Midnight Muse R.W. Shannon
www.beautifultroublepublishing.com
Midnight Muse R.W. Shannon Copyright © 2011 by RW Shannon All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including but not limited to: printing, photocopying, faxing, recording, electronic transmission, or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission from the authors or holders of the copyright. This book is a work of fiction. References may be made to locations and historical events; however, names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination and/or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), businesses, events or locales is either used fictitiously or coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. Published by Beautiful Trouble Publishing, LLC PO Box 61 Colfax, NC 27235 www.beautifultroublepublishing.com Cover Art: Marteeka Karland http://www.marteekakarland.com/ Editor: Stephanie Parent Proofreader: Cindy Davis, http://www.fiction-doctor.com/ Formatter: Savannah J. Frierson http://sjfbooks.com/editing/ E-book Conversion: Jim & Zetta http://www.jimandzetta.com/ ISBN: (e-book) 978-1-61788-066-7 ISBN (print) 978-1-61788-162-6
To Jayha. Thank you for having my back. —R.W. Shannon
NOTE ABOUT EBOOKS eBooks are NOT transferable. Re-selling, sharing or giving away eBooks is a copyright infringement. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author or Beautiful Trouble Publishing.
CAVEAT This work of erotica contains adult language and sexually explicit scenes, which are smoking hot. This book is intended only for adults, as it is defined by the laws of the country in which the purchase is made. Keep this book out of the hands of under-aged readers.
CHAPTER ONE Butterflies swirled in Grace Bowers’ stomach as the taxi screeched to a halt in front of the small cottage. For the next week, she’d be staying at this cabin, that she’d found through a travel agent back in the States, to finish her third romance novel. She couldn’t believe that she was in Rhodes, Greece and had to pinch herself to make sure this wasn’t a dream. The nineteen-hour plane ride, followed by the fourhour ferry ride from Athens to Rhodes, should’ve worn her out, but it hadn’t. It had taken two years of saving for her to get here, and she wouldn’t let anything spoil it. Time constraints prevented her from learning any Greek phrases before she left the States. She was thankful that everyone she encountered so far knew English. The driver held the door open for Grace as she climbed out and stared at the tiny, one-story home. A red clay roof sat atop white stucco walls. Patches of yellow daffodils framed the small front lawn. Though the house looked smaller than it did in the pictures, it would be fine. All she’d be doing
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was working, maybe sneaking in a sightseeing tour here and there. “Where do you want these?” the driver asked. The owner of the cottage was supposed to meet her there to hand over the keys. She saw a white car parked next to the house. He must be inside, she thought. “Just set them by the front door,” she said. Besides her laptop and purse, Grace had only brought two additional suitcases—one full, one empty. She’d promised her mother she would return with lots of souvenirs for her family and friends. From the pocket of her jeans, Grace pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to the driver. Then she began to worry. Was it too much? Too little? He smiled and nodded in gratitude. Turning from him, she knocked on the front door, but nobody answered. “Should I stay in case you need to go to hotel?” he asked in broken English. “No. I’ll be fine.” It was still early afternoon, and there was plenty of sunshine. The driver nodded before climbing back into the white taxi and driving
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off. Grace sighed. The phone number for the owner was on her Smartphone. As she peered through the window, she pulled out her phone and flipped through her contacts until she found the number. She pressed the call button, and “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones filled the air. It took Grace a moment to realize that the sound was coming from inside the house. “Hello,” a man answered. The music stopped when he did. His voice was full bodied, and she tried to imagine what he looked like. “I’m Grace. I’m supposed to meet you to pick up the keys for the cottage. I’m here.” Grace frowned as the sound of a toilet flushing was broadcast over the phone. She wrinkled her nose as she heard the man zip up his pants and turn on the faucet. At least he washed his hands. She pictured him to be short with a lot of hair. Though his baritone voice and Greek accent was sexy and sent a shiver down her spine, the picture of a troll came to mind. She giggled. “Okay,” the man said curtly before hanging up. Grace glanced from her phone to the door. What kind of asshole had she rented this place from? She imagined trash to be
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everywhere inside and shuddered. Turning from the door, she looked out over the landscape. A two-lane road stretched in front of the house, while miles of olive groves extended on the other side. No other houses stood around this one. Suddenly, she heard the door opening behind her. “You’re late,” the man said. Grace closed her eyes to calm herself down and to prevent an international incident. Though she should turn around and address him face to face, she wasn’t ready to tear her eyes away from the spectacular view of the landscape. Plus, if he was going to be so rude, so was she. “The plane was delayed.” “You have a phone. Why didn’t you call me?” “Obviously, you were fine, since you used my bathroom.” “It is my bathroom.” “Whatever, just give me the damn keys.” “Check first, mia bella.” Pressing her lips together, Grace tried to stop herself from cursing him out. Why was she explaining herself to this jerk-off? And what did he just call her? She took a few deep breaths before opening her eyes and turning around.
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Damn. He looked nothing like she had pictured. This man was six foot three inches tall with a solid athletic frame. Steel blue eyes were set within his olive complexion beneath a head of dark curls. He wore a red-and-white plaid work shirt, jeans and boots. Exhaling slowly, Grace opened her mouth to apologize. “Check,” he repeated as his gaze sweep over her. She closed her mouth and then opened it to ask, “Is this your cottage?” “It belongs to my family. My aunt lived here before she died.” “I’m sorry.” Shrugging, he cleared the threshold and stood in front of her. The heat from his body drifted over her like the salt-scented breeze. Grace licked her lips. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the envelope that held the check and pressed it into his chest. He snatched the envelope from her and ripped it open to make sure it was right. “Come,” he said as he stuffed the envelope into the pocket of his jeans. “I show you around.” Grace waited for him to pick up her suitcases, but he ignored them. Fuming, she
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rolled the pink leopard-print cases into the house and closed the door behind her. The home’s musky scent greeted her as she unstrapped her messenger bag from her torso. As she sat it on a nearby chair, she looked around. To her left was a stone fireplace. A worn, tan sofa and chair sat in front of it. Behind the small living area was a dining room set, while the kitchen was on her right. Across from her was a wall lined with windows, a door that led to the bathroom, and a balcony. “What’s your name?” she asked him. The real-estate agent had given her his last name, Vicenti, but not his first. “Evander Vicenti,” he said without turning around. Evander walked to the kitchen. His name rolled off his tongue like a drop of wine, and Grace briefly imagined what else he could do with his tongue. She shook the fantasy from her head. Despite his obvious handsomeness, he seemed like an ass and was completely not her type. “My parents brought you food,” Evander said as he opened the refrigerator and quickly closed it. “That’s so sweet,” Grace gushed.
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Without looking at her, he brushed past her on his way to the front door. She placed her hands on her hips. “I thought you were going to show me around?” she asked. “I did. Everything else, you can figure out.” In a flash, Evander was gone. Grace stood in the middle of the tiny living area. Don’t let him ruin your experience. Inhaling, she squared her shoulders and wheeled the suitcases to the bedroom to unpack. The bedroom was small. The only furnishings were a bed and a dresser. Sunlight streamed through the two windows on either side of the bed. As she placed her clothes into the drawers of the tiny wooden dresser, she realized Evander hadn’t given her the keys to the cottage. Rushing back into the living area, she grabbed her phone off of the kitchen counter and dialed his number. Only five minutes had passed since he’d left. He couldn’t have gotten that far away. Evander’s telltale ringtone filled the small living room. Grace went to the front door and opened it. He was standing on the other side, leaning against the door frame. She hung up her phone.
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“I was wondering how long it would take you.” He dangled the keys in front of her eyes. “Why didn’t you just come back inside?” “What would be the fun in that?” he teased. Grace reached for the keys, but he snatched them out of her grasp. Fuming, she stomped on his foot. Evander yelped in pain and handed the keys to her. With a smirk, she took them and slammed the door in his face. Her heart pounded in her chest as she set the keys on the counter with her phone and went back to unpacking.
CHAPTER TWO The next day, Grace was hard at work. Rugged cowboy Chaz was just about to make love to Lisa, the repressed pastor’s daughter, for the first time. Her fingers flew across the laptop as she typed… Lisa’s heart pounded against her breastbone as Chaz’s hazel eyes bore into hers. Never had she felt such intensity from a mere glance. But his wasn’t just a glance; it was as if he were trying to stare into her soul and capture her heart. Her breath stilled within her as he stroked her cheek with his index finger. “We’ll have to do something about that,” Chaz whispered before his lips found hers… Suddenly her thoughts came to a screeching halt. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, but nothing came out. For the next hour, she stayed in the same position, waiting for her muse to return, but it didn’t. At this rate, she was never going to get the book done. Cursing, she saved what she was working on and glanced at the clock. It was close to midnight.
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Grace stood and stretched before picking up her glass of wine and heading for the balcony. She scanned the cloudy, dark horizon of the countryside landscape, marveling that she was in Rhodes. As she looked toward the amazing view of the harbor, she imagined the giant statue of Colossus, once one of the Seven Wonders of the World, towering over the pier to welcome, or ward away, visitors to the island. Now, twin statues of lions took over those duties, but it wasn’t the same. The only thing missing was someone to share this with. Maybe one day. At twentyeight, she had given up on finding the perfect mate and tried to be content with just writing about him in her books. It was highly possible that her Greek god didn’t exist, but she had hoped the universe would bless her with one. Taking a chance, she closed her eyes and wished for her good man to finally show up on her doorstep. Grace sighed. She was stuck, she realized. Not just with her book, but also in her personal life. Her heart was still back in that broken relationship that ended over a year ago when she found out he was married. By the time
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she’d learned the truth, she was already head over heels for him. The long-distance relationship, she in Sterling and he in Atlanta, made it easy for him to hide his family—until his wife called one Sunday afternoon. When she confronted him later, he said he wasn’t leaving his wife or three children. She ended it without further contact. Closing her eyes, Grace tried to erase that memory from her mind. It was time for her to move on. She just needed a little motivation. Evander’s face popped into her mind, but she blinked away the image. That’s not why she was here. In the back of her mind, she had dreamt of moving to a place like this, but that wasn’t practical. The air had become heavy, and the rain began to pour down. Grace quickly went back inside and closed the double doors to the balcony behind her. Maybe a bubble bath would help jumpstart her imagination. As she made her way to the bathroom, a knock sounded at the door, and she paused. Who could that be? When the knock sounded again, more urgent this time, she moved to the door and peeked out the distorted glass. Evander? Her heart fluttered as she reached for the knob and
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opened the door. His dark wet curls were plastered to his head. Raindrops dripped from his eyelashes as he hunched over. A shiver flowed down her spine as a strange feeling of desire washed over her, but she shook it off. “My car broke down,” he said. “Can I use your phone?” “Where’s yours?” “I can’t get any service. The storms knock it out sometimes.” Grace watched him, unsure if she wanted to let him in, even if it was an emergency. His black T-shirt was stuck to his torso and contoured every muscle of his chest and abdomen. He again wore jeans, but tonight they were black. When he trembled against the cold air, so did she. As her gaze flowed back up his torso, she noticed his nipples poked against the fabric of his T-shirt—and, when she glanced down, so did hers. “Do you want me to beg?” he asked. “That’s a start.” Huffing, Evander turned from the door. She let him walk ten paces away before she called him back. “Come on, man. I’m not that cruel,” Grace yelled.
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Evander turned back around and walked toward her. He smirked as he slid past her into the house. Grace walked to the dining room table that had become her command center, and picked up her cell phone. The house didn’t have a phone and, before she left America, she had sprung for international minutes so she could make the required once daily phone call to her mother. She held it out for him to take— their fingers touched. His were moist from the rain. Black dirt was caked around a few of them, probably from fiddling with his engine. “Thanks,” he grumbled. Leaving him to his phone call, she went into the bathroom and closed the door. Grace leaned against it for a moment before going to the sink and looking at herself in the mirror. Her dark curls looked decent for a change, and her coffee-colored eyes didn’t give away the fact that she had been awake for the last twentyfour hours straight. Nor did her mocha-hued skin. She rinsed her mouth out with mouthwash. Smoothing her navy tank top over her torso, she sniffed under her arms. She caught herself reaching for the deodorant, and stopped. What was she doing? Why was she
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primping for this guy, considering how rude he was yesterday? With an exhale, she opened the door and stepped into the living room. Evander was still on the phone. As he paced in front of the window, he spoke in Greek to the person on the other side. Whoever he was talking to seemed to make him speak in short sentences and rake his hand through his hair, but then, he always seemed that way—or at least he did the two times she’d met him. At a break in the conversation, he glanced at Grace. She didn’t know him well enough to read the expression in his eyes, but it caused her breath to catch in her throat. Moving to the refrigerator, she pulled out a bottle of water. She wasn’t thirsty, but needed to stop her hands from shaking. When she turned around, he was still watching her. This time she recognized the look in his eyes as desire and quickly set the bottle on the counter before she dropped it. Evander switched to Italian as he spoke to the person on the other end. Grace wondered how many languages he could teach her to say “fuck me” in. Walking toward her, he abruptly hung up the phone and gave it back to her. Her hands
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trembled as she took it from him and put it on the counter. “Thank you,” he said. “No problem. Is your ride coming?” He shook his head. “He’s stuck in Lindos because of the storm. The road is washed out.” “Oh.” “Taxi won’t come this late.” He huffed as he swiped his wet dark hair from his eyes. “The airport doesn’t open until eight a.m., and the ferry to the mainland doesn’t run until six a.m.” “What are you going to do?” “I guess I’ll stay in the car,” he said with a shrug. His gaze raked her from head to toe. “Unless you have other ideas.” Grace crossed her arms over her chest and replied, “Considering how rude you were to me, I don’t think so.” “That wasn’t rudeness, mia bella.” “Then what was it? And what do you keep calling me?” Evander chuckled. “It means ‘my pretty.’” Her heart skipped a beat. “Oh.” When he turned to walk to the front door, she panicked. Grace didn’t want him to leave. She couldn’t deny that she was physically
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attracted to him, but that was all it could be. Cold air rushed in when he opened the door. “Um,” Grace said. Evander stopped. He released the knob but didn’t move away from the door. A puddle of water formed around him on the hardwood from his dripping wet clothes. Thinking she’d like nothing more than to get him out of them, she placed her hand on his arm to stop him. His skin was damp, but warm. He looked down at her hand, then up at her. As if she was about to get burned, she released him and took a step back. Grace crossed her arms over her chest. “Stay. You can sleep on the sofa,” she said. He raised his eyebrow. “Are you sure?” Was she? She nodded. “It’s nasty out there.” It wasn’t really bad outside. The rain had tapered down and the wind no longer rattled the windows. She just didn’t want him to leave, yet. “Fine,” he said. Closing the door, Evander followed her back into the living area. The sofa seemed too small to hold his athletic physique, but it would
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have to do. As she turned to address him, she caught him gazing at her. “You’re getting water all over my floor,” Grace said. “It’s my floor.” “Not for the next few days,” she teased. “Take those off and I’ll see if I can find something for you to wear.” Grace moved toward the bathroom, but turned back to ask him a question. Evander was stripping off his shirt. All words left her brain. His chest was a wall of solid muscle. She inhaled a shaky breath and fought not to touch his blush colored nipples. Once the material cleared his head, he tossed it on the floor before reaching for the button on his shorts. When he saw her still standing there, he paused. “Are you just gonna watch?” he asked. Rolling her eyes, Grace left the room. “Jackass,” she mumbled.
CHAPTER THREE When Grace walked back into the living area, Evander’s clothes were in a pile at his feet. He held a pillow over his pelvic area as she gave him a towel and blanket before scooping up the clothing. None of the yoga pants that she’d packed would fit him, and she didn’t see any men’s clothing in the closet or drawers. Since he kept saying this was his house, she thought he would have left something behind. “Did you take over the house after your aunt passed?” she asked as she carried his clothes to the combo washer/dryer in the kitchen. While loading them into the machine, Grace noticed that no underwear was among the clothing. Judging by the way the towel hugged his hips, Evander wasn’t wearing any, either. Swallowing, she added soap to the machine and started it. She really didn’t need to wash them, but wanted to keep him naked for as long as possible. “No, I live in Athens,” he said. “My parents live an hour’s drive from here.” When Grace straightened and glanced over her shoulder, he was leaning against the
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counter, watching her. She shivered and pretended not to notice the rippling muscles of his abs or the trail of dark hair below his belly button that beckoned her to follow it with her fingertips. “Hungry?” she asked him. He shook his head. “Maybe some tea to warm you up?” “That would be nice.” It was already plenty hot in here for her, but she needed to do something with her hands before she jumped on this man. Grace filled the stainless steel teakettle with water and placed it on the burner. “How many languages do you speak?” she asked. “Four. Greek, Italian, English and Spanish.” “I noticed that you slid in and out of languages during your call.” He chuckled as he entered the kitchen to lean against the refrigerator next to her. “My mother’s Greek and my dad is Italian. I do it without thinking.” “It’s sexy when you do.” Grace could’ve slapped herself at that moment. As she moved around him to pull out the mugs from the cabinet, she saw him smile.
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Biting her lip to stop herself from kissing him, she edged past him. Her hip brushed against his. Immediately, her body tingled. “So you were eavesdropping, mia bella?” “I wouldn’t have understood what I heard.” “I must teach you some phrases, then.” Grace blushed. “Like what?” Evander moved next to her and touched her wrist. “I’m sure I can think of something.” His touch was gentle as he stroked her sensitive skin. Grace closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in his fingertips for a moment, before jerking her hand away. Needing a distraction, she went got the milk from the refrigerator. He was too gorgeous to be single, and she refused to be taken for a fool, again. Smirking, he moved away from her. “What do you do here all day?” he asked as he strolled to the dining room table. “I’m a writer.” Grace turned to see what he was doing and froze. To her horror, he was reading the story she left up on her screen. Evander looked at her with his eyebrow raised. Finding her legs, she rushed to the table and closed the lid on her laptop. He whistled.
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“I didn’t know you had such thoughts,” Evander teased. She shrugged. Evander brushed her hair off of her shoulder, allowing his fingers to linger on the strip of bare flesh along her collarbone. Her body trembled but she moved away from him. “I had hit the wall when you showed up,” she admitted as she stood on the other side of the table where it was safe. “Writer’s block.” Evander nodded and toyed with the knot in his towel. “Perhaps I can help you get it back.” Unsure how to answer him, Grace was grateful when the teakettle whistled. She moved into the kitchen to fix their mugs and felt Evander move behind her. He touched the side of her waist. It was an innocent gesture, but it caused her pussy to become wet. Especially since the only thing separating them was his towel. Suddenly, there wasn’t enough air in the room. Her mouth went dry. “Thank you,” he said. “For letting me in.” “You’re welcome,” she said. When Grace turned around to give him his mug, her finger brushed against Evander’s, sending sparks of electricity up her arm. She
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swallowed and turned back around. “Don’t make me regret it,” she warned. Evander leaned close to her ear. His cool breath sent a shiver down her spine. “You won’t.”
CHAPTER FOUR Evander didn’t miss the way Grace’s nipples puckered as she moved around him to go into the living room. He chuckled, silently. She was beautiful. When he’d opened the door to find her on the other side yesterday, he’d been immediately captivated. However, he’d made his father a promise not to bed any more of the women who rented the cottage. He appraised her mocha skin. High cheekbones were framed by shoulder-length brown curls. Coffee eyes he could spend and eternity staring into. His height was six foot two inches, and she came to his shoulder. Grace’s full breasts rose with every breath she took. Even in the simple navy tank top and plaid shorts, she was breathtaking. “Where are you from?” Evander asked as he followed her to the sofa and sat. Her thigh flinched when his brushed against hers. “Virginia.” “Ah, near the home of the Capital and the Washington Monument.” Grace giggled. “Well, that’s Washington, D.C. I live a half hour from there in Sterling.”
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He nodded, blowing on the steamy brew. “I’ve never been to Sterling, but I love Adams Morgan.” She raised her eyebrow at him. “What do you know about that?” “I lived there for three years. Got my degree in computer engineering from American University.” Grace’s mouth fell open, but she quickly closed it. “What?” he asked as he settled back against the cushions. When her eyes went immediately to his lap, Evander smiled. “It’s nothing,” she said softly. “I mean, I didn’t picture you as a nerd.” He chuckled. “You thought I was some Neanderthal?” “Yes.” She laughed, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “That’s how you came off.” “I’m sorry,” he said. Evander draped his arm across the cushions behind her. “It’s just that I hadn’t expected to see someone as exquisite as you.” Grace smiled, and then changed the subject. “What brought you back to Rhodes?”
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“My parents. My father was ill and I had to help him with the farm.” When she touched his bare thigh, he flinched. The soft palm of her hand scorched his skin. He covered her hand with his. Her skin was magnetic, and he didn’t want to stop touching her. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Thank you. He’s better, now. I do consulting in Athens.” The ease with which Evander spoke of himself surprised him. He was always a guarded person in that regard. Still, he found himself telling her about his cat Harry. How he rescued the tabby kitten from a dumpster behind his apartment. Harry’s name came from Evander’s love of the Clint Eastwood character of the same name. Cooing, Grace gently squeezed his thigh. “That is so sweet,” she said, “and I bet that story gets you all the panties.” Evander laughed. “I haven’t told many women that story, so I wouldn’t know.” She nodded. “But a guy like you must have a lot of women.” Shrugging, he leaned forward to set his mug on the coffee table. “Too many for my
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family’s liking. Since I’m thirty-two now, they think it’s time that I settle down.” “Do you have siblings?” He shook his head. “No. You?” “A twin brother.” Stroking the soft skin on the back of her hand, he took a chance and asked, “I’m sure someone as beautiful as you has a gentleman caller.” Grace giggled at his term. “No. I’ve decided to take a break from men for a while.” “Oh?” “Yeah, but that’s a long story.” When she fell silent, Evander sensed she didn’t want to talk about the “long story.” That was fine with him. He turned her hand over and held it in his. They sat like this, listening to the sound of the passing storm and each other breathing for what seemed like hours. Evander was taken aback. He didn’t have to speak or do anything, he could just exist in her company. “I didn’t realize it was so late,” Grace said, finally. Evander looked at his watch. It was close to two thirty in the morning. “Are you tired?”
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“I was thinking about turning in when you showed up,” she admitted. “Actually, I was going to take a bubble bath.” “You still can.” He pictured the white suds caressing her skin and instantly became jealous of the bubbles. She smiled. “Naw. I’ll let you get some rest.” Evander released her hand and Grace stood. While she went into the bedroom, he took the mugs into the kitchen and placed them in the sink. Next, he bent to start the dryer cycle on the laundry machine. He was returning to the living room when she emerged with a blanket and pillow for him. She set them on the sofa. This was all wrong, he thought—he should be sleeping in the bed with her. “Thank you,” he said as he continued to move toward her. “I’m amazed that you haven’t tried to pull some crap about it being your bed and demanding to sleep there, too.” Grinning, he stopped a few inches in front of her. “I was tempted, but I’m a gentleman.” The desire to kiss her weighed heavily on his lips. Reaching out, he traced her soft pout
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with his index finger. Grace sighed. He leaned forward, but before his mouth could connect with hers, she pulled away. She turned from him and hurried to the bedroom, where she closed the door. Evander exhaled when he heard the lock click. He set about the task of making up the sofa, and then turned off the lights. When he lay down on the sofa, his feet hung over the edge. Though he closed his eyes, he knew that he wasn’t going to sleep. Not with his heart beating so rapidly.
CHAPTER FIVE A half hour later, Evander pushed back the linens and stood. He walked naked toward the balcony and flung back the double doors. The rain had stopped but still scented the air and the crescent moon was bright. His aunt Nina had passed three years ago, but his family retained possession of the cottage and rented it to tourists. Nina had been a matchmaker until her last breath, and he wouldn’t have put it past her to have set this up from Heaven. Was it fate that allowed his car to break down in front of this house? The light scent of rain-soaked daisies crossed his nose. His aunt had grown them, but his mother still maintained the flower garden. When Evander turned to view the dark room, his eyes fell upon the dining room table. Crossing the room, he picked up a handwritten page. Maybe a little reading would help him sleep. Bringing it back to the window he read, by moonlight, the sensual tale of the hero and heroine of the story as they made love. When he heard the bedroom lock click open, he froze. Grace emerged from the
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bedroom. A sliver of moonlight fell across her as she tiptoed to the dining room table. He studied how the white nightgown she wore hugged her curves as she retrieved something from under a stack of papers. She turned to see him standing near the balcony and jumped. “What are you doing up?” she asked. “I couldn’t sleep. What’s your excuse?” “My muse returned. I came to get my notebook.” “Ah. The saga of Chaz and Lisa continues.” She motioned to the page in his hand. “I see you can’t get enough of it.” Evander shrugged. “I was hoping it would be so boring that it would lull me back to sleep.” Rolling her eyes, Grace stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled as he stepped into the room. When her eyes widened, he remembered that he was naked, but he didn’t care. He just wished that she was, too. Covering her mouth, she turned her back. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Don’t be.” Evander closed the distance between them and stood directly behind her. The heat
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from her body warmed his. Touching her waist, he leaned around her to put the page back on the pile. She stiffened when his cock brushed against her hip. He pulled her back against his chest so that she could feel his desire for her. “My words did that to you?” she asked breathlessly. “Not just your words, mia bella.” Moving her hair aside, he pressed his lips to the curve of Grace’s neck and kissed the path up to her jaw to capture her earlobe between his lips. As he suckled on her flesh, her body yielded to him. The notebook slipped from her hands to the floor. He released her earlobe to press his lips against her temple. “I’ll just be another conquest for you,” she whispered. “No,” he said. “You’re more than that. Let me prove it.” Evander gripped her shoulders and spun her around to face him. At first, he kissed her slowly, memorizing every contour of her mouth. The sweet taste of her tongue was enough to drive him mad. Grace’s knees buckled, but he held her upright in a tight embrace. Her moan sent a shiver down his spine. Touching her back through the thin
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material of her gown wasn’t enough. He needed to feel her soft skin against the palm of his hand. Releasing her mouth, he bent to press his lips against her shoulder as he slid the thin strap down her arm. He ran his lips over the exposed skin of her left breast, but before he could push the material down to seize her nipple, she stopped him by taking a step back. “I can’t do this,” Grace whispered as she pulled the strap back up. “I thought I could. I thought it’s what I wanted, but not like this.” “Okay,” Evander said, gently, although he wanted to put up more of a fight. It wasn’t okay, he thought as he watched her squat to pick up her notebook. That kiss confirmed what he felt when he first saw her— that she was going to change his life. Still, he wasn’t going to push her. He’d just have to make her see that he wouldn’t hurt her. When she straightened, with notebook in hand, she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him. “Thank you for understanding,” Grace said. He kissed her on the crown of her head. “I told you that I was a gentleman.”
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She kissed him quickly on the cheek, and then let him go to disappear into the bedroom. He had to fight with the muscles in his brain not to follow her. Exhaling, he ran his hand through his hair and made his way back to the sofa. As he lay down, he vowed that he would have Grace in his life, and he had three days left to convince her that she needed him, too.
CHAPTER SIX Grace’s cell phone awakened her. Groaning, she opened her eyes and picked it up off the nightstand. Judging by the way the sunlight streamed through her window, it was late morning. Her mother’s picture stared up at her from the LCD screen. As she answered it, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. The tiny travel clock said that it was eleven thirty, which meant it was about four thirty in the morning her mother’s time. How could she have slept so long? “Hey, Mom.” “What’s wrong?” Grace frowned. “Nothing’s wrong, why?” “Had a dream about frogs.” Her mother gauged her knowledge of Grace’s love life by the dreams she had. Frog dreams, according to the big book of dreams that her mother had given Grace on her birthday, meant that Grace was in love. Impossible, Grace thought. Yawning, she stretched as she listened to her mother describe the dream. She wondered if Evander was still here. With her free ear, she listened for
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movement in the living room, but didn’t hear any. Cautiously, Grace opened the door and peered into the sunlight-filled living room. The linens that Evander had used were neatly folded on the sofa. Picking up the pillow, she inhaled his masculine scent. Why was she so sad that he was gone? She’d just met him. And with the way she kept going cold on him last night, could she really blame him? Grace sat on the sofa. If her head hadn’t chimed in, she would’ve allowed him to make love to her. She exhaled, remembering the feel of his chiseled body against hers. “Grace!” her mother yelled, bringing Grace’s thoughts back to the present. “I’m listening, Mom.” “Who’d you meet?” “Nobody.” “Well, Sister Ina’s nephew is coming in for church. You’ll be back by then, right? He’s an insurance salesman.” Grace rolled her eyes. She really wasn’t interested in being set up with anyone from her mother’s church, again. As her mother rattled on about this guy, Grace walked into the kitchen to fix herself some coffee and noticed a
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piece of paper on the counter. A simple white daisy sat next to the page. In the note, Evander thanked her for her hospitality. He wished her well and signed the note with a simple E. How hard could it be to track down someone as fine as Evander? Since she had his number, she could simply call him. Grace closed her eyes. What was she doing? She’d just met the guy. Maybe she could call him when she went to Athens since she had planned to visit the ancient city. However, her plans fell through when she received another warning from her agent to finish her novel and have it in her e-mail by the beginning of the month. This was a working vacation, Grace reminded herself. Chasing after Evander wasn’t work. Maybe. “Well, I’m gonna go back to bed,” her mother announced, jolting Grace from her rambling thoughts. “Okay, Mama.” “Be careful. Love you.” “Love you, too.” While leaning her elbows on the counter, Grace read Evander’s note three times, and she studied his neat handwriting. The mix of cursive and print suggested his creative nature.
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It’s just as well, she reminded herself as she picked up the daisy and sniffed it. She’d be leaving the day after tomorrow. Nothing could happen between them. In the cabinet, she found a glass that she could use as a vase and filled it with water. On her way to the bathroom, she set the vase on the dining room table. She showered and changed into a white tank and tan Capri pants before settling down to concentrate on her novel. About an hour into developing the final love scene, a knock sounded at her door. Grace’s heart fluttered, but she didn’t dare hope it could be Evander. Then she opened the door, and Evander smiled at her as he held a bouquet of daisies. “Mia bella,” he said. “I want to thank you for letting me sleep over.” Grace stepped to the side to allow him to enter. Evander paused to kiss her on her cheek before giving her the flowers. They moved to the kitchen, where she added the six fresh daisies to the one he gave her last night. When she turned back around, her breath caught in her throat. He stood less than an inch from her. Her eyes gazed at the strip of bare skin that peeked out of his open blue shirt.
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Resting his hands on either side of the counter behind her, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. It was the kind of kiss that she’d been dreaming of her whole life. All too soon, it was over. When he pulled away, his blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight that streamed through the window. “If you’re trying to get another sneak peek at my book, it’s not working,” Grace teased. “That’s not all I’m trying to get.” She removed herself from his arms. “I knew it. So, where did you go?” “My friend Stephano came by this morning. He gave me a jump. I went back to my parents’ house to change, and here I am.” “Are you going back to Athens?” Evander shook his head. “I was thinking that I’d take you to lunch at Stephano’s inn. Then we can go to the harbor and I can show you around.” “I have a lot to do,” Grace stalled as she looked at her laptop. “I promise to have you back by nightfall so that you can work.” As she stared at him, she searched her head for a reason to say no and found none. “You paying?”
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He chuckled. “Of course. Your check cleared.” She smirked at him. “Great. I can order the most expensive thing on the menu.” Evander made a face. “Considering how cheap Stephano is, I don’t think that’s wise.” Laughing, she touched his forearm. “Duly noted. I’ll go change.” “Can I watch?” Grace grinned as she made her way to the bedroom. “No.”
CHAPTER SEVEN Evander left the cottage to put the top down on the car. It was a warm August day, perfect for a ride through the countryside. He’d just finished his task when he heard the front door close. When he looked behind him, his breath stilled. Grace was a vision in an orange sundress. Her dark curls were up in a loose bun. She turned to lock the door, and then joined him at the car. He smiled at her while she slid on a pair of sunglasses. “You look amazing,” he said while holding open the passenger’s side door of the car. “Thank you.” She appraised his car before she got in. “Is this the same car that broke down last night?” “Yes.” Grace frowned. “How far is the inn?” “About forty-five minutes from here.” Evander closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side. After climbing into the seat, he put the key in the ignition. He put on his own sunglasses and fastened his seat
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belt. When he heard Grace’s seat belt click into place, he turned the switch. “Is it going to make it there?” she asked with concern in her voice. Evander looked at her and said, “Keep your fingers crossed.” He was relieved when the car started on cue. Truthfully, he was due for a new car, but hadn’t found the heart to part with the battered two-seater convertible he’d had since college. After driving onto the road, he pointed the car north toward the mountains. Most visitors thought that Rhodes was a quiet island. Not so. The area around the harbor was a tourist trap where most mainlanders came on holiday. Evander was happy to be heading away from the crowds, though he promised to show it to Grace later. Miles away from the harbor, one could find the tranquility of rolling green hills along a rocky landscape. Animals meandered untethered, and no one was in a hurry. This was the Rhodes he loved. He took specific pleasure in showing this side of his home to Grace. Yet nervousness also nagged at him. What would she think? He was, in his mind, a simple farmer’s boy at heart.
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“What was it like growing up here?” Grace asked him. “It was peaceful,” he said as he draped his arm across the back of her seat. “Hard work. I had to be up every day at four to feed the sheep and cows. Then I had to walk to school.” “How far away was it?” “Six miles.” “Wow.” She shook her head and twisted in her seat to face him. “I wouldn’t have made it.” Evander chuckled. “I had no choice. It was go to school or risk my father’s wrath if I didn’t. He wanted better for me.” “He sounds like a proud man.” “He is.” Evander slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting a cow that wandered in the road. She giggled as he cursed at the animal in a mix of Italian and Greek. Her laughter was contagious and soon, he was laughing instead of cursing as he drove around the cow to continue on their way. “What about your family?” he asked. “My mom is a nurse. My father is a cop.” “Ah, so I shouldn’t get on your bad side.”
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“No, you don’t. My brother followed in his footsteps.” “Were you always a writer?” “Yes and no. I taught sixth grade before my first book was published. I didn’t quit until after the second book came out, and then I left teaching to focus on my writing. I had published short stories here and there.” “I’ve always admired a person’s ability to make something out of nothing. To turn a blank page into a work of art.” Grace smiled brightly. “Thank you.” Evander glanced at her. “You’re welcome.” Forty-five minutes later, they reached the village. After passing by a row of shops and bars, Stephano’s inn came into view. It was renovated from an abandoned estate and housed six rooms, along with a restaurant. However, the nondescript inn looked like a pile of rumble instead of the fully functioning place that it was. “It’s beautiful,” Grace said when he parked in front of it. Evander snorted. “He doesn’t even have a sign.” “How long has it been open?”
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“Two years.” Evander unfastened his seat belt and climbed out of the car. While he reached to open Grace’s door, he noticed the white sidewalk sign that announced the Welcome Inn with hand-printed letters. It wasn’t the bronze one that Evander had suggested Stephano get. He sighed. “How long have you known Stephano?” Grace asked as she climbed out of the car. “We grew up together. His family lived a mile from mine.” He closed the door and took her hand. When they entered the building, the scent of fresh herb greeted them. Stephano looked up from his place behind the desk and smiled. Standing the same height as Evander, Stephano’s blond hair, tanned skin and green eyes drew many women to him. Evander stiffened. Would Grace be one of them? Stephano rounded the desk and shook Evander’s hand. “Evan! As I live and breathe!” he said. Evander rolled his eyes. He’d just seen Stephano less than two hours ago and told him that he was coming back with Grace. “This is Grace,” Evander said.
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“Ah, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman,” Stephano said as he swept up Grace’s hand and kissed the back of it. Grace giggled. “Thank you. You have a nice place.” Stephano brought Grace’s hand to his chest. “It warms my heart that you think so. I worked hard to get it the way I like.” “Cheapness is not a design style,” Evander snorted as he removed Grace’s hand from Stephano’s. Switching to Greek, he warned Stephano to back off. Chuckling, Stephano replied that he was just having fun but relented when he must have seen the serious look on Evander’s face. Stephano lead them to the dining area and left them alone to look over the menu. The dining area was full but not crowded. “Well,” Grace said. “He lays it on thick, doesn’t he?” He chuckled. “That’s one word for it.” She laughed. Stephano returned to their table and snatched the menus from their hands. “I will prepare something special for you,” Stephano announced with a flourish and then left.
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“Don’t worry,” Evander said. “He studied at the Sorbonne and cooked at the best French restaurants. He knows his way around a kitchen.” “Can you cook?” she asked. “Stephano taught me a few recipes.” A server appeared with a bottle of wine and a platter of cheese and fruit. She poured each of them a glass before leaving them alone. Grace nibbled on the appetizers as she looked around. “You’re right,” she commented. “He is cheap.” “Creative genius, yes. Businessman, no.” Evander paused to sip his wine, and then he took one of her hands in his. “But enough about him.” Evander picked up a red grape and fed it to her. “Tell me why you chose Rhodes to visit.” “Back in college, I saw a picture of the island in a travel magazine,” she confessed. “I knew I was going to visit as soon as I could afford it.” “And here you are.” He fed her a square of cheese. “Here I am.” Her eyes lit up and he became lost in them. He fed her a slice of pear. When she bit
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into it, juice squirted on to her chin. Grace reached for her napkin, but he beat her to it, using his tongue to sop up the sweet nectar. Picking up an olive, she held it to his lips. Evander captured it, as well as her fingers, in his mouth. She giggled while he suckled on the combined sweetness of the fruit and her skin. Would her essence taste as sweet on his tongue? A sharp clearing of a throat broke into Evander’s thoughts. “Should I come back?” Stephano asked. When Evander leaned back, Stephano set a plate in front of each of them and began refilling their wineglasses. “What is it?” Evander asked. “Grilled lamb in pomegranate sauce. Couscous with raisins and grilled assorted veggies.” “It looks delicious,” Grace said. Stephano began to pull up a chair to their table, but stopped when Evander warned him with a glance. “Well,” Stephano said. “I’ll leave you to your meal. Enjoy.” As soon as Stephano left, Evander picked up his glass.
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“A toast,” he announced and waited for Grace to raise her glass. “To new adventures.” “I’ll drink to that.” They touched their glasses together and took a sip. While they ate, Evander discovered that he was enjoying Grace’s company. It was different being with her than with previous women. For starters, his heart never beat so rapidly for anyone else. Could this be what love felt like? His mouth suddenly went dry and he sipped more of his wine. This was, indeed, going to be a new adventure.
CHAPTER EIGHT It was late when they left the inn, so late that Evander wasn’t able to show her around the harbor without breaking his promise to have her back at the cottage before nightfall. Grace didn’t care. She enjoyed being with him and was realizing that he was just what she needed on this trip. During the drive back, he rested his hand on her thigh. Her heart fluttered. “So, who is this ass who broke your heart?” he asked her out of the blue. Grace blinked. Was she that transparent? “That’s a long story, remember?” “It’s a long drive.” She inhaled sharply. “I met him on a business trip. He lived in Atlanta but I lived in Virginia. It was one of those instant connections where you question if it’s moving too fast, but I decided to go with it. We had a long-distance relationship for six months before his wife called.” “Damn.” He whistled.
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“Yeah. I should’ve known, but hindsight is twenty-twenty. So, I ended it without further to-do and here I am.” “But with walls around your heart.” Grace turned her gaze out of the window when she felt tears well in her eyes. How could Evander know her so well in such short time? “That’s part of the reason I came here. To work on tearing them down,” she admitted. “Maybe I can help.” She covered his hand with hers. “Maybe.” It was well after dark when they parked in front of the cottage. Evander got out of the car and walked to her side to open the door. There had to be something wrong with him, she thought. How could someone so gorgeous and attentive be single? When she climbed out of the car, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. That fluttery feeling returned to her heart. So did the voice that told her it was way too soon to be feeling like this. “Thank you,” Grace said. “I had a good time.” “You’re welcome. Perhaps, tomorrow, we can tour the harbor.” She stood on her toes and kissed him quickly. “What are your plans for tonight?”
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“I’ll probably go to my parents’ house, watch the paint peel on the walls.” “You’re subtle.” “I try.” This time, he kissed her and she didn’t want him to stop. “You can stay,” Grace said. “You need to work.” “True, but you can watch the paint peel here while I do.” Evander released her. Taking her hand, he walked her to the front door and unlocked it. He went inside first and turned on the lights. “I’ll put the top up on the car,” he said. “You get started.” “Deal.” Grace kissed him to seal it. He winked at her before he went back outside. Excitement raged through her as she went into the bedroom, where she changed into a white Tshirt and yoga pants. When she walked back into the living room, Evander was walking through the front door with an overnight bag in his hand. “I see you came prepared,” she teased him.
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“Of course.” He grinned as he locked the door and walked toward her. Evander swatted her on her ass while she waited for her computer to turn on, and then he disappeared into the bedroom. When her file opened, Grace settled behind her laptop to continue her novel. He emerged from the bedroom, clad in a pair of sweatpants, and flopped on the sofa to watch soccer on the television. After two hours of her fingers flying across the keyboard, Grace’s brain came grinding to a halt. She cradled her head in her hands and exhaled. Her eyes were closed when she felt two strong hands on her shoulders. Evander massaged the kinks out of her muscles. Moaning, she melted into his touch. “Hit the wall?” he asked. “Yes.” He kissed her on the crown of her head. “What do you need?” “This...” Grace sighed. “I can do better than this.” Was there anything that could top this? Grace didn’t think so, but she suspected she was about to find out. Evander left her to go into the bathroom. Moments later, she heard
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the water running and the scent of her strawberry bath gel drifted around her. “What are you doing?” she asked when he emerged from the bathroom. “A bath will help stir your creative juices.” Her juices were already flowing, she thought as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bathroom, where he put her down again. After turning off the water, he reached for the hem of her T-shirt. She put her hand on his to stop him. “I can take it from here,” she said. “You’ve already seen me naked,” he reminded her. “It’s only fair.” She blushed. “I know, but…” Evander placed his index finger over her lips. “Trust me.” His tone was serious, as was the look in his eyes. Grace relented with a nod. Again, he seized the hem of her shirt and yanked it over her head. He sank to his knees to slide her pants over her hips and down her legs. Clad in only a white bra and panties, she shivered, though the air was moist and warm. Evander kissed her stomach as he pushed her panties down. He climbed to his feet, and then spun her around to unfasten her bra.
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“You are beautiful,” he whispered against her shoulder. Holding Evander’s hand for support, Grace stepped into the water. It was the perfect temperature, hot but not uncomfortable. Moaning, she sank down in the bubbles. He disappeared into the living room and returned with a glass of white wine for each of them. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked. “Nothing,” he replied as he knelt beside her on the rug and then sat with his legs stretched in front of him. “I’m perfect.” Grace laughed. “Then why are you single?” “I haven’t met the right woman,” he confessed. “How will you know?” she asked. Evander paused to sip his wine and then looked into her eyes. “They say your heart will do this somersault thing and your pulse races. Perhaps you spend every moment thinking of them. Even in the fleeting moment that you met her, you know that you can’t spend the rest of your life without her.” Grace’s mouth went dry. She took a sip of her wine and set the glass on the floor. “Get in here.”
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He raised his eyebrow. “Sure?” “That floor can’t be comfortable. And I’m down for any chance of seeing you naked, again.” In one swift move, he climbed to his feet and stripped off his sweatpants. Grace swallowed a gasp when his cock, framed by a patch of curly dark hair, came into view. “Don’t believe in underwear, do you?” she teased him. Evander chuckled and climbed in behind her. “I find them restricting.” Once he was settled, he pulled her against his torso and wrapped his arms around her. Grace closed her eyes. All the stress of finishing her manuscript melted into the water. Her heart fluttered. She couldn’t imagine going back to the States now, but she had two more days before she had to worry about it. Until then, she decided to enjoy the moment, and Evander.
CHAPTER NINE Evander kissed her temple as he threaded his fingers through hers. Her body fit his so perfectly. He wanted her and made up his mind that he was going to have her. Cupping her breast, he rubbed his thumb against her dark nipple. Grace moaned but made no move to stop him. Good, he thought, because he wasn’t going to stop until she came. Rolling her nipple between his index finger and thumb, he pressed his lips against her ear. “How long has it been, mia bella?” Grace winced at his question but answered. “Too long. I haven’t been with anyone since then.” “Are Chaz and Lisa’s scenes based on personal experience?” She laughed. “No. Just my imagination.” “You have a wild imagination,” he teased. She glanced over her shoulder at him. “And how long has it been for you? An hour?” Evander chuckled. “Two months.” “That’s surprising.” “That kind of life gets old,” he admitted. He released her nipple and began massaging
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the other one. “It seems we both have some pent up energy to release.” Laughing, she turned in his lap to face him. Grace cupped his face in her hands. Her thumbs traced the outline of his lips. The line of his sculptured chin. Slowly, she brought her mouth to his and kissed him. Dropping her hands from his face, she stroked his chest. Evander groaned. He curved his hands around her ass to knead the taut muscle before flowing up her spine to caress her neck. The bubbles were evaporating and the water cooling, but he didn’t care. Grace’s mouth was soft and moist around his tongue. His hands flowed down her slick back to curl around her ass. He parted the halved skin and dipped his fingers inside to touch her core. She sank down over his finger, taking him deep inside her supple pussy. Did she taste as sweet as her tongue? Evander used his index finger to explore her walls. He imagined how slick they would get when she was aroused. His erection strained against the curve of her thigh as if begging him to remove his finger and put his cock inside of her instead. Patience, he told himself. Grace moaned. She threaded her
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fingers through his hair, clutching his dark curls like a lifeline. Tearing her mouth from his, she arched her back, giving his mouth access to her stiff nipple. “Evander.” She sighed. “I knew you were bad for me.” He chuckled against her breast. “You have my permission to spank me.” “Maybe later.” Grace bobbed up and down on his finger as he stroked the walls of her pussy. Water sloshed over the sides of the tub. Releasing his hair, she gripped his shoulders. Her nipple puckered in his mouth. He applied more suction to the berry as he swirled his finger against the opening of her pussy. Evander squeezed his free hand between them and teased her clit with his fingers. She tensed in his arms. Evander flicked his tongue against her nipple, and then let it go to claim her mouth. Her limbs trembled when she climaxed. She dug her nails into the tops of his shoulders, but he didn’t flinch. He rubbed her clit and pushed his finger as deep inside of her as it would go, down to his knuckle. “Oh. God,” she panted.
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Her scent was driving him crazy. He’d love nothing more than to replace his finger with his cock. But, this moment was all about her. Once her orgasm subsided, Grace collapsed against his shoulder. He removed his hands from between her leg to cuddle her to his chest. “You’re welcome to use that in your book,” Evander said as he kissed the top of her head. “Shut up.” Grace pulled away to kiss him. She reached between them to wrap her hand around his cock. Evander gripped the sides of the tub. His eyelids slid closed, but he quickly regained his composure. Her hand felt good, and each caress was bringing him closer to an orgasm; however, he didn’t want to come like this. “Stop,” he said, yet didn’t remove her hands. “Why?” Evander opened his eyes. Grace frowned at him and he kissed her pouty lips. “You need to get back to work,” he said and then looked deep into her eyes. “And when
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I come, mia bella, I want to be deep in your wet pussy.” Grace gasped, but stopped stroking his cock. “Fine,” she said. Leaning forward, Evander pulled the stopper in the tub and stood. He held out his hands, she took them and he helped her to her feet. Grabbing a white towel from the rack, he wrapped it around her quivering torso, and then one around his waist before they climbed out of the tub. She squealed when he scooped her up into his arms and carried her back into the living room. “Write,” he said as he positioned her in front of the computer. “I don’t know,” Grace teased as he left her side to go into the kitchen. “I may need another bath.” Evander stopped pulling out items from the refrigerator to make sandwiches and turned to look at her. “Anytime.”
CHAPTER TEN Grace worked into the wee hours of the morning. Evander’s nimble fingers jumpstarted her creativity, and she was almost to the dark period of her book—the part when the hero and heroine break up. It was close to five a.m. when she crawled into bed next to a snoring Evander. At ten a.m., she awoke in his arms but made no move to get up. Instead, she snuggled back against his torso. The rise and fall of his chest against her back comforted her, but it also scared her. By this time tomorrow, she’d be heading back to the States. Suddenly, the sound of Prince’s “Computer Blue” filled the cottage. Groaning, Evander peeled himself away from her to go into the living room to answer it. “Fuck,” he yelled when he returned to the bedroom. She sat up in the full-sized bed. “What’s wrong?” “It’s work. I have to go back to Athens.” “Oh.” It felt as if Grace’s heart fell out of her chest. She knew this day would come, but she
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hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. Turning her head away, she tried not to let him see the disappointment, and tears, in her eyes. “Come with me,” Evander said as he crawled back into bed next to her. “Evander…” “You can write while I’m at work,” he said as he gathered her into his arms. “I just need more time with you.” Grace’s heart fluttered. “But I paid my rent through tomorrow,” she smirked. “What about my deposit?” “Maybe you can work something out with the landlord,” he teased. “Or maybe you can extend your vacation one more day.” “If I do that I’ll never leave.” “Is that a bad thing?” Grace opened her mouth, but closed it without speaking. She listened to his heartbeat before replying. “Okay. I’ll go to Athens.” In record time, Grace packed up her two suitcases. When she wheeled them outside for Evander to load into the trunk, he was tinkering with the car engine. He’d taken off his white shirt and draped it over the driver’s side seat. His jeans hugged his ass, and she resisted the temptation to smack it.
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“Don’t tell me it won’t start,” she chided. “Okay.” Silently, he jiggled a few wires. Grace rolled her eyes. “Did you call Stephano?” she asked. “He’s not answering. I think I know the problem. Try starting it up.” Huffing, Grace climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition. After a few tries, the car’s engine roared to life. Evander slammed down the hood. He caressed the white steel as he beamed at her though the windshield. “See? She purrs like you when you come.” Grace had no comeback for that. She got out of the car and went to lock the front door. He had loaded the last of her suitcases in the trunk. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her for a long time, before holding her passenger door open. “I want you to meet my parents before you leave,” he announced while fastening his seat belt. Grace paused in mid-air while fastening hers. “Are you crazy?” “I’m a lot of things.” He grinned. “But crazy isn’t one of them.”
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She clicked the latch on her seat belt together. “I’m not dressed to meet your parents.” He looked over her pink halter top and denim shorts. “You look great. Anyway, I have to drop off the keys to the cottage.” “Is there time?” Grace asked, still trying to stall. Evander leaned across the console and kissed her. “There’s always time.” An hour later, they parked in front of his parents’ house. It was a small, two-story home surrounded by animals. Chickens strolled in front of the car and Evander had to be cautious not to hit one. A lopsided garage and barn stood a few feet from the house. There was no fence surrounding the property. The sounds of dog barking filled the air, as did the scent of manure. Grace became nauseous as Evander climbed out of the car and walked to her side to open the door. This, she thought, was way too much for her to handle. She wished that she had worn something more appropriate. Her hands trembled when the front door opened and a petite woman emerged. The woman was dressed in a white shirt and black peasant skirt,
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her dark hair was tied back with a yellow bandana. As she wiped her hands on a red checkered apron, she smiled brightly. “Hey, Mama,” Evander called as he walked toward his mother and kissed her on the cheek. “This is Grace.” Grace peered into the woman’s bright blue eyes. Ignoring Grace’s outstretched hand, his mother pulled Grace to her chest for a long, tight hug. She immediately felt at home while inhaling his mother’s earthy scent. The woman pulled away and said something in Greek while holding Grace at arm’s length. “She said that you are beautiful, but too skinny,” Evander translated. Grace laughed. “Thank you.” The woman said something else and motioned for them to follow her into the house. Grace looked at Evander. “She’s going to feed us, now,” he said as he draped his arm around her shoulder and guided her to the front door. Grace frowned. “I thought you had to get to Athens?” “I do, but I can’t say no to Mama’s cooking.”
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Inside, the house was bright and airy. Grace could picture Evander running around as a child. A man sat at the dining room table, reading a newspaper. He stood when they entered. His resemblance to Evander was uncanny. The only differences were that his father had gray hair and was a foot shorter. Evander went to him and shook his hand, then handed his father the keys to the cottage. The man said something in Italian, to which Evander replied with a grimace before turning to Grace. “My father,” Evander said to her. “The comedian.” Grace frowned. “What did he say?” “He said you’re classier than the other women I’ve brought around and he hopes that I’ll make an honest woman of you.” “Did you tell him we just met three days ago?” Grace laughed. “What does time matter when the heart is involved?” his father said in English as he walked toward Grace and hugged her. He smelled like tobacco from his pipe. “It’s written on his face. He knows.” Grace looked at Evander, who quickly turned his back. He shouted something in
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Greek to his mother, who poked her head out of the kitchen to reply, and then returned to her duties. The scent of meat and tomatoes filled the small space. His father guided her to the dining room table and cleared off the newspapers. Evander brought her a glass of iced tea and sat beside her. Evander stroked her upper arms as she sipped her drink and fielded his father’s questions. Fifteen minutes later, his mother emerged from the kitchen with a steaming pot of stew and crusty bread. While they ate, his mother showed Grace pictures of Evander as a child. Grace laughed at the one of him dressed as a tiger for a school pageant when he was seven. Two hours flew by, and they had to rush to get back to Rhodes to meet the ferry. With both her belly and heart full, Grace hugged his parents. She promised to visit again. Already, she loved them as her own. Still she was anxious to get to Athens and prayed that the car would start. When it did, Evander backed out of the dirt road and headed for town. “They like you,” Evander said. He rested his hand on her thigh. “I like them,” she confessed.
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Evander was quiet while he navigated the country road. Grace covered his hand with hers. Fifteen minutes into the drive, his silence weighed heavily in the car. “What’s wrong?” she asked him. He took her hand and rested it over the bulge in his pants. “All I could think about was taking you out behind the barn and fucking you blind.” She grinned. “Maybe next time.” “Will there be a next time?” Grace’s smile faded. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. Evander abruptly turned off the main road and onto a grassy path. He parked the car next to some tree but kept the engine running. Twisting around in his seat to face her, he stared into her eyes with so much intensity that she had to look away, but then he gently turned her head back around to face him. “Grace,” he said. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone. I don’t want to let you go.” Her breath was shaky as she inhaled. “I don’t know if I can do another long-distance relationship.” “I won’t hurt you like he did. Don’t punish me for his sins.”
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A tear slid down her cheek. “I don’t know how it can work,” she said. “I’ll be in America. You’ll be here.” “It can work. We can visit each other. Phone calls. E-mails. We’ll figure it out.” He cupped her face in the palms of his hands. “But you have to trust me.” Grace did trust him. Her heart wouldn’t be beating so hard if she didn’t. It scared her because she refused to be a fool again. Yet she wasn’t ready to walk completely out of Evander’s life either. What she did know was that she needed him. Right now. She leaned forward and kissed him. As soon as their lips met, she knew that they weren’t going to make the ferry. She unfastened her seat belt, and then his. Evander pushed back his seat so that she could climb into his lap. The space between him and the steering wheel was tight. Her hip tapped the horn as she moved to pull his Tshirt over his head and toss it into the seat beside her. Grace cursed the fact that the car didn’t have a backseat, but that wasn’t going to stop her from having this man inside of her. Evander reached behind her to turn off the engine, and then untied the straps of her
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halter. While he pushed down the fabric to expose her breasts, she worked on unbuttoning his fly. Her hands trembled, making it difficult for her to grasp the buttons. But, she needed him in her. Now. Finally, he was free, but she couldn’t push down his jeans in the tight confines of the car. “I have an idea,” he whispered against her shoulder. Evander opened the car door and she almost tumbled out. She giggled. He caught her before she hit the ground. Once she got her footing, he walked around to the trunk and opened it. Grace stripped off her clothes and tossed them onto the seat. Evander pulled out a blanket from beneath her suitcases. Walking to the front of the car, he spread it over the hood while she worked on pushing his jeans down his hips. “You’re eager, mia bella,” he teased. “Shut up and take me.” Grace was eager. She’s waited a lifetime for a moment like this. She didn’t want to spoil it by talking. Grinning, Evander stepped out of his jeans and tossed them over his shoulder while she lay spread-eagle on the hood of the
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car. He stroked his erect cock as he stared down at her. “I bet you’re also wet,” he said while planting a kiss on her stomach. “Man, if you’re not inside of me in ten seconds, there’s going to be trouble.” He licked her nipple. “But I like being in trouble.” “Evander, I’m warning you.” Chuckling, Evander climbed on top of her. Grace practically squirmed beneath him. After what felt like an eternity, his cock pushed into her. She exhaled. Evander kissed her hard. Grace moaned against his lips. She wrapped her hands around his neck. Damn, she was wet. He thrust deep inside her. The slick sound of her wet pussy was music to her ears. Grace ran her hands over his muscular, olive-toned biceps. Running her hand through his dark hair, she stared into his blue eyes and got lost in them. She didn’t want to leave him, either. Instead, she wanted to build a room in his arms and live there permanently. “Is this what you wanted, mia bella?” he whispered against her lips. Unable to speak, Grace simply nodded. She held on as he pumped hard against her
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opening. The vibration of his flesh hitting hers caused her to tremble. Her legs drifted open while her pussy quaked. “Do you like my cock in you?” She nodded. Her breath was in her throat. When he claimed her lips in a kiss, her heart felt like it was going to leap from her body into his. Evander pulled back to stare down at her and cupped her cheek. His cock expanded the width and depth of her pussy. The tip of his cock stroked her g-spot, and she was about to explode. “Oh. God. Evander.” Grace tensed, and then released her orgasm. She writhed in his arms. Evander’s pace quickened. Gripping his hips with her thighs, she shuddered. Another climax rushed out of her. His staccato pants matched hers. When he grimaced with the need to release, she kissed his jaw, then his lips. He groaned when he came inside of her. Once they both stopped trembling, he gathered her in his arms. “I wish we could stay here,” she whispered against his chest. “Naw. There are mosquitoes. There’s nothing worse than an insect bite on your ass.”
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Grace giggled. “Speaking from experience?” Evander smiled and pinched her ass but avoided her question. He looked at his watch. “We can still make the last ferry.” “Okay.” She moved to sit up, but he pulled her back down against him. Closing her eyes, she listened to him breathe. “That’s going in the book, right?” Evander said. Grace laughed. “Jackass.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN When they landed in Athens, it was well after eleven. Evander’s apartment was a modest two-bedroom corner unit. The walls were painted a delicate shade of yellow, which brightened the otherwise dark space. Harry made himself known by rubbing his orange face against her calf. While she petted him, Evander took her bags into the bedroom. She wandered around the space, admiring his taste in artwork and searching for signs of other women who frequented his place, but she found none. When he caught her snooping, he encircled his arms around her waist and kissed her bare shoulder. “I have no girlfriend.” He chuckled. “Or a hidden wife. If that’s what you were looking for.” She blushed. “I wasn’t…” He spun her around in his arms and kissed her nose. “You’re as bad as the heroines in your book.” Grace smirked at him, and then set up her laptop on the dining room table. She only had the strength to reschedule her flight before
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they collapsed into bed. When she awoke in the morning, she was alone. Evander left a note to tell her where to go for food. After showering, she took a quick walking tour of his neighborhood and bought a few souvenirs before returning home. She was deep into her novel when Evander returned from work. Cursing in a mixture of Greek and Italian, he tossed his briefcase on the sofa and scooped Harry into his arms. Grace sat back in her chair and smiled. He looked so handsome in his gray suit. His hair was a little tousled, but she liked the rugged look about him. Setting Harry down on the floor, he crossed the room and kissed her on her lips. The normalcy of the moment wasn’t lost on her. It seemed as if she was always meant to be right here. “Bad day?” she asked. “Ah, people are idiots,” Evander said as he lifted her into his arms and sat down in her chair with her in his lap. “What part of don’t open e-mails from people you don’t know do they not get? Now, the whole system is infected with a virus.” She kissed his forehead. “I’m sorry.”
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“What can you do,” he said with a shrug. “How are Chaz and Lisa?” “They’re coming along.” Evander closed his eyes. Sighing, he held her while the stress of his day melted away. Grace wrapped her arms around his neck and stroked his hair. “I love coming home to you,” he confessed. “I love being here when you do.” “Maybe we should make this a permanent arrangement.” Not yet ready to answer him, she leaned back and changed the subject. “Hungry? How about some dinner?” He grinned. “Okay.” Evander stood with her cradled to his chest and carried her to the kitchen. Sitting her down on the island, he paused to strip off his jacket and red tie. His eyes held a mischievous look as he yanked up her skirt, pulled down her panties and parted her thighs. With his index finger, he tipped her back against the counter. She gasped when his tongue touched her clit. “I didn’t mean…” She sighed but lost her train of thought.
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Grace’s thighs trembled as he lapped at the bud. Each stroke of his tongue brought her closer to an orgasm. Reaching between her legs, she touched the top of his head. He smacked her hand away and pinned her wrists against the marble counter top. “Evander,” she begged. He simply shook his head as he buried his nose in her pussy, licking the essence that pooled at her opening. Shit. Her hips arched into his lips, needing to feel each glorious caress of his tongue. Grace’s body tingled with the need to feel him inside of her. Moaning, she tried again. “Please.” “No.” He paused to hook each of her legs over his shoulders and then dived back in. Fuck. Each swirl of his tongue coaxed her to let go of her climax. Grace couldn’t fight it any more. And, she didn’t want to. Both her heart and body were now his. Her walls contracted around his tongue and, suddenly, her orgasm rushed out of her like a flood. “Oh…God…Evander!” With another chuckle, he lifted his head and climbed up her body, pausing along the
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way to kiss her stomach, the valley between her breasts and her shoulder. Her sweet scent lingered on his breath as he whispered into her ear. “That’s the best meal I’ve ever had,” he said. While she cooked dinner, Evander left her to shower and change. He was gloriously naked when he returned. Grace almost dropped the dinner plates she was carrying to the table. “Are clothes restricting, too?” she teased. “Why put on pants when I’m going to take them off again, mia bella?” He gathered her in his arms and kissed her deeply. She couldn’t argue with his logic. After a real dinner, Grace snuggled with him on the sofa. They had finished making love, and she was trying to keep her emotions from bubbling to the surface but failed. Tomorrow, she’d be on her way back to Virginia. She wasn’t placing a bet that they would keep seeing each other. A flight to Greece was expensive, and she didn’t think he’d be able to take off from work at a moment’s notice. Soon, she was sobbing into his bare chest. He tightened his arms around her.
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“Don’t cry, mia bella,” he whispered while stroking her back. “But I love you.” “I know.” He paused to kiss her. “Stay.” She shook her head. “I have obligations back in the States.” “Like what?” “A conference. Some lectures. A book signing.” Evander nodded. “Okay. So, I’ll be the first to visit you. And we shall talk and text every day.” “Yeah,” she exhaled and then kissed his chest. “But I’ll still remember how your body feels against mine. And I won’t be able to experience that every day.” Evander fell silent and then said, “I’m not going to cheat on you, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Grace closed her eyes. She was thinking that but wasn’t going to say it out loud. Maybe she was crazy to fall in love with a guy she’d known for less than a week. But this felt right. Her friends had told her that when she met “the one,” she’d know. And Grace knew Evander was him. It was the logistics—him living here
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and her in the States—that she was having trouble with. Opening her eyes, she raised up to memorize his handsome face. He kissed her. Straddling his hips, she guided his cock inside her. She didn’t want to make love again, but wanted to remember how felt in her pussy. “Do you trust me?” he asked her. She nodded. The next morning, Evander dropped her off at the airport. Grace clung to him, even though security threatened to tow his car if he didn’t move soon. She kissed him one last time but let him go when her tears swelled up in her eyes. “I love you,” he said. “That doesn’t help,” she whispered. “Okay, I hate you.” Grace smirked. “Jackass.” Evander took her hands in his. He was going to say something, but his cell phone began ringing “Computer Blue.” Cursing, he turned it off and pulled her into his arms. Security shouted at him again, but he ignored them. “I’d better go,” she whispered. “I love you.”
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“Call me when you get home.” “What’s my ring tone?” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and played it for her. “With or Without You” by U2. Grace began to cry again. She turned away from him and gathered her carry-on bags. Her check-in bags were already on the conveyer belt. As she walked through the airport door, she heard Evander get into his car and start the ignition.
CHAPTER TWELVE “When are you going back?” Grace’s mother asked. Grace flinched at the question. Just moments before, she was lost in a daydream that starred Evander. It’d been two months since she left Greece. One miserable long week had passed since Evander had visited, and she was still trying to convince herself that it wasn’t going to work out. While she was ecstatic to see him, she still didn’t want to get too attached in case it didn’t work out. Today, she finally had time to pick up her mail from her first week in Rhodes. Grace had been dreading this visit to her mother’s house because of this very conversation. Dropping the stack in her tote bag, she tried to avoid her mother’s inquiry. “Go where?” “Don’t be coy with me, Grace Lynn Bower. When are you going back to Greece?” Grace sighed. She knew there was no arguing when her mother used both her first and middle name. “I’m not.”
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Gasping, her mother followed her into the kitchen where Grace pulled out the pitcher of sweet tea and poured herself a glass. Her mother’s stern look was more than she could stand. “Grace…” “Mom,” she said, holding up her hand. “We’ve been over this. I can’t just pick up and move to Greece. I’ve got a life here.” Her mother raised an eyebrow. “You got a life that you can do just about anywhere. And I had a dream you were carrying a bowl of goldfish.” Grace choked on her tea. Fish meant that she was pregnant. Impossible, she almost said, sitting the glass on the counter so her mother wouldn’t see how badly her hands were shaking. She’d love nothing more than to have Evander’s child. “And,” her mother continued, “you’ve been walking around here like you done lost your soul.” “It’s not that simple. I mean, I don’t know if I’m in love with him enough to make that kind of move.” Her mother walked to her and placed her hands on Grace’s shoulders.
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“Your face says that you do,” her mother stated. Damn, Grace thought as she looked away. She knew it did. That was what made this so difficult. Her heart was telling her that she needed to be with Evander, but her mind was telling her it was too soon. As her mother pulled her into a tight embrace, Grace closed her eyes and struggled to hold back the tears. “Go,” her mother urged. “Don’t spend the rest of your life regretting this because you were afraid.” Grace turned her mother’s advice over in her mind as she drove home. She still hadn’t reached a decision as she pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine. As she entered the three-story townhome, the space suddenly felt big and empty. It was three in the afternoon, but the rooms seemed dark and lifeless. With an exhale, she went to her office and turned on her computer. The week he’d spent here had been amazing. She still hadn’t changed the sheets on her bed because she wanted to inhale his scent while she slept for as long as she could. Resting her head on the desktop, she continued to think through the situation.
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Until she talked to her mother, it never occurred to Grace that she could pick up and move to Greece. Evander couldn’t move back to the States because of his business and his father’s illness. Maybe she should be the one to make the move. She had worried about her family, but they were the ones pushing her to move. Her career was one that she could do anywhere, and she could cut down on expenses by scheduling all of her tours and conferences for the same time. Closing her eyes, she remembered how normal it felt to be in Evander’s apartment, as if she was always meant to be there. While she was lost in thought, her phone buzzed, indicating she’d received a text. Grace smiled as she looked at the LCD screen. It was from Evander. She opened the message and was surprised to discover that it contained a series of pictures. The first was a close-up of his face. Though he had sent her many pictures before, she never tired to seeing his piercing eyes and dark olive skin. She clicked on the next photo. It was of him and Harry with the words, we miss you, typed underneath. Her heart fluttered. She missed them too. The final image caused her
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breath to catch in her throat: it was a picture of his hard cock. Grace bit her lip as she studied his tanned skin that was stretched to capacity over the pattern of veins. Still yours, was typed under the picture. Dammit, she thought as she logged on the Internet to search for realtors. She was moving to Greece.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN One year later… Their wedding was just a Grace had always pictured. The small ceremony and reception took place in Stephano’s inn. She wore a flowing strapless dress while Evander wore a dark navy suit that she couldn’t wait to tear off of him. A small group of family and friends had cheered as they exchanged vows, and now blew bubbles as they climbed into the convertible to drive to his aunt’s cottage, their honeymoon destination. Life in Athens was just as Grace had always dreamt. She spent her days writing on her laptop as Evander worked on his across from her on the days he worked from home. At night, they would dine at one of the cafes before returning home for some heavy make-out sessions. It didn’t take long for her to adjust to life in Greece. This was the long-forgotten dream that she’d stored in her heart, and it took falling in love with Evander to bring it back to life.
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Grace looked at her new husband. She giggled as he cursed at the slow-moving animals that wandered in the road. Evander was anxious to get to the cottage, and she understood why. They agreed to hold off on making love again until they were officially married. He had proposed to her on this very island, at the harbor next to the lions. The tourists clapped when she said yes. Now, the sun was setting behind them as they zipped through the winding country road and screeched to a halt in front of the cottage. She was just thankful that the car started and got them there. Evander finally brought a new car. Another convertible whose engine purred like she did. “You’re mine now,” Evander said as he held her car door open. “No. You’re now mine.” Grace giggled when Evander scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the door, and then over the threshold. He didn’t set her down until they were in the bedroom. Slowly, he undressed her while she fought with herself not to tear his suit from his body. Once they were naked, she sat on the bed and curled her hand around his cock.
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“I’ve wanted to do this since you sent me the picture,” she confessed. Grace wrapped her lips around the thick tip of his cock. Gripping his hips for support, she glided her mouth over his rigid shaft. Evander clutched her shoulders as she licked his length and then covered him with her moist mouth. His sweet taste triggered her own essence to coat the walls between her parted thighs. “Mia bella,” he groaned, followed by a few sentences in a mix of Greek and Italian. She didn’t know what he said, but she liked how he said it. Grace moaned as his shaft hardened against her tongue. As she breathed in his masculine scent, she vowed to never be that stupid again. Her fear almost cost her the love of her life. Instead of having everything that she’d ever dreamed of, she’d almost wound up with nothing. Evander removed his cock from her mouth and pushed her back on the bed. When he entered her, electricity flooded her limbs. Oh, how she missed his cock in her. He kissed her cheek, then her shoulder. “Perfection,” he whispered as he pushed deep into her.
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She smirked. “You can stop with the sweet talk. You got me.” “I was just saying how amazing your pussy feels, mia bella.” “Your dick feels amazing in me.” He shifted to pump his cock deep inside of her. The tip brushed against her g-spot, and she moaned. Grace arched her hips into his. Her rhythm matched his, and she gripped his hard buttocks for support. His lips engulfed hers in a deep kiss. “I think,” Evander panted when he broke the kiss, “we are amazing together.” Grace nodded. A grimace spread over his handsome face, signaling that he was close. More than anything, she needed him to release all that he’d been withholding from her. “Do it,” she urged against his lips. “Come in me.” Evander chuckled. “You know the rules. Ask nicely.” His lips found her neck and he planted kisses there before dipping his head and suckling on her nipple. Grace threaded her finger through the silky dark curls on his head. The bed swayed beneath them as he drove his
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cock deep inside her. How she’d wished on all of those nights she’d laid in this very bed alone that she’d find someone to make love to her like this. She allowed the tears of joy to fall as she arched into his hard torso. “Please,” she begged. Evander shook his head and pulled his shaft out of her warm chamber. Resting the tip of his cock against her opening, he waited for her to say the magic words. Damn him, she thought, as she gripped his hips and tried to guide him back inside of her. Grace moved her hips, but he held them firmly against the mattress. “Evander…” “Say it, mia bella.” Grace licked her lips and looked Evander in his sparkling eyes. He had taught her a few phrases. The one he wanted to hear was the one she had always wanted to know how to say. Fuck me. “Gamiseme tora, mi espouso.” His wicked grin sent a chill down her spine. “I like the sound of that.” Immediately, he slipped his cock back inside of her. His rapid, hard strokes coaxed her to another orgasm. Grace studied the
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serious expression on his face. He briefly closed his eyes, but opened them to look at her. Evander winced and with one hard thrust, he filled her with his essence. “Now that,” Evander bragged, “has to be in your next book.” Grace giggled when he rolled onto his side and gathered her in his arms. “Jackass.”
R.W. Shannon**
**
R.W. Shannon R.W. Shannon is a native of the East Coast but spent six years in the desert before returning to her place of birth. She became a librarian so that she can walk around with her nose in a book without ridicule and also for the free books. When she’s not belly dancing or getting another tattoo, she can be found in the kitchen of her mother’s house until she gets her own. A member of Romance Writers’ Association and Passionate Ink, she is always at work on another project. In addition to Beautiful Trouble Publishing, her books can be found at Cobblestone Press and Phaze Books. Please check out her website rwshannonbooks.net for more information or email her at
[email protected].
