Sweet Something (Sweet #1) (6 page)

He grinned at the feeling of her pulling him closer and he slid the condom on. He then shifted his weight onto his hands.

Her body was soft under him. Her breasts pushed up against his chest. The feeling of her naked skin on his was enough to push him past the thought of what he was getting himself into. He nibbled at her bottom lip as his hand gripped her hip, holding her still so he could slide inside of her.

“Tyler––”

It was a soft plea; asking, begging, wanting for him to be inside her. And he gave her what she wanted.

He slid in slowly, taking his time to let her adjust before he pulled out. He moaned when he was all the way in, and felt her insides clench around him.

“Fuck!” he said, while moaning again as he pulled out and pushed back in.

He started on a slow, steady pace, pushing her closer with every thrust.

He could feel his body start to tense and his release approaching at the sound of her moans. His hands roamed up her body, over her breasts, and gripped her wrists, pulling her arms up over her head.

Pinning her with his hands, their fingers intertwined and locked together, he started pushing faster as he nibbled on the soft skin below her ear.

“Grace, you feel so good! I don’t want to stop.”

“Don’t stop! Fuck me harder!” she whispered between moans as her lips brushed against his neck.

He tightened his grip on her fingers as a growl vibrated deep from his chest, and he pushed himself in deeper, slamming into her, hard, just the way she wanted it.

“Say it again, tell me to fuck you!”

“Fuck me Tyler! Fuck me!”

He bit down on her shoulder, groaning as she clenched down around him and her legs began to quiver. He knew she was close, and he pulled out only to thrust right back into her. Her back arched, pushing her hips up to meet his thrust, pushing him in deeper. Her body was crashing, falling, flying into bliss. His last thrust ignited a pleasure that took over her body. With her hips writhing and her moans in his ear, he pulled out again and held his position, watching her fall apart underneath him before he slid deeply into her one last time and found his own release. And that was enough to send Grace exploding into pleasure with her own orgasm.

They both lay still, trying to regain the strength to move. His head rested on her shoulder and his hands rubbed her arms. He thought to himself,
what the fuck just happened?
One minute he was telling himself he wanted to be alone, and the next minute he found himself in bed with the woman who had been driving him crazy for the past two weeks.  He could feel her heart beating; quick, strong, steady beats as he kissed the base of her neck where it was pulsating.

The room was quiet. It was dark outside and a storm had rolled in. The only gentle noise came from a buoy in the harbor, the rain falling on the roof, and Grace’s heartbeat in Tyler’s ear. He knew every sound and creak of the house since he spent most nights awake, lying in bed thinking about his life and what went wrong. For once, his mind wasn’t running a mile a minute. The only thing on his mind right now was how much he was enjoying this moment and the feeling of Grace in his arms. It had been a long time since he let himself feel anything. The last few months he walked around feeling numb—feeling lost as if he were walking around in a fog—until now.

“Are you alright,” he said as he pulled his shirt over his head and searched the room for the rest of his clothes. Grace was the most beautiful thing he ever laid eyes on; he was completely mesmerized by her body. He watched her as she got dressed, never taking his eyes off her.

“Yeah, you’re sweet Tyler. I really had a good time with you tonight. I want you to know I don’t normally

do this. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with anyone, or even on a date. Denny was my last . . .”

He walked across the room to where she was standing and took her hand in his. “Grace, you don’t have to explain anything to me. You are an amazing, beautiful woman, and Denny is an ass for letting you go. I have to tell you, I was not looking for this when I came to Bar Harbor, but the night I saw you at Geddy’s made me want to know more about you. I wanted you, Grace. Hell, I still do, and I just had you not even half an hour ago,” he said and pulled her in for a kiss; a slow kiss with his tongue and lips taking another taste of what he couldn’t get enough of, and what he wanted more of.

CHAPTER NINE

       It had been two days since Grace had seen Tyler. He made a permanent mark on her heart, and it scared her. She found herself thinking about him during the day, and at night when she was in bed. She could feel something inside of her changing. The walls around her heart were coming down piece by piece every time she thought of him, and she found herself smiling a little more than usual. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was ready to forget about Denny and move on.

“Grace, come on! We are going to be late, and happy hour is almost over at Geddy’s!” Paige yelled into the hallway.

“I am going, and happy hour is not over for another two hours. You really have been gone too long if you have forgotten what time happy hour ends at Geddy’s.”

“I know it’s not over for another two hours, but that’s two extra hours of half-priced drinks, and I could use a few cheap drinks. This has been a rough year, and as an artist, I don’t make the kind of money to be buying drinks at full price. So get your ass in the car; Autumn is waiting for us.”

     It had been a long time since all three Carter sisters spent a night out together, and it was exactly what they needed.

   “You guys are finally here! What took so long? Did Grace hog up the bathroom again?” Autumn asked, as she came around the bar holding three beers.

“Give me that! No, I did not hog up the bathroom. You hog the bathroom up all the time and you know that,” Grace said, as she found a seat at the bar while taking a sip of her beer.

“Hand it over sister! I need these coming all night, so if you see my glass getting close to empty, have another one ready. This is going to be a ‘get shit-faced’ kind of night,” Paige said, slipping onto the bar stool next to Grace. Autumn went back to work behind the bar.

“This place hasn’t changed at all. It’s the same way I remember it when I was younger. Do you remember the night you brought me and Autumn here for dinner when I graduated from high school? This was the last place we had dinner together before I left for New York,” Paige said as she looked around. It was like she never left. Everything was the same. The house, the town, and Geddy’s. All of the places she loved spending time in never changed. Only her. Every minute she was back home, she felt herself missing her life in Bar Harbor, and started to wonder why she even left in the first place. Something caught her eye in the back of the bar near the corner; it was a man sitting alone drinking what looked like whisky. Something about him pulled her in. Her eyes took in his face, the stubble that ran across his jaw, and his deep green eyes. He looked up and saw her staring and nodded before throwing back the last of his drink. Something in his eyes trapped her in that moment. It was like a magnet pulling her in as his gaze met hers. She could sense the turmoil in his eyes. He looked like he was trying to get over a long day. It was a look she had never seen in a man before, and was enough to peak her curiosity to know who he was. She turned to Grace and looked back at him one more time, watching him as he got up and paid for his drink.

   “Who is that?” she asked.

Grace looked over to the end of the bar and back at Paige. Everyone knew who he was. He grew up in Bar Harbor and was running his dad’s hardware store for the past four years. The women loved him, as did the entire town. After his father was diagnosed with cancer, he took over the family business without any questions and was running it ever since.

“You don’t remember who that is?” Grace said.

“No. Who is that?”

“That is Grayson Wilder.”

Paige watched him as he pulled his keys out of his pocket and gave her one last look. He waved before he turned and walked out the door. She knew who Grayson Wilder was. She remembered him from when they were kids. They had most of their classes together all through middle school. He was also her lab partner in high school. They were never really friends, and would talk only when necessary in school. She knew he kept to himself a lot, and when she left Bar Harbor, she heard he got accepted to some college in Maine. That was the last time she ever heard about Grayson Wilder . . . until now. He wasn’t the same kid from high school anymore. He was a man; a man who could melt you with the gaze of his deep green eyes and make you get lost in them forever. She took another sip of her beer still thinking about the way he looked sitting at the end of the bar. His blonde hair was tousled and spiky. There was stubble on his face that looked like he hadn’t shaved in three days, but still made him look sexy. His blazing emerald green eyes cut straight into her.

“Ready for another one, or are you still good with that one?” Autumn asked Paige, holding another beer out for her.

“Yes, thank you. I am going to need another one after seeing Grayson Wilder tonight.”

“I thought your thing was hot Italian men. What happened to that one guy?” Autumn asked.

Paige told Grace about Dominic, but never got around to telling Autumn he left her. She took a long swig of her beer and set it down on the bar, looking straight at her sister as she told her everything.

“Everything will be fine Paige. You know you have a home here with us. It’s nice to have you back home again. We missed you.”

“I know, and it’s nice to be home. It really is. I am just not sure what I want to do with my life right now. I just

want to take it one day at a time. Speaking of one day at a time, Grace . . . how is your hot neighbor boyfriend? It’s been a couple of days since you’ve seen him, right?”

Grace shifted in her chair and her mind starting racing with thoughts of the night she spent with Tyler. A smile crossed her lips as she thought about him, and she felt something in her chest tighten. It had been a long time since she found herself smiling at the thought of another man. She was starting to like the feeling.

“He is busy. We have both been busy, and there just hasn’t been enough time,” she said.

  “Oh really? If you guys are so busy, why have I seen him three times in the last two days looking out of his bedroom window at our house? That doesn’t sound like a man who is busy to me. Actually, that sounds like a man who is into my sister, but my sister is in ‘complete scared to open up to someone else’ mode,” Paige said, looking right at her sister.

Her sister was right, but Grace was scared to open up to someone else. She was scared to let someone in, and even more afraid of giving her heart to someone else.

“Well, it looks like he had a spot open on his calendar because he just walked in,” Autumn said, as the other two sisters turned in their chairs watching him walk through the door.

His eyes found Grace in an instant and never looked away as he made his way through the crowd of people and over to where she was. His dark whisky-brown eyes were warm and inviting as he got closer. She felt a tingle deep in her belly. It was the same tingle he gave her the night in his bed when his lips touched her body.

“Hi Grace,” he said, smiling. “I knew I would find you here. I went to your house first, but no one was home.” His smile turned into a sexy grin when his eyes took in the sight of her body and the way she looked.

“Hi,” she said. Words failed her at seeing him standing in front of her. It was like she was seeing him for the first time every time she saw him. It was more than a physical attraction pulling her toward him. Something about the way he looked at her and the way he made her feel had her losing all self-control.

“We were just talking about you two,” Paige said with a grin. “What are the chances of you walking in at that very moment? It’s like fate worked its artistic magic and brought you here.”

Autumn laughed as she wiped down the bar and handed Tyler a beer. “This is from that divine artistic magic that brought you here. It’s on the house.”

“Thank you, but I don’t think it was magic that brought me here as much as it was the need to see your beautiful sister,” he said. He took a sip of his beer, watching her watch him.

The look in her eyes almost stopped his heart. The last two days had been torture for him. He found himself thinking about Grace every minute of every day. She consumed his every thought, and now seeing her again took

his breath away. One night with her wasn’t going to be enough, and he knew it.

“Do you mind if I steal her away for a minute? I promise to return her in five minutes. I just wanted to talk to her outside . . . if that’s ok with you, Grace.”

“Actually, Autumn and I were thinking of hitting up the music bar down the street. She gets off in a few minutes and I know that is really not Grace’s thing. This is perfect! You can keep her company while we go grab some drinks at the music bar,” Paige said.

Everyone turned and looked at Grace, waiting for her answer. She knew what her sisters were up to and was going to kill them . . . or thank them in the morning if the night went well.

“So, what do you say Grace? Let me walk you home again.  I think I know the way this time.”

“But you just got here and only had one drink. You’re ready to leave just like that?”

“I came here looking for you. I found you, and now I want to walk you home. Unless you would like to stay here and have another drink?” He hoped like hell another drink wasn’t on her mind because he really wanted to get her back home and show her how he was feeling.

Grace looked at her sisters, and then back at Tyler. “Are you two going to be alright without me?” she asked.

“We are going to be more than fine. And by the looks of it, so are you. Go have fun! I can take care of my baby sister.”

     “Hey! I don’t need someone taking care of me.”

“Sure you do! You just don’t know it yet. We’ll call you if we need you Grace, but I have a feeling we are going to be alright on our own. You will probably be too busy to come get us out of trouble,” Paige said as she jumped down from the bar stool. “Maybe I will get lucky and run into Grayson again tonight. That could lead to loads of fun.”

“Grayson doesn’t usually go to places like that. He is very quiet. You would probably scare him with your carefree and flirtatious personality. You are a lot to handle, and men like Grayson wouldn’t know where to start with you,” Autumn said as they walked out of Geddy’s.

“So, what’s it going to be? Shall we get another drink, or are you ready to get out of here?” Tyler asked.

  “Well, since I don’t normally drink more than two beers, I would say now is a good time to get out of here.”

“Come on, beautiful. I will lead the way,” he said, taking her hand in his as they walked out the door and into the cold night.

He pulled her up against his body and slid his arm around her waist, keeping her warm as they walked down Main Street. It was a windy night and he felt her shiver as he pulled her closer while giving her a quick kiss. Public displays of affection were not usually his thing, but being with Grace made him feel different. She made him feel like he could finally breathe after what seemed like a lifetime of trying to find his way out of the dark. She was that light

for him, and showed him things could be different. He wasn’t ready to give up just yet even though they both have intimacy issues.

“So, are you still avoiding me? Or is it safe to say I can call you and maybe take you out for a real dinner sometime?” he asked.

“I think you just asked me now, and my answer is yes. I would love to go out with you for a real dinner. Our last dinner together was one I will not forget anytime soon.” She smiled as she thought about the last dinner she had with him.

“I would really love to know what you are thinking about right now because that smile you’ve got going on is telling me it is something I would really enjoy doing again with you,” he said and stopped, turning her to face him. He slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her closer until their lips were inches apart. His lips tipped in a sexy smile and he leaned in, kissing her slowly as his fingers wound themselves in her hair.

  “Your lips always taste so good; just like strawberries,” he said as he smiled and tugged on her hand as they continued their walk.

It was only a short walk, but the time she did spend with him, especially moments like these, made her rethink giving up on love. For the first time in over a year she was ready to try. Tyler had made his way into her heart without her even knowing it.

       “This is me,” she said, as they stood in front of her house.

“Come home with me tonight, Grace. Stay with me tonight. I want to spend all night with you and wake up next to you, then take you out for breakfast.”

His words sent her heart spiraling. The thought of spending all night with Tyler and waking up next to him was enough to make her insides clench in the most delicious way. One night with him wasn’t going to be enough, and she knew that, but right now she was happy to take that one night and leave her fears behind and do what made her happy for once. And right now—with Tyler standing in front of her, looking at her like she was his world, and about to eat her up like the big bad wolf—Grace was more than happy.

“Ok, let me just get some things and leave a note for my sisters.”

“Wait! I want to do something real quick before you go inside,” he said and smiled. “I want to kiss you again right here. It was the first place I got to kiss you, and your sisters were watching us. I didn’t get to kiss you the way I wanted to.”