Alyssa's Choice (3 page)

“Did, um…I mean, did Grant force himself on you?” Hannah’s face was priceless, and Alyssa felt guilty for making everything seem so dramatic.

“No. No. No. Grant spanked me. Then he gave me the best orgasm of my life. After that, I was so horrified that I couldn’t even look at him as he followed me to my motel room. We haven’t spoken since, not really. Justin tries to get us talking, but I can’t seem to look at Grant.” Her shoulders slumped after saying it aloud. It really was silly.

“Why not just tell him? I’m sure if you just say something, he would understand. How do you know that he isn’t talking to you because he feels guilty for spanking you? You’re just embarrassed because you enjoyed it. That’s not a bad thing. I love everything that Reese and Logan do to me. Be honest with yourself and do them the courtesy of telling them what you want,” Hannah told her.

“Maybe you’re right.” Alyssa took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’ve been so stuck on what I’m feeling that I haven’t even looked at Grant. Poor Justin. He’s been on double duty trying to convince me to go on a date. Please don’t tell Bella and Jessica about this. I’m not ready to share. Let’s go, I’m sure Reese and Logan are waiting for you at the pub. I’ll lock up and we can walk over.” Alyssa went to the back and got her purse. She walked out, ready to leave. She opened the door and held it for Hannah to walk through. She turned around and locked up the store.

Alyssa headed down the street toward the pub with Hannah by her side. She stopped, turned, and hugged her, grateful for someone to tell. “Thanks. You are a wise woman. I never gave a second thought to what Grant might be feeling. I have something to think about now.” She grabbed her arm, and they walked together toward the pub and toward Grant and Justin. It was time to talk to them. It was time to confront the situation.

They walked into the pub, and Alyssa felt nervous and out of place. She pulled Hannah closer, needing the support, needing someone to lean on. Grant and Justin were standing at the bar talking. They were both so beautiful it astounded her. Men weren’t usually called beautiful. They were usually referred to as ruggedly handsome, but looking at them both, they were perfection. She felt lacking. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that they were interested in her.

“Everyone should be here soon. We were just gonna set up a large table over toward the wall. We could use some help.” Justin walked out from behind the bar and started pushing tables together. Alyssa felt like they had interrupted their conversation. Justin seemed nervous. He moved around the pub, his motions jerky as if his muscles were all flexed and he couldn’t fully relax.

Hannah pulled away from Alyssa and walked over to where Justin was working. She stood there alone, feeling a bit awkward and tense, all her senses on alert. Justin and Hannah were talking quietly. She couldn’t quite make out what they were saying.

Alyssa turned her attention back toward Grant, who stood still, leaning against the bar, watching her closely. He had a strong jaw with clean, angular lines. It looked like he hadn’t shaved in a few days, or it could’ve been the lighting. She started to fidget, pushing her hair behind her ears, wondering if she should’ve looked in a mirror before leaving the store. Was her outfit okay? Should she have reapplied her makeup or changed her clothes to something other than a plain pair of jeans and a T-shirt?

Grant’s eyes flared. He gave her a slight grin, and Alyssa swallowed the lump in her already-dry throat. He had a way of looking right through her, making her feel weak and needy. She felt her knees shaking and wanted to sit down, but she couldn’t seem to move. It was like her feet were glued to the floor.

Instead of letting the internal self-destructive path continue and allowing Grant to have power of the situation, Alyssa took her power back. She stood straight, squared her shoulders, and gave him a dangerous look in return. At her obvious change in composure, Grant arched his eyebrow and stood straighter. He crossed his arms over his broad chest, stared her straight in the eye, smirked, and moved his eyes down her body, lingering on her intimate places. She felt as though he was trying to intimidate her, trying to show her he was in fact in control. The truth was she wanted to let him have it, and that thought scared her more than anything else did.

Justin walked in between them on his way to the bar and interrupted her staring contest with Grant. He shook his head, gaining her attention. “Reese and Logan decided to call it an early night and take Hannah home.”

“Oh.” Alyssa finally took her eyes off Grant and looked down, feeling uncomfortable. Hannah being there was a buffer of sorts. She felt like she could turn at any moment and find her if she needed support, and now she was gone.

“Don’t panic, Alyssa. You won’t be stuck with the two of us for long. I’m sure any minute now Bella and Jessica will come to your rescue.” Hearing those words from Grant surprised her, more so because of the venom behind them. It felt like a slap, a shocking reality of the course of their relationship. They never seemed to make any progress even though she desperately wanted to deny what he was saying. It was painful because she knew that he was as affected as she was. He proved it more so when he turned and walked toward the back of the pub and into his office, shutting the door firmly behind him.

“Alyssa, do we really make you that uncomfortable? I really thought the three of us could have something special, but you and Grant both are so difficult.” Justin shook his head and went to the back as well. He sounded defeated, and she wanted to run over and hug him, to stop him and tell him how she was feeling. She felt like such a coward. She was letting them both get away. What was wrong with her?
“You’re always so difficult, Alyssa. Why can’t you just be normal? Why do you act so weird?”
Her mother’s words taunted her now. She felt frustrated, and she wanted to hide more than anything else at that moment.

Alyssa turned around and walked out the front door of the pub. She didn’t know where to go. She just needed to breathe, and being that close to Grant and Justin, she felt claustrophobic. The warm Texas air hit her. She took a deep breath and headed down the street. She just needed to be alone and to think of what she should do.

* * * *

Grant closed the door to his office. He hadn’t meant to slam it, but his emotions were ruling him. Everything had changed with her. When he first saw her she was so powerful, so full of energy and fire. Now she was timid. The vixen was hiding. He sat in his comfortable office chair, leaned back, and ran that night through his mind. Had he approached the situation wrong? Had he read her signs incorrectly?

He saw her walk into the door and couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was absolutely amazing. She walked into the bar as if she owned the place. Her shoulders held back, her posture perfect, she scanned the room, looking at every man and dismissing them the next instant. When her eyes scanned over him, he caught her eye for a minute, her eyes were gorgeous, and he stared at her openly. His body came alive under her scrutiny, and he felt his cock jerk in reaction to her pretty doe eyes.

He watched her as she went to the bar and sat there looking scrumptious as she talked to Justin. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he hoped that Justin was flirting, maybe even convincing her to stay the night. Just one night, if he could be lucky enough to have one night, he might feel alive again. Lately everything had been so bland, such a routine, everything feeling stagnant. He stayed back, watching and waiting. He didn’t want to introduce himself yet. He wanted Justin to make some progress.

She headed for the stage and he held his breath, wondering what her voice would sound like. The song started. He was blown away, and she sounded so unlike anything he’d ever heard. Her voice was deep and smoky. She sounded sad and belted out the words from Train’s “Marry Me.” He didn’t realize he had moved until he was standing almost directly in front of the stage. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He wanted to devour her, to protect her, to wrap his body around hers. She was his living, breathing fantasy, and he had no doubts that she would be his. He smiled up at her, and she pierced him with her green eyes.

She walked off the stage when the song ended, passing him and going straight for the bar. Since she had walked in, he hadn’t been able to move his eyes off her, and he did notice she was letting loose, maybe drinking at tad too much. However, he let Justin take the lead, since Justin was the bartender. He watched the two of them talking and noticed that she was getting upset, so he walked over, wanting to step in and take care of her.

Justin stood in front of her with a glass of water in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She didn’t seem to want either one of them. “Where the fuck is my drink?”

Justin quickly answered, “Ladies shouldn’t curse. It doesn’t sound attractive.”

Alyssa yelled back, “Oh, yeah, well fuck you!” She was overreacting, but he couldn’t understand why. “Listen, Justin, I’m not driving, I can handle another drink. Bella is gonna walk me back to the motel. Okay.”

“No. You’re cut off. And if you keep up with this attitude, you’re gonna be sorry.” He smirked at her, and Grant knew that was gonna make her even angrier.

“I’ve had enough. Fine. Fuck it! I’m leaving.” She stood up and would have stumbled if he hadn’t stepped up and grabbed her arm. He pulled her against him and felt her soft body rub against his. His cock came to life again, wanting out of the tight confines of his pants. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, a scent he wanted to consume.

“Again with the language. Alyssa. Bad girl. If you’re not going to act like a lady, then you’ll be punished.” Grant growled in her ear. He wanted to punish her and pleasure her. He leaned down and nipped at her neck. She jerked in his arms and he knew that he had affected her greatly.

She pulled away from him, and the separation wasn’t what he wanted. She bit her lip and leaned closer to him. He wanted her. He wanted to throw her over his shoulder and drag her back to their place. She pulled in close, breathing on his neck, and in a voice only he could hear, she whispered two little words that pushed him over the edge. “Fuck you.” Then she licked the shell of his ear, pulled back, and smirked at him.

He knew that she was testing him, and he gave her an evil smile in return. It was time for action. He leaned in, grabbing her, and threw her over his shoulder. “Baby, you should know now that testing me is a very bad idea.” He slapped her ass hard, wanting a reaction. When she started kicking and screaming, he smiled, enjoying every minute of her wild spirit.

“Bella. Bella. Help me. Grant, you asshole! Put me down, damn it.” She was screaming and shaking. He knew that she was a bit scared, but he couldn’t let the test go unanswered. He didn’t change his path. He continued walking toward his office.

“I take it back. I’m sorry, you’re right. Please, Grant, put me down. I’ll leave.” The pleading in her voice was almost his undoing. He wanted to put her down and take the fear out of her voice. Something pushed him, though, to continue down the same path.

“It’s too late. I don’t want you to leave. You’re going to take this punishment like a lady, and then I’ll walk you home.” He kept walking. When they reached his office, he shut the door and put her down. When her feet touched the carpet, she quickly looked for a way out. He watched her closely and walked over to the large chair in the middle of the room. He sat down and looked at her. They looked at each other and stared until she looked away first.

“I want you to come over here and lay across my lap.” He didn’t move, didn’t say anything else, just sat and waited patiently. He wanted her to come to him willingly. He wanted to give her pleasure and the punishment she seemed to crave.

“What? No, no. I’m serious, Grant. I apologize to you and Justin for my bad attitude. I just need to get back to the motel.” Alyssa was pleading with him. She started pacing. He felt guilty for making her feel uncomfortable, but again he couldn’t derail from the path that he started.

“Alyssa, look at me.” He waited for her to make eye contact before he continued. “You wanted to test me. I’m going to punish you. I’m going to tell you one more time to come over here and lay across my lap. If I have to get up and drag you over here, the punishment will be worse. Again, it’s your choice.” He leaned back in the chair and waited for her to make a decision.

She walked over to where he was sitting. He let her find her way. He didn’t want to help her. He really didn’t get the feeling that she wanted to stop. She craved this almost as much as he did. She awkwardly moved until she was draped over his thighs. The weight of her felt amazing. She held her breath, her muscles stiff. She didn’t speak, just waited, keeping both feet on the ground and holding his calf.

Grant started rubbing her ass, running his hand down her thighs. It felt good to be finally touching her. He wished that he would’ve made her drop her jeans so that he could rub her naked bottom, but he didn’t want to scare her more. When he heard her moan and move against him, his cock jerked. Grant laughed silently to himself, and she went limp on his lap. He started slow, slapping each cheek, and worked up until she was shifting, moving on his lap. With each slap that landed, Alyssa moved up to meet his hand, begging for more. After a few minutes, Grant rubbed his hands over her ass and thighs, bringing her down.

She was moving on him, humping his thigh, trying to rub her clit against his leg. He wanted her to come, to feel pleasure. He pushed his hand in between her thighs until he was touching her pussy through her jeans. They were soaked. He took his time, rubbing small circles and adding pressure, listening to her moans and sighs. After only a minute of Grant playing with her, she came with a loud screech. She lay across his lap twitching, and he felt such pride, he gave her pleasure. He helped her to stand up, but Alyssa wouldn’t make eye contact. She looked upset, and he didn’t understand what she could possibly be upset about.

“Alyssa.” Grant stood in front of her, and she wouldn’t look at him. She shook her head. “Okay, I’ll walk you to the motel.” He didn’t push her, just opened the door and let her walk in front of him. Justin was standing by the bar with a big smile, and Grant realized that he probably heard her come. He shook his head at him and followed her out the front door and down the street toward the motel.

He followed behind her, hoping the right words would come. He shoved his hands in his pockets to prevent himself from pulling her into his arms. He wanted to kiss her, to apologize, to beg her to talk to him. She walked in silence, staring at the ground, pretending not to notice him. When they reached the door, she pulled out the keycard and slipped inside the room without ever turning around to acknowledge him.

He laid his head against the door, willing it to open, begging her in his mind. No words would come, and when he heard the locks shove into place, he closed his eyes and realized that this whole night was a complete disaster.

A knock at the door brought him back to reality, and he sat up straight as Justin opened the office door. He leaned against the frame. “Everyone’s here. You ready for dinner?”

“Yeah, I guess. Is Alyssa sitting at the end of the table surrounded by Jessica and Bella?” He felt bitter and irritated, although he tried hard not to show it. He had tried so many times to talk to her. Each time he got close, she pulled away.

“No, she left when you went to the office.” Justin shrugged his shoulders, which meant that he was pretending he didn’t care when in fact he did.

“Shit. I’m sorry, Justin. I ruined things for you again. For us.” Grant got up, feeling like hell. Justin stopped him when he got to the door by putting his hand on his shoulder.

“No. No, you didn’t do anything wrong, bro. Stop beating yourself up. She’ll come around or she’s not the girl for us,” Justin told him, the look completely sincere.

“Maybe I read the signs all wrong. I really thought she was the one, or at least I thought she could be.” He hadn’t meant to scare her, and he felt horrible. His heart felt heavy in his chest. Her pleasure was real, and she had enjoyed the spanking. Her body language couldn’t be a lie. She had an orgasm in his lap. That wasn’t fake.

“You didn’t read her wrong. I’ve told you that. She was just scared of her response. She’ll come around. Now, let’s go feed our guests and have some fun.” Justin gave him a smile.

“No. It’s over for me. You should move forward with Alyssa still. I know you want her.” Grant was having a hard time letting go, but he would step aside and let Justin and Alyssa be together. He wouldn’t stand in the way.

“Nope. It’s all or nothing. I’m not moving forward without you. Period.” Justin turned and headed back into the pub. Grant followed him. He could hear people laughing and wished that he felt like being surrounded by friends right now. The only thing he wanted to do was go upstairs to their large apartment and drink until he passed out.

He really wanted to talk to Alyssa. Maybe the three of them had a chance, or maybe he could convince her to still be with Justin. Justin deserved her. He would love her and take care of her. It might actually kill him to see them together and not be a part of it. He stopped when he saw their friends sitting around the large table. They all looked so happy. Clint, Clay, and Cody were all staring at Bella, laughing, talking, and touching her. Beau and Chase were deep in conversation with Jessica. They all looked so in love. He watched them, wishing that he had that with Justin and Alyssa.

Grant walked out and smiled, nodding to his friends. He didn’t feel like talking. He didn’t want to feel like this anymore. He didn’t want to fake it through dinner, but he would for Justin and he would for his friends. How could he go on like this? It had been weeks, but it felt like months. Seeing her walk by the pub, mingling during the town’s weekly market, and hearing her laugh with her friends. How much longer could he take this? They needed to hash things out. He knew she was a fighter. Why wasn’t she fighting now? Why wasn’t she at least saying something? It made no sense.

He walked back to the kitchen and started working, finishing with their meal. He thought this would be a good night to talk, after dinner, maybe take her to the ranch house she was staying at on the Coltons’ property. On the other hand, if they were extremely lucky, they could take her home and the three of them would finally talk. It looked like both those scenarios weren’t gonna happen after all. She was gone, their chances over. His chances were over. With that in mind, he finished the task at hand. Yeah, he’d push Justin toward her. He wanted them to be together.