CARSON
Isit at my desk on a boring call that is a waste of my time. I don’t need to be on this. I have every intention of getting a plea deal on this simple drunk driving case for a prominent businessman’s son. My eyes flit over to the small conference table in my office. One of my interns working diligently on the work I had left for Grace.
All I can think about is her last night when I got home. The way she was uncomfortably passed out on my bed. Almost like she didn’t mean to pass out there. Despite her being sick, she looked beautiful. And I liked seeing her in my bed. Feelings stirred deep inside me but I pushed them away at the time. But now they are roaring back to life.
I shouldn’t feel things about her. We are nothing. Yes, we are fucking but that is all it is. Maybe I should have listened to my family, to Owen, moved on from Tiffany sooner rather than later. Let myself go back to the man I used to be before her. But something inside of me changed with her. I don’t want to be the manwhore. I don’t want to spend my nights with a different woman every night. I enjoyed the monogamy more than I ever thought I would. And now I have Grace. Someone I shouldn’t touch. Someone I shouldn’t taste. But I want her. I crave her. She isn’t like Tiff. She isn’t complacent or money hungry. She isn’t using me like I think Tiffany was for all those years. No, Grace is a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to take it.
She looked so innocent last night. Even as I stripped her clothes off her and found her wearing sexy lace lingerie. It was the first time I saw her vulnerable and the first time I held myself back from her. Even when she ended up snuggling into me while she slept. Something I never experienced with her. And I didn’t push her away. I enjoyed the feel of her against my body while she slept. Even if I end up getting sick from her, it was worth it. Worth seeing her in my shirt as she snored softly into the pillow when I came back into the room with a bowl of soup.
I didn’t want to wake her to eat. So I let her sleep. I sat in bed reading with the lights low and at one point she rolled over and cuddled into me. Mumbling in her sleep, words I couldn’t make out. And when I finally started to doze off, I wrapped my arms around her and pretended what we had wasn’t just sex but something more.
I’m startled from my thoughts from a knock on my door and Owen’s head peeping in. I excuse myself from the call with the district attorney’s office as I look up at Owen.
“Duvall asked me to check and see if you were ready for our meeting.”
I nod and stand up. “Yeah. I needed to get off that pointless call.”
He looks around the room and sees April sitting where Grace usually is. “Where is my sister?”
“Sick.”
He looks at me strangely. “Really? I haven’t seen her since yesterday morning.”
There is no point in me lying about her being at my house. I have two guest rooms. A viable reason for her to be there. “She’s at my house. In a guest room. Or at least she was when I left this morning. She was sick yesterday and had a migraine and complained your house is too loud.”
“It is loud,” he agrees as he rubs his head. “I can barely sleep with all the noise.”
“Yeah well, she was miserable yesterday and fell asleep working so I told her to sleep at my house after she complained about the noise at your house. She was still asleep when I left.”
“Was she breathing?”
I laugh. “Yes, she is alive. She had a migraine and I told her to sleep it off last night.”
“Thanks, man. I know she used to get terrible migraines in high school. And I have no doubt our house would not have done her any good.”
“I have the space. Might as well not let it go to waste.” I lie. “I’m sure she is already home. I left her a note not to come into work today.”
“You’re a good man,” Owen says as he claps me on the back as we walk toward the stairs leading to the partner’s offices. He thinks that now but his mind would definitely change if he knew I’ve been balls deep in his sister. And the fact that I am growing feelings I shouldn’t have for her.
* * *
When I pull in the driveway around seven, I am surprised to see her car still here. I thought for sure she would have left this afternoon.
I climb out of my car and head inside to find Grace in my kitchen cooking. I take in the view of her standing there in my T-shirt. Her tan legs bare, her golden hair piled on her head. She looks good there. Like she is supposed to be here.
I wrap my arms around her from behind and she jumps before relaxing against my chest.
“You scared me. I didn’t hear you.”
“When I saw your car here, I thought you may still be asleep.” I lean over her shoulder to see what she is up to. “You must be feeling better.”
“Somewhat.”
“Then why are you cooking?” I ask as I bring my hand to her forehead to see if she still has a fever.
She swats my hand away. “Because you let me stay here and I’m trying to thank you.”
I kiss her throat. “Your fever is gone.”