Grace (BWWM)

Chapter Thirty

A/N: I honestly might come back to edit out some stuff here. It's a bit heated 😅.
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Passion is good, arousal is good, attraction is good, but these things each have their own time and place.

I watch Grace in the mirror as she stands behind me, singing a Gospel song. She trims my hair as I sit, a towel wrapped around my shoulders. My eyes make their way down her body, slow and steady in their perusal. It's still October and I've tried to be patient. I've prayed for patience, but the closer, yet seemingly slower, we approach our wedding date, the more I wonder why we're doing things like this.

"Don't tempt me, Joe," she suddenly says, not even looking at me. I still stare though.

"I'm a man, Grace."

"And I am a woman."

I know and I'd like to explore that. For now though, I keep my thoughts to myself.

"I know. I catch you staring everyday."

"Of course," she says matter-of-factly. I get a kick out of that. "Are you not my fiancé?"

"I am, and you're my fiancée as well,"

"I know. I am just saying that if you want to help the both of us right now, you should stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" I tease.

Her mouth turns up."I won't encourage you," she says, and I grin.

"Is that why you're singing these Gospel songs, love?" I reach back, running a hand along her arm.

"Yes. It seems that only one of us is trying to fight this temptation," she says before swatting my hand away. I laugh.

"Gracie, you know darn well that I'm the one who tries the hardest. You're usually over here giving me looks like you'd risk it all."

Her eyes snap to mine in the mirror, and she fights a smile.

"That is a lie."

"Says who?"

"Says me—you are the one who would risk it all."

"Oh yeah, is that why I have to stop you all the time?" Her eyes widen.

"Stop who?"

"You!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Joe."

"Grace."

"Stop lying," she says.

"Look who's talking. Name one time you have had to stop me."

"Today!"

"And before that?" I press, and she opens her mouth but falls short.

"Ha! It's always you," I say triumphantly, and she bites back her smile, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, congratulations Mista Man."

"Thank you," I say, and she shakes her head, resuming the haircut. As she continues, we talk some more. She finally finishes and I stand, helping her clean up before I move on to trim my facial hair. She sticks around, leaning against the vanity of the sink as I grab a razor and shaving cream, getting started. Since I'm only cleaning up, it doesn't take more than a few minutes.

My eyes flicker to her a few times, and I spot the heated expression on her face as she openly admires me.

"You doing okay?" I ask.

"Yes. Are you?" My gaze drifts and my movements pause before I continue, finally wiping off the excess foam with a towel as I finish.

"Yeah . . . but I was wondering, how does it look?" I set the towel down and she moves to my front, the vanity still behind her. Her hands reach up, taking hold of my chin lightly and turning my face this way and that. I stare down at her as she remains quiet for a minute or two, that expression still on her face.