“I’ll get it,” Casey called out. He walked over with the platter. Leaving it on the coffee table, he left and came back with the bottle of wine.
“I’m not imposing, am I?” Wes asked when Casey topped up his glass and took a seat beside me, his own wine glass in hand. I couldn’t help but notice the double standards.
“Not at all,” I told Wes and fixed a smile on my face. “Tell me about the area. I haven’t been to Terrigal before but from what I saw on the drive in, it’s really beautiful.”
His face warmed with pride as he began spouting off some of the spots I needed to see while I was here. Casey put his hand on my leg, letting it rest there while Wes spoke. I finished my wine all too soon and Wes topped it up for me without thinking.
Casey didn’t look happy but he didn’t say anything. I went back to my chat with Wes, asking him about the local shopping and walking trails as I sipped at my second wine.
“Oh my God,” Grace moaned from somewhere beneath her pillow. I sat a coffee on the bedside table next to her, my first duty of the day after losing the challenge. Then I climbed back in bed. “How much did I drink last night?”
I chuckled, lifting the corner of the pillow to look at her. Her eyes were puffy and her hair everywhere. “Two glasses.”
“Two? Just two?”
I opened my mouth, ready to tell her she shouldn’t have combined her alcohol and painkillers.
“Don’t you say I told you so,” she mumbled, yanking the pillow from my hand and hiding back underneath it.
My lips twitched. “Okay.”
I propped up my pillows and sat against the headboard of the bed, checking emails on my phone with one hand and sipping my coffee with the other. Grace was muttering from beneath her own pillow beside me when suddenly it flew off the bed. “You’re naked,” she breathed, her eyes running down the length of me and back up again.
“I am,” I confirmed, going back to my phone.
“No. You don’t understand. You’re not wearing anything. At all.”
I peered at her over the rim of my coffee cup as I took a sip. Her interest made my cock twitch in response. “That’s usually what naked means. Wearing no clothes.”
“I’ve never seen you fully naked before.”
“And?”
“And you should never wear clothes again,” she declared.
I laughed as I set my phone back on the bedside table, giving up on the emails for now. “With this?” I grabbed my cock suggestively. It was semi-hard already and all she’d done was look at it. “Could be dangerous,” I joked. “I might poke someone’s eye out.”
“Oh my God,” she groaned with a laugh and a roll of her eyes.
A pillow came flying my way, knocking my hand that held the coffee and just clipping my face. Hot liquid splashed carelessly over the pale blue sheets.
“Oops,” Grace muttered. “Sorry.”
I brushed it away with my hand, setting my coffee next to my phone before Grace did any more damage. “It’s okay. That can be my first order of business today. Washing the sheets.”
“No. I want a shower. You can help me with that first.”
Help Grace with getting naked and wet? I grinned. “Yes, ma’am. But with your injuries, it might be easier if you had a bath instead.”
“Yes, ma’am?” Grace repeated. She turned on her side and rested her head on her left hand. “I like that. You can do that all day too. Call me ma’am.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I rolled out of bed, the manoeuvre not hurting so much after taking a low dose of painkillers earlier this morning. I pointed to the ones I left next to her side of the bed. “Take those first. I’ll make you something to eat so you can have them with food.”
“Food?” Grace plopped onto her back with a loud, heavy sigh. “I don’t think I can ever eat again. I ate so much crap yesterday my tummy still hurts. I’m not used to, well … eating.” Then she groaned, holding a hand over her eyes. “I made an ass of myself in front of Wes last night, didn’t I? I vaguely remember you apologising for me every five minutes.”
“You were guarding the food platter like a pit bull,” I told her as I walked through the double doors of the bedroom. Being a small, two-bedroom cottage, they opened directly into the kitchen so I could still see Grace as I pulled the toaster from the cupboard. I rested it on the counter, catching her eyes doing a lazy descent over my body. I angled myself so she got a better view and winked. “How’s that?”
“Perfect,” she said with a sigh. “Don’t move.”
I had to move to get the bread. Grace let out another mortified groan as I popped two slices in the toaster. “I’m so embarrassed. I pretty much ate that entire platter myself, didn’t I? I’m such a pig.”
“Don’t be embarrassed. I don’t think Wes cared. I had to stick him in a cab because he was just as shitfaced as you were.”
“Probably because I didn’t let him eat,” she mumbled.
“Probably,” I called out, chuckling as I opened the fridge. I stuck my head in, looking for the butter when a warm hand landed on my back.
“Mmm, nice,” I said, straightening when the hand trailed down my back to my bare ass. Grace ran her palm over it, squeezing. I glanced down at my cock, watching it fill from the simple touch.
Her hand slid around my hip, taking it in her hand. Her grip was hard and I thrust into it. “Fuck the toast,” I managed to get out when she squeezed and began to stroke. “I’m gonna eat you for breakfast.”
“Uh uh,” Grace tutted and pressed up against my back. “Today I’m in charge.”
I slammed the fridge door shut and braced my palms on it, fucking into her hand. I shuddered, knowing I’d come like a freight train if she didn’t stop soon. My dick was on a hair trigger after a forced week of abstinence.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s what you think.”
Her hand fell away when I turned around. Grace was still wearing her shirt from yesterday, but the shorts were gone and her panties were nothing but a scrap of black lace.
“Hey!” was all she managed before I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth. I used her distraction to my advantage. She squeaked into my mouth when my hand slipped inside her panties. I slid a finger through the slick heat and inside her. She broke off, gasping.
So hot and tight.
I wanted inside bad but I wouldn’t last that long. I pulled out and sat her up on the kitchen counter.
“You said you’d stick your hand in your panties and touch yourself,” I reminded her. Then I dragged her panties down and off and spread her wide. “But I wanna see you do it.”
“Casey,” she breathed, hesitating.
“Do it, Grace.”
She reached down and began rubbing her clit. It dragged a soft moan from her throat.
“Fuck,” I bit out. I had to grab my cock at the base before I came all over her. “That’s so hot.”
Her cheeks flushed and I knew she was embarrassed. I didn’t care. She was so sexy I was tempted to grab my phone and take a picture. Stuff my mental spank bank. I could use that photo to jack off to for life. I palmed my phone off the kitchen counter and held it up. “Can I?”
“No way!” Grace pulled her hand away.
“Don’t stop,” I told her. I put the phone down and slipped a finger back inside. She tilted her hips at my invasion, taking my finger deeper with a groan. I added another one. “Keep touching yourself, Grace.”
Her finger found the swollen button and began rubbing again. My cock pulsed and I fisted it, jacking myself at the same time. “Okay,” she panted.
“Okay?”
“You can take a photo.”
Fuck. I almost came right then and there. “Really?”
“Two conditions.”
“Anything,” I told her truthfully. “Tell me.”
“The photo gets deleted before we leave the cottage and I get to take one of you.”
“Done,” I said quickly.
&n
bsp; She giggled. It ended on a gasp when I twisted my fingers, finding her G-spot. “Oh God. I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.”
“You can’t back out now,” I said with a grin. I pulled back and tugged at the hem of her shirt. “This has to go first.” I helped her take it off, carefully slipping it from her injured shoulder. I tossed the shirt aside and ducked my head, sucking a nipple in my mouth. “You’re gonna kill me, Casey,” she gasped.
I let her nipple go with a pop and grinned. “Not if I go first.”
I palmed my phone again before Grace changed her mind. After finding the camera, I held it up in front of her.
“I don’t want my face in it!” she cried, holding out her hand to ward me off.
“You can be the one to delete the photo if you don’t trust me to do it,” I told her because I wanted her face. The look on it when she was all worked up and flushed was just as hot as the rest of her.
Grace bit her lip. “Okay. I’ll delete it.”
She didn’t trust me to do it. I was okay with that. What I was asking was pretty huge. I knew if I had a daughter, I’d rip the head off any guy who got near her with a camera. Then I’d jam it up his ass.
Forgetting the whole photo thing for minute, I dropped between her legs and sucked her clit in my mouth. I wanted that look back on her face. Her head fell back and she moaned, rocking her hips forward. I shifted lower. “Touch yourself, Grace,” I said before pushing my tongue inside her.
She did just that. I withdrew my mouth and licked my lips as I picked up the phone. Taking a step back, I focused the camera and took the shot. “So fucking hot.”
“Just the one,” she told me.
“Just the one,” I confirmed, setting the phone aside. And it was a good one. Grace let out a little gasp. “You close?”
“So close,” she managed to get out.
I dropped back down, spearing her with my tongue, competing with her finger as we both worked to get her off. “Come on, baby,” I urged, palming my cock when it demanded attention. “Make it a good one.”
Grace cried out and came, her body tensing on the counter. I laved at her gently with my tongue, soothing her through the aftershocks. When she was done, I straightened and wrapped her in my arms. She giggled weakly into my neck. “Your turn.”
“Yes please,” I replied.
She took my hand and guided it back to my cock. Soon she was taking a photo of me jacking off. Unable to hold back after that, I came hard all over her belly, my cock pulsing until I wondered if it was ever going to stop.
“Jesus, fuck,” I breathed, pressing my forehead against hers. I gave her a quick messy kiss. “I think that was the hottest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Me too,” Grace replied and a grin broke out across her face. “Today’s going to be fun.”
I groaned. “Today’s going to kill us.”
After breakfast, my next duty was to run Grace a bath. She sat in the steaming water with her cast resting off the edge. I climbed in behind her, realising I’d overfilled the tub when water sloshed onto the floor.
“Oops,” Grace muttered.
“It’s just water. I’ll throw a few towels down.”
I uncapped the shampoo bottle and began lathering her hair. The sweet smell of strawberries rose from the steaming water as I worked it through.
“Mmm,” she moaned. “I could get used to this.”
“Yeah?” I massaged her scalp, liking the sweet whimpers she made. “Because I could do this for you every day if you wanted me to.”
Grace stilled. “Every day this week?”
I calmly picked up the plastic jug by the tub and filled it with water. “Tilt your head back.”
“Casey?” she prompted, tilting her head back.
I poured the water, carefully rinsing out the shampoo, and said, “No, Grace.” I filled the jug and ran the water through her hair again. “Not just this week.”
She didn’t respond, so after I finished rinsing, I uncapped the lid on the conditioner and began combing it through her hair with my fingers. “Look,” I began. “I know we haven’t talked about this but—”
Grace cut me off. “No buts, Casey. We had a deal and you promised.”
I lowered my hands, rinsing them in the water. Screw the deal. I wanted Grace to stay. I nudged her backwards, settling her against my chest, and I slid my hands down her belly. “And this,” I said in her ear, my voice dropping to a husky whisper as I reached between her legs. “I could do this every day too.” Grace moaned as I massaged her clit.
“Casey.” She put a hand over mine, stilling me. “Stop. Please.” Her voice cracked and I withdrew my hand, hurt as all fuck and not knowing how to hide it.
“Is the thought of something more permanent that awful? I’m just someone to fuck until you return to your real life?”
Because that played into exactly what Morgan said when she called me a whore. I didn’t want to be that guy to Grace. That douche from her past that she got over with a stiff drink because she knew he didn’t deserve her. I wanted to be the guy that did. The guy she’d never get over.
“Don’t, Casey. You know it’s more than that.” She pushed off me to get out of the bath. I snaked my arm around her waist, pinning her back to my chest. We were far from done with this conversation.
“Of course it’s more than that,” I snapped. “You think I went against what Henry said just for sex? I had no intention for this to last only eight weeks.”
“So when we agreed to this deal, you lied.” She turned her head, looking at me.
My chest thumped with anger. “No, I didn’t fuckin’ lie,” I bit out. “If you want me to walk away, I’ll walk away. I’m just saying that I agreed to the deal hoping you’d change your mind.”
“You did?”
“Yeah,” I muttered, pissed. I hadn’t wanted to play my hand so soon. I wanted time to warm her up to the idea before I went shooting my mouth off.
“Casey … I’m not going to change my mind. Even if I did, whatever this is, neither of us is ready for it.”
“I’m not ready? Are you speaking for me now too?”
“You dated Morgan because she had information on a case. Your family’s case. A case I know nothing about because you’re not willing to share.”
“Grace—”
She held up a hand cutting me off. “I’m not saying you have to share anything, Casey. Not if that’s what you don’t want to do. I’m just pointing out that if you were ready for something more, you’d be more open about your life, same as I would.”
“Same as you would?” I cocked my head, locking eyes with hers. “What are you hiding from me, Grace?”
“How has this conversation gone from me saying we’re not ready, to me hiding stuff?” Grace turned back around and went to push up and out of the tub again. “I thought this week away was about both of us having time to recuperate, not argue. I’m getting out, and then I’m getting dressed,” she said calmly, “and then you can drive me back to Sydney.”
My arm locked tighter around her waist, not letting her move, and she sucked in a breath. “Casey that hurts.”
“I’m sorry.” I immediately loosened my arm but didn’t let her go. Grace was definitely hiding something but pushing her on it wasn’t going to work. Maybe Henry knew something I didn’t. After resolving to ring her brother tomorrow, I rubbed her belly, soothing her until she relaxed back against my chest again. “You want to know about my family? About Kelly?”
“Casey—”
“I want to tell you, okay?”
After a moment, she nodded against my chest, so I took a deep breath and forced the words from mouth. “Kelly was my little brother. Younger than me by four years, so I was always looking out for him, you know? I had to. My dad was a mean drunk. He wasn’t too bad otherwise. We just had to watch out for him when he’d been drinking.”
Grace’s tone sounded stiff. “Did he drink a lot?”
“Every day,” I told her. “But
weekends were reserved for getting shitfaced.”
“Why?”
“Why did he drink?”
“Yeah.”
I ran my fingers through her hair as I spoke. It made the words easier to get out somehow. “I don’t know. It’s not really something that he sat down and talked to me about. Maybe he wasn’t happy with his life. Maybe a wife and kids wasn’t what he signed up for and he drank to forget about us. It’s something I’ll never know. We just knew to stay out of his way when the whiskey bottle was out, but most times it wasn’t that easy. We got beat pretty regular.”
Grace turned, water sloshing in the tub and anger blazing in her eyes. It surprised me. Not looking at her when I spoke meant I had no cues to what she was thinking.
“I want to kill him,” she hissed, seeming to forget that my father was already dead.
“Grace.”
“I want to—”
“Grace!”
She stopped suddenly. I could see her brain ticking over as she stared at me. “This is why you don’t have any good stories, isn’t it?”
“Pretty much,” I admitted. “I have good ones now though, yeah?”
“That doesn’t absolve all the bad ones, Casey.”
I turned her back around and took my time rinsing the conditioner from her hair.
“See, that’s what you think.” I hesitated for a moment and then thought, fuck it. “But sitting here with you makes the bad ones easier to bear.”
“Casey …” Grace tried to turn but I wouldn’t let her. “What about Kelly and your mum?”
The pain hit sharp and swift then. Because I’d failed them. It was that simple. “I tried to bear the brunt of it, but I couldn’t always be there. Kelly was a good kid, Grace. The complete opposite of our dad. So sweet and kind. I tried to keep him that way. I really did. And most of the time we were okay, but …”
Grace tried turning again and this time I let her. She straddled my lap, taking care to keep her cast dry. Then she looked at me. “But what?”
“But when it wasn’t okay, it was bad.” All my childhood fears came rushing back and I didn’t hide it. I wanted Grace to see it because I wanted her to see me, not some guy she fucked to pass the time. “It was really, really bad.”