GRACE
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" Hello, Thief," He says with a smirk on his face as he leans closer in front of me, towering me with his height as if he is about to push me off the cliff,
James.
Shit, just when I started to enjoying the show my night already taking a turn to below zero because few days ago when I called Dean's assistant that to accepting the invitation, not once I imagine to meet the guy I almost hooked up with from one of my last week's wedding crash, let alone expecting he will be so easily recognized me under the laced mask covering almost half of my face- Almost, I thread the wire lightly.
But here he is, James, standing in front of me with his insanely steel blue eyes bury deep into mine behind his maroon mask while his hand firmly grip around my left wrist, That hand, the same one he was using to trailed down on my skin so gently about a week ago, now nothing more than irritation wrapping around my skin, and despite the noises of people chatting and the old classic music surrounded the room I could easily bet $500 that I just clearly heard my own heartbeat and won the money.
" You," I hiss in whisper, pulling my hand off him, clutching my purse on the other before I brush off my wrist that he holds just a second ago for my own amusement as I try to compose myself together,
" What are you doing here," I ask a rhetorical questions bitterly when I look up at him, James shakes his head with the corner of his lips pulling into a grin," Oh no doll, I should be the one asking you, what are you doing here?" He leans forward, too closely as he says it which almost drowning me into his eyes," None of your business," I let out a breath as I look anywhere but him as I say it just right before I turn my heels around and walk away, leaving him behind.
I only reach halfway up the stairs leading to the bar when James catches up with me," I'm not finished," He says before I laugh bitterly, just enough for him to hear as I look over my shoulder," Oh but I do," I scoff before a dangerous light flashes in his eyes as he slides a hand around my waist, I almost interject before his touch stopping me right away and both of my feet betraying me by walking to the direction he motion us to.
James leads us to an empty hallway just next to the grand door splitting the bar area and the ballroom, caging me in between his arms while he pin my back against the wall, " Let me go or I will make a scene," I hiss through my teeth, I clutch my purse tightly, ready to use it whenever I need to before James lets out a laugh but not a single joy within his voice before he lift my chin by his thumb," You really think I'd do what you said after you stole from me? didn't think so doll," He pause, his eyes just few inches away from mine when he looks down at me," Not unless you really want to blew up your cover this time, go ahead scream," He continue, taunting me with each of his words," The only cover I'm wearing tonight are these Louboutin heels, the borrowed dress and this cheap mask," I chuckle before I made sure he sees me rolling my eyes away from him, stopping myself trailing on the thick of his bottom lip.
For a second I let the memory of his lips pulling mine inside that elevator brings my wall slide, but then something clicking inside of me and I know exactly why he's here, why once again he pulls me to somewhere quiet, but this time with a full different intentions and force, James moves a hand under my chin, making me looking up at him before I pull my face out of his hand, brushing my skin with the back of my hand to let him know that I don't need his touch on me.
James looks at me for a good ten seconds, long enough for me to smell the unique spicy scent of his perfume but not enough for me to drown in them," I might say you are more hostile than the last time sweetheart," He says bitterly with a pauses as he looks down at me, still trapping me with his present alone," What do you want, James," I try to push my hand over his chest but give it up quickly when he doesn't even make a move, I stare up at him when I ask the questions, his eyes moves from my eyes to my lips before he let out one of his mischievous smirk.
James leans down closer, too close for his face to be near mine but not enough for his lips brushing mine like they did back in the elevator, Jesus, Grace-
" I want my things back, thief," His words snap me out of it before I shot a look up at him as he pause," There's a ring inside my shirt pocket that you stole last week," James continue under his breath before his fingers move underneath my chin and motion me to look at him," I want it back," James sneer, his voice comes out harshly before he leans backward, just enough for him to create an obvious absence of his body heat away from me and for him to look at me fully.
For a good five seconds I let out a humorless laugh, shaking my head before I look away from him," For a married man you really are something," I chuckle bitterly," But it's too bad for you that the ring is long gone," I lie, because the fact that the ring is an old piece, selling it would needed me to find the right broker to get the best price, which is why the ring still sitting tightly inside the hidden cabinet in my 4th ave apartment as we speak," Then you better get it back," James says as he leaps backward, freeing me from between his hands before he leans against the opposite wall, trailing me with his eyes in the same time he crosses his hands over his chest.
" Not a chance," I cross my hands over my chest, one heel against the wall, mirroring whatever James's doing in front of me," I've sold it," I say quickly, glaring up at him," Yeah, I don't believe that," James says, shaking his head slightly," Believe whatever you want, James, I'm done here," I push my feet off the wall and was going to take a walk to leave this empty hallway right before James stops me halfway with one hand wrap over the side of my waist while the other clench slightly under my chin before his thumb caress over my bottom lips,
" Listen, Thief," James pauses," I don't care if you've sold the ring, threw it off by the side of the road or keep it somewhere safe, either way you're going to drag your feet off the dirt to find and get it back to me," James sneer through his harden jawline as his eyes spitting imagine of fire, but I'm not the one backing away from a burning ambers," Or what," I sneer, taunting his awfully steel blue eyes which couldn't move away from mine in what feels like the longest seconds.
James looks down at me before he pulls the corner of his mouth," Oh, I'm sure the police would be thrilled when I bring you in, sweetheart," James says with a grin on his face, amuse by the situation for thinking he has the upper hand before I laugh, louder than I tend to to the point he releases a hand off my chin," The police," I scoff, still trying to get myself together from the laughing I just let out," What makes you think the police were looking for me? You know what good luck with that," I nod quickly, not letting him saying a word to answer my rhetorical questions.
" If you think the police is your advantage, then you're wrong," I shake my head slightly, before I stare down over his lips and continue looking up at him," But either way the ring is long gone, so excuse me I still have a drink to order on that bar," I look down over his hand still wrap around the side of my waist, waiting for him to let me go, but instead, he chuckles under his breath and move me closer,
" Well, thanks for telling me that you're not here to pull a job, thief," James nods, confusion cross over my face as I furrow my eyebrows slightly," That means you're here invited, you see, Dean's a very good old friend of mine so if he invited you here, he must know you well enough for me to find you and believe me I wouldn't stop until you get my ring back," James chuckles but I find no joy in them," Now you see how I have the advantage to easily make your life more miserable than being in prison," He continues, I stare at him for a good ten second before I pull the side of my lips slightly, holding my purse in one arm tighter.
" Charm," I scoff just briefly," is this the only way you talk to a woman? by threatening her?" I nod and for my amusement, I wrap his tie on my left hand before I pull it closer, just enough for his face to be a few inches away from mine," You're forgetting you have no proof of anything," I say before I release his tie off my hand and push him away but he doesn't even move the slightest which starting to pissed me off," Besides couldn't you just buy something new? it's not like your wife liking the old ones for christ's sake," I chuckle bitterly beforr James let out a sigh before he finally let me go and take a step backward from me,
" What makes you think my wife doesn't like it?" He sneer, I tilt my head at him in the same time I bite the inside of my cheek by the fact that he just confirmed that he really is a married guy," You wouldn't have to lose it at the first place if she wore it the whole time now shove off," I say dryly as I shake my head and look away," Like I said, the ring's gone, I've sold it, and we're done," I walk to reach the door handle before I stop short the second I hear James's clear his throat," It was my mother's," He pauses,
" That's the only thing I care about," James says taking me by surprise by how his voice somehow came out... different.
I let out a sigh of breath before I look down over the door handle, froze in place as if I'm conflicted in between walking out or turn around, part of me keep telling to walk out the door because none of this is my business and if he really cared so much about the damn ring he would've kept it safer, but for once there's echo behind the knot in my chest that remind me what it felt like to lose something.
I let out a sigh before James footsteps approaching behind me," So here's what we gonna do, I'll give you ten minutes to find your friend to tell her you have to leave with a friend,"
Shit, so he really did saw me with Yelena before.
" Then you're going to take me to whoever you sold the ring to, once you get my ring back I promise to leave you and your business alone," James's body heat slowly fills behind me as he walks closer, I turn around in the same time he stands in front of me, leaving just a small gap between us, I look up at him as I try to calculate my next move, James steel blue eyes darken as he stares down at me, twisting a knot in my stomach before I finally cave in.
" No," I say bitterly," Just give me your card and I'll send them your way once I get it back." I say, not letting his eyes off mine, James let out a chuckle under his breath before he holds my chin up with the back of his hand," I need it back tonight," He nod slightly before I back away," You can't be serious " I scoff shortly as I look over him, hoping that he was bluffing because part of me still think I can walk out of here with no trace," Do you I look like I'm joking, sweetheart? " James says in whisper right before I caught his eyes staring at my lips in the same way he did inside that damn elevator," Call me sweetheart one more time I swear you'd never find that fucking ring ever again," I sneer as I pull my face away from his touch," Fine, but we better start moving," He nods his head slightly," Fine," I look at him as I say it, I let out a rush of breath as I look over my shoulder," And your wife?" I ask, baiting him into my curiosity," I don't think she even knew you've been hiding here, threatening me, didn't she?" I ask without looking over him directly, instead I look over his reflection over the glass reflecting by door in front of me.
James chuckles taking me by surprise, he opens the door besides me and motion me to walk out of the hallway first," You're bothering me, you know that?" James says as he is holding me hostage with his eyes on me, I smirk just enough to tell him how I don't coward from his, threat," Ten minutes, I'll wait you by the lobby," He says as he start to walk away," No," I call out, stopping him halfway," Meet me by the bar in five minutes, I know exactly where my friend is," I nod as I walk to the opposite direction he is about to go.
I scoff dryly, walking as fast as I could get with the 7 inches heels I'm wearing and the small valet ticket with James's car license number in between my fingers that I just stole off his suit pocket easily, the thought was almost hilarious to imagine his face once he realized he just lost his car tonight but for one thing I know better than stay around, " Excuse me, I'm here to take my car," I say to one of the stewardess by the vallet area just right outside the building after I finished texting Yelena for a warning to bailed out," May I have your ID ma'am?" The guy says politely before I look up from my phone," Oh I must have left in the house, my husband was the one driving but he want to stay longer and unfortunately these heels are killing me so I have to call the night-" I tell him quickly, just enough to make sure my mask isn't loose and my act as the dotting wife make a Hollywood cut.
The steward stares at me before he look down on his tablet and before he say a word I cut him halfway," I can get it myself, thank you," I nod, giving the valet ticket to the steward in the same time I take the keys off his hand and turn my heels around after I kindly nod towards the two stewards, I grin over the key noticing the logo on it as I walk through the parking lot, searching for the beamer with the plate numbers I've been memorizing in the past few minutes.
_____________________
JAMES
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I've spend the past few days waiting for Spector to give me a call on the thief who stole my ring that not once I was expecting to see her so easily again, but then there she was, fixing the almost black laced mask over her face just before she was on her way walking to the benefit venue when I was twelve feet away, stood among Carter's work colleague as if Sharon and I haven't spent the last week making zero contacts,
Jesus,
" I can't believe that she settled the deal in D.C," I heard Sharon said to one of her friends before I looked away from them for a good ten seconds, then worked myself to believing what my eyes just saw before Carter pulled my focus back to her and within the next second, I lost a sight of Grace until I saw her once again trying to get away from someone off the balcony just after Sharon left with her dad.
My phone buzz in my pocket as I walk faster in the same time I unbutton the first three buttons off my collar shirt before I step back into the more crowded bar area to where Grace told me to meet her while she's looking for her friend, I pull my phone out of my pocket on the third buzz," Shit," I curse in whisper, ripping off my mask altogether with clenched jawline as I run my way back out of the ballroom and straight to where my bad feelings lead me to, the buzz in my phone just a clear confirmation how I was being played and someone take a hold on my car keys.
" You know, you can get those guy in big trouble for losing someone's car out of a valet area," I say as I walk closer to where Grace still standing next to my beamer door, just in time before she breaks it with whatever advance tech I know she might have in hand, I look at her for my amusement, pulling a grin on my face just when she groan out of frustration,
" Of course you found me out," Grace says with both hand and her purse over the top of my beamer, I scoff dryly, shaking my head as I can hear her angry voice under her breath," You really think I don't put extra security system on my beamer?" I ask a rhetorical as I walk closer," Not to mention I just saw your friend, which I believe Yelena's the name? She walked right in front of me with two glass of dirty martini by the way," I nod, quickly as I put both hands into my pockets," And the fact that she was very much intrigued with a woman waiting for her by the bar just tells me enough how she has no idea where you're, and damn I was right," I let out a bitter laugh as I walk closer to her, Grace chuckles bitterly before she turns around and lean her back against my car, long gone the dark mask covering half of her face before.
For a second it is really amusing to see her dark brown eyes stares at me with the mutual feelings of anger and irritation," Don't you have a wife to bother," Grace says as she crosses her arms over her chest with one hand still holding my keys in hostage,I shake my head slightly, walking closer to her just enough for her to understand that I'm not here to play anymore games," Don't you worry about that, but first I promised to get her ring back," I pause as I look down to her before Grace rolling her eyes in front of me as I say if," So I suggest you better stop trying to get your way out of this and do as you told," I say through my clench teeth before I hold out a hand and motion her to return my keys as I keep my eyes on hers.
Grace stares at me for a good five seconds before a light flashes before her eyes and a smirk form by the corner of her dark lips," What, you don't want me to drive your precious beamer?" Grace lets out her question like a taunt," Trust me I won't crash us both to the nearest tree," She chuckles but I find no joke in them before she finally holding out the keys to me and I pull it off her hand harsher than I tend to," Get in the car," I say with a nod, taking a step back just enough to create space for Grace to move but not so much to run away.
Grace hold my eyes for a seconds before she lets out a rush of breath and roll her eyes as she circle to the passenger seat, and as much as irritating this situation is, I'd be lying if I say I haven't been taking a subtle breath on the perfume she's wearing tonight, something lighter than the one she wore before," Just to be clear," Grace starts as I watch her open the passenger door," I'm only doing this just so I don't disappoint your mother for losing her ring like your wife did," She chuckles with a wider smile on her face before she slip her way into my beamer.
Shit,
What am I get myself into?