Eli stared at Grace, sitting across from him, at the dinner table.

She has such smooth skin, he thought, and he wondered what it would feel like underneath his fingers.

Grace stabbed at her potato, but didn't eat it.

Stupid Eli, as if I'd be into him- he's my STEP BROTHER!

It would be completely tragic, and totally bold and the beautiful, if I was crushing on my stepbrother; Grace thought, stabbing at the potato's spongy, white flesh.

"Grace, stop picking at you're food," Lily said, spooning some asparagus into her mouth.

Grace was pulled back to reality, and as she lifted her head to look at her mother, she caught Eli snap his head back down, staring at his food. Was he just looking at her?

"So anyway, I told him 'that can be done'-" Rick was in the middle of a story, but neither Grace nor Eli had heard a single thing he'd been saying, until their thoughts were interrupted "-that can be done, if you're willing to buy a horse!" Rick finished, and he and Lily were in an uproar of laughter. Though to Grace and Eli found no amusement in the strange ending to the story.

Grace looked up from her plate, glancing over at Eli, who was picking at his salad.

"Eli, I head you playing you're guitar tonight" Rick said, bringing a glass of wine to his mouth "very good" he added, taking a sip.

Eli half smiled, not wanting to show his full excitement; and as he grinned back at his father, Grace felt her heart flutter; that smile was so seductively sexy, she thought to herself.

"May I please be excused?" Grace asked, looking at her mother.

"You hardly ate anything!" Lily exclaimed.

"Well, I'm not that hungry" Grace replied sternly, not wanting to be forced fed.

Lily sighed, and rubbed her brow "yes, fine-" she said "but remember, there are starving kids in Africa!" she added, as Grace rose from her seat.

"I'll save them!" Rick said, leaning over and picking at Grace's remains.

"You know, I think I'm done too," Eli said, picking up his plate and rising from his own seat.

Lily sighed again, and looked down the table at Rick "our kids don't eat!" she said, and Rick only replied with a nod as he picked at Eli's food aswell.

Eli held his plate out for his dad, and watched as Grace walked into the kitchen "done?" Eli asked his father "yeah, you can go wash up with Grace" Rick replied, making more room on his plate.

Eli followed Grace, and found her with his back to him, rinsing her plate in the sink.

Eli thought they were out of earshot from everyone else, and was glad when he heard his father begin a new story, keeping them entertained.

Eli sided up next to Grace, watching as her soft hands swerved the plate around underneath the water, she was deliberately concentrating on that, to avoid any contact with him.

Once her plate was relatively clean, she put it down and put her hand out to Eli, offering to wash his plate aswell.

"No, I can do it" Eli replied, and moved to where Grace was standing when she turned around to put the plate into the dishwasher.

The only noise now was the gushing water from the tap; Eli glanced over his shoulder and saw Grace wiping the table down.

"Didn't you have homework?" Eli asked, turning around to put the plate away.

Grace gave a frustrated sigh, and put the tea towel down "I'm sorry, I'll get out of you're way seeming as you don't want to see me" Grace said coldly, walking towards the door.

"No, Grace" Eli said, reaching out and grabbing her hand. He was surprised, he knew her hands would be soft, but as he held it within his own; it felt like silk.

Grace looked down at his hand enclosed around hers, and he let go "I asked because I wanted to steal some of you're time" he said, stuffing his hands awkwardly into his pockets.

Grace sighed, "Ok, I suppose my homework can wait" she said, acting uninterested in whatever he wanted with her.

Eli smiled at her carefree slightly annoyed answer "of course, I mean, I wouldn't want to tear you away from you're homework- we can do this another time" Eli said, turning to walk out of the kitchen.

"No- lets do it now!" Grace said, walking after him, not wanting to let the opportunity of being with him slip.

And Eli smiled as Grace ran after him, now suddenly so interested in what he wanted to do!

Jessie watched as Eli and Grace walked towards Eli's room, and looked over at Lily and Rick, who were in the middle of another boring work story, and didn't notice them.

Jessie sighed and took another sip from her water; was Eli smiling? What's happening with him and Grace, they totally avoided eye contact tonight! Jessie thought.


"So-" Grace said, wandering around Eli's room "what do you want to show me?" she asked, still trying to act uninterested.

Eli smiled; she was still keeping up the act, eh? He thought to himself.

"You have long fingers," Eli said, as he walked towards his bed.

Grace looked at him with a look of shock on her face "is this leading towards something dirty?" she asked seriously, and Eli simply laughed, pulling out his guitar from underneath his bed.

Grace still looked at him strangely "it helps, If you have long fingers, to play guitar" he explained "So? Do you want me to teach you a little?" he asked, putting the case down on his bed and opening it.

Grace smiled warmly "yeah" she said, walking towards him "I'd like that" she said.

Eli patted the bed, and she sat down at the edge, while Eli strummed the guitar, checking that it was in tune.

"Ok" Eli said, placing his guitar in Grace's arms, so that it rested neatly on her lap, and underneath her right arm.

Grace smiled as she adjusted the guitar to nestle in her arms "I won't be any good" she said, as Eli tuned it again.

Eli smiled "you'll be great" he whispered.

"Well, I guess I'll have a good teacher" Grace said, turning her head towards his.

He looked into her chocolate brown eyes, and smiled "Ok- here is a guitar pick" he said, handing it to Grace, and breaking their 'moment'.

Grace focussed back on the guitar in her arms.

"Ok, playing a G Major Chord- Take your second finger, and put it on the third fret of the sixth string. Next, take your first finger, and put it on the second fret of the fifth string. Lastly, put your third finger on the third fret of the first string" Eli said, standing in front of Grace while he gave her the instructions.

Grace looked from the Eli to the guitar, and then back up at Eli, a smile cracking onto her face "I cant do that-" she laughed, and Eli smiled, rubbing the back of his neck while he thought.

"Ok, why don't I do this" he said, stepping towards Grace and then sitting behind her.

He opened his arms and wrapped them around Grace, until his fingers found hers resting on the guitar strings.

Grace felt herself shudder as his chest rubbed against her back lightly, and then as his fingers met hers, his hands were big and cupped around her own easily.

She giggled and Eli broke into a smile "Is this ok for you?" he asked.

"Yes" Grace said, maybe a little too quickly and eagerly, because Eli laughed.

"Ok" Eli said softly, he grasped her fingers and played them against the right strings, getting them into position and then pulling them down so that they strummed the guitar.

Grace giggled as she felt the strings beneath her light fingers, and then as a sound came out.

"Now, try with out me" Eli said, removing his embrace.

Grace did as she was told, and this time strummed the guitar by herself.

"Nice" Eli said.

"That was a G Major?" Grace said, smiling.

Eli nodded "sure was, nicely done" he said.

Grace giggled, and played the note again, giggling.

"I can show you this aswell-" Eli said, leaning in to wrap his arms around her again.

He went to rest his head on her shoulder, so he could see what his fingers were doing.

Grace could feel him breathing on her neck, and she could feel his heart beat as his chest pressed gently against her back.

She leaned forward slightly, and turned her body to face his, and she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the mouth.

It was only a quick kiss, but as she leaned away Eli could taste the coke on her mouth, from what she'd been drinking at dinner.

Their faces were so close, and so still, Grace waiting for Eli to do something.

Move away, move in- scream at her, push her away? Anything.

But he just stared into her eyes.

'I see you' Eli thought to himself as he stared into her rich, dark eyes- 'I really see this girl' he thought to himself, and he felt his heart racing.

Grace lowered her head, looking down at her hands as they rested against the guitar where Eli had placed them; wanting to run away and cry, or stay and apologise- she didn't know what she wanted to do, so she looked down.

Eli put one of his fingers under her chin, bringing her head back up so he could look deeper into her eyes.

He wanted to say something; something charming and witty, but he couldn't find any words that would come out.

And besides, he had to catch his breath.

He stared into her eyes for a moment longer, making her feel uncomfortable, and then he leaned in and kissed her coca-cola lips again, longer this time.

Grace's heart and mind were pouring themselves into the kiss; her heart telling her that there was finally some order and peace in her universe, and her mind telling her that she was getting what she'd always wanted.

Eli slipped his tongue into her mouth, and began massaging it, tasting the sugary coke again.

Grace brought one of her hands to his face, brushing it against his cheek; and Eli was glad for her soft touch.

As they leaned in closer to one another, about to embrace each other in a hug, Grace strummed the G Major chord on the guitar, causing Eli to part from her lips.

"G Major" Grace said in a sultry whisper, and Eli smiled, wrapping his hand around the guitar's neck and lifting it out of Grace's hold, placing it gently on the floor.

As he turned back and looked into Grace's face, she leaned forward again, cupping his face in both her hands, and beginning their kiss again, now able to come closer together without the guitar between them.

Eli wrapped his arms around Grace's waist, resting them on her curvy hips, and Grace's hands slipped down and rested on the curve of his neck.

Eli parted again, needing to catch his breath, and Grace did the same.

He smiled at Grace while he panted, grinning as she did the same.

"Why didn't I see you before?" Eli asked, raising a hand to Grace's cheek, rubbing it gently; her soft skin, slightly flushed now, felt hot and supple underneath his strong fingers; just as he thought it would.

Grace closed her eyes, leaning her head slightly towards his hand as it brushed her skin, enjoying his strong touch.

"I was always here," she said softly, opening her eyes and smiling as he looked deeply into her face.

"Well, now I see what I was missing out on" he said quietly, and leaned in to kiss her again, he parted after the swift, but sweet third kiss.

"I don't want to let you go, now that I've found you-," he said huskily.

Grace smiled; her whole body was tingling, especially her heart "I'm not going anywhere" she replied.

"I wont let you," he said, smiling, and she sweetly beamed back at him.

And with that he lowered his hands onto her hips again, and leaned in for another long, passionate kiss.