Thanks to all of you who reviewed. Fair warning, the smut bunnies took over here. So, if you are too young to get what that means, go read something else!!
DISCLAIMER: Yeah, if they were mine, ah hell you all know what *I* would do!!
Timing in Life - Chapter 2
The click of the door behind Wayne might has well have been a cannon shot for how loud it sounded to Grace. She stood still looking at that closed door for a long time. She was stunned. She was hurt beyond measure. She was furious. Most of all, she was alone. Not even when she first moved out to California, knowing almost no one, had she felt this alone.
Finally, she sat down again on the sofa. Why? Why? Why? Why? The one word rang through her brain over and over. Wayne loved her. She knew this just as she knew the earth was round and her hair was red. These were undisputable certainties in her life. She had known even before he said anything that he cared for her. Sure, she stuttered like a moron when he finally said it. But that was only because she never expected him to say in the middle of a case like he did. When he said he was going to kiss her right afterwards, she was leaning toward him. She dragged him into that office the next day to kiss him. She knew it was coming. She was surprised that he went right for the "L" word right away. But, considering he had spent the months before that watching her the way he did, she knew.
She was human and woman enough to thoroughly enjoy that silent adoration. It was a real ego booster. He never pushed or acted inappropriately. Well, as long as you didn't count the drugged admission or hypnotized kiss. Ok, yeah, he almost scared the crap out of Dan, but it turned out he was right about that one anyway. His regard was silent, steady and warm. At first, she wasn't sure what to think. But once she realized he was fundamentally too shy to do anything, it was kind of nice. As she got to know him, Grace learned what a good man he was at heart. He was loyal; brave, sweet, funny and oh yeah, an eleven.
Truthfully, that first kiss in the bullpen was beyond words. Had they been alone, she knew she would have never stopped. It was bad enough that she got lost in it. If Lisbon's comments hadn't cut through the haze in her brain, she would have thrown him on a desk and gotten right to it.
So, the puzzle remained. Why would he break up? Grace knew she had been getting more frustrated with the situation. She had only been just discussing that today with….Oh CRAP! He must have heard her talking to Karen. What did she say? Karen and she had been best friend since the first day of kindergarten. She was the sister Grace always wanted. Grace could and did say anything to her. Karen had married Roger Dalton, a wonderful guy from town and they had two precious boys. She was Grace's biggest cheerleader and best mirror. What did she say to her today?
"Karen, you're not in the middle of putting the boys to bed are you? I need to ask you something. What the hell did I say to you today? I am pretty sure Wayne over heard it. He just broke up with me" As the words actually left her mouth, they ended on a sob.
As she and Karen went through their conversation and then Wayne's behavior, it became apparent what he was doing. Karen thought it was romantic and wonderful. Grace wasn't sure she wasn't being manipulated somehow.
"Grace! The man said he will love you forever. He is willing to give you the time you were just complaining to me about needing. My God! Do you understand that is real love? Real love wants what is best for the other person. I would walk across burning glass for Roger. I would cut off my arm if it would help him in anyway. It wouldn't be a sacrifice. Do you understand what this is, Grace? This is way past hearts and flowers romance crap. This is the real deal. The dishwasher exploded, kids are sick, the car needs a muffler, you're wearing sweats with sticky handprints on them and he still thinks the world revolves around you love. I have wished and prayed that you find what I have for years."
"Yeah, so have I. I just thought I would be further ahead in my career than this. I wanted this to happen to me when I was more established. And oh Karen, we work together. You don't understand how they work. It's all about the regulations. We enforce the law. How do we ignore their rules? Do I throw this all over for a guy like my…"
"If you quote your dad again, I will scream! Look, I know everyone loves 'the coach' and all, but really, Grace your dad is horse's ass. You have spent your entire life trying to prove how tough and strong you are. Be real. We both know unless you grow some outward genitalia, he will never see your worth. I am so sorry to say that to you, but you know I am right!"
Grace winced at her friend's bluntness. It wasn't that just that she was so direct; it was that she was right. Her dad had always mourned not having a boy. She knew that. She knew that they guys on the team were always better just because they were boys.
"Grace Van Pelt! For crying out loud! You are almost 27 years old. Stop trying to make your father see you. He never really did. I am thinking this Wayne sees and loves you as you are. I have to get the kids to bed. But think about that. Whose vision of you do you want to live with? If you love this man, make it work. Love you lots, sweetie, call me tomorrow?"
"Yeah, thanks, Karen, I will."
Grace cleaned the kitchen up, smiling as she cleaned Wayne's plate. He had scraped it clean anyway. She finally had him eating more healthy food. Since he discovered that it wasn't all "twigs and berries", he would put away amazing amounts of it. He really liked the vegetarian stir-fry with brown rice she made tonight. Maybe next time, she would add…she stopped suddenly. Next time. He wasn't coming back for dinner again. She sank down onto a kitchen chair sobbing. The pain in her chest was a heavy weight that kept her from even drawing full breaths. They had only been dating a few months and the idea of not being with him was a ragged tear inside her. She pillowed her head into her arms on the table as her body wracked with crying. He was gone.
Finally, as she dragged her exhausted body into bed early, she decided to sleep on all this. Maybe her head could give her heart the answer it wanted. Pulling the covers back, she spotted something white peaking out from the bed skirt. It was one of his white work t-shirts. He wore them every day under his clothes. He said it absorbed the sweat and made the dress shirt lie better. Burying her face into the cotton, she breathed in his scent, hoping it would alleviate the pain. Grace put it on her pillow, remembering how the soft white material would stretch over his broad shoulders and chest. She remembered almost shredding one that first night. It had been after the glass of expensive wine and even more delicious hidden kisses.
"Wait 5 minutes and meet me at my car" She couldn't resist one last taste of him before she left him in that office. She played interested in what Jane and the others said, but her brain and body were buzzing with electricity. She knew she had crossed a serious line with her actions. They tried not to look at each other; sure everyone would see it on their faces.
Finally, she left and sat in her car, grateful for once to have a spot in the far corner of the lot. As his headlights came into view, she knew even then that she was planning to take this way past kissing. She stuck her head out her car window and told him "Follow me home?"
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she attempted to open her apartment door. His breath was warm in her ear as he murmured, "Hurry up Grace. I think your neighbors would be horrified at what I want to do you if we are stuck in the hallway too much longer"
She never really knew how she managed to make her hands work after that. His large body pressed against her was seriously impeding her motor skills. She could feel him hard and heavy against her backside. When they got inside, he pressed the door closed with his body and leaned against it, watching her flutter around the apartment nervously. She turned to ask him if he wanted anything when he smiled at her. It wasn't his normal sweet happy smile. It was dangerous, almost predatory. His eyes had darkened from that sky blue to a deep twilight. He hadn't touched her since they got inside, and her bones were already jell-o. She stilled, held by the intensity of his gaze. She wasn't sure she even remembered how to breathe.
He finally closed the distance between them, his large body moving with a sinewy grace. For a man who had been too nervous to say anything to her, he suddenly seemed calm and in command. It was a different Wayne, and was sexy as hell.
Catching her head in his big hand, he angled her face ever so slightly and bent toward her with a deliberate intenseness. He was completely in control now. She melted against him, knowing instinctively that he would catch her and hold her. He did more than that. He surrounded her with his warmth and strength. By the time he got her to her bedroom, she was frantic. Between those deep, slow seductive kisses and his hands stroking each inch of flesh as he uncovered it, she was almost naked and whimpering.
She finally recovered enough breath and sanity to start undressing him. She tried not to tear open his shirt, but when he started stroking her thighs higher and higher, she forgot how to complete a simple task. It seemed so much smarter just to tear it off him. When she began to pull at his t-shirt, he stopped her and laughed softly. "Relax sweetheart. I am not going anywhere. But leave me something to wear" He reached down and pulling the hem of the soft white cotton over his head, she again got to see all that rippling hard flesh. She had been dreaming privately about that ever since that day at the school for the troubled kids. The sight of him in nothing but black boxer briefs had almost rendered her speechless. Dressed, he was handsome and well built. Half clothed, he was a warrior come to life. She couldn't resist running her hands all over his chest, arms and stomach. He wasn't terribly hairy, except for a slight line that led south… It was the kind of body men dreamed of having and women dreamed of undressing.
He pulled her back into his arms and they both let out moans at the feeling of their naked flesh against each other. But he was still too dressed. She didn't even remember pulling his pants off, but did remember her first sight of what those black briefs covered. Everything on him was larger! She couldn't resist touching that hot flesh. Just the lightest of her touches made him even harder and larger if that were even possible.
Growling, he pushed her down onto the bed and began a series of slow nibbling kisses that began at her feet. By the time he got up to her pink lace covered core, she was writhing and whimpering. She knew she was soaking and he paused there. Blowing his hot breath on her sent her hips up toward him. He smirked and held her hips still in his large hands. With just a slow, strong lick against the pink lace, she shattered. Slowly he continued to stroke her through damp cloth with his tongue. She remembered begging him to….well she wasn't even sure what she begged at that point. It was all caught up in frenzy of pleasure. She did remember when he finally slid all the way up her body so he could kiss her neck and mouth. He held her head in his hands and leaned his weight on his forearms.
"Grace. Look at me. I want to see your eyes"
Lifting her eyes to his she saw it all. The passion, the pleasure, the love. It was frightening, liberating and intoxicating. Opening her hips to him, she felt his large cock nudge her dripping folds. Sliding her hand down, she opened herself and lifting her hips, met him. Slowly and carefully, he rocked a little at a time into her giving her time to adjust to his size… In between, he kissed and whispered his love to her. By the time he was all the way home into her, she swore she could feel him in her throat. She had never been with anyone this well endowed. Every inch of her body softened and welcomed him. It took him only a few slow steady strokes and she was scaling the heights again. Each of the 2 other times after that, he slowed and showered her face and neck with kisses. She was a boneless mass of pleasure. She had no idea that it could be like this. Quiet, sweet Wayne Rigsby was a sex machine. Who would have guessed? She could feel the swelling and tightening in her body. Again? This time, she whispered, "with me, Wayne, I want to you to come with me" Groaning out he name, he did just that, emptying himself into her heat.
Afterwards, he pulled her over on top of him, and held her tight against his heaving chest. Stroking his hand up and down her back in lazy circles, she could hear him say it again. "I love you, Grace"
By the end of that weekend, she had learned so much about Wayne. He loved with an open honesty that was a revelation to Grace. Before this, men had said they loved her, but she always felt they were holding back. Therefore, so did she. Wayne gave of his heart the same way he gave of his body, completely. And boy did he give of his body. She was lucky she could walk by Monday. Thank God for her yoga training!
But Monday and reality came. Every time Lisbon looked at her, she was sure they were about to be found out. It was hard enough to be the rookie in the unit. She always felt like she had to work harder to prove herself. She was terrified that if or when Lisbon discovered their relationship her hard work would be undone. So, she lived a double life. At work, she was serious, quiet, and eager to learn. After work, she was adored, romanced and having the time of her life. Living one of those lives was exhausting. Trying to live both and keep them apart was killing her. Grace was not that complicated a personality. Between the strain and the lack of sleep from her sexual Olympics with Wayne, she was stretched to the breaking point.
The next morning, Grace woke up still so tired. She had been up half the night running over each night with Wayne in her head. Then she would replay trying to work afterwards. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't she have both? Why did men get to have a career and a love life? She put on extra concealer and headed to work, determined to maintain a professional air. She would come back home and cry.
Next up…..working through it. What do we think?