Saving Grace

Grace stood
over the small stove in the kitchenette, a satisfied smile on her lips.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> What did any of her thoughts matter,
really? The worst-case scenario was
that she would go home at the end of the week with a hell of a story to tell
people, not to mention memories of some of the most amazing sexual experiences
of her life, and ten grand. She was
working on a couple of omelets when Sands came out from his bedroom.

“Finding
your way around pretty well now, huh?” Grace asked.

Sands
smiled at her. “Guess I am, huh?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Breakfast?”

Grace
laughed. “I think this qualifies more
as brunch; breakfast was served in the bathroom.”

He made his
way to her and slid one arm around her waist from behind.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> His other hand pushed the hair away from the
back of her neck and he nibbled on the flesh there. “I could make several meals out of you, Gracie.”

“And I
think I’d have to let you,” she said, her breathing once again going
ragged. “But some sort of nourishment needneeded, don’t you think? You know,
we need our strength, after all.”

He pulled
her robe down her shoulder and let his tongue glide across her skin.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Mm hm…”

“You’re
insatiable, Jeffrey.”

“And damn
proud of it.”

Grace
placed the omelets onto two plates, then made her way out of Sands’ intoxicating
hold. “Come on, you.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Eat.”
Sands sat down at the table and began to eat…almost hesitantly.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Not good?”

“Huh?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> No, no, the food’s fine, er, great.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Just got lost in my head for a minute.”

“Oh.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Everything all right?”

“I had a
sister,” he blurted.

“What?”

“After last
night and this morning, I owe you some of that information you were after.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Up for it?”

Grace put
her fork down. “Yeah,” she said
softly. “I mean, if this is what you
want to do.”

A small
smile crept onto his face. “Well, don’t
stop eating, Gracie, you were right about needing your strength – the sti still
lunch and dinner to get through.” He
heard a soft laugh come from her and was satisfied. When he heard her fork scrape against her plate, he began to talk
again.n stn style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Rachel, my sister, was seven
years younger than I was. When I was
eighteen, my parents died in a car accident – drunk driver…”

“Oh…I’m
so…”

“My dad was
the one who was drunk off his ass. He
killed himself, my mother, ane coe couple he slammed his car into.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> It was inevitable and I can’t say that the
visit from the police was a surprise to me.
Anyway, being the ‘legal adult’ I was, and not having anyone else to do
clean up my father’s mess, I didn’t go away to school like I was supposed to -
I stayed home and took care of Rachel.”

Grace
wasn’t sure what to say. What passed
through her lips came out as, “You don’t seem like the type to do that…I’m
impressed.”

Sands shook
his head. “Don’t be, I was a different
person then.”

“Um, what
happened?”

“I went to
a local college, still studying what I wanted to – criminology.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I didn’t mind taking care of Rachel.styleo-spo-spacerun: yes"> Our ages were far enough apart that we
didn’t hate each other…” Sands cleared
his throat. “I did well in school - bet
you didn’t figure me for a bookworm, huh?”

“Not
really,” Grace replied.

“I finished
up with school, started the process to get into the CIA…She was a senior in
high school when I was given an assignment.
I’ll spare the details, but she was killed by the men I was supposed to
be…I started taking things in my own hands then…stopped ‘playing well with
others’…I became and there’s no
going back.”

“I like
this,” Grace blurted without thinking. Shit!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I said that out loud!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Oh, God…Oh God…Oh…

“Some
people think I’m a fucking psychopath that’s out to get himself killed.”

“Are you?”

“Sometimes.”

“And the
other times?”

Sands
pushed himself back from the table a little.
“Don’t know, Gracie. I seem to
do a damn good job of making you moan though.”

“That you
do,” Grace said, relieved that Sands said nothing about her blunt confession.

“I’m just a
good fuck, right?”

Grace all
but chocked on her orange juice.
“What?”

“Part of
the job, right?”

“I’ve
changed the job description. The
chemistry’s here, we’ve proved that, but that’s as far as it goes, right?”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> If she says yes, then I don’t have to
worry anymore.

Grace
forced her voice to sound confidant.
“Of course.” Thank God he can’t
see my eyes…at least I know now…it’s just physical.

There
you go, no strings attached. No worries,
she’s just like the others and she won’t tear out any body parts…save for
one. Dammit!

***

Author’s Note: Sorry for the short chap and for
the fact that it took so long, but I’ve been quite the busy girl.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Hang in there with me!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Twists to come!