AN: Super long, and there's a little bit of smutty-smut further down. If that's not your thing, then when it starts getting that way, just stop reading because it's basically the rest of the chapter from that point. Anyway, let me know what you think, and enjoy!

Five

The following week, it was a little after eleven o'clock when Dex showed arrived to take Ansel home. While he was in the back finishing up, Desi walked through the front door. Sometimes Grey marveled at the fact that, at any point of the day, the entire Parios family was under his roof. This time, however, Des wasn't alone. She was with a small group of people, one guy had an arm around her, but she excused herself and approached them. The people she was with went to grab a booth in the meantime.

"Well, aren't you lookin' fancy." Dex said sarcastically about the dress her sister was wearing. "Who's your friend?"

"Just some guy." She replied as she leaned against the bar beside Dex. She gave Grey a smile in acknowledgement which he returned.

"Just some guy? Seriously?" The mild sarcasm from before doubled, if not tripled, after Des's declaration.

The younger Parios eyed the elder. "Is that judgment, Dex? Really?"

"Yeah, fair enough." Dex nodded. "How long you known him?"

"Met him earlier today. He asked me to come hang out with him and his friends, so, why not?"

Dex looked at Grey with a knowing, sarcastic eye. He could practically hear her disapproval in his head. It wasn't disapproval in the fact that her sister had found some random guy to hang out with. Grey couldn't see Dex being overly judgmental about something she did often. The disapproval in his head was more along the lines of, that guy doesn't know what he'd gotten himself in to.

"You look pretty, Desi." Ansel said when he approached his sister from behind.

She turned to face him. "Thanks, man. You heading home?"

"Yeah," Ansel nodded. "I'm off work now. Are you coming home, too?"

"No, bud, not for a little while. I'm here with some friends."

Ansel glanced to the table she'd nonchalantly motioned to. "Are they nice?"

"I don't know yet. We'll have to wait and see."

"Well, regardless, you ready to head out, buddy?" Dex asked him. Ansel nodded. "And you," she looked at her sister, "behave, okay?"

Desi openly and sarcastically rolled her eyes before she gave Ansel a big hug and then rejoined the people she'd come in with. Dex stared over her shoulder at the table with a skeptical, stern sort of look.

"Hey, Grey," She met his gaze. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah, sure." He nodded.

"Can you keep an eye on Des for me?" She asked in a way that let him know she wasn't happy about the prospect.

He arched a brow. "You serious?"

"Yeah," She sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I know that it sounds like I'm some overprotective sister or something, but trust me, bad things tend to follow Des around."

"Runs in the family, hm?" Grey teased.

Dex glared slightly, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Just watch her for me."

Grey nodded. "Sure."

"Thanks," She seemed genuinely relieved. "Come on, bud. Let's go."

"Okay," Ansel replied. "Bye Grey."

"Bye, buddy."

He waved to them both and watched them leave. When they were gone, Grey's gaze drifted to the table where Des and her new "friends" sat. They looked like an average group of people in their late twenties, maybe early thirties. In fact, half of them looked like typical snobs. It was hard to describe, but Grey had the feelings that some of them, especially the one that seemed to cling to Des the most, were the stereotypical "popular kids" in school.

Grey couldn't see how the young woman could somehow turn the five people she was with into a pack of fighting animals, but that seemed to be exactly what Dex was warning him would happen.

Shaking his head to himself, Grey went back to work.

About an hour had passed before Des made her way to the bar with the clear intent to talk to him.

"Hey," He greeted when she was near.

"Hey,"

Des slid onto a stool, crossed her arms over the bar, and leaned onto them. While she kept her eyes locked with his, her lips curled back into a wide smile. In it, Grey couldn't help but feel like there was something she wanted, and judging by the smile, it wasn't going to be something he liked.

"What?" He asked skeptically.

"So, here's the thing,"

Here we go, he thought to himself.

"Those guys over there," She said, but didn't point in their direction. Grey glanced briefly, but kept his attention primarily on her. "We have a bet going and uh… it kind of involves you."

Grey's brows rose curiously. He placed his hands on the bar as casually as he could despite the odd feeling he had creeping up his spine.

"Oh, yeah?" He asked. She nodded. "What about me?"

"Well, they don't know I know you or… y'know, work here,"

He chuckled a little at that.

"So they bet me I couldn't flirt my way into a round of shots of something top shelf."

"That a fact?"

She nodded and reached forward. Des glided the tip of her finger down the length of his forearm. If he were on the outside looking in, he would see it as flirting, which was probably the point. As it was, it was strange. That was the first and only form of physical contact the two had ever shared, a fact that was made almost painfully obvious in that moment.

"Top shelf, huh? For free?"

"Candice, the blonde," she tilted her head marginally in the direction of the table. As he had before, Grey was sure to look discreetly. He spotted her easily. The blonde was very blonde. "Said that if it comes down to it, I should offer a kiss as payment."

Grey was shocked and knew he didn't catch it in time to hide it from the people watching. He couldn't help it. He hadn't expected that to be her response.

"A kiss?" He repeated the word as though it'd help him.

"Jesus, you don't have to act like it's that bad."

"No, it-" His words fell away. Grey's head dipped and he let out a nervous laugh before he met her gaze again. "Just took me by surprise, is all."

"Right," Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Cause that's the weirdest thing I've ever said to you before."

"Good point," He nodded. "So, six shots of top shelf, for what? What do you get out of it?"

"Fifty bucks a piece." She replied. "Two-fifty in total."

Grey was surprised by what they were willing to shell out if she won the bet. Not only would that be enough to pay for the shots themselves, but offering fifty bucks made it sound like they didn't think she was either attractive enough, or charming enough to manage. That was ridiculous to Grey. As far as he was concerned, both Parios women were more than capable of flirting free shots out of any bartender.

"I'll use my winnings to pay for them, obviously." She told him.

"Of course," He wasn't really sure what else to say.

A minute passed, and then two, and still Grey didn't offer an answer. It got to the point where he could tell Des was beginning to worry because she was probably afraid to lose face.

"Well?" She finally asked.

Her voice shocked him back into the moment. "Yeah, sure."

He was a little surprised with his answer, but he felt he knew her well enough to know that if she said she'd pay for them, she would. Besides, Grey had no problem helping her win a stupid bet. What were friends for?

Des smiled sweetly which caused him to do the same.

"Give me a sec."

Grey retrieved six shot glasses and then paused in front of liquor. He thought only briefly about what he would choose before simply grabbing a twenty-five-year-old whiskey. He proceeded to pour the shots and when he was done, he set the bottle aside.

"There you go." He told her with a smile.

"Thanks,"

As Des pushed the shot glasses together and threaded her fingers through them so she could lift the lot at once, a thought crossed Grey's mind. He didn't give himself enough time to dwell on it, or change his mind. The words just came out.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked. She glanced up at him in confusion. "Didn't the blonde say you should give me a kiss for those?"

For the first time since meeting her, Grey was finally able to surprise her. He'd cherish the shocked expression, even though it faded quickly enough. Soon, a slow, knowing smile spread across her lips.

"You sure about that?" She asked in a tone to match.

Grey, still smirking, shrugged nonchalantly. Her smile broadened.

"Okay," Des set the shot glasses back down and stepped onto the small metal bar that ran along the bottom of the counter. It gave her enough height for her to comfortably lean over. "Then come here."

The apprehension came quickly, as did second thoughts, but Grey knew he was beyond the point of no return. Besides, what better excuse to kiss someone than a bet?

Grey leaned forward, too. The distance between them slowly shrank until his eyes naturally drifted shut. Des's lips brushed his a split second before she kissed him. They were soft and full, and he felt an unexpected rush from the simple contact.

The kiss couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds, but when they drew back from one another, Des was sure to give him one more, tenderly taking his bottom lip between hers. A jolt of excitement trickled down his spine and radiated through him as they finally parted.

"Thanks," She said as she threaded her fingers through the glasses again.

Still in a bit of a daze, Grey replied, "Sure."

Des gave him a smile before she walked away. Grey watched her return to her group. All of them seemed fairly amused, some smiling, some laughing, but the guy she'd been spending the majority of her time with looked a little annoyed. He even cast Grey a glance that told the bartender he was not a fan.

Unsure of what else to do, Grey decided to just go back to work. Maybe the kiss was a bad idea? He didn't think he'd like it as much as he did.

Last call finally came and the majority of the patrons had already left. Most of Des's "friends" had left, too. All that remained, really, was Des and her guy. Grey didn't know the guy's name and he doubted he ever would, but for some reason, at least in his head, he'd been calling him Keith. He looked like a Keith.

Throughout the night, Keith-Whoever hung on Des. He kept his arm wrapped around her shoulder and if there were more than a few inches of space between them, he'd pull her back to his side. More than once, Grey saw how irritated she was, but she never said anything. It looked like she was putting up with it just long enough for him to leave. Grey had a feeling that once they parted for the night, Keith-Whoever would never hear from her again.

Something about the guy rubbed Grey the wrong way and as the pair headed for the door, he couldn't help himself. Maybe he was being petty, maybe he just felt like being a dick. Whatever the reason, Grey just wanted to poke the beast.

"Hey, Des," He called out when they reached the door. She turned to face him. "Don't forget you're working the lunch shift tomorrow."

Keith-Whoever stiffened while Des glared lightly at him.

"Angie," Keith-Whoever said, "You two know each other?"

Grey snorted, which drew the increasingly-angry guy's attention.

"She told you her name was Angie?" He asked without bothering to remove his grin.

There's a moment when a person's patience grows so thin that it snaps. Grey could see that moment and knew that he might have overstepped just a bit. Most people would've just been a bit angry, a bit annoyed at being lied to. Not this guy. Keith-Whoever went from "normal" to "psycho" real fucking quick.

"You scammed me." He growled at her. She remained silent as she arched a brow. "You fucking bitch."

"Whoa!" Grey's voice sliced through the growing tension. "Back off, dude." He glared over his shoulder at the bartender. "I think you should go."

"Fuck that!" He snapped. His attention sharpened on Des. To Grey's shock, he actually reached out and grabbed her by her arms. "Give me my goddamn money."

Grey's hand slid beneath the counter. He felt the cold steel of his baseball bat and quickly wrapped his fingers around it, all the while sure to keep his eye on Keith-Whoever.

"Get off of me!"

Des practically screamed as she shoved him away. He stumbled back a step, but took her with him. With bat in hand, Grey bounded around the bar and was at her side in an instant.

"Hey!" He shoved at Keith-Whoever which finally forced him to let Des go. Grey stood between the pair and made sure his bat was visible. "Get the hell out of my bar, now."

There was no hesitation, no pause, just a fist to the side of the head and the cold concrete to greet him a second later. The guy was quick, quick enough that Grey hadn't even seen him rear back to throw the punch in the first place, which cost him. If someone was expecting a punch, even if it's on a small level, the body preps for it. When it's not, the opposite happens. No matter how good a person was at taking a hit, not expecting it could send anyone reeling.

Grey's head throbbed. It felt as though it would explode. The punch had taken him off his feet and left him dazed.

Worse yet, it hadn't knocked him out. That would have been preferable, but apparently Keith-Whoever wasn't strong enough. As a result, Grey was stuck in that weird slightly-coherent, uncoordinated state. He knew what he wanted to do, but couldn't manage the task, nor could he actually focus on anything.

Through the fog, the haze Keith-Whoever had left him in, Grey heard Des shout. He heard a shuffle and when he looked up, he saw a flash of silver. There was a scream and that seemed to be enough to bring him back to reality. In an instant, Grey's eyes found focus, and what he saw was both terrifying and made him want to smile.

"Get out!" Des yelled as she brought the bat against Keith-Whoever's bicep for a second time.

Keith-Whoever cussed and cursed and said a thousand different things, but he was forced out of the bar by a five-foot-something young woman with a bat. The moment he was outside, Des slammed the door shut and locked it. Grey had, meanwhile, managed to roll himself onto his ass so he could sit. It didn't help steady his aching brain.

The moment her eyes fell to him, Des's rage disappeared. She rushed to him and knelt down at his side.

"Jesus," She muttered as she tenderly touched his face. Grey winced and she immediately stopped. "How's it feel?"

He hoped he was able to show her just how stupid that particular question was, but, in truth, Grey wasn't entirely certain he managed to do anything with his face at that moment.

"Come on,"

Des hooked her arms under his and hoisted Grey to his feet. The sudden shift in altitude forced the blood to flee his head. The world blinked out of existence for a second, which was more than enough for him to stumble.

"I need to sit down." He grumbled.

"I know," She replied as she threaded one of his arms around her neck. "That's what I'm trying to do."

He had no choice but to follow her lead. Thankfully, he was rewarded for the effort shortly after. A few steps later, Des let him fall into a booth not far from where he'd been hit.

"I'll be right back."

"Yup," He mumbled, but she was already gone.

Grey groaned. He leaned forward and let his forehead rest against the cool wooden table. It helped soothe his growing headache. It'd been a long time since Grey had been punched in the face, long enough that he'd forgotten how it felt. The pain of it was hard to describe because it didn't hurt, it ached. It was the sort of ache that he felt with each heartbeat and made him want to vomit.

"Sit back."

As before, he did what he was told. Grey heaved himself up, leaned back in the overstuffed seat, and closed his eyes to cope. He couldn't see any of what was happening around him, but heard something odd. Somehow, Grey had managed to pry open a single eye just in time to see Des climb onto the table. She sat across from him, planting a foot on either side of his thighs. His brows pulled together.

"What are you doing?"

Des met his eye with a stern expression. Without a word, she opened her left hand to reveal a frozen square of blue gel. While her gaze remained fixed to his, Des punched the packet and smooshed it repeatedly.

In a soft voice, she said, "Come here."

Grey obliged. He leaned forward just as she did and met her in the middle. Des reached forward with her free hand and tenderly held his bearded-jaw while the other lowered the gel pack over his bruising face. Out of reflex, Grey winced and sucked in a sharp breath. Des hesitated.

"It's fine," He said as reassuringly as he could muster.

With a nod, she pressed it to his face. The relief was immediate. He let out a sigh and relaxed into the soft, bitterly-cold gel.

For a minute or two, Des let him relish in the feeling of it. She let him enjoy it, at first.

"You shouldn't have taunted him." She said. Grey pried open his good eye to look up at her. "He didn't need to know I stole his money."

"He was an asshole."

The corner of her lips curled into a smile. "Yeah, you're not wrong."

Des's attention went back to the task at hand. She concentrated on keeping the ice pack on his face. Grey couldn't help but stare at her. In truth, there was little else he could do, so he chose that. She looked so determined, so focused, that it made him smile a little. The action didn't go unnoticed.

"Hm?" She asked.

"Nothing," He replied. Des didn't seem to believe him, and as far as lies went, it wasn't a very well-constructed one. It didn't matter. She clearly knew as much and arched a skeptical brow. "Seriously," he chuckled, "It's nothing."

"But?" She asked as she returned the gel pack to his eye.

"I was just thinking about the first time I got punched in the eye. I was like, twelve."

"Really?" Her face scrunched up when she spoke.

"You don't have to sound so shocked." He scoffed.

"No, it's just you do have a really punchable face. Figured it would've happened sooner."

"Thanks," He said flatly. Des smiled sweetly at him, a clear sign that she'd been teasing him.

"So, what happened?"

"Oh, uh," He thought back and grinned a little to himself again. "Charlie Jackson. He was my best friend at the time and uh, we got into a fight 'cuz I kissed the girl he liked."

"You dog."

"Yeah," he chuckled again. "Reared back and punched me right in the eye."

"Awe," Her voice dripped with slightly sarcastic sympathy. "Poor thing."

"Nah," He sighed. "I deserved it. Tore us apart, though." He was sure to add the appropriate sadness for a relationship that ended over twenty years prior. Des smiled and shook her head again. "Would've helped if he told me he liked her in the first place."

"Probably," She giggled a little. "What happened afterward?"

"Mom kissed the black eye and took me for ice cream." Grey shrugged a shoulder. "Not too bad, all things considered."

"Well, I don't think there's any ice cream, but I can get you a cold beer instead."

"What about the kiss?"

Her brows rose as she stared down at him. Grey wanted to backpedal almost immediately, but he didn't. The fact that she didn't instantly look offended or hit him in the busted eye intrigued him enough that Grey wanted to hear what her answer might be before he played it off as a joke.

"You kidding me?"

Grey didn't know how, but he was oddly aware that he had some leeway. Maybe it was the comment she made a while back about planning to sleep with him? Nah. It was probably the fact that they'd already kissed once that night.

"Why not?"

"I'm not going to kiss you."

"You did before." He said with a smirk.

"You serious?" She asked with an uncertain grin.

"Yeah," He shrugged a shoulder. "Why not? It's your fault."

Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped. "You're the one who started it."

"That's your opinion."

Des snorted a small laugh and shook her head at him.

"Oh, come on." Grey stuck out his bottom lip and mocked a pout. "It hurts."

"You're an idiot." The grin on her lips told him that, while true, she didn't mind his idiocy.

But, she seemed to think over his request regardless until finally coming to a solution. Des turned just enough to toss the gel pack onto the table. When she faced him once more, she motioned for him to lean forward. Grey obliged.

As before, Des cradled the side of his face and drew him closer. His eyes closed while she tenderly kissed his cheekbone. Grey felt another jolt, another shock of something unfamiliar rush through him because of the simple contact. The air between them had shifted, too, slowly becoming thicker with that same feeling that had seeped in when they'd kissed earlier in the night.

When she drew back, it wasn't by much, and he could tell she sensed the change, too. The bluish-grey of her eyes had darkened just a bit. Grey knew he had to seize the opportunity while it was still presented to him.

He inched closer. Des didn't move. Her lips parted on a breath and that was all the prompting he needed. Grey kissed her. The kiss lasted seconds at most, but that seemed to be all that was needed.

Eventually, she drew back just enough to break the contact, but kept close enough that her forehead brushed his. Grey felt her moving, felt her shifting, and was quickly aware of what she was doing. Fluidly, Des left the table completely, and slipped into his lap. Almost immediately after, she kissed him once again.

Grey wrapped his arms around her body and held her close while they attempted to devour one another. It was sudden and enveloping. It threatened to consume him and he wanted to let it.

Passion wasn't a common thing as an adult. You might meet someone you're attracted to, hook up with them, and maybe you'll feel something like passion. If you're lucky, you won't be going through the motions. Grey hadn't felt anything beyond relative indifference in a long time. Sure, he'd had fun with a few women he'd met through the years, a lot of them one-night-stands, but this was different. This was something else.

His hands climbed up her back. He felt the heat of her burn through her dress, felt it against the palms of his hands, and where the apex of her thighs ground against him. Grey wanted to go through his skin in the best way, until he heard her make a certain sound. When his fingers plowed through her hair and he cradled the back of her head, Des let out a whimpering sort of whine, a strange sound that his foggy brain couldn't identify it.

Through half-opened eyes, he looked up at her. "What?" His voice was deep and twisted with an undeniable desire that he was shocked affected him so much.

She stared down at him with the same level of intensity, her lips bee-stung and begging to be kissed again, and her skin tinted rose.

"I," her voice hitched when she spoke, "My hair," his grip instantly loosened, but his hand remained at the back of her head. "I love it pulled."

The apprehension and worry he'd felt only a millisecond previously vanished just as quickly. He swelled with confidence and determination. Grey knew what he wanted and acted accordingly.

"Oh, yeah?" He asked with a slight growl.

Des nodded softly and as though he wanted to test that theory, Grey fisted her hair and pulled. Des's head snapped back, her chest arched toward him, and lips parted as she let out a sultry, delicious sound. While he held her head back, Grey groped her body. His free hand glided over her chest, up to her throat, and back down again -all the while she made those wonderful sounds.

Eventually, Grey loosened his hold just enough she could move. She lifted her head, and he dove for her throat. Des cradled him to her while he kissed and nipped at her neck.

As they climbed and clawed toward a fever pitch, Des finally moved. She rolled her head to the side, which pried his lips from her neck so she could claim them for herself. While they kissed, Grey felt her hands between them. She began to frantically undo his belt and his jeans. He did the same, yanking and tugging at the sash that kept her dress on. Grey knew it was something called a "wrap dress". He had no idea how the hell women put them on, but he was determined to get it off.

Somehow, he managed to untie her dress and opened it just as she'd undone his jeans. Grey didn't have a chance to admire her body, or to see much beyond the dark blue bra before he felt her grab him. The moment her hand encircled his dick, Grey's mind cleared –a sensation that was even more pronounced a second later.

Des let out a soft, whimpering moan as he slid into her with ease. Her fingers bit into his shoulders and that slight pain was all he could focus on. He needed it to keep his wits because he was at risk of losing himself.

There was no hesitation on her part, though. Des wasn't as effected as he'd been, and if she was, she recovered sooner. Grey clutched almost desperately at her hips while she began to rock in his lap.

Under his breath, Grey muttered, "Goddamn it."

He wished to hell that she would give him a minute, a second, of time to cope, but she didn't. Instead, he was along for the ride, whether he was prepared for it or not.

Des thrust her hips into him with expert precision while Grey simply sat back and handed over the reins. The most he could manage was to hold on and bring her sharply against him.

His ears filled with the gasping sounds of pleasure that escaped Des. They were as hypnotic and overwhelming as everything thus far, and helped fuel his desire. Grey held her so close. He kissed her neck and any bare skin he could. His fingers dug into her to what had to be a painful degree, but Des didn't make a sound of protest. Instead, she sped up. Grey knew that it wouldn't be long for him.

He yanked down on her hair hard, harder than he'd initially meant to, but it didn't matter. When Des cried out, it was a sound of pure ecstasy, something he knew because her body went entirely rigid. She came in an instant. For a breath, maybe two, every muscle in her seemed to go completely still, and just as suddenly, she relaxed against him.

Grey had lasted only a few thrusts before he followed her into oblivion. He bit back a growl and he threw Des down on him the final time. His mind cleared, his heart felt as though it wanted to explode within his chest, and his body spasmed. Eventually, he too relaxed. When he slumped back into the plush surface of the bench, Grey could feel her trembling around him.

Grey's head rested against his seat, his eyes were shut, and his jaw was lax as he struggled to catch his breath.

Jesus Christ, he thought to himself.

Des had fallen against his chest, curled into him like she too needed something, anything, to help steady herself. He could feel her arms crossed between them and her head on his shoulder. All he could do in response was hold her with his hands spread wide across her back.

What had only lasted a few shorts minutes, had somehow left Grey completely exhausted and satiated. It was passionate and explosive and new. It was overwhelming, and all Grey wanted to do now was fall asleep as he was. He didn't want to move, ever.

Minutes ticked by and his consciousness slipped further and further away when a horrible, grating sound tore through that delicious haze. Both Grey and Des jumped at first. He was a bit confused, admittedly, but when he heard the sound again, he knew it was only his phone. The bar's landline was screaming at him to be answered.

"I, uh," Grey's voice was quiet, and slightly awkward given the situation.

"Yeah," Des said in the same tone.

She crawled off of his lap, sliding deeper into the booth so that he could stand. Grey, more or less, scampered away while he pulled his jeans and shoved himself back into them. The phone had been ringing for long enough that Grey, when he reached his bar, practically dove over the surface to answer it.

"Yeah?" He barked into the receiver.

"Where the fuck is my sister?"

The harsh, angry tone of Dex's voice sent a genuine bolt of fear racing through Grey's body. His muscles tensed, his heart began to palpitate, and sweat immediately formed on his brow.

She knows, she knows, she knows, he thought repeatedly to himself.

Grey's mouth hung slack. The words were there, they wanted to come forward, but they were caught behind the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.

"Where is she, Grey?" She snapped when a minute or more had passed without him speaking.

He opened his mouth again, and somehow managed to let lose a squeak. Words were, however, impossible until he heard something from behind. Grey turned just in time to see the front door latch shut. Des was gone, all traces of her gone as well, and somehow that gave him the strength to speak.

"She's not here." He finally got out.

Dex let out a long, loud, obnoxious growl. "Where is she?"

"Don't know." He said. "She already left."

True enough, he thought to himself. Dex doesn't need to know that she left five seconds ago.

"Shit," she hissed.

Grey opened his mouth to speak again, though he didn't know what to say, but the dial tone stopped him. Pulling the phone from his face, he eyed it for a moment before he simply set it down.

Alone, Grey locked the door once again. His mind almost immediately drifted back to what happened with Des less than three minutes ago. Grey fell onto the nearest stool and found himself staring aimlessly into the room.

I just had sex with Des… he thought as he ran his hand down his face. Shit.