Page 65 of Trusting Fate (Hope Falls: Brewed Awakenings 2)

20

Grace openedher eyes and the first thing she was aware of was the feeling of being watched. She turned her head to the side and saw that Easton was still sound asleep beside her. If it wasn’t him who was looking at her then…she glanced down and saw the perfectly wing-lined eyes of Cleo boring into her as she sat at the end of the bed and licked one paw.

That cat was a villain in a Bond movie. If looks could kill, Grace would have been dead. Animals usually loved Grace; it was so strange to have one so obviously hate her. Although, if there was anyone who could inspire two females of different species to turn on each other, it was the man lying beside her.

She turned her head and took the opportunity to study Easton’s features. His dark eyelashes were resting on his high cheekbones. His strong jaw was peppered with stubble that had rubbed against Grace’s inner thighs last night. His lips were the perfect balance of full and firm. She wasn’t sure how someone could be so beautiful and masculine at the same time.

Easton Bishop was an alien. He had to be. He couldn’t possibly be from this planet. He was kind, hard-working, honest, funny, and he’d devoted his life to the service of others. He was both a go-with-the-flow, yoga loving, meditating, spiritual being and also a commanding, authoritative, dominating alpha with a capital A.

From his appearance, to his demeanor, to his energy the man was a walking dichotomy. Forget alien, he was a freaking unicorn. A unicorn with a very big horn and he knew how to use it.

She’d fantasized and dreamed about what being with Easton would be like. In her experience fantasies and dreams never lived up to the reality. Her getting her partnership was the perfect example. She’d thought about what that would feel like for years. She’d fantasized about what she would be wearing, what would be said, what the offer would be.

And when it happened, she felt nothing.

That was not the case with Easton. Being with him hadn’t lived up to her fantasies and dreams, it had surpassed them. Last night had been euphoria. And she wasn’t just talking about the orgasms, although all three of those had been spectacular, but they didn’t come close to what the actual act itself had been. She lost herself in it completely.

Physically, yes, they’d had sex. But that experience had been so much more than physical to her. The way he looked in her eyes, the way he knew exactly where to touch her, how to touch her, and what she needed. He’d been so in tune to her body, like she was a piano, and he was Chopin or Beethoven.

She felt something pressing on her leg and looked down to see Cleo kneading the comforter and shooting daggers at her. As much as she wanted to ignore the feline’s obsessive energy, snuggle into Easton’s warm arms and drift back off to sweet slumber, her bladder had other ideas.

As carefully as she could she slid out from under Easton’s arm and slipped out of bed. Before she’d even taken two steps Cleo had curled up next to Easton taking Grace’s spot. She couldn’t blame the cat for wanting to be next to him. Like Viv so tastelessly pointed out, he was a pussy magnet.

When she got into the bathroom a chill shook through her and she grabbed Easton’s long sleeved shirt that he’d been wearing the night before. As she slipped it on, she inhaled deeply. That was another thing she could add to his dichotomy-appeal, his scent. It was musky but fresh. Like rain mixed with citrus.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, Grace decided to head downstairs and put on a pot of coffee. She slipped on Easton’s slippers, which he’d also left in the bathroom and padded down the stairs. It was Thanksgiving Day, and she was due over at her sister Ava’s house in the afternoon, but she could get some work done before then.

She’d planned on taking the day off completely to give her body a day to recover, but thanks to Easton’s massage and triple orgasms she was feeling like a brand-new woman. No reason to let that all this newfound energy go to waste.

As she stepped into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee going, she noticed the decorative calendar hanging on the wall. It was so strange the way time was passing since she’d been working on the reno. The days felt so long but they were going by so fast. In just a few weeks they’d be done filming the show.

Then what? She’d told Easton that sex would be on the table, but since that had happened last night would he be interested in it continuing post show? And if he was, for how long?

What would a relationship, an actual relationship, with Easton Bishop look like?

From what he’d told her about his past relationships, he didn’t have the same commitment issues as she did, but all of his relationships had ended because the women he was with wanted forever.

She’d never thought she’d be a woman who wanted forever, but with Easton…

The hiss and crackle of the water coming to a boil was lulling her as she ruminated on her future when she heard a knock on the door that scared the crap out of her.

Her eyes flew to the digital clock on the microwave. It was five a.m. Who would be at the door at five in the morning?

The only thing she could think was that it had something to do with production. Something must have happened to the house. Was there a break-in? Had it been vandalized? Her mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario, flood, fire, a tree falling on it (there was nothing to say lightening couldn’t strike twice).

She rushed to the door and flung it open expecting Maura to be standing on the other side, but instead she saw an older couple standing there. The woman was an attractive, petite brunette with a short bob cut that had strings of silver running through it. The man beside her looked like the first image results if you googled “mountain man.” He had to be close to Easton’s height or taller, which meant he was at least six four, and despite his age looked to be a solid mass of muscle. Beside them they each had bags and both the man and woman looked at her expectantly.

It was their expressions that caused Grace to remember that she wasn’t at “home.” She was staying at a bed and breakfast. This couple must be here because they wanted to rent a room.

“Shelby?” the woman asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Oh no, I’m Grace.”

“Oh, I thought you looked different,” the woman chuckled and looked up at her husband, who looked just as confused as Grace felt.

She was stepping to the side to let the couple in from the cold when she heard Easton’s deep voice behind her.

“Mom? Dad?”

---