Long and Hard: A Bad Boy Box Set

by Lulu Pratt

  I walked back to Abigail and Isaiah to get away from Grayson. Isaiah looked at me with raised eyebrows, silently asking what that was all about. I shook my head. I didn’t want to talk about it. Abigail was talking about something in animated tones, and I forced myself to listen to her. I tried to ignore Grayson who stood at the bar, staring at me again.

  What the hell was his deal?

  Chapter 4

  GRAYSON

  ON SATURDAY morning, my phone rang, and the shrill ringtone pierced through my skull. I moaned and groped around on the nightstand for my phone. I pressed talk and held the phone to my ear.

  “What?”

  “I told you not to drink so much,” Carter said. “You’re suffering, aren’t you?”

  “No,” I lied. My head throbbed, and I felt sick to my stomach. I shouldn’t have drunk as much as I had last night, but I had dreaded today for the past month, and I hadn’t been able to face it sober.

  “Get yourself into a cold shower and meet me in the lobby in half an hour,” Carter said. “We need to look at wedding venues today, and I can’t do it without you. I feel outnumbered with all the women around.”

  I groaned. “Do I have to?” I wasn’t in the mood to do anything other than going down to the hotel bar and drinking for the rest of the day. I was in the worst mood. Today was the anniversary of Jenna’s death. It had been three years since my sister had passed away, and I still couldn’t cope.

  “Come on, Grayson. You’re the best man, and you’re my only defense. I need you.”

  I had to step up to the plate and be there for Carter. It was my job as the best man, and he was right. He had no one else to stand by his side through this. Besides, if I was set on pointing out how wrong it was, I had to be there. So, despite my bad mood and my terrible hangover, I promised I would go and did as Carter suggested.

  Carter and I met Abigail and Callie at the first venue. Abigail was excited, and Carter seemed to be so in love with her that he supported everything she said. It was nauseating. Callie was being her irritating professional self, walking around pointing out things about the venue that didn’t matter.

  “This room can take up to eighty people, so there will be a lot of space to dance,” she said. “If we put our drapes here and here and cover the entire ceiling with fairy lights, we can get what you had in mind at a fraction of the price.”

  “This sounds amazing, doesn’t it, babe?” Abigail asked Carter.

  Carter nodded. “I think it will look great.”

  I groaned. I thought it sounded terrible. Fairy lights were for children, not weddings.

  “What is the point of paying for so much space when you’re planning on having a small wedding?” I asked. “And does the place come with their own staff, or do you need to add that to the price?”

  Abigail tipped her head to the side, thinking about it. Callie looked like she was ready to strangle me. After we spent a few more minutes at the first venue, Carter and Abigail both agreed it wasn’t the place for them.

  “I have two more venues for us to look at,” Callie said. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Callie was taking the wedding planning thing seriously. I guess that was her job, but I wasn’t in the mood to tag along from one place to another. I was pissed off and hurt, my sister was pinned to my frontal lobe, and no matter what they said or what I did, nothing was going to change the way things were. This whole day was going to be a fuck up. Carter should have known today was a bad day. That he had ignored what day it was, well, I wasn’t even willing to think about.

  We climbed into our cars, and Callie led the way to the next venue.

  “Are you okay?” Carter asked while we drove. Abigail and Callie were in the front car, and Carter and I followed. “You’ve never been good at dealing with hangovers.”

  Right, because the hangover was all that was wrong with me. I wanted to make a snarky remark about what day it was, but I bit my tongue because Carter was heading to his happily ever after, and he was trying his best for Abigail. I didn’t agree with the wedding or with our plans for the day, but once upon a time, Jenna had been through this too. I could almost hear her voice in my head, reprimanding me for being a jerk.

  “I’m fine,” I said flatly.

  We stopped at the second venue and climbed out of the car. Abigail and Carter headed off together, looking at the place and discussing it. I tagged along behind them, and Callie joined me. I wasn’t in the mood for the company, but she looked fresher than I felt, and I wondered if she recovered well or if she hadn’t drunk as much as I had. She wore a light blue dress that hit her just above the knee and complemented her natural coloring. Her light hair was pulled away from her face, showing off her delicate bone structure, and I had to look away to keep being annoyed with her.

  The second venue was as terrible as the first. It wasn’t as big, but the layout was awkward, and there wasn’t a dance floor. I pointed it out to Abigail who immediately decided it was a bad idea. Callie tried to save the venue by pointing out the few things that were right, but Abigail and Carter had made up their minds. Two down and one to go.

  Callie looked irritated that I found as much wrong with the venues as I did. I wanted her to react, to snap at me. I was in the mood for a fight. But she conducted herself in a very professional manner and carried on smiling even though she was probably angry. She tried her best to make the day about Abigail and Carter, and I had to give her props for that. I didn’t like Callie as a person, but she was a great wedding coordinator.

  We headed to the third venue. I hoped we were almost done for the day. My head was killing me, and the only way to get rid of a hangover was to sleep it off or drink more. Considering I wouldn’t be able to sleep, drinking was the only option.

  The third venue was a nice place. I had to hand it to Callie. It wasn’t too big, but it had glass doors that opened to a beautiful garden. The kitchen came with their own staff, and it was easy to see Abigail and Carter both loved the place. I could imagine Carter in a tux, leading his new bride onto the dance floor, and I hated it. I hated everything about it.

  “If you’re looking for a safari wedding, this is the place,” I said. “Can you imagine how many bugs the fairy lights would attract?”

  Carter shot me a look that suggested I was on thin ice. Abigail was starting to get annoyed, and even though Carter would have bantered with me when it was just the two of us, having her annoyed was clearly pissing Carter off.

  I glanced at Callie who looked like she was about to lose it too. Everyone was getting angry with me, but I didn’t care. If they were all furious with me, maybe they would feel a fraction of what I felt.

  “Are you planning on doing the ceremony out there?” I asked, gesturing to the doors. “The outdoors might ruin your dress.”

  Abigail stormed off.

  “What the fuck, dude?” Carter asked before he set off after Abigail.

  Callie came to me, eyes impossibly beautiful.

  “What is your problem? Are you set on finding every little thing wrong with every venue or is something else eating you?”

  If only she knew.

  “I am sick and tired of your attitude,” she carried on. “I have tried to be nice, but you have made it impossible. This day is about Carter and Abigail, and if you don’t pull yourself together, I’m going to insist that you stop accompanying us. I don’t care whose best man you are, right now I think you’re the worst.”

  God, she was hot when she was angry. Her eyes spewed fire, and her mouth was mesmerizing. Her body was coiled up like a snake, waiting to strike, and a part of me wanted to push for it so I could see what would happen.

  Before I could say anything, Abigail returned with Carter. Carter’s smile was set in a thin line, and he gave me dark eyes filled with warning.

  “Can we take the venue?” Abigail asked. “We absolutely love it.”

  Callie nodded. “Let me speak to the manager. Wait here, and I’ll be right back.”

  I expected Ca
rter to come at me and reprimand me. Instead, they ignored me and whispered together, pointing out the things they loved.

  I had hoped I could have it out with Carter. How could he be so happy on such a sad day? But I was the only one grieving. Everyone else was preparing for happiness.

  “I have bad news,” Callie said when she returned. “The venue is fully booked for the next six months. Unless you’re willing to postpone the wedding, we’re going to have to look for somewhere else.”

  Abigail was visibly disappointed. “Is there nothing we can do? I don’t want to wait that long before we get married.”

  What was the rush? Why was Carter allowing Abigail to push to get married so quickly?

  “Excuse me,” the manager said, calling Callie aside. They stood together, talking low enough that none of us could hear what they were saying.

  When they were done talking, Callie came to us with a smile.

  “The manager informed me she just had a cancellation. By some luck, the day you wanted is open, but you have to put down a deposit today to secure it.”

  I groaned. Why was this happening? For a moment, it had looked like at least one thing wouldn’t go their way, and I could feel like I’d had a small victory. But it was all working out again.

  Carter disappeared with the manager to put the deposit down for the venue, and Abigail and Callie stood together, talking animatedly about what they could do with the space now that it had been secured. Abigail was in a great mood, but I was pissed off. I wanted to go home. I wanted the day to be over now. I wanted to crawl into bed with a bottle of Grey Goose and forget something like happiness had ever existed. If I forgot, the absence of it wouldn’t hurt so fucking much.

  Carter returned a short while later with a piece of paper that he proudly handed to Abigail.

  “Proof of payment,” he said, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as if he’d just handed her the world.

  Perhaps he had. I leaned against the wall, trying to balance my too-heavy head on my shoulders.

  Callie looked at me, and she gave me a smug smile as if to say she had won this round.

  Maybe she had. If she wanted to play this game, I could play too. She had won this round, but there was still a long way to go before this wedding was planned, and I would be there every step of the way.

  Game on.

  Chapter 5

  CALLIE

  “I DON’T THINK I can handle Grayson much longer,” I said to Isaiah when I packed up my bag in the office. It was time for us to head home. We both worked on Saturdays and Sundays because it was realistic to meet with couples then.

  “Well, from what I hear, you did great today.” Isaiah was finishing up the last files before he collected his things too.

  Isaiah was right. I had done great today. I had bitten my tongue and not said anything when Grayson acted like a child. He’d gone out of his way to find reasons why every venue was a problem, and he’d talked Abigail and Carter out of two of them. I couldn’t figure out what he was trying to do. He insisted on being involved in every step of the way, but at the same time, he shot down everything I suggested. It was starting to feel personal because he was sweet as could be to Abigail and a good friend to Carter. Maybe he didn’t like me. Maybe he wanted nothing to do with me.

  Well, he would have to put up with me until the wedding. After that, we wouldn’t have to see each other ever again. Until then, this was about Abigail and Carter, and I wouldn’t let him mess things up.

  What irritated me even more was that Grayson was so attractive. When he was making snide remarks about my ideas, it was easy enough to stay pissed at him, but the moment he kept quiet, his good looks drew me. Today, something about him had been different. His eyes had held something I hadn’t been able to place, something sad. When he hadn’t been getting involved with the planning process, he’d looked like a man who had lost hope. I wondered what had happened to him to put that look in his eye.

  Every time he opened his mouth and said something else that irritated me, I stopped feeling sorry for him and decided he was a dick. The whole day, I had been bouncing back and forth between feeling sorry for him and wishing he would go right back to whatever hole he’d crawled out of.

  I left the office and drove to my apartment where I climbed into the shower and washed my hair. We were headed out to a club tonight to let our hair down and spend time together as friends. Since Abigail had come home, I hadn’t had time alone with her, but I had to accept that she was with Carter, and I wouldn’t get time with her alone again. Carter was her other half now.

  I chose a low-cut top and a high-waisted skirt that looked like a dress when I put them together. I put on black heels and pinned my hair back. With smoky eyeshadow and a nude lip, I was ready to go.

  We went to Kingdom, an intimate club with high-tech sound and light shows. It wasn’t exactly what I would have chosen for a party night, but Abigail had always loved the place, and Carter had insisted he wanted to see every side of her. Abigail was different, quirky, and it was what I loved about her.

  The club was full, and the music was so loud, it thumped straight through me, vibrating every fiber of my being. We had taken shots at the bar, and we stood to the side, sipping the drinks we ordered. The alcohol was really making my head spin, and I was starting to relax after being upset and uptight the whole day.

  I was aware of Grayson. I told myself I was keeping an eye on him, so he wouldn’t upset Abigail, but in truth, I was watching him because he was more magnetic than usual. He wore a cream-colored collared shirt with jeans that were faded in all the right places and loafers that looked expensive. He carried himself with confidence, and he oozed sex appeal. Carter looked good too. Abigail couldn’t keep her hands off him, but it was easy to see that Grayson stole the show. Every woman in the room was staring at him.

  And Grayson pretended not to notice. There was something about his arrogance that irritated me. There was a lot about Grayson that drove me crazy.

  Abigail and I were dancing to the music, moving our bodies to the beat. Carter and Grayson stood against the wall, watching us. Even though we had an entourage, it felt great to spend time with Abigail again. We hadn’t done it in so long.

  “I’m going to head to the dance floor with Carter,” Abigail said, leaning into me so I could hear her over the music. “Are you coming?”

  I shook my head. I wasn’t going to dance with the two of them like a third wheel, and there was no way I was going to head out onto the dance floor with Grayson. No matter how much he was staring at me. Because that was exactly what he was doing. I was sure he was doing it only to piss me off more.

  Abigail grabbed Carter by the hand and dragged him through the crowd. I lost sight of them within seconds. I sipped my drink, swaying to the music. Grayson walked up to me, and I tried not to take a step away. I didn’t want to be rude.

  “You know, I’m only trying to help,” he said. He had to lean in so I could hear him, and I shivered when I felt his breath against my ear. If he had said anything other than that, I might have responded differently. I might have turned my head and given him the opportunity to kiss me. The alcohol was making me horny, and Grayson was an Adonis, so handsome I wanted to be a damsel in distress.

  Instead of throwing myself at him, I practiced self-control and let the anger take over instead.

  “Don’t even throw that bullshit,” I snapped. “Anyone with half a brain can see you don’t care about their love. You’re selfish. You’re letting whatever’s bothering you get in the way when this isn’t about you.”

  Grayson looked stunned. I put my empty glass down on the floor against the wall and stormed away before I could feel bad about what I’d just said to him.

  “Callie,” Grayson called, but I didn’t want to hear it. I weaved through the crowd to the door. I needed fresh air.

  Grayson grabbed my wrist as soon as we broke free from the crowd, and he could catch up with me. I spun around, glaring a
t him.

  “Unhand me,” I demanded.

  Instead of letting me go, Grayson pulled me to him. I wanted to fight him on it, but I was unstable on my heels with the alcohol in my system and my body crashed against his. My face was suddenly only inches away from his, and my breath hitched in my throat. The atmosphere flooded with sexual tension, and all I could think about were his lips.

  Grayson’s eyes slid down to my mouth, and I knew he was thinking the same thing. Before I could react, before I could take a step back or decide I was making a mistake, Grayson kissed me.

  Everything fell away. Grayson’s lips were warm and firm on mine, his body pressed against me, and I couldn’t think about anything other than the heat radiating off him and the wetness starting to pool between my legs. God, I wanted him. I had wanted him since the moment I had met him, but his stupid comments and my irritation had stopped me from thinking about it too much. With his lips against mine and the bulge in his pants growing, it was hard to ignore what I was feeling.

  Grayson broke the kiss, and his eyes were dark. I looked up into them and noticed golden flecks I hadn’t seen before. Hunger was written all over his face, and it resonated with how I felt.

  Without a word, Grayson spun around. He still held me by the wrist and dragged me with him. I didn’t fight him. I didn’t think about it. If I had thought about it, I wouldn’t have fought him. Grayson pulled me away from the thudding music and the pulsating crowd to the storage areas. He tried the first door he found, and it opened. It was a storage closet with a light that was already on, and he pulled me into it with him, shutting the door.

  My breath came fast, and it was loud in my own ears. I couldn’t think straight. The alcohol made my vision swim, but Grayson was perfect. He pressed me up against the wall and kissed me again, pinning me with his body. It was impossible to miss the erection in his pants, his hard cock that he ground against me.