“So I’ve noticed,” I let out a quiet laugh.
“So you have…” she eyes me carefully, “Hillary is gonna be pissed,” she says.
“Why?” I don’t know Hillary well. She’s six years older than me, in Chase’s class, but I’ve never had a problem with her.
“She had her sights set on the Chief,” Amber tells me.
“He didn’t have his sights set on her?” I ask.
“Nope,” she laughs. “Guess he knew what he wanted.”
“Hmm…” I nod slowly.
Just then a phone rings.
“Well, talk to ya later,” Amber says.
“Sure. Sounds good,” I reply as she picks up the phone.
Koby and I walk back downstairs in silence. My mind is still racing with what he said.
Could Grayson’s feelings be as strong as mine are becoming?
How did this happen so fast?
Jesus, we’ve only know each other for three weeks, but I feel like he knows me better than anyone ever has.
It’s like he can see inside my soul and know what I’m hiding.
That’s some freaky shit.
Are there really such a thing as soul mates?
I’ve never believed in that shit before. It always seemed like a bunch of hogwash that someone made up to validate the fact that they wanted to fall in love in record time.
I don’t believe that I am actually in love with Grayson… but I know I have stronger feelings for him than I have ever had for anyone before him.
Feelings so strong, I know they will lead to love.
This terrifies me and excites me at the same time.
I’m scared of being hurt, but you can’t go through life being scared of everything. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. And this is one of those times.
So… if I fall in love with him… or if he falls in love with me… I guess we’ll just cross that bridge if we come to it.
For goodness sake, I’m already terrified of snakes. I can’t be afraid of love, too.
Okay.
Good talk.
If it happens, it happens.
If not, no big deal.
Carpe diem, right?
We reach Grayson’s office and I open the door to see him sitting behind his desk with a pile of papers.
He looks up, “Hi,” his eyes travel down my body and back up to connect with mine, his lips forming a smile. “Have a seat, babe. I’ll just be a few more minutes.”
“Okay,” I head to the couch. “Thanks, Koby,” I tell him as he walks out.
“No problem,” he flicks his fingers out in a goodbye wave-like gesture and closes the door behind him.
“So what do you think?” Grayson asks me.
“About what?” my brow furrows.
“The station?”
“Oh. Seems like a police station, I guess?” I shrug.
“Yeah,” he smiles, “it is. Did it pass your inspection, though?” He sits back in his chair.
I stand up and walk over to him. I maneuver myself between him and his desk, with his assistance of pushing his chair back. I slide the papers out of the way and sit down on his desk, straddling my legs on either side of his chair and rolling him back towards me.
“Many things about you and your life seem to pass my inspection,” I tell him.
“Is that so?” he asks. He watches his hands as they move up my thighs and up to my hips, gripping tightly and pulling me to the edge of the desk. “Any other tests you have in mind?” he looks up at me.
I run my fingers through his hair before gripping it and tilting his head further back. I lower my mouth to hover just above his, “Probably,” I whisper.
“Anything I can do to make the process go smoother?” his caramel eyes shine with humor.
“I can think of a few things,” I smile against his mouth.
“I better get to work then,” he grins back.
“Yeah…” I agree and smash my mouth to his in a hungry kiss.
His desk definitely passed inspection…
ChapterThirteen
Crispy Ginger Snaps
“Grab the sunscreen, too, please!” Malia lifts her hand in acknowledgement as she runs back into my house.
It’s been two weeks since the barbeque and life has almost settled into a nice, normal routine.
Other than the fact that I still have a mad man out there wanting to keep me all to himself.
Grayson has spent every night at my place since that night.
I was more than happy and willing to let him.
Being alone when that guy is out there is not really something that I want at the moment.
On the nights Grayson had to work late, I either went to the station to hang out or one or two or three of the guys would come and spend the evening with me until Grayson came home. I didn’t have a problem with this until the Monday night when it was just going to be Blaine and me…
***
I look at the peep hole of my door to see Blaine blocking the view so I can’t see who else is with him. I unlock the door and open it to let the guys in, only it’s just Blaine.
“Hey…” I drag out the word, as he steps through the door, closes it and locks it, “Where’s everyone else?” I ask.
“Just you and me tonight,” he answers and walks toward the kitchen.
“Oh…” Well hell. This should be interesting.
I walk into the kitchen where he is just standing from pulling a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
I walk to the counter next to the sink and finish preparing dinner. I’d made some honey bread earlier in the day and thought chicken & broccoli sounded good with it, so I finish cutting up the veggies and turn the heat back up on the meat.
I spend the next thirty minutes finishing up the chicken and putting it and the veggies in a pan to bake for a few minutes while I prepare a salad.
The whole time Blaine is silent.
I don’t do silence well.
So I decided to just ignore him and turn on my music about five minutes after he got here.
I’m not completely rude. I did try to start a conversation with him, but he only gave me one word answers, conveying quite clearly that he is so not a talker. So I gave up, zoned out, cooked and sang silently to myself.
Once the food is done I pull it out and divvy it up on two plates. I place a plate and silverware in front of Blaine, “Enjoy,” I tell him then set my own plate down and pour myself a glass of wine. “Want some?” I ask him.
“Sure,” he nods. “You didn’t have to cook for me.”
“Well, there’s usually quite a few of you here and I feel weird eating in front of you guys while you just sit there or rummage through my cupboards,” I shrug and set the glass in front of him. I take a seat at the island next to him, “Besides, I was making extra for Grayson anyway.”
“Thanks,” he says. I nod and take a bite of my chicken. “Shit, woman!” he exclaims.
“What?” I jump up, feeling panicked. Did I poison him on accident? “What’s wrong?” I ask him, concerned.
“Nothing, this is fucking good,” he says around a mouthful.
“Oh…” I breathe out a sigh of relief, placing my hand on my chest, hoping to calm my heart. “You scared the shit out of me!” I slap his arm. He looks at my hand then at me, “Don’t give me that look!” I scold him. “I thought I’d poisoned you!”
“Poisoned me?” he grins.
“Well, you could have been allergic to one of the spices I used or something.”
“No allergies,” he shakes his head and takes another bite.
“Well, Christ. Don’t scare me like that then,” I settle back in my seat and scoop up some veggies.
“Okay,” he laughs. “But this is seriously good, Ree.”
“Thanks.”
“Where’d you learn to cook like this?” he asks.
“This exact thing? The Food Network,” I take a sip of wine.
He looks at me incredul
ously for a moment, “How’d you learn to cook in general?”
“Didn’t you eat at the barbeque?” I ask him in return.
“Well, yeah.”
“Seventy-five percent of that food was made by my mother,” I tell him.
“No shit?” he lifts a brow.
“No shit,” I nod. “All I made was my s’mores brownies. I wasn’t even going to bring anything because she made so much, but she made me feel guilty and said that I had to bring something.”
“You made those brownies,” his eyes widen.
“Uh… yes?”
“Fucking Cole. Luckiest fuck I’ve ever met,” he shakes his head and continues eating.
“I’m sorry?”
“To get someone like you,” he explains in clarification.
I don’t feel clarified. I shake my head in confusion and he goes on.
“Ree, surely you realize why he’s with you?” he turns toward me and asks.
I feel my stomach drop.
Here it is.
There is some ulterior motive for why someone so freaking hot would be interested in more than just a night with any woman, let alone me.
I shake my head slowly, afraid to know the answer. Yet, dying to know the answer.
“Seriously?” he asks. I shake my head again. “Ree, you’re hot.” I blink a few times (you know because blinking totally helps you to hear better). “You’re funny, sweet, sexy in a way where it’s obvious you don’t try to be, beautiful in every obvious sense of the word and you… can… cook,” he shoves another mouthful of food in.
“Is that really how you see me?” I blurt out, completely baffled.
“Well, yeah,” he studies me. “Look I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m not coming onto you, truly. You’re the Chief’s girl, but that’s how we all see you. Not to mention the fact that you are totally okay with his hours and have welcomed all of us into your life. Even me. Though it’s obvious I scare you a bit.”
“How do you know that?”
“It’s in the way you react to me,” he shrugs and takes a bite of chicken.
“Well, you’re pretty intense, Blaine,” I explain.
“I know,” he agrees with a hint of a smile.
“Besides, I’m not so much scared of you as I am… intimidated,” I explain.
“I prefer to observe people,” he says.
“Clearly,” I turn in my seat back to my food.
We spent the next couple of hours getting to know each other and I became really comfortable around him. He was roommates with Grayson back in New Mexico and Ryder convinced them both to move up here. Blaine was orphaned as a baby and his unit was the only family he ever really knew.
I was surprised with the easy way he talked about his childhood. When I remarked on it he simply said, “It’s in the past, honey. Shit changes. Life gets better.”
So it does.
At almost nine o’clock Grayson comes home to find us watching a crime drama on TV; Blaine explaining to me the things that could happen and the things that are completely for ratings.
“Have fun, you two?” Grayson asks.
I whip around to see him standing behind the couch with his arms crossed. I jump up and launch myself off the back of the couch into his arms.
“You’re home!” I wrap my legs around him and plant my mouth on his. After a few seconds I realize what I just did. “Uh…” I pull my head back, “I have no idea what that was about.” What made me do that? “Sorry.”
“No need to apologize, babe,” he brings his mouth back to mine and gives me a deep, yet quick kiss. “You can greet me like that anytime,” he says with his sexy half smile; I smile back.
“Well, I’ll let you two love birds get settled for the night,” Blaine says with knowing a smile.
I jump down from Grayson’s arms and turn to him, “Thanks for a fun night, Blaine.”
He leans toward me and kisses my cheek, “Same to you, honey.”
“I’ll walk ya to the door,” Grayson says and they both turn toward the hall.
I curl back up in the couch and cover with my throw blanket. A few minutes later Grayson comes back in and sets next to me, pulling me (and the blanket) into his lap. I settle my head under his chin and look at the TV.
“Have a good night with Blaine?” he asks me.
“I did,” I nod and raise my head to look at him. “Wait… You’re not mad are you?”
“About what?” he moves a strand of my hair out of my face.
“Like jealous mad? He was just here keeping an eye on me and I fed him supper and we got to know each other that’s all. You have nothing to be worried about.”
“Ree, babe,” he stops me before I really get going (thank god!), “I’m not worried. Blaine is one of the most loyal people I know and I’m glad you two were getting along.” His eyes get soft as he speaks.
“He’s a really nice guy,” I say.
“He is,” he agrees. “But you made him dinner?” he raises a brow.
“There’s extra for you in the oven,” I roll my eyes.
“Good,” he leans forward and trails kisses along my neck. “First I’m going to eat that, then,” he moves up to just below my ear and flicks his tongue out; my nails dig into his shoulders, holding him close to me and I begin to pant, “I’m going to have dessert,” he whispers and sets me aside before standing up and walking into the kitchen.
“That was just mean!” I yell after him.
“I’ll make it up to you, baby,” he calls back.
“I’m sure you will…” I smile to myself.
***
“Got it!” Malia yells as she comes running back out of my house.
“Good. I'm not a big fan of crispy ginger snaps,” I say taking it from her.
“Hey!” Kota pokes her head out of the back of the Edge. “I take offense to that. I have been working on a nice base tan since the sun came out this spring.”
“Yet… you’re still paler than I am in the winter…” I tilt my head at her with a contemplative look.
“Ugh, you’re such a bitch,” she rolls her eyes and closes the back of the car.
“Yeah, but you love me,” I bat my lashes at her.
“Something like that.”
Just then we turn to see Grayson coming down the street in his truck, pulling my parents’ camper behind him.
There was a rather heated debate last weekend about this.
I told him, I needed a camper.
He told me, “You’ll be fine in a tent, babe.”
This earned him Evil Death Stare which he replied with Cop Move Five (arms crossed, feet shoulder width apart) and a glint of humor in his eyes.
“Grayson, you guys are more than welcome to take our camper,” Mom told him as we were at their house having dinner when this argument took place.
“It’s fine, Sandra. We can sleep in a tent,” he told her politely without ever taking his eyes from mine.
“Have you met my sister?” Kassie asked. He turned to look at her as she went on, “She’s not exactly Miss Tree Hugging Nature Lover.”
“Hey!” I complain. “I like to camp!”
“As long as she has a camper,” Chase adds, coming to the group and handing Grayson a beer.
“Exactly!” I agree, thrusting my hand out in Chase’s direction.
“What’d we miss?” Abbey asks as she and Wyatt come from the direction of the barn; Abbey straightening her shirt.
“You missed a piece,” Kassie says pulling a piece of straw from her hair.
“Eww,” I scrunch my nose up.
“Grayson is trying to convince your sister, and all of us, that she’ll camp in a tent next weekend,” Dad smiles.
“Have you met her?” Wyatt repeats Kassie’s statement and Abbey breaks out laughing.
“Son, you’re better off just taking the camper,” Dad pats Grayson on the back.
“I have to pull the boat,” he explains.
“I can pull the boat,�
� I tell him.
He pulls out Cop Move Sixteen (raised eyebrow with a tired expression).
“Would you just stop with your damn Cop Move’s already! I can pull a damn boat!” I stare him down, hands on my hips.
“Chief,” Dad calls his attention. “Ree can pull the boat. She’s been pulling cattle trailers since she was fourteen. She can handle the boat with her car.”
“Alright…” he concedes, reaching out and placing his hand around the back of my neck to pull me closer to him. He bends his head and kisses the top of my hair.
“Thank you,” I lift my nose in the air.
He chuckles lightly and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me even closer into his side.
We wait for him to park the truck and camper on the opposite side of the street. He gets out and comes walking over to us. Declan and Ry stay in the truck.
Must be a quick stop, then.
“Hey Grayson,” Malia says, putting the small cooler into the backseat.
“Malia, Kota,” he nods, looking scrumptious in his aviators resting on his beautiful face, a white Hollister t-shirt and blue and white shorts. “Ree,” he comes over to me and pulls me close.
He bends his head and presses his lips lightly to mine.
“Hey, Chief,” I whisper.
The lines around his mouth crinkle with his smile, but I can’t see his gorgeous eyes.
I reach up and pull them off his face.
“I prefer to see your eyes,” I tell him with a smile.
He grins at me a moment before lifting his head and looking at my car and the boat, “Ready to go?” he asks.
“Yep,” I nod, slipping his glasses on my face. “Where’s everyone else?”
He stares at me a moment (or to be specific, his glasses that I am now wearing) before he grins, shakes his head and answers, “They’re meeting us there. Taylor, Evans and Lewis picked up Tess, Albie and Brielle. Hayes and Owens got there last night to save enough spots for all of us. And, as you can see, Ryder and Reid are with me,” he nods his head toward the truck.
“Okedoke then,” I say and lift up on my toes, “we’ll follow you.” I kiss him, thoroughly, but quick (payback is a bitch), give him a wicked grin and turn around toward my car.
The girls get in but I’m stopped by Grayson’s hand around my upper arm. He turns me around and raises his brows at me, “Forgetting something?”
My Coyote Ugly Life Page 19
