A few nights later Ace stumbles into the house tired, but she wants to celebrate Graham. "Graham, where are you?"
"Up here," he shouts from upstairs, laying the petals down. She comes up.
"What is this for?"
"I want to cherish you tonight." She takes a look around finding battery operated candles and an open window.
"See U M, last night was Y-O, night before L-L and of course when you came back after your appointment the last paper had W-I. Graham, are you asking me," her words get cut off as he gently starts kissing her.
"Are you hungry? We have Garlic- Lemon Chik'n Strips and Pasta with some red wine."
With a small smile, "you weren't kidding with wanting to romance me."
"I would never kid with that. You deserve to be romanced, Dorothy McShane."
"You do too Graham. You have no idea how happy you make me."
"If it's half as happy as you make me, it's pretty damn happy."
"Pretty damn happy doesn't even explain it. There is no one I have ever met that I have loved more than you."
"Ace, you have no idea what that means to me."
"Please don't say it back. I always want you to keep Grace in your heart."
"She will be, since I met you it feels like my heart has grown two sizes."
"I'll take that," she takes a bite, "mmm this tastes amazing."
"I want only the best for you my love."
"I think I know what's best for me," she flirts.
"Anything I can help with?"
"I think so," she leans across the small set up and kisses him. "That is what's best for me."
"Then let's do it more," Graham stands up forgetting about his food and leans down on both of his knees, knowing come weekend it will only be one knee. He takes Ace's face into his hands and brings their lips together, both pairs of eyes close. Ace runs her tongue along his bottom lip. When he grants entrance, they sigh into the kiss.
"Graham," she says, breaking the kiss.
"Yes?"
"I am no longer hungry for food."
"Up for a little foreplay?"
"Sure," she doesn't seem sure.
"Help me carry these dishes down."
"What are you planning?"
"You'll see." Once they put the leftovers in the fridge, Graham sets the dishes in the sink, "let's do them together."
"Ok?"
"Do you trust me?" He holds out his hand and she places hers in it, he swings her in front of the sink and stays behind her. Dropping her hand he reaches to turn on the water.
"What are you doing?"
"We both are going to be getting a little wet."
"One of us already is."
"Well, more wet for you and wet for me." He takes her hands one in each of his. "Ready?"
"You have no idea."
"To wash dishes together, what you mean will be happening later." He runs his now wet hands along her arms before reaching for a dish. "These won't take long, I made sure the dishes I used to cook were already cleaned," his voice is hot in her ear.
As he picks up the last dish, Ace turns in his arms, "one dish can wait, I need you right now." She whispers before kissing him, her wet hands going under his shirt.
"Upstairs," Graham asks when he needs to breathe.
"Yes," Graham steps away from Ace taking her hand, stopping at the bottom of the stairs he kisses her cheek, about halfway he kisses her nose making her nose scrunch up. When they enter the room Graham walks them to the bed, kissing her long but sweet. She feels his hands hot and steady on her as they explore her body. His hands find their way under her shirt. Stopping the kiss he lifts the shirt off her head, her hands go help him with his shirt. Next thing they both are naked and fall on the bed.
The next morning Ace wakes up to birds singing and the smell of a new morning. "Graham!"
"What?"
"We left the window open."
"We are on the second story, Dear." He doesn't know what all is going on as she decided not to tell him what all is going on, besides that Paul is out.
"Graham, you know Paul is out."
"I do and I am careful with what I do, and I keep an eye out. Minus this Saturday, Ryan isn't going to be around much."
"What's so important about this Saturday?"
"We already talked about having a few people over."
"How many?"
"You said I could invite any of our friends and family."
"I know, and you know I love them all, but with everything going on."
"Ace, my Dearest, they are aware of what is going on. Nyssa has told them a little."
"Nyssa is helping you?"
"So is Tegan."
"What are they helping you with?" She sits up looking at some of the love bites across his bare chest.
"You'll see," he sits up, "why don't you go take a shower, you probably don't want to head in smelling like sex. I will go and get some food for you."
"No you won't, you will help me shower," he looks at her as she gets up and adds an extra swing of her hips knowing what it does to him. "Are you joining me?" Graham jumps up and follows her, making her laugh. Almost an hour later Ace is entering her building.
"You're late, and smiling." Nyssa says as she sees Ace looking more relaxed than she has seen her new friend be.
"I know, Graham made sure I was relaxed."
"How many times?"
"For what?"
"Did you two you know?"
"Have sex?"
"Yes."
"We made love throughout the night, well he made love to me most of it, then I drove him mad for the rest of it. Then again this morning in the shower."
"The shower is why you are late?"
With a large smile on her face, "it is, now though is there any update on Paul and is our website back up with new firewalls."
"It is."
"Good." Ace walks into her office and sits down at her desk taking out her laptop and boots it up. Hours later there is a knock on the door. "Who is it?"
"Check the time, Love." Ace, not needing to check the time with Graham showing up, gets up from her chair, her back cracking from bending over her computer for so long with barely a drink of water.
"You better get your sexy ass in here." Graham opens the door with some food in his hands.
"Sexy eh?"
"Oh very sexy," she flirts, sauntering up to him, "would it be better if I called you Hot Lips?"
"You're Hot Lips Phoenix."
"Oh really?"
"Very much so," he makes his way towards her, setting the food behind her computer and taking her in his arms. After kissing her, "see you're Hot Lips, I can't resist kissing you."
"Am I Phoenix or Hot Lips?"
"Both, though I do prefer to call you Phoenix, because of where we met and Nitro-999."
"Hmm, you are my Foodie."
"I thought I was your Honey Bear?"
"You are sweet like Honey."
"The Bear part?"
"I know how to make you growl." She opens up the food. "Are we going to eat this time," she is looking at the leftovers from last night.
"Considering we are not at home, I think so. I also wouldn't want to get you part of the gossip that takes place in any workplace."
"The make out session we had when you got the go ahead from your doctor."
"Making out is one thing, but doing what we did last night when anyone can walk in."
"You're protecting my virtue?"
"Just like you are with me, I will protect you with all my might."
"Everything about me?"
"Yes my Love everything." He picks up her hand and kisses it, before putting it down he writes with his thumb on her hand two letters.
"Graham, you are close to finishing your plans for something aren't you?"
"You'll have to wait and see." He smiles then starts to eat.
"This still tastes as good as it did last night."
"It was made with love."
"Last night was all about our love."
"This morning was mostly about lust."
"We have a balance." He takes a bite of his food.
"Tell me more about Saturday," Ace asks him.
"I will when we get there," he looks her up and down. "I want you to be surprised."
"Graham, you surprised me last night."
"That was part of the plan, it's a grand ol plan. I think you'll like the outcome." There is a knock on the door. "Are you finished eating?"
"Yes."
"I think that'll be Nyssa. I love you, see you at home."
"Love you too," they share a quick kiss as Nyssa comes in.
"Hello you two, Graham, I need to talk to Ace."
"I am on my way out."
As Graham arrives back home he starts to panic when there is a car in the driveway. Once the person gets out he relaxes to the dirty blond hair and slightly taller than Ace; of Liam McShane. "Liam," he says, getting out of the car.
"Is this weekend still happening?"
"Want to come in?" After a nod, Graham shows him inside and the two sit on a couch and a chair. "It is, Tegan and Nyssa will be taking her to a spa day and a shopping trip, while Ryan and John Nathan help me here?"
"Do you need another hand?"
"I would love another hand, Tegan and Nyssa are picking her up at 10. Ryan is coming around noon, do you want to get here around then too?"
"I'll be here."
"Good, do you want to see if there is a footy match on?"
"I'm good."
"Do you mind me asking?"
"I am off today, I do find it weird my sister is about to be engaged to someone who is retired."
"The fact I found someone to love again, especially someone like your sister."
"Like my sister?"
"Someone with such a big heart regardless of what all she has been through. Many would turn on the world and hate everyone, but your sister has done the opposite."
"I know. I am proud of her."
"She's proud of you too. Want to surprise her and stay for dinner?"
"I would be fine with that, let me just let Cat know, I am not going to be home for dinner."
"Why don't you tell her to come."
"I'll do that," Liam gets on his phone and texts his wife. Hours later Ace comes home to laughter and the aroma of fresh pizza.
"So who's all here," she comes into the kitchen to be drawn into a hug by Liam.
"It's your family."
"I can see that now, please let me down." He sets her down, she gives Caitriona a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before she goes to her favorite person in the room. "Another surprise to show me that you love me, huh," she kisses him quickly.
"He was here when I got home after lunch."
"You spent all day with my brother?"
"Why not, he's cool, he's important to you, so he's important to me." The oven timer beeps. "That should be ours. Theirs is cooling."
"I'll change real quick." She runs up the stairs and Liam decides to wait at the bottom knowing his sister is curious as to why he's there. "Liam," she sees him after she is changed. "What is going on?"
"Something that will make you happy."
"A-Liam," she sighs, "I don't like secrets being kept."
"Ace, I promise you this one is worth it. You love and trust Graham right?"
"I do, of course I do. Sometimes I wish we met earlier, but I don't want anything to be different about him, and Grace is a part of him."
"Sis, trust the two of us."
"Nyssa too."
"See multiple people know what is going on and everyone agrees that you will love it." He holds out his arm in a joky way and the two make their way to the kitchen.