Grace (The ‘Hello’ series)

15. Chapter 15

fifteen

Daniel

I can still taste her, feel her on my skin as I eat my dinner at home, trying to listen to my son. His words are like static as he drones on with Stacy beside him. She smiles and laughs at everything he says. I hate her laugh. The sound of it twists my stomach since she does it so easily, since she has knowingly hurt my sweet darling in multiple ways, multiple times over.

But my hands are tied. I wanted to fire her, but my son… he made it clear how he felt about Stacy, how he believes he’ll never grow tired of her. Yes, his words.

Tired… like he became of Grace.

I was him once, with his mother, never once realizing what I was missing even when she threw herself at me. I believed it was love, but now I know how blind I was. The same blindness I see in my son. All he’s doing is thinking with his co—

“Dad? Are you listening?”

My attention snaps back to him and I nod. “Sorry, I was thinking about the meeting I had.”

“There’s more to life than work, you know,” he says, taking another bite of his salmon.

“My hard work is what got us here.” I pause as I gesture around me. I didn’t come from money, but my son has never worked for anything. When he was born, I’d already started my own company, and when he was four, we had this estate built.

“It’s time for you to step up,” I say, starting a conversation we’ve had plenty of times before. A conversation I already know the outcome of.

“Well, I did what you wanted. I moved out of the house, and we all know how that ended.” He laughs, and Stacy joins as I keep quiet. Knowing their laughter is aimed at Grace puts a bad taste in my mouth.

“Yes, and now you’re back with your dad. Doesn’t seem right, does it?” I taunt, and his laughter fades.

“Where was I supposed to go?” he spits out, his fingers tightening around his knife as his temper rises and I wonder if he ever lost it with Grace. If that’s why she’s so… timid.

“Bash, I know. But it is time to find your own way.”

He scoffs and shakes his head. “I don’t have to work.”

Perhaps this is my fault. I focused on my company, building what I have today while he grew up with his mom, spending all I had, never appreciating the work that went into each dollar, never truly knowing the cost of the money they tossed over the counter. I was too late, and I can’t make that right now.

“I have a job for you. You start tomorrow. And at the end of the week, you have to move out,” I inform him.

“What?” The chair scratches over the stone floor as he pushes it back. His fist slams on the table as he stares at me. “Mom already said you would do this, that you wouldn’t support me!”

This time, I laugh. “Well, then live with her.”

“Bash, sweetie, sit down,” Stacy whispers, clutching his arm. She knows the only reason she still works at my firm is because she’s dating my son.

His lips curl as his head drops slightly. I recognize that expression. It’s the same look my ex-wife gave me when she had a card up her sleeve, something to twist my arm.

“Fire Grace, and I will,” he says.

My sweet darling, my innocent little…

“No, she stays,” I say as I push myself up.

“Why?”

I clean the corner of my mouth with a napkin. “She does a better job than Stacy. It’s that simple.” I shrug, tossing my napkin on my plate.

“She’s my ex!” Sebastian yells as if that matters in the workplace.

Oh, please don’t remind me.

“Yes, sadly , she is. But that doesn’t change anything.”

It truly doesn’t. Perhaps it should, but I can’t get her out of my mind.

“It should! You should choose me. I’m your son,” he argues.

“True, you are. But that doesn’t mean I’ll just fire an excellent employee because you don’t like her.” I smile and step closer to him. “But if you are going to play this game, just remember who pays your new… plaything.”

He stares up at me, his jaw tensing because he knows he lost. I can fire Stacy in the blink of an eye. I’d be justified on every front, given the information I’ve gained. She relies on those below her to do her own work, she takes plenty of credit for things, but she’s useless in meetings. All she does is sit at her desk, handle phone calls occasionally, and collect a paycheck. But I’m sure Sebastian made some promise to her when he was balls-deep inside her.

A scoff leaves me, and I walk past him, heading to my bedroom. I need to get my mind in order. My son and I never had the best relationship, something I truly want to change, but I don’t believe that will happen soon. I have my eyes set on his ex for more reasons than I care to explain, not to mention his personality and how he’s handling what should be a simple matter.

My own part in this awkwardness should disgust me, push me away from Grace, but a single passing thought of her face, her whimpers, her smile, her anything makes me hard as a rock again.

I should thread carefully, I should try to keep some distance, but I can’t resist the urge to show her how good she is, how much pleasure she deserves, and how much I can give her.

It’s more than a simple play, a simple thought. It’s a need only she can fulfill.

She proved that today when she accepted my touch, my hunger for her.

She let me pleasure her in a way she never felt before. She might think I gave her something, might think that I ate her out for her pleasure alone, but she gave me so, so much more.

She granted me access to her. She opened herself up to me so we can enjoy each other. Her submission, her welcome, her agreement is so… so much more than any kind of physical release, even though I’m glad I made her experience a real orgasm for the first time in her life. She doesn’t realize the control she has in our relationship. It’s a control I never thought I would give away, but she makes me feel this lust, this aching need that I haven’t felt in years.

I thought I had lost the ability to feel this intensely until I saw her weeks ago. When she was still with my son.

Neither realized I was there. But the second I saw her, her fiery red hair swaying down her shoulders, how innocent and sweet she looked, I knew I had to have her. I knew my son didn’t deserve her or treasure her. I knew she was wasting her time with him because I know Bash too well.

I’ve managed to scratch my itch for Grace with a simple fuck, some porn. I thought that one time with her would be enough. I laugh as I turn on the shower. I was lost without her, so stupid to think that just anyone would do. She’d been on my mind constantly . At the same time, I’d accepted that I couldn’t have her. I wouldn’t steal a woman from my own son. I’m not that twisted.

And then, the most beautiful thing happened. Bash asked if she could work for me, if I had anything for her.

Yes.

A simple word that changed everything.

Grace

My skin still buzzes, my thighs keep squeezing, and the blush on my cheeks won’t disappear. The release from today still rakes through my body like a song, begging me to give in to lust again… and again… and again…

Oh, God, I’m screwed.

So, so screwed…

How am I going to pretend that nothing happened today? Or should I expect it to happen again?

Would I say yes?

My heart beats faster and I clutch my chest. I remember how important it was for Daniel to get my consent, how important it was for him to hear that I wanted him too.

“What happened to you?” Ashley asks as she stares at me, her eyes trailing over my body before her eyes widen.

“Oh, my God, oh, my God, something happened!” she squeals and runs closer, grabbing my hands in hers as she beams. “Tell me everything. How was it, how does he look, how is his dick?”

I gape at her, lost for words, and she tugs me to the couch.

“We–We…” I sigh. “He…”

“Did you like it?” she asks, her voice softer as I struggle to open up about this.

My cheeks are flaming hot. I’m not sure I’m ready to give details, but that question… it’s easy to answer. “Yes,” I sigh. “I really did.”

“I knew it! You’ve found your buttons, love!”

I chuckle softly as she scoots closer. She looks eager, like I’m about to tell her a bedtime story. When I don’t continue, she pats my knee. “You don’t have to tell me anything, but just give me something.”

“Marko?” I ask, and her gaze narrows.

“Nicely played,” she murmurs.

“If you tell,” I taunt, “I will.”

She shakes her head and shivers. “No, please don’t make me relive that.”

“Was it that bad?”

She shrugs. “That’s the thing. It wasn’t.” She sighs and leans back as her hands drop from mine.

“And that’s bad?” I ask slowly, struggling to keep up.

“Very, very bad. I see him every day. I can’t…” She peeks up at me. “Yours was different,” she mumbles and crosses her arms.

“Very different,” I say with a soft laugh.

“We’re so fucked,” she says and follows my laugh.

“Maybe, just maybe, we both should take your advice and just… give in and see where it takes us.”

She sits up slightly, her gaze burning me. “It was that good, huh?”

I silently nod, wringing my fingers together. “It shouldn’t have been. It should have felt… wrong.” I take a shaky breath. “But it felt so good, so right.”

She sighs. “Okay… we’ll both give in.” Her brows drop slightly as a shiver rakes through her body.

“You don’t look very happy about that.”

She shrugs. “It’s Marko. He flirts with everything that has legs—especially if he thinks he can spread those legs. And even though it felt really good, I feel dirty too.”

My lips part to tell her it will be fine, but I know there’s some truth in her words. I only hung out with him once, and yes, he’s a flirt.

“Maybe it was just a one-night thing, then,” I say.

She laughs. “Yeah.” She pauses and slides her phone out of her back pocket. “Here, does this look like a one-night thing ?” She hands me her phone, and as the screen lights up, I see message after message, a few missed calls. All from the same person. Marko.

“Oh,” I say as I scroll down, losing count. “Well…” I hand her back her phone. “It can be fun, right?”

“A little fun won’t hurt us,” she mutters, not sounding convinced by her own words. “Just don’t catch any feelings.”

“Right, of course, that would be stupid,” I scoff.

But what if I already feel something I shouldn’t?

It can’t be right. It has to be something else…

“Oh, shit, I got to go,” Ashley says as she jumps up and grabs her faux leather jacket.

“Work?”

“Always,” she sighs and gives me a small wave before she runs out of the apartment, leaving me with my thoughts.

I do what I always do when my mind is a mess. I throw myself into the kitchen, trying to distract myself.

But it doesn’t work, not as every vegetable I cut reminds me of the food I prepared for Daniel, how he wanted to see me cook, wanted to watch me as I slowly escape my safe bubble.

My fingers shake, my skin feels damp, and I clench my eyes shut. Why can’t I get him out of my mind? Why can’t this be something wrong and fun without making it complicated?

The slight pulse in my pussy draws me closer as images of Daniel’s head between my legs fill my mind again.

And I give in, wondering if it’s just lust or him.

My fingers trail over my cotton shirt, questioning what Daniel sees, what I’m missing here as I glide my fingers over my collarbone. Is it just because I’m a redhead with a petite body, just here to give him his kink in real life?

With that thought, I trail my caress over the curve of my breast and over the softness of my belly until my touch hovers over my mound, lingering as the heat from earlier doesn’t rise. There’s no trace of the spike of lust I had today, not this need for a release, just… nothing.

So perhaps it isn’t just that I’m needy. It’s him.

And so, to repeat Ashley’s words, I’m screwed.