Stages of Grace (26 page)

We both slowly dress. Ryan uses the bathroom first before heading up to pull the anchor. I find a tube of toothpaste in the bathroom and use my finger to brush my teeth as best as I can before going to join him. He hasn’t put his dress shirt back on. Watching him steer the boat in his khakis and undershirt is such a turn on. I walk over and wrap my arms around his waist. He reaches around and pulls me in front of him, kissing the back of my head. He steers with one hand, the other pulling me to him. I bring both of my arms to hold his arm tighter to my chest.

When we get closer to the dock, Ryan uses the hook end of the long wooden pole he had used to push us from the dock the night before. He has me hold the pole while he jumps onto the dock and ties the boat to two posts. I help him collect our things and the trash from the boat before he helps me off. Walking back up the hill towards his car, I try to wrap my brain around the fact that I had just made love on a boat with the Adonis standing beside me. He drives most of the way with one hand on my thigh, lazily rubbing his thumb back and forth. He parks in front of Kate's house and walks me to the door. I had meant to give him a sweet peck before I walk in, but he deepens it, pulling me to him.

"Do you want me to come in with you?"

"Don’t be silly. Besides, you probably have Jack wondering where you are."

He kisses me again before turning to walk home. I slip inside and go to find Kate, going first to the lanai. When I walk in, I’m surprised to see Jack eating breakfast with Kate. And here I am, strolling in and wearing my clothes from last night. The look Jack gives me makes me blush further.

"Hi, Kate. Hello, Jack. Um, just wanted to let you know I was home."

"Sit, dear. We want to hear all about your date."

"Is it okay if I take a quick shower first?"

"Feeling dirty
?" Jack grins at me.

"Shut it, mate." Ryan walks in behind me and kisses my cheek.

"I thought you were going home."

"Figured Jack came over here."

"Why don’t you hang out with them? I'd really like to change."

"Of course."
He kisses me sweetly, and I head to my room.

I take a quick shower, throwing on
a polo and some shorts, then brush my teeth and hair before going back out to the pool deck. Kate is knitting while Ryan tells them about our date. When I walk in, Jack is questioning my choice of burger toppings.

"It's really good," I argue.

"Still sounds gross."

"Then don’t eat it."

"Trust me, I won't."

"So did you stay on the boat all night?" Kate asks.

I look at Ryan.

"Well, I know they didn’t come back to Ryan's place."

"Yes, we spent the night on the boat. That's enough about that. Kate, how was your evening?" I say, picking up my knitting.

We all sit around chatting after that, Jack unsuccessfully tries to steer the conversation back to what happened on our date a couple of times. Before long, Ryan and Jack leave. Ryan needs a shower, and Jack is actually in town to check out some real estate.

Kissing me on the cheek, Ryan whispers. "Did you still want to spend the night tonight?"

I nod, blushing. The grin he gives me makes me blush even more. I push him away, laughing. I think he’s left when he hurries back into the room to give me another kiss before leaving.

"That boy is smitten with you."

"You think so?"

"Yes, Grace. I'm certain, and I do believe you feel the same way."

"I do. I feel a bit weird, like it is too soon since I stopped seeing Jon. Did I tell you he texted me that he missed me? How strange is that? As strange as that makes me feel, I can't deny how I feel about Ryan."

"Ryan is wonderful. I can see why you like him."

"But I think I more than like him. What if he doesn’t more than like me?"

"I wouldn’t worry about that, dear. I'm pretty sure he more than likes you."

"I hope y
ou're right."

"You just dropped a stitch, and I
know I'm right."

I look down at my knitting. "Will you help me get it back?"

Kate fixes my dropped stitch then pats me on the knee.

"Do you think these are good enough to sell like Jack said?"

"I've seen the stuff they sell in the stores. I know many people prefer handmade. I do. Is this something you would like to do?"

"I don’t know.
Maybe."

"I would be sure about it before you do."

"I feel like it would be really cool to be my own boss, not that I don’t like working with Ryan. I do. It's just that now that we're going out on dates—"

"And having sleepovers."

I flush. "And, er, having sleepovers. Will it be weird that he's my boss?"

"I don’t know. I can see if you only knew him that way but you haven’t, and I believe this has been brewing for a while."

"I just keep thinking about it and how cool it would be. I've seen all of these cool things I could try and make. You know, like those scarves that attach at the ends, or maybe hats. Do you think I could make hats?"

"Hats are easy and don’t take very long to make, but won't you be busy spending time with Ryan?"

"I'm sure I will, but maybe I could do this too. I'm getting faster, and I don’t have to look down at my hands as much."

"Well, you seem very comfortable making scarves. Why don’t I teach you how to make a hat when you are done with that one, and what ever happened to the shawl you
were working on?"

I set my knitting down and tell Kate I will be right back. Now is the perfect time to give it to her because it’s just the two of us. I hurry to my room to retrieve it. I have it neatly folded and tied with wide white ribbon around it. I hug it to my chest as I walk back onto the lanai.

"Kate?" My voice is shaking.

"Yes, dear?"

"I made this for you. I don’t have much, and you gave me the one thing that I didn’t think I would ever have again: family. I know things were strained with you and my mom. I just wish more than anything that she would have moved past it before, well. It’s just that you have come to mean so much to me, to do so much for me."

Kate reaches out to grab one of my hands. I wipe away a tear with the other.

“I'm happier than I've ever been, and I want you to know it's because of you. I can't imagine what you went through, losing Ronny and then my mom. When you explained that the purpose of the shawl was to give comfort," I struggle to finish. "I just wanted to do something to give you comfort."

"Come here, child." Kate pats the seat next to her, and once I sit, Kate pulls me into a gentle hug. "Grace, when you called me that day and said that you would come and see
me, that was the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. You didn’t know me. That day, you gave me a family as well. I would be honored to accept your gift."

I stand only to go grab a box of tissues from the house.

"Aren't we a mess?" Kate laughs, pulling an extra one from the box.

I nod, wiping my eyes.

"Hello." Ryan walks in, then sees us crying. "What’s wrong?"

"Oh, don’t mind us, dear. Grace just gave me a lovely gift so I'm being sentimental."

I stand, and he gives me a hug. "I'm just trying to thank her for taking me in."

He rests his chin on top of my head and holds me tight. "I should probably be thanking her as well, for bringing you to me."

"Don’t you make me cry too, young man. Why don’t you take Grace out for an ice cream?"

He bends his knees, lowering himself to eye level with me. "Sound good?"

I nod, then turn back to Kate. "Can we bring you back some?"

"Twist my arm."

I lean down to kiss her cheek. "Will do."

Walking together to Ryan's Jeep, I c
an't help but notice how perfectly my hand fits in his. He walks me to the passenger side door, leaning me against it. Taking his thumbs, he gently wipes the moisture away from below my eyes. I close my eyes and let my hands sit on the waist band of his shorts as he presses soft kisses on my forehead, cheeks, nose, and lastly, lips. I open my eyes before he pulls away and become lost in his gaze. His smile is infectious. As we stand there, inches apart, I feel so exhilarated. Reaching my hands up to his neck, I pull him in for another deeper kiss. His lips, his touch, him. I want to lose myself in all of it.

Breaking our kiss, Ryan looks slightly dazed when he pulls back. "If we don’t stop, I'm going to throw you over my shoulder and take you to my bed."

I hide my face in his shirt. That's exactly what I want to do. But there's Kate. "How about we go get ice cream, and once Kate lies down this afternoon, we do that."

"Really?"
He can’t keep the excitement out of his voice.

"Mm hm."

He leans down to kiss me again, pulling me towards him as he backs away from the car and reaches behind me to open my door before taking his lips from mine. I slide into my seat, resting my hands on my knees as he shuts my door. While we drive to the ice cream parlor, I tell Ryan I’m interested in maybe trying to open my own Etsy store. Ryan thinks it’s brilliant and promises to help in any way he can. The ice cream parlor he takes me to has a drive thru. Since we're bringing back ice cream for Kate, we use it. Ryan picks up three hand-packed pints: French Vanilla for Kate, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle for me, and Mint Chocolate Chip for himself.

They give us plastic spoons with our order, and I consider starting mine right away but figure I can wait until we get back to the house. Eating ice cream instead of lunch around the pool is a guilty pleasure we all enjoy indulging in. When Kate goes to lie down, Ryan looks at me mischievously. My stomach flips. Why am I so nervous all of a sudden? I felt so confident earlier out by his car. I can tell he is trying to figure out what I want to do. Why am I even nervous? I want him, and I know he wants me too. I stand and reach out my hand to him.

Ryan pulls me into his lap, his hands molded to my hips, kissing me hungrily as if my lips are the only possible relief for his hunger. I tangle my fingers in his hair, gasping when he lifts me and carries me out the back door and across the yard to his house.

"I…can…walk," I breathe between kisses.

His lips move to my neck as he replies, "Not a chance."

Entering by the side door, he pulls back enough to shout, "Jack!" a couple times, then looking back at my confused look, "Just wanted to make sure he isn’t here."

He nudges the door to his bedroom open with his foot and kicks it closed behind us. Claiming my mouth once more, he eases me onto his bed. I tug at his shirt, and pausing for a beat, he pulls it off. He lies down next to me, pulling me on top of him. Our clothes are shed and heaped on the floor by the bed in moments. I feel timid about my body. It had been so dark on the boat the night before. This feels more intimate, like there is no part of me I can hide. Ryan takes his time exploring my every curve. When I feel like I can't take it any longer, he reaches for a condom.

Locking eyes as he sinks into me, Ryan groans. I giggle at his expression. He playfully nips at my chin before rocking his hips against mine. It's no laughing matter when he lifts my leg to his shoulder. I twist my hands into the pillows behind me, arching to meet him over and over again. Sitting up, his hands are vices on my hips, setting a pace that ignites something within me. Feeling I'm close, he leans back down to cover me, and I wrap my legs around his waist. Placing one hand on either side of my face, his lips find mine, and I cling to him as I come undone. He collapses on top of me only moments later.

"So beautiful." He dances soft kisses all over my face.

"This doesn’t even seem real."

"Very real." He moves to kissing the tops of my shoulders.

"Like too good to be true."

"Nope. Just the right amount of good and very true."

"You are so silly."

"And you are heavenly."

"How is it possible that you didn’t have a girlfriend when we met?"

He leans back, resting his head on his hand, fingertips of his other hand drawing lazy circles on my thigh. "I've never been much of a going out guy. When I moved here, I was so busy with the business and became such good friends with Kate I just wasn’t in a position to meet many girls."

"Do you like me just because I'm around?" I say it jokingly but am insecure in his feelings for me.

"The very first moment I saw you, Grace, in the airport, I thought who is this blue eyed, blonde goddess, and what must I do to make her mine? I was very bothered when I learned you had a fella, but you were so amazing I figured you could not be single."

"Hush."

"Do you miss him?"

I pull Ryan to me. "I miss what we had, but that was long gone before I met you."

"I'm very happy you feel that way," he says before covering my mouth with his.