One Wish (Thunder Point #7)(24)

He pressed his lips softly to hers, kissing her gently. She didn’t move. He gave her another kiss. She still held him in a beautiful, delicious, unimaginable grip. “Gracie,” he whispered. “Breathe.”

She let out her breath in a slow whoosh. “Holy shit!” she said.

He smiled. “Nice?”

“Mmm,” she said, her lips curving into a smile.

He chuckled. “Just when I was wondering what to get you for Valentine’s Day...”

“Oh. My. God. Do it again.”

He laughed. “Maybe in a little bit,” he said, but there was really no maybe about it. “No regrets?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“I might not have figured it out,” he admitted. “Except I also might not have tried so hard to go slowly and patiently. Because, really, Gracie, you had me in a real vulnerable spot there for a while.”

“I did?”

“You did. We came together like old pros.”

“If I hadn’t told you, what would you have done?”

“I think I’d have just gone for it. I think first, to be sure you had everything you deserved, I’d have licked your whole body. Then I would have just gone for it.”

“Okay. We’ll do that next time!”

He couldn’t help but laugh at her, she was so damn cute. “You like sex, don’t you, sweetheart?”

“I like sex,” she admitted, smiling. “Oh, God, is that a slutty thing to say?”

“No, Gracie.” He brushed her rich brown hair back from her brow. “It’s the perfect thing to say.”

* * *

They made love again and again. Troy knew he was screwed, and not in the usual way. He had himself a beautiful young woman who thought he was pure magic, who would do anything he wanted to do, bring him greater satisfaction than he could remember having and...and he didn’t know anything about her. Added to that, he wasn’t sure what had caused it, but being the first man to ever get inside her like that really did something to his head. A kind of possessiveness consumed him; he couldn’t even think about letting her go. But who was this young beauty who hadn’t been properly loved until now? Who asked questions about whether it was difficult being a young male teacher surrounded by teenage girls with crushes? Who was this young woman who’d never been in a traditional classroom yet who seemed to be smarter and more worldly than other women her age? And did mothers and daughters really part ways over the choice to own a flower shop?

He was lying on his belly in her bed, thinking about how he was going to get the answers to these questions when he felt her small hand, slightly calloused from hard work, slide over his buttocks.

“You have the nicest guy booty I’ve ever seen.”

“Roll me over and see what else I’ve got that’s nice,” he said.

“I’m afraid to,” she said with a laugh. “I think you’ve had enough. And I’ve definitely had enough!”

“Feeling a little tender?”

She nodded and blushed.

He laughed. “After the gymnastics of last night, how can you blush?” he asked her.

“It’s daylight,” she said.

“Better yet,” he said, rolling over to show off his rather impressive morning erection.

“Oh, my,” she said. “Keep that thing away from me!”

He ignored her and pulled her into his arms. “Let’s talk about how to have fun when we’re feeling a little...delicate.” And he began kissing his way down her body, over her belly, between her thighs. Just a few minutes later he had to say again, “Gracie. Breathe.”

“Oh, God,” she said weakly.

His pleasure couldn’t have been greater.

“Is it my turn now?” she asked.

“Not this time, honey,” he said, hoisting himself out of the bed. “Much as I’d like to lie around in bed all day, I have things to do. I have to get ready for classes tomorrow and I’m working at Cooper’s all afternoon and evening. You should nap, rest up. If you want me to drop by later to make sure you’re okay, just say the word.”

“The word,” she said with a smile.

“Would you like me to take you to breakfast at the diner before I start my chores?” he asked.

“Would you?”

“I definitely would. You make a man hungry, but I have to go home first and, you know...freshen up.”

She laughed softly. “I guess it wouldn’t do to go out to breakfast in last night’s clothes. Not to mention...”

“Don’t mention it,” he suggested, knowing where that was going. The scent of sex was all over them. Even without that, anyone who saw her this morning was sure to know. She was wearing a very fetching whisker burn on her pink cheeks, her lips were bright and rosy from a night of kissing and that sleepy twinkle in her eye said everything. Here was a very happy, satisfied lady. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”

Six

An hour and a half later, breakfast done, Troy was back in his apartment, where he was not planning to do any school preparation. Instead, he got on the internet. He had a couple of hours before he had to be out at the beach bar. He didn’t expect to find anything, unless perhaps there had been some kind of molestation and charges were filed, but if Grace had been a minor, her name wouldn’t have been included. He typed her name into the search bar and the italicized question popped back: