I scrambled out of Kit’s bed hurriedly. Kit’s bed. The bed I’d been in all night. Again. I was sore, but a good kind of sore. Which wasn’t surprising considering that Kit had had me in the kitchen, on the lounge, and twice in bed before we finally fell asleep – or passed out in complete sated exhaustion in my case.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
I turned to look at him and tried very hard to ignore the very obvious desire in his eyes as they roved over me unashamedly. It made me want to get back into bed with him. So badly. But I couldn’t. I sighed.
“What?” he asked.
“Don’t you with the sexy morning voice, Kit,” I chastised and he chuckled roughly.
I leant my head back for a moment as I prayed for the strength to walk away, then grabbed one of his shirts from where it was lying on the bedroom floor and pulled it on.
“What’s the rush?” he asked me, and I knew he had the same thing on his mind as I did.
“I’ve got six missed calls from Mum!” I hissed. And I didn’t want to call her back while I was in bed with him because that would be…weird.
But just as I turned to get my glasses, he grabbed my hand and drew me to him.
I was damned powerless. He was addictive and made me feel things I’d never felt before. Things I wanted to keep feeling. Things I was finally going to let myself believe I deserved.
Not even pretending to put up a fight, I let him pull me back onto his lap. Kit ran his hands over my hair and down my back as he looked me over like he was committing me to memory. There was a softness in his eyes and his smile, like he was actually happy. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen him look like that, but it made a burst of warm giggly delight burst in my chest.
His hands went to my hips as he pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. It wasn’t fevered. It wasn’t maddening. It didn’t leave my clit tingling for more. It was different. It was precious. It was sweet. And the only thing tingling was my heart as his nose nudged mine.
“I have to ask…” he murmured against my lips.
I wrapped my arms tighter around his shoulders. “What?”
“What made you change your mind?”
“A lot of things.”
And they had.
For starters, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the very real possibility I might have gone and fallen in real, actual love with him. There was also his audacity in his disapproving of my outfit the night before that had made me think just friends wasn’t going to work quite as well as we’d hoped. There was the fact that I was horny as hell for him. And, there had been a tonne of alcohol and a vague discussion with Petra in which we both decided you only live once – it was good to have a friend again.
“What sorts of things?” he pressed.
I smiled softly, deciding that it was worth putting it all out there. I’d either already set things on to a course to implode everyone’s lives, or it was going to be amazing. There wasn’t any in between anymore.
“Mainly this feeling that, whatever this is…it’s special. I don’t quite know what it is, but it’s not just sex. I mean, I’d like to have a lot of sex with you, but I don’t want it to just be sex.”
He chuckled. “I’m glad you feel that way.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “Yes. Because I feel the same way.” He ran a hand over my hair again as he looked me over once more. “I can’t put my finger on what it is. It’s just you. I want to be better for you. I want to be better with you–”
“You’re perfect the way you are, Kit.”
His smirk was rueful and it was sexy. “I think you might be biased.”
I shook my head. “I know you, Christopher Barrett Grayson. I know who you are under all that sexy muscle and ink and brooding seriousness. I always have.”
“And who am I?” he asked.
I opened my mouth, but my phone started buzzing next to my leg. I looked at it and saw it was Mum ringing again.
“She’s just going to keep calling,” I sighed.
He kissed my neck. “So, answer it.”
“I’m on top of you,” I pointed out.
“I’ll be quiet as a mouse,” he promised and I smirked.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Why am I just hearing about Brent now?” Mum asked and I grimaced.
Kit looked at me in question and I shook my head as I clambered off him. He didn’t stop me this time.
“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to act innocent for all the reasons.
“Patrick just made it painfully obvious that he was letting something slip. Why didn’t you tell me? What happened? When?”
I sighed as I pulled on my sleeve. “Exactly what did Pat tell you?”
“Just that you and Brent were over. I mentioned Christmas this year and he said Brent wouldn’t be coming.”
I wrinkled my nose at Kit in frustration and he looked at me with a mixture of confusion and humour.
“Ah… Okay. Look, Mum. I… I walked in on Brent and Dannie, and I… I left.”
“You… You left? They were…?” A pause. “Oh, baby. How are you?”
I knew what she was really asking. “I shoved it down, it bit me in the arse and I…” I looked at Kit and gave him a smile, knowing I’d never have to hide any of that from him. “I dealt with it. So, I’m okay. Still a little pissed off, but I’m okay.”
“Are you sure? Where are you? Patrick didn’t say you were staying with him.”
“Uh, no. I’m… I… We actually ran into… Into Kit and he… Well, I’ve moved into one of his spare rooms for now.”
Mum actually squealed in excitement and I nearly dropped my phone. “Oh my God! Yes! Family dinner!”
I blinked. “I beg your pardon?’
“Yes. If you’re living together, you have no excuse to not be in the same room together anymore and we can have a full and proper family dinner.”
Of course, that was the first thing she thought of.
“Uh…” I started.
“Is he home?”
Uh, yeah and sinfully gorgeous first thing in the morning. “I think so.”
“Go and ask him.”
“About what?” I squeaked.
Kit’s head tilted in question, but I could see his lips had other ideas.
“Dinner,” Mum said like it was obvious.
“Sure. When?”
“Tonight. Phil and Angela are coming anyway. I’m sure they’d love to see Kit. I’ll call Pat and text Ange to call Angus.”
“Uh… Wait, he’s just walked in. I’ll ask him.”
“Ask me what?” Kit asked, a cheeky smirk at his lips.
“Dinner tonight with the folks?” I opened my eyes wide, wondering why that didn’t elicit more panic out of him.
He nodded. “Sure. That’d be great, Mags,” he called loudly enough for her to hear.
“Oh, wonderful!” Mum said.
I frowned at him. “What time do you want us?” I asked Mum.
“How’s six-thirty?”
I nodded. “We’ll be there.”
“You’ll pick Pat up?”
“Sure.”
“Wonderful. Thanks, Bert. Love you!”
“Love you, too,” I said, but she’d hung up. “This is going to be interesting.”
Kit coaxed me back into bed. “I can think of something more interesting…” he said, his voice low and sexy.
“Oh?” I asked. “And what’s that?”
“You and me in bed. At least for another few hours.”
“Hours?” I clarified.
He nodded, a heat in his eyes that I felt shoot right through me. “Hours.”
“I could be persuaded,” I said.
His lips dipped to my neck. “Preference of method?”
I laughed. “Surprise me.”
With one strong arm around me, he reached behind him and grabbed a condom out of his dra
wer. “How’s this for a start?” he asked, his smile bright in his eyes.
“That all depends on what you plan to do with it.”
Kit leant forward and nipped my earlobe gently before whispering, “I was planning to put it on my very hard cock and gently slide you onto me.”
“And then what?” I teased, very much liking the sound of that.
I felt his smile just under my jaw. “Well, I was thinking we could just sit here and talk about your thesis progress.”
I laughed as he hugged me tightly and I hugged him back. “You just know the direct path to a girl’s heart, don’t you?”
“You don’t think so?” he asked as he trailed his nose across my cheek.
“I think I like the first part of your plan–”
“But not the second?”
I shook my head.
“Who made you in charge?”
“Oh, I think it’s my turn, isn’t it?”
He grinned at me cheekily as he held the condom to me in two fingers. “Why, yes, it is.”
I took it and rolled it over him. He breathed out slowly as though I actually managed to test his control and I loved every minute of it. My hand stroked him slowly a couple of times, our eyes on each other a challenge.
“All right,” he said with a wry half-smile. “I yield.”
He helped me out of his shirt as I knelt up to position myself over him.
****
As soon as the car pulled up in the driveway, Patrick was out the door laughing about how funny it was going to be to have all of us in a room together for the first time in almost a decade.
“So, we just act normal and no one will know,” I said, looking at Kit.
“We don’t act normal together anymore, Amber.”
I shot him a glare. “If Pat finds out before–”
Kit took my hand. “That’s not what I meant,” he said softly, looking up at me. “We get along now, Amber. We can talk to each other. The other stuff is great.” He gave me a sexy half-smile. “Better than great. And we can hide that stuff. But Hawk’s not the only one who’s going to notice you can look at me now.”
I nodded. “No. Sure.”
Patrick knocked on the door. “You coming, or you both ditching me here?”
I pushed the door open into him with a saccharine smile. “Keep your pants on,” I told him.
“My pants are fine, thank you,” he retorted as the three of us headed to the front door.
Mum had it open before we got there and there were actually tears in her eyes. “Oh my God. It’s a dream come true. Dream. Come. True. Angela!” she yelled into the house. “Look at you. Angela! All three of you together again.”
Angela appeared at the door and she was just as excited.
“Oh, look at them!”
“Mum,” Kit said tightly. He’d always silently suffered his mum’s affection.
Both mums rushed forward and hugged their boys. I snuck inside and hoped I could avoid the overzealous welcoming committee.
“Amber!”
I turned and there was little Chaos 2.0. Angus Grayson. Nicknamed Toad by Kit and Pat when he was about two. At twenty-four, he was the near spitting image of his older brother, just a little bit less in every way. But he was still one of my favourite people and much more like a brother than Kit would ever be.
“Angus!” I went over to hug him.
“You’re looking good, considering.”
I rolled my eyes and shoved him playfully. “Thanks. Parentals catch you up?”
He nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought you were still in Japan.”
“You were in Japan?” Kit asked from behind me and I felt his hand brush my back.
Angus looked up at his brother and years’ worth of history flooded me. The two brothers had never really got along. They loved each other. They respected each other. Kit was Angus’ hero – not that he’d ever admit it out loud. But they weren’t friends.
“Yeah. Holiday with the boys,” Angus replied.
“Cool. Have fun?”
Angus lost most of his awkwardness – reverting back to the younger sibling desperate for his older brother’s approval. I knew the feeling well.
“Yeah. It was great.”
“Well, well,” came Phil Grayson’s voice. “If it isn’t a full house.”
“First time in how long?” Dad asked.
“About ten years, I reckon,” Phil said.
“At least,” Angela said.
“It wasn’t the boys’ eighteenths was it?” Mum asked.
“You know, it might have.”
“No, it was Christmas,” Phil said.
“Oh!” Mum cried, laughing. “Yes. It was…”
I quickly sidestepped it out of there and into the kitchen to find some booze to get me through the night. As I pulled myself out of the fridge with a beer, I saw Mum next to me.
“You’re looking good, baby,” Mum said, bumping her hip into mine.
I nodded. “I feel good.”
“I worried. When we talked earlier, I worried. But you’re really looking good.”
I looked at her. “I told you I was good.”
“And does this have anything to do with Kit?”
“Mum!” I laughed, but my heart pounded. “Ew. No.”
Mum snorted. “Oh God, no! I didn’t mean like…No!” she giggled.
I huffed an awkward laugh. “No. Good. Me either. Because ew.”
“What’s ew?” Pat asked as he came in.
“Kit and Amber,” Mum giggled.
I heard a spluttered cough and turned to see Kit was behind Patrick’s grimace of disgust.
“That’s not ew,” Pat said. “That’s illegal.”
I swallowed hard and caught Kit’s eye.
“Oh,” Mum tsked with a laugh. “It’s not illegal. It would be weird though. Ange and I always wondered if Amber and Angus would get together. Didn’t we, Ange?” Mum called into the other room.
“Ew.” I wrinkled my nose.
“Toad?” Kit asked as though it was laughable.
“Yeah,” Patrick added. “He’s not nearly geeky enough.”
Now I was spluttering a cough.
“You right, Bert?” Pat asked as he got a beer out.
I nodded. “Totally fine.”
Mum ushered us out of the kitchen and the Grace Grayson clans spent the evening catching up on everything. There was a lot of pooh-poohing Dannie and Brent which I thought was sweet, but the way Mum and Angela cooed over how sorry they were my relationship was over in front of Kit made me feel weirded out.
When I ran into him in the bathroom before dinner, all I could do was hug him.
“I’m sorry,” was the first thing out of my mouth.
“For what?” he asked.
“For our mums and all the Brent stuff.”
He looked at me like he wasn’t sure if it was funny or my reaction was sweet. “It’s fine, darlin’.”
“Because it doesn’t bother you… Because we’re–?”
He took my hand. “Because it’s in the past and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Kit had always been annoyingly good at looking like nothing bothered him and I’d always had trouble seeing through him. I couldn’t tell now if he was legitimately not bothered, or just hiding it really well.
“It’s fine,” he said gently as he leant down to me.
I looked behind him as I put a hand on his chest. “Kit!”
“What?”
“No one knows about us. What are they going to say if the see us kiss?”
“We should tell them.”
Panic surged as I tried to reconcile telling Patrick with his reaction to our hypothetical relationship. I couldn’t do it. Not yet.
“I just… I need some more time.”
“If you’ve changed your mind…?”
I shook my head wildl
y. “No! No. I want this. I want you. Us. I just…need a bit more time before I piss my brother off.”
He nodded slowly. “Okay. But my silence can only be bought with a kiss.”
I smiled. “Kit!”
“What? One kiss? A little kiss? Please.”
I leant up and kissed him quickly. “Happy?”
His hand went to my cheek as he kissed me again. “Happy.”
“Okay. That has to be it.” I kissed him one more time. “Someone will see.”
“No one will see,” he said, drawing me back to him with a mischievously tempting smile on his face.
Just as I was about to kiss him again, we heard Patrick getting closer. “…don’t know. Is it in the linen press?”
Kit and I stepped away from each other just as Patrick opened the door. He looked between us and blinked.
“Uh, hey,” he said slowly.
“There’s a line,” Kit said and I nodded as I stepped towards the toilet as though I was going in there.
Patrick grinned. “Go use the en suite,” he said to Kit as he pulled open the linen press “Waiting around like a chump. Bert, you know where Mum’s quote ‘good napkins’ are?”
“I’m gonna…” Kit started.
I nodded. “Good. Yeah. Okay.” I tucked my hair behind my ear and went to help Patrick.
“I thought you were peeing?” he asked as Kit sidled out.
I huffed. “You know I don’t like an audience.”
Patrick just laughed and nudged me as we continued the hunt for Mum’s good napkins.
I knew Kit was right. We had to tell everyone. I’d asked for a week. A week to work out what the hell I was going to say to my big brother. It wasn’t lost on me that we were sneaking around behind his back in a very similar manner to the way Dannie and Brent snuck around behind mine. I didn’t want Pat to find out by accident, I wanted him to hear it from us because we – and I mean I there – manned up and told him.
The prospect was just terrifying.
18
Kit
It hadn’t been a week. It had been two weeks. I’d been hiding my relationship with his little sister from my best friend for two weeks. And the fact that the ‘R’ word didn’t make me recoil in disgust even in the privacy of my own brain told me that I really needed to tell him. I just wasn’t sure if any of us were ready.
Chaos & the Geek (Grace Grayson Security Book 1) Page 18
