Worth More Than Money (Worth It Series, #3)

by Lexy Timms

  I caressed her curves. Swirled my tongue around her nipples. Heard my name tumbling from her lips as my fingers slid between her pussy folds. She bucked into my hand as my fingers sank into her. She rolled into my thumb as it circled her clit. I kissed her. Marked her. Groaned with her as she clung to me. Her nails dug into my muscles and her legs began to shiver, and the second she came into the palm of my hand I encompassed my lips with hers.

  I swallowed her moans before I brought my hand to my lips, making her watch as I licked every salted drop of her from my skin.

  Then, before I could catch her, she dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around my thighs, pushing my cock down the back of her throat.

  Chapter 26

  Michelle

  “Sweet holy fuck.”

  Those three words had me hollowing my cheeks out as my body fell limp with my first orgasm. He loved me. Grayson loved me. I slid my tongue around the head of his cock and drank down each drop of precum. I wanted as much of him as I could get, and yet I enjoyed the slow pace he was taking. The water falling over our bodies and the mist blanketing us off from the world was too much. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, watching as his back fell to the shower wall. Water dripped down the crevices of his chiseled muscles, making him glisten like the Greek statue he was. His hand cupped my cheek before fisting my hair. He rolled his cock all the way to the back of my throat. I moaned around him, feeling his girth thicken against my teeth.

  Then he pulled his cock from between my lips and slowly pulled me to my feet.

  As he picked me up and pressed me into the shower wall, I realized I had everything I’d ever wanted. I felt loved. Cherished. Hopeful for my future. Gray’s lips touched mine as he slid into my body, causing me to groan into his lips. My legs trembled. My arms laid around his neck. I fell into his embrace, allowing him full control as his body rolled into mine. I felt one with him. Two bodies sharing one soul and one distinct embrace. Water battered down on his back, splashing against me as his lips kissed everything they could touch.

  He sank to his knees, taking me with him before he laid me down onto the floor of the shower. Water poured from around him, protecting me from the onslaught as he gazed into my eyes. I wrapped my legs around him and locked them, drawing him deeper as my hands raked along his muscles. I rolled with him. Met him thrust for thrust. Until nothing but the sound of my moans and his grunts could be heard over the falling water. My heart soared. My soul felt full. Every single piece of my life that had ever tumbled off to the side slowly came back together, like a video being thrown into reverse.

  “I love you. I love you. I love you,” I said, breathlessly.

  I chanted it repeatedly as my body began to lock up.

  “Oh Michelle,” he said with a grunt. “I love you, too.”

  My pussy locked around him as my body went still. His cock sank into me as his face buried into the crook of my neck. Threads of cum filled up my body as his lips kissed my neck, and I clung to him with every ounce of strength I had. His arm slid under my hips, tilting them closer so he could slide deeper. I shivered at the sensation as my body pulsed against his. My head fell back and I allowed the water to fall onto my face, cleansing me of my anger and sweat as I laid there with Gray hovering over me.

  And then, my mind began to clear.

  Gray pulled me into his arms and sat us off in the corner. The mist covered us as the soothing sound of water poured from the top of the shower. His lips kissed my shoulder. The crook of my neck. He nuzzled the shell of my ear as our fingers intertwined, but the haze of passion was lifting quickly.

  “I need some time to think,” I said.

  I felt Gray’s movements still as his lips pulled away from me.

  “We’ve been through so much, and I appreciate you being open and honest with me.”

  “You deserved nothing less,” he said.

  “But so much has happened in a short period of time, and I feel like I can’t breathe right now. I need to get my head on straight, for the baby’s sake. You know?”

  He immediately reached up and turned off the misters before shutting off the water. The humidity of the shower fading away helped, but it didn’t completely alleviate my issue. He helped me to my feet and quickly got me a towel, wrapping it around me as I stepped out.

  I had the sudden urge to no longer be around him.

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  “Don’t be. I understand. Trust me, if anyone understands the rollercoaster ride of emotions you’ve been on, it’s me,” Gray said. “Take all the time you need. You know where to find me, okay?”

  It was the most informal way Gray and I had ever left one another after something like that, especially after what we had professed. But the second he left the bathroom, I felt lighter. Freer. Admitting that I loved him and hearing him say it back helped me, but not in the way I thought it would. It helped me to convince myself I wasn’t crazy. That what was developing between us really did happen. But it didn’t do anything to settle the raging war going on in my mind. I stayed in my room the rest of the day, thinking and debating on whether or not to unpack my bag that Gray had dragged back to my doorway.

  I tossed and turned all night before waking up just as the sun began to peek over the horizon.

  Pulling a summer dress over my head before throwing my hair up into a bun, I slipped into some shoes. I needed to take a walk. I made my way out of my room and pushed through the back door, heading straight for the vineyard. As I walked up the first row of grapes, my mind began to wander. I thought back to my relationship with Gray and how it had evolved and imploded more times than I cared to admit. I loved him. There was no doubt about that. And I believed him when he said he loved me. But it took more than love to build a life with someone, and I didn’t know if we had what it took.

  Would he always be so volatile? I wanted a safe and comfortable environment for our child. Would he be able to provide something like that? I knew Gray wanted to be the best father he could be. I saw it in his eyes the day before when he’d finally opened up to me about his past, his fears, and his wishes. I no longer feared not being able to provide for my child, but I did fear being able to provide for myself. I couldn’t continue this tug-of-war with Gray. It was too much, and I was too exhausted. And that exhaustion would only get worse once our child was born.

  The best option was always to stick together. I’d love this child, and I knew Gray would as well. But if he couldn’t put his past behind him, then we couldn’t move forward together. If he kept finding reasons not to trust me, then we would never make it together. We’d be two strangers in a massive home who would come to resent one another, and that would bleed over into our parenting.

  Could my heart take it if he broke it again?

  I honestly wasn’t sure how to answer that question.

  The sun rose slowly over the vineyard as I walked up and down the rows. Workers were out checking the grapes. They harvested a few bunches and let me pluck a couple off the vines. One of the men taught me the difference between the red grapes and the green grapes. Not simply their look or their taste, but how the fermentation process affected each of them. How some white wines were made with the skins of red grapes and why. How adding different juices and skins of fruits to different batches affected them in different ways. I enjoyed learning about it. I enjoyed the knowledge these workers were so keen on sharing.

  And for a moment, I saw myself doing this every day for the rest of my life.

  One of the workers escorted me back to the end of the row and I thanked him for his time. Not only had he provided a great distraction from my raging thoughts, but he helped to cement within me one piece of the puzzle I knew I could count on. If I decided to do this with Gray—if I decided to try and make this work with him one last time—I knew I could stay here. I knew I could integrate into his world. I knew I could find a passion for his business and I could see our child running up and down the sprawling rows of grapes, stuffing his or h
er mouth full of them.

  I saw all of that as I looked over the acres of grapes as the sun hung high in the sky.

  But was that enough? If things imploded with Gray and I again and we couldn’t find our way back, would that be enough?

  Looking back at the house, I studied its grandeur. It’s beauty. It’s looming state on top of the hill that overlooked Napa Valley as a whole. I was no closer to any answers. No closer to coming up with any sort of a decision. But I did know what I wanted. I did know what I hoped for. And I was no longer afraid to admit what I was dreaming about at night.

  I wanted a family with Gray. A life with him and our child. I envisioned family vacations, joint business ventures, and nights spent making love in a shared bedroom upstairs. I wanted that kind of life with him. Any kind of life with him. Even if he lost everything tomorrow and we had to move back to the likes of Williston or Stillsville just to make it, so long as I was with him it would be bearable.

  And dare I say, even enjoyable.

  Gray was what I wanted. Our family was what I wanted.

  But simply because I wanted it didn’t mean it would work.

  Chapter 27

  Grayson

  I gave Michelle the space she needed, but I didn’t stop planning what I had in store. And finally, the day had come. The only issue was I needed to get her out of the house so Maria and the other coordinators could get things underway. I hadn’t spoken with Michelle since she told me she needed space, so part of me wondered if this would even happen the way I was planning it to.

  Waking up Sunday morning, I got myself dressed, then went to knock on her bedroom door.

  “Michelle?”

  I heard a grumble behind the door and I grinned.

  “What?”

  “I’ve got something planned for us today. Do you feel like going out?” I asked.

  Another grumble caused my grin to slide into a smile, but I was shocked when the door swung open. There she stood, with her disheveled red hair and her eyes barely open. I committed everything about her to memory, knowing that this day would either solidify our future or potentially be the last time I ever saw her.

  And she looked fucking incredible in her short little shorts and her tank top.

  “It’s too early,” Michelle said. “Another hour?”

  “We really should get moving if we’re going to enjoy our hot air balloon ride,” I said.

  “Our what?”

  “Come on. Get ready. I really think you’re going to enjoy today.”

  I stood outside her bedroom door as she stumbled around to put clothes on. Every once in a while I heard her bump against something before she cursed and it made me shake my head. She really wasn’t a morning person at all, so I pushed off the wall to go make her some tea. She couldn’t have coffee, but hopefully the tea would perk her up a little bit. A squeeze of lemon and a trickle of sweet cream made it perfect, and I made it back to her room just as she came out.

  The dress she had donned looked beautiful on her, and it gave me pause.

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “Tea,” I said. “For you.”

  “It’s not green tea, right? I can’t have that.”

  “It’s actually ginger and mint. With a hint of lemon and a splash of sweet cream.”

  “That actually sounds nice. Thank you,” she said.

  “My pleasure. Now, let’s get going. We’re expected within the hour.”

  “What’s this about a hot air balloon? Were you kidding?” she asked.

  I offered her my arm and was surprised when she took it.

  “Why? Do you not want to go?” I asked.

  “It’s not that. It’s just kind of a random thing to do on a Sunday morning.”

  “Maybe I enjoy the spontaneity.”

  “Can I take a nap after?”

  I chuckled as I escorted her out the door and to my car. It didn’t take us long to get there, but it did take a little coaxing for me to get Michelle into the balloon. But the second we were in the air, she couldn’t take her eyes off the scenery. With the sprawling vineyards below us and her arms wrapped tightly around my waist, there was nowhere else I’d have rather been. She pressed her cheek against my chest and gazed out over the whole of Napa Valley, our pilot enabling us to ride the wind. The fire roared beside us and Michelle’s fingers dug into my lower back. I held onto her closely, pressing kisses to the top of her head.

  “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered. “You know, besides the part about being up so high.”

  “I’ve got you,” I said. “You’re safe with me.”

  She looked up into my eyes and I held my breath. The beauty of her features was astounding, and the woman they were attached to made it all the more memorable. I pressed my lips to her forehead, making sure I didn’t breach any boundary she didn’t want me to. Then, we gazed back out over the horizon.

  It really was beautiful, but I knew part of that was due to Michelle being at my side during the spectacle.

  Eventually, the hot air balloon made a controlled crash to the ground, and Michelle was all giggles. I took her hand and led her out of the basket as a car came and picked us up from our destination point. It drove us all the way back to our starting point where my car was parked, and I twirled her around before she crashed into my chest. I rose my hand to cup her cheek. Slid my thumb over her skin and watched her eyes light up. Her gaze fell to my lips, and for a moment I debated on kissing her. On taking advantage of the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

  But I held off, hoping that her happiness foreshadowed my own.

  “Come on,” I said. “We’re not done yet.”

  “Don’t tell me we’re going on another balloon ride,” Michelle said. “That was fun, but I don’t know if I can do the heights again.”

  She shivered in my arms before I pulled away and helped her into my car.

  “Nope. We’re going to stomp grapes,” I said.

  “Wait, actual grapes?” she asked.

  I took her to my vineyard processing barn where barrels of freshly-picked grapes were ready to be smashed. Most of my vintages used grapes that were smashed and ground up using machines, before being filtered through layers of sieves. But for a few of my vintages, I took the old school route. And I was producing a holiday wine that year for which I’d chosen to use the old school route.

  “Can I actually do it?” Michelle asked.

  “Take off those flip flops, dip your feet in the cleansing water, then hop on in,” I said.

  She looked like a kid in a candy shop. I helped her over the edge and held her hand, watching as she squealed and grimaced at the feel of the grape flesh between her toes. She threw her head back and laughed. She took her time sinking to the bottom to make sure she crushed every grape she could. The light in her eyes was something I committed to memory. Something that I would forever hold near and dear to my heart.

  “Do you crush the grapes, too?” Michelle asked.

  “I have once,” I said.

  “Will you get in with me?”

  My eyes connected with hers as she ceased her movements.

  “Please?” she asked.

  “Well, when you ask so nicely.”

  I took off my shoes, rolled up my pants, then hopped in beside her. Our fingers threaded together as we held one another up, stumbling around and crushing all the grapes in our path. They poured more in as we hopped and skipped. We shared some laughs before the two of us almost fell into the massive batch of grapes. We kept taking breaks before digging into more of them, giving the workers a run for their money.

  I picked her up and swirled her around before the two of us fell into the skins and seeds.

  “I think we should get cleaned up,” she said, through her giggles.

  I held her close to me, watching as grape juice trickled from the tendrils of her beautiful red hair.

  “Yeah,” I said. “I think we should, too. Especially since I’m taking us to dinner.”

&n
bsp; “You really did plan this day out, didn’t you?” she asked. “Why?”

  I decided not to answer the question, and instead helped her up off my body. We stepped out of the vat of crushed grapes before I led her to the house, knowing the two of us needed to get cleaned up for dinner. If she could hang on just a few more hours, she’d have her answer.

  And shortly after that, I would have mine.

  I made sure to divert her from the set-up crew that was there. Maria kept glaring at me as I passed by, but all I did was shrug. I knew there was a chance we’d have to come in and clean up, so I knew I had to finish cleaning up before she did. If Michelle breached the other side of the house, the surprise would be ruined. And I didn’t want that to happen.

  So, I rushed upstairs, quickly took a shower, than ran down the stairs while hopping into my clothes.

  “How much longer?” I asked, as I blew past Maria.

  “At least two hours,” she said.

  “Okay. I can do that. Thanks. Text me when it’s ready!”

  Then I strode down the hallway just as Michelle was walking out of her room.

  “Whoa!” she exclaimed. “What’s the rush?”

  “Rush? What rush?” I asked.

  “You’re sweating.”

  “I took a hot shower.”

  “You sound like you’ve been running.”

  “I was excited to get back to you,” I said with a grin. “Ready for dinner?”

  “Of course,” she said, as she took my arm.

  I didn’t even offer it to her that time, and the fact that she had immediately gravitated towards my body gave me another sliver of hope.

  Dinner was relaxed, but I was nervous for what came next. I tried to make decent conversation with Michelle, but my mind was focused on my phone in my pocket. Dinner seemed like a whirlwind and my anxiety grew. I wanted everything to be perfect so she had no reason to say no. I wanted everything to be picturesque so she knew just how much I cared about her. How much I adored her.