“Gray.”
“Not a muscle,” he says again as a warning.
I’m trembling as his eyes travel up my body, causing my breathing to labor even more.
“I’ve dreamed of you for years.” His husky voice is low as his fingers just barely touch my skin. “They were so intense, I’d swear I could feel you.” Slowly, he drifts them higher up my leg. “I’d think about how you tasted, sounded, and felt in my arms.” My head falls back against the solid wood as a soft sound escapes my lips. “Have you thought about me, Jessica? Have you wondered what it would feel like again? How good I could make you feel?”
“Yes,” I admit as a whimper, needing more.
“Good,” he says, and then he lifts one leg, putting it over his shoulder as his mouth finds my center.
I know I’m not supposed to move, but my hands drop to his hair, fisting the strands, needing to hold on to him in some way as his tongue presses against my clit. He pulls back, eyes unfocused as he breathes hard.
“Hands,” he says, and I want to cry out as I try to return them to their position.
He doesn’t make me wait, he goes back in, licking, sucking, and swirling his tongue in the best way, holding my body up as he drives me crazy.
“Grayson, please,” I beg, not knowing what I’m asking for but needing it all the same. It’s so close.
He spreads my legs wider, his tongue entering me, fucking me with his mouth. He goes back to my clit, pushing a finger into me, and I swear I may pass out.
I scream as the most intense orgasm of my life hits me fast and hard. I feel myself sagging down, legs no longer able to bear any weight, but Grayson is there, making sure I’m safe.
When I can open my eyes again, he’s over me, his pants gone, and he’s opening his wallet.
“This is going to be fast,” he warns as he slips the condom on. “It’s been a long time, but I promise, I’ll make it up to you.”
“I need you,” I tell him. “I need you now. I don’t care about anything else.”
His breathing is unsteady as I feel him start to enter me. Grayson’s eyes close as he inches in a little. “Please tell me this is real.”
I bring my fingers to his face. “Look at me.” He does. “It’s real. Make love to me, Grayson. Make it be us again.”
He pushes deeper, seating himself fully inside me, our eyes never leaving each other. “It’s always been us,” he says and then no more words are spoken because our bodies say everything.
Chapter 21
Jessica
I’m lying in his arms, a blanket wrapped around us as we look out of the massive wall of windows, staring at our view.
“You bought our mountain,” I say, resting my cheek against his chest.
“Not the whole thing.”
I grin. “Enough of it.”
“I bought the part that mattered.”
I turn my head, wanting to look at him when I ask this. “When?”
He swallows and shifts, moving me a bit so we both have to sit up. “When, what?”
“You know what I’m asking.”
Grayson looks uncomfortable, and I wish I had kept my mouth shut. Tonight has been . . . well, nothing short of amazing. We made love the minute we entered his house, tossing our clothes all over as he chased me into his room. Then he came into the shower where we had to wash ourselves again afterward.
It’s been heaven. It’s been everything, and I never want this to end.
Now, the sun is rising, breaking the spell of the night and forcing us back to reality.
“I bought it two months after we broke up.”
“Why?”
“Would you believe me if I said I didn’t know?”
I move toward him, giving him a soft kiss and then nestle against him. “After we broke up, and I started working for the private airline, I bought a black 2000 Ford F-150,” I confess.
“You what?”
I look up at him through my lashes, hoping it shields some of my emotions. “I . . . I needed something that was you.”
Grayson drove that truck. It was all I could do to feel like maybe, somewhere, we were both sitting in the same vehicle at the same time. It was so stupid, and I felt ridiculous, but after college, when I moved to California, I could feel a little of Carolina—a little of him.
He pushes up, leaving the bed, and goes to the window. I can feel the distance growing between us. And here is exactly what I worried about before he came over. We have issues that need to be resolved, and now it’s more complicated because we’ve crossed a line we can’t turn back from.
“Why didn’t you call?” Grayson asks.
“It would’ve changed nothing.”
“You don’t know that.”
I get to my feet, pulling the sheet and wrapping it around me. I walk over to where he stands. “At the time, it was what I believed. I was young, stupid, scared of loving you and ending up like my mother, and then there was your family. I don’t know what to say other than I regret it. I wish I could go back and be brave enough to tell you how I felt and give you the opportunity to tell me how you felt. All I can do is be honest with you now.”
He cups my cheek, leaning down so we’re breathing each other in. “And what’s honest?”
“That I have always loved you. That I don’t know what this means for us going forward, but I know that I don’t want it to stop.”
Grayson’s forehead rests against mine as his arms wrap around me, holding me close. “I don’t want it to stop either. Even if it means I watch you walk away again.”
“I don’t want to think about leaving.”
“Think about staying, Jess. Think about what we could have.”
Our lips touch, and in this moment the idea of leaving him again seems impossible. I know that I’ve never had dreams of settling down here, but with Grayson, it doesn’t feel like I’d be giving anything up.
I would have him.
I would have us.
I would have everything.
Delia, Stella, and Winnie keep giving each other weird looks as we eat at Jennie’s diner. I’ve been quiet, smiling and basking in the sense of calm I have.
“What?” I finally ask after another glance between them.
“You look different,” my sister notes.
“She looks happy,” Delia states.
“I’m just quiet.”
Winnie eyes me curiously. “Yeah, but you have this glow.”
I shrug. Earlier this morning, Grayson dropped me off at home, giving me a sweet kiss before telling me we’d talk later. He plans to spend the day with Melia, and then he and Jack are heading out for some training thing with the fire department.
As far as anyone knows, I was at home last night.
These three are nosy, though, so I need to give them something. “I guess I slept well.”
And then Stella groans. “Oh, God. You slept with Grayson! That’s why I had to keep Melia last night!”
I drop my sandwich, eyes wide and my cheeks on fire. “Shh! Are you crazy yelling that?”
“Well, did you?”
“I . . . what . . . I—” I am seriously the worst liar, and now there’s no way I can hide it.
“I knew it!” Stella says, slapping her hand on the table. “I knew it.”
Of course, the people in here heard her and are all staring at me. Mrs. Pruitt gives me a horrified look while covering her daughter’s ears as though it wasn’t already said. Fred, who is a permanent fixture on the end stool, laughs once before saying something that sounds like, “About damn time.” And then there’s a face I would’ve cut my arm off if it meant the person wouldn’t be standing there. Mr. Parkerson.
My eyes close, and I’m sure my face is beet red. Maybe he has headphones in and didn’t hear his daughter proclaim my sexual activity with his son last night. Maybe there’s not a chance in hell because he’s staring at me.
“What’s wrong?” Delia asks, and then she turns, seeing what I see. “Fuck. S
tella, your dad is here.”
Her lips part as she reaches her hand out to me. “I’m so sorry. I’ll fix it. I just got excited, but I’ll handle him, I promise. Maybe he won’t come over.”
Yeah, right. He doesn’t leave because my luck is crap. Instead of walking out the door, he comes to the table. “Hi, girls.”
All four of us look up.
Stella is the first to say something. “Hello, Father.”
“Having a nice lunch?” he asks.
Stella smiles demurely. “We are. How long before you leave town to go see another”—her fingers make air quotes—“property?”
He bristles. “I was planning to go in a few days to check on Oliver, but maybe I’ll stick around for a bit.”
Great. The Parkersons have never hidden what they think of me or my dating Grayson. If they think there’s even a possibility of it, I have no doubts they’ll do what they can to thwart it.
Stella sits back, crossing her arms over her chest. “I see, so you heard about the damage there?”
He nods. “It’s a shame about the vandalism. The town seemed so safe. But your brother is handling it well from what I can see.”
“Yes, I guess it’s not safe from lies though.”
He continues as though her last statement wasn’t spoken. “No reason to go out there when the flagship may need me.”
At that, I see the first flash of emotion in her. Her lips are tight, eyes unwavering as she says, “We’re doing better than any other. I’m sure the other locations will have more of a need for you.”
He looks at me. “How are things with the front office, Jessica?”
“Good,” I manage to say without issue. I don’t know what it is about these people that makes me feel insignificant. Here I am, a grown woman who has accomplished goals that no one thought I could, and one look from them makes all of that irrelevant. I’m back to being the poor girl who was after the Parkerson fortune.
It was never true. I would’ve loved Grayson no matter where he came from.
“Anything new that I should know about?”
Stella clears her throat. “I’m her supervisor. If you need to ask questions, please feel free to come to me.”
Mr. Parkerson smirks. “As the owner, I’ll ask whomever I want, and it seems Jessica might have some news.”
I count to five before opening my mouth. I will not stutter before him. Of all the times I need to keep calm and focused, this is it. “There’s nothing new, Mr. Parkerson. If there were . . . I . . .” No, please no. I feel Winnie’s hand touch my leg, and I pull myself back in. “I would tell my supervisor.”
I finish, my heart pounding so loud that I’m sure everyone can hear it. My sister’s hand relaxes, and Stella smiles. I was able to get through it, even though it’s the first time in over a week that I’ve had even the slightest stumble.
“Well, you girls enjoy your lunch. I’m heading to the Park Inn to see Grayson.” His eyes dart to me and then back to his daughter. “To check on things with him.”
“I’m sure you are,” Stella says dismissively.
“I’ll see you for dinner this Friday.”
Stella lifts her hand, waving fingers. “Bye, bye.”
The second he’s out the door, Stella groans. “I’m sorry, Jess. I didn’t know he was here, and I guess I got a little loud.”
“Yeah, I’m sure the entire town heard,” Delia snorts.
My head drops onto my arms. “This is what we were afraid of.”
“What? My father?”
I lift my chin. “And everyone else.”
She waves dismissively. “Please, he has zero room to talk. His last mistress literally vandalized the B&B that Oliver is running. Grayson had to go help clean it up.”
“That didn’t stop your parents from making things hard for us before.”
“Grayson isn’t a kid anymore. They don’t make decisions in his life, and I promise, he doesn’t give two shits about what they think.”
“Is there an us?” Winnie asks. “Are you guys together or . . .”
I let out a deep sigh. There were no intentions of telling anyone, let alone discussing this with them. “We’re taking things slow.”
“Clearly not,” Delia says with a snort. “I said you should kiss him, not sleep with him.”
“Yes, and I was clearly taking all your advice.”
She shrugs. “It was a foregone conclusion anyway.”
“What was?” I ask.
“You and Gray,” Stella cuts in.
Winnie nods. “Yeah, I mean, I had you holding out at least another week. Stella, what did you have?”
“I thought they’d have done it much earlier, I’m actually impressed with her.”
Delia puts a twenty on the table. “I said she wouldn’t do it at all and that she’d heal and leave. You win, Winnie.”
Winnie takes the twenty and then extends her hand to Stella. “Pay up, bitch.”
I stare at these people like they have four heads. “You bet on us?” No one looks the least bit apologetic. “And what exactly was the point?”
Stella rolls her eyes. “Listen, you and Grayson may want to pretend that you were going to be friends and whatnot, but we saw it. Grayson bought that freaking plot of land that was special to you guys and then refused to sell it. After you got back, I can’t tell you how many times I would find him standing at those windows, staring out. He’s loved you forever, and I’m pretty sure the same goes for you.”
“We’re taking things slow,” I say again.
Winnie gives me a soft smile. “Yeah, whatever you both need to tell yourselves.”
Delia puts another twenty down. “Twenty bucks says they’re engaged before the end of the year.”
“I’ll see your twenty and raise you ten that it’s in the next two months.”
I lean back in my seat, knowing they’re both wrong because it’s just a matter of time before I’m cleared to leave, and then, I’ll have to make a decision that I really don’t want to make.
Chapter 22
Grayson
“Uncle Jack!” Amelia rushes to the door, launching herself into his waiting arms. “You were gone forever!”
“Hello there, princess.” He hugs her tight, groaning and rocking her.
“It’s a bear hug!”
“It sure is, am I scary?”
He loosens his grip, and she looks at him with her eyes slightly narrowed, seeming to ponder whether he is or isn’t scary. “Not really. But you’re scratchy.”
Jack laughs, rubbing his camping beard on her cheek. “I was in the wilderness, searching for dinner.”
“Did you find any?” Amelia asks.
He turns, grabbing a pizza box. “This is all I caught.”
She giggles and then turns to me. “Can I have a piece?”
“One and then it’s bedtime. I know you can’t resist pizza,” I tell her.
We head into the kitchen, and I set Amelia up with a small slice. “How did camping go?”
Jack rolls his eyes. “I swear, these girls are absolutely ridiculous.”
About three years ago, Jack quit his very successful job as an accountant and decided that the mountains of North Carolina would be an ideal place to teach survival skills for the . . . random idiots willing to pay him to keep them safe. Not that there isn’t danger out here, but we’re not in an area where hikers go missing.
This trip, he was gone for almost two weeks, showing them how to fend off any animals and find food sources. It sounds like complete fucking hell to me, but he loves it.
“Was it another bachelorette party?”
“No, thank God. Those girls were another level of insanity.”
“You did sleep with the maid of honor,” I remind him.
A sly grin forms, and he looks lost in the memory. “She was a gift from the heavens. Mouth like—”
“I get it.”
“Like what?” Amelia asks.
“Nothing, Princess.” Jack sh
rugs and grabs a slice of pizza. “No, it was a company retreat, a lot of bonding and in ways I don’t think they anticipated.”
“You mean they didn’t like taking a shit with their boss behind a bush?”
He laughs. “No, they most certainly did not. I think they thought we’d be camping and a lot less of the down and dirty.”
“Yet another reason I said no when you asked me to come work with you.”
“Chicken shit.”
I couldn’t care less if he thinks that. I like being outdoors, but some of the crap he tells me about, I’m totally fine with skipping. Not that my life would allow for it anyway. I couldn’t spend nights on end on the mountain and away from Amelia.
“That’s enough about me, tell me what’s new here.”
“Not a thing.” Other than the last few weeks have been fucking fantastic.
Jessica was here two nights ago, and last night, we had some pretty amazing sex over video. Sometimes, modern technology is a goddamn gift.
“No? Because I got back into town and heard some pretty interesting stories.”
“You haven’t even been back two hours.”
“Funny how much people talk. Especially when it’s juicy gossip.” He uses the pizza as though it’s a finger, pointing it at me.
“What are people saying?” Amelia asks.
I smile over at her. “Just that I’m the best tickle monster in the world.”
“Daddy . . .”
I grin, stalking over to her slowly, each step taking a few seconds as she scrambles away. “I feel the need to tickle something.”
“The tickle monster doesn’t like little girls,” Amelia says.
Jack grins and goes around to the other side of the table. “But his best friend, the tickle king, does.”
We grab for her, and she squeals, laughter filling the room as we chase her around. Amelia goes in circles around the table and Jack and I crash into each other dramatically before falling to the floor as though we can’t get up.
She runs into her room, closes the door, and yells, “You can’t get me here! I put a potion on my door that won’t let you tickle.”
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