Getting Over Edie Ch. 05

Benny looked at Arden, who nodded. He grinned nervously. "Well, I'm off then." He chucked Arden gently under the chin before punching Grady in his arm. Before Grady could retaliate, he was already sprinting across the lobby and out the door.

"Well," Arden said, trying to keep her voice bubbly. "It almost feels like we were set up."

Grady nodded. "Oh most definitely. You sure you want to do this?"

"Absolutely. Where do you want to go?"

"You pick. After all, it is your night we're celebrating."

Grady watched as her mind seemed to be working overtime. He wondered exactly what she was thinking. When she finally responded, he was taken aback.

"You know, I'm really not even feeling the whole 'going out' thing. How about we go back to my place and just chill? I can whip something up for us, and we can watch a movie or something."

"Oh..." he started.

The look on her face morphed again into embarrassment. "I don't...what I mean is...I'm just...fuck" she huffed.

He had to stop this. They were behaving like a couple of teenagers. Without thinking, Grady stepped forward, closing the gap between them.

"That sounds like a good time," he husked, his eyes taking in every inch of her lovely face.

"I'd love to."

********

Grady wasn't sure what to expect when he stepped inside Arden's apartment. He certainly wasn't ready for the extreme burst of color EVERYWHERE.

The main room was a radiant purple with teal and black accents, complete with a delightfully hideous teal couch. One wall was completely devoted to a tasteful collage of photos, many of them including Stevie and Gemma.

A giant mirror and practice ballet barre covered another wall opposite a bank of large windows. The place was open and airy; Grady could only imagine how gorgeous it looked in the daytime, the lazy sun streaming golden rays inside.

"Wow," he remarked. "This is just...wow."

Arden giggled. "Yeah. I'm a little color obsessed."

"Just a bit," he teased. "But it really fits you. I feel like I've stepped inside your head, which is a terrifying thought by the way."

"Shut up." She tossed her dance bag by the front door. "Come on, we'll take the tour."

Grady was highly amused as she showed the rest of her apartment: a retro kitchen in a shocking fire-engine red, a nice-sized bathroom colored a vibrant cilantro green. His heart inexplicably pounded just a little bit harder when they reached her bedroom.

"Well this is where the magic happens" she quipped.

"Whoa," Grady remarked as they stepped inside. "This is just...whoa."

"Yeah. It took me a while to figure this room out, but now I absolutely love it."

Grady was impressed; the room was a gorgeously sensuous midnight blue. Soft lighting, courtesy of pale paper lanterns and tea lights in decorative wall sconces gave the room a romantic glow. The bed was in the center, large pieces of treated and sanded wood served as the headboard and bedframe while four tall bedposts carved to look like trees gave the bed a stately appearance. Gauzy cream colored cloth draped around the posts and through the branches, wrapping it in semi-privacy. Strings of lights tinkled softly underneath the makeshift canopy of the bed.

It was dream-like, as if someone had imagined and engineered a fairy wonderland and brought it to life indoors, a lighted forest blessed with eternal midnight.

"This is just beautiful," he said. "You did this yourself?"

"Gemma helped. She's incredibly handy." Arden turned to him, a small smile on her lips. "I'm gonna take a quick shower. There's some juice and stuff in the fridge and you can pick out a movie or whatever."

"Oh okay." He made his way to the kitchen. Grady stared at the contents of her fridge and tried to ignore the water running in the shower. That sound was giving him dirty thoughts, vivid wonderings about how good she would look naked.

He shook his head hard before grabbing a bottle of cranberry juice.

As he entered the main room, his eyes immediately zeroed in on the collage. He felt himself drawn to the expansive work of art, sipping his juice and taking it all in.

The pictures weren't arranged in any kind of chronological order, but he could see the progression. The long wall was completely covered with pictures of all shapes and sizes.

He chuckled at a picture that was no doubt a pre-teen Arden dressed in the most hideous of 90s fashion. Countless dance recitals, homecomings, graduations, and everything in between. It was all here, a non-linear timeline highlighting the highs, lows, and the mundane of Arden Finch's life.

Amidst all those pictures of smiling, happy Arden there was a small gap. It wasn't that noticeable, just a small patch of the purple pain peeking through the wall of memories, as if someone ripped the pictures off in a hurry. Grady looked closer only to discover that there were patches all over the collage. He wondered what happened to those photos.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, her clear voice in the quiet of the apartment, making him jump. "Sorry," she said sheepishly, grinning at his fright. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"It's cool," he replied. "Guess I was just really absorbed with your masterpiece over here. It's really awesome."

"Thanks. It took forever, but it's finally at a good stopping point for now. Who knows, I'll probably add more to it. And you never answered my question: are you hungry?"

"I'm good, actually. Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Sure," she said. "There's a bunch of movies on the shelf. I'll go make us some popcorn." Grady's eyes instantly zeroed on her ass as she turned and headed into the kitchen. Get it together, he silently scolded. But damn, those tiny shorts were killing him.

They were heather grey and looked incredibly soft, the snug material stretching tightly over her more than generous backside. Her dark blue t-shirt was just as tight, the cotton material providing a lovely silhouette to her cleavage.

But those damn socks were the killer. Navy blue socks that stretched up her mile-long legs, molded tightly to her strong, shapely dancer's limbs before stopping a little above her knees. Tiny gold stars sprinkled all over enhanced their sexy factor. She looked so cute and innocent. It was definitely doing something to him.

It was getting too hot for him. Grady removed his blazer, tossing it on the couch before heading to the DVD rack. He hemmed and hawed over his choice and by the time Arden returned with a large bowl, he'd already popped in the movie.

"What are we watching?" she asked, plopping down gracefully on the couch. She nestled the bowl between them.

"It's a surprise," he said.

"I don't know how I feel about this." Grady chuckled. "No worries. After all, it's your movie. You have great taste, by the way."

She smiled as she slipped on a purple cardigan. "Don't sound so surprised."

"Shut up and take the compliment, Finch." Her doe eyes widened in mock surprise. "Oh was that a compliment from THE Grady Kade, the famous writer? Oh god, I can die happy now."

They laughed. It was nice to see they were back to taking shots at each other. That kiss last week made things really tense. It was all he could think about, and he wondered if it was on her mind as well.

Arden chuckled as the opening credits appeared on the large flat screen. "Death at a Funeral? Nice choice."

"Thanks," he replied. "I was hoping you had the Brit version. Nothing personal against Chris Rock, but the original is much funnier."

"Definitely. I blame Alan Tudyk. His character made the movie."

"Yes!" Grady peered into the bowl of popcorn. "Are those Reese's Pieces?"

"Do you not like them? I always add some to my popcorn."

Grady shook his head. "No it's cool. Actually I love it. I've been eating Reese's Pieces with popcorn for as long as I can remember."

He glanced up at Arden and was puzzled by the strange look on her face. She seemed to be studying him intensely. Grady wasn't freaked out; on the contrary, it made him curious. She was so damn hard to read.

Grady prided himself on his uncanny ability to correctly assess others, but this girl was like the Fort Knox of emotions. No matter what, he could never get an accurate gauge on her feelings.

It was frustrating and kind of liberating at the same time. He was constantly intrigued. After an awkward beat, she flashed him a minute smile before tossing some popcorn into her mouth. "Small world," she finally said.

"Indeed."

Over the course of the movie, Grady couldn't help but notice small things about Arden. She would wrinkle her nose at a gross scene but when something was absolutely funny she'd burst out laughing. It was a high and clear sound that was altogether pleasing. When she started to snort, it made him laugh too.

"Shut up," she said in between giggles. "I can't help it."

Grady grinned at her. "I think it's cute. You sound adorable."

Arden set the now-empty bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I think that's the first time I've ever seen you show an actual range of emotion. Except of course when you dance. I think that's why I like it so much."

Her coffee colored eyes widened at his revelation. "You like my dancing?"

"I really do. You're so talented, and when you dance...it's like I can read all of your emotions. You ooze passion with every step and when you're in motion, I can feel pretty much everything you feel. Sounds weird right?" He looked up, only to find she was staring at him strangely again. "Are you okay?"

"I...I just...why do you do that?"

Okay, now he was confused. "Do what?"

She sighed, her body inching closer towards his. "Sometimes the things you say...you seriously have no idea how effective your words can be."

"Oh," he said. "Is that a bad thing?"

Arden released another weighted sigh, as if it pained her to discuss these things with him. "No. It just confuses me, is all."

"Confuses you? Like how?"

She didn't respond. Her head was down and she busied her fingers with the hem of her cardigan. Grady was absolutely puzzled. He'd never seen her so subdued. Normally he couldn't get her to shut up, and now she could barely look at him.

"Arden?" he said softly. His finger reached out, tilting her face so that her eyes were level with his. "What's confusing you?"

"You!" she said suddenly. "You are driving me crazy. All I've been doing for the past week is thinking about you, and that kiss. I've been agonizing over it, dissecting everything about that moment down to the very last detail. My brain has been working overtime, wondering if it was all in my head, and I'm irritated because it's affecting me so much, because it's YOU.

But I can't help it because that kiss was so hot, and I'm so worried you didn't like it, and then you show up here, and the way you look at me, I wondered if you felt something but you never brought up the kiss, so I never did but it's been sheer torture. And then you say those things about my dancing, and I'm right back to where I started: confused as fuck."

She exhaled loudly, a nervous chuckle escaping as she glanced at him. "Sorry. I've been holding that in for a while."

"I can tell," he remarked. "I'm sorry. I didn't mention anything about the kiss because I didn't want things to be awkward between us. I guess by ignoring it, I made it worse."

He turned to her, his blue eyes meeting her gaze. Grady saw the uncertainty and it urged him on.

"Arden, that kiss was on my mind too. I was so fixated on what happened between us, I couldn't focus on much of anything. I don't know; I guess I got freaked out."

Grady heard her breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spring this on you."

"Don't apologize," he said. "I was an ass. You've been a really great friend to me, Arden. More than you'll know."

Arden grinned. "Let's face it; I've been an absolute nightmare to you."

Grady laughed. "True. But in the end, I think that's what I needed. Everyone was walking on eggshells around me, placating me, letting me wallow in my filth and fatness. But you? You came in and threw me for a loop with your nosy ass questions and persistence. And I wanted to strangle you."

"Aww, that's such a lovely sentiment."

"I'm serious," he said. "Thanks for that. You gave me a good kick in the ass and I'm grateful for it."

Impulsively, Grady reached out for her hand. A sharp jolt of current passed through their fingers, making them both jump. "Thank you," he said. His fingers stroked hers idly, but stilled when he heard her breath catch.

This was getting weird, he thought. He knew that things were taking a different turn, but for some reason he didn't want to stop. Maybe it was because for the first time since his breakup Grady Kade was actually attracted to another woman besides Edie. Not just attracted to...he was straight up lusting at this point.

There was a reason why Arden was in his dreams every night for a week, and it wasn't because he wanted her to join him in a knitting circle. He wanted her. There was no getting around it. He absolutely wanted her.

Before he could express any of this to her, however, Arden shocked the hell out of him. Her lips crushed against his in a kiss that nearly scorched his skin.

Grady groaned, the taste of her tongue was both sweet and salty from the popcorn mix. "Fuck," he growled. Cupping her face in his hands, he urged his tongue to explore deeper, eager for more of her honeyed taste.

Those sweet little noises rumbling from her throat threatened to be his undoing. Her full lips pressed against his, her slick tongue teasing his playfully...it was all evidence of a woman who knew exactly what she was doing.

He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, his body practically begging to surge forward. Grady was a little nervous, the faint flutter in his stomach telling him that it'd been awhile since holding a woman like this. Oddly enough, he didn't mind. But the nervous feeling was persistent.

In a gracefully swift motion Arden straddled his lap. The weight of those powerful yet incredibly soft thighs gripping his legs threatened to unravel his self-control.

Careful Kade, he warned silently. This is strictly a makeout session. He beat that reminder into his head, even as her lips dominated his.

"Touch me," she whispered urgently. Her lips sought his once more before traveling to his earlobe.

"W-wh-what?" he mumbled. He was thisclose to losing his ability for reasoning, especially with her tongue promising naughty things he was sure her body could deliver.

"Touch me, Grady" she said again. Her teeth nibbled his earlobe and he shuddered. His ears were always extra-sensitive and led a direct pipeline down to his cock, already stiffening and begging for attention.

Arden glanced at him, big doe eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay? Do you want to stop?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "I'm just. I'm a little rusty here." He felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. It was just pathetic; there was an insanely beautiful girl on his lap and he was incredibly stiff, in more ways than one.

She smiled at him, her fingers brushing his thick honey blond curls from his eyes. "It's okay, Grady." She kissed him, her lips so tender and soft. "I completely understand. You don't feel rusty at all."

Arden reached between them, her hand cupping his growing erection through his jeans. "Seems like everything is in working order."

Grady uttered a sound that was a cross between a chuckle and a groan. "It would seem so." He was growing harder by the second, his cock pressing tightly against the seam of his jeans.

"Don't worry, Grady. We don't have to do anything but this." She rubbed her flattened palm against his hardness before kissing and sucking on his earlobe again. "Is this what you want, Grady? Is this okay?"

His head tilted back against the couch. He was in absolute agony, and loving every minute of it. It'd been far too long since he felt this way, the delicious teasing torture. He missed that feeling.

"It's more than okay," he said. The weight of her body against his felt incredibly real. She was so warm, the heat of her sex pressed tightly to him. He could feel her kitty throbbing through her shorts, and the fact that she was so turned on already was a thrilling notion to him.

He hadn't touched her yet, which in his mind was just unacceptable. Grady's hands drifted up, stroking her thighs. A small moan was the reward for his efforts. Her hips began a gentle bucking motion, the soaked crotch of her shorts rubbing against the hardened bulge in his pants. With a groan, his hands immediately went to her hips, squeezing them gently before sliding to her ass.

Grady gripped her cheeks; the friction between their bodies created a series of sensations that were nothing short of amazing.

The way she was grinding on him, the sensuous sway of her hips, the wiggle of her ass...it was all a preview of what she could give him. Grady was dying for a taste of her, but he knew the time wasn't right. This, this felt good. This was what he could handle. Anything else...well he wasn't sure.

Grady pulled her close, kissing her deeply. They were silent as their bodies moved in unison; there was no need for words. Words would highlight the blinding realness of their situation and he wasn't ready to face up to that.

Things were changing, with every fissure of pleasure from her pussy rubbing against him, from the little moans and groans he made when her teeth nibbled at his lip...these actions were catapulting their relationship into a realm that neither one seemed prepared to enter. But it felt inevitable; despite several parts of him that frowned upon the scene, the majority of him surged forward.

She felt so strong, yet incredibly soft and feminine in his arms. Her fingers grasped at his curls as her hips began to move in earnest. Before he could even warn her, he came hard, gripping her ass tightly, his body stiffening. He could feel the sticky wetness already cooling in his jeans and he groaned softly.

Arden stopped moving, her gaze connecting with his. He was trying to avert her gaze, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Grady forced out a nervous chuckle.

"Would you believe that's never happened before?" he said, trying to relieve some of the awkward tension.

"Oh...it's okay—"

"It's just been awhile since...you know, and I'm a little out of practice, and you feel so fucking good, I just couldn't help—"

"Grady," Arden cupped his face in her hands as her lips silenced him. He wrapped his arms around her, his tongue sliding seamlessly into her warm mouth. "Mmm, it's okay. "

He smiled at her. He wasn't used to situations like this at all. "Okay. Just to let you know, I don't usually have the stamina of a seventeen year old on prom night."

Arden chuckled softly. "Thank goodness. That would totally ruin my plans for you."

A single eyebrow rose in shock. "Oh really?" he asked. "And exactly what do you have planned?"

"I can't tell you, dummy. It wouldn't be a surprise."

"Fair enough," he said with a nod. He accepted her lips once more, reveling in her taste. While he was enjoying their little session, a small part of him wondered where the hell all of this was going.

When he imagined his night, this definitely wasn't in the picture. Grady tried to force the feelings of doubt way down and turned his attention back to woman still straddling his lap.

"Grady, we don't...we don't have to do anything more than this."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that despite how rough we started out, I find myself attracted to you..."

"Obviously, since you're on my lap" he interrupted.

She grinned. "Shut up. I like you, but I won't kid myself. I know you're going through some shit. I totally understand. All I'm saying is, we can take it slow. That is, if you want to take it at all."