Free Loving Grace by Eve Asbury Page A

certificate
from Maids-R-Us?”
    “No. I got you a boxed set of Bogie
movies.”
    “Awesome.” He laughed. “See, Grace. This
vacation stuff is good for the soul.”
    “Mmm.” She tossed the pen on the table and
scraped her hand through her hair. Leaning her head back she
muttered, “I’ll be twenty-nine in January. Was that an odd age for
you? Did it seem...transitional?”
    “Yea. The closer you get to thirty, the more
you wish you’d done in your twenties. I tease a lot, Grace. But you
know I love you. I want you to be happy.”
    “I was happy before.”
    “I realize that. But you live in a shell
sometimes. You live so orderly, so rigid that it’s hard to let
people in, and I want you to have friends. Hell, have fun and sex
and...”
    “I get it. Seth, I love you too. I wasn’t
really disrespecting what you do. It’s just so…dark.”
    “Yeah. It can be. But that’s why I live my
life full.”
    “Are you serious about Jill?”
    “I could be, but she isn’t. So, I hold to the
code.” He laughed. “I think she’ll stay here, and I’ll be flying
back alone.”
    “Sorry about that.”
    “Don’t be. It’s not that deep.”
    Grace lowered her head, staring broodingly at
the floor. “I’ll see you when you get back.”
    “Cool. I sent you a card with some cash.
Sorry, not a shopper. You wouldn’t like what Jill picked out, she’s
not into tweed.”
    “You had to get that in.” Grace laughed. “Be
careful. I’ll stock your place with food and drop off all but the
two cameras.” And put the pictures back, she reminded herself.
    “See you.” He clicked off.
    Grace got things together to take to his
place. She stopped and bought him some food, knowing the man lived
on take out. She took everything back but the one Nikon and the
lapel camera. On the way home, around twelve, she swung by the
gallery. It was closed, yet Elise’s car was in the lot. Grace
parked on the other side of the road and watched the building. No
front lights were on.
    She mused, had it been her work in there,
she’d have a camera outside for security reasons. It was likely
Elise was in back. The section was windowless. Thankfully, the car
was still warm. She’d worn the wool coat, her leather gloves and
cap. Grace stared at that pool of light from the back lot,
occasionally looking at her watch and timing the passing hour.
    The back door opened. It was both Elise and
Bryce. There was another man...a tall guy, dressed in a heavy
running suit. She took a photo, doubting it would come out because
of the bad lighting. After the couple headed for Elise’s car, the
guy walked across the lot to the chain link fence and through a
gate.
    Not knowing who to follow, she chose Elise.
Staying well behind the sports car, Grace muttered at the traffic,
finally registering that they were headed downtown. She hated
driving in DC. It was that hour where couples were leaving theaters
and restaurants. Elise went into an underground lot and Grace
circled the block, figuring it was where Elise lived.
    She sighed driving back to the suburbs, then
did a U-turn. For some unexplainable reason, she needed to see
Noel.

Chapter Ten

    There was loud music filtering out. Grace
started to turn back, down the stairs. He was painting, working
with another model. However, three steps down and she ran back up,
pushing the buzzer.
    He could be one of those men who blew up at
interruptions. God, she was just digging herself in deeper.
    The door slid open. Grace stood, enthralled
by the setting. Long flowing drapes of crimson silk concealed the
sets along the wall, creating a fifty-foot wide entry into the
living area. Air whispered down, rippling the silk in waves. There
was calm lighting, enough to enhance the sheen in the material.
Everything looked sooty, black, compared to those long crimson
walls of silk.
    Grace stepped in and the door slid closed.
The music was alluring, erotic enough to make her blush, and to
bring a moment of panic. The man was