"First off, you definitely shouldn't let me drive your expensive sports cars," Grace announced as she hopped out of the drive's side of Howie's expensive corvette, grinning with an impish delight. Since Howie didn't know the exact location of George's house, he had decided to just let Grace drive. Only, he didn't know how she was behind the wheel. She was a maniac when it came to driving, especially when the car had enough power to do something crazy in. Howie looked quite pale as he stumbled out of the passenger side, reaching for the keys. "You okay?"
"Once I get my stomach back at the house... sure," Howie gulped, taking the keys and pushing them into his khaki pocket.
"You sure you don't want to just drive yourself back home?" Grace laughed softly, reaching underneath his shirt to tenderly caress his rippled abdomen. "George can give me a lift home after I'm done--"
"No, no. I'll be fine."
"Are you acting a little jealous, Mr. Dorough?"
"Jealous of what?"
"You seemed pretty adamant about driving me home instead of Georgie."
"So--"
"Are you?"
"Maybe--"
"He's married and honestly considers me to be his oldest daughter, so I doubt you have much to worry about. Or much to really be jealous over," Grace interrupted, starting up the cracked sidewalk to the somewhat large house, though it was nothing compared to Howie's home. "Not that I understand why'd you'd be jealous in the first place."
"Because I care about you and jealousy is a natural emotion?" Howie replied, walking beside her as they reached the heavy oak door.
"A protective emotion to stake claim on something you own," Grace countered, unable to stop thinking what exactly he meant by 'caring.' She had been watching romance movies with Kitra since the previous night and jealousy only seemed to come into play with love. But Grace didn't believe in love, so...
"I don't own you--"
"Gracie! Gracie! Daddy! Gracie’s here!" a small voice interrupted Howie as the door opened.
"Hey, JJ!" Grace immediately cooed, bending down just in time for a bright six year old to leap into her embrace. She picked the small girl up with ease, layering her chubby cheeks with sweet kisses as her light brown locks flew from the rocking motion. The little girl giggled with obvious delight, jumping down from Grace's embrace so she could scurry upstairs to tell her sisters about their babysitter's arrival.
"Thank God!" Rachel, George's wife, breathed with happiness, hurriedly walking over to Grace to deliver a chunky, blue eyed, brown haired, one year old into Grace's arms. She then leaned to kiss Grace on the cheek, glancing in the mirror to check her reflection. "You are such an angel, Gracie."
"I know," Grace promised with a laugh, wrinkling her nose at the toddler in her arms as the little girl squealed with delight. "Hi, Emily!"
"Wacie! Hi!" Emily gurgled, patting her small hands onto Grace's cheeks before looking over at Howie. "Who dat?"
"Don't tell me our eldest daughter finally got a boyfriend," Rachel laughed, clicking her tongue with approval as she glanced toward Howie. "Does Daddy know about this, Gracie?"
"He's my friend, Rach," Grace sighed with a sweet blush.
"I'm Howie Dorough. I hope you don't mind that I'm here to baby-sit with Grace," Howie stepped forward and held a hand out to the older woman.
"I don't mind at all, I think it's about time little Gracie got herself a boyfriend," Rachel laughed, reaching to shake his hand. "It's Big Poppa you have to worry about."
"Big Poppa...?"
"That'd be me," George answered as he lumbered down the stairs with another child perched in his arms. The little three year old girl named Laura with dark brown curls and light blue eyes immediately squirmed in her father's embrace when she realized Emily was being held by Grace. He chuckled as he let her down; allowing her to go barreling into Grace's other arm. "These girls certainly love their big sister... But who are you?"
"I'm Howie Dorough. You must be George. It's nice to meet you," Howie held his hand out to George next.
"One of McLean's friends?" George guessed, vaguely remembering him from his first time at Devil's Playground. He only remembered him however because he recalled how Grace had practically fawned over him before leaving that night. She explained he was a sweet gentleman with an adorable disposition. George knew how hard Grace was on men to begin with, so he seemed okay.
"Yeah--"
"What are you doing with Gracie?" George immediately questioned, never bothering to give him time to finish his first answer. He crossed his arms over his burly chest, causing Rachel to muffle a laugh as she motioned for Grace.
"She asked if I wanted to come baby-sit with her tonight so I said yes--"
"No, I want to know what you got planned."
"Excuse me?" Howie asked as he started to pale.
"What do you have planned for Gracie? What are your intentions? Because more than half the men I throw out of Devil's in the first five minutes of visiting had less than dishonorable intentions for my pride and joy right there."
"I, um, I have nothing dishonorable planned. I just want to get to know her and uh, oh God... please don't break me like a twig. I like Grace because of her beauty and personality and--"
"Papi," Grace interrupted, nudging the man with her hip as the two girls hugged close to her. "Howie is just my friend."
"Is that just what you are?" George fired back to Howie.
"Yes, s-sir. Please don't hurt me--"
"You big grizzly bear! Stop tormenting the boy and go start the car," Rachel scorned, pushing her husband out as he pecked kisses to the girls' heads. Once he was cleared from the doorway, Rachel smiled apologetically at Howie.
"He's quite protective of our Gracie... And, don't let her kid you about that friend nonsense. She deserves a good man."
"You can leave now, Rach. Thanks for the help," Grace gritted as she bumped Rachel with her other hip.
"You're welcome, Sweetheart," Rachel laughed, winking toward Howie. "There's virgin strawberry daq's that George just whipped up for you in the kitchen you force the rugrats to bed!"
"Bye, Rach," Grace called, unable to stop the rosy blush on her cheeks as she glanced to Howie. "Please don't listen to what she said--"
"Oh, I heard every single word," Howie grinned as the girl called JJ tugged on his pants. He looked down and smiled. "Yes, Sweetheart?"
"You better be nice to Gracie. I can beat you up! Daddy taught me."
"What makes you think I wouldn't be nice to Gracie?" Howie questioned in awe, leaning down to meet the six year old.
"Lots of men are meanies."
"Ain't that the truth," Grace breathed as Emily and Laura giggled in her arms. She blew raspberries to both their cheeks, fully intent on going into the living room until the eldest daughter bellowed. Grace glanced up toward the stairs with a laugh as twelve year old Zoey came running, a barrel of pre-teenage frustrations.
"Gracie! Thank God you're here! I want to make the dance team and try outs are tomorrow and my routine completely sucks and I completely need you to help me so I can win and shove it down Brittany Murphy's throat that I got taught by the best dancer ever--"
"How about a hello, Gracie, I missed you?" Grace interrupted with an amused laugh, arching her light brows toward the young girl.
"Hello, Gracie. I missed you," Zoey replied and then repeated what she said. "I want to make the dance team and try outs are tomorrow and my routine completely sucks and I completely need you to help me so I can win and shove it down Brittany Murphy's throat that I got taught by the best dancer ever
"Glad to know I'm loved," Grace groaned, kissing the young girl's forehead.
"Does that mean yes?"
"After I get your little sisters some snacks--"
"What's a Backstreet Boy doing in our house?" Zoey immediately questioned, glancing toward Howie in shock.
"He's my date," Grace teased.
"What? How come you get a Backstreet Boy as a date and I don't?! You know that Brian is my favorite--"
"Ouch," Howie winced, holding his heart as if it had broke.
"No offense!" Zoey blurted, but quickly glanced back to Grace. "Where did you meet him Gracie?!"
"Dancing..."
"Wow!" Zoey gushed as Grace carried Emily and Laura into the kitchen for a snack. She reached down to pick up JJ into her arms, just fawning over Howie for a moment. "Are you taking Gracie on tour with you? Because she's a great dancer. One of the best."
"I'll have to talk to Grace about it. We could always use more dance troupe members," Howie nodded, cupping her chin for a moment with a smile. "She's really good?"
"Awesome!"
"Since you're doing me such a big favor with Grace being a dancer... I'll talk to Brian and see if we can go on a double date... how does that sound?"
Zoey's green eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
"How am I helping you with Gracie though?"
"Because I really think I can get her into the dance troupe... but I need your help convincing her."
"She's never had a big break like that before... She dances at the bar Daddy works at and she's so pretty... But no one gives her a chance... So Daddy says we have to love her extra... She's so great..." Zoey trailed thoughtfully as JJ whispered in her ear. Her lips curved into a smile as she glanced to Howie. "Are you two really dating?"
"No, not yet... but I really want to. I like her a lot."
"But she said that you were--"
"Okay!" Grace announced, walking back from the kitchen and into the living room. She settled both toddlers onto the floor before reaching to grasp the plates she was balancing on her head. "I've got Peanut Butter Captain Crunch for my Em-Doodle, plain Oreos with milk for my Laurie, chocolate Oreos with chocolate milk for my JJ, and... I need a song to dance to for you, Zoe."
"Yay!" Emily, Laura and JJ clapped their hands and began munching on their snacks.
"What's the song, Zoe?"
"Any song we want," Zoey answered, moving toward the large CD collection in the living room. A sly smirk formed on her face as she retrieved the Backstreet Boys' newest album - Black and Blue. "How about Shining Star? Howie helped write that..."
"Then Howie can help you with dance moves straight from their brand new tour, too!" Grace exclaimed with a cheerful sarcasm, collapsing on the floor next to Emily as the little girl fed her some Peanut Butter Captain Crunch.
"Nuh-uh! No offense Howie, but I need Gracie to dance," Zoey apologized, glaring at Grace. "Come on, you promised!"
"I am not dancing to Howie's music in front of Howie. No way--"
"Why not?"
"Because that's embarrassing!" Grace laughed as Zoey tugged on the bottoms of her flared hip huggers, dragging her into the middle of the large living room. "You're giving me a serious wedgie, Zoe!"
"Then you can dance it out! Dance, please!" Zoey begged, running to turn on the stereo and pressing forward to Shining Star.
"Aren't you going to object to this for me?" Grace sighed as Zoey pulled her to her feet. She jumped a little bit to situation her jeans back onto the tops of her hips, wiggling with obvious discomfort. The three little girls giggled in amusement as Grace blushed toward Howie, praying for it to be some other way.
"I can't deny the girls anything. They want to see you dance and so do I," Howie shrugged innocently with a smirk.
"I hate you, just so you know that," Grace scowled as she wrinkled her nose with distaste.
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I--"
"Gracie, it's starting!"
"You just want to follow my lead?" Grace sighed, glancing down to the energetic girl.
"Uh-huh!"
"Dance, Gracie! Dance, Zoey!" Emily grinned as she bounced in Howie's lap.
"You girls are evil incarnate," Grace breathed as she listened to the saucy introduction to the song. She closed her eyes to find her center, just like she did when she stepped onto Devil's stage. When she found her center, she could dance in front of anyone. She just imagined she was on an empty stage of some large Broadway show, dancing for her own amusements. And, that's when her dancing turned to gold. Sure enough, she led herself into following the music, throwing a variety of flavors into each simplified step so Zoey could follow. It was fun and carefree, allowing Grace to smile with amusement as she enjoyed herself. Nothing sexual projected, except when Grace slowly rolled her hips before speeding them to the rhythm of the song because Zoey loved it. Her dance was precise and clean, not a flaw in her physique nor her beauty. And, she called deep to Howie's heart with her dance steps and further more to his manhood as his body heated.
"Holy... she would be perfect on the tour..." Howie trailed off as the girls clapped their hands and sang with the song. "She's amazing."
"Gracie's pretty, huh?" JJ announced from her spot beside Howie on the couch. She grinned with appreciation as Grace did the seductive roll of her hips again to get Zoey to laugh.
"Gracie's very pretty. Do you think she would like to dance with me and the boys on tour, JJ?"
"Gracie loves to dance all the time!"
"Then she's perfect for the troupe," Howie chuckled, kissing JJ's cheek.
"Do you love Gracie?" JJ questioned as the song was played again for Zoey to learn the steps.
"Yes... yes, I do love her. But we can't tell her yet, okay? It's hard for Gracie to believe that I could love her," Howie whispered into her ear.
"Why?"
"Lots of men hurt her before, so she's scared to love."
"Poor--"
"Gracie, you're insane!" Zoey interrupted with a shriek of laughter, pushing Grace away.
"C'mon! All I'm saying is that if you blow all the moves... All you have to do to make sure you win is, walk up to the Captain of the Football team, shake your hips, and slip your digits!" Grace continued to tease, demonstrating as she stepped up toward Zoey and swayed her hips from side to side against her until Zoey started laughing hysterically again. "Then you'll get a cute boyfriend, too!"
"You're still insane!" Zoey fell onto the soft carpet, still laughing as Grace continued to dance.
"Why? Do you think he's a butt man? Because you can so just back your butt right up into him," Grace continued, demonstrating above Zoey until the girl yanked down her jeans. Grace glanced down in surprise as the girls burst into fits of giggles. "But if he does that you're definitely going to have to tell Papi..."
"Fairies!" Emily giggled, pointing at Grace's printed underwear.
"Are they pretty faeries?" Grace laughed as she reached to pluck Emily from Howie's grasp despite her fallen jeans, blowing a raspberry on the little girl's stomach.
"Pretty like Wacie! Want them!" Emily giggled hysterically.
"You are not getting my underwear, little one!" Grace laughed softly, blowing another raspberry as Zoey lifted the jeans to offer them toward Grace. She accepted them as Zoey traded items, taking the girls to find a DVD to settle them down. Grace blushed furiously as she reached to step into them, noticing Howie watch her. "Just what you wanted to see, huh?"
"I don't mind seeing them," Howie chuckled, loving how cute she looked blushing.
"I don't know whether or not to question why..." Grace answered, only seeming to add a darker blush to her cheeks.
"Because you look adorable."
"Not many men would say a woman looked adorable when she was flashing them her underwear," Grace groaned, buttoning the fly of her jeans before seating herself on the couch.
"Do many women still wear fairy underwear?" Howie retorted.
"Can many women still fit their spectacular asses into fairy underwear?" Grace quipped back.
"Mmm... no, definitely not--"
"Were you two going to kiss?" JJ suddenly intervened as the cluster of girls scrambled back in bedtime clothing with a DVD that Zoey was preparing.
"Did you want us to kiss, JJ?" Grace questioned with another blush, pulling herself away from Howie, unable to remember how she had gotten so close.
"Don't people who like each other kiss?"
"I suppose so..." Grace agreed.
"You and Howie like each other."
"As friends--"
"Nuh-uh! You like him more."
"And how are you so sure?"
"Because I'm smart!"
"Combined with a word that Daddy doesn't let me say," Zoey muttered.
" 'Iss, Racie," Laura agreed, ignoring her older sister as she climbed onto the couch.
"You girls drive me crazy," Grace groaned in embarrassment.
"But you do like Howie a lot," JJ protested.
"Maybe I didn't want him to know that, how 'bout it?" Grace softly murmured, though Howie could hear every word.
"Maybe I want to know," Howie whispered into Grace's ear.
"Stranger..." Grace trailed, trying to avoid contact as her body tensed and she blushed dramatically.
"I like you too, you know. A lot... More than you know," Howie cupped her chin and made her look into his eyes.
"I didn't know," she answered softly, biting down on her bottom lip. She always seemed to get lost within the beautiful darkness of his eyes. And she never seemed to want to be found, either.
"I think I love you," he leaned in and pressed their lips together for a soft kiss.
"They're like Barbie and Ken!" JJ giggled as the girls clapped their hands in delight.
"I have never seen anyone sink a basket against 'Rok... Much less a hot ass chick..." AJ murmured in surprised honesty as he watched Grace and Brian entertaining themselves with a playful game of basketball. Usually Brian was quite competitive with the game, but Grace's impish playfulness had caused him to joke around with heavy laughter. He had invited the entire group over for a weekend party of sorts and everyone but Kevin had shown. Not that it had surprised AJ. Kevin had been furious with the entire group for months now, not that he truly cared. In fact, for once, AJ really didn't care about the hassles of life. He was completely content as he lounged by Brian's pool, Kitra's skimpy bikini clad body tucked neatly against his side in a lounge chair with Howie sitting off to his side, watching Grace like a hawk. Nick was lurking around somewhere waiting for the pizza, though AJ assumed he was hunting Grace more so than he was hunting food... For once...
"Ahem, that's my best friend you're talking about," Kitra laughed, poking AJ in the ribs. She shouted a cheer towards Grace, who grinned and continued to play. "She played basketball in high school."
"She's still a chick," AJ explained with a saucy smile, leaning over her sultry body to plant a long kiss against her lips. His hands traced down the curvature of her body, feeling his own flame with excitement. Her black bikini barely left anything to his imagination and AJ was just aching to take her into Brian's guest room, but he figured they should spend a little bit more time with the group before that.
"You're lucky I like you," Kitra rolled her eyes, playing with the soft spikes of AJ's hair. "But yeah, she doesn't seem like the sporty girl sometimes... but she really is--"
"I GOT IT!" Grace suddenly hollered, causing the couple's attention to follow that of Howie's attention. Sure enough, Grace was racing after the ball after she had managed to slam it from Brian's hands. It was nearing the out of bound territory quickly, which was next to the in ground pool. Brian was terrorizing Grace that she would miss and out of no where, she recovered the ball, and heaved it toward the net. Sure enough, as the ball propelled directly into the net, Grace fell backward into the deep end of the pool. Only, she surfaced just as quickly, sputtering as she wiped the wet curls from her eyes. She glanced to Brian with anticipation. "DID I MAKE IT?!"
"You lucky little... yeah, you made it," Brian groaned playfully as the three audience members clapped and hooted for Grace.
"God that was fantastic!" Grace breathed with triumph as she dunked herself beneath the water to brush her soaked curls away from her face. "I think I broke my ass on the water, but God that was awesome!"
"Go, Racie! Go, Racie! You can now say you have beaten Brian "B-Rok" Littrell in basketball!" Kitra grinned as Grace pulled herself out of the pool.
"By the grace of God!" Brian defended himself. "'Cause the sun was in my eyes!"
"You are so full of--" Grace's thoughts trailed as a hand was offered toward her. She fell back into the water in surprise, surfacing to see Nick standing above her. She sighed as she reached to grasp his hand, allowing him to help her out of the water. "Thanks, Nick."
"Anytime..."
"Uh-oh, here comes the trouble," Kitra whispered into AJ's ear as they watched Howie's eyes narrow.
"Howie, you could have helped her out of the water just the same," AJ was quick to comment as he watched Nick's arms circle around Grace's waist to steady her. She looked quite tense in his arms as he bent to whisper something in her ear, causing her to force some kind of smile.
“Shut up, J."
"But--"
"You just like stirring a rise out of Howie. Be nice," Kitra chided, raising her eyebrows as Howie stood up and walked over to Nick who was now attempting to fondle Grace. "Oh, no..."
"Nick, honestly, I can undress myself," Grace sighed with obvious aggravation as the overbearing man lifted her sopping wet tank top away from her sleek body. He grinned with delight to reveal her purple handkerchief print halter band bikini top that tied along her neck and back. It scooped low to reveal an ample amount of cleavage and much of her body, including the faded scar along the right side of her ribcage. That's why she had just wanted to wear her top for the majority of the time, especially since Howie's startling confession with George's girls. But, everything seemed to be falling apart as Nick's hands slipped secretively inside her soaked shorts to lower them, groping delicate regions that he had been so inclined to view at Devil's. And, she was somewhat powerless to stop him, not wanting to make waves with Howie's friends again.
"Mmm... I don't care--"
"Did you not hear what she said, dickhead? You don't need to help her undress and stop fucking fondling her," Howie growled, pulling Nick away from Grace and pushing him into the pool.
Grace's peaches and cream complexion grew a dusky pale as she turned toward Howie, stumbling back when he yanked Nick's grip away. She half expected his flattened hand to reach out and strike her just the same. "Howie--"
"I know you don't want to make anyone angry, but if you don't like Nick touching you, tell him to stop. If he doesn't, I give you full permission to punch him," Howie interrupted, cupping her cheeks and brushing his lips against hers.
"Don't..." she whispered in surprise, blinking heavily to avoid the heavy batch of tears threatening to spill as Howie's lips pressed lightly to her own. She had never had a man defend her with such veracity and he scared her tremendously. Especially when she considered her sleepless night after Howie had murmured that he thought he loved her. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore, especially as he held her trembling body close to his own, completely immune to the wild curses erupting from Nick alongside the pool. "He was used to do it at the club... You can't expect him to just..."
"I can and I am. You're not at the club and he can't touch you like that if you don't want it," Howie placed his forehead against hers, reaching up to wipe away a tear that fell. "Why are you crying, Baby?"
"I'm not," she lied, biting down hard on her bottom lip. She felt so uncomfortable in this situation, knowing that everyone was probably watching. She couldn't even begin to imagine the thoughts running through the guys' minds as they watched their golden hearted friend act romantically with a dead-beat stripper. Not to mention what was racing through Kitra's mind as she watched Grace crumble in the hands of a man, which she swore she'd never let happen. "It's just the water droplets from my hair, I guess."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I don't cry--"
"Howie! You fucking asshole, I had my clothes on!" Nick interrupted, finally getting out of the pool.
"And so did Grace until you fucking decided it was your God-given right to rip them off her like a fucking pervert--"
"Nick! Over here! Now!" Kevin's voice suddenly barked out of no where, causing Kitra and AJ's jaws to drop in morbid shock. It seemed the eldest man had seen everything though he was no where in sight, grasping at Nick's neck to yank him out of view before he could descend down on Howie and Grace like a plague.
"Holy shit..." Grace whispered, untangling herself from Howie's embrace. "I better go get my clothes hung up or something..."
"I'll go with you. I don't trust those two," Howie replied, following Grace into the house.
"So much for a great get together to celebrate the upcoming tour," Brian sighed as he jogged over to the lounge area where AJ and Kitra lay as still as possible. He motioned to get their attention, but Grace and Howie appeared as quickly as they had left. Brian smiled toward Grace as he offered her a seat on his lounge chair. "I'm sorry about Nick, Gracie."
"It's okay," she promised, shrugging her bare shoulders as if she were unfazed. "You're just lucky that our game got called off on a count of bloodshed."
"Yeah... sorry about that, too. It's been a long time since Kevin has yelled like that," Brian apologized for his cousin's behavior as Grace sat next to him. “And who says you would have won?"
"Did you not see that amazing-nothing-but-net-end-of-the-match hoop that I did from the sidelines before plunging into your pool?" Grace exclaimed with a sweet smile, nudging Brian's shoulder. She was somewhat thankful to get away from Howie's close proximity, his vibes highly confusing her. So, instead, she focused on Brian.
"That was pure luck!"
"That was pure talent!"
"Luck!"
"Talent!"
"Luck!"
"Talent!"
"Luck--"
"Do they remind you of twins or what?" AJ groaned, tossing the freshly cut lemon from his drink at the bickering blondes.
"Yes and it's scary," Kitra agreed burying her face into his bare chest.
"They probably even make more sense together than her and D," AJ chuckled as he rubbed Kitra's bare back, grinning apologetically as Howie frowned. "It's not my fault she's pulling away from you, man."
"It's not anyone's fault. Racie pulls away when she's confused about something and you're definitely something she's confused about."
"Why is she confused?" Howie sighed heavily, glancing toward Brian and Grace who seemed so cozy together in public. It burned his soul that Grace only became comfortable with him in the darkest of privacy. And, even then, lately, she had become jumpy. She was hiding something from him and it hurt.
"No one has ever had true feelings for her before. It's scary and she doesn't know how to handle it all with her feeling for you, too. I don't know how many times she told me that love doesn't exist..."
Howie wanted to continue to seek answers from Kitra, who looked eager to tell him the secrets Grace kept locked away. But, Kevin's reappearance and his request to speak to both Howie and Grace caused a deadlock. Immediately, AJ rolled over top of Kitra and brushed his lips roughly against hers. "Let's go inside and play, Kit."
"Okay," Kitra quickly agreed. She felt bad about leaving Howie and Grace within the wrath of Kevin, but he scared her too much to say anything else.
Grace frowned as Brian excused himself from the patio, hurrying to catch Nick before he scorched out of the driveway. She could only remember the disgusted contempt Kevin held for her in the beginning. She couldn't even imagine what he was going to say now. But she truly didn't care; tired of having to defend herself for something she wasn't even sure existed. "I'm sorry about Nick, it's my fault he got thrown into the pool--"
"It was his own fault because he shouldn't have been touching you like that if it was something you didn't want. I gave him a good whack upside the head and lecture for that. He won't be doing that again," Kevin interrupted softly.
Grace's emerald eyes naturally narrowed in confusion as her nose wrinkled with an adorable distaste. "Excuse me?"
"Nick won't bother you anymore."
"Why?"
"Because you're a young woman who deserves to be treated with respect... From every single one of us in this group... Your fireball of words gave me a lot to think about the other night... And, I'm sorry that I stereotyped you before giving you a chance. That was extremely poor judgment on my part and my mother would absolutely burn me alive if she knew I treated a southern lady with that much hostility. If anything, I really do welcome your relationship with Howie and I hope you can forgive me..."
"I don't have any kind of relationship with Howie--"
"You don't?" Howie interrupted.
Grace glanced toward Howie as her cheeks tinged pink with discomfort. "We're friends--"
"Friends who kiss each other?"
"I guess--"
"No. I want to be more than that."
"Stranger, please don't--"
"Grace, I like you. A lot. I know you like me, at least, or else you wouldn't let me kiss you. Can't I just have a chance to prove how happy I can make you?"
"He's one of the best guys you're ever going to find, Grace," Kevin volunteered, deciding he should help his good friend in obtaining some kind of happiness.
"I really don't want to talk about this in front of--"
"I'll leave as long as I know I have your forgiveness?"
"Sure, but--"
"Howie will make you very happy. Give him a chance," Kevin interrupted before walking into the house.
"Who the Hell attached a blood sucking leech to his brain that changed his personality?" Grace attempted to joke as she was left alone with Howie, but the seriousness in his dark eyes caused her to somber greatly.
"I want us to be together, Grace..."
Grace apprehensively wetted her bottom lip, confused at what Howie was asking. They had been together constantly as the weeks passed. He was free to do what he wanted with her, probably more than what he wanted if he'd just ask. The powerful emotions rushing over Grace were unimaginable, especially in her perspective, since she couldn't identify a single one. "Howie... What more could you want? I'm temporarily living at your house... I slept in your bed for the past two nights... Whenever we're alone at night, I let you hold me... You kiss me whenever you want... I mean, we are together..."
"I don't want you as a friend where we can cuddle and kiss and everything. I want you to be my girlfriend. I want to take you out on dates with dinner and dancing... walking along the beach at night... telling you how much you mean to me randomly and seeing you smile--"
"You do that, too--"
"I want you to be my girlfriend. Not just my friend who's a girl."
Grace laughed nervously. "I've never dated in my life..."
"Then I would love to be your first."
"Howie--"
"Grace, please give me a chance."
"I..." Grace folded her arms gingerly across her chest, not knowing exactly what to say. She had never believed in dating or love, much less the idea that a man could honestly been interested in anything but her body. And, Howie scared her more so than anything. She was afraid because she felt so much for him. "...I really don't know, Stranger..."
"If I can prove to you that I'm sincere about all this... you won't regret it, I promise."
"Can I think about it?"
"If you really think about it... yes."
"I'll really think about it," she promised, drawing a cross over her heart.
"Then that's all I can ask," he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."
"Kitra! Hey! Get the Hell off me!" Grace squawked in surprise as she was tackled by her friend in the hallway. Before she could make heads or tails of the situation, Grace was pitched inside Kitra's bedroom and tackled onto the bed. There was a flurry of clothing and Grace was stripped of everything before getting tickled. She shrieked with laughter as she scrambled away from Kitra's hands, staring down at her string bikini briefs and elegant bra, watching Kitra pitch her favorite jeans and tank top into the hallway. There was a brief air of annoyance, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. She had just dressed for their night out, but obviously not to Kitra's liking. "What the Hell is wrong with you?! I was comfortable!"
"We're going out tonight!" Kitra fired back with a laugh, rolling her eyes.
"I was ready!"
"We're going to a ritzy restaurant and you were going to wear that... that... abomination? Haven't I taught you anything?!"
"You've taught me how to tackle someone and get strip them of every item of clothing in ten seconds flat!" Grace attempted to growl.
"It'll be useful for Howie--"
"Kit!"
"You're not wearing jeans and a tank top to L'Rouge, that's final."
"I don't have anything else!" Grace attempted to dissuade until Kitra pushed her out into the hallway. She yelped in shock when she realized she was in her underwear as she attempted to turn and dive back into Kitra's room, but the older girl was standing in front of her closed door. She immediately arched her brows with amusement and Grace wrinkled her nose with distaste. "I don't care that I'm standing out here in my underwear, Kit. I'm wearing what I want to wear, I'm not a toddler!"
"You won't be allowed into the restaurant wearing that outfit. I know Howie bought you some nice clothes and that's what you're going to wear," Kitra pushed Grace down the hall towards her own room.
"I'm like his damn Barbie doll," Grace scoffed as she stumbled into her bedroom, immediately flopping down onto her bed. She grabbed the large pillow and hugged it to her chest, falling backward. She had honestly been in an emotional stir since Howie suggested they become an item. If anything, she knew she was probably setting herself up to fail with wearing her comfortable clothing. She didn't deserve him.
"Bullshit," Kitra sang as she walked into the large closet, shifting through Grace's new wardrobe. "You're just scared because Howie likes you and you're letting your mind take over your heart."
"Kitra, shut up."
"You know I'm speaking the truth."
"Howie doesn't--"
"Doesn't like you? Then why does he want to be your boyfriend? He's not like AJ; he doesn't want a friends’ with benefits relationship. He's in it for real."
"How the Hell did you know about that?"
"It's called the bay window by the pool."
"That's it, I'm really not going tonight--"
"Oh, Hell no. You are going."
"Like you would really mind taking two men out--"
"I can barely handle AJ. Besides, Howie would be really disappointed if you didn't go."
"Kitra..." Grace finally whined, crawling off her bed to shuffle toward the large walk-in closet. Just the mere thought of Howie being disappointed broke Grace's heart. She didn't want to hurt him any more than he had been hurt. Yet, she didn't want to hurt herself. She had survived all her life fighting against deceitful men, but Howie was so damn sincere. And maybe she did love him...
"I knew I would win sooner or later. Come on, it'll be fun tonight and you love dancing," Kitra smiled softly, looping an arm around Grace's shoulders and holding up two shirts. "Pick one."
"Where the Hell did you find those?" Grace immediately questioned, arching her light brows with natural wonder. Both tops were elegantly sexy, nothing that Grace ever would have picked out herself. And to know that Howie had bought them without her was slightly baffling.
"I was out with Howie for a little bit today and he had me pick them out for you--"
"Kitra!" Grace interrupted with a groan, elbowing her friend in the gut. "Was he with you when you picked these out?!"
"Oof! Yes!" Kitra wheezed softly.
"Why didn't he tell you to put these back?"
"Why would he?"
"Because these are extremely erotic for starters!"
"Extremely erotic? Where? I made sure they were innocent yet sexy!"
"Innocent yet sexy my ass!" Grace exclaimed as she plucked the first garment from her friend's hand. It was a rich purple satin halter baby doll top with a sheer fly away that exposed her toned abdomen and favorite belly button ring. But, she had to admit that she loved it. "You're trying to get me laid in this thing."
"I'm trying to make you feel good about yourself and your body. There is a difference--"
"A difference between trying to get me laid so I'll stop chewing your ass and trying to get me laid so I feel better about myself?" Grace disagreed with question, settling the beautiful fly-away, baby-doll, halter on the bed. She moved back into her closet then, selecting a pair of hip huggers that flared into a gentle boot-cut, adhering to her body to delicately accentuate her curves. She held them to her waist, glancing to Kitra.
"Those work because they're not denim," Kitra approved, pulling out a chain studded with delicate gems to go around Grace's slim waist.
"What did he talk about when you guys went out today?" Grace asked softly, seeming to calm down immensely as she concentrated on getting dressed. She took a deep breath as she stepped into her black pants, zipping them up as Kitra looped the chain around her. She then reached for the delicate top, easing it onto her body as Kitra tied it around the back of her elegant neck. She then stepped toward the mirror, fussing with her curls as she yanked them from a hair-clip, allowing them to fall in silky ringlets far past her shoulders.
"Lots of things..." Kitra trailed off, running her hands through Graces curls to perfect them.
"Which means what exactly, Kit?" Grace questioned, reaching to grasp her favorite lip gloss off her dresser.
"You won't believe me if I tell you--"
"You're usually dying to tell me all your juicy little secrets, Kit. Why are you stalling on this?"
"Because you won't believe me!"
"Kit."
"He was telling me about how much he likes you."
"Bull--"
"See?! I told you!"
Grace was about to fire back into a heated argument, but when she turned and caught her emerald eyes against Kitra's blue-gray eyes, she stopped. There was a look of pride deep within the irises of her best friend's eyes. A look of hope and pride that Grace had never seen before. She softened immediately as she released a sigh, allowing Kitra to fuss with her like she usually did before Grace performed at the Devil's Playground. "I promise I'll listen if you really want to tell me."
“There's a difference between listening and believing--"
"I'll try to believe, okay?"
"Do you really promise, Grace?"
"Yes."
"Alright... he was telling me about all the things he likes about you. He thinks you're beautiful inside and out, Racie. He doesn't care about your past or your job at Devil's because he knew you had to do it in order to survive. He cares about you. Racie, the man is in love with you."
Grace exhaled a shaky breath as she broke her gaze away from Kitra's teary blue-gray eyes. She knew that Kitra was happy for her, but Grace didn't know if she could be happy for herself. "It's just so complicated. I don't even know what I'm feeling anymore. And he scares me."
"How does he scare you? He's nothing but gentle--"
"Because he's so damn gentle and sweet... God, Kit, all these emotions are just... I don't even know what they are. My stomach knots when I'm around him and I'm constantly blushing. There's tingles shooting down my spine and when he smiles at me... He even asked me to sleep with him the other night, just cuddle next to him and sleep... I can't tell you how happy that made me feel..."
"That's what a true man is, Racie. That's what love feels like. Don't be scared of it," Kitra pulled the younger woman into her arms for a warm hug.
"So does that mean I'm supposed to tell him yes?"
"If you care for him like he cares for you... and you feel all those sensations... then you know what you're going to tell him."
"I can't get hurt again..."
"Howie won't hurt you. He would rather die than let that happen."
"I think you've been watching Lifetime too much..."
"I only watch it for Unsolved Mysteries. He loves you, Racie. Let him love you."
