by Keeland, Vi
“Oh? Your mom’s charity?”
“Yeah. The main office is over in Glendale. They host a few parties a year for the kids and their Bigs. Tomorrow is Christmas in July. It’s a holiday-themed carnival. My grandmother suckered me into working it, but I just found out I should be finished by about two.”
I smiled. “That sounds great.”
Grant nodded. “I’ll text you the address.”
After I shut the door again, I thought about the evening. One part stuck out. I’d told him I could see myself easily falling for him. Which was sort of a lie. I already was.
Chapter 19
* * *
Ireland
I hadn’t expected a party this big. I’m not sure why, but I’d envisioned a few dozen people, a makeshift petting zoo, and a cotton candy machine. But there were hundreds of people milling around, a pretty big Ferris wheel, street-style vendor carts all over the place, and Christmas-themed performers.
I walked around for a while and checked things out, but Grant was nowhere in sight. A woman approached me holding literature. She smiled. “Are you a Big? I don’t think we’ve met yet.”
“Oh no. I’m not part of the program.”
She held out a pamphlet. “I’m Liz, the director here at Pia’s Place.”
“Hi. I’m Ireland. I’m actually meeting someone here.”
“Oh, okay. Well, it’s a great program. Can’t hurt to check out the information. I think you’d find it very rewarding.”
I took the pamphlet. “Thank you.”
“My number is on the back, if you have any questions. Have a great afternoon. Enjoy the carnival.”
She started to walk away, but I stopped her. “Liz, is there any chance you know Grant Lexington?”
“Of course.”
“Have you seen him around? I’m supposed to meet him here after two, but I can’t seem to find him.”
Liz smiled. “He got started late.” She looked over her shoulder a moment. “But it looks like he’ll be finishing up soon. The line is finally getting smaller.”
My brows furrowed. “Line?”
She pointed. “For Santa Claus.”
I looked over at the area I’d passed by twice and squinted, examining the people. Taking a long look at Santa Claus, my eyes widened. “Oh my God. Is that…”
Liz laughed. “Only his grandmother could get him into that getup. It’s the first time he’s playing Santa for us. His grandfather has played the part for the last twenty years. I guess they’re passing the baton.”
After Liz walked away, I stood watching from a distance. The man was certainly an enigma. He wore custom-tailored suits, made everyone sit up a little taller when he walked into a meeting, and had an abrupt, standoffish way about him. Yet here he was on a Sunday afternoon, wearing a Santa suit and lifting kid after kid onto his lap. The more I watched, the bigger my smile grew. Especially when they put a little girl on his lap—one about two or three—and she immediately started to cry. I actually chuckled to myself and watched how he handled it.
He tried in earnest to get her to calm down, even lowering his beard so she would see there was a man underneath, but the little girl wasn’t having it. The look on Grant’s face was pure stress until an elf finally helped him out. As I continued to watch, the line whittled down to only four kids, so I decided to join it.
Grant shook his head and laughed when he saw me waiting behind a five year old. Our eyes caught a few times as each kid ahead of me took their turn. I couldn’t seem to get the smile off my face. The entire scene was just so amusing. When the other kids were done, I walked up and plopped my ass down on Santa’s lap.
I wrapped one arm around his neck and patted his stuffed belly. “Big lunch?”
“I was supposed to be done with this shit before you got here.”
I gave a little tug to his beard. “I kind of like it. You can pull off white hair. I bet you’ll look hot when you get a little salt and pepper going.”
“Glad you think so, because some of these kids gave me a few grays today.”
I chuckled. “I saw the little girl in the pink dress. She wasn’t a fan.”
“I was doing fine at the beginning because I had a bag of candy next to me. When the damn thing ran out, I had nothing to bribe them with.”
“You must be hot in that suit.”
“I am. I should go get changed before any other little monsters get in my line.”
I smiled and wrapped my other arm around his neck. “Don’t I get to tell Santa what I want for Christmas?”
“He already knows. More Disney DVDs.”
I laughed and went to get up, but Santa held me in place. “So let’s hear it. What do you want for Christmas, little girl?”
“Hmmm.” I tapped my finger to my lip. “Whatever package Santa wants to give me.”
“Oh, Santa wants to give you his package, alright. Anything else?”
I’d been feeling kind of down before I got here today because of something that came in yesterday’s mail. “How about a zoning variance?”
“Zoning variance?”
I sighed. “Yeah. I opened my mail this morning, and I had something from the City. They issued me a stop work order on my construction. Apparently an inspector came by and realized the contractor built my garage a foot too close to the road, and now I need zoning variance approval to keep it. Or I need to get rid of the garage. I called the architect to see what it would take to get the approval, and he said we should get it without a problem. But the City is backed up, and it will be a few months before we could get the required hearing. Oh, and I had a fight with the contractor over it, and he quit on me.”
“That sucks. What will you do?”
“I don’t know. I need to think about it.” I stood. “But let’s go get you changed. I can feel the heat radiating off your body.”
Grant nodded and led me over to the main building. He waited until we were inside to take off the hat and beard. “I could use a shower, but I’ll have to settle for a change of clothes for now.”
We navigated through the building until we came to an office. Grant took keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Inside the large space was a duffel bag on the desk. He unzipped it and pulled out some clothes, then started to take off the Santa suit.
I leaned against the desk and watched him unbutton the red jacket. “I met someone named Liz who was giving out literature on the program. She said this was your first time playing Santa.”
Grant peeled off the jacket and tossed it on the desk, then started to step out of the red wool pants. He shook his head. “My grandmother may look like a sweet, old lady, but negotiating with her is impossible.”
He tossed the pants on top of the jacket. Underneath he wore a pair of gray sweats and white T-shirt. Thinking nothing of it, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and tugged it up and over his head.
“I think it’s sweet you…” I stopped mid-sentence as my jaw dropped. Holy crap. I’d felt his arms and chest, so I knew he was physically fit, but my Lord, the man was ripped. His tanned abs were all carved muscle, and he had an eight-pack without even flexing.
Grant looked over and found me staring. Completely oblivious, he looked down to see what I could be gawking at. It seemed like he expected to find something wrong, as if he needed a big welt or something on his chest to make a person stop and stare. Confused at finding nothing, he looked up at me for an explanation.
I pointed to his chest. “Umm…that’s just not fair.”
His brows lifted, and he chuckled. “Are you saying you like what you see?”
Was he joking? I wanted to lick what I saw. “You’re…just beautiful all over.”
He’d gotten a clean T-shirt from his duffel bag, but he tossed it to the ground and walked over to me. Bare-chested, he put one hand on either side of the desk I leaned against and looked me up and down.
“I’m glad you feel that way, because the feeling is mutual.” Grant wrapped a hand around the back of m
y neck, using it to bring my lips to meet his. He kissed me passionately, his warm, hard chest pressed up against my soft.
Things were really heating up when the door behind him abruptly swung open.
“What the hell?” a voice said.
Grant stopped the kiss, but stayed put and shut his eyes while shaking his head. “Shut the door, Leo.”
“Who’s the girl?”
“Leo!” he raised his voice. “Shut the door. We’ll be right out.”
I looked around Grant at a boy who seemed no more than eleven or twelve. He waved, flaunting an ear-to-ear grin. “She’s too pretty for your ugly ass.”
Grant’s head dropped, and he chuckled. “Get out, Leo. And watch your language.”
The door slammed shut, and I looked to Grant. “He could have come in.”
Grant looked down, and my eyes followed to find a bulge in his sweatpants.
I covered my mouth and giggled. “Oh my. Yeah, I guess that was a good call.”
He grabbed his T-shirt and pulled it on. “Leo’s my Little.”
“Oh, that’s right. You told me about him. I can’t wait to meet him.”
Grant slipped the gray sweats down his legs and stood in a pair of black boxer briefs. The considerable bulge on display had my mouth watering. It had been a long time—too long, apparently. He pulled on his jeans, managed to zip up and over the swell, and then stuffed everything back into his gym bag.
“He was supposed to see his mother this weekend, but she canceled on him. Which is a good thing, if you ask me. He’ll be back in here within two minutes if I don’t go outside. He’s as impatient as my dick feels tucked into these pants at the moment.”
I laughed and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. “Okay, let’s go.”
Grant made the introductions in the hall, and Leo said Grant’s grandmother had been looking for him because Pops needed to go to the bathroom and was kind of confused right now.
“She wants you to go with him,” he said.
“Shit. Okay.”
Leo smirked and pointed. “Language, Grant.”
Grant shook his head. He looked to me. “I’ll be right back. Why don’t you two go grab something to eat, and I’ll meet you at the picnic tables.”
After Grant disappeared, Leo walked me to the food area. We decided to just get ice cream, so we got in line.
“So Grant’s your Big Brother?”
“I guess so. But we see each other more than most kids see their Big in the program.”
“How long have you two been paired up?”
“As long as I can remember. He used to watch me a lot when I was little. Before my sister got sick.”
My smile fell. “Oh. I’m sorry your sister got sick.”
Leo shrugged. “It’s okay. She’s a lot better now. It’s not like when her and Grant were married.”
The people before us in line walked away, and Leo moved up. I was still stuck in place. “Your sister was married to Grant?”
Leo nodded. “Yeah. My sister is Lily.”
My eyes widened. Grant had mentioned Lily, and he’d mentioned Leo, too. But I guess the connection between the two hadn’t come up. The times we’d spoken about his ex-wife, it had seemed like he wanted nothing to do with her. So I found it interesting that he was the Big Brother to her real little brother. From what he’d told me, their mother was mentally ill, so this little boy had at least two unstable women in his life.
When it was our turn to order, Leo chose a double twist cone of vanilla and chocolate dipped in sprinkles, and I ordered a single scoop of chocolate dipped in chocolate crunchies. We went to sit at a nearby picnic table, where Grant met us a few minutes later.
He straddled the bench, swiped the cone out of my hand, and took a big lick. “Chocolate on chocolate.” He winked. “Good choice.”
“Everything okay with your grandfather?”
“Yeah. He’s just getting tired, so my grandmother is going to take him home. He seems to get more confused when he’s wiped out.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet her or see your grandfather again. But I understand.” I stole my cone back from Grant.
“She’s not going to be happy when she finds out I brought someone to the carnival and she didn’t get to meet you. But if I’d told her, she would’ve insisted on coming over. I figured Pops needed to rest more than she needed to interrogate you.”
I smiled. “Maybe she won’t find out I was here.”
Grant looked over at Leo. “Not a chance.”
The three of us chatted for a while, and then I noticed two women looking over. The first one I didn’t recognize, but the other I definitely knew.
“Isn’t that your sister, Kate?”
Grant looked over. “Yup. And my other sister, Jillian. If we get up and run the other direction, we might get out unscathed.”
I laughed. “I’m sure you’re exaggerating.”
He shook his head. “You’re about to find out.”
The two women walked over. “Hi,” Jillian said. “Aren’t you Ireland Richardson, the early morning news anchor?”
“I am. And you’re Jillian, right?”
“I am. It’s nice to meet you.”
Kate’s eyes flicked to Grant and back to me.
“How are you, Ireland?”
“I’m good. Enjoying the carnival. Everyone looks like they’re having such a good time.”
“It’s a fun day.” She tilted her head. “Are you a Big Sister?”
“No, but I met Liz earlier, and she gave me some information on the program. It sounds amazing, so I’m looking forward to learning more. I just came to meet Grant.”
Kate squinted at her brother before returning her eyes to me. “Business meeting on a Sunday?”
I shook my head. “No. Grant and I are…dating, I guess.”
Kate’s eyebrow arched, and she and her sister immediately sat down at our table. “Dating, huh? Grant doesn’t tell us anything personal. How long has this been going on?”
Grant hung his head and mumbled. “Should have made a run for it while we could.”
I elbowed him. “A few weeks.”
“Interesting. And you’re on the new committee Grant is spearheading, right?”
“I am.”
“Were you two together before the new committee, or did that come about after?”
If Kate was trying to be discreet about digging for something, she wasn’t doing a very good job. And I had a pretty good idea what she was getting at. I’d been suspicious of Grant’s motives as well.
“After.”
Kate deepened her squint and glanced over at her brother, who completely avoided any eye contact.
She smirked. “Such a coincidence. He formed a committee, and now you’re dating.”
I chuckled. “Yeah. A big one, isn’t it?”
Kate and I laughed with an unspoken understanding that broke the ice. After that, we talked for almost an hour. Grant and Leo disappeared to go play some carnival games, and when he came back alone, Grant didn’t take a seat.
He looked at me. “You ready to get going?”
“Ummm… Sure.” I smiled at Kate and Jillian. “It was really nice getting to talk to you.”
“Let’s have lunch one day soon,” Kate said.
Grant rolled his eyes.
“I’d love that.”
“Want me to give Leo a ride home?” he asked Kate.
“No, I got him. You two go have a nice evening.”
We went to find Leo and told him we were leaving. In the parking lot, Grant took my hand, which gave me that warm feeling in my belly again.
“Where are you parked?” he asked.
I pointed. “All the way in the back. It was packed when I got here.”
He walked me to my car. Bringing our still-joined hands up to his lips, he kissed my knuckles. “Come back to my place for a drink?”
“Aren’t you sick of me yet? We spent the last two evenings together.”
Grant’s face fell. “No. Are you sick of me?”
I squeezed his hand. “I was teasing. Not at all. And I’d love to come back to your place. Did you mean the boat?”
He nodded.
I pushed up on my toes and pressed my lips to his in a soft kiss. “I’ll meet you there.”
The entire drive over, I felt an excited sort of nervous giddiness. I knew Grant had said he wasn’t sure how he’d be in a relationship, but he’d introduced me to his sisters and Leo, and I’d already met his grandfather. For someone who wasn’t sure about where he thought things could lead, it sure felt like we were taking steps in the right direction.
Still, Grant made me nervous; he had from the very start. Which was why I’d said I wanted to go slow. I knew in my head that was the right thing to do. The only problem was, I wasn’t sure my heart was listening.
Chapter 20
* * *
Ireland
“I was beginning to think you were going to stand me up,” Grant said from the back of the boat. He’d changed into shorts and a T-shirt, and his feet were bare. Something about him in bare feet just made me smile. It seemed very un-Grant-like.
I held up a white bakery box. “I have the worst craving for cheesecake. I had to get some. Wait. Do you like cheesecake? I’m not sure we can see each other if you don’t.”
He held out a hand for me to climb the stairs and board. “Cheesecake is good. Though I’m not a big dessert eater.” After I was on the boat, Grant kept my hand and used it to tug me to him. He wrapped his other hand around my neck and pulled my lips to meet his. “Unless you’re on the menu.”
My body reacted to the intimacy with a flush. His kiss literally knocked the wind out of me. When his lips moved to my neck, I dropped the cheesecake on the ground.
His voice was strained. “It’s not easy to move slow with you. You bring dessert, and all I can think about is smearing it all over your body and licking it off.”
Oh. My.
I’d just arrived, and already he had my panties wet.
Grant devoured my neck. I wasn’t even sure how I remained standing.
But then the sound of nearby voices made him groan and pull back. People had come outside on the boat next door. Grant dragged a hand through his hair. “Fuck. You better stay out here while I get some wine. Privacy might be dangerous for you.”
