Hi All,
First of all, thank you so much for your wonderful reviews, I really appreciate them! I've had a lot of fun writing this story and, as the end draws near, I know I'll miss writing it.
Second, this chapter gets a little racy, it's definitely R rated, or M rated. If you think you might be offended, please skip it.
Thanks!
Failte
When Tess had first planned her trip to Terra, she was going to rent a sporty car and do some traveling. She wanted to see New York City and Washington DC, she wanted to take her sketchbook and camera and find things she would never see on Arus.
But after a month on Terra, she had only gone as far as half an hour away when she went shopping with her aunt. She hadn't planned on getting swept up into the small town life of Houten, PA, but now she was helping her aunt prepare for the town's Independence Day celebration and working part-time at a bar.
Tess was spending a couple of hours every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at Flynn's. She had the new inventory system in place and had trained Griff and the two other bartenders on it, as well as Iona. Most of her time was spent on data entry and updating the schedule, all of which gave Griff more time to dedicate to his planning of the brewpub. There had been some issues with the house inspection, but they should be closing in the next day or two.
The rest of her time was hers. She had found good friends with Paige and the crew at the bar, especially Kevin and Jenna. Tess started each morning going on a run, worried about what all the bar food she was eating lately was doing to her. She then had most of the day to explore as she filled her journal and sketchbook with images of this town she was falling in love with. Most evenings she hung out with her new friends, but Monday and Thursday evenings were her evenings alone with Griff.
Their first evening together, they had gone to see a movie and have dinner. Every Monday and Thursday since then, they would order something to eat from the pub and go up to his apartment above the bar to watch TV. Those were Tess's favorite evenings. Although, only a flight of stairs were all that separated them from his business, he seemed all right to leave it down there and curl up on the old sofa with her.
One night at the dinner table with her aunt and uncle, Dana had mentioned that she could use some help with the Independence Day party and now Tess was helping her gather tables and tents, post signs, and collect door prizes from local businesses.
The Houten Independence Day celebration was a block party that shut down most of Main Street from noon until nine at night. There was going to be games, live music, food, and drinks. Then, at nine, fireworks would be set off from the park.
Two days before the party, Tess was on Main Street visiting the pet groomers and the jewelry store to pick up gift certificates for the gift baskets her aunt was putting together for the raffles before heading to Flynn's to put in her Tuesday hours. It was miserably hot and humid out and she rushed from one store to the next, trying to stay in the air conditioning as long as possible.
Flynn's was nearly empty when she hurried inside, the only customers were Josh and Earl, the two elderly men who played games and drank beer in the afternoon. They had recently traded in their chess board for backgammon.
"Hi guys!" She called out as she walked past on her way to the office.
"Afternoon, Tess!"
"Hey there, pretty lady!"
There were only a few papers waiting for Tess when she entered the tiny office. She was halfway through entering the orders when the office door flew open.
"Come with me," Griff said, excitedly.
"Uh." She looked from the papers in front of her up to him. "I'm nearly done, give me ten minutes."
"No, I'm the boss. Come with me!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.
"Wait!"
"Nope! Jenna, we'll be back in a little while!" He called out as they rushed past the bar.
"Don't let anyone mess with my stuff in the office!" Tess added.
Jenna waved.
"Where are we going?" Tess asked as he pulled her through the kitchen and out the back door.
Not saying a word, Griff held a key up for her to see.
"Is that what I think it is?"
"Yup." He jogged through the empty parking lot and into the backyard of the house behind them.
He had already explained his plans to her to turn the backyard into an extension of the parking lot for both restaurants.
Griff dragged her around the side and up the four steps to the front porch before dropping her hand and stretching out his arms. "Look at this place! Tables there, there, and there!"
Tess couldn't help but grin at his giddiness. "It's perfect."
He had told her about the house and sketched out blueprints for her to see, but this was the first time she would get inside. She knew that the owner had been an old woman who had spent the last three years in assisted living before passing away. Neither of her children wanted the house and they were thrilled to sell it so quickly.
It was a huge, four bedroom stone house with a wraparound porch that Griff was planning to hold six outdoor dining tables. The front parlor, living room, and study would hold the tables inside while the kitchen and dining room would be turned into one large professional kitchen. But it was when he talked about the basement that Griff was the most animated. That was where the brewing would take place.
"Isn't this amazing?" He grinned at her.
"It's amazing," she agreed, standing beside him and looking out over the front yard.
The house sat back from Maple Avenue; the street ran parallel to Main Street and was slowly being commercialized. Across the street was a salon and spa, next door was a dentist's office, and just down the street was a florist.
"We're going to extend the driveway around to the back," Griff explained, pointing out the changes. "People will enter on this side, go back to the parking and then we'll put in the exit on this side."
"I love the front yard," she said, looking at the two huge maple trees. "Are you going to landscape?"
"Of course. In the spring and summer I want flowers lining the walkway and during the holidays there will be lights in the trees."
"Perfect."
"Come on." He turned to the front door.
Tess saw his hand shake slightly as he tried to fit the key into the lock. His unbridled excitement brought a lump to her throat. She rubbed her hand over his back and kissed his shoulder.
"I can't believe it's finally happening," he whispered. "It's all mine. Well, no, it belongs to Griffin's Irish Rose Brewing LLC, but, well, same difference."
The name of the brewery was a tribute to his mother, Rose Griffin McManus, just as the name of the bar had been a tribute to his uncle.
The inside of the house was stiflingly hot when they entered. Tess instantly felt a drop of sweat run down her back as they entered the stuffy front hall.
"The hostess will stand here, there is a powder room there, we'll put in another one in the dining room." Griff said, either ignoring or not noticing the heat, turning right into the first room. "This is the front parlor."
It was a huge room with a large bay window looking out over the side yard. The walls were covered in floral wallpaper and the carpet was a stained tan.
"There are hardwood floors throughout the house," he continued. "All the carpet will be ripped up and all the wallpaper torn down. We'll be able to put eight tables in here. This is the living room, again, carpet ripped up and the wallpaper torn down. I have some ideas, but I haven't yet decided on colors yet for the wall."
She followed him into the kitchen, which was much smaller than she had expected, and dining room.
"This wall will come down making it one big room. Stoves there, a fridge there, two dishwashers. We're going to build another powder room there, between the dining room and study. Oh, man, I can't believe this is really happening!"
The rooms were all connected in a circle, so when they reached the parlor, they were back in the front of the house across the hall from the front parlor.
"This is my favorite room," he admitted. "We're not going to do much more than clean it, build the bar on the wall opposite the fireplace, and add a few smaller tables."
One wall was a massive window looking out over the front porch, the wall next to that held a huge stone fireplace with bookshelves on either side.
"I love it!" Tess gasped. "It's so warm and cozy."
"In the winter we'll have a fire in the fireplace, a real wood burning fireplace. Come on." Still not done, he led her up the wide staircase in the hallway and turned left, opening the only door on that end of the hall. "This will be my office, my real office, not a storage closet! Of course, I will need to get rid of the pink carpet and striped wallpaper. Come on."
Tess didn't even get a chance to respond before he took her hand and pulled her down the hall.
"And this will be the office manager's office," he said, opening a door.
For a moment, Tess forgot she was going home in less than two months and she imagined herself in this room. The window looked out over the huge maple tree in the front yard, it would be beautiful in the fall.
"Want to see the basement?"
"I do."
"There's a door in the kitchen and another door that opens into the side yard," he explained as he ran down the steps.
It was easily twenty degrees cooler in the basement than the rest of the house. It was unfinished with a cement floor, metal pillars, and stone walls. Light seeped in from four small windows and an unsteady looking set of stairs led to a pair of access doors on the far wall.
Griff stood in the center of the room and took a deep breath. "This is it."
"This is it," she repeated.
"It's not much to look at now, but I have it all planned out in here," he said, tapping his temple with his fingertip. "I can't wait to get started."
"When do you start?"
"I'm hoping to start demo in the next couple of weeks. I have the bids, I just need to choose a contractor."
Tess stepped over to where he stood and smiled up at him. "I am so happy for you and so proud of you."
Griff gently touched her cheek with his fingertips. "Thank you so much."
"I didn't do anything."
"Thank you for sharing this with me," he whispered. "After all his hard work, I didn't get to share Flynn's with my uncle, it means a lot to share this with you."
Tess felt a lump form in her throat and tears burned her eyes. "Thank you for sharing it with me."
He spread his fingers to cup her cheek, using his thumb to wipe away a tear that had escaped. "I love you, Tess."
Another tear escaped as his words registered in her brain. Unable to talk around the lump in her throat, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Griff hugged her tightly, burying his face in her neck.
After a moment, Tess lifted her head and cleared her throat, twice. "I love you, too."
He lowered his forehead to hers. "Let's go celebrate."
"All right."
"Let's go back to the bar and get some bubbly and sneak upstairs."
"Yes, let's."
Back at Flynn's, Tess slipped into the office to finish her work while Griff spoke with his staff.
Ten minutes later, he stuck his head in the office. "Hey, pretty Tess from Arus."
"Hey."
"You almost done?"
"Yup. Five minutes."
"Okay, I'm going to run out, go ahead on upstairs when you're done."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"Nope."
When she finished, Tess gathered up her ever present knapsack and camera case and headed out the backdoor. The only entrance to the apartment was up a flight of steps on the back of the building. Griff had shown her the hidden key underneath the second of three potted plants sitting on the tiny deck.
It was a good sized one bedroom apartment, a sparsely decorated bachelor's pad he used mostly for just sleeping. It had an open floor plan with a kitchen that flowed into the living area which held a comfy, old couch facing a large television. There was a small hallway that had a bathroom to the left and the bedroom to the right.
Tess fell back on the couch and took her journal out, writing down what had happened that afternoon. She was jolted from her thoughts thirty minutes later by a loud pounding on the door.
Through the window, she saw Griff, with his hands full, kicking the door.
"Where have you been?" She asked, taking the ice bucket with a bottle of champagne sticking out of it that he shoved at her.
"I told you we're going to celebrate and we're going to celebrate the right way. You hungry?"
"Sure."
"Good." He set a bag on the table and handed her a bouquet of red roses.
"Oh, Griff…"
"For you."
Tess melted a little as she set the ice bucket on the counter and took the flowers, pressing her face into the soft petals. "Thank you."
"Here, use this." He opened the cupboard above the fridge and handed her a pitcher.
Tess took the pitcher to the sink and filled it while he unpacked the bag. "What about the bar tonight?"
"Tuesdays are usually slow, they'll be fine."
After arranging the flowers, she turned to see him setting out fresh strawberries, a container of fresh whipped cream, and chocolates.
"What is this?"
"We're celebrating. I was trying to think of what goes well with champagne and I came up with strawberries and chocolate."
Tess felt silly and embarrassed as tears once again filled her eyes. No man had ever done this for her, no man, other than her father, had ever told her he loved her. And it had nothing to do with her title, her inheritance, or her connection to Voltron. He was just doing it for her, he loved her.
She stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek between his shoulders.
Griff rubbed his hand over her arm. "You okay?"
She nodded, tightening her arms around him.
"Tess." He turned in her embrace. "Pretty Tess from Arus, what is it?"
"I love you, so much," she whispered.
"I love you," he whispered back, hugging her tightly.
For several, quiet minutes, they stood in his kitchen, holding each other.
He lowered his head and pressed his lips to her ear. "Stay with me tonight."
All the evenings she had spent with him, Tess had never spent the night with him, or with any man. She nodded.
"Are you sure?"
She tilted her head back to look at him. "Yes."
He smiled softly and took a step back, taking her hands in his.
Tess let him lead her through the living room and into the bedroom. Her heart was pounding so hard she was worried he could hear it.
"Tess," he whispered. "Sweet, beautiful Tess."
Alone with him, in his bedroom, Tess had no idea what to do next. She nervously ran her hand over her hair.
Griff took her face in his hands and kissed her. She slowly relaxed against him, sliding her hands up his back. He slid his hands down her neck, pausing to gently squeeze her shoulders, before continuing down to untuck her shirt from the waistband of her shorts. As his hands slid under her shirt, he moved his mouth down to her neck.
As these new sensations overtook her, Tess forgot to feel nervous. She took the hem of his shirt in her hands and pulled it up to his chest. Griff stepped back just enough to pull his shirt off the entire way and throw it on the floor before returning to her, slowly tugging the light pink polo shirt she was wearing up and over her head.
"You're so beautiful," he murmured, slowly sliding her bra straps off her shoulders.
Tess felt her knees weaken as he brushed his fingers over the swell of her breast before reaching behind her to release the clasp. Their bodies pressed together as he gently lowered her onto the bed beneath him. Trying not to over think the situation, Tess closed her eyes and let her body take over. She pressed against him, feeling his erection press against her leg through his shorts.
"Slow down," he chuckled, lifting his head to look down at her. "We have all night."
His touch was achingly soft as he explored her. With her eyes closed, every feeling was heightened by the fact that she didn't know where he was going next. He moved over her, using his mouth and his fingers to leave her squirming beneath him. With the patience of a saint, he carefully removed the rest of her clothing, leaving her hot and ready for him.
"You're too much," he said, sliding up her to kiss her mouth. "I can't get enough of you. Open your eyes, Tess."
She did, slowly, to find him staring at her. "My turn."
Tess didn't have much experience with men. It was hard for a young Princess who was always under guard to get alone time with her boyfriend.
She took her time, feeling and tasting him. His Irish complexion was much fairer than hers and she loved the contrast of her darker hand on his chest. He had fine hair on his chest that tapered down his stomach and disappeared beneath the waistband of his shorts. She peppered his chest with kisses as her fingers danced down the quivering muscles of his stomach.
He sucked in a breath and she smiled against his skin, thrilled that she had that affect on him. She slowly slid his shorts down his legs and looked down on him. He was gorgeous.
Impatient, Griff rolled here under him and slid his fingers between her legs as his mouth moved down her throat to her breasts. Her back arched and she gasped as he brought her to release the first time. He slid up her body again and positioned himself to slide inside her as she spread her legs. She closed her eyes, biting her lip in anticipation.
"Oh my God," he froze.
Tess opened her eyes to see him holding himself above her, his arms shaking with exertion as he tried not to move. "It's okay," she whispered.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked through clenched teeth.
"It's okay," she repeated, sliding her hands down his back and moving her hips. "I'm ready."
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry for this."
Tess cried out as he entered her.
"Oh Tess." He didn't move. "I didn't know."
She didn't say anything as her body adjusted to the intrusion. It was an amazing feeling, to have him inside her, on top of her. The pain was momentary, but the other sensations were mind blowing.
He let her set the pace, not moving until she did. "Slowly," Griff whispered. "Slowly."
As the discomfort faded, Tess let her body once again take over. She moved her hips, grinding against him, running her fingers up and down his back, trying to feel more of him.
"Oh God," he groaned against her skin.
"I'm okay. Please."
He began moving with her and small noises escaped her lips as she discovered new feelings and sensations. Griff slid a hand down her body, slipping a fingertip over the bundle of nerves at the top of her folds.
She gasped and her eyes flew open as her entire body tensed and then exploded. Griff found his release at the same time, collapsing on top of her.
"Wow."
He smiled against her throat. "You like that?"
"Mm hm."
He lifted his head and looked down at her, brushing the hair from her face. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Does it matter?"
"It doesn't change how I feel, but it would have changed how I handled things."
"Oh, Griff, you handled things beautifully."
He chuckled and rolled off her. "Oh, Tess. Pretty Tess from Arus. You are too much." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "You'll be sore."
"I'll be fine. I'm stronger than I look."
He rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand, looking down at her. "Yeah, you are."
She looked away from him, staring at the banner for a soccer team he had hung over his dresser. "Was…was it okay?"
"Hm?" He didn't appear to understand her question as he trailed his fingertip down her neck and over her shoulder.
Heat filled her cheeks and she rolled on her side, her back to him.
"Did you just ask if it was okay for me?"
She didn't respond.
Griff wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed his body against her. "It was amazing," he whispered into her ear. "You are the most beautiful, incredible woman I've ever known."
Tess smiled and turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. "Really?"
He kissed her cheek. "Really."
They stayed in bed, dozing for a couple of hours, until Griff decided he needed sustenance. He got out of bed and slipped into his shorts before leaving the bedroom
Tess pulled on her shorts and, not seeing where he had thrown her shirt, she picked up his t-shirt and slipped it on. It was a navy blue t-shirt with Flynn's printed over the heart and the back had Flynn's in large letters with the Love Knot beneath it.
She followed him into the living room.
"We left the whipped cream out," he said.
"Is it ruined?"
"I'm not going to try it. Can you survive on strawberries, chocolate, and champagne?"
She sighed dramatically and fell onto the couch. "I guess. If I have to."
"Well, I don't want you to suffer. I think I have some bologna."
"We'll save that for later."
Griff joined her, handing her a glass and setting the food down on the coffee table. He returned to the kitchen for the ice bucket. With a loud 'pop' he opened the champagne and poured them both a generous glassful.
Tess held her glass up. "Here's to you, Griffin's Irish Rose Brewery LLC, and all the success I know you'll have."
He shook his head. "No. This is for us. You and me."
She smiled, tapping the edge of her glass against his. "To us."
"And the fact that I just made you a woman."
Tess almost spilled her champagne as she laughed. "Such a romantic!"
He grinned at her over his glass.
They teased and flirted, sipped champagne, and shared strawberries and chocolate. Tess was feeling giddy and happy, truly happy.
Griff poked her knapsack with his foot. "You have your sketchbook?"
"Mm hm," she mumbled around a strawberry.
"You gonna let me see it?"
"You want to?"
"I do."
She set her glass on the table and pulled the book out of her bag. "You have to be nice."
"No I don't." He snatched it out of her hand and flipped it open.
The first sketch she had done on her flight to Terra. It was an image from memory of the lake and woods behind the castle. It was a very rough sketch and not her best.
"Is this Arus?"
"Yeah."
The next sketch was the fallen tree behind her aunt's house, then the paddleboat on the river, followed by the fence post and Queen Anne's lace, a decrepit old shed that stood behind a church on Main Street, and a close-up of the face of her aunt's neighbor's dog through the chain link fence between their yards.
"You're very talented," he said quietly. "You have a great eye for detail."
Tess chewed on the cuticle of her thumb, not realizing until now how important his opinion was to her. "Thank you."
The next page was a section of Main Street that included Flynn's and Page Turners. It was done in black and white with the only colors coming from the awning on the bookstore and Flynn's sign. The next page was a close-up of Flynn's sign, very detailed right down to the nicks in the wood. But it was the next image that she was most nervous about.
For three mornings, she had sat on the curb across the street from the house Griff was buying and sketched it. She thought it would be nice to have a 'before' picture of the place, before the work was started.
He stared at it for a long moment before lifting his gaze to her. "What are you going to do with these pictures?"
Tess shrugged.
"Can I have these last three?"
"Really?"
He closed the cover of the sketchbook and set it on his lap. "You are quite talented Tess. I'd like to frame those three sketches and hang the Main Street and Flynn's pictures downstairs and the one of the house in the brewpub."
His request touched her deeply. "You want to hang my sketches in your restaurants?"
Griff nodded. "Your art deserves to be shared."
"I'd be honored."
He stretched his arm across the back of the couch and picked up a lock of her hair, curling it around his finger. "Beautiful, smart, and talented. I feel like I've won the girlfriend jackpot."
"And I get my drinks comped at my boyfriend's bar. I think we both made out well."
Early the next morning, Tess woke and slipped out of Griff's bed. He was sound asleep, sprawled across the bed, obviously not used to sharing it with someone.
"Where are you going?" He mumbled as she slid into her sandals.
"I have a lot of work to do today to help Aunt Dana with the party."
"When will I see you again?"
Tess stood next to the bed and looked down on him. He laid on his back, his arms folded behind his head, watching her. The comforter had slid down and was bunched at his waist. Everything in her wanted to crawl back in with him. "How busy are you tonight?"
"The night before a holiday is always busy," he explained. "People get off work early, they don't have to go in in the morning, and they're feeling the holiday spirit. So, we'll be busy tonight and during the party tomorrow."
"Oh."
"We all close at 8:30 tomorrow so everyone has time to get to the park for the fireworks. Meet me at the bar at 8:45."
"You're on."