Saving Grace

Sands put
his hand under Grace’s chin, but made no move to kiss her.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I’ve been trying to picture you since you
found me.” He didn’t sound like his
usual brash self at all.

“You
haven’t asked and…it’s stupid, I know it is, but…”

“I do
know a few things about your appearance, you know.” Grace was silent. “I know
that your hair falls to just below your shoulder blades.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I also know that it’s thick and, at least in
tclimclimate, somewhat, uh…wavy?” Grace
smiled, and though Sands couldn’t see it, he felt the change in her face on his
hand. “By your last name, I know that
you’re Italian – at least partially – and I’m guessing that leads to someone
who tans nicely down here and possess darker features…unless your family’s from
northern Italy which would…”

“Southern,”
Grace whispered. “You’re…you’re
right…dark eyes, dark hair, well, highlighted dark hair but…God, I feel…”

“Incredible,”
Sands interrupted. “Well, that’s what
I’ve gathered from what you’ve let me to”

A small
laugh finally came from Grace, easing some of the tension in her body.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “In the end, does it matter?”

“Does what
matter?”

“What I
look like.”

“Of course
it matters – if you were a cow or something, I’d…” He laughepan pan style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I can’t do
this right now, Gracie. I can’t be who
I usually am.”

“Because
you’re too busy trying to seduce and charm your way into my bed?”

He
smiled. “Pretty much.”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> The smile faded and he moved his hands so
that they cradled Grace’s face. “I
don’t want to have to do things that way.”

“Why?”

“You’re
different.”

Grace
rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> How many other women have been ‘different’,
hm?”

“I have
better lines than that, Gracie. You
weren’t wrong about me; I’ve been to quite a few of those bars you talked
about. All based on nothing more than
riorrior attributes. I can’t do that
now, can I?”

“How am I
supposed to…” She broke away from him
again. “How can I believe anything
you’re saying? You lie for a living and
you’ve been all about jumping into bed with me e…”

as]> 

“We’re not
in a bar. I wasn’t lying when I said
that you’ve f…been on my mind. I’ve
been fighting with myself over you. I
can’t see you and I never will, which is seriously fucked up and unfair, but
it’s like…” He turned his head,
embarrassed. “…I don’t have to, O.K.?”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> The tone of his voice was unmistakable – he
was speaking the truth and it was difficult for him to do.

Grace
smiled and said, “Going soft on me?”

“The
furthest thing from it.” Of course his
answer was perfect when one thought about this man’s personality, so Grace not
only accepted it, but expected it.

“I’d better
not regret believing what you’re telling me.”
She took his hands and placed them on her hips.style="mso-spacerun: yes">

“What are
you doing?” he asked, surprised at where she had put his hands.

Grace’s
voice was soft. “Letting you see.”

“No pulling
back?”

“No pulling
back.” She ed hed him and his hands
took on their own lives. They didn’t
begin to roam Grace’s body as she expected them to. Instead, with reluctance, he pulled his lips from hers and tenderly
let his fingers trace the contours of her face. He trailed them along her lips, her jaw, her nose, eyes…style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “What are you doing?” she whispered.

“Seeing
you.”

“You’ve…changed?”

He
smiled. “I guess that’s something we’re
going to find out.” He let his hands go
to her hair, momentarily forgetting that she had pulled it up.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Take it down for me?”style="mso-spaceryes"yes"> Grace did so without thinking twice.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> He smiled as he tangled his fingers in her
locks and resumed kissing her. He left
her lips for her neck, causing her to once again shiver in the heat.

“Sands?”

His lips
didn’t leave her neck. “Hm?”

“I know you
don’t like Sheldon – cute as it is – but I…if we’re…I can’t call you
Sands…” Her breath caught as his tongue
played on a rather sensitive patch of skin.
“How do you feel about Jeffrey?”

He pulled
back, smiling. “I can dig it,” he
laughed.

“Jeffrey?”
she said, testing how it sounded. Mm…perfect.

“Yeah?”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> His hands were now roaming her back.

“Earlier
today I asked who you were and…well, your answer was…”

His mouth
found her ear. “I remember.”

Grace
prayed that the man before her wasn’t saying things only because he knew she
wanted to hear them. “Prove it to me.”

“Hm?”

“Prove to
me that I need you.”

/p> /p>

Author’s Note: Adult content in the next chapter. If you don’t wanna rea (So (Somehow, I don’t think that’s going
to happen with this one) then don’t – skip on to the next one…once it’s
written. For those of you that do – it will
be up soon, promise!