GRACE

After I ensured that Mr. Powers' gift was in my hands, I took another second to adjust the strap of my dress.

I didn't know I would have to elaborately dress up for Mr. Powers' birthday until he breezily mentioned it.

Apparently, the man was going all out with his celebration.

And the venue was one of the party halls in the hotel and according to Ruby who called me to pay attention to an article about her father's birthday, it was going to be a huge party. Dignitaries will be gracing the event, thus, I can't afford to dress shabbily.

Once I breathed and dragged myself out of my thoughts, I reached for the ends of my hair. They were made into nice curls and they sat well on my shoulders.

I liked the way my hair felt as I adjusted its ends so I rushed to the bathroom and admired myself in the full mirror.

As I smiled at my image and tilted and twirled, my attention fell on my gown. The blueish material had a silky feel to it and it was handpicked by Sam when we went on an impromptu shopping spree. The gown carried simplicity, at the same time, class and sexiness.

And the manner with which it hugged every part of my body, especially the parts I always viewed as imperfect, made me fall in love with the dress and... my boobs. The well-tailored gown held my breasts firmly, its overlapping neckline exposing a glimpse of my cleavage in the right, comfortable amount.

There was also a slit, running from the half of my thigh to the tail. It completed the gown's mission to make me look good.

Once I augmented the gown's beauty with a pair of my favourite silver heels, a simple dropping earring, and my moderately made-up face, I smacked my glossy lips together and walked out of the bathroom to join the party which was holding on the tenth floor.

My sexiness kept soaring as I graciously walked out of the elevator. The rug beneath my feet was soft and it led me to the entrance of the hall. And as I walked, many eyes fell on me in admiration and I strangely felt confident about my appearance. I then briefly wondered what Mr. Powers' reaction would be once he sees me.

'Yeah. Because you are dressed up for him.' My inner mind dug up a fact I was not ready to admit.

After shaking my head to chase away my silly thought, I was soon inside the almost-filled hall, an old-school jam filling my ears as I scanned the large room.

"Wow." The comment slipped out of my mouth as I admired what had been done to the huge hall.

Apart from the obvious beauty the hall initially had, the black and silver decorations that filled the room made it more appealing to the eyes.

As I admired the setup of the round tables, the bright lights coming from the chandeliers that hung randomly around the hall were killed. Dull, flickering lights came on, and they made the whole room different and more appealing.

A smile found its way to my lips and I proceeded to walk to the front where Ruby had informed me that we would be sitting. But after a few steps, someone gently bumped into me.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry," a lady in a white and black waitress uniform pleaded as she struggled to have a proper grasp of the tray of drinks in her hands.

"Are you fine?"

The way her face was weirdly scrunched was concerning.

"No." The lady was quick to shake her head. "No. I need to puke right now, but I need to get these drinks to table ten right... away." Her lips kept contorting into ugly shapes as she spoke. "I'll just... have to... hurry. Oh my..."

I could sense the urgency of the situation and since there was a chance she could get embarrassed, I decided to help her.

"Here." I hung the gift bag around my arm and held onto the tray. "You can leave this to me."

"No, ma'am. You are a guest, it is not proper." I found it miraculous that the girl could still speak despite the furious indications on her face that she was close to making gagging noises.

"It won't be proper if you puke all over Mr. Powers' guests." I gently dragged the tray from her hands. "Table ten, right?"

The lady nodded, appreciated me, and ran off to relieve herself.

I scanned the room from where I was, hoping to see the table number waving back at me. But I was too far away to see anything meaningful, so I readied my feet to begin the search for Table Ten.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I will like to present to you, the man of the day, Dominic Powers!" The crowd cheered as the emcee who was up on the stage talked.

I was still walking and searching for table ten when a bright light fell on my face.

"Oh, that is definitely not Mr. Powers. But we must appreciate this beauty in front of us."

Someone whistled as people clapped in accordance with the emcee's words.

Huh? Us?

While I tried to block the light from my face, I managed to see that almost everyone had their eyes on me.

Uh-oh.

I think I might have ruined Mr. Powers' entry.

As I wondered why they were yet to get the spotlight off me, clicking heels approached me from behind.

"Hey, babysitter!" It was Diane. "You are blocking the way."

I didn't intend to patronise her but I hoped that she would be able to inform the people behind the controls to take the light off me. But as I slightly raised my hand in an attempt to gesture at the light, Diane flinched a little.

That amused me.

Diane said nothing more and strutted away, the sneer that settled on her face etched in my mind. The woman probably thought that I was going to slap her again.

Well... That's her problem.

As for me, I'll get used to my present problem. I tried to ignore the light and resumed looking for the table.

But a few seconds later, a firm, masculine hand grabbed my not-so-free arm and tucked it with his.

"What are you doing, Grace?" Mr. Powers' voice was low yet clear.

"I have to get these drinks to table number ten." I put up a smile to hide the effect of him being so close to me.

Shivering with ascending pleasure is not an image I would like to portray to the public.

"What are you doing to me?" he growled, his proximity seeming to increase by the second. And damn, his scent kept embracing me as though beckoning to me to just forget about everything and dive into his chest for more of his scent.

The smile I was giving to the people around us started to fickle, so I quickly found a way to release my arm from his hold. And I quickly branched to the left and walked past five tables until I reached the table I had been searching for.

"The man of the day, Mr. Dominic Powers." The MC re-introduced him and the hall got up to welcome him with smiles and jamming hands.

Once I dropped the drinks at their destination, I ignored the glares the five women at the table gave me and found my way to my seat.

"Grace, look! Cake! I love eating cake."

I smiled at the little one and urged her not to eat too much. Then I joined the standing ovation which was getting unnecessarily prolonged and focused my gaze on Mr. Powers' who was returning greetings and taking pictures with some well-wishers, flashes of camera lights going on and off.

The more I stared, the more I admired the man. Apart from his looks which always found a way to awe me no matter the number of times I've seen him, his dressing on this fine day was so... so... alluring. Sexy to be precise.

He was not dressed in his regular suit and shirt thing.

Instead, he had on a dyed white and blue, long-sleeved t-shirt that had a little v- cut at the neck. It held onto his body so well, even his arms could not help but show off.

On top of that was a check scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, one of its tails dropping to his upper abdomen. My eyes travelled to his trousers as he resumed walking and my eyes just had to go to the little bulge straining against the black jeans.

As though to ruin my sanity, my brain immediately brought out the time I saw him having sex with Regina.

The little glimpse at his manhood had not really affected me then, but now, the mere thought of it is making me shiver with an unpredicted desire.

Oh, I have such a naughty mind.

"Okay, pull yourself together, Grace," I mumbled as I sat down. "You are just being stupidly horny."

'Horny for him.' That inner voice came again.

Dang it!

Now, I wish I brought that vibrator I have left lying in my store room for about two years now.

'Yes, you should have. That way you can imagine him going...'

"Stop it!"

"Stop what, Miss Sands?"

My eyes snapped open and I faced Mr. Powers' who had taken his seat beside me, with crossed arms.

A bit flushed at the thought that I was just arguing with myself about being horny for him, I shook my head.

"I was just talking to myself." I smiled, my head looking straight ahead at the stage the next second.

I listened to the MC as he talked.

But my focus was soon swiped away when I felt a warm hand on my bare thigh. As the hand slowly trailed my skin, my centre felt a tickle. My mouth became dry as my body reacted to his lingering, warm touch.

It was taking every nerve in my system to resist jerking in reaction to what he was doing. Because not only was my centre ticklish, it was at attention and it was craving.

And it was all because of his touch.

I still couldn't turn to look at Mr. Power. Especially when his masculine scent hit my nose stronger than before. He leaned in very close and his light breath ticked the back of my ear as he exhaled. That simple yet triggering action made me grab the edge of the chair to keep my system in control.

Oh my goodness. That was just his breath and it was able to activate one of my spots.

Damn this man and whatever he is doing to me.

"You are so weird, Grace." His strong hand squeezed my kneecap slightly.

Oh, God. "What's in that bag?" His deep, sensual voice had turned indifferent and he nudged at the gift bag I placed on the floor.

I gathered saliva and gulped to moisten my dry throat. I tried to ignore the needy feeling within me and plastered a smile on my face despite the breathing mess I had become.

"Uh-"

"Now, I would like to call to the stage, Dominic Powers."

The crowd which I had forgotten existed roared as they clapped Mr. Powers off his seat.

A sigh of relief left me as I watched the man get up. But my mind and my body kept recalling the effect of his touch, my lady part kept craving.

I really should have taken that vibrator.

********

"Okay Ruby, time to go sleep. And young lady, no chocolates for you in the next one week," I chastised the little girl in my arms whose dress was almost halfway off her body.

"Why?" She sulked.

"Ruby. Did you see the way you were eating cake today? You ate so much!"

Her face fell then she shrugged. "Should I wait for you to come tuck me in?"

"Nah. I need to give your Dad his gift. I will come to check on you later. Brush your teeth before jumping into bed, okay?"

She nodded, grinning in a silly manner as I sent her off.

After a sigh, I looked around the living room and debated changing my clothes before Mr. Powers' return.

I decided to leave my gown on. I can change after I give him the gift.

So I gave a little shrug and walked to the grand windows to enjoy a view of the city.

Okay, I'll be honest.

I won't be admiring the city. I'll be thinking about how my attraction to my employer has increased in just a few hours. And I'll probably overthink the situation.

"Miss Sands, I have an urge..."

His voice startled me out of my thoughts. I tried to face him but he was already behind me, he stood very close to me. If I decide to lean a bit, I might be able to hit his chest with some force.

"Mr. Powers." My eyes darted as I tried to capture his tall figure with my side-eye. His hands swept my hair to the back, his fingers grazing my neck in the process.

My breath hitched as the feeling from earlier came again.

"I don't know what to do about it." His hand sneakily snaked around my waist and he jammed our bodies together. As my behind hit his groin, I gasped lightly, my eyes bulging at the feel.

"I don't know what to do, Miss. Sands."

His other hand trailed my suspended left hand, my shoulders and it didn't stop until it settled on the strand of my gown.

I felt him lean closer, his head against my hair. His hot breath grazed my shoulder blade and my eyes closed to endure the building pleasure that was threatening to flood my system.

I could not utter a word.

Instead, I made an inaudible sob-like sound with my mouth. I felt like I was being tortured in and out. He should just turn me around and do things to me, I don't think my body can hold it any longer.

"S... sir..."

"I want you so bad, Grace," he whispered sensually into my ear then he kissed my shoulder blade.

"Mr. Powers," I cried in a low voice as my body writhed in reaction to his mouth on my skin. It was as though my body was set on an ecstasy kind of fire.

My body was on fire for Dominic Powers.

I saw this coming but I never knew it would feel this great. And I couldn't dare to hold back anymore. My entire body won't be able to recover from pulling back after he has made me feel such fierceness.

Mr. Powers succeeded in awakening the lost flame in my sober self, so all I just had to do was turn and make him do things to me.

But his grip on my waist was firm and he wasn't done tormenting me.

"Tell me, Grace," as usual, the way my name rolled out of his tongue sent chills down my body, "will you hate yourself if I kissed you right now?"

His breath kept tickling my neck furiously.

"Uh...?" I managed to ask.

His hand travelled to and fro my arm. "Would you hate yourself if I took you right now and smashed my lips onto yours?"

His questions were just making it all worse. Now, I am imagining him doing it and it is making the pool down there get bigger.

"S..sir..." His hand was still stroking my arm, I couldn't concentrate.

"Do you want me the way I want you?" Oh, my sweet God. His sweet mouth had found my earlobe and was sucking on it gently. Breathing harder, I put out my hands onto the transparent door to gain a little balance for myself.

"Do you?" He hugged me tighter and I felt his bulge.

"Yes!" I cried, pleasure dripping from my voice.

"You want me the way I want you?" I could hear triumph in his voice and I sub-consciously ground into his manhood.

"I..." A loud thud came from upstairs and I snapped out of my desires, my head whipped towards the staircase in a flash. "Oh my God, Ruby!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello everyone. My biggest apologies for not updating for a while. I fell ill for some days and I needed to take some days break from everything. But I am back now. ;)