Sticks and Stones (17 page)
Authors: Kerrie Dubrock
“Did
you get phone numbers too?” Janice said into the phone.
“You
asked for names, not numbers!” he spat back.
Janice’s
eyes narrowed. “Well, this may change things. Maybe I’ll cast a spell for her
to fall in love with you for a short time.”
His
hazel eyes blinked in surprise. Could she do that? He licked his dry lips.
“Look, you never said numbers. You managed to get my unlisted number, can’t you
get theirs?”
* * *
“So
Ricochet, you ready for the season to start?” Seth Brice asked.
Rick
took a swig of beer and nodded. “Hell yeah! Three weeks away.”
Seth
cocked his head and eyed his friend. “Your head gonna be in the game?”
“Yeah.
What makes you think it won’t?”
“I
saw the picture you posted on the internet. Are you dating that chick?”
“What
makes you ask that?” Rick laughed.
“Cause
I’ve never seen you post a picture of your puck bunnies. Makes me think this
woman is more than a one nighter,” Seth shrugged.
Rick
sat up straighter. “So what if she is?”
“Just
sayin’ the team can’t have you all dopey about some random chick.”
Rick
slammed his beer bottle on the bar and stood up. “She’s
not
some random
chick and it’s none of your fuckin’ business!”
* * *
Saturday,
while Grace worked in her yard, she kept thinking about what Dee had told her.
‘Your
dream will lead you where you need to be’
. Then she gave the vague warning
to be careful of the one with hazel eyes who’d betray her. Grace snorted. Rick
has hazel eyes and so does Ben. Ben’s already betrayed her…she shook her head
and pulled a flower from the ground instead of the weed next to it. She groaned
in frustration, hastily replanting the painted daisy.
When
Blake and Max called earlier in the day and invited her to Gypsies, she
couldn’t refuse.
She
needed a break from her thoughts, if only temporarily.
* * *
“Look,
Grace, if you never pick up the phone, how can I apologize properly?” Rick
moaned into the answering machine. “Okayyyy, since you’re not going to answer
or call me back, I guess you’ll be seeing me soon.”
Grace
hesitated before pulling the door closed.
“Hey
Gracie, can I use the little boys room before we leave?” Blake pleaded.
Taking
his hand, Grace tugged him towards Max’s car. “You can pee at Gypsies.”
* * *
Dejected,
Rick began backing out of Graces driveway when Tilda and Reginald walked up.
Tilda smiled, “Hi Rick!”
He
rolled the car window down. “Hi Tilda, Reginald. You don’t happen to know where
Grace is, do you?”
“Young
Grace is out this evening,” Reginald said matter-of-factly.
Rick
raked his hands through his hair. “Where?”
“She
went with Blake and Max to Gypsies,” Tilda offered.
“Christ!”
Rick growled, rolling his head back.
* * *
Two
margaritas into it, Grace began to feel much better. Gypsies wasn’t very
crowded for a Saturday night, but that was okay with her. She still had plenty
of people to dance with. Mario, a transgender, was a regular of Gypsies and
always on the dance floor.
Devin,
the disc-jockey, spotted Grace. “Well! Our favorite hetero is in the house
tonight! Welcome, Miss Grace! And for this special occasion, a song for you!”
The opening riff to
In the Evening
began and the regulars scrambled to
the dance floor.
Grace
rolled her head forward, her long hair spilling over her head. People on the
floor mimicked her movements, swaying, moving their shoulders up and down and
gyrating their hips. Not everyone was in unison, but that was okay. They were
feeling the music!
Rick
walked in, looking left and right for her. He spotted Max at a round table near
the dance floor.
“Hey!
Where’s Grace?” he yelled at Max. Then he heard the song and his eyes darted to
the dance floor. His jaw clenched. “Who the fuck is the dude she’s dancing
with?”
Max
stood and patted Rick on the back, laughing. “That’s no dude. Her name is Mary
Osgood, but she goes by Mario.”
Rick
rolled his eyes and made his way towards Grace.
* * *
Grace
danced behind Mario and placed her hands on her hips, helping her to get the
rhythm of the dance. When Mario finally caught on, Grace danced around to help
a few others out. She didn’t understand why everyone wanted to learn her dance
moves, but it was fun to see them do the dance that she and Tilda came up with
years ago.
She
twirled and ended up in Rick’s arms when the music slowed. Her breath hitched.
His
hand was sweaty against the silk tank top she wore. He glanced further down and
smiled approvingly at her long blue skirt.
She
wanted to ask him what the hell he was doing there, but couldn’t form words. He
had one hand on her back and the other on the cheek of her ass. When he leaned
into her, she turned her head away. No way was she gonna let him kiss her!
He
brought his face closer to hers and smirked when she pulled away again. When
the music tempo changed, she turned from his arms and moved through the crowd,
dancing with anyone but him.
* * *
She’s
a crafty one
, he thought, dancing his way towards her. After the song ended,
a fast tempo song came on. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her against his
chest. She tried to get away but he placed her hand around his neck and wrapped
his arm around her waist, holding her in place.
As
the music played, their hips gyrated in unison. He wasn’t sure if she was just
humoring him so he released his tight grip on her. When she returned his arm
around her waist, his heart flipped.
What
the hell am I doing?
she wondered. But, she couldn’t help herself. She
needed this. So, she did what she came to do; dance and have fun.
* * *
“Girl!
You’d better cool down before we have to turn a hose on you two!” Mario shouted
into Grace’s ear.
“Huh?”
Grace giggled into Rick’s chest.
Mario
ran a hand through her short blond hair with brown spiked edges and shook her
head, “Watching you two dance like that is getting everyone turned on.”
Grace
blushed and tugged Rick’s hand. “Come on, let’s get something to drink.”
Mario
stopped Rick and jabbed him in the chest. “She’s a nice girl. You hurt her, you’ll
answer to me.”
Rick’s
eyes swept over the Amazon of a female and his eyebrow lifted. “Yes, sir,” he
smirked.
When
they got back to the table Max and Blake were gone, but left a hastily written
note on a cocktail napkin. ‘
Max isn’t feeling well. Be a sweetheart and take
Gracie home, Rick.’
“Noooo!”
Grace whined.
“What’s
wrong, Grace? Afraid to be alone with me?” Rick smirked, exposing those damn
dimples of his.
* * *
“You’re
awfully quiet,” Rick murmured, staring at Grace.
“Keep
your eyes on the road, mister,” she commanded. It was one thing to flirt with
him in a room full of people, but to be alone with him was, well, unsettling.
And she had a few drinks in her. No telling what she’d do.
He
turned on his iPod to break the uncomfortable silence that filled the car. He
had things he wanted to say to her, but wasn’t sure how to begin.
She
sniggered beside him and he cast a confused look her way. “What?”
“You
listen to Adele?”
“You
don’t like her?”
“Well,
yeah, but I’m a girl.”
“And
men can’t like female singers?”
Grace
shook her head, “It’s not so much the singer, but the song, I guess.”
Rick
took his eyes from the road. “It’s actually Emily singing an Adele song.”
She
frowned. “The song reminds me of when the shit hit the fan with Ben. And then
to find out Janice cast a spell on him, a goddamn spell she probably got from
the internet, well, imagine how low my self esteem is now!”
Pulling
into her driveway Rick chuckled. “I’m not sure why your self esteem is so low.
Not for nothin’ Grace, but you do have a reasonably good looking, semi-famous
hockey player chasing after you.”
Grace
smiled sadly at him. “How do I know she didn’t cast a spell for you to chase
after me, only to dump me?”
He
took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Because you’d already put a
spell on me the minute you ran into me at Gatsby’s.”
“Rick…”
“Sh-h-h,”
he murmured, gently covering her lips with his.
* * *
Even
though the air conditioner was at full blast inside the car, Grace felt warm,
hot even.
Rick’s
tongue caressed hers in such a way that she felt it straight down to her toes.
She wound her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer.
His
lips caressed her mouth, leaving her weak and confused. He rasped with a grin,
“You have witchcraft in your lips.”
Grace
giggled nervously, reclaiming his lips hungrily.
The
damn armrest was jabbing into his hip, hindering any further movement. “Let’s
take this inside,” he whispered into her ear.
Grace
stopped kissing his neck abruptly at his words. Words that implied so much.
Much more than she was ready for. Well, the body was willing, no doubt about
that, but the heart? That was another matter entirely.
She
pulled away from him and removed his hand from her breast in the process. Patting
his chest she smiled uncomfortably. “Sorry, it ends here,” she replied as she
opened the car door.
“What?”
he muttered mulishly.
“What
just happened won’t happen again,” she vowed, closing the door.
He
watched in disbelief as she let herself into the house.
“What?”
he whined to himself.
Grace
pressed her back against the door, Dee’s words echoing in her ears. “Ya can’t
fight fate.”
“Open
the door, Grace,” Rick ordered from the other side.
“Go
home Rick,” she sighed, removing her sandals. “It’s late and I’m tired.”
Nonplussed,
Rick turned the door knob and pushed the door open, feeling slight resistance
on the other side. “Come on Grace!” he growled.
She
moved away from the door, crossing her arms over her chest. “What?” she
snipped.
“That’s
what I’d like to know,” he replied huskily, moving towards her.
“
Please
go home. There’s nothing here for you,” she begged, backing away from him.
He
grinned sexily. “You’re here and that’s all I need.”
Grace
rolled her eyes upward. “You’re crazy!
And
horny, go home and take a
cold shower.”
Rick
cocked his head and lifted a wicked eyebrow. “I’ll no’ be goin’ anywhere, gel,
but to your bedroom.”
Grace
closed her eyes and moaned. Cripes, talking with an Irish brogue and looking so
damn hot? She was putty in his hands.
He
pinned her against the wall with his hips and lifted her hands over her head.
He began peppering her face with small kisses, giving her the opportunity to
stop him. When she didn’t, he brought his lips to hers.
Their
tongues danced slowly, seductively. He moved his mouth lower, to her neck,
sucking and biting gently. She moaned when he hit the spot at the base of her
neck, near her shoulder. This only encouraged him further. He wrapped his arms
around her waist and lifted her up. “Wrap your legs around me,” he rasped into
her ear.
Glad
her silk skirt was so accommodating; she readily wrapped her legs around his
hips. He held her in place and stared into her eyes. “Tell me if you really
want me to stop.”
She
stared at him lustily, gripped fistfuls of his hair and covered his mouth with
hers.
* * *
“Put
me down,” she giggled as he carried her up the stairs.
“Not
a chance. You might change your mind and run away,” he teased, kissing her
nose.
She
ran moist kisses down his neck and collarbone.
“Holy
hell woman, if you don’t stop…”
“You
want me to stop?” she replied innocently, nipping at his neck.
When
he reached her room, he carefully placed her on the bed. She got on her knees
and slowly began removing her tank top.
“Uh-uh,”
he mumbled, waving his finger. Grace cocked her head as he took her hands and
placed them on his hips. She grinned lazily and slowly pulled his shirt up,
revealing glorious six pack abs. She brought her lips to his chest and flicked
her tongue over his nipples, causing him to shudder.
Rick
cast his shirt to the floor and held her head between his hands as she
continued to leave a tongue trail from his chest down to his belly button.
“Whoa!” he moaned, when she pushed her tongue into the crevice.
She
began to unbutton his jeans when he stopped her. “Gel, I’m no’ ready for that,
aye?”
Her
eyebrows lifted, “Looks like you’re ready to me and quit talking Irish.”
He
lifted her tank top up and over her head with a grin. “Am I drivin’ ya barmy
then?”
“Do
you always talk so much during sex?” she teased.
Rick
shrugged, “Depends. Do you like dirty talk?”
Grace’s
lip curled, “No, you?”
“Nah.
But tell me, what
are
you into?”
She
blushed under his heated gaze and lifted a shoulder.
The
corner of his mouth quirked up. “Ah, nothin’ from you then?” He sat on the bed
next to her and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping her legs around him. He
feathered soft kisses along her jaw line, down her collarbone to her shoulder.
“Tell me what you like, Grace,” he whispered.
“Um…”she
stammered into his hair.
He
tilted her back, brushing his lips against the lace of her bra. “Tell me Grace.
What makes your toes curl?”
When
she didn’t respond he kissed the hollow of her neck and ran his tongue to the
center of her breasts. Skillfully, he unhooked her bra and cast it to the
floor. “Gel, tell me what ya want me to do.”
“I
think you know what to do with a woman, Rick. It’s been in all the papers and
internet,” she whispered and closed her eyes dreamily.
He
lifted his head and blinked.
When
he stopped kissing her she opened her eyes, confused. “What?”
“You
do
know that you’re not just another roll in the hay for me, right?”
She
licked his ear. “You’re killing the mood, O’Shea.”
“But…”
he stammered as she pushed him back onto the bed.
“Yes,
I’d like to see your ample butt, among other things,” she teased while
unbuttoning his jeans.
He
wanted to clarify all the things she meant to him, but found it damn
distracting when her tongue was wrapped around his nether region. Her hair
spilled onto his chest and he pulled it to the side to watch her. God, she
looked so hot when she glanced at him with hooded eyes that he nearly exploded
in her.
He
pulled away from her, causing her to moan. After discarding his jeans and
underwear, he removed her skirt and white lace panties. Twirling her panties
around his finger he murmured, “ ‘They slipped briskly into an intimacy from
which they will never recover.’” Spread out before him, his eyes
traveled over her body slowly, admiring the view. Self consciously, she moved
her hands to her stomach to hide the stretch marks.
He
pulled her hands away. “Rick,” she moaned, embarrassed.
He
bent down and ran a trail of kisses from her breasts down to the stretch marks.
“I think you’re beautiful, Grace.
All
of you.”
He
continued licking and kissing his way further down, making her forget all about
her inadequacies.
* * *
In
the soft light from the washroom, Grace watched Rick sleep. She frowned
slightly and pulled her robe tighter. “Rick?” she murmured, nudging his
shoulder. When he didn’t respond, she pushed a little harder. “Rick.”
He
lifted his head and shot her a lazy grin. “Hey.”
“Hey,”
she muttered, pacing along the side of the bed. “Um, time to go.”
“Huh?”
She
shrugged. “You have to leave.”
“Nah,
I’m good. Come back to bed,” he replied, sleepily.
“It
wasn’t a question, Rick. It was a request.”
He
lifted his head from the pillow. “Huh?”
“You
can’t stay. You have to go.”
Rick
sat up and raked his hands through his hair. “You’re kiddin’ right?”
A
small smile quirked on her lips. “Do I look like I’m kidding?” When he released
a snort of disbelief, she giggled. “Aw, c’mon, I’m sure you’ve said this plenty
of times to women.” She gently tapped her forehead. “Wait! I forgot to add that
it was great, I had a wonderful time, yadda, yadda, yadda.”
He
pushed the covers away in a huff and pulled his legs over the side of the bed.
“I can’t believe you’re kicking me out like I’m a puck bunny!”
Grace
stifled a laugh. “Aw, baby, don’t pout,” she teased.
His
eyes narrowed. “You’re not funny Grace. Quit fucking around and let’s get some
sleep.”
“Isn’t
this how it goes with you and your puck bunnies? You fuck their brains out and
send them on their merry way?”
“No.
I actually let them stay until the morning!” he growled, reaching for his
clothing.
* * *
Grace
jumped when he slammed the front door shut.
And
when he peeled out of
her driveway.
Chewy
mewed at her feet. Grace muttered, “I just beat him to the punch, Chewy. He’d
have done the same thing to me in the morning.”
* * *
“Un-fucking-believable!”
Rick screeched.
He
pressed a number on his cell phone.
“This
better be fucking good,” Chase growled into the phone.
“She
kicked me out of her bed!”
“Who?”
“Grace!
Who the fuck do you think I meant?”
Chase
sat up in bed and tiptoed from the bedroom, as to not disturb Emily. “I’m
listening…”
“I
don’t even know where to start,” Rick complained, putting the speaker phone on.
“We made passionate love, it was the best
ever
for me, and she wakes me.
Tells me I have to go.”
“So,
you were her bitch for a night?” Chase giggled.
“Now
you’re a fuckin’ comedian?”
“I
don’t know why you’re bitching. You had great sex and she gave you a free pass
to leave! It’s every man’s fucking dream and you’re crying like a little
pussy!”
Rick
rubbed the back of his neck. “No, I mean that it seemed so final. Like she
doesn’t want to see me again.”
“Ouch,”
Chase said softly. “Look, maybe not. She did have sex with you. Chicks like
Grace don’t fuck just to fuck, ya know? She obviously has feelings for you.
Give her a few days to process everything then give her a call.”
* * *
Grace
was barely out of bed when her aunt showed up with a plate full of freshly
baked cinnamon rolls.
“Reginald
said you had a late visitor last night,” Tilda giggled.
Grace’s
eyes widened. “Ew! He was here?”
“Heaven’s
no, Poppet! He saw Rick’s car in the driveway well past three this morning.”
When Grace shrugged, Tilda prodded. “So? Ya gonna tell me why he’s not here
now?”
“Cause
I kicked him out. End of story,” Grace snipped.
Tilda’s
nose scrunched. “He wasn’t any good in the sack?”
Grace
shook her head. “No, like you’ve said before, if a man can move on the dance
floor then he sure as hell can move in the bed.”
* * *
“How
does one get the nickname Ratman?” Janice asked while scanning over a list of
Grace’s clients.
Ratman
glanced at her. “Ya sure ya want to know?”
Janice
jotted a few notes on a tablet and without lifting her head she muttered,
“Sure.”
“When
a few of Mr. Capone’s accomplices took money due to him, it was my job to
apprehend them and make them pay. I’d find an abandoned building and tie them
up and gag them when they were out cold.”
Janice
snorted, “How did they pay Capone back if they were tied up?”
Ratman
glared. “Let me finish!” When Janice clamped her mouth closed, he continued.
“I’d lather their naked bodies with peanut butter because rats love that shit.
Then I’d let the rats take over.”
Janice
cocked her head. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
“The
rats would eat the peanut butter and whatever flesh it was attached to,” he
giggled.
* * *
Monday
morning Grace walked into Play it Again Sam. A small bell over the door
announced her arrival.
“Hello!”
Emily welcomed from a back room.
Grace
peered around and hollered, “Hi!”
Emily
appeared from a pink arched doorway and smiled warmly. “Grace! It’s so good to
see you!”
Grace
juggled two large wallpaper swatch books as she approached the glass counter.
“I’ve gone through these books and picked out a few swatches of wallpaper that
I think would look great in the parlor and bedrooms. I was wondering if you’d
like to check them out and give me your thoughts.”
Emily
mumbled, unsure. “I don’t know how crazy Chase is going to be about using
wallpaper.”
“I
chose delicate patterns, nothing too bold, but enough to get a feel of a
Victorian home,” Grace assured. “But we can skip it.”
“No,
I’ll take a look at them and share my thoughts with Chase, okay?”
“Thanks
Emily and feel free to keep them as long as you need. I’m still sketching
designs.”
Emily
pushed the books to the side. “So, how have you been?”
Lifting
a shoulder, Grace muttered, “Fine. You?”
“Good.
Hey, we’re having a barbeque tonight, would you like to join us? Then Chase can
check these swatches out.”
“I’ve
gotta pass, but thanks for the offer,” Grace replied, awkwardly. “I’ve gotta
see another client today.”
Grace
made a speedy trek to the door when Emily called out. “Grace?”
Biting
her lip, Grace turned. “Yeah?”
“Please
don’t toy with Rick’s heart.”
Grace
lifted her chin. “I’m not, but it’s okay for him to toy with puck bunnies
hearts?”