Chapter Eighteen
The Vultures Circle
I was sweating like a whore in church. Why had I agreed to meet his family? As it was, my day had been stressful enough. I so did not need to add this tension to it.
It started that morning with me going to a client’s house and waiting while the movers packed her stuff and loaded it for a move to Boston. When they arrived, I inquired as to how long they expected to be. Six hours they assured me. Eight hours later, I was still waiting even though I should have been at my apartment getting dressed. Not standing in a kitchen pacing back and forth with enough anxiety to cover a whole football team before the big championship game.
Since my client assured me she would be home at three o’clock and it was now four, I did what any sane person would do. I called my client and reminded her that I needed to be somewhere, and that I couldn’t get out of it. I asked her if she could be home within the hour. The crazy bitch – who grew up in Jersey thinking she was some sort of princess – had the nerve to text me back with a “hmmm, no I have to get cocktails with friends at five.” Drinks! My client’s need to get drunk was forcing me to be late and giving Grant’s family more ammo against me.
I slammed my phone down on the counter and kicked the cabinet. I was in full out hissy mode. I was so angry I felt like crying. I hated not being able to control a situation. This was out of my hands unless I wanted to walk out, leave random strangers with her stuff and potentially lose clients when Monica flipped her shit and told all her friends not to trust me.
That couldn’t happen. Which meant I was at her mercy and had no choice but to suck it up and finish up the day.
Grant was understanding. He told me he’d meet me at my apartment whenever I was ready. I didn’t know if he was being so cool because he knew how freaked out I was or if he just really hated the idea of spending any more time at his parents’ house than he needed to.
When I finally got to leave Monica’s house, it took me almost five full minutes to flag down a taxi. Then I sat in traffic trying to get back to my place. While Grant sat in my living room conducting business on his phone, I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get dressed as fast as possible. I poked a hole in my favorite pair of silk stockings and had to dig through my drawers for another pair. Then I couldn’t find the black peep toe pumps that I wanted to wear with my dress.
I was really beginning to panic when Grant strutted into the room with the shoes dangling from his fingers. He dropped them on the bed and then wrapped me up in his arms. His soft kiss immediately calmed me. I loved the way he could have that effect on my mind and body.
Grant’s hand squeezing my knee brought me back to the present. I glanced over at him and he gave me a small, reassuring smile.
His family was worse than vultures. They were hateful, self-centered, despicable creatures. Not a one of them had a single nice thing to say to either Grant or myself since we got here.
It started with his mother, Brenda, looking me up and down, like I was lacking and walking away without so much as a hello. His father, Jonathan, practically grabbed my ass. He looked just like the man we ran into at the gala that Grant obviously couldn’t stand. In a quiet moment, I asked Grant about it, and he informed me the unknown man was his father’s brother, Lucas.
Grant’s brother, Trent, couldn’t spare two words when we arrived. And his sister-in-law, Gabriela, looked like she wanted to spit nails in my face all night. I had caught numerous catty looks coming from her. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why she appeared to harbor resentment for me.
All that I have said so far is hello and it’s nice to meet you. Whether or not that was true, had yet to be seen.
“So, Elizabeth. What is it that you do again?” Trent asked me from across the dining room table. He looked a lot like Grant, although he was leaner and his eyes weren’t as blue. The resemblance was uncanny though.
I cleared my throat and wiped my mouth with my napkin. “I’m a personal concierge.”
“And what exactly does a personal concierge do?” Gabriela chimed in. She said concierge with such disdain that I had to stop myself from cringing in response.
Grant squeezed my knee again and spoke. “You know what a concierge does. You wouldn’t dare stay at a hotel that didn’t have one.”
“I cater to high-end clients who have a need for a part-time assistant to help with things that they need to get done but don’t have time to do themselves,” I chimed in wanting to alleviate the building tension around the table.
“Well isn’t that lovely? You’re an errand girl,” Gabriela sneered. “Brenda, didn’t you say there was an article calling her an escort?” She turned back to me with that catty f*cking grin.
“Speaking of which, did you have anything to do with that article mother? Corinne seemed to think you did?” Grant asked.
Brenda’s botoxed face barely registered a change. Her eyebrows did lift about a millimeter though. Or at least I think they did.
“What would I stand to gain by sparking such a vicious rumor and dragging the Morgan name through the mud? Maybe you should ask Corinne that same question. She’s been after your affections for years. Not that I wouldn’t be thrilled if you finally came to your senses and made her your wife, but that isn’t how I operate, son. If I called your girlfriend an escort, I would have no problem letting my name be tied to that accusation. And I wouldn’t hesitate to tell her to her face she was a slutty prostitute.” She turned her head and aimed her cold eyes on me, giving me a pointed look.
Well then. It was clear to see what his family thought of me.
“You’re just like your grandfather, Devereaux. Taking in stray pets and thinking you can save them. He was helplessly na?ve and stupidly idealistic as well.” His father sat back in his chair and sipped his wine.
“That’s enough,” Grant barked and slammed his napkin on the table.
“Excuse me,” I mumbled and stood, walking quickly to the bathroom down the hall. I had to get out of there before I completely lost my mind. Those people were just completely awful. I had never been around such hateful people in all my life.
In the high-end bathroom, I freshened up and took a few minutes to compose myself. I couldn’t let those people get to me. That was exactly what they wanted. They might have come here tonight for his mother’s birthday, but they were all staying to humiliate me. Grant had enough on his mind with clients and trials. He didn’t need his family being an added stressor. He needed me to be strong and stand my ground.
I was strong enough to take a few licks for my man.
I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath before opening the door. As soon as I stepped into the hallway, I was confronted by Gabriela. She was leaning against the wall with her perfectly toned arms crossed. She had on a gorgeous red dress that showcased quite a bit of her legs. Her blonde hair was cut in a bob that fell to just above her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled green and were shooting daggers at me.
“Gabriela,” I murmured and tried to walk by her. Her words stopped me cold, though.
“He’s just sleeping with you because he can’t have me.”
I turned woodenly and looked at her in shock. Where did she get off making such an outrageous claim? She was his sister-in-law for God’s sake. Sure, she was beautiful, but Grant had more taste than that. Of that I was sure.
“Excuse me?” I cocked my head and waited for a reply.
“You heard me. I’m the only one he ever has and ever will love.” The tone alone in her voice made me want to vomit, but the words she uttered left me breathless.
“You’re delusional.”
She laughed an evil laugh at that. “Am I? Why don’t you ask Grant about the two years we spent together and our subsequent engagement? Or even our child? I’m a part of his past that you will never be able to match.”
Gabriela studied my face with sharp eyes. I tried not to give away my surprise at her words. Child? That couldn’t be. Don’t you think Grant would have shared something like that? And why was she married to Trent if she had a history with Grant?
“I can see he didn’t tell you. Makes sense really. Why would he tell you that I’m the one he pictures when he’s f*cking you? You know, sometimes I can still imagine him buried deep inside me. I’m sure you know what I mean.”
I watched in utter shock as she walked away from me and disappeared down the hall. Her verbal blows left me feeling winded. My mind raced back to when Grant assured me her kissing him on the cheek meant nothing that morning that Maya saw him. If what she was saying was true, then he lied to me. I couldn’t bear the thought that I had been wrong about him all this time.
I used the wall to guide my faltering steps. It felt as if the floor had come out from under me, and I could barely stand. I needed a quiet place to sit and think.
The door to a bedroom was cracked open, and I pushed it open, hoping to find some solace. Instead, I found Grant with his head in his hands. His body was hunched over, and he looked defeated. Maybe he was upset by the fact that he had to sit across from Gabriela and not be able to have her the way he wanted.
“Grant?” I asked hesitantly and shut the door behind me.
He made a non-committal noise in the back of his throat and didn’t look up. Regardless of the fact that my heart felt like it was being stomped on after my encounter with Gabriela, it still went out to him and how clearly he was hurting.
Maybe I had more issues than I realized if I could feel sorry for the man who was using me.
“What’s the matter?” I slowly crossed the open space separating us.
“I can’t even pretend anymore.” He shook his head and let out a mirthless laugh. Oh God. He couldn’t pretend to not be in love with her. I thought I was going to be sick. My hand settled on my stomach, and I braced for his confession.
“I can’t pretend that what they do doesn’t affect me. I’m mortified by the way they treated you and the way they continue to desecrate Devereaux’s memory.”
“You mean this isn’t about Gabriela?” I stupidly asked and then covered my mouth when I realized what I had said.
He looked up at me with a confused expression. “Other than the fact that she is a blood sucking bitch, what could you possibly mean?”
In for a penny, in for a pound, I thought. “She told me about your engagement and your child together. She said you still love her.” I looked down and studied my shoes not wanting him to see the pain reflected in my eyes at the thought.
“You mean she told you that she aborted my child and ran off to marry my brother? And you could honestly believe I still loved her?” He asked me disbelievingly.
“She… what?”
“Yes, she led me on for years. I was young and stupid, believing that this beautiful girl I had grown up with finally returned my feelings for her.”
“Is she the young girl in the picture with you and your brother?” I interrupted, referring to the picture in his house now that I was finally starting to put two and two together.
“Yes. The three of us were inseparable when we were younger. My brother couldn’t care less about her as we got older though, so it was just Gabriela and me. I thought she understood me. That she was like me. When she found out she was pregnant, I proposed. I was on cloud nine, excited for the chance to be a father. I was going to raise my kid the way I wished I had been raised. Teach him all the things my grandfather taught me. We were going to be a family that was the opposite of mine.”
“I had no idea.” I stepped closer to him and put my hands on his shoulders. He gripped my waist, pulled me closer and rested his head on my stomach. His angst was seeping from every pore on his body. His pain was so palpable it was choking me.
“She killed him. She killed my child.” A sob came from deep in his chest. “That bitch killed my flesh and blood. She was almost three months pregnant when she did it. I heard his tiny little heart beating during her ultrasound. He had little arms for God’s sake. And then she took it all away so she could marry my brother and have the man she should have had in the first place. That’s what she told me. That Trent finally realized she was the one for him, but he didn’t want my child to come between them.”
He looked up at me with tears swimming in his eyes.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” I whispered and ran my fingers through his dark hair.
“So am I,” he whispered in return.
“You are so much more than these people. You are so much better than them. You’re loving and caring and sweet. Don’t let them get you down. Please, baby. You are the strongest and most loving man I know. I wish you could see what I see when I look at you.”
“Am I? Sometimes I wonder if I’m no better than them. They raised me, Elizabeth. Their blood runs through my veins. I’ve been known to destroy people when they get in my way, just like they do.”
“You don’t do it for sport.” I argued. “And you said so yourself, your grandfather taught you to be the man that you are today. You have his blood in your veins too.”
“Thank you,” he whispered and rested his forehead on my stomach again. My fingers began their journey through his hair again. My nails scored his scalp in an effort to relax him.
“You know,” he looked up at me with so much love shining in his eyes that I had to suck in my breath. "When I was a young boy listening to stories from my grandfather about my grandmother, I dreamed of a woman who would make me feel loved. Who would make me feel complete. I dreamed of you, Elizabeth."
“Oh, Grant,” I breathed and it was my turn to have tears in my eyes. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. With the sadness and vulnerabilities that these monsters created in him, he needed to know exactly how I felt. “I love you so much, baby.”
“You do?” My heart broke at how surprised he was by my declaration.
I nodded and smiled. “How could I not?”
He smiled back at me, and it made my heart flutter. I could feel his fingertips running up my outer thighs and brushing the top of my silk stockings.
“Grant,” I moaned when his fingers swept under the elastic of my panties in a teasing whisper of a touch.
“Spread your legs,” he commanded, and my body obeyed without question.
His fingers probed me and made me wet instantly. My head fell back, and my breathing sped up to match the rhythm of my heart. He inserted his finger inside me, and my muscles clenched. His thumb put pressure on my sweet spot, making my hips instinctively push towards him.
I heard his other hand fumbling with his belt, but what that meant didn’t register until he pushed my black and white flowered dress up my legs and pulled my body down so I was straddling him. He pulled my underwear to the side, exposing my opening to him.
“Someone could walk in,” I said with a moan when the head of his cock teased my *.
“I don’t care. I need you desperately right now.” He lowered me down over him and groaned low and long as I seated myself on him.
I rocked on him slowly, trying not to make too much noise. He looked up at me as I looked down on him, our eyes never leaving each other. It was the most intimate experience I had had with him so far.
His thumb went to our connection and began circling and rubbing me in just the right spot. Our breathing became louder and more labored as I rode him harder and faster.
“Say it,” he demanded and I tried to focus on his words, but I was close to the precipice and couldn’t make sense of them.
“Say you love me,” he clarified and my p-ssy clenched him tightly at his words.
“I love you,” I whispered brokenly when my orgasm washed over me. Grant took over the motions and moved me up and down his length until he planted himself deep inside me, and I felt him coming.
When reality came crashing back on me, I felt self-conscious about the fact we just had sex in what appeared to be his childhood bedroom while anyone could have caught us.
Grant held me closer to him when I tried to get up.
“Move in with me,” he whispered against my mouth after giving me a hot and sweet kiss.
“It’s too soon,” I replied, not wanting to hurt his feelings, but not ready to take that step either. He wasn’t the only one who didn’t know how to do this relationship thing. I was trying my hardest to make this work and not lose myself.
“But I love you,” he whispered again. My heart soared when he uttered those words. They made me feel warm and cozy inside. I guess I needed to hear them almost as much as he did.
“I love you too, but I’m not ready. Soon. I promise.”
“Fine. I’m going to keep asking though. One day I’ll wear you down,” he said playfully.
“I hope you do.”
A noise in the hall had us breaking apart. He pulled out of me, and I was thankful to see that he was smart enough to put a condom on while I was going out of my mind with his fingers f*cking me. After our last faux pas, I really needed to try to be more aware of that stuff.
“What do you say we go home?” He asked, pulling me towards the door.
“I can handle it if we stay,” I offered even though I really didn’t want to spend any more time here.
“No. I want to leave. The night is still young and I’ve only just begun to show you how much it means to me that you love me.”
My body trembled in anticipation. “Yes, please.”
He laughed and pulled me down the hall. We said a short goodbye and then left, neither of us looking back nor caring. And when we got home, Grant showed me his appreciation in more ways than I ever imagined.