A Graceful Mess (5 page)

My eyes watch Grace, step by step, as she draws closer. My throat feels dry, so I take a swig of my drink and allow an ice cube to rest on my tongue and then I suck on it. The coolness of the small square cube in my warm mouth does nothing to quench my thirst. I’d rather be sucking on her sweet little tits. I’m sure they are swollen with need. They probably haven’t been touched lately.

God, I hope they haven’t.

I want to cup her breasts in that tight blue dress. She has got to know what she is doing wearing that damn thing, yet her face looks lost, like she’s scared of even being in this place. Her innocence radiates off of her like a neon sign. Horny, male eyes travel down her long, slender legs, and I notice a dude standing against the wall, eyeing her a little too hard. He has a tattoo covering the hand that is holding the neck of a beer bottle. My hand tightens around my glass as the ice cube breaks into two pieces in my mouth from the blunt force of my teeth. I’d like to break that moron’s jaw. And I might just get the chance if he keeps drooling over her like a dog. She deserves way better than that chump, and way better than Carson too, that’s for damn sure. I drink her in as she strolls towards us. I don’t know why, but I can’t force my eyes away from hers. The moment she stops checking me out and her eyes travel to my face, my breath catches in my chest.

What the hell is wrong with me?

If I thought I was in trouble before, I should be locked away now just from the thoughts of having her under me racing through my mind. Her picture doesn’t do her justice, and now here we are, face to face. Dad warned me, and I seriously cannot mess up this case. I’ll try to play it cool tonight, although I want to pull her into my arms, slide off her dress and mark her as mine. I saw Carson looking at her when she came out of the bathroom, and he had the same glimmer in his eye. It makes me want to kick his ass, but on what grounds? It’s not like I can be like, “Back up, bro, she’s mine.” He would call my bluff, and laugh in my face. The reality is she is nothing and everything in the same being. She is Grace, and she is my client’s long lost love child. The thought makes me sick so I drink it away with the Jack.

We walk out of the tiny, disease-ridden bathroom as Maci chants, “Carson and Gracie sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!” We both start laughing and then realize our drinks are empty so we walk in the direction of our new friends. I am surprised by my sociability tonight. I guess that’s why they call alcohol “social lubricant.” The thought of fawning all over a man just for a free drink repulses me, but I don’t work and I’m on a budget, so I follow Maci’s lead.

“Do you remember there being three of them?”

I half think she is seeing things; I mean, she has had several drinks in the short amount of time we’ve been here, and I know if I’m feeling a head change then she must be. Her statement urges my eyes towards the small table we were at only moments before. I gasp as my eyes take in the new addition.

He is standing in dark jeans with a light blue and white striped button-up. The first two buttons are undone, exposing a white V-neck T-shirt underneath, accompanied by a hemp necklace with a metal emblem on it. My eyes take in his height before they travel down his legs – legs that I imagine are built –to his feet, which are covered in a pair of chocolate, leather Doc Martens. His brown, shaggy hair is a little long for my liking, but it isn’t long and gross like a skateboarder or surfer, all greasy and wild. He is too big and muscular for that. You can tell he works out, that much is obvious by the broadness of his shoulders. The five o’clock shadow on his jawline gives him a scruffier appearance, and I really want to reach out and run my hands down his unshaven cheeks. Suddenly my cheeks feel flushed, which isn’t a feeling I’m used to, and I question my own sobriety as we stroll closer.

Glancing up, we make eye contact. I think his eyes are a light hazel, but it’s hard to tell from so far away, and the dim lighting isn’t helping, but somehow they are so enticing. It’s like I am looking into a different person’s eyes; what I mean is they don’t seem to match the massively built man in front of me. Where his body is strong and defined, his eyes are much different; they look softer and tell a story of their own. I instantly wonder who he is and why he is here, at our table, with our new friends. He tilts his head slightly to the side. It looks almost like he is squinting. I turn my head to look behind us, but there’s no one there.

Is he squinting at me?

Before I realize I’m staring, Maci pinches the inside of my forearm. “Like what you see?” she smirks.

I shake my head, trying to clear the mischievous thoughts that are overwhelming me. I’ve never felt like I could attack someone before, at least not sexually, but I feel a sudden urge to tackle him. I don’t know what has come over me, so I try to brush it off, knowing that this rush of desire has to be the result of the alcohol.

“Ahem,” I clear my throat. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Do I need to spell it out? You know what I asked.” She giggles into her empty glass.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just staring off into space,” I lie, knowing with one hundred percent certainty that if I told her what I was thinking moments before she’d never let me live it down.

“Come on, Gracie,” she slurs. “If you’re going to be a big, bad attorney one day, you really should learn to lie better. Frankly, your poker face sucks!”

I make a pouty face – Maci’s signature “I get what I want” look. “Can we please just drop this? It’s not like you’ll remember tomorrow.”

“At least you learned from the best. But seriously where did my shy best friend go, and who is this girl who replaced her? Tonight you’ve proven you can hang with the best of us. I think I took your bar virginity,” she teases as our heels click on the concrete floor.

“Okay, fine. He’s attractive, okay? You caught me. I was checking him out.” I blush at my own admission.

“Well, if all it takes for you to let your guard down is a sexy as hell, brunette man, I should have dragged you out sooner!”

“Whatever, come on,” I plead. It’s not that big of a deal. One night, out of my entire life, I’m acting a little of out the norm. No need to call a psych ward; I’m just having a little fun. Plus, Maci knows my gawking is innocent. She knows I haven’t been remotely close with a man in years and she knows why.

We walk the few feet left to the round table, where there are three sets of eyes watching us. I don’t know who this guy is or why my body suddenly feels like Jello, but the moment our eyes connected, I felt a yearning all the way to my core. He blinks a few times, but each time his hazel eyes open they land directly on mine. I can feel them and their energy, silently pulling me towards him. As we near the table, I can hear him clear his throat. His lips are slightly parted and I think I can see a piece of ice in his mouth. When he opens his lips to inhale, I see a small cube. His tongue slowly slides over it as he closes his mouth. I wish I was that piece of ice right now, in his mouth, being licked by his sweet tongue. My thoughts alone are enough to make my nipples harden.

Oh. My. God. Are my nipples hard right now?

I quickly look in another direction trying to distract my mind from the heaven-sent man they have been glued on.

“Hey, boys,” the brunette says as she walks over to Ramsey’s side and wraps her arm around his waist. He casually wraps his arm around her shoulder, and I know she is a sure thing. Hell, I’m not even sure he hasn’t already hit it once or twice. That’s how Spencer Ramsey is. He lures women in with his bad boy, tatted-up style, gets what he wants, then sends them packing with their tails between their legs like some cheap tramp. He is the epitome of a royal cock, pun intended.

“Grace, what do ya want this time?” Carson asks and the sound of her name rolling off his tongue makes my skin crawl, so I clench my jaw and bite the inside of my cheek, praying to God I don’t lose it, right here, right now.

“Umm, surprise me.” Her voice is almost so low it could be mistaken as a whisper.

“Oh, you like surprises, do ya?” he says with a playful wink, a wink that makes me want to punch my own brother, my own flesh and blood, in the face. She smiles, then casually turns her head and tries to join in on the conversation at the table. The dark-haired chick and Ramsey don’t even seem to notice her standing there.

What a wing-woman she is.

“Hey,” I say to break the silence. She hesitantly turns around to face me.

“Hello.” Her voice is so quiet I can barely hear her. I look over her shoulder and see Carson standing at the bar, impatiently waiting for his turn. This may be my only shot to talk to her. I know I shouldn’t; she technically is my person of interest, in more ways than one, now. But the moment I looked into her striking baby-blue eyes, I was a goner.

“I’m Carson’s older brother, Parker.” Holding my hand out in front of me, she reaches across the small, black, circular table that separates us.

“I’m Grace. It’s nice to meet you.” I grasp her hand and shake it. Her skin feels so soft compared to my callused hands. Lifting weights day in and day out has definitely taken a toll on my palms. I look up to see her staring at our exchange. I’m not sure why she looks as though she’s nervous. Her appearance is deceptive. On the outside she screams “I’m a beautiful, blonde goddess,” but on the inside I can tell that it’s an entirely different thing. She is definitely out of place here, and her body language tells me that she isn’t comfortable. I know this is wrong in more ways than one, but I want her. More than I have ever wanted someone before. But she seems so fragile standing in the crowd of rowdy onlookers, like a damsel in distress. Instead of feeling guilty, like I know I should, I feel like Superman about to rescue her and whisk her away.

“It’s a little loud in here. Do you want to grab a table?” As she takes a breath, I can see her chest rise and fall under her dress. She hesitates while twirling a silver ring around on her finger.

“Look, sweetheart, you can trust me. Carson is right over there,” I point to him at the bar. He is standing talking to a petite blonde, who isn’t a bartender here. Go figure. “And I think your friend is going to be occupied for a while.” I gesture to Ramsey who looks like his hands are full, and his lap, which her friend is now occupying.

“Witch,” I hear her mumble. “Yes, a table would be lovely.”

Wow, she didn’t need as much convincing as I thought.

“Follow me.” I grab my drink and her empty glass sitting on the table, and then guide her by the small of her back to a dimly lit booth tucked in a secluded area of the bar. I know it’s normally reserved for VIPs, but it’s unoccupied tonight. Lifting up a small, yellow rope, she ducks under it. “It’s less packed back here. Less packed, but just as loud,” I smirk and give her my all-American boy smile. She doesn’t giggle like most women would at my charm. Not that I’m putting it on heavy, really I’m not even trying, but damn, nothing.

“I was fine over there, but I appreciate your gesture. This place…this place is a little overwhelming.” Her fingers fiddle with one of those small purse-thingies.

“Yeah, it can be sometimes, especially when your friend ditches you.” She looks taken off guard and a little pissed.

“My friend? You mean Maci? She didn’t ditch me. I was fine. Carson would’ve been back to keep me company…eventually.”

Her words sting, like peroxide to a fresh cut. She saw him at the bar with that other woman. I feel bad for her, not only for seeing that, but because she was left alone. I also wonder if she’s really that naïve or if she’s just playing it off really well. Who in their right mind would leave her alone? The thought makes my stomach churn. It’s exactly the same thought I had in my office while reviewing her case.

“I have no doubt you can hold your own, and I’m sure you would have been fine standing there waiting for my little brother all night. But this here is a win-win. I saved you from the torture of watching your friend. What did you say her name was, Maci?” she nods her head. “I saved you from watching Maci and Ramsey all night and from my annoying little brother.”