“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling her body sag. She pulls back and wipes her tears. “I’m going to go lie down. Maybe we can make some popcorn and watch a movie later?”
“I’d like that.”
I get up and make my way towards my room. After seeing my face in the mirror I decide a hot shower is in order. When the water cascades over my skin I finally allow myself to cry. I hate feeling so weak. I’ve been through worse than this and my overpowering need to cry is a mystery. I’m tired of crying. I’ve been doing too much of that in the past few weeks.
When I make it to my bed I collapse into the comfort and safety of it. Sleep engulfs me and my dreams run rampant with images of last night. Only I’m not scared. Because in my dreams Grayson is showering me with sweet kisses and freely succumbs to what he feels for me. What we feel for each other.
** ** ** ** **
By mid-week my frustration levels are through the roof. Uncle Alex has me escorted everywhere by one of his football players. Rumors about Luke are circulating, some worse than others, but my name isn’t mentioned. I can’t figure out whether my irritation is a result of being escorted all the time or because the only person who hasn’t escorted me yet is Grayson. I haven’t seen him and he hasn’t made any effort to see me. I want to get to the bottom of it because this back-and-forth is driving me crazy, not to mention consuming my every thought. If I’m being honest with myself, I want him to talk to me first. I don’t want to be the one to grovel.
Maybe things are better off this way.
Oh who am I kidding?
I want him.
But I guess he doesn’t feel the same way.
It’s just after eight pm and I’ve spent my afternoon distracting myself with studying. My course load isn’t too heavy but I still want to perform well academically in all my classes.
I get in the shower and the heat from the water infuses with my rigid muscles, releasing all the pent up tension from the last few days. For a few short minutes my mind is blank and I revel in the sense of calm it brings.
A commotion coming from outside my room captures my attention. It sounds like Demi is arguing with someone. Probably Tommy. They’ve been having problems ever since she moved in with me. I suspect it has something to do with Brody; their feelings for each other are becoming more and more obvious. I’ve been meaning to bring it up with Demi but the time hasn’t been right. Part of me is hoping she’ll trust me enough to bring it up on her own.
The sound of my bedroom door hitting the wall makes me jump and I’m immediately pulled out of the sanctity of the calm surrounding me. The bathroom door soon swings open, violently ricocheting off the adjoining wall. The sight in front of me causes my muscles to tense, the earlier feeling of relaxation disappearing like the steam that escapes through the now open door.
Grayson is standing in my doorway looking as hot as the fiery depths of hell. His dark wash jeans hug his lean hips and his black button up shirt clings to his broad, muscular chest. He looks angry. Flustered.
“Grayson, you can’t just barge in like that!” Demi yells from outside the bathroom.
Grayson shuts the door in her face and stalks towards the shower. I’m momentarily captivated by the way he walks. His stride is strong and oozes a confidence easily mistaken for arrogance. He walks with the kind of prowess that isn’t customary for someone his age. It’s primal, and such a turn on. The sight of him stalking me like prey has a heady effect on my body.
He opens my shower door and it takes me a split second to remember I’m completely naked. Enough sense returns for me to open my mouth. “Grayson, what are you doing? You can’t be in here!”
He doesn’t respond but his actions speak volumes. He steps into the shower, allowing the door to swing closed, encasing us in the small space. The water drenches his clothes, yet he shows no sign of concern for that. His eyes are dilated, leaving only a thin circle of Jade surrounding his pupils. I hold my breath when his hand cups the side of my face. The current that I felt the first time we met comes to life and thrums between our bodies.
“What are you doing?” I whisper. My voice comes out breathy and lacks any kind of strength.
“I needed to see you.” His voice is husky and low. Too sexy a combination for the precarious position I’m in – naked and wet. In a shower. With Grayson.
“And you couldn’t wait for me to be done? You had to storm into my bathroom like a...like a…caveman!”
“It couldn’t wait,” he whispers. His eyes haven’t left mine but the shallow rise and fall of his chest tells me he isn’t unaffected.
“What couldn’t wait?” I do little to hide the annoyance in my voice. I was never good at riddles and I don’t like playing games, especially when I’m inappropriately dressed. Or in this particular case, not dressed at all.
“I’m sorry,” he says, “I should’ve come to see you after you got back from the hospital but I…I…” The water cascades down his face and the urge to lick the droplets off his luscious lips is marginally eclipsed by his intrusion.
“Are you kidding me right now Grayson? You’re standing in my damn shower telling me you’re sorry?” I shake my head.
“It couldn’t wait.” At least he has the decency to look embarrassed.
“Yeah, you said that already.”
“I’m a little distracted.” He looks down and gives my body a slow, excruciating perusal. I squirm, feeling my cheeks flush. Instinctively my arms cross over my bare breasts. There’s nothing more I can do to cover my other girly bits so he better get an eye full while he has the chance. I’m silently grateful for my stellar grooming habits – who knew being freshly waxed down south would prove to be advantageous, even as a single girl.
“You definitely got the better end of the deal because you have clothes on.”
He smirks. “We can change that.”
For a moment I consider it. I’ve been dreaming about his naked chest and that sexy nipple ring since our encounter in the locker room.
“That is a terrible idea. I think you should leave.”
His smirk drops. He looks hurt.
“So that’s it?” he asks. “You’re not going to hear me out?”
It’s his turn to squirm and as much I want to stand here and make him suffer, I know we need to talk. Just not here. And preferably not naked.
“Wait for me in my room. I’d like to at least be semi-covered when we talk.”
His shoulders visibly relax and he leaves, grabbing a towel for himself. I take the chance to admire his backside while he walks out and like he knows I’m staring he turns back to look at me, that smirk reappearing before he closes the door.
Bastard.
I lean against the shower wall and still my heartbeat. It took some serious self-restraint not to grab him.
I turn the water off, hop out and wrap a fluffy white towel around myself. When I walk into my bedroom Graysons’ shirtless back is to me and he’s busy drying himself.
This should be interesting.
“So,” I say, deciding not to waste any time. “What is it that you wanted to talk about.”
He spins around and drops the towel on the floor. He doesn’t make a move and neither do I. The atmosphere changes quickly, becoming thick with energy and sexual tension.
He clears is throat. “Like I said, I came to apologize. I should’ve come to see you when you got home on Sunday, make sure you were ok.”
“Is that all you want to apologize for?” I ask.
He frowns. “Is there something else I should apologize for?”
You’ve got to be shitting me.
“Yeah, you’ve been nothing but a jerk lately. Don’t you think you should apologize for that?” My anger is simmering, just below the surface.
“I’ve been a jerk? After taking you to the hospital on Saturday night, I’m being a jerk?”
I stiffen at the harshness underlying his tone. “You’ve been toying with my feelings for weeks Grayson, so yes, you have been a
complete asshat!” I snap.
He closes the space between us in three steps until he’s face is hovering above mine. The heat from his body hits mine like a wrecking ball. I blink several times.
Wow.
“Pray tell, Huntley, how exactly have I toyed with your feelings?” he growls. His breath washes over my face. It’s warm and smells like mint.
“Let’s see. First you tell me we have to stay away from each other, then you kiss me at my uncles’ house after dinner, then I walk into the cafeteria to see you sucking face with Rebecca, then you…then you… rub your hot body all over me in the locker room and let me touch you, then you spend the night holding me after my nightmare and then you leave after staying with me at the hospital in my bed! I heard you were a ‘love em and leave em’ kind of guy but I didn’t want to believe it! Until I experienced for myself! And to be honest, I feel completely jilted because I didn’t even get to fuck you before you left me!” I have no idea where that last part came from but I’m yelling and the words are flying out of my mouth before I can stop them and it feels so damn good. The seal on all my frustrations over the last few weeks has been broken and now that I’m spilling my guts, I don’t think I can stop.
Grayson throws his arms in the air and lets out an exaggerated sigh. “Ahh, you drive me crazy!” he yells back. “You are all I ever think about! When I’m not around you I think about who you’re with, or what you’re doing! I can’t sleep because every time I close my eyes it’s you I see!”
His revelation stuns me.
Say what now?
“Then make a fucking decision! I’m not a yo-yo!”
He stills for only a second before his lips crash into mine. His arms grip my legs and pull me into him. I wrap my legs around his waist and he spins us, pushing me onto the bed. Our mouths are moving together in unison, old friends becoming reacquainted with one another. I bite his bottom lip and he growls, the sound sending vibrations through my hyper aware body. Every nerve ending is aflame. He licks my bottom lip and I grant him access into my mouth. My tongue meets his stroke for stroke, matching the rhythm of our grinding bodies. The feel of his rough denim against my soft skin is driving me wild. His hands are everywhere, one in my hair and the other sliding underneath my towel. My hands slide down his back to his tight backside and I grab him, pulling him closer to me. He rocks his hips into me, the hardness of his zip and growing erection rubbing against my center, and I whimper. The feeling is electrifying. I slide my hands back up his naked back and my fingers dip between each of his muscles, feeling them move under his skin. It’s. So. Damn. Sexy.
He breaks the kiss, breathing heavy as he rests his forehead against mine. My body feels like it’s on fire.
“You drive me crazier,” I whisper. I open my eyes and his answering gaze completely disarms me. He chuckles and the movement of his naked chest causes my nipples to harden. I trace my fingers over the ridges of his sculptured torso and stop to play with the little silver bar piercing his right nipple. God, it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on. He shivers. That’s sexy too.
“Was that your decision?” I ask quietly, pinching his piercing between my fingers. He may never be able to get me to leave the damn thing alone now.
“I believe it was,” he replies. He lays a sweet kiss on the corner of my mouth.
“So now what?” I see a wicked gleam in his eye.
“Go out with me. Be mine.”
I can’t help the grin that covers my face. I lay a gentle kiss on his lips and hope he understand what I’m saying.
“So my plan worked?”
I giggle. “Definitely.”
Chapter 14
~ Grayson ~
My nerves are all over the place. I'm pacing my bedroom like a caged tiger and all because tonight is my first real date with Huntley. I honestly had no idea what to expect when I showed up at her apartment last night. When Demi told me she wasn't there I knew she was lying, so I checked it out for myself. I stormed into her bedroom and then her bathroom like a mad man, or like a caveman as she called it. I had no intention of getting in the shower with her but once I saw her standing there, gloriously wet and naked, I had quite the out-of-body experience. I had no control over my feet or my body, and then I smelled her. Good God. If seeing her naked like that, with hot water sliding over her skin, surrounded by steam, wasn't bad enough, I had to catch a whiff of her vanilla and strawberry scented bath products. It was a sensory overload of epic proportions and had me throbbing in my jeans.
"What the fuck are you doing Gray?" Brody's voice breaks the never-ending rerun of last night's events, just as I get to the part where Huntley is underneath me, whimpering. His interruption is welcome. The last thing I want is going on a first date with the hard on of the century.
"Nothing," I reply.
He snorts. "Could've fooled me Gray. You look like you're about to pass out and vomit all over yourself." His observation isn't far off.
"I'm just nervous." Fuck, that’s an understatement.
"I haven't seen you like this over a date since -" he scratches his head. "Well, ever."
It's true. I've never been this anxious over a date and I've had my fair share of 'dates'. Something about Huntley makes this different. She's not just another girl I want to bring home. She's the kind of girl who deserves a proper date, one with romance and flowers. Admittedly, this is all very new to me, since I've never done romance and flowers before, not even for my ex- girlfriend who I dated for two years. I realize now that Huntley makes me want to give it to her, give her everything. It scares me.
"Yeah well, we're not just talking about any girl. She's different. Special."
Brody nods his head in understanding, a look of wistfulness sliding over his face and disappearing as quickly as it appeared. He's thinking about Demi. I wish I could make this easier on him but I don't know how. I've never loved someone who's with someone else.
I check my watch. It's almost six fifteen, and I told Huntley I would get her at six thirty.
"I better get going," I say, grabbing my wallet and truck keys. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah man, good luck." Brody walks down stairs and I follow behind. He's having a few of the boys over for a games night so at least he won't have the chance to wallow in self-pity.
The drive to Huntley's apartment is quicker than I expected, maybe because I spent the short ten minute drive over there thinking about what she looks like naked.
Dammit.
Bad idea.
Very bad idea.
I cut the ignition of my truck and take a deep breath, willing myself to get my shit together. Tonight will be perfect.
I take the elevator up to Huntley and Demi's floor. Once I'm outside their door I knock twice and wait. The door swings open and I find a grinning Demi there to greet me. "Hey Gray," she chimes. She looks excited, a naughty glimmer in her eye like she has a secret. It makes me wonder what she's up to.
"Hey Demi," I reply. I try to mask the nervousness in my voice but judging my Demi's smirk I'm unsuccessful.
"Come in," she says. She gestures for me to step inside and I do. "You look nice."
I smile. I spent over an hour trying to decide what to wear and eventually settled on my white wash jeans and grey button up shirt. Damn if it wasn't the most effort I've ever put in to getting ready for a date. "Thanks."
"Huntley will be out in a minute," she adds. She disappears down the hall and I take a minute to calm my racing heart. I haven’t even seen her yet and I'm already going insane.
Just don't picture her naked. Whatever you do, do NOT picture her naked.
Goddammit. I'm picturing her naked.
Shit.
Just then her bedroom door opens. She steps into the light and all the air escapes my lungs. She looks impossibly gorgeous in a fire truck red strapless sun dress with white pumps on her feet. Her hair is straightened and held back by a head band, revealing her flawless face. I've only ever seen her with curls in her h
air but the straightened style looks amazing too. The only make-up she's wearing is lipgloss and I want to kiss those plump lips until they're cherry red because of how hard I kissed her.
She steps in front of me and smiles shyly. I watch as her cheeks turn red. The way she blushes has to be one of her sexiest, unintentional habits.
"You look amazing," I blurt out. Talk about smooth.
"You don't look so bad yourself." Her eyes roam over my outfit and linger a little longer on my chest. I learned that she has a fascination with my nipple ring. I'll have to use that to my advantage the next time we're alone.
"You ready to go?"
"Hmm hmm," she nods. The grin on her face is infectious and I can't help but mirror her expression.
We say goodbye to Demi, who has fallen into a fit of laughter after watching Huntley and I gawk at each other for almost five whole minutes. It does little to appease the family of bats that have taken up residence in my belly.
I help Huntley climb into the truck, since she's a little shorter, and purposely place my hands under her tight little butt to hoist her up. She squeals and swats my hand away, but I can see the amusement shining bright in the depths of her eyes.
I chuckle as I make my way around to the drivers' side and hop in.
"Where are we going?" The curiosity in her voice resembles that of a child, brimming with excitement.
"It's a surprise," I grin. "But it's only twenty minutes outside of town so you won't have to wait long."
As I pull onto the main road that leads out of town, Huntley turns the radio on. Jake Owen's 'Barefoot Blue Jean Night' streams through the trucks' speakers and she starts singing along, mimicking a thick Southern drawl the louder she sings. I stay quiet but I'm completely aware of her, of everything she does, of every movement she makes. Her voice is melodic and it's like I'm hearing it for the first time, reminding me of the night at the bonfire all those weeks ago.
Beneath Your Beautiful Page 10
