Page 41 of Beast

I released a breath and paused to create a mental picture of this moment and freeze it in time. The peaceful lake, the majestic mountains, the sunlit sky.

My pleasure was pulsing in waves, and I began to moan. Grady seemed invigorated by my response, but instead of continuing, he pulled me off the edge of the tub.

I was sure he was about to fuck me, maybe bent over on the edge of the tub, but he had other plans. One press of the Jacuzzi buttons, and I trembled with anticipation.

“Come here, Isa. I’m gonna make you come so hard.”

He positioned me so I was kneeling inside the tub, the jets blasting between my legs.

“Oh, ohmigod.”

He slapped my ass, and I moaned. The palm of his hand tweaked my nipples as the rapid stream of water blasted my clit.

“That’s it, baby, come for me.”

I rolled my hips against the waves, and Grady pushed me flat against the jet.

“Oh my God!” The surge of water unleashed the most intense orgasm I’d ever had. I was out of my mind, riding the pleasure. I screamed Grady’s name, and he held me as I collapsed into his arms.

After I came back down to earth, I couldn’t stop laughing, delirious with pleasure. I reached to stroke his cock, eager to return the favor, but he just pushed my hand away. “I’m good. I just wanted to make you feel good.” He kissed my neck, and we relaxed into the bubbles. “That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

I’d never in my life experienced with anyone else the type of chemistry I had with Grady. That instant lust, that mad obsession, that constant longing. I knew what Grady and I had wasn’t love, it was something else. Something intoxicating.

And it terrified me.

24

Isa

Grady took off shortly after our sexy time in the bathtub. He said he had a few errands to run and to just make myself at home.

I enjoyed the solitude—I picked a book to read, watched an old dateline, and worked on my needlepoint.

When he returned in the early evening, he finally allowed me to make dinner for him. It was so nice to cook for someone.

After dinner, Grady relaxed in his chair, drinking his beer, his eyes steady on me. “The enchiladas were great. I didn’t expect you to be such a good cook.”

“Thanks. My mom used to make them for us. They were my dad’s favorite.” It was one of the last things she had done before she died—taught me all her family recipes. I remembered being so happy bonding with her, never anticipating that she had already made the decision to leave us.

He stood up, told me to wait for a second, and went upstairs. He emerged from his room a few minutes later clutching a shoebox. “I bought you something.”

My heart leapt the second I saw telltale suede sole.

“Dance shoes?”

“Yup. I remember watching you dance on the show when I was in the hospital. You were really good.” His lips widened, and half of his face seemed to smile.

“It was years ago. I’m sure I’ve forgotten how to dance.” But I quickly realized that was a lie. I remembered everything. Every arch of my foot, every beat of the rhythm, every sway of my back.

“The lady at the store told me these were the best. I looked at your shoes to get the right size.”

I wanted to kiss him. I hadn’t had new dance heels in years, and my old ones had been danced in until their soles were so barren that I would stub my toes on the floor. Even though I’d had money when I was on the show, those shoes were my lucky shoes. My mom had given them to me. “You shouldn’t have. I really don’t need them. I don’t even dance anymore. That was really sweet of you, but I can’t accept them.”

He walked over to me and knelt at my feet. His hand reached around my calf, and he took off my flip-flops and rubbed my toes.

I held back a moan. The touch of his hand on my feet made my flesh tingle. The second I slipped my arched foot into the three-and-a-half-inch Latin suede dance shoes, my heart sang, my body yearning to return to the floor.

“Thank you. I love them.” We stood up and I wrapped my arms around his neck. His strong arms encircled my waist, and for a moment, I thought he would kiss me. But he released me instead.