9781631054099GracefulAcceptanceBeck Read Free Page B

knew it wouldn’t be much longer tha t she could outrun her destiny, and she needed to see her
best friend.
    She also needed more
of that mocha. Grace would ask Davina what she used to make it. She’d never
tasted anything so divine, and she was a confessed espresso addict. Still
nothing had ev er tempted her so much—she couldn’t
think of another thing—that she would indulge as she’d done last night.
    Davina’s shop was
located in Old Towne, their small downtown area where businesses were set in
old buildings and one had to walk about since cars we ren’t
permitted on the cobblestone street. It was quaint in a world that was growing
increasingly more industrial. Grace often sat on benches in Old Towne and
sketched the buildings, casting reflections on their intricate stone patterns.
    If Grace could onl y find it inside herself to put her pieces on display, or
perhaps sell some. That took a courage Grace didn’t have. She resigned herself
to drawing for her own happiness.
    Grace found herself at
the book store before she realized how far she’d walked. The f ragrances that burst from the shop as another customer
opened the door were magnificent. She staggered back a bit at the sudden surge
in her stomach, a deep desire for more unlike any craving she’d ever felt, an
overwhelming need to be satiated. Her mouth watered
at the memory of last night’s indulgence.
    Oh Goddess, had
anything ever made her feel this way? It was her one weakness, the sweet nectar
of the Goddesses. Coffee, espresso, mocha, lattes… she loved them all, but
never had she been unable to refuse more than one.
One was her limit. One was safe. It wasn’t overindulgent. It wasn’t gluttonous.
    The customer held the
door as Grace entered and she nodded her thanks. Then she came to an immediate
stop as she spotted her best friend behind the counter. Dav ina had always been beautiful to Grace. She was her
opposite in every way, her dark to Grace’s light. That’s what drew Grace to
Davina, but it was a pull that Grace could easily ignore. Until today. In this moment, Grace could focus on
nothing else aside f rom the luscious curves Davina
flaunted in her 1950s inspired pin up girl dress. Cinched in at the waist and
carefully crafted to hug her breasts, the dress put all Davina’s assets on
display and caused Grace’s throat to tighten and her mouth to dry. She l icked her lips and flushed when Davina looked her way and
winked.
    Davina was with
another customer so Grace waited by the coffee counter. She swallowed down the
growing feeling of unease, averting her eyes when she felt Davina’s on her. Her
skin prickled w ith excitement, or maybe apprehension.
Suddenly insecure about the little pleated skirt with tennis shoes she wore, Grace fidgeted and kicked herself for
not wearing something that didn’t make her look like a little girl.
    Not able to resist a
moment longer , Grace turned and locked eyes with
Davina. The lapis blue eyes that stared back at her held her rooted. She knew
Davina was looking her over and she knew there was something different in the
exchange, but didn’t know what to do. Remaining still, Grace fel t the stroke of Davina’s eyes on her body. A chill ran
through her and she shivered, only to hear a deep laugh come from Davina, who
now stood alone.
    Grace and Davina
shared a look. Then Davina held out her hands and waited for Gracie to place
her smaller ones into them. They held onto one
another, their fingers intertwined, and spoke in tones too low for human ears.
Their chanting caused swirls of light to flow around them and a calming
presence overtook Grace. Slowly she relaxed into their circle of two a nd floated into the words they spoke.
    They were alone. The
only other customer had left and Davina flipping the sign to closed. Grace’s
heart thumped loudly in her chest and her clit pulsed in its rhythm. Foreign
sensations in the presence of Davina—sensat ions with a strength she’d not experienced