Page 44 of Perfect Harmony

“I pulled her over last night because shewas weaving. I thought she was drunk, but she was,” he took a gulp of hot coffee,wincing when it burned his throat, “she was taking off her bra.”

Preacher laughed. “Grace didn’t seem likethe type to just let it all hang out while she was driving. So, what, you arresther for public nudity?”

“She was still wearing her dress, dickhead.She just,” Gideon made an unhooking motion with his hand,” took it off from underher dress.”

“Okay, so what’s the issue?”

“I made her step out of the car because Ithought she was drinking and when she said it was because she was taking offher bra, I might have… temporarily lost my mind.”

He stared into his coffee as Preacher snorted.“Don’t stop now, it seems like it’s just getting to the good stuff.”

“You don’t need to know the details, but Idid a body search on her and she felt so fucking good and it was turning her onwhen I touched her. I knew it was and I was deliberately trying to turn her on.Anyway, at the end of it I told her she had a choice – she could get a ticketfor distracted driving or she could get in the back of my car and watch as I…”

Preacher grinned. “Nutted off on her?”

Gideon glared at him. “No. Went down on her.”

“Atta boy.” Preacher raised his coffee tohim. “I see you’ve been paying attention to my lectures about always makingyour woman come first.”

“Knock it off, ass face,” Gideon said. “Ido just fine with women without your damn lectures.”

“Oh yeah? When was the last time you fuckeda woman?” Preacher said.

“None of your business.”

“You haven’t fucked a woman since you movedhere, have you?” Preacher said.

“Did you hear me say it was none of yourbusiness, Preacher? Because I feel like I was pretty fucking clear,” Gideonsaid.

Preacher laughed. “Jesus, I would havethought you’d be in a much better mood this morning. You finally got a tasteof Grace. Isn’t that what you’ve been jerking off to for the last three years?”

“It didn’t happen,” he said.

Preacher scuffed at the coffee table withthe toe of his boot. “She chose the ticket instead of getting her pussy eaten?Does she know something I don’t know? I mean, just how bad are you at eating pussy?”

“She didn’t choose the ticket,” Gideon said.“We were at my car and she was about to get in when a call came over theradio.”

“Shit,” Preacher said.

“Yeah. It’s for the best though, right?”He stared at his best friend. “What I did was stupid and wrong and so fuckingmessed up. Tell me it was messed up.”

Preacher shook his head. “Nope. You wantGrace and she wants you. Stop being such an asshole and give her what you bothwant.”

“She’s on a date this morning with Lucas.”

Preacher dropped his feet to the floor witha hollowthwump.“That gamer dude? How do you know?”

“Saw them at Grind My Beans.” Gideonrubbed his temples. The caffeine had helped reduce the headache to a dull ache,but just thinking about Grace with Lucas was enough to bring it back to a full-onskull-rattling throb.

“Shit. Sorry, man.” Preacher stared athim with genuine sympathy. “It might not mean much though. One date doesn’tmean she’s gonna fucking marry him.”

Gideon leaned back and rested his head onthe couch before closing his eyes. “I hope she does start a relationship withhim. It’s better for both of us, if she does.”

“You keep telling yourself that, asshole,”Preacher said.

They lapsed into comfortable silence andGideon rubbed at his temples again. It was better this way. If she started arelationship with Lucas, Gideon would have no choice but to accept that shewasn’t his.

He couldn’t be with Grace and the sooner hefucking accepted that, the better.

---