CHAPTER 23

The nightmare in Vegas had left Sal no choice than to stall for time. There was no way he was putting Grace in danger of getting any disease he might’ve picked up from Melissa. He’d always been careful, something he’d even harped about to his brothers for years before they both settled down. But the fact was, he hadn’t been able to find a condom anywhere in the room. He’d nearly flipped the bed over trying to find one and nothing.

He didn’t want to contact Melissa for anything. Not even that. He got tested the first chance he had after he got back. He wanted everything checked. The results came back fairly quickly, and thankfully he was clean, but he still needed time to prepare what he wanted to do for Grace. So here, it was two weeks later and finally it was going to happen.

The moment he saw she carried a good-sized tote when she walked around the corner of her building he jumped out of the car. He rushed over and took it from her, kissing her, the anticipation already multiplying.

They arrived at his house and he saw her trying to figure it out. He took her hand and he covered her eyes with his other. “Okay, close your eyes. Make sure you don’t peek.”

“What are you doing?” Her laugh was a nervous one and he was sure she probably expected to end up in the bedroom.

Instead, he headed to the backyard. When they were under the patio, he took a deep breath and prayed this wouldn’t backfire on him. He was sure she’d love it but there was still that tiny possibility it might depress her. The last thing he’d want to do today. “Ready?

She nodded, her smile widening. He removed his hand and she glanced around at his recreation of a campsite. His heart drummed when he saw the smile slowly dissolve. She stood there, taking everything in. The tent in the grassy area of his yard with a portable fire pit just outside and table set up with everything you’d need to roast marshmallows. The inflatable rowboat in the pool with the makeshift fishing gear. There were no fish in his pool but he’d bought a fishing game. The fishing poles were long plastic rods with big hooks on the end and he’d thrown in all the plastic fish in the water so they could pretend to fish.

Minutes had passed since he’d uncovered her eyes and she still hadn’t said anything but her eyes had gotten misty. Damn it. “I was uh… actually gonna take you camping but I wanted you to be able to go swimming and I figured it’s still too cold to swim in any river or lake this time of year so I improvised.”

She finally spoke but still didn’t look at him. She stared at the pool. “Isn’t the water in the pool cold also?”

He smiled slightly relieved that she didn’t sound upset. “It’s heated.” He walked her over to the picnic basket on the table and opened it. I got stuff for tortas. You’ll be starving after a good swim.” Their eyes met and she smiled.

“I can’t believe you did all this.”

He shrugged. “No biggie.” He wouldn’t mention the wrestling match he’d had with the tent he borrowed from his parents. It was old school and he’d forgotten what a bitch it was put up especially by himself. When they’d been kids it was hard enough to put up and that was between him, his brothers and his dad.

Grace leaned in and kissed him. “Yes it is a biggie. This is wonderful. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

“Did you see the best part?”

Her eyes pinched and he pointed to the other side of the pool. Her head tilted not quite getting what it was. He’d gone to every damn toy store he could find until he found the biggest stuffed elephant made and placed it by the pool, its butt facing the water.

“You can look at that while you swim—an elephant butt.”

She laughed out loud when it finally sunk in, then wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist. It felt perfect to hold her like this. “What did I do to deserve you, Sal?”

“You have it backwards, Gracie. I don’t deserve you.” His gut wrenched as the reality of that statement sunk in. He kissed her desperate to push any negative thoughts away. He wanted this day to be perfect. After minutes of kissing her deeply, he felt a little better he pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. “You wanna go get into your bathing suit? The water should be warm enough now.”

She nodded her head with those twinkling excited eyes that he loved so much now.

Once in their bathing suits, Sal jumped in the deep end of the pool and encouraged Grace to do the same. “The water’s perfect.” She stood at the edge, looking very apprehensive. “C’mon, baby. I’ll catch you.”

She pinched her nose with her fingers and jumped in. Sal’s arms were all over her the moment she hit the water. Just the touch of her excited every part of his body. His lips were on hers as soon as her head popped out of the water. He had to pace himself. He wanted to be the one that showed her confidence in her swimming. “Relax, babe. You’ll be fine, just go with it. I’m right here. I’d never let anything happen to you.”

After a while, she was swimming back and forth from one end of the pool to the other. Sal cornered her and she wrapped her legs around him. This wasn’t happening in the pool. He had something better prepared so he forced himself to pull away. “You wanna fish?”

They climbed up on the raft, but not before falling a few times and Grace falling in his arms all slippery wet. Sal was in heaven.

When they finally both sat in the raft trying to fish for the fake fish, Sal loved how Grace concentrated. He didn’t even try. He just watched her and how hard she tried to get the fish. “I got it!”

They got out and Sal walked over to the picnic basket after drying off to get the toleras for the tortas.

“I can make them,” Grace offered.

“Nope. I’m making them. You just get comfortable.”

Sal had made plenty of cold tortas in his time. He put everything together and walked out with a platter to where Grace was lounging by the tent. She smirked. “I peeked in. It looks comfortable. That’s not what we used when I went camping.”

Sal had to laugh. “Okay, so I can’t sleep on the ground and the inflatable mattress almost rivals the mattress in my room, but still, we’ll be in a tent, outside. Lets not get too nitpicky.”

Gracie laughed. “Oh no, you didn’t just say that with a straight face.”

Sal laughed and set the tray down. They ate in silence and he watched Gracie, enjoying his food for once, instead of the other way around. “This is good,” she said, covering her mouth.

“That’s just the water talking. Everything is delicious when you’ve been swimming.”

“No! This is really good.” She leaned in and kissed him. “You’re making this day so perfect… I love you, babe.”

That was the first time she’d called him that, and it felt damn good. “I love you, too. And I wanted this to be perfect for you… for us.”

After they ate, they laid on the oversized lounge chair again, making out. “So what are your plans once you graduate?” Sal knew she was graduating in a few weeks and her mother was no doubt doing nothing for her. He had a few plans up his sleeve.

Grace ran her fingers up and down his bare chest. “I have it all mapped out. Save up for two years, I’m hoping by then I’ll have enough to lease my own restaurant. Nothing nearly as fancy as Moreno’s but my own little place that I can build on, little by little. And certainly not in La Jolla. I’d be lucky if I could afford a place in Chula Vista, maybe Calexico.”

Sal lifted his head to face her. “So you’re planning on leaving Moreno’s high and dry?”

She made a pouty face and shrugged. “Having my own restaurant has always been my dream. Joey and Taylor are already looking for a place to open up a bakery. Joey will do all the baking and Taylor, who’s majoring in business management, like you did, is handling the business end. They’re living their dream. It’s inspiring.” She smiled. “And now working for you and your family is even more inspiring, especially knowing how it all started. When you told me your dad started with a taco truck, it really gave me hope that I can do it someday. Maybe I can start with a taco stand or something. Anything is possible, right?”

Sal caressed her hair. He had bigger plans for her, but he wouldn’t lay them on her just yet. “Yep, anything is possible.” He kissed her forehead. “Ready for some more swimming?”

Grace sat up. “Yes, I’m getting good.”

“I told you. There’s nothing to it. When the weather heats up we’ll go camping for real. Maybe even take a drive to Elephant Butte.”

Her eyes lit up. “Rose would love that.”

“Yeah, we’ll take her. Maybe even make a group thing out of it. I’ll talk to my brothers. We haven’t done something like that in years. I doubt Alex will want to this summer with the babies being so young, but I’ll talk to Angel and my sister, even Romero.”

Sal was going to have to keep coming up with ways to excite her, because he couldn’t get enough of those bright eyes.

They stood up and jumped in the pool.

~*~

Roasting marshmallows using metal prongs over Sal’s expensive fire pit wasn’t quite the same as roasting them over a makeshift fire pit made out of rocks using actual twigs but it still brought back the memories. Sal had thought of everything, even bought salmon steaks to barbecue, and Grace whipped up some roasted potatoes and a salad.

The entire day had been one thing after another that proved to Grace how wonderfully thoughtful Sal was. He’d done all this for her. She glanced around his backyard, wondering how this could be. How did she end up here, with him?

“What are you thinking?” Sal pulled his marshmallow away from the fire and blew out the small flame that had started on the tip.

Grace held hers in the fire a little longer and stared at it. She liked hers crispy. “How lucky I am.”

“I’ve been thinking the same thing all day. How lucky I am.”

Grace smiled, feeling like this couldn’t get any better, but she knew they’d be in the tent soon and her stomach was already doing that thing it did, every time she thought about Sal making love to her.

They ate their marshmallows and roasted a few more before Sal walked to the small refrigerator in the outdoor kitchen and pulled out a bottle of wine. “We’ll have one glass each,” he said, as he walked back toward her with the bottle, two empty wine glasses, and a corkscrew opener. “I want you fully aware of everything that happens once we get in that tent. I want you to remember this night forever.”

“I’ll remember this entire day forever.”

Sal opened the bottle and poured them both half a glass. Grace took the glass he handed her. “Does that mean I get two of these?”

Sal laughed. “No, that is a glass of wine. You know that, Ms. Superstar Bartender.”

Grace smirked, taking a sip of the wine, hopeful that it would calm her nerves. Sal sat down in the chair next to her and held his glass out. “To good times.”

Grace clinked his glass with hers, feeling a blend of excitement and nerves accumulating inside her. “May there be many more.”

“Oh, there will be, Gracie. I promise.”

He leaned in and kissed her before sipping his wine. Grace sipped her own. When they were done, Sal set both their glasses down and Grace did feel a little calmer. He stood up and held his hand out. “Come on.”

She stood, thinking they were headed to the tent but instead, he walked toward the house. “Where are we going? I thought we were sleeping in the tent.

“Oh, we are. But we gotta shower first. You don’t wanna go to bed with all that chlorine on your skin. You’ll itch in the morning.”

Grace swallowed hard. She’d been mentally preparing herself to be in bed with him, but in the shower?

They walked into his bedroom. He’d given her the grand tour her first night there and she’d immediately fallen in love with his bedroom. Most of the other ones were empty but his was well decorated. Just like the stockroom at the restaurant, his exquisite taste in décor and attention to detail was evident in the furniture he chose and the decorations that adorned his room.

The master bathroom in his bedroom was bigger than Grace’s front room and kitchen combined. The shower alone had two shower heads and the marble on the wall must’ve cost a fortune.

Sal opened the door to the shower and started the water. He turned to Grace who stared at the water. “You can do this alone if you’re more comfortable that way or…” his eye fell into that smoldering gaze that always made her knees week and he smiled, “there’s enough room for both of us in there.”

Since they were both still in their bathing suits, Sal wore only his trunks. Grace walked in the shower taking him with her. Once under the shower Sal took her in his arms, running his hands freely over her wet body like he’d done all day in the pool. He kissed her softly as the water splashed over them.

Grace could feel it building, the same warmth she always felt in the pit of her belly begin to manifest throughout the rest of her body. Her heart sped up when she felt him undo the strings of her bikini top. First the ones on behind her neck and once her breasts were free of her top’s hold, she felt him take a deep breath. He brought his hands around and cupped her breasts in them, caressing them softly before pulling his lips away from hers and leaned down bringing one to his mouth.

Her breath caught at the sensation of his tongue on her nipple and she struggled not to pant. She undid the strings around her back taking the top off completely and let it drop on the floor. Taking a step back to support herself against the wall, she flinched at the feel of the cold marble against her back.

“You okay?” Sal asked, pulling away from her breast for a moment.

She nodded but refused to speak afraid he might hear just how aroused she was. He went back to sucking her other breast and his free hands made its way down to her bikini bottom, pulling it down on one side. “Lets get this off,” he whispered against her breast. She helped pulling down the other side. Once all the way down her legs, she stepped out of them and he pulled back to look at her, completely naked now.

With her own breathing labored now, she stood trying to control her emotions, as his eyes took her in slowly from top to bottom. “God, you’re beautiful.” He kissed her this time with even more passion, pressing his erection against her. His hand slid all the way down her stomach and with his knee spread her legs.

Feeling his fingers between her legs made her moan, remembering the night in the Jacuzzi. He pulled away from her and stared in her eyes as his fingers spread her. “Promise me you’ll tell me if it hurts,” he whispered.

She nodded, her eyes closing as she felt his finger begin to enter. Expecting to feel discomfort, she waited for it but he slipped in and it felt so good she moaned softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You okay?”

“Yes.” She finally spoke.

He slipped in and out a few times then pulled his hand away and hugged her instead. “God, I can’t stand it anymore.” He pulled away and reached for the shampoo that sat on the shower rack. He squeezed some in his hand then held it out to for her. Grace held her hand out, palm open, surprised at the interruption. He poured some in her palm. “You drive me crazy, Gracie. Let’s just finish showering and get out of here. I want you in my bed.”

Gracie couldn’t even concentrate on washing her hair, thinking of his last sentence. After rinsing off her conditioner, she opened her eyes and froze. He stood under the other showerhead, rinsing off. He’d taken his trunks off. She’d seen naked men in pictures plenty of time. Joey had a whole calendar of them. But to be this close to one in person took her breath away. It didn’t help that his body was right up there with those models in Joey’s calendar.

Her eyes went from bottom to top, stopping at some of the most essential places. It wasn’t until her eyes made it all the way up to his big chest and the strong shoulders she’d indulged in touching all day that she noticed him watching her—watching him.

“You ready?”

That smile of his always did things to her but now it did more than just speed her heart rate. It burned her up. Boy, was she ready.