Sweet Something (Sweet #1) (11 page)

“Are you serious about Gracie, Carter?” asked a man sitting at the bar. “Gracie is like one of my own; her sisters too. She has had a tough life with her mom leaving, and having that dickhead Denny mess with her heart. She deserves happiness, and if you aren’t serious, I would keep on moving.”

Tyler looked over at Grace again. His heart jumped and he felt his legs go weak at the thought of hurting her. “I am very serious about her. I just don’t know if she is going to let me in, but I am going to try like hell. If I get her, I am keeping her forever.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

       It had been three days since Autumn’s birthday, and it was almost time for Thanksgiving. Monday morning came quickly for Grace as she slammed the snooze button on her alarm clock and rolled out of bed. “I don’t know why people say the early bird gets the worm. I don’t even like worms. I should just go back to bed,” she said as she made her way to the bathroom.

She blinked and took a closer look in the mirror. Her cheeks were red and her hair was its usual crazy mess. “Sleep deprivation does not agree with me,” she said as she pulled her wild hair into a ponytail. It was still dark outside and she didn’t want to wake Tyler, who was asleep in her bed, sprawled out with the covers hanging low on his hips. She stood at the foot of the bed watching him sleep. She ran a finger across her lips, remembering the many ways he kissed her that night. It was a fleeting thought, but she could see herself waking up to him for the rest of her life. Shaking the thoughts out of her mind, she turned quietly to look for her running clothes. She pulled them on without a sound, trying not to wake up Tyler.

“Are you sneaking out on me again?” Tyler asked in a sleepy raspy voice. He lifted his head, watching her pull her Spandex bottom over her ass, and smiled.

“I am not sneaking out on you. I am going running. I do this every morning. It helps me get through the day without feeling tired. Go back to sleep.”

“I can think of something else besides running that will leave you feeling great and energized for the rest of the day.” He sat up in bed, reached for her, and yanked her down onto his lap. He pulled Grace closer to him. He kissed her lips and leaned back looking into her eyes. “Get back in bed. It’s too early and too damn cold to be running.” He kissed her again, slowly taking his time as his tongue parted her lips and slid into her mouth. His fingers wound themselves into her hair and pulled gently, tilting her head up so his lips could kiss down her jawline to her neck, and then to the soft skin behind her ear. She gasped when his teeth bit down on her gently and his tongue slid across her skin.

“Are you trying to make me change my mind about running?” she asked, as her breathing became uneven.

“Mmmm,” he said, nodding his head and continuing his trail of kisses while he used his hands to take off her shoes. “You don’t need these in bed,” he said, and tossed them to the floor.

“I guess I could find another way to take my mind off of things.”

She was falling back on the bed and his body was on top of her before she could complain. He was quick, and pinned her arms above her head so she couldn’t move. “What I want to do is better than running.” He bit down on

her bottom lip as his hands worked on removing her pants, sliding them down her legs and feeling every inch of her. “Oh fuck, you aren’t wearing any panties. The things you do to me. I swear you drive me out of my fucking mind, but in a good way.” His hands were warm and felt great to Grace as he let them roam up her thighs and between her legs.

“Tyler . . .”

“I’m right here baby. I am not going anywhere, and neither are you,” he whispered before nibbling on her ear. His finger slid inside her and his thumb rubbed over her most sensitive area, sending shivers down her body. She moaned and arched her back, pushing herself onto his hand.

“We’re going to wake up my sisters,” she said and gasped when he bit down on her neck.

“Then be quiet and you won’t wake up anyone. You are the one who has a hard time keeping quiet. You almost broke the noise ordinance the other night. It’s a good thing I keep my windows closed or you might have woken up the neighbors,” he said, grinning as he kissed his way down her body.

“I’m not that loud. Besides, it’s your fault, you know; if you wouldn’t do those things with your . . .”

His tongue slid inside of her before she could finish her sentence and she moaned again, biting down on her lip to keep from making too much noise.

“Is this what you are talking about,” he said and flicked his tongue. Her hips moved with every flick of his tongue and every thrust of his finger. He took his time pushing her closer and used his other hand to still her hips, holding them in place.

“Tyler . . .” Her voice was filled with need and something more she wasn’t sure about yet. Deep down she knew what it was. Grace knew Tyler had made his way into her heart, and it felt like it was about to explode and leap out of her chest. He kissed her soft wet skin, and then ran his tongue up her thigh and back inside her, making small quick circles that drove her crazy. It was like a wave that started out slowly, and then traveled throughout her whole body.  Tyler took his time making his way up her body, kissing and licking every inch of her skin until he was looking into her eyes. Something was different this time when he looked into her eyes. He could see it. It was more than desire or want. He shifted his weight to one side as his hand slid up her arm and up to her cheek. Lost in her eyes, and overtaken by the way she made him feel, he was stuck in the moment at the sight of her under him. He never wanted it to end. He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes for another second before he rolled them both over, pulling the covers with them. Grace was on top of him now. Her hair was falling down around her face as he sat up and pushed her back a little while his hands came around her back. Tyler unhooked her bra and slid the straps down her arms. He then tossed it to the side of the bed.

“You are so beautiful Grace,” he said before his lips found hers. “What did you do to me? I never thought I

could feel this way again. I can’t stop thinking about you or wanting you.”

  The words were like a jolt to her heart. A flood of emotions came over her and she could no longer hold back the way she was feeling for Tyler. Her heart tightened and she felt butterflies in her stomach as he kissed her. She shifted on his lap, lowering herself onto him and pushing him deep inside of her. His arms tightened around her body, holding her close as she moved her hips to push him in even deeper. A moan vibrated deep in his chest. He deepened the kiss when she moved her hips again, slowly.

“Oh fuck! Don’t move like that. You are going to make me lose it in a second, and I don’t want it to be over yet,” he said in a rough voice and grasped her hips to hold her in place. “Slow. I want to take my time. You feel so fucking good like this.”

“Slow like this?” She whispered in his ear and bit down on his shoulder gently as her hips rocked slowly with his, pushing him deeper and deeper with each thrust.

“Just like that.” He pushed deeper inside of her, their bodies almost one. Her insides, so hot and tight, clenched around him, and he moaned again and fell back, taking her with him as they rolled. He was on top of her again. “So fucking good every time,” he said with one last thrust. His body tensed, and he pushed harder one last time, as she came around him as he found his own release. His face pressed against her skin as he left a trail of sweet kisses up and down her neck.

They both laid there trying to calm their rapidly beating hearts and erratic breathing as Tyler softly kissed the skin at the base of her neck. “Grace, you get me every time. Every time I am with you, I am falling all over again.”

  The sun was barely up when they both drifted off to sleep. In his arms, Grace forgot about every worry she had in the world. It wasn’t until the sun shone bright in her eyes that she noticed she was already late for work. Jumping out of bed and throwing on her clothes in a hurry, she did not see that Tyler was watching her with a big smug grin on his face.

“I don’t know what is hotter, you running around naked looking for clothes, or knowing you are late because I just gave you the two best orgasms of your life,” he said, grabbing a pillow and putting it behind his head so he could comfortably watch her.

“Are you going to just lay there and watch me?” she asked.

“Well, I don’t have to go to work, so yeah, I am going to just lay here and watch.” He put his hands behind his head and adjusted himself into the pillow, grinning from ear to ear, and watching her pull on her clothes.

“I am late. I am sure you can find your way home, or do you still need me to walk you home and show you the way,” she said in a playful tone before giving him a quick kiss.

“Funny little thing, aren’t you? I think it was me who walked you home the first night. I can find my way home just fine,” he said and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back down to the bed. “When you get home, come over. I want to take you out to dinner.”

She smiled and gave him another quick kiss before getting up. “I will be home after five, and I would love to have dinner with you later.”

It was another busy Monday at work for Grace. Customers came in all morning, and didn’t stop until lunch time. She was looking forward to having the next four days off and spending time with her sisters and Tyler. It was going to be the first Thanksgiving in years that both her sisters would be home, and it would be her first Thanksgiving with Tyler. It sounded a whole hell of a lot better than the last three years of lonely holidays. She was so exhausted from her long morning that she decided to skip lunch and go to her car to clear her mind in silence. Taking a deep breath, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, trying to focus on relaxing her mind, even if it was just for a few minutes.  The peace and quiet always helped clear her mind and take away some of her stress, but it was cut short when a knock on the window pulled her out of her relaxation. Grace opened her eyes and looked out the window and could feel all of the tension coming right back. Out of all the people in Bar Harbor, this was one person she

could do without running into, especially when she was trying to relax.

She sighed, rolled down her window, and gave Denny a look that could kill. “What do you want now, Denny?”

“Is it true what everyone is saying? You and this new guy Tyler are a thing?” he asked with a mocking tone. “People have seen you two at Geddy’s looking pretty cozy together.”

“That is none of your fucking business, Denny. You left me, remember? You have no say in my life anymore.” She was pissed now. How dare he question her about who she was seeing and what she was doing, especially when he was the one who cheated on her with a tourist, and wasn’t even sorry about it when he got caught.

“It is my business when you are parading all over the damn street with surfer boy and making me look like an idiot.”

    She laughed, and thought to herself, “How the hell could I have ever been in love with someone like Denny Marshall.You make yourself look like an idiot all on your own Denny. Trust me, you need no help in that department.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean Grace?”

“It means you pick up all of these women all over town, sleep with them, and then have the nerve to question me about what I am doing!” She could feel the anger building inside of her, took a deep breath, and pushed open the car door and stepped out. “You think everyone doesn’t see you at Geddy’s and all the other bars around town with a different girl every night?”

“That is not true. I don’t bring home a different girl every night.” He took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest trying to play innocent.

“Yeah, right, Denny . . . and I found the pot ‘o gold at the end of the rainbow last week,” she said in her best Irish accent.  “We are over! We have been over for three years! Remember when you left me for the bleached blonde tourist you said was the love of your life? I found someone who cares for me and makes me happy, and you are never ever going to come between us.”

She slammed the car door and turned to walk away when he grabbed her wrist, pulling her back and spinning her around. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist, locking his fingers behind her back. “You still have feelings for me. I can tell by the way you look at me. We had something special, Grace. Are you going to let some surfer bum from California ruin it for us?”

She pushed him back and wiggled out of his hold, shaking her head. “You really are as dumb as you look. We are not good together. All you ever did was hurt me. Tyler is more of a man than you will ever be. As far as I am concerned, you and I have nothing else to talk about.” She left him standing in the middle of the parking lot, looking like someone just pulled the rug out from under him. She gave him one last glance and found herself giggling at the look on his face.

“I am not going to wait for you, Grace! You are making a mistake!” he shouted as she walked away from him.

There was no need to turn around or think twice. She knew the only mistake she made was wasting three years of her life on Denny. Now, the only thing she wanted was Tyler, and finally, she found the courage to tell him, and was going to do just that when she got home.

     All day, Grace thought of how to tell Tyler she was in love with him. Anyone in their right mind would tell her she was crazy for being in love with a man she had barely known for two weeks. She didn’t care because it was the best two weeks of her life. She didn’t want to waste any more time. The drive home felt like hours when it only took her ten minutes. She expected her sisters to be home, and knew they would want every detail before she told Tyler. Oddly enough, when she walked in, the house was empty and quiet. The flutters in her stomach grew as she walked into her room and saw the bed still unmade from this morning. Thoughts of her morning with Tyler came back to her, and she smiled and remembered every touch and kiss. She showered quickly, leaving her hair up, and being careful not to get it wet. Her closet wasn’t filled with the hottest outfits, so she went to Paige’s room to see if she could find one of her sister’s ‘to die for’ outfits. Of course Paige had everything in two or three colors. Grace picked a green tank top with a lace top and cream colored knit sweater that hung off her curves perfectly. She added dark blue jeans with a pair of black ankle boots. She looked in the mirror one last time and walked out the door. It didn’t take her long to get to Tyler’s front door. She stood there thinking about the first time he invited her over for dinner and knocked, waiting for him to answer. With every passing second her nerves seemed to get the best of her, and she even thought about turning around and going back home. She kept telling herself that Tyler made her happy, and that he made it very clear several times that she did the same thing for him. Finally, the door opened and he stood there in jeans that hung low on his waist and were unbuttoned. His hair was wet and his chest had droplets of water running down his skin. The man had just stepped out of the shower and looked and smelled divine. If her nerves didn’t knock her knees weak, the sight of him half naked and still wet from the shower did. Finding the right words to say seemed impossible, but she took a step toward him anyway. He smiled and reached for her, pulling her up to his wet body, and gave her the most passionate kiss she ever had in her life. His lips moved slowly against hers as his tongue slid over them, tasting her sweet mouth.