Evie sighed, anticipating what was to come. Her mom was about to go full therapist on her. She couldn’t help it. Job hazard. “To be perfectly honest, I’m not even sure how I feel about it all. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind. I’m still processing, I think.”
“That’s understandable,” Allison replied, and clearly shut a door since the background noise faded away. “Maybe you’re a little sad for them that it didn’t work. Maybe you’re also a little happy that they failed. It’s perfectly normal to feel both ways.”
Evie waved at her neighbors Todd and Phillip, who walked their French bulldog, Dixie, down the sidewalk. “Is that the therapist answer or the mom answer?” she asked.
“It’s both,” Allison said without hesitation. “You all have a lot of history together. If you can get past this with Holly and move on to settle into a new friendship between you, then wonderful. But it’s also okay to cut ties and think of yourself in all this, too. They both hurt you, deeply.”
Evie drew in a long, deep breath, not sure how she’d survive without her mother. She always felt put together because she’d grown up around a seriously put-together and strong woman. While she was a little more logical than her mother would like, she never felt alone in this big, crazy world. She always felt understood, and there was something magical in that. “Thanks, Mom. I’m sure I’ll be fine once the dust settles.”
“Good. So, now that we’ve got that out of the way,” her mother said, voice turning hard. “Who is Greyson Crawford?”
Evie stared at the house across the street. Fuck. “Well…I…” She kind of hoped her parents wouldn’t find out about Grey. Damn close-knit communities! “I haven’t mentioned him because I wasn’t really expecting it to work out,” she explained gently. “He just came to the wedding with me. I didn’t want you to go all therapist on me and examine the hell out of him.”
Her mother paused. Then, “You want me to believe that you, Evie Richards, took a man you don’t really like to your childhood friend’s wedding?”
“Yes.”
Another hesitation then she gave a curt snort. “Evie, I read people for a living. That’s my job. Do you honestly think that I don’t know you’re lying to me right now?”
“Oh, I know you know,” Evie retorted, pushing against her feet so the swing began to move back and forth. “I’m just hoping you won’t say anything about it.”
Allison laughed softly. “You are your father’s daughter, there is no doubt about that.”
Dad hated talking feelings with Mom, too. A little hope appeared. “Does that mean we don’t have to talk about this?” Evie asked.
“No,” her mother said. “You’re sad. I can hear it in your voice. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. I’m not sad. Maybe a little confused.” She hesitated, and then knew better. “Okay, maybe very confused, but honestly, I’m fine.”
“Evie,” her mother drawled.
A shiver ran down Evie’s spine. She knew that voice. If she didn’t tell her mother something, she’d be there on the next plane. Because as much as her mom could poke and prod, she did so because she was worried. Maybe her job caused that panic. She knew all the terrible things that could go on in someone’s mind.
To kill her mother’s concern, and looking for comfort from the one person who absolutely never judged her, she explained, “Everything is a mess. And, yes, his name is Greyson Crawford, but everyone calls him Grey. You’d like everything about him, Mom. He’s an architect here in Seattle. Actually, scratch that, I’m pretty sure you’d love him. He’s sweet and charming and funny and strong. But he’s got major commitment issues that you, better than anyone, knows can’t be fixed unless the person wants to fix them.”
“Commitment issues how? Like he runs when things get emotional?”
Evie sighed again, tipping her head back against the edge of the swing, the wind brushing across her face. “Well, to be honest, I’m the one who ran, but it’s because I know the type of guy he is.”
“What type?”
“Love ’em and leave ’em.”
Evie lifted her head, watching a bird fly by and land on her big maple tree in her front yard, as her mother commented, “So, you left him before he could leave you?”
“Maybe.” Evie dropped her head into her hand. “Was that wrong? Did I make a huge mistake?”
“There’s nothing that can’t be undone as long as you’re honest with yourself and with everyone else. What happened with Holly and Seth would have rattled anyone, and for you, it would be amplified because of your past with Seth. It is understandable that in that moment you would be uncertain about anyone’s intentions toward you.”
Evie sighed. “He’s…it’s intense with him…no, it’s terrifying.”
“Scary isn’t always a bad thing, sweetheart. Being afraid means you’re feeling something and being pushed out of your comfort zone. It means that he could hurt you, but that means your heart is opening to him in a way that could be a very good thing in the end.”
“But where do I even start?” Evie asked softly. How do I fix all this?
“Start with honesty and go from there.”
Seemed like the only place she could begin. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too.” She paused again. “I’m sorry, but patients call. Good luck with this. You’re a beautiful, sweet, and amazing woman. Trust your gut, Evie.”
“Thanks, I will. Bye.”
“Goodbye.”
Evie clicked end on her cordless phone and then placed it down beside her cell phone on the porch. With the birds chirping and the wind rustling the leaves on the tree, she leaned her head back against the swing and shut her eyes. “Okay, Evie, think this through,” she said to herself. “Is this more than sex? He did fight hard to go out with you. Can he commit to a woman? Who knows, you didn’t really give him a chance. Can he care about you? He made you so happy. Dammit, Evie, you should’ve at least stayed to talk. He made you happy!”
Someone cleared their throat.
Evie screamed, finding Grey leaning against the porch. He arched a single brow, giving her a sly grin. “Done talking to yourself, angel?”
Chapter 14
Grey fought back a smile at the way Evie’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson. Sure, his arrival surprised her, but he liked surprising her. The sweetness in her expression, the happiness that someone cared enough to surprise her. Fuck yeah, he’d chase down the opportunity to see this look on her again. And for the first time in days, he finally felt steady again.
While he’d listened to her talk to herself, he had regarded her house a little. He never imaged a house suiting a person completely, but hers did, and he guessed that was because she was an interior designer. All the little touches, like the pillows with the hearts on the swing, to the Home Sweet Home welcome mat at the front door, held an Evie flair. He liked this house. A lot. Though he liked the gaping woman sitting motionless on the swing even more.
After taking a moment to obviously recover, she cleared her throat. “Um, you weren’t supposed to hear that conversation.”
“I beg to differ,” he said with an arched brow. “Those thoughts were about me. Who better to hear them?”
She blinked twice. “Why are you here?”
“To talk to you, if that’s all right.”
She paused, then gave a sweet smile and a little shrug. “Well, you came all this way, so I guess so.”
All the tension in his chest faded just that easily. It was in her smile, in the warmth of her eyes, in all of her, he found his comfort. Keeping his eyes fixed on her, he moved to where he wanted to go. To her.
As he climbed her porch steps, she sat up a little straighter on the swing, bending her legs, bringing her knees to her chest. He took his time and then dropped next to her, needing to get this right. Staring out at the road, he used his feet to push the swing back and forth, but finally, with her near, his mind calmed.
“I’m sorry that I hurt you, Evie,” he
started, tackling the most important thing first. “Keeping how Seth felt from you was because of my own insecurity.” He turned to her, her gaze locked onto his. “I knew I only had that one weekend with you, and I didn’t want to taint what we had going. Of course, my plan backfired.” He liked how softly she stared at him, any anger she had for him was clearly gone now, so he added, “My intention was never to hurt you. In fact, I wanted to make you happy.”
“You did make me happy,” she said, resting her cheek on her knee. “But I also don’t think you’re the only one who needs to apologize. I overreacted. I shouldn’t have left you like that, and that was my insecurity. You had no obligation to tell me about what Seth said to you. And, honestly, I’m not even upset about that anymore. It was a knee-jerk reaction.”
“It was an honest response,” he retorted, knowing that mistake on his part could never be corrected. “I should have done more than just told you about him. I should have laid him out, staking my claim to you right then and there.”
She lifted her brows. “And what would that have accomplished?”
“It would have told him that you’re mine. It would have shown you that I wanted you. That I’d fight for you. That I’d be all that you need and more.”
She paused, her eyes searching his. “Is that what I am…yours?”
“Well, you see,” he said with a smile, pushing his feet again, sending the swing rocking back and forth. “That’s what brings me here.” He drew in a long, deep breath, collecting his thoughts before addressing her again. “You have to understand, Evie, that it’s just been me for thirty-five years. I formed habits, I guess. I’ve gotten used to the way things are in my life.”
After another gentle push of the swing, he added, “I think along the way, it was a conscious choice I made. To be and stay single. I liked my life that way. It became simplified, comfortable, uncomplicated.” He smiled then, and using his free hand, he brushed his knuckles across her jawline. “Then you came along and turned my simple world upside down.” He liked how her eyes fluttered shut when he cupped her cheek, and how she leaned into his touch. It made him know he was right where he should be. “Those three days with you were the best days of my life.”
She gave her sweet smile. “For me, too.”
With those few words, his world realigned, making him feel centered again. Yet this new world revolved around the woman before him. “It’s been six days since I came home. Six painful fucking days that I haven’t had you in my arms. I can’t endure another moment of it.”
Whether it was his words or his expression, he didn’t know, but it made her act. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her in close to straddle his waist. Dropping his head into her neck, he inhaled, taking in her flowery perfume, keeping hold of her in a way he’d never needed to grasp onto anything before.
He stayed there, time passing them by, and him not counting the minutes. These past days had broken him. Ruined him. And now, having her back, nice and close, was all that he needed and more.
Eventually, though, she moved away, and he slid his hands up and down her arms, keeping that connection. Her smile returned, tears in her eyes, when she said, “You’re not alone in feeling like you came back to Seattle a different person.”
“Explain.”
Staying on his lap, facing him, she threaded her fingers with his. “You have to understand, Grey,” she cleverly used his words back on him. “I thought I had it all figured out. I’ve always been the bigger person. I’m the one who forgives first. I’m the one who takes hit after hit because I’m strong enough to take it and survive. Then you came along and turned my world upside down.”
The strength…the sparkle…Christ, she was his. “How did I change things?” he asked, stroking his finger across her thumb.
“You made me run,” she said softly. “I never run, not from anyone. You made me worry about giving you my heart, and I know that’s because you could devastate me in ways that Seth never could, because with you…it’s real.”
“I won’t hurt you,” he murmured, squeezing her fingers.
“That’s a promise you can’t make,” she retorted, squeezing his hand back. “No matter how hard you try, people get hurt. It happens. But we can promise each other that we’ll always try and make sure we remember the other person’s feelings. That we’ll stay and do everything we can to work out the hard stuff. That we’ll protect each other. That we’ll always choose love.”
“I can do that,” he told her. “Can you?”
“I can.” She hesitated again, this time longer, and when she spoke again, her voice was thick with emotion. “I want you to know that I felt more loved by you in three days than I felt in years with Seth. I don’t want to pretend that doesn’t mean anything. It’s been awful without you.”
“Now that, angel, is something I completely understand.” His chest constricted, and his throat tightened too, but he pushed through it all, keeping his feet planted on the floorboards to stop the swing from moving. “And that’s probably the perfect lead-in to what I have to ask next.”
Her eyebrows winged up, curiosity filling her expression.
He began, “First, I didn’t understand how you could forgive Holly and Seth. It simply didn’t make sense to me, but I know now that’s because I didn’t see that you honestly have no control over who you fall in love with. I always thought it was a choice, and I chose not to elect that with anyone.” He paused, knowing he had to get this right, “Then you came along, and I realized I don’t control shit. I still can’t say I’ll be perfect at this, or that I won’t fuck up along the way, but all I know is that I hate not being with you. So, Evie, shall we continue what we started in the tropics?”
Her mouth twitched. “Are you asking me to be your first girlfriend, Greyson Crawford?”
“I am.”
She hesitated for a long moment, her eyes searching his before she smiled. “Yes, Grey, I’ll be your first girlfriend.” Another pause then laughed softly, eyes twinkling unlike anything he’d seen from her before. “Oh my, God, I’m popping your relationship cherry.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, watching her gaze flare with desire. “That sounds like you don’t think I’ll stick.”
“No, I think you’ll stick, but I am going to have to teach you a lot.”
He released her hands and dragged his thumb across her bottom lip, infatuated with that damn mouth. “Dare I say that sounds like a challenge.”
She grinned sensually. “Maybe it is.”
“Well, angel, I happen to like challenges. Particularly when they involve getting naked.”
Chapter 15
The front door slammed behind them, and Evie gasped as her back hit the wall, Grey’s kiss becoming all consuming. The heat of his mouth moved to her neck, and he devoured her flesh, his hands moving to her bottom where he squeezed. For the first time since she returned to Seattle, beneath his hands, her world realigned. This, him, she wanted to give this a real shot. She moaned, melting into the way he took command of her body so easily, heating her up, making her want him with full-on desperation.
She pushed him forward, playing the push and pull she knew Grey enjoyed, and he gripped her arms. With a grin on his face, he pushed her back against the wall, pinning her there. Her thighs clenched, her sex becoming drenched with the way he watched. The way he handled her with a firm confidence that made all thoughts disappear. Heat flooded her as his mouth returned to hers, more forcefully than before. He angled his head, deepening the kiss, and she gave in to all that he wanted from her and more.
His deep grunt vibrated against her skin, causing her to shiver. With a final swirl of his tongue, he leaned away, stripping his shirt off in one quick move, and her hands came to his chest, stroking the heat of his skin, the valleys of his hard muscles, flexing beneath her fingers. He unbuckled his belt then opened his pants, taking down the zipper, and then he boldly grabbed her hand, guiding her to where he wanted her.
With his sm
oky, seductive eyes on her, she eagerly stroked him, loving the way his hips shot forward and his expression intensified. Each deep moan he gave, the thickness of his cock, the hardness of him made her want all of him. His pupils were dilated, and his expression shone with sinful intentions. She squeezed his thick shaft, urging him on.
He responded instantly and grunted. “Fuck, that’s good, angel.”
She shivered against the promise of his voice, needing more of him, wanting to be all that he desired and more. “Let me taste you,” she whispered, letting her voice be heard in the way she knew he liked.
A low growl rose from his throat, and he placed a hand around her neck, not tight enough to frighten, but firmly enough to keep her pinned against the wall, those smoldering eyes stripping her bare as the seconds dragged on. With a dark smile, he reached for her shirt, yanking it off quickly then he had the rest of her clothes off a split second later.
She went to reach for his chest again, needing oh-so-desperately to be connected to him. He grabbed both of her wrists and murmured, “Have your taste.”
God, that look…his voice…the power he exuded…she’d never experienced a man like him. Grey knew his worth. He also knew how to command women. But it was different with her, she knew that. She felt it in the way he looked at her, as if they were completely connected, as if she were the only woman to ever captivate him like this. He made her feel desired and loved all at once.
She squatted, keeping her back pressed against the wall as he thrust his jeans and boxer briefs down to his knees. She took hold of his thick cock in front of her face and held him at the base, sucking him deeply into her mouth. He tossed his head back and moaned, and she sucked harder, pulling in her cheeks around him before rubbing her lips up and down over his shaft. Teasing aside, she pleasured him, sliding her tongue across the slit, tasting the saltiness of his pre-cum as she inhaled his musky, masculine scent.
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