Grace
I LET MYSELF into Merrick’s place and dropped my keys in the dish by the door. “Mer?”
“Back here!” he called, then walked out into the living room, shrugging on his cut.
“You going out?”
“Compound,” he said. “If that counts as ‘out,’ then, yeah.”
“Okay, so I’m cooking for one, then?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re cooking?”
I dropped my purse on the sofa and nodded. “Was thinking about it.”
He hummed, pressing his lips into a thin line. “Random pussy or my sister’s cooking. That’s a tough decision.”
I punched his arm. “Ohmigod, Merrick. You’re disgusting. Forget it, I’m not cooking for you now.”
He laughed, rubbing the place where my fist connected. “Where did you learn to hit so hard?”
“Devon,” I said, walking into the kitchen to see what I could find to cook.
“I think I’ll have a conversation with old Sparky tonight.”
I rolled my eyes. “Good luck with that.”
“I’m gonna head out. You good?”
“Yep. Have fun.”
He walked out the door, locking it behind him, and I tried to figure out if I could make something healthy out of our meager choices.
* * *
An hour after I’d opened my refrigerator, I was stretched out on the sofa, open bag of crinkled chips in my lap, licking my fingers in an attempt to clean away the evidence of my ‘dinner.’ I ended up wiping my hands on my jeans before pushing myself up from the sofa just as my phone rang on the side table.
“Hello?”
“I heard you’re cooking,” Flea said.
“You heard wrong. I thought about it, but this family sized bag of Wavy Lays jumped out at me, and I tried really hard to wrestle it back into the cabinet, but the fucker’s strong. He won.”
He chuckled. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yep. Karma’s a bitch, though. Half of him is now in my belly.”
“Okay, so you’ve filled yourself with shit… you want some protein?”
“I don’t have any protein. Hence the chips finding their way down my gullet.”
“Want me to pick up protein for you to cook and bring it over?” he asked. “Or I could swing by and take you out.”
“Or… you could hit Burgerville on the way over?”
“Yeah, I could do that.”
“Ohmigod, seriously?”
“Yeah, what do you want?”
“Tillamook cheeseburger, fries, chocolate milkshake.”
“Shit, that was fast,” he said with a chuckle.
“I’m starving,” I complained.
“Okay, babe, I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Okay, Flea. Thanks.”
I hung up and did my best to clean up the chip crumbs before rushing to the bathroom and brushing out my hair. I wasn’t sure why Flea was coming over, but I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth… and I was going to try and look cute for said gift horse.
He arrived about twenty minutes after I brushed a little lip-gloss on, and I rushed to pull the door open. “Hi.”
“Hey, babe,” he said, stepping inside. “You got beer?”
“Merrick’s got beer,” I said. “Yes.”
He grinned. “That works.”
He grabbed himself a beer while I unpacked the food and then we sat at the dinette and chowed down on the best burgers in the world.
“Shit, you were hungry,” he observed.
I nodded, swallowing the huge bite I’d just taken. “Does it surprise you?”
“That you were hungry?”
“No, that I can eat my weight in meat.”
Flea laughed. “Yeah, I guess it does a little.”
I wiped my mouth and grinned. “I dance; therefore, I eat.”
“Makes sense.”
“So, um, why are you here?” I asked, rushing to add, “Not that I’m complaining, I just figured if you and Mer were both at the club tonight, you were busy.”
“Nah. It was a regular night. I guess I wasn’t feelin’ it.”
I smiled. “Well, anytime you feel like you’re not ‘feelin’ it’ and want to bring me food, I’m all for it.”
“Good to know.” He tipped his beer toward me. “Your brother needs to buy better beer.”
“I don’t think he was expecting you to drink it all.”
“Won’t drink it all,” he countered. “It’s dog piss.”
I chuckled. “You could always bring your own.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”
I busied myself with scrunching up my wrappers in an effort to hide how happy I was that there’d be a next time. Chucking everything into the trash, I sat back down at the table.
“You good if I hang out a bit?” Flea asked.
“Yes, if you want to.”
“Don’t want to assume you’re free,” he said.
“If it was tomorrow, I wouldn’t be.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s tomorrow.”
“Class. I have a private one with Cassidy.”
“You still take classes?”
I nodded. “I probably always will. Otherwise, I’ll get soft.”
“It’s cool you got that kinda work ethic.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah, babe, it is.”
I settled my chin in my hand, elbow to the table, and studied him. “What’s your deal?”
“My deal?”
“Yeah. I can’t figure out why you’re being so nice to me.”
“I’m a nice guy.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Is that what it is?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm, what?”
I was suddenly feeling really insecure.
Drop it, Grace. Just go with it. Don’t overthink things.
“Just don’t want to be the pity friend,” I admitted, not dropping it.
He frowned. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
I rose to my feet and headed into the kitchen, busying myself with the dirty dishes. “Forget it. Just ignore me.”
I heard the scrape of a chair and then he was standing between me and my only way out of the kitchen. “Fill me in on what you mean, Grace.”
I faced him. “I’m being insecure. It’s a thing. I’m not proud of it, but it’s the truth. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have friends.”
“Oh, yeah? Poppy’s not your friend?” he challenged.
I sighed. “Poppy’s family. Poppy doesn’t count.”
“Fair enough, but just so we’re clear, I’m not friends with people I don’t genuinely like, so no more bullshit talk that I’m doin’ anything out of pity. Clear?”
I nodded, focusing back on the sink.
“Grace. Need you to hear me on that.”
“Got it.”
“Look at me when you lie to me.”
I gasped, meeting his eyes. “I’m not lying.”
He leaned forward. “Never want you to say that again. Don’t want you to think it, either.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’ll know, Grace.”
I scoffed. “You can’t read my mind, Flea.”
“You don’t think so?”
“Oh, I know so,” I said.
He crossed his arms. “You’re thinking that for the first time in years, you feel safe and comfortable and it freaks you the fuck out.”
I found myself fully enthralled with a dot on the counter, grabbing a paper towel to add some friction.
Flea chuckled. “I think that’s part of the granite, Grace.”
I leaned down to study the dot. “Is it?”
“Grace,” he said, slowly, quietly. “Look at me, honey.”
I swallowed. God. Honey.
Baby and babe, I could handle, because he called all women babe or baby, but honey?
I straightened, turning my eyes away from the counter and up to him.
“You freaked?” he asked.
“Yes.” There was no point in lying. I was freaked. And I was freaked because I wanted to bury myself in the essence that was Flea… and let him bury his dick inside of me.
God, I wanted his dick inside of me.
“You need to quit lookin’ at me like that, Grace,” Flea warned.
I wrinkled my nose. “How am I looking at you?”
Before he could explain, my doorbell pealed, and Flea frowned. “You expectin’ someone?”
“No. But if Devon’s at the club, it’s probably Poppy,” I said, heading for the door.
“Wait, babe,” he countered, and slid past me, pulling open the door.
It wasn’t Poppy.
It was my dad.
“Merrick’s not here,” I said, freezing in place.
“You gonna introduce me to your friend, Grace?” he asked.
“No. I’ll let Mer know you stopped by.”
He moved like he was going to walk in, but Flea shifted so he couldn’t. My dad looked him up and down and then frowned at me. “Need to talk to you, sweetpea. Can’t do that if I’m being blocked.”
“You can call me,” I said from my position in the living room.
“You don’t answer the phone.”
“Oops,” I deadpanned, crossing my arms.
He sighed, rubbing his forehead with his hand. “Gracie, I’m tryin’ here.”
I squared my shoulders. “Too little, too late.”
Direct hit.
“Grace,” he whispered as his eyes clouded with sadness and regret and devastation, and I felt the ping of guilt. I was being cruel. On purpose. But this was our dance and I didn’t know how to get off the floor.
Dad frowned at Flea. “You gonna move aside, so I can talk to my daughter?”
Flea shook his head. “If Grace doesn’t want you in, I’m not lettin’ you in.”
He sighed again. “I’ve met someone, Gracie. It’s serious, and I’d like you to meet her.”
“No, thank you,” I said as cheerily as I could.
“Goddammit.” Before I knew what was happening, Dad had shoved past Flea and closed the distance between us. I let out a squeak of fright, and that’s when Flea moved.
He rushed for my father, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and wrestling him toward the door. The problem was, my dad was a cop, he was in shape, and he had several inches on Flea.
“Stop!” I squealed. “Please! Both of you, stop.”
But no one was listening, so I was stuck in my place on the floor, watching them go at each other and I was completely helpless to stop it.
I wasn’t left waiting for long. The tussle ended almost as quickly as it began, with my dad on his back, Flea’s knee in his chest and my dad’s hands up in surrender. It was not lost on me that dad’s gun was in his holster and either one of them could have reached for and used it.
It also was not lost on me that my dad threw that fight and let Flea win. From the expression on Flea’s face, he also knew this. With a look of disgust, Flea stood, reaching out his hand to help Dad up, but keeping his body between us.
Dad ran his hands through his hair and focused on me again. “You and I are gonna talk, Gracie. I’ve given you space, ten years of it, and I’m done.”
“What exactly are we going to talk about? Hmm? How you left me to nearly be murdered by your wife―”
“Your mother,” he interjected.
“No. I disowned her the second she shoved a gun in my temple, then thought better of it and blew her own brains out,” I snapped, suddenly panicking and finding it difficult to breathe. “All over me.”
Flea spun to face me, reaching out to grab my shoulders gently. “Grace. Don’t go there. Breathe.”
I gripped his cut and stared up at him, focused on his eyes and the gentleness in them.
“Breathe, Grace,” he said again, and I did.
Deep.
Flea smiled. “You got this.”
“I got this,” I whispered, and he released me, turning to face my dad again.
“Look, man, you obviously care about your daughter, but she’s not really feelin’ up to talkin’, so it’d be great if you didn’t make this uncomfortable for her. Maybe give her a call and figure out a better time and place… one that’s in public. Not one where she feels safe, especially when you showin’ up unannounced could potentially change that. I’d hate for her to lose that.”
Dad did not look happy that Flea had just fought my fight for me, but I was past caring.
“You can’t let your boyfriend do all the dirty work for you, sweetness. I’ll call you and we can set up a time and place, but this is happening,” Dad warned.
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
Dad gave a little chuckle. “I stand corrected.”
With one last glance in my direction, Dad walked out of the apartment and Flea closed and locked the door. “You okay?”
I nodded. “I think we should call it a night.”
“At the risk of being intrusive, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not leaving you here alone until I know you’re okay.”
Well, shit. I wasn’t okay, that’s why I wanted him to leave.
“I’m good,” I lied.
“Nice try, Grace.”
“Flea, I need you to go.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to freak out and melt down without an audience,” I hissed.
He waved his hand, motioning me over. “Come here, Grace.”
“Nope.” I emphasized the “p” as I shook my head.
“Baby. Come here.”
“I’m good right here.”
He stalked toward me with a grin that probably just melted my panties off.
“Flea,” I warned, stepping back.
He didn’t stop, and I felt the front of the sofa hit the back of my knees and realized I had nowhere else to go. I raised my hands to ward him off, but he just kept advancing until my palms connected with his incredibly muscular chest. “Flea.”
He smiled, sliding his hand to my neck and tugging me gently forward. “Gonna hold you for a bit, okay?”
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him, forcing me to either crush my arms between us or slide them around his waist. I chose the latter.
I breathed in his scent and closed my eyes, nuzzling into this chest and holding him tight. God, this felt good. Too good.
* * *
Flea
Fuck me, having this woman burrow into me was almost more than I could handle. Her hair smelled like mangoes and I wanted to wrap it around my hand and bury myself inside of her… but I couldn’t.
Not yet.
But soon.
I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anyone. She was beautiful, yes, but there was something else. Something that pulled my soul toward hers. She was the strongest person I’d ever met, and I wanted to go deep and find out what made her tick. She fascinated me.
This shit with her dad was concerning, though. The man seemed to really care about her, but she was still traumatized, and I didn’t like that. She should have a relationship with her dad if he was a good man. I was probably going to need to find out what that was all about, just gotta do it quiet and under the radar.
For the moment, I’d hold her when she was scared, and listen to her when she needed to talk. We would have our day to move to a different level. I might not be patient, but I could give her the time and space to figure out she couldn’t live without me.
Until then, I was happy to have her tiny body pressed up against mine, because I knew it made her feel safe.
* * *
Three hours later, I walked into my apartment, having left Grace when her brother got home. I’d seen yet another side of her that drew me ever closer to her and she was working her way into my heart.
I grabbed a beer from my fridge just as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and smiled. “Hey, KitKat.”
“Ohmigod, Billy, you’re fuckin’ Grace Lundy?”
I rolled my eyes. “Not havin’ this conversation with you, little sister.”
“By twelve minutes,” she growled.
I took a swig of beer. “Is that the only reason you called?”
“You can’t fuck with her,” she said.
“Not fuckin’ with her.”
“You like her?”
“Kate―”
“Seriously, brother, she’s one of my favorite people. You can’t fuck her up.”
“I like her, KitKat. She means somethin’ to me, so I’m not gonna fuck her up.” I frowned. “And to that point, baby sister, not happy you think I’d do that.”
“Don’t get all sanctimonious on me,” she countered. “The broken hearts you’ve left in your wake are staggering.”
“Every woman I’ve spent time with knew exactly where I stood. Never lied to anyone.”
She let out a long, dramatic sigh. “I know, but they fall in love with you, regardless, and then you get tired of them and find someone shinier. I just don’t want you to do that to, Grace.”
My hackles rose, and I set my beer on the counter. “Gonna say this once, sis. I care about Grace. I’ve got her back, which means you don’t have to worry. Got it?”
I heard the smile in her voice as she said, “You’re falling for her.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“If you don’t give me something, I’m coming over and following you around your tiny little postage stamp of an apartment until you tell me how much you love her.”
She would, too. Goddammit.
“Yeah, I’m fallin’ for her.”
She squealed so loud, I had to hold the phone away from my ear.
“Kate.”
More squealing.
“Kate.”
“I want nieces and nephews.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Okay, but Sunday dinner. Soon. My place. Bring Grace.”
“Soon’s not an option. Maybe in a few months,” I countered. “If we get to that place, I’ll talk to her and let you know.”
“I’m really happy for you,” she whispered.
“Thanks, sissy.”
“Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Talk to you tomorrow,” I confirmed, and we hung up.