CHAPTER 6
GRACE

I was zoning out all through work thinking about that picnic dinner. I knew Ryan had been a romantic back in high school, but it was a laid-back sort of romance. It was never planned, but he always went along with the sappier plans. Laying out under the stars after the football games, slow dancing to even the fast songs at prom because he wanted to keep holding me, always asking me if I was okay before we had sex.

Romance, but never planned romance.

That picnic, however, had been planned romance. He had thought it out, packed the food and brought blankets to keep warm and lanterns to light our way through dinner. He had researched parks and remembered all sorts of things from high school I figured he would have forgotten.

All of it had been so nice.

My cell phone rang at my desk and I picked it up. I had clocked out for my lunch break and was tossing pistachios into my mouth. I picked up my phone and held it to my ear, not bothering to see who was calling.

A smile rushed across my cheeks when I heard his voice.

“How’s work going?” Ryan asked.

“Oh you know, just living the dream,” I said.

“Your boss bothering you still?” he asked.

“He hasn’t yet today. I think you scared him.”

“Good. He should be scared. Listen, I wanted to see what you were doing tonight.”

“Right now, the plan is pizza and a movie. Harper’s staying with grandma for a few days because grandma just had an in-ground pool installed in the backyard.”

“I would’ve killed for one of those things as a child,” he said.

“You and me both. I sent her off with my mom this morning and she’s not supposed to get back until Sunday.”

“What will you do with all that time on your hands?”

“I think you might have an idea or two,” I said with a grin.

“I want you to come over so I can cook you dinner.”

“So you’re a romantic picnic setter-upper and a chef. Wow. You really have changed, Ryan Park.”

“You have no idea. So—is that a yes?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. “What should I bring over?”

“Yourself in whatever makes you feel comfortable. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“I like the sound of that. Shoot me your address and I’ll be there after I get off work.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. Address incoming.”

My phone vibrated against my face and I smiled. I bid Ryan a goodbye and tried to get through my workday as fast as I could. I ducked my boss whenever I needed to and started Trevor’s new day of training. I worked with him opening and closing fake accounts so he could get the hang of things, and the confidence he started gaining made me happy. I really didn’t want to fire Trevor. It was his first job and I wanted to set a good tone for the rest of his adult working life. After two hours of creating and deleting mock accounts, he could open one and close one within a span of fifteen minutes.

I wrote out a list of questions for him to keep with him so he could remember what to ask and when, then I clocked out and headed home.

Hopping into the shower, I washed up quickly. I blow-dried my hair and picked out an outfit, and thirty minutes later I was out the door. I got turned around twice trying to get to his place, but once I saw his car in the driveway I felt my gut clench.

Why was I so nervous all of a sudden?

I knocked on the door and heard someone shuffling around. The doorknob turned and the door flew open, and there stood Ryan, in a slim-fit pair of jeans, a t-shirt that clung to his strong chest, and an apron.

An apron that said, ‘Kiss the Cook.’

I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. His arm fell around me and he guided me into the house. I wrapped my arms around him and held him close, not caring if his apron was dirty.

It felt good to hold him again, and to press my face into his neck.

“It smells good in here,” I said.

“Irish Spring. The expensive kind,” Ryan said.

“I meant the food,” I said, with a giggle.

“Oh, oh. Yeah, that. I hope you like steak and potatoes.”

“I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t,” I said.

“A woman after my own heart. Come on. I’ll get you a glass of wine. Or a beer, if you prefer?”

“Wine would be great, thank you.”

He poured me a glass and slid it my way before he cracked open a beer for himself. The steaks were resting, the potatoes were in the oven and everything smelled heavenly. The table in the corner of the kitchen was set for two and there was even a candle flickering in the middle of the table.

“Take a seat. I’m about to pull the potatoes out.”

I watched him bend over the oven and I couldn’t stop looking at his ass. He was one sexy human being. The strength he held beneath his clothes made my nipples pucker. I looked down to make sure they weren’t visible through my dress as I sipped my wine.

How embarrassing that would have been.

“So,” Ryan said. “How was work?”

He set the plates of food on the table before he took off his apron.

“It was good. Long. I retrained this one guy we took on a couple of weeks ago. Got him opening and closing accounts a little faster today. Oh, you met him the other day.”

I saw Ryan nod his head as his eyes connected with mine.

“That’s good. Most places would have fired someone like that.”

“I was concerned I’d have to. He wasn’t getting the hang of anything,” I said. “But I spent a couple of hours with him running down the opening and closing procedures and he got the hang of it. For the most part, anyway.”

“Well that’s good,” Ryan said.

“How did your day go? Has that construction project started up yet?” I asked.

“Still got a few days, but I’m not worried about it. I always make sure to save as much money as I can to cover down times between projects like this.”

“That’s good. Not many people think about that,” I said.

“I’ve got Jason. I have to think about things like that.”

“In some ways, you’re like a single parent yourself.”

“In some ways, sure. Jason’s more mature than most sixteen-year old’s, though. Now, it’s not so much raising him as making sure he has the tools he needs to keep going.”

“That’s exactly what a parent does for a child,” I said.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Do you have any dress that looks bad on you?” he asked.

I blushed as I grabbed my wine glass.

“I take it you like this one, too?”

“I think it’s your body. I think it’s impossible to make anything look bad,” he said.

“

I leaned back in my chair and brought my wine to my lips. I watched his eyes fall to them, watching as the wine disappeared from the glass. I had forgotten how desired Ryan always made me feel. He never covered up what he wanted, and he never stopped until he got what he was looking for. He made me feel beautiful not only with his words, but with his actions.

And I could feel his foot sliding to rest against mine.

“Thank you for the compliment,” I said.

“Just speaking the truth Grace. You were a looker in high school, but you are an incredibly beautiful woman,” he said.

I felt the heat rising up my back. For years, I had denied myself the pleasures of my own body in order to raise Harper. I turned down every date thrown my way and refused the advances of men, left and right. But I wanted Ryan. I wanted to feel his lips against my skin. And I was no longer in the mood to deny my body what it so desperately wanted.

Putting down my wine glass, I got up from my chair. I walked around to Ryan, then seated myself in his lap. One arm wrapped around my waist as his hand slid up my thigh, playing with the hem of my dress.

I ran my fingers through his hair before pulling his lips up to mine.

Our tongues connected, and fire shot through my veins. His hand massaged my inner thigh, coaxing my legs open for him. He was palming my cotton panties, pulling a growing wetness from me as our tongues battled for dominance.

I straddled his lap, feeling his cock pulsing beneath his jeans. I ground my wet panties into his girth as he groaned against my lips. His tongue raked across the roof of my mouth, making me shudder. My arms wrapped around his neck as he held me close to him, then he stood up from his chair.

He walked us down the hallway and into a bedroom. Ryan kicked the door closed behind him as our bodies were shrouded in the dim light of the room. He sat on the edge of the bed as his hand came up to cup my breast. He massaged it and tugged at my nipple, coaxing it to a painful, aching peak without removing a single bit of my clothing.

“Ryan,” I said breathlessly.

He growled in response to his name before he flipped me over onto my back.

My back was arched and his lips fell to my neck. He nibbled and nipped, causing me to giggle as his hand slid farther up my inner thigh. I gripped at his shirt, trying to pull it over his head so I could feel him. I wanted to see his chiseled body. I wanted to feel his muscles twitching against my skin. I gasped and moaned as his hand rose up my body, settling into the dip in my waist.

But the sound of the front door opening caused Ryan to sit up, and I scurried off the bed and started fluffing my hair.

“Ryan? Whose car’s in the driveway?”

“Shit, that’s Jason,” he said.

“That’s little Jason?” I asked. “He has a man’s voice.”

“He’s sixteen now. What did you expect?” Ryan asked.

“Ryan? Where are you?” Jason asked.

“In my room, buddy. Hold on a second,” he said.

“This steak on the stove for me?” Jason asked.

“Yep. Help yourself,” Ryan said.

“How am I going to get out of here without him seeing me?” I asked.

“Why can’t he see you?”

I furrowed my brow as Ryan held his hand out for mine. I took it as our fingers laced together, then the two of us started down the hallway. We turned into the kitchen and I saw Jason making up his plate. A massive slab of steak, a big pile of potatoes, and a soda from the fridge.

“Who’s this?” Jason asked.

“Jason, this is Grace. Do you remember her?” Ryan asked.

“Should I?” he asked.

“I don’t think so. The last time I saw you, you were only eight,” I said.

“Oh. Well, it’s nice to meet you again,” Jason said.

“Nice to meet you, too,” I said.

“That your car out front?” Jason asked.

“It is. I hope I wasn't parked in the wrong place or anything.”

“No. I ride my bike everywhere. I was just wondering. We don’t ever have people come over.”

“ Well, it was nice seeing you again, Jason.”

“Come over anytime!” he said.

Ryan walked me out to my car, our hands laced tightly together. I leaned into him and he pressed a kiss to my temple before opening my door for me. I slid in and looked up at him, my eyes taking him in one last time.

“I guess I should be flattered that you don’t have a bunch of girls over all the time,” I said..

Ryan chuckled and shook his head.

“Thanks for coming over tonight.”

“Thanks for having me,” I said.

Then he shut my door and waved me off as I backed out of his driveway and headed on home.

Ugh. Why did we have to be interrupted again?