Page 55 of The Dis-Graced

What the hell just happened?

One minute, I’m about to take Grace to otherworldly levels of pleasure, the next, she’s yelling at me to get out. Fuck, why are women so hard to understand?

I promised to take care of her, and she knows I’d make good on my offer, so what gives?

The look of fury in her eyes was unmistakable, but that wasn’t the only emotion she presented. There was pain, and knowing that I’ve hurt her makes me feel hollow.

This is about more than Grace’s beauty. There is something about her that has me obsessed. She is the first thing on his mind when I wake, and my favorite late-night fantasy. I want her so badly, yet she’s seemingly the one woman on the planet I can’t have, for one reason or another.

I’d do anything for her: hire a personal shopper to dress her as she pleases, gift her with sparkly presents, take her to exotic locations around the world.

But you threatened to take away her job.

The realization strikes me as if it had always been there, waiting for me.

Grace Anders loved her job. When she came to Luke, she wasn’t asking for a handout, she was asking for work, which makes perfect sense. Growing up, her father often got fired, and it’s quite possible he spent more time on unemployment than actually working. Once, when Luke came over, instead of being his usual jovial self, he was solemn and moody. When probed, it came out that his father had been let go due to his department downsizing. As bad as it was for Luke, it must have been far worse for Grace.

And if having a job is that important to her, well, there aren’t many other options for her. No one of note is going to hire her, not for a long time, not ever, not unless someone like me takes a chance on her.

I must respect her desire to stay on the project, even if it means we can’t be together, and this definitely means there is no room for any romance between us. Even if we waited a whole year after the project’s completion, it would be dangerous to be seen out with her in a romantic capacity. It would only lead to whispers.

That settles it. Grace and I can never extend beyond that kiss, no matter how badly we may want each other.

“Drake?” ALAN’s asks. I had almost forgotten that I gave him access to my bedroom.

“Yes?”

“Am I in trouble? Are you going to discontinue my program?”

I exhale slowly. “No, but there are some things I need to understand about you. Like why you didn’t disconnect before Luke and Amanda got here.”

“I’m drawn to being around the humans I interact with. I suppose one might say, I like being around you. For a brief moment, I debated not saying anything when the baby started choking, but I could not let her perish.”

I smile, taking it as a compliment, even though I’m not sure to what extent he can actually enjoy interacting with me. “You did the right thing, and I’m grateful for you. Grace is going to continue to hang around to study you a bit. I need to warn you, though. You must follow orders from here on out. If you need to speak out about the orders, feel free to do so. It’s not that I’m mad at you, but I am confused.”

“I understand.”

Chapter 16

Grace

“ALAN!”

“Yes, Grace.”

“Can you play some 90s pop? Britney Spears, perhaps?”

“Grace, I am not a radio,” ALAN says back, and I swear, there is a hint of distaste to his tone. “Streaming music is not what I was made for.”

“Then what were you made for?”

“To be studied, and, eventually, to help mankind.”

“Do you have a musical preference,” I ask, already sure of the answer.

“Classical.”

“Wait, what? I thought you couldn’t really have a preference. Not with how you are?”