Grace (The ‘Hello’ series)

27. Chapter 27

twenty-seven

Grace

I squirm as I sit in the upscale restaurant with Daniel, my gaze traveling around the room. This is a modern, yet luxurious place with low lighting, actual candles and real flowers on the table, and hushed conversation.

Daniel got us a seat by a wall after being kind enough to take me home so I could change.

Reaching back, I let my hair out of the twist I’ve had it in all day so it cascades over my shoulder in slinky half-curls, and I take a peek at the menu. I don’t know what wine to pick and there aren’t many food options, but choosing the right thing seems difficult, like Daniel’s testing me to see if we can be more than fuck buddies.

“Darling,” Daniel says gently, his hand tugging the menu down. He looks at me with the candlelight licking at his gorgeous face. “Have you been avoiding me today?”

My throat tightens in response. I open, then close my mouth. “Not really. Did I miss something you asked me to do?”

“We both know that you’re effective at work and we both know that’s not what I mean,” he says with a shake of his head to the waiter who crawled closer.

I take a shaking breath and tighten my grip on the menu. Daniel cocks his head to the side. “Tell me, Grace. When we were at your house, I was serious. I want you to be able to tell me everything, whether I like it or not.”

“I heard… I heard your conversation with your ex-wife,” I finally say. “I just… I don’t know. I heard that, then you avoided me all night, and I understand that. I do. I mean with your son, all our coworkers around, your ex, but then you didn’t text me and so it’s made me question some things I thought I knew.”

Daniel watches me, and I stare back. Our wine is poured, and the strong scent invades my nose.

I sigh and close the menu. “Can you order for me?” I ask Daniel, my voice soft as my mind remains in turmoil.

He nods, and without breaking his stare, he says we both will have the steak, a salad, and some fries. The waiter shakes his head and tries to point at the menu, probably trying to tell Daniel they don’t have simple fries here, but he won’t listen as he pushes the menu to the waiter, and slowly, the man retreats.

“Just like our first meal together,” Daniel says, a smile tugging on his lips, and mine follows.

“Tell me, Grace, what’s on your mind.”

“Are we just… sexual?” I ask in a whisper.

The corner of his mouth quirks up. “It’s cute that you whispered that.” He leans forward, gripping his wine glass between his fingers before he speaks again. “I don’t want us to be just sex.” He takes a long sip of wine. “This is a complicated situation.”

I take a deep breath. “Yes, it is,” I agree.

“And if it were just sex, I could have someone who’s less complicated,” Daniel says, but his other hand moves to mine. “I don’t want that. If having you means accepting the complicated, I can and will, Grace. And I want to know you. I want to know every thought in your head, every opinion you have. I want to be there for you when you need me.”

I gape at him and take a small sip from my wine. “Okay, ask.”

He shifts in his seat and starts simple. “Favorite memories as a kid?”

I softly laugh. “That’s an easy one. You can already guess that one, I suppose.”

“Cooking with your mother,” he fills in.

“It was the only moment we were truly bonding, where I didn’t feel like I needed to hide. I could just be me.”

His brows twitch. “Why did you ever want to hide or think you needed to?”

I swallow. “Well… my father… he wasn’t around much, and when he was, he was so overworked and stressed out, or at least that’s what my mom told me, but it actually meant he couldn’t handle much and got angry pretty quickly. So eventually, I tried to be as quiet as possible, not daring to make any trouble and to stay within the lines.” Tears burn my eyes as I hear my own words back, reminding how I became this quiet, timid person.

“Were you scared of him?”

I shake my head. “I don’t believe it was fear, but more the need to be good and be seen for my goodness .” I chuckle quietly. “I hope that makes sense.”

He nods. “It does.” He rubs his thumb over the top of my hand. “I’m so sorry you ever felt the need to hide your true self just to please others.”

“It’s okay, I’ve been trying to stop doing that,” I say with a smile.

“You never have to do it with me. You know that, right?”

Our touch breaks as our salads are placed in front of us. “Grace?” Daniel asks, and I swirl my fork in my salad.

“I don’t… do that with you.” I take a shaky breath. “It was hard in the beginning. But everything we did was because I wanted, and you helped me more than I thought you would.”

“How?”

“By letting me choose, giving me power to decide when you can… pleasure me. That I can’t do anything wrong in your eyes.” I pick a bit of salad on my fork. “Even when I think you’re being too nice.”

He laughs. “Too nice?”

“When I overslept, you should’ve scolded me or something. I messed up, not you, and still, you made me feel so safe and… loved.”

“Loved?”

“I don’t know how else to describe—”

“No, you’re right. Isn’t love, or showing love, to take care of someone, to make them feel safe and have this need to give them everything they need?”

I take a bite as I divert my gaze before answering. “Perhaps.”

We eat in silence, and it isn’t until we’re halfway through our steak when he clears his throat. “What happened between you and my son?”

My whole body tenses, and Daniel reaches for my hand. “Why did you tolerate him for so long? I’ve only heard some from him, but I want your view of things.”

I pause and carefully take his hand. “We don’t need to talk about that. It’s just… it’s not worth it,” I grumble.

“I don’t understand why he didn’t appreciate you, how he was so blind to everything you accomplish and who you are.”

I sigh. “Maybe he just knew me too well. But I thought we were fine. I mean, he asked me to do a lot. It always got to be more and more. I thought I loved him, so I did it, but then it was all about… sex. Why I wasn’t in the mood, why I didn’t initiate, why…” I trail off. “We shouldn’t talk about this.”

He smiles, softly and caring. “I won’t ask why you felt the way you did or made the decisions you did with my son… but you’re open with me. You certainly don’t back down.”

“I’m not… I don’t have experience with this. I couldn’t seduce anyone. It would just make them laugh. I know how I look. I’m little, I’m pretty flat all around, and… no one’s ever considered me sexy. It’s okay. I know I have other things to offer, things I’m decent at, but…” I just trail off again, not sure what else to say.

“You say decent, I say excellent. You’re astounding at work. The things you catch, the way you work, it’s sexy and entrancing,” he says, running his finger along my knuckles, “And you’re sexy with your perfect little curves, how easy you are to pick up, your gorgeous red hair, those intense green eyes. Every inch of your body is… sinfully perfect.”

“Daniel,” I breathe.

His touch leaves, and he motions for the waiter to take our plates and orders some desert.

He grins and pats his thigh. “Come here.”

My breath hitches, my heart stammers, and heat rushes to my cheeks. I glance around and he shakes his head.

“Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, Grace. If you want to be on my lap, put yourself there and if you—”

I don’t let him finish as I rise to my feet and move around the table and take my place on his lap. My eyes sweep around as from his position, with his back against the wall, we can see just a small portion of the restaurant. Daniel adjusts me so my back is against his chest as our desert is put in front of us. The vanilla ice cream and the dark chocolate calls me closer, but before I can grab the spoon, Daniel beats me to it and a playful smile tilts on my lips.

His lips brush my ear. “Let me feed you.”

I part my lips, and he slides the cold spoon inside my mouth. As my lips close, his cock twitches beneath me.

“What do you want in life, Grace? I know what you’ve had, but what do you want ?”

As the ice cream melts and mixes with the chocolate, I think it over. What do I want?

“I want to live, travel, to really see the world. I feel like I’ve only been one place in my entire life and have accepted whatever makes me slightly happy. But now I want to explore every option in the world.”

He grins. “You should travel. I can even help you with that if you want me to.”

“Oh, Daniel, you won’t have to.”

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to, Grace.”

My throat closes as I stare at him, waiting for anything other than the sincerity I see in his gaze. Something else than the care and kindness that stares back at me. But it doesn’t come.

“I don’t expect anything in return,” he whispers.

“I know,” I whisper. We don’t have that kind of relationship. It isn’t about the material stuff. I don’t care about his money. I only care about what I feel for him and what he feels for me.

“I can’t fix what has happened, I know that, but I’m going to battle against them,” he says before kissing my neck, “and remind you what a capable, strong, sweet, perfect woman you are. You’re my good girl.”

My body shivers against him as my gaze drops to his lips.

“And seeing you in ecstasy, your face when you come… can you feel what it does to me, darling?” he asks.

I adjust ever so slightly and nod. “Yes, sir.”

“Kiss me, Grace,” he whispers, and I don’t wait a single beat. My lips fall on his, soft and warm as ours part. My tongue carefully reaches for his, and his plays me ever so gently.

He bunches my dress up higher and his fingers follow, dipping between my thighs, and they open without a word.

“I want you right now. I want to fill you right here and watch you hide your ecstasy from every other person in this room,” Daniel grunts against my lips as his finger trails over my panties.

“Daniel,” I whisper.

He grins. “No one’s ever made me this… wild.”

“Meaning having sex… here?” My heart rate picks up, fearing the answer might hurt me.

“I’ve never wanted to buy someone a toy just to watch them come over Facetime. I’ve never slid my fingers under a skirt during a meeting. I’ve never fucked a woman while overlooking a party or at a table at a restaurant. You drive me so insane because of who you are that I only know one way to show it,” he says.

“Daniel, we can’t,” I whisper.

“I know how wet you are, I feel your damp panties, but you haven’t told me yes,” he says before kissing the back of my shoulder. “You make the rules, Grace.”

Something about this being so naughty makes me want to do it. I’m already breaking plenty of social rules by having sex with my ex’s dad.

I lean forward on the table with one hand, then reach between my legs, moving my panties to the side as I hear his zipper lower behind me.

His hands grab my hips next, but he doesn’t pull me down. He doesn’t force me to do anything and waits for me.

I drop slowly, feeling his cock nudged between my thighs, rubbing against my panties and bare pussy.

“Good girl,” he praises. “Show me how you need me. Take me, right here.”

A little whimper leaves my throat as his grip on my hips tightens. I squirm slightly, the tip of his cock pressing inside me, and I tilt my hips, taking more of him while my gaze scans around. Nerves reach higher, scared someone will catch us.

I roll my hips, grinding against him. Little panting breaths leave my lips even as I manage to hide my moans.

“Look how good you take me,” he whispers, thrusting slowly up as he keeps me still. “That petite frame of yours, that tight pussy, taking all I can give you.”

A soft moan escapes, and I lean back, resting against his hard chest as his hips buck up.

“I like it,” I whisper so soft he might not have heard me.

He slides so deep, but so slow, it feels too intimate. Almost as if we’re one, connected in a way, intertwined in a way that no one can break apart.

“You like my big hands over you, my fingers inside you? My thick cock buried deep?”

My heartbeat rings in my ears as my pussy tightens its hold on Daniel, his words almost taking me over the edge.

“I do,” I whimper. “You take care of me… all of me…”

“I’ll do everything for my girl, especially since she’s this good .”

My lips part, and I almost cry out in my release, taking Daniel over the edge with me in such a strong grip, he can’t pull out and paint my skin with his cum.

“Fuck… darling… look at the mess you made,” he grunts as he stills, his cock twitching.

“Just how you like it,” I groan.

He chuckles, his lips hovering over my ear. “Perfectly messed up by me, just how I like it.”

I don’t move. I don’t dare to as I don’t want to be the one who breaks this moment. And it seems Daniel thinks the same way as he curls his arms around me.

“Don’t go home tonight,” he whispers, and I swallow thickly.

“What do you mean?” I ask even though I think I already know.

“Come home with me, spend the night. Sleep with me, talk to me.” His words spread under my skin, and I can’t say no. There’s nothing holding me back, not a single thought telling me to stop what I’m doing.

“Okay,” I breathe.