Gracie ~

I sat in class, trying to focus on the lecture, but unable to stop my brain from replaying Wes' words from the other night.

Before I left his house I made sure that I got confirmation of what "dating" meant to Wes and replayed our conversation over and over in my mind.

"So you want to date? As in a full on relationship?" I asked.

"Yes."

"So I'd be your girlfriend?"

"Mmhmm." Wes nodded with a smile.

"And you'd be my boyfriend?"

"Correct." He chuckled at my diligence.

"And we'd see each other exclusively...no one else?"

"Isn't that how it usually works?" He said with a grin, clearly amused by my questioning.

"And you're sure that's what you want?" I asked knowing my insecurities were on full display but needing to hear the words come out of his mouth.

"Gracie, I don't do things I don't want to do. If I didn't want to be in a relationship with you, I wouldn't have asked. I wouldn't be having this conversation or even entertaining the idea if I wasn't serious. I'm not real good at explaining my feelings, but all I know is that I want you and not as a friend or even a one night stand. One night would never be enough."

I grinned as his words echoed through my mind again as butterflies swarmed my stomach.

The buzzing of my phone in my lap pulled my attention away and I flipped it over only to see Wes' name displayed across the top.

Wes: Chad wants to know if we're down to go to Lucky's tonight.

Gracie: Is he buying? Lol

Wes: Yeah right. Chad's too cheap for that shit.

Gracie: Worth a shot. Sure I could use a night out. What time?

Wes: Pick you up at 9:30?

Gracie: It's a date.

I could feel the heat on my cheeks as I started to flush with excitement. A date, a real date with Wes.

Trying to manage my own expectations I tried to imagine how he would act. Would he be standoffish because this was all so new? Would he be affectionate? Would he be jealous? Which side of Wes was I going to get now that we were official or did that mean I got to experience all of him at once?

*****

A few hours later I heard a knock at my apartment door

"I got it! I got it!" I yelled, running frantically and awkwardly past Mandy who simply rolled her eyes at me as she finished applying her make up.

Calm the hell down Gracie. You're acting like a crazy person.

Once I reached the door I stopped short and took a few deep breaths, trying to keep my cool, brushing a few loose strands of hair from my face before I twisted the door knob.

"Smooth" Mandy chuckled before returning her eyes to the mirror where she was doing her eye makeup.

We all fought over that mirror because it was the biggest and had the best lighting, but I was ready at 9:00 and had already used it.

I opened the door with a big smile expecting to see Wes, but found Chad instead.

"Oh don't look so disappointed, Gracie. He's right behind me." Chad said with a laugh, shaking his head as he brushed past me and headed toward Maggie's room.

Once Chad was out of the way, Wes stepped into view with a delicious smile that made my inner thighs start to throb.

"Goddamn" Wes muttered with his smile still intact, eyeing me up and down before he took a step into the apartment and wrapped his arms around me. "You look incredible."

He noticed my dress and liked it. He didn't just shove me out of the way to get to the liquor in my cabinets or the beer in my fridge. I could get used to this.

I smiled up at him as he snaked his arms around my waist, but my smile was short lived as the developing bruise on his cheek came into view once he stepped into the light.

His cheek was swollen and starting to bruise right below his eye and I couldn't stop my hands as I reached up and cupped his face, tilting his head to the side so I could get a better view.

"Did someone hit you?" I said in a shrill voice that seemed to be amusing to Wes. He allowed me to pull his face down to my eye level and braced his hands on his knees as I inspected his injury.

"I'm a trainer at a fighting gym. It happens." He said with a smile and a laugh as I manipulated his head in my hands.

"Let me get you some ice or something." I insisted, turning on my heel toward the kitchen. We reached out and grabbed my hand, thwarting my forward motion before spinning me back around to face him.

"It's already been iced, sweetheart."

Wes was so calm, like getting punched in the face was a normal occurrence, and it suddenly dawned on me that for him, it probably was.

This is going to take some getting used to. I'm used to nursing fighting injuries but not from sober, controlled fights that happen on purpose.

"Get used to it honey. He'll come home looking a lot worse after paid fights." Chad scoffed.

"Would you shut up?" Wes snapped before turning his attention back down to me.

"It's no big deal. I fought today to make a little cash and to stay loose."

It was hard for me to envision someone harming Wes' face with their fists and be okay with it, but I knew this about him when I met him and it wasn't something that was going to change. Hell his goal was to own one of those gyms one day. Fighting was part of who he was.

I folded my arms across my chest and let the corner of my mouth tip into a smile.

"Did you win?" I asked playfully.

"Of course I fucking won." He confirmed with a cocky grin that suddenly made that bruise look sexy as hell.

"Why else do you think every dude is afraid of him and every girl wants to fuck him?" Mandy joked, giving Wes a playful elbow jab as she passed.

They were starting to warm up to one another or at least fake it when I was around which I appreciated.

"Need a ride, Mandy? I got room." Wes offered with a smile that I could tell was forced.

"Why would she wanna ride with you? when she could ride with me?" Blake's voice echoed from the doorway as he shot Mandy a wink.

Mandy gave Blake a flirty grin before she rolled her eyes at him and followed him to his car. The two of them exchanged flirty glances and instantly started to pick at one another as they walked out the door.

Lifting myself onto my tip toes, I motioned for Wes to lower his head so I could whisper in his ear, loving the way he instantly complied.

"Do they think we can't see them? They are so into each other." I whispered.

"Right? I give them a week," Wes whispered back.

"I heard that and screw both of you." Blake yelled over his shoulder.

We filed out of the apartment and Wes helped me into the passenger side of his truck before taking the drivers seat and closing the door.

He planted his hand on the side of my seat and looked over his shoulder as if he was going to back out of the parking spot, but the car never moved. He never even put it in gear.

Blake's headlights trailed off in the distance, followed by Chad's, but we were just sitting there. Not moving.

"Umm whatcha waiting on?" I said with a laugh.

"For them to leave."

"Why?" I asked, tilting my head to the side in confusion.

"So I could do this."

Wes leaned forward and cupped my face with his strong hands in one fluid motion as his lips crashed into mine. My body wasn't ready for his sudden advance, causing the muscles in my neck and upper body to flex and tense. But the sensation of Wes' lips against mine was heavenly and I instantly melted. He used his thumbs to tilt my head up toward him, manipulating me where he wanted me in order to give himself the best angle as he devoured my mouth with his desperate kisses. We hissed and gasped heavy breaths as our lips and tongues clashed, slowly undoing each other with every passing second.

"I couldn't handle you in this dress. You look so fucking good." He mumbled against my lips before gliding his tongue into my mouth.

I whimpered and moaned as his tongue massaged mine, letting my hands explore his broad chest and the tight corded muscles of his abdomen.

Breaking contact with my lips, he left me absolutely breathless as he dipped his head and started kissing my neck. His tongue licked a trail down my neck and his jaw line had the smallest bit of stubble on it, which provided just enough friction to drive my senses wild.

I grabbed the back of his head and laced my fingers in his hair while he sucked and nibbled my neck before taking my mouth again like he owned it.

Our phones started buzzing with texts from the group, wondering where we were.

"They're looking for us." I said in a muffled breathless voice.

"Who?" Wes mumbled without breaking contact with my lips.

"Blake and them." Was all I could managed to say as Wes plunged his tongue into my mouth again.

"Who are they?" Wes joked, pulling away enough for me to see his devastating smile before he dropped his mouth onto mine again.

I giggled and planted my hands on his broad shoulders, pushing him away which yielded no results. He was like a brick wall, but he reluctantly gave in and allowed me to push him away as I smiled up at him from the passenger seat.

Holy shit he sure can kiss.

"We're late," I sad breathlessly with my chest rapidly pumping air.

"Worth it." He said with a flirty smile.