With just a look he had her body humming with lust. She had been trying to ignore the obvious bulge between his legs, but that was impossible. She remembered the look of him engorged, the size of his cock making her tremble with both excitement and trepidation. The memory of the pain of Mason’s body invading hers was still close enough to the surface to override everything else, and she was beginning to fear she’ll never be able to overcome it.
They were seated outside on the tropical, flagstone patio surrounded by plants and the faint echo of jazz coming from down the street. Grace was grateful for the company of the other couple and soon shoved aside her insecurities to enjoy the evening they had planned for her and Abby. It became difficult not to envy the close relationship between Abby and Damien, the way they couldn’t keep from touching each other, the secret, sly looks and grins as well as the sexual heat in their eyes they couldn’t hide, a heat so intense it made her squirm in her seat. Between the vibes the other couple was giving off and her own body’s arousal to Jacob’s nearness, by the time dinner was over and they were headed to the theater, Grace was regretting this outing. The physical need for Jacob had been festering like an untreated infection since the day he had stepped into Mason’s home and rescued her, escalating and growing hotter and more painful each day. If only she could get her mind to accept the man’s assurances as easily as she had accepted the existence of vampires.
By the time Jacob was pulling through the gates of Damien’s plantation, Grace was eager to escape his company, deathly afraid she was going to give in to her body’s demands before she was ready. Her irritation with Abby didn’t help. Really, couldn’t the other woman have waited until after the movie to give Damien a blow job instead of in the front seat of their car beforehand? As if it wasn’t mortifying enough to catch Abby with her head buried in Damien’s lap when her and Jacob went to see what was keeping them from joining them inside the theater, her head bobbing up and down in obvious pleasure of having him in her mouth, but did Damien have to compound her discomfort by reaching under Abby’s short skirt halfway through the movie and fingering her right then and there, laughing when Abby had to bury her face in his chest to muffle her cries of release?
But what really had Grace worked up was her response to the exhibitionism, her wish that she could be that daring, that fre
e to indulge herself with everything Jacob had been wanting and Abby was brave enough to not only go after, but embrace. She was close to taking that final step, but needed a little time away from Jacob to make sure she wasn’t jumping into a decision because of the sexually charged last few hours. She couldn’t afford to make any mistakes no matter how demanding her body was becoming.
“I need to talk to you a minute,” Damien told Jacob when the four of them entered the manor. “If you two will excuse us, we’ll join you on the veranda shortly.”
“Is there something we need to know, Damien?” Abby asked, recognizing the worried, protective look on his face. They had grown closer the past few days, Damien finally accepting her as his mate even if he hadn’t blood bonded with her yet. She refused to let him keep her in the dark about something that concerned both of them.
“Not yet. I’ll tell you what you need to know when I know. Jacob.” Damien turned and strode down the hall to his office, not giving Abby a chance to argue. Even though he intended to go ahead and fill Jacob in on his encounter with Isabelle instead of waiting for the twins to return later tonight, the main reason he drew Jacob away was because of the strained look on his face. Damien wasn’t sure ‘date night’ had been a good idea considering how close Jacob was to either moving on or pushing too hard, too fast forward with Grace. Either action could seal the fate of his relationship with her.
“Are you okay?” he asked his friend as soon as he closed the door to his office.
“I would be better if you and Abby had kept a lid on it until we returned home,” Jacob retorted dryly, not really put out because of their actions. His foul mood had more to do with the way Grace had slowly gone from enjoying the evening, relaxed and smiling to becoming more and more reserved and quiet. He understood that she might have been embarrassed by Damien and Abby’s behavior, she hadn’t been around mated couples enough to know about the constant need to touch that they rarely ignored no matter where they were or who was around. It was a lifestyle they all accepted, even embraced, and thought little of until a newcomer joins them and gets an unsuspecting eyeful.
“Sorry, but she’s impossible to say no to.” Damien wasn’t really sorry. He had enjoyed Abby’s mouth on his dick, needed the release he had had time to get before they met Jacob and Grace at the theater. Getting her off in the darkened theater had been fun payback and he had enjoyed the feel of her coming on his fingers and then licking them afterward as much as he had enjoyed coming in her mouth earlier. “Grace was embarrassed but also aroused. She needs to know the full ramifications of getting involved with you.”
“I agree,” Jacob replied with a weary sigh, “but I don’t think your exhibitionism moved her any closer towards accepting me completely.” And Jacob didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to hold out. He wanted her more with each rising, with each breath he took, but he had also grown to care a great deal about her and wouldn’t act rashly and add to the trauma she was already dealing with. He hoped. “What else is on your mind? I assume it has something to do with your disappearance last night.”
“It has everything to do with my disappearance. Isabelle is alive, stronger and more powerful than ever.”
“I’m sorry if we embarrassed you tonight. Sometimes these urges simply won’t be put on the back burner.”
Grace looked over at Abby and didn’t see any remorse on her face, but she did understand about demanding urges. “I admit I was surprised. I thought you kept the exhibitionism to the house and whoever might be in residence.”
Abby laughed, tucking her feet under her on the patio chair, her grin mischievous. “I thought so too. I mean, a few weeks ago I could never have imagined myself being so bold, but there’s something about this mate business that makes all feelings and emotions more intense than I think they would be with anyone else. Plus, you gotta admit, those guys are hot.”
“I’m a bit green and definitely a coward compared to you, but I’m not blind.” Grace had found herself attracted to Jacob from the moment she saw him, an attraction that didn’t have anything to do with the way her neck had warmed with an erotic pulse for the first time.
“So, it’s your ordeal with Mason that’s still holding you back?”
“Yes. My body says go for it. Scratch that, my body is screaming go for it, but every time I get close, I remember the pain, and I just can’t do it. Jacob’s even bigger,” she said with a blush, “than Mason. Add his size to the burn when they come and I turn cold, the memory of him on top of me, his fangs descending towards my neck, paralyzes me with fear. I suffered through him forcing himself on me with visions of me being turned into a deranged, bloodsucking monster, which scared me more than the thought of never getting free.”
“Yeah, I can see why that would scare the bejeebers out of anyone, but Grace, surely by now you know that Jacob wouldn’t do that. Not only would he not blood bond with you without your permission, but he wouldn’t hurt you any other way. Trust me, Damien has a huge cock, must be a vampire thing, and it fits just fine without any pain, and I had my reservations too.”
Grace wished she did know that for sure, wished she was a braver person, a more daring woman who knew what she wanted and didn’t hesitate to take chances by going after it. But she wasn’t Abby, and no matter how much she wanted to or how hard she tried, she couldn’t push past the thick wall of painful memories or change fast enough from being a shy wallflower. “That’s just it. I’m not completely convinced he wouldn’t hurt me. I’m sorry. I know he’s your friend…”
“He’s more than a friend,” Abby interrupted her as Jacob and Damien came out, the look on Jacob’s face making her angry at Grace on his behalf. “He’s family, and you do him a grave disservice with your implication.” Abby walked up to Jacob and kissed his cheek. “Maybe,” she said loud enough for Grace to hear, “you should show Grace how pleasurable pain can be.”
“That’s not a bad idea. Let’s demonstrate for her first.” Damien’s first inclination was to come to Jacob’s defense. If the woman only knew how many women and children her mate had saved from abuse over the decades, she wouldn’t have a problem believing he’d never hurt her. But Abby’s suggestion was much better than attempting to reassure Grace yet again. “We’ll use the excuse you were very naughty to go down on me in a public parking lot.”
Abby stuttered on a laugh as Damien took her hand and led her to a wicker chair across from where Grace was sitting dumbstruck. “You were all for it, as I recall.”
“Tsk, tsk, now you’re arguing with me. You’re just racking ‘em up, aren’t you, ma belle?”
Grace was rousing from her shock just as Damien pulled Abby over his lap and flipped up her skirt. But before she could get up and run inside, Jacob swooped her up and settled her on his lap, his arm clamping like a vice around her waist, keeping her pinned. “I don’t want to be a party to this,” she snapped out desperately. Fact was she was remembering her reaction when she had seen Abby and Damien fucking in the parlor after first arriving here, remembered how hot she got when he slapped Abby’s ass and Abby’s response to that erotic stimulation.
“Tough. You’re going to watch and hopefully learn something that I apparently have failed to get across to you any other way,” Jacob stated implacably. “Relax, Damien isn’t going to hurt her, at least, not much.” Let her wonder, he thought as Damien pulled Abby’s panties down, baring her soft, round buttocks. Wonder, and then he’ll show her the difference between him and Mason.
Grace cringed when Damien slapped Abby’s bared ass once, leaving behind a vivid red splotch on her white buttock. Despite the nighttime darkness, the well-lit back yard left nothing to the imagination. Abby gasped, but then lifted her ass, as if begging for more. How she could want more was beyond Grace, but when Damien smacked her other buttock, leaving both cheeks bright red, Abby moaned and squirmed on his lap as if seeking a climax instead of freedom from her embarrassing predicament. Then Damien ran his hand over her buttocks, squeezing
the reddened flesh before cupping her between her legs. Abby’s response was to shove back against his hand with another long groan followed swiftly by a startled gasp when he brought his hand down sharply in the middle of both cheeks, the snap of flesh on flesh sounding loud in the otherwise quiet night.
“Does she look like she’s suffering from undo pain?” Jacob asked her when Grace finally relaxed against him, accepting she wasn’t going anywhere just yet. Her nipples were beaded against her thin top and he would bet her pussy was swollen with arousal just as he would bet her mind was struggling with the truth. Another slap pealed out, followed by another moan. Abby’s eyes were tightly closed, but her body’s gyrations spoke volumes, if only Grace was willing to listen.