16. Grace

Chapter sixteen

Grace

E very instinct in my body screamed at me to pull my hand away and run out of this house. The man in front of me was handsome, clearly—I could see where Anders got his sharp jaw and his distinguished eyebrows. His hair was a little darker, with a dusting of white around the temples, but the biggest difference was in the eyes. While Anders’ were gold, his father’s were nearly black. He reminded me of a shark, and I was currently treading in uneasy waters.

“I… I don’t know what happened. They’re just gone,” I mumbled, wishing he would let go of my hand.

“Well, first, let’s get you fed. You arrived just in time for dinner.” Gregori smiled, sliding his hand around my wrist so he could guide me toward the dining room. Thankfully, I’d had a change of clothes in my go-bag, so I wasn’t forced to eat dinner in my bikini. Gregori dragged me toward an unnecessarily large table, pulling out a seat next to his and gesturing for me to sit down. I gazed helplessly at my men as they filtered in behind us, silent and dangerous as they watched Gregori take a seat at the head of the table.

The second he was sitting down, a man appeared from god-knows-where carrying a plate with a small but ornate salad on top. It was set down in front of Gregori, and he ignored the man completely, focused on his son and his friends as they chose seats around the table. “I maintain a very strict diet,” he told me, smiling.

“I’m sure nutrition is very important to you as a doctor,” I replied, and he smirked in a way that made me feel as if he was laughing at a private joke.

A salad appeared in front of me as well, and I waited patiently as plates were brought out for Anders and the others. I didn’t move until Gregori lifted his fork, falling back into my learned habits in this all too familiar environment.

“So father, can we-” Anders started, and Gregori cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand.

“Grace, how did you end up with these boys, exactly?” he asked me, shutting the others out completely. I swallowed my bite of salad, glancing quickly at Erik.

“I was… uncomfortable staying in my home after my father passed.” It was only a half-lie, but the kidnapping felt like poor dinner conversation.

“I see. So they took you in out of the goodness of their hearts, did they?” he mused. “A defector, switching sides. The King family must have a hidden appeal for all the misfits they manage to collect.” My appetite shriveled under his penetrating gaze, and I wished he would focus on someone else.

“Erik, I heard your father passed,” he announced abruptly, setting down his fork. His plate was whisked away immediately, and a glass of red wine was placed in front of him. Someone removed my plate as well, even though my salad was still left uneaten. Apparently in this house, once Gregori finished something, we were all finished. Soon, a small plate of cooked salmon, some sort of grain, and fragrant green vegetables were set down in front of us, as well as a glass of the same red wine.

“You aren’t trying to conceive, are you?” Gregori asked me suddenly, and I nearly choked on a piece of broccoli, my face heating up as I stifled a cough.

“N-no, sir,” I stammered, unable to look at anyone else at the table.

“Father, you cannot assume every woman in her late twenties is trying to have a child,” Anders snapped, and Gregori laughed, taking a sip of his wine.

“She’s a young woman, living rent-free with three very affluent men. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that she would be trying to secure her position amongst you.” My jaw dropped open, and I stared at the man next to me, who had just insinuated I would try to trap one of them with a baby.

“She works for me,” Erik explained coolly, his food untouched on his plate. “Her abilities are quite useful.”

“Ah? I see. But now with those gone, what value do you present to my son and his… colleagues?” Gregori asked me, and if I could have evaporated into the floor, I would have.

“Dad!” Anders shouted, slamming his hands on the table hard enough to shake the plate in front of me. His father cocked an eyebrow at the outburst, his cold eyes calculating every reaction at the table.

“I guess that remains to be seen,” he mused, and reached out, clasping my hand on top of the table. “Don’t worry, darling, I have a few ideas on what could fix that little problem of yours.”

Gregori finished his meal, while the rest of us only picked at our food. Once the food was cleared, he snapped his fingers, and the stout older man appeared at his side.

“Prepare guest rooms for my son and his associates. They will be staying overnight. And send for Dr. Presley. I would like a professional to look at the damage to my son’s shoulder in the morning.” The man nodded and disappeared, and Gregori rose swiftly, his chair scraping against the hardwood.

“Grace, accompany me to the study, I would like to explore those ideas presently.” The request was really an order, and I glanced wide-eyed at the others, panic swelling in my chest.

“I’ll join you,” Anders announced, and Gregori smirked as if this amused him. We left Jesse and Erik in the dining room, Gregori’s hand on my arm as he led me down a long hallway, stopping in front of one door in particular and pushing it open. Inside was a library that would make any scholar weep—walls of books, with a solitary desk on the far side of the room. He guided me to a plush loveseat beside the window and sat me down, Anders taking a seat beside me, not waiting for his father’s guidance. Gregori walked to his desk and pressed a small button.

“Hot water, one cup,” he ordered, and then busied himself at a tray that appeared to host a variety of expensive liquors, as well as a small black tin.

Moments later, another server appeared with a teapot and a solitary tea cup on it. He set it on the desk wordlessly and left, closing the door behind him. Being closed in this room felt like I was being trapped, and my chest seized. Gregori walked back to us, thrusting a glass of amber liquor toward Anders, who grimaced but took it. The metal tin he brought back to his desk, and he sprinkled something into the teapot, letting it steep for a few minutes before pouring it into the glass and returning to us, holding the cup out for me to take.

“Thank you,” I murmured, accepting the tea and bringing it up to my nose to smell. It was spicy and earthy, nothing I’d ever had before. I blew on it to cool it off and glanced around awkwardly as the tense silence mounted.

“What is it that you want?” Anders finally asked, and his father smirked.

“Why would I want something?” he retorted, and I took a sip of the tea, wincing as the bitterness enveloped my tongue.

“Because you never do anything for free,” Anders snapped. “Everything has a cost, so name your price.”

“What if I asked you to finish your degree and begin training to take over my role?” Gregori mused, and I burnt my tongue as I accidentally inhaled my tea.

“Then we will see ourselves out,” Anders announced coldly, standing up. Gregori clicked his tongue, shaking his head sharply.

“Is success so awful?” he demanded, clenching his glass so hard I feared it would break. “You could be rich, a world-renowned surgeon!”

“I would rather cut off my fucking hand than ever work with you,” Anders snarled, and I shivered at the menace in your tone.

“You’re spoiled,” Gregori spat, “and unreasonable. Ms. Harding, what do you think? What should my payment be for providing your rag-tag group of near-felons a room and sustenance? ”

I balked, taking a large swallow of tea as I considered quickly. “We could pay you,” I offered, and he laughed harshly.

“I have no need for money, darling,” he replied smoothly, and I drained my cup, feeling a little dizzy.

“I could… I could do administrative work for you,” I told him, sinking back into the cushions behind me. “I have experience with planning events, and um, organizing fundraisers…” I looked down at my hands, wondering why they were suddenly glowing.

“Dad, what the hell did you give her?!” Anders snapped, grabbing the cup out of my hands.

Was this my light? It didn’t feel like it. I held my hand up in front of me, twisting it around to admire the soft glow.

“It’s medicinal. Often traumatic events can create blocks; this will unblock her mind.” I heard something smash in the distance, and Anders appeared in front of me, his face shining as he pulled me to my feet.

“Think about this, Grace, a union between you and my son, one that produces an heir. That would be enough for me to choose sides in this war,” Gregori’s voice floated past me, and I nodded absently.

“Okay, that’s fine,” I murmured, stumbling as Anders pulled me behind him. We left the book room, and I stared in awe as the floor shifted like quicksand, threatening to swallow us up.

“Come on, Kitten, you need to lay down,” Anders murmured, and his voice sent a tremor down my spine. He led me across the quicksand and pulled me into a dark room, shutting the door behind us. My skin was glowing like a star in the night sky. I laughed in awe and spun around, my fingers creating streaks of lights through the air. My clothes muffled the light. That wouldn’t do at all. I tugged my shirt up and over my head and shimmied out of my leggings.

“Grace, what are you doing?!” I unclasped my bra and dropped it into the sky behind me, admiring my glow as it lit up the room.

“Look,” I murmured, holding out my arms and spinning around, giggling happily as the light under my skin glowed brighter.

“Kitten, come on, you should lay down,” Anders insisted, his hands curling around my waist. He was so soft and warm, I hummed happily as I pressed up against his body, giggling as he grunted in alarm.

“What the hell?” he growled, and I traced my glowing hand down his neck, beaming as his skin began to glow as well. I began to unbutton his shirt, fumbling as the material slipped through my fingers. It would be a hell of a lot easier if he stopped squirming so much.

“Stop undressing me!” Anders hissed, and I rolled my eyes, grabbing the fabric and yanking it until the buttons tore off, clattering across the floor.

“I want you to glow too.” I smiled, running my hand down his chest and over his abs, admiring the light I was leaving behind. My hands dropped to his waist, and he grabbed my arms as I unbuckled his pants, tearing my hands away from him.

“Grace, listen to me. You are high, none of this is real,” Anders insisted, and I stared up into his beautiful golden eyes, seeing my glow reflected in them. It was real, he just couldn’t see it yet. But I would help him see.

Standing up on my tiptoes, I pressed my lips to his, catching him mid-word and cutting him off. He let go of my arm so I was able to snake it around his neck, pulling him down to me. He groaned against my lips as I deepened the kiss, pressing my body against his. “Do you feel that?” I whispered as he gripped my waist, pulling me flush against him.

“What the hell are you doing to me?” Anders rasped, and I could feel his cock growing stiff against my stomach.

“I’m making you glow.” I smiled, dragging him back down to my lips once more. My free hand tugged at his pants, shoving them down his hips. I wanted to touch all of him, he was so warm, but so dreadfully dark. I could make him light up so beautifully.

“Kitten, I can’t, please,” Anders murmured, trying to push me away as I yanked his boxers down, freeing his cock. “You’re high, it’s not right,” he insisted, and I whimpered as he began to pull away.

“Anders, please,” I begged, watching as my glow began to flicker and fade. “I need you, please!” My voice cracked, and he hesitated in front of me. “Please, Sir,” I whispered, and I felt the moment when his resolve snapped. Strong arms enveloped me, and I moaned as his length pressed into my stomach, the skin to skin contact brightening my glow until it was nearly blinding.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him desperately as he walked me backward. My knees hit something soft, and Anders lowered me gently onto the couch, climbing over me and caging me with his body. I helped him maneuver between my thighs, keening softly as he cock brushed my clit. I was so sensitive all over, every brush of his skin against mine drove me wild with need. I pulled him down flush against me, plunging my tongue between his lips, arching into his chest, my nipples hard as they pressed against his skin.

I kissed him until I was breathless and panting, his hand moving to my hip to stop me from squirming, desperate for friction as I was. He was starting to light up, his skin holding a low murmur of shine wherever I touched him. But I wanted more, I needed more. I wanted him to glow as brightly as I did. “Anders,” I begged, my nails digging into his back as I tried to wiggle against him.

“Kitten, you don’t know what you’re asking,” he murmured, pressing his forehead against mine. He was so close, I was so close!

“Let go, just let go,” I begged, arching up into him as best I could despite his hold on my hip. “I’ll catch you. Please Sir, I need you, I need you so bad.” I could see the struggling in his face, his eyes squeezing closed as he muttered under his breath. “Anders, help me, please?” I whimpered, and he swore softly, his eyes opening to meet mine.

“Anything for you, Kitten,” he murmured, and he pulled my hip toward him, his cock sliding down my slit as he lined himself up. I cried out as he sheathed himself inside of me in one swift movement, every nerve in my body lighting up as my glow exploded through the room.

“Holy fuck…” Anders groaned as I clamped around him, my nails digging into him as I moaned. He began to pull out, and I nearly sobbed at the emptiness, but then he was back, filling me up and sending a burst of raw ecstasy through my whole body.

“Yes! Oh god!” I moaned, wrapping my legs around his hips as he thrust into me again, and again, my back arching as my orgasm neared. Pressure on my clit, followed by a rough pinch, and I was screaming his name as I dropped into an orgasm so intense I couldn’t breathe, every atom in my body tearing itself apart for a moment before reforming.

I was trembling from head to toe, and I gazed up at the beautiful god towering over me, his skin flickering with a warm heat just under the surface. “Don’t stop,” I begged as he sat back, grabbing one of my legs and bringing it up to rest against his chest. I hooked my ankle on his shoulder as he leaned forward once more, his thrusts even deeper at this angle. His hands kneaded my breasts, pinching my sensitive nipples until my eyes were rolling back in my head and I was crying out incoherent sounds, begging for more.

My second orgasm was just as powerful as the first, my pussy spasming and clamping around Anders as I screamed, and I heard him groan low in his throat as he spilled inside of me, filling me up. His thrusts slowed, and he sagged into me, pressing his forehead against mine as he panted. The whole room was lit up now, my glow suffused into his skin, so together we were a beacon of light. I sighed softly, stroking his hair as I smiled, humming with contentment.