by N Kuhn
Growing up, his parents had taught their children the value of earning things. No. His parents weren’t going to just hand Robin and Grayson anything. That was part of why Robin and he had worked for a living and had yet to touch their trust funds.
His thoughts meandered to grapes, wines, vineyards, and fruit and cheese offerings he could have in his own tasting room. All the way to his sister’s home, he ran through business plans. Next thing he knew, the chauffeured car pulled up in front of the home. He thanked the driver, climbed out and let himself in the front door. The sounds of giggling assaulted his ears the moment he crossed the threshold. Closing his eyes, Grayson clenched his jaw. She was here. Robin did not warn him that Char would be here. Quite the contrary, she’d acted as if nothing else was happening. Robin opened her arms and flung herself at him.
“Hi, Gray.”
“Rob,” he growled, looking down at his little sister. She grinned, a devilish, evil grin.
He couldn’t stay mad at her. No matter what. He would have to deal with it.
“Oh look, the workaholic decided to join us. You know, Gray, Justin runs the whole city, and he was here on time,” Char said with snark. “Or were you too busy with some cocktail waitress or secretary somewhere? It’s a wonder how you even make it from the office to the elevator.” She leaned against the kitchen doorframe, wearing a silken, short-sleeve blouse in a soft red that made her green eyes pop brightly. Tight jeans encased her round, curvy body. Bouncing blonde curls fell to her shoulder, and eyes more exquisite than any emerald, sparkled at him with a gleam of mischief. His cock twitched, taking him by surprise. It was unusual for him to have a physical reaction to the woman other than annoyance, heartburn, and clenched teeth. She had always harassed him about his non-existent relationships but stream of constant women. He was young, and hadn’t found anyone he wanted to settle down with yet. What business was it of hers anyways?
“We can’t all live off of our mommy and daddy’s. Some of us need to work. You’re just jealous you’re not one of them.” When Robin slapped his chest, he immediately regretted his words, wanted to take them back. But it was too late. Hurt flashed across Char’s face, but quickly faded. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned her back to him, moving to the kitchen.
Shame hit him in the gut, twisting like a knife. He wanted to throw up, drink something, smash something. He wanted to chase after her, wrap his arms around her waist and hold her tight. But he couldn’t. She was his sisters best friend. That was a no-fly zone if ever one existed. Bile crept up his throat, burning like acid, and he couldn’t swallow.
“You’re an asshole, Grayson. I can’t believe you would say that to her.” The look of disgust on his sister’s face was like a punch to the gut. Justin came into the entryway, shaking his head.
“That was pretty harsh, dude.”
“Come on, I was trying to be funny. And how could you”—he pointed at Robin, lowering his voice and narrowing a hardened gaze at his sister—“not tell me she was going to be here? You know she annoys the crap out of me!” The words came out harsher than he intended, his tone filled with anger. But Robin just smiled at her older brother, seeming to enjoy the way his blue eyes lit up. It wasn’t lust, damn her. It was anger. Sadly though, not even he believed that. The only anger he felt, was at himself for saying something to hurt Charlene. She’d dealt with things like that from her father, she didn’t need it from him.
Robin walked away quietly to check on her friend. Justin nudged Grayson’s shoulder, pulling his gaze from his sister’s retreating figure. Heart racing, he took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves sparking inside of him, like electricity racing through his veins.
He followed Justin into the den, each step heavier than the last. Instinctively, Gray reached for the bottle of bourbon and poured himself a drink. He threw it back, relishing the burn as it slid down his throat, warming his stomach. He refilled the glass, that one disappearing in a second quick gulp.
“So, I’m gonna let you wallow alone then, if you’re going to keep tossing back my expensive bourbon like that. And, you owe me another bottle.” Humor glittered in Justin’s eyes, as the expression on his brother-in-law’s face hardened. Justin knew the feeling. He’d loved one woman and couldn’t admit it, either. And it had almost driven him crazy. Yeah. He had been there, been through it. Out of everyone, he understood best. Robin had been right. Her brother was in love with her best friend and fighting it hard. Hiding his smirk behind a long pull of his own drink, he turned away, heading to the kitchen to check on the women.
Grayson poured another drink.
“Hey,” Justin called out over his shoulder, “if you keep drinking like that, why bother with the cup? Just drink straight from the bottle, but you better remember to bring me another one tomorrow night.”
Grayson mumbled under his breath, closing his eyes.
Chapter 3
She would not cry, wouldn’t allow him the satisfaction. Though tears burned her eyes. She looked up, blinking fast as Robin come up behind her. Charlene placed her hands on the counter in front of her, leaning in, her gaze shifted down.
“Why is your brother such a dick?” Her attempt at a laugh came out a sob and Robin wrapped an arm around her, leaning a head on her shoulder. Robin was five inches shorter than Char. She had always been the tall one in school, the leggy blonde that suffered the stigma of being the “eye candy”. When they were younger, she thought Grayson was different, that he would treat her like a lady. But instead, she and Robin had laughed over the women that paraded through Grayson’s life. Through all the snark and jokes, yes, Char had wished she could be one, but she wanted to be the one that stuck, not someone he would throw away after. Normally his comment wouldn’t hurt so much, but after the phone call she’d had with her father this afternoon, it hit a little too close to the mark. Sure, she knew Gray was teasing and not trying to intentionally be mean to her.
“He’s a beast. That damn list is making life crazy for him. He had to change his phone number, and he can’t go anywhere in public without being assaulted by mothers, or single women, hell, even married women. But that’s no excuse for how he just treated you.”
“My dad cut me off today. Said I have to move out of my apartment, and he’s not paying my bills anymore. I tried to explain that it wasn’t my fault I got fired from that art gallery. Phillippe and I broke up when I caught him sleeping with a customer in the back room.”
Char couldn’t look at her best friend. She was such a mess—couldn’t hold down a job, or keep a man. It wasn’t like she needed the money. She had a trust fund that rivaled Grayson and Robin’s put together. Her father just wouldn’t give it to her until she was married and settled down. Of course, that had never bothered her before, not as long as he paid for her apartment, her car, her bills. Then it was no big deal. Okay, maybe he was trying to teach her responsibility with the job thing, but to cut her off completely and kick her out? It was a bit much.
Her mother had tried to talk him out of it, but Carson Dixson didn’t take advice from women. They were there to look pretty—to be seen and not be heard. He was the CEO of the best brokerages on the west coast. Her father was respected and got what he wanted. As of today, she only had the suitcase of clothes she had brought with her and the car that was hers legally only because her father had mistakenly titled it in her name.
“I’m so sorry, honey. You can stay here as long as you want,” Robin placated her.
They both knew she couldn’t stay. Robin and Justin were newlyweds with a baby on the way. No. She had to go back to Seattle and talk some sense into her father. Her bank account had enough in it to get her a new apartment, and until Daddy saw the light, she would just have to figure out something to do for work.
“I know, and thank you so much. But I can’t do that. I called my brother, Scott. He’s going to teach me about realty. His firm has a location in Puget Sound, away from my parents, and he’ll help me get an apartment. Though he lived in Sea
ttle, he was looking for something between Everett and Edmonds. Edmonds was just eleven miles north of the Seattle city limits. He thinks with my personality, I’ll be good at it.” Wiping at her cheeks, Char finally turned to her friend, a weak smile on her lips. They embraced each other.
“Still, Grayson had no right to say any of that.”
The anger boiled in Char’s gut, bubbling up into her throat. Robin was right. Sure, she was going through hell right now, but Grayson hadn’t known that. He was just being his normal rude and nasty self. For no real reason except it was how he lived every day of his life. Extending her arms, she held Robin away, her friend looking at her in confusion. It finally threatened to pour over, so she sidestepped Robin, moving past her. Her long legs stomping, heels clicking on the marble floors of her friend’s home.
“Char, what are you doing?” Robin chased after her.
Char stopped, abruptly turning to stare at her. “Robin, let me do this. I’ll meet you two in the dining room soon,” she made a point of looking at Justin, who she had passed while exiting the dining room. “Gray and I need to have a talk. Alone.”
“I wouldn’t both-“ Waving a hand, Char cut Justin off. There was nothing he could say that would change her mind or stop her from saying what she had to say. She had dealt with the barbs, the jokes, and snarky comments from a lot of people in her life. They all thought she was a pampered princess, not ever really knowing the real her, or the woman struggling to figure out who she was. She would be damned if Grayson would get away with being one of them.
Her angered steps moved her into the den and her gaze immediately went to him, slumped over the bar in the corner, an empty rocks glass in his hand. He moved sluggishly, those brazen blue eyes boring through her, half-lidded gaze, and gorgeous mouth upturned as he snickered.
“Oh look, the princess has her panties in a bunch,” he turned, pouring himself another drink.
Char’s heart raced, just being so close to him. Growing up, she had the typical school girl crush on her best friend’s brother, daydreams, more. And then they were adults. Her cheeks flushed with rage. Her heels echoed loudly through the room, and Gray looked up again as he sucked down yet another drink. She reached out before she could stop herself and slapped the cup out of his hand. Amber liquid splashed through the air as the glass tumbled to the ground.
“What the hell?” he growled, standing up. His massive, wide, tall, and gorgeous body filled Charlene’s line of sight. He towered over her by a good half a foot, even in her heels. Turning her face up, she stared him down, not budging an inch. She poked her finger out, hitting him in the chest…hard, toned muscles underneath the soft material. Even in a suit, jacket and tie, he cut an impressively handsome figure. But she held onto her anger.
“You shut up and listen to me, mister.” Emphasizing each word with a jab of her finger, she stood with him face to face, as if ready for battle. Anger filled his eyes, flashing bright, and she couldn’t tear her gaze away, yet even with the way it affected her body, confusing her, she held on to her rage. “You didn’t have any right to talk to me that way. I have tried and tried, and yes, I’m having trouble finding where I belong. I may not live up to your standards of perfect, or smart, but I’m me. I’m happy in my life and my search for how I want to live it. And you, your nasty words, your..” she stumbled for words, “You couldn’t possibly make me feel any worse than my father already has today. I know I’m a failure, but damn it, I won’t let you-“
Grayson’s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her body flush against his. His mouth covered hers, and he kissed her with a passion that filled her from head to toe with warmth. Her nerve endings sizzled with electricity and a fervor she had never felt from just a kiss before. Grayson’s tongue nudged its way into her mouth, caressing, consoling, tempting her. She could taste the bitter alcohol, which brought her brain out of the foggy haze created by their connection.
Pulling back, she stared into his face. Char brought her hand up, slapping him across the face.
“How dare you?” As she turned to stalk away, full of irritation, he snagged her arm. His strong hands wrapped around her, tugging until she fell back into his grasp. Pressed against Gray again, her body betrayed the anger she felt. Her stomach tightened, lust crashing over her in waves, breath hitched, puffing out in short sighing sounds.
“Let go-“
Grayson cut her off. “Shut up,” he growled, pressing his lips to hers again. A hand slid up the side of Char’s face, long fingers twirled in her hair, caressing her cheek.
Moaning into his mouth, she lost all thought and her grip on the thin thread of her fury that was left, finally snapped, breaking away as she kissed him back. Melding them together with his kiss, he let her arm loose, and she slipped her arms around his neck, pressing her waist against his pelvis. She could feel the hardened muscle under his dress pants. It was so large, she felt her panties moisten. Her fingertips caressed the bottom of his hairline.
The growl from deep in his throat turned her on more. She had always thought of this, but never dreamed it would be like this, stormy, dangerous, hot. Closing her eyes to enjoy the sensations, colors danced before her eyes. His hands moved down her arms, stroking her bare skin. It goose bumped, leaving a trail along the way. In a frenzy, he tugged at the hem of her blouse. His heated skin touched hers, causing a shiver. The movement blew her mind, skimming up her belly, causing tremors throughout. His large hand encased her breast, squeezing it. He pulled the right side of her bra down, exposing her nipple to the silk material and his fingers. As it hardened, he plucked and pinched.
“Oh,” the small moan escaped Char’s mouth, her breath warm against his lips. They panted, each fighting for air.
“What are you doing? We can’t do this.” Char whispered her words, but Grayson ignored them. Her head tipped back, her eyes squeezing closed again as her breath hitched. The hand that wasn’t pinching her nipple, was stroking across her stomach. Every inch of her burned with a flame so hot, she thought she could burst.
He crushed his mouth to hers once again, moving his hands around her body, held tight against her back. Shifting his hips, he pressed harder into her. He pressed harder and harder, backing her up, until she felt the large, mounted bookcase against her ass. The shelves shook as they fell hard against it. Items wobbled, but nothing kept them from enjoying the chemistry between them. They kissed with such a fever that sharing their breath seemed the only cure. Noses smashed into each other, hands moved everywhere, grabbing at anything they could.
Char pulled at the suit jacket he had on, as he tried to remove his tie. Leaning back, his pelvis ground into her while they peeled the clothing from his body. Her eyes roamed the bare chest before her. His hardened muscles showed off the two hours a morning she knew he spent at the gym. Gingerly, she caressed the lines, touched the hard plains, rubbed her hand along the ridges. It was everything she had dreamed of.
Grayson pulled her shirt up, lifted her arms above her head, slid the material up. She shook out her hair after he dropped the shirt at their feet. He leaned down, kissing below her ear, moving down her neck, his tongue licking along her chest. He nipped at her exposed breast, the wetness cooling a trail along the way. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding his head against her breasts. She lifted her leg, wrapping it around his waist. Char felt his hands wrap under her ass, lifting her body so she could wrap both legs around him. She writhed against him.
“Oh shit, I’m,” Robin shouted out. “I’m sorry,” she said, closing the door and leaving the room, breaking the lust fog that had them spellbound.
Grayson let go of Char. Her feet landed beneath her, but wobbly. She feared moving away from the bookshelf, that she would collapse.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Grayson shouted out, running a hand through his hair. He backed away further.
Char couldn’t say anything. She couldn’t move, instead, stood paralyzed as the man she had crushed on, felt love for, wanted to know what it wa
s like to be with, her whole life, turned and ran from the room. She stood still as the sound of his steps faded. She stood still as the front door slammed. She stood still as his driver took him away from the house. And she cried. Tears flowed from her eyes and she couldn’t stop them. Fat wet drops fell onto her bare skin.
The door to the den opened again, Robin peeking her head in.
“Oh honey.” Robin ran to her friend, picking the discarded shirt up off the floor and helping clean Char up. Char tugged the bra back up, slipped the shirt over her head, wiped her tears. “What happened? Was it me, interrupting? Was he hurting you? Does Justin need to have him killed? We are in Vegas, I’m sure we can make it happen.” Robin rambled on, Char just remained silent. It was the story of her life. She was the failure, the now broke, jobless, homeless failure. Maybe her father was right. She was no good.
Chapter 4
It had been three long, torturous months. Three stressful, work filled, annoying months since his mistake with Charlene. He couldn’t believe he had done that. He kissed his sisters best friend. When he ran from there, Robin had blown up his phone, over and over, but he left the calls unanswered. It took two days of ignoring her, before the rotund pregnant woman had barged into the casino office yelling at him. She was angry, apparently having held her upset best friend for an hour after he left. Charlene had left town immediately. No, his sister was not mad at the fact they had both ditched out on dinner, she was mad he hurt her best friend. Grayson had never felt more like an asshole.
