All or Nothing at All (Stevens Book 3)

Deleted Scene 2

Authors Note: This is the chapter that would have immediately followed deleted scene one. It is a sort of reckoning between Grace and Bryce. The reason I deleted it was because I felt it was filled with too much anger and made no sense with the previous chapter altered to exclude the scene in Rainer's apartment. A side note, the scene after this one is when Bryce goes to Grace's office and confronts Rush. The reason for his visit was to apologize for what his accusation. However, other than the reason for his visit, that scene did not change very much. Please let me know what you think in the comments.

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Grace came off of the elevator and felt a hand clamp around her arm. She knew it was Bryce.

"Where do you live? I'm taking you home." He said quietly, as if he was holding onto his temper by a thread.

She told him without hesitating. She knew he was deeply hurt and it hurt her. Even if it was unwillingly, she had been just as responsible as Rainer in causing that hurt.

He caught a taxi and hustled her into it, sitting silently next to her for the short ride to her home. When they arrived at her house and she jumped out of the car, he took her arm forcing her to wait while he paid the driver, and when the driver had left he turned to her motioning for her to lead the way.

She unlocked her door with shaking hands, and led the way into the hall S,he could hear the T.V. on in the main room and they had to pass it to get to the stairs. When they reached the entry Angie and Christine looked up their mouths opening and closing like fish at the sight of Bryce looming over Grace.

He gave them his most charming smile, but it didn't reach his eyes It didn't matter though because it was still charming enough to make the girls flush.

"Bryce these are my roommates, Christine Braden and Angie Ryan. Christine and Angie, this is a friend of mind from England, Bryce Stevens."

"Hello ladies, Grace didn't tell me she had such lovely roommates," Bryce said in his charming English accent.

The girls reached up to fix their hair in an automatic gesture. 

"If you ladies will excuse us, Grace and I have some business to attend to."

Bryce motioned for Grace to lead the way, his smile only lasting until they were up the first flight of stairs. When she opened her door he pushed her into the room and softly closed it behind him. She could feel his anger as it filled the room, and Grace couldn't help but be amazed that he had been able conceal it when it was so strong.

She moved to the center of the room and crossed her arms in front of her defensivly, remaining silent as he started to pace the room with his hands in his pockets, a sure sign that he was trying to control himself. Grace gave a half smile thinking that maybe she should get him a stress ball to keep in his pocket.

"I really don't see where the humor is in this situation." Bryce bit out coldly having noticed her small smile.

"What exactly is the situation? Because right now I'm really confused? You say you don't have relationships...fine, I say I don't want any benefits, as you call them, fine. That leaves us past acquaintances that have no say in each other's lives. So, you'll have to excuse me if I'm having trouble understanding why you're so upset right now." Her voice was calm with only a slight tremor betraying her stress.

Bryce got right up in her face, "I find it very disturbing that, up until recently, you professed to be such an innocent but have no problem jumping from my bed to my brother's."

Grace's hand cracked across Bryce's cheek.

He hardly moved at the impact as if he had wanted her to slap him and had been expecting it.

Before she knew what was happening Bryce was kissing her hard and pulling at her clothes, and she was suddenly participating fully by pulling at his. It was as if they were both trying to hurt the other one by making love.

Bryce had always been gentle but this time there was no holding back as he took out all of his frustrations on her more than willing body. Eventually, the anger died and it turned into what it had always been in the past, an intense and deeply moving experience. At least for Grace that was what it was.

When it was over and they had caught their breath, Grace rose and put on her robe turning to look a Bryce who was sprawled on the bed with his arm thrown over his eyes.

"I think you should go Bryce. That shouldn't have happened."

"Why? Will Rainer be upset?"

Grace bit her lip, she wanted to scream her innocence at him, but if he honestly thought that she was the type of person who would jump from his bed to his brothers then there was no use denying his accusations.

"Rainer has nothing to do with it. This is about us and our agreement."

Grace wanted to go to him and sooth his hurt, but maybe it was better that he believed she was such a person. Maybe he would avoid her, leave her alone. That would make her ability to adapt to a broken heart, which she knew would never heal, easier.

Bryce rose from the bed and started to pull on his clothes. She watched as he slid his long lean legs into well-worn blue jeans and then pulled his grey cable knit sweater over his broad chest and arms. Covering what she most wanted to see and touch.

This handsome, strong, powerful, and kind man had been hers for a short while. How could he not realize that no other man would ever compare to him? She suddenly felt sorry for all of those women who had stood where she was now standing, she felt sorry for herself.

He put on his shoes and stood, staring at her, demanding that she explain what he had witnessed at Rainer's apartment.

She raised her head, stubbornly refusing.

Finally, he turned to leave without a backwards glance.

Grace waited a moment, waiting, hoping, he would return. When he didn't she gathered up a change of clothes and went down a floor to the restroom for a shower. She moved through the rest of the day in automatic polite. Angie and Christine caught her in the kitchen at lunch and demanded to know why she had all of these handsome and famous men taking her out and bringing her home.

"It's not as good of a story or stories as you think. The three men are all brothers. Mason is married, as I am sure you are aware, Bryce is...my lawyer, and Rainer has been my friend for years. I'm not having a relationship with any of them. I had dinner at Mason's and Cassie's last night, along with Rainer and Bryce, things ran late so I simply stayed over, on the couch, and Bryce brought me home this morning."

The girls eyed her speculatively, trying to decide if it was all true.

"The two of you were upstairs for a long time" Angie noted.

"Bryce is trying to convince me to let him help me with Rush." Grace said not really lying.

"I hope you told him 'yes please'." Christine eyed her.

"We'll see, he is a very busy man, he may not have the time."