers with rough pressure. There was hardness against her hip, hot and familiar even after three years, and her body arched as he dropped his gaze to her tits. She wanted to grind her pussy against his thigh, wanted to find the relief she was suddenly desperately needing.
“You could join me in your bed,” she said.
She waited for him to withdraw, waited for that mask to drop down on his face, concealing the same lust and desire he felt for her that she felt for him. She was pushing him too far, too fast. Hell, she had no idea what was happening or why he was finally giving in to the attraction between them, but she needed to shut the hell up. They were both teetering at the edge of the cliff. Hearing her voice was bound to push him away from the edge and back to the safety he found in the denial of his true desire.
“I could,” he said. “But if you’re in my bed with me, Princess, you follow my rules.”
“What rules?”
“Your body belongs to me. Your orgasms belong to me. You do exactly what I tell you without argument. You don’t,” he leaned closer, his breath stirring the tendrils curling at her temple, “come unless I say you can come. When I tell you to spread your legs so I can fuck you, you spread them like my good girl. When I say, ‘hands and knees’, you get on those hands and knees of yours, and show me how wet your pretty pussy is for my cock.”