It would have looked like we were indulging in a little afternoon delight, to which I was no longer opposed.
I was behind on my work with my scene partner, not to mention almost overdue on a project that I was working on for a client. I told Jack, emphatically, that he was not allowed to call me, email me, or send me texts until I reached out to him. He was so charming that he would pull my focus from whatever task I was trying to complete—not that I was complaining. The time we spent together this morning was crazy-town good. I needed to keep both feet planted firmly on the ground, however. It would be so easy to get carried away with all things Hamilton. Besides, I had another motive for spending the afternoon alone.
I wanted to Google him.
Ever since he'd mentioned it at the beach, I'd been considering it. I mean, really, it wasn't too stalkerish, was it? If I was dating any other guy and I knew there were oodles of information available, just waiting for me, wouldn't I take advantage of it? Was this creepy?
Hells bells, Loretta, just Google him for fuck's sake.
I made myself work for a few hours when I got home, after I took a peek at my back. It was still red, but not too bad. I might milk it a little next time I saw him, score some sympathy points. Maybe even a back rub. Yeah, a back rub. His hands would trail lightly down my back, further still to my panties, and then…
Focus up, Grace.
I did work for a few hours, and then I switched over to the open mike night I had planned for the following week. I strummed my guitar, practicing the songs I had chosen. I had recently begun to write some of my own songs, but I wasn't quite confident enough about them yet to sing them in public.
I was still singing when I noticed it was almost dinnertime and Holly would be home soon. I would have to Google later. I raced through the shower and was just getting dressed when she called to let me know she was about five minutes away. She was bringing Thai home for dinner.
I was slipping into a white linen shift when she poked her head into my room.
"Hey, ass. Dinner's downstairs and you've got a package waiting for you on the front porch."
"I do?"
"Yeah, it's right outside. Go get your package." She smiled as I walked past her, raising an eyebrow. She just shrugged and pointed me towards the front door.
I walked out and saw a white envelope on the front step. I opened it, and found a Starbucks gift card. The note attached said:
You didn't say anything about a handwritten delivery
when you cut off all forms of communication.
Turn around.
"Oh man, Hamilton, are you here?" I called out as I turned around. He caught me up into a close hug, pulling back to kiss my forehead.
"I brought you this, since you didn't really get your money's worth this morning."
"You're silly, and I told you no communication. Obviously this would include face to face," I pouted, relaxing a little into his grasp.
"Why are you so serious about this no communication thing?" he inquired, lowering his face to mine and beginning to sweep gentle kisses from my ear down to my neck.
"This is why. Because I can't focus when you do that," I sighed, leaning in to him against my better judgment.
"Can't focus, huh? So, I shouldn't do this?" he asked innocently, brushing his fingertips down my bare arms. He slid his hand along my shoulder, inside the linen dress and began to move towards my breast.
"No, you shouldn't," I protested, weakly. I was already beginning to get worked up and could feel my breasts tighten as he moved closer.
"I like this dress, Grace. I've never seen you in a dress."
"No kidding. We just met! So far, you have seen me in workout clothes, a racing suit and a slutty pair of jeans. And a Saltine shower."
He laughed, remembering the Saltines. "Well, they were all memorable. But the dress? My favorite so far." He continued his assault on my senses, running his hands further down my sides, and starting to gather handfuls of linen, lifting my dress up high on my thighs.
"For fuck's sake, we can't do this here! This is so inappropriate. This is wrong. This is…Oh, God…" I stopped, unable to speak.
He'd allowed his fingertips to slide all the way up my legs, stopping only when he reached my lacy panties. He traced the edge of the lace, starting at my hip and moving down, then covering me with his hand. I couldn't help the moan that escaped me.
"Are you focusing right now, Grace?" He breathed into my ear.
"Um, yes? But you don't affect me as much as you think you do." I tried feebly to keep control of the conversation, since I was losing control of the lower half of my body.
"I don't think that's true." He frowned at me, pulling the lace aside, his fingers hovering just above me. Like before, even though he wasn't actually touching me, I could feel him. I could feel where he was and I knew he knew exactly what this was doing to me. "In fact, I would say, you are very affected by this," he whispered hotly, holding my gaze with his own, his piercing eyes not allowing me to look away.
Then, his fingers touched me.
I have never in my life felt so aroused. It was magic. His fingers fluttered along, grazing me lightly. I almost came right then. I shuddered.
"Mmm, Grace. You sure this isn't affecting you?" he continued, pressing down on me. I almost lost my balance. He pushed me back up against the door, slamming me against the doorbell. I heard it ring out.
"Coming!" I heard Holly say as she clicked across the floor to the front door.
"Not quite, but she's close." He chuckled, removing his hand and leaving me breathless and rosy cheeked.
"I'll just let you get back to focusing. Call me when you're ready to finish this," he said, laughing lightly at my frustrated and confused look.
"Guh," I mumbled. He slipped into the darkness, but I could hear him. I amused him.
Holly opened the door and took one look at me. I was still against the door with my dress bunched up around my hips. I was shaking my head in wonderment, looking frazzled and thrilled all at the same time.
"Oh, God, the British have landed, haven't they?" she asked.
I looked up at her, incapable of speech.
I distinctly heard Jack's laughter slice through the night as his car sped away.
"You better not have fucked her up against my front door, Jack!" she called after him.
As his car disappeared around the corner, I heard him yell, "Not yet, Holly!"
Holly shook her finger at me in a tsk-tsk fashion and went back inside. Seconds later she turned the porch light out on me.
You just lost the power of speech.
Chapter Ten
Though we had only known each other for a few days, that night had marked a turning point in our "relationship". It was on. I knew that we were stupid attracted to each other. I knew that it made no sense at all that we were even engaging in what was now beyond a mild flirtation. I knew that the nine-year age difference was huge and that whether I wanted to or not, it would eventually be something that I would have to deal with. I knew that he was already Mr. Hot Shit, UK version, and about to blow up into a huge star. I knew that there was little to no chance that we would both make it out of this OK.