Chapter 19

GRACE

I looked myself up and down in the mirror, frowning. “What about this one?”

Kelly lounged on her bed as I tried on outfits for my first date with Brady. Kelly just shook her head and waved a hand. “Next.”

I rolled my eyes but did as she commanded. Kelly knew better about picking good date outfits than I did.

I stripped out of the yellow sundress and put on a tight little magenta number.

Kelly sat up, her eyes wide. “Holy shit! Woman, that is your dress for sure.”

The dress was so tight that I felt like I was naked. “How do you wear any underwear with this?”

“That’s the thing. You don’t.” Kelly got up and pinched my ass, making me yelp. “Brady will definitely appreciate that little detail.”

“I have to wear a bra—”

“Nah, you’re good. You have little boobies.” Kelly squeezed her chest. “You don’t have monsters like me. Have you ever tried to find cute bras in a 38G? Yeah, they don’t exist.”

I’d always envied Kelly her figure. She was curvaceous, a perfect hourglass, and yes, she had big breasts to boot.

My breasts were small. When I’d been younger, I’d been self-conscious enough that I’d wear padded bras. Once, as a teenager, Mom had caught me stuffing my bra with tissues, and she’d gently told me she’d buy me a padded bra instead.

“I wish I had bigger boobs.” I sighed. “What if Brady likes big breasts?”

Kelly turned me around to face her. “Let me tell you a universal truth: straight guys love boobs. It doesn’t matter the size, shape, or color. They love them all. Sure, some guys really like big titties like mine, but no guy is going to see boobs and think, ‘never mind.’”

I grinned. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And I’m right. You know I am. Besides, Brady is already into you. Which means he likes what he’s seen. And didn’t he see you in lingerie twice now?”

“Yeah, but it was dark in the club.” I blushed as I remembered the night I’d gotten drunk. “Okay, and there might’ve been another time, but I don’t think he really saw much.”

“What? Another time? You’re killing me, babe. But remember, you’re hot as fuck. Own it, okay?”

I glanced in the mirror again. I did look hot. I needed to own that.

I wasn’t going to act like the shy virgin anymore. I wanted to be sexy and confident. I wanted to be a woman who Brady couldn’t get out of his mind.

Kelly helped me with my hair and makeup, chattering about her grad program and how she wanted to murder one of her classmates for constantly talking over her.

“If I ever see that guy in a dark alley,” she vowed, “I’m gonna beat his ass.”

“Maybe he likes you.”

Kelly’s eyes bugged out. “Christ, don’t say that. He’s the worst. He mansplains constantly. He tried to tell me that I didn’t know how periods worked. Periods, Grace!”

“Why were you talking about periods?”

Kelly waved a hand. “It doesn’t matter. Just know this guy is the worst.”

I still had an hour before Brady arrived to take me on our date. My stomach was filled with butterflies. What was even stranger was that I was more nervous about this than I was about going to the Scarlet Rope.

The club felt like a fantasyland where you could lose yourself for a bit with zero consequences. But a date, a real-life, honest-to-goodness date?

That was different. That meant that Brady wanted more than just a few spanking sessions to blow off some steam. That meant he cared .

“So do you have protection?” Kelly asked.

“Uh.” My brain stalled. “I’m on birth control.”

“You are? Why?”

“I got on it in college for acne.” I shrugged.

“Well, that’s convenient. Okay, but you’ll still need condoms. Brady’s stuck his dick in a lot of ladies.”

I felt embarrassed that I hadn’t even thought about condoms. Clearly, I was still acting like a virgin and not like a woman who was planning on getting laid.

“Won’t Brady have condoms?” I asked.

“He might, and if he’s smart, he should. But do you know how many times I’ve been with guys who suddenly either don’t fit into any brands or are magically all out that night?” Kelly sighed. “Men are scum. Why do we date them?”

My lips twitched. “Maybe you should set the bar higher for yourself.”

Kelly had wandered into her bathroom and then returned with a whole collection of condoms. “Here. I have all kinds of sizes. These purple ones are flavored.”

I took her offering of condoms, nonplussed. “How much sex do you think we’re going to have?”

“You’re right. Give me back all but three of those and buy your own next time.”

We had a faux tussle with me ending up with ten condoms. Kelly opened one of the flavored ones and licked it. She made a face. “Yeah, that’s not good.”

I gave it a lick and had to agree. It tasted like something, but it wasn’t grape.

“My first time was terrible,” Kelly said as she tried to blow up the purple condom. “It lasted like three minutes. I asked the guy if he was in. At least he was too small for it to hurt.”

I’d imagined my first time on many occasions. And, of course, Brady was almost always the guy who took my virginity.

“I’m worried I’ll be too awkward to be good at it,” I admitted.

“You probably will be, but that’s okay. Just like blowing up a condom”—Kelly grinned as she tried to tie off the air-filled condom—“you get better with practice. And it helps if your partner knows what he’s doing, which Brady does. I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time. I bet you even have an orgasm, you little shit.”

I blushed, hoping Kelly was right. But at the same time, I didn’t expect that Brady and I would have sex tonight.

What if he does want to sleep with me? The thought made me shiver with anticipation.

When the doorbell rang, I nearly ran to answer it. Brady wore a button-up shirt and slacks with his hair slicked back. His collar was open, and I had the sudden urge to taste that spot at the base of his throat.

He also held a bouquet. “Wow,” he said, his eyes widening. “You look fucking amazing.”

“Thank you. So do you.”

He handed me the flowers, a cluster of red roses. “I realize now that since this is your friend’s place, you can’t leave the flowers here.”

“I don’t mind taking them with us. Do you want to come inside?”

“No, I don’t want to break any rules before we even start.”

I was about to ask him what he meant when Kelly came up behind me. Then she reached out a hand to Brady. “Kelly Wright, nice to meet you. I’m a huge fan.”

Brady returned the handshake. “Love to hear it. Nice to meet you, Kelly.”

Kelly shot me a mischievous grin. “Okay, well, you two have fun. You put those items I gave you in your purse?”

Brady asked, “Items?”

I blushed scarlet. “Uh, yeah. See you later, Kelly.”

Brady took me out to one of the new sushi spots that had recently opened near the Grove. After Brady had handed his keys to the valet attendant, we were escorted to a Japanese-style room with sliding doors, a low table, and bamboo mats.

We sat down and gave our drink orders to our server. Brady said, “I might not have thought this plan through.”

“What? Why not?”

He winced and then repositioned his legs. “Sitting like this is uncomfortable as hell.”

I laughed. “I’m okay.”

It took a few different tries, but Brady finally found a sitting position that worked for him, grumbling the entire time.

“I can’t believe you’re taking me out for sushi,” I said. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“You said I had to try it someday. Besides, if it makes you happy, I’m happy.”

His comment made my heart squeeze.

Once we’d been served platters of beautiful, colorful sushi, sashimi, and nigiri, the two of us were too preoccupied with eating to talk much. And I had to admit, I was thankful for it.

I was nervous still. I didn’t know how to act like Brady’s date. For so long, I’d been his foster sister, and he’d been the guy who’d refused my advances.

Then suddenly he was attracted to me, and now he was acting like ... a boyfriend?

It was all so strange that my brain couldn’t wrap my head around everything happening.

After that, we were focused on our food. To my delight, Brady ended up admitting that the sushi was amazing. He ate everything like a champ. It got to the point that we were almost brawling for the last slice of ahi tuna, which made us both laugh like idiots.

“So I wanted to talk to you about something,” Brady said after we’d finished our entree. He pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket, along with a pen. “I wanted to set some ground rules.”

“Rules? For what?”

“Dating.” I could see that Brady had already written down some things. “For instance, no more being indoors together alone. That only leads to—”

“Fun things?” I interjected.

Brady glowered at me. “Second,” he continued, “no more showing up at my hotel room or sneaking into places to see me, or showing up near the locker rooms. Third, our first kiss can only last one minute. Our second, two minutes. Third, three. You catch my drift?”

He looked so serious that it took every ounce of self-control not to giggle. “I understand what you’re saying, but this seems a little extreme.”

“Extreme? No, I think this is the first smart thing I’ve done when it comes to you. Do you have any suggestions?”

I shook my head. Brady grunted and wrote down a few more things and then offered me the list.

I took it, read through it, and then promptly tore it into pieces.

“I agree to none of this,” I proclaimed, rather amused at Brady’s shocked expression. “Well, except sneaking into places to see you. I don’t want to get caught, especially by my dad. At least not yet.”

“I’m still going to have rules for us,” Brady said, crossing his arms over his chest. “We need to go slowly.”

“Brady, we’ve been doing foreplay for like a decade now. How much slower do you want to go?”

That made his lips twitch. “Slow, Grace. Just trust me.”

“So you’re saying I’ll be eighty-five before we have sex. Awesome.”

“Slow, Grace.” Brady leaned forward, his gaze intent. “Being patient will pay off for us both. Besides, I never said we’d be sleeping together.”

So much for all the condoms Kelly had given me. “Mmm, sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

Brady didn’t get a chance to respond before our server returned with our dessert, matcha ice cream and cherry-flavored mochi.

“How are your legs?” I asked Brady while we waited for the valet to bring Brady’s car around.

He winced. “So much for being an athlete.”

“Maybe you’re just getting old.”

“Behave yourself or I will take you over my knee again,” he said in a low voice near my ear.

I shivered. I could only hope he would. At my excited expression, he just sighed.

“You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?” he said, almost to himself.

“Oh, absolutely.”

“Are we going back to your place?” I asked as Brady began driving.

“No.”

“A hotel?”

“No, Grace.”

“Okay, well, if it’s a motel, then I might still say yes, but you could spring for something nicer, you know. Seems kinda cheap of you.”

Brady rolled his eyes. “I’m taking you skating. At a rink. No hotel, motel, or Holiday Inn.”

I was disappointed, but I didn’t protest further. At least Brady wanted to spend time with me. And whenever he gazed at me, I could see the heat in his eyes.

He wanted me. If we did go to his place, I knew he wouldn’t have the self-restraint to keep refusing me.

“You never would go skating with me, would you?” Brady remarked after we’d gone inside the rink.

To my surprise, he had keys to the place from the owner himself. Which meant that we’d have the entire rink to ourselves.

“How exactly did you manage to get the owner to let you have keys to this place?” I asked, incredulous.

Brady grinned. “His daughter is a huge Blades fan.”

“Of course she is.”

Brady, though, seemed intent on getting me onto the ice. Ironically, I’d never really learned how to ice-skate, despite the fact that Ben played hockey.

“Do you want figure-skating skates or hockey?” Brady asked me as he went behind the desk to get skates for us.

“Um, your choice.”

“Hockey skates it is.”

When we finally got onto the ice, it took all of ten seconds before I fell on my butt. The first time, Brady caught me before I fell too hard. The second and third times, I nearly pulled Brady down with me.

“How do you not know how to skate?” he asked.

I shrugged. “I never got around to it.”

Brady showed me how to skate, where to put my weight, and how to stop. He also told me that it was mostly about confidence. If you were overly worried about falling, you would.

“When you learned how to ride a bike, you probably were afraid of falling over, right?” asked Brady as he held my arm for a slow skate around the rink.

“I threw a fit when my dad took away my training wheels,” I said with a laugh.

“But when you finally felt like you could ride your bike without worrying about falling, you didn’t.”

“So I should just not worry? Wow, great advice,” I said.

Right then, Brady let me go. I nearly fell but managed to keep my balance this time. I kept skating, slowly gaining confidence with every second that passed without wiping out.

By the end, I felt more confident that I could learn how to skate. But even as I gained confidence, I had a hard time enjoying the ice.

Skating brought back a lot of memories I would’ve rather forgotten.

When I told Brady I needed a break, we sat down on a bench right outside the rink. Brady handed me a bottle of water.

“You seem like you’re far away,” he said.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I just want to know why. At least, if you want to tell me.”

This was maybe one of the first times I’d seen Brady unsure. It was also unusual to ask about my feelings like this. I was the one usually trying to get him to open up.

“There’s a reason I never learned how to skate,” I said quietly. I traced a line on my jeans, feeling suddenly vulnerable. “Ben was supposed to teach me. I’d been begging him for years, but he’d always told me he was too busy. The day he agreed to teach me, well ...”

I could feel Brady stiffen beside me. “Oh, Jesus.”

“Weird, right? The day my brother dies was the day he was supposed to teach me about his favorite sport.”

I shrugged. “I took it as a sign that I wasn’t meant to skate. Or maybe I just didn’t want to. It didn’t seem like a fun thing after that. It seemed cursed.”

Brady was silent for a long moment. I glanced over at him, and I could tell he was tense. Was he thinking about Ben? Or had I upset him by telling him all this?

“I’m sorry. I should’ve asked you if you wanted to skate,” Brady said finally.

“Oh, no.” I touched his arm, and his gaze flew to where my fingers rested on his skin. “Don’t apologize. This was fun. I wished I’d done this years earlier. It felt kind of therapeutic.”

I could feel the tension in Brady’s body slowly dissipate. He blew out a breath.

“I should take you home,” he said before helping me up.

Brady was quiet on the drive back to my house. I had all kinds of thoughts running through my brain. Was Brady thinking about Ben? Or had his brain returned to the earlier subject of our date?

I doubt he’s going to make a move on you when your parents are home, I thought to myself.

I really needed to get my own place if I wanted to get rid of this pesky virginity of mine.

I also needed to be brave. I couldn’t wait around for Brady to make the first move. Based on his ridiculous “rules,” he probably thought he wasn’t allowed to touch me until ten years into our marriage.

“Park down here,” I said.

“Wait, isn’t your house a few blocks from here?”

“Exactly. I don’t want my parents to see us on their security cam.”

Brady did as I said and turned off the car. “Why do I feel like I’m doing something illegal?”

“Why, are you planning on burglarizing somebody’s house after I go home?” I joked.

Brady didn’t laugh. I could tell he was tense again.

Before I could lose my nerve, I took off my seat belt and climbed over the front console, sitting in Brady’s lap.

With the steering wheel pressing into my back, we had only a few inches of space between our bodies. Brady’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you doing?” he growled.

“Making a move.” I pulled his head in for a kiss.

He seemed surprised at first, but it took only a millisecond before he groaned and deepened the kiss. Our lips and tongues moved in a rhythm that seemed to beat in the pit of my stomach.

Brady dug his fingers into my waist as the kiss intensified. I raked my fingers through his hair, loving the way he responded to my touch. He shivered when I scratched my nails on the nape of his neck.

“You’re playing with fire,” he rasped.

I could feel his erection pressing against my pussy. It only made me want him more. I wanted to feel how hard he was in my hands, feel him pulse against my fingers—

“I need to touch you,” I whispered.

Brady shook his head. “We can’t.”

I rubbed against him, making him grit his teeth. “Please,” I mewled.

Brady kissed me hard one last time and then said, “I’ll take you home.”

I could tell he wasn’t going to change his mind. I sighed and awkwardly returned to the passenger seat. I blushed when I realized that my dress had been pulled so high that Brady probably saw that I wasn’t wearing any panties.

The three blocks to my parents’ seemed like three thousand miles. It didn’t help that I was so horny I felt like I was going to burst. I could see Brady’s erection pressing against his pants. Weren’t blue balls painful? I didn’t understand how he could say no when his body was clearly desperate to say yes.

“Have a good night, Grace,” said Brady. He wouldn’t even look at me now.

“Oh, I will. With my vibrator.” I blew him a kiss as I got out of the car.

I heard Brady groan and say, “Damn, you’re evil,” making me laugh like a crazy woman.