Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
Grady
Home Opener Two Weeks Later…
After ten days at the doggy hotel and spa, Blade is glad to be home. From what the staff told me, he was pretty good, so long as nobody tried to get near him… he just sat in the corner and stared at them whenever they opened the door, and given the alternatives, I’ll take the win. I’m glad that he can handle his shit when I leave, but it’s obvious that he doesn’t like being left with strangers. I’m going to have to look into Rover and see if I can get someone he actually likes to stay at the house with him while I’m on road trips, but I just haven’t had the chance.
It’s like interviewing for a nanny.
So, Blade’s glad to be home, but the place feels empty to me.
Now it’s the eve before the home opener, and I’m lying in bed with my phone, trying to compose a casual text to Vivian to find out if and when she’ll come back. It’s harder than it sounds; casual does not come easily to me, not when I so desperately want her to be here with me, under me, around me. So far, we’ve kept things light, which has only made me want to spend more time with her. Flirtation is wonderful, but I want her to let me in. To let me get to know her on a more intimate and personal level.
I’ve decided to start small by texting a simple invitation, but I know by now that I can’t come across as too eager, or I’ll scare her off. After some consideration, I type out: Any chance you’re coming to the game? I know Viktor would really want you here.
Her reply is almost immediate.
VivaLaViv : My brother wants me there. You sure about that?
Grady : It’s all he can think about.
VivaLaViv : It’s nice to know that he cares.
VivaLaViv : But he’s going to be disappointed, because I’m pretty sure that this show would literally fall apart without me.
VivaLaViv : It’s dress rehearsals today. I’ll be on standby in case of emergency until the final curtain.
Grady : There will be no mermaid wardrobe malfunctions on your watch.
VivaLaViv : I wouldn’t go that far. I can’t stop the inevitable, but I did manage to keep an orca from flashing his balls to the audience last night.
Grady : A sentence I never thought I’d read, and an important job for sure.
VivaLaViv : Pro tip: if you’re ever going to do acrobatics in front of a live audience in a skintight onesie, WEAR A CUP.
Grady : I’ll keep that in mind for my next career move.
I hesitate, my thumbs hovering over the screen, and wonder how far I should push things. Should I back off or try to set up a future date?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I reason.
Grady : Any chance I can see you later?
VivaLaViv : I might swing by the Puck Drop after the game. You know, to show my support for Viktor, since he’s been missing me so much.
Grady : Wonderful. He’ll be thrilled to see you.
* * *
“First line, let’s go!” I bark, clapping my hands as the first line jumps over the boards. Viktor’s blades carve the ice with purpose, Knight trailing close behind, and Tristan anchoring the play at center. My heart’s pounding like a drum, but I shove the nerves down. This is my first home opener as head coach, and yeah, the pressure’s suffocating, but I’ve been in high-stakes situations my whole life. Coaching? It’s just another kind of battle.
The arena is electric, buzzing with energy. Every seat is filled, and the fans are on their feet, screaming for the Venom. I glance at Ranger, who’s standing just to my left, his arms crossed and his face unreadable. He gives me a small nod, like he’s silently saying, You’ve got this . On my right, Noah is focused on the ice, shouting something to our goalie.
“Stay sharp, boys!” I yell as Viktor drives the puck deep into the offensive zone. Our opponent’s defense is tight, but Knight’s quick on the forecheck, forcing a turnover. He dishes it to Tristan, who winds up for a blistering slapshot. The puck smacks off the goalie’s pad, and Viktor’s there for the rebound.
So close.
“Keep pressing!” I shout, pacing behind the bench. My nerves are a live wire, but the guys are clicking, moving like they’ve been playing together for years.
After a quick line change, the Riot push back hard, trying to break out of their zone, but Camden reads the play perfectly and intercepts a pass in the neutral zone. He turns on the jets, cutting through the defense like a knife through butter. The crowd roars as he snaps a shot top shelf, but the Riot’s goalie just gets a piece of it, deflecting it into the glass.
“Good look, Beck!” I holler, clapping as he circles back. “Keep it up!”
The first period ends scoreless, and the guys file off the ice, chests heaving but focused. I give them quick pointers in the locker room, keeping it short and sharp. There’s no time for overthinking.
By the second period, we’ve found our rhythm. Knight threads a perfect pass to Viktor, who buries it with a wrist shot that sends the puck flying past the Riot’s goalie. The red light flashes, and the arena explodes. I slam my hand against the glass in celebration. “Atta boy, Abbott!”
But the Riot answer back just minutes later, tying it up. The rest of the period is a grind, every play hard-fought, every shift a battle.
The third period starts, and the game’s still tied. My stomach’s in knots, but the guys are locked in. Knight wins a critical faceoff in the offensive zone, setting up Tristan for a beauty of a one-timer that rockets into the back of the net. 2-1, Venom.
We’ve got five minutes left, and the Riot are throwing everything they’ve got at us. My voice is hoarse from shouting instructions, but the team’s holding the line. Noah’s shouting at our goalie, coaching him through the chaos, and the veteran’s standing tall, making save after save.
With just over a minute left, the Riot pull their goalie for the extra attacker. It’s a frenzy in our zone, pucks flying, bodies crashing, but somehow, we keep them from finding the back of the net. The final horn blares, and the bench erupts.
The guys pour onto the ice, celebrating the win, and the crowd’s on their feet, roaring their approval. I lean against the boards for a moment, taking it all in.
Then, almost instinctively, I glance up at the friends and family seats underneath Dante’s personal skybox. I wish Viv was there instead of at the theater. In my mind, she’s on her feet, clapping, her face glowing with excitement.
Maybe someday.
I don’t let myself linger. There’s work to do, and I need to keep my head straight. I turn and head down the tunnel, the sound of victory echoing in my ears.
By the time I change, the locker room is quieter, and I catch Noah and Ranger near the exit, deep in conversation. They look up as I approach, their expressions shifting into something that tells me I’m about to get roped into whatever they’re scheming.
“We always go to The Puck Drop,” Noah says, as if the very idea that we might go somewhere else is shocking.
Ranger bobs his head in agreement. “It’s our place. Haven’t you been yet?”
I shake my head.
“Oh, you’re going to love it.” Ranger rubs his hands together and grins. “Our buddy Coop owns it…”
“Cooper Harrison?” I blurt.
“Yeah.” Ranger smiles, but it’s one of those smiles that contains a question. “You know him?”
“I know his stats,” I correct. Although, yeah, Coop and I have met in person. Apparently, I didn’t make much of an impression on the Venom players, and it still catches me off guard to remember that.
Ranger’s smile clears up. “Of course! Well, he was a decent player, but he’s a fantastic home cook. Plus, he learned a ton of secret family recipes from his, uh, grandmother-in-law, I guess? So, the food’s actually good, unlike some of the bars around here. I’ll send you the address.”
The Puck Drop is located in Serenity Shores, a community just outside Vegas built around a manmade lake. It’s dark by the time we arrive, but as I walk from the parking deck to the Puck Drop, I make a mental note to come back sometime. This place is way more my speed than the Strip.
At the Puck Drop, one of the little servo-bots points me back to the team lounge. Ranger wasn’t kidding when he said this was their spot. They’ve got their own room and everything. Most of the team is already there, but there’s no sign of Viv. I hope she makes it tonight, but I brace myself for disappointment just in case.
Knight taps my shoulder while we wait for our first round of drinks. “Check this out, Coach.” He waves me over to one of the walls covered in Venom memorabilia. It’s a gold mine, not only of vintage Venom merch but of personal photos and printed blog posts.
I snort when I see a photo of Viktor done up like a princess. “Nice,” I say.
“He was Viv’s guinea pig back in the day.” Knight chuckles. “She used to dress up their dog, too.” He points to another photo of a swarm of smiling kids clustered around a familiar dog in a Captain Marvel costume.
“Hah. Biscuit, right?” I put my nose right up to the glass. Goddamn, Viv was so precious.
Then, it occurs to me that she’ll have adorable kids someday. Kids just like her and Viktor. With someone else. I can’t give her that, and the odds that she’d trade in the possibility of a family to stay with me is… not impossible, I guess, but not great. I need to tell her the truth before things progress much further. I’m serious about her, but if I let myself go all in and then she drops me like deadweight, I’m going to be ruined. I can’t do that to myself again. My heart is too fragile.
“How do you know that?” Knight asks.
“Huh?” I squint up at him.
“About Biscuit.” He nods to the photo.
Oh, right. He’s not privy to my existential crisis. I straighten up. “Viktor mentioned her name when he found out I have a Cane Corso of my own. Rescue dog.”
Knight gives me a funny look, but I try to play the moment off by pointing to one of the other kids in the photo. “Who’s this little chubby-cheeked angel?”
Knight snorts. “That’s Cam.”
“Really?” I study the picture again. “Man, he was adorable back then. Wonder what went wrong?”
That earns a laugh, and Knight talks me through some of the other photos, pointing out former players as if I don’t know exactly who they are. Which, as far as he’s concerned, I don’t.
Our drinks are waiting at the table when we arrive, along with Sofia and Viv. Knight’s sister, Knova, showed up, too, and is tormenting Viktor at the other end of the table. Ordinarily, I’d get a kick out of watching anyone match wits with that cocky little shit, but I’m too thrilled to see Viv to notice anything else.
“Hey,” I blurt, catching myself before I can all-out flirt with her. We have an audience. I need to watch my step.
“Hello again.” Viv holds out a hand to me. “Grady, right?”
I smother my smile. “Yup. Nice to see you again, Vivian. Didn’t you have some big show starting soon? That one on the marquee at the stadium? You’re an acrobat or something, right?”
Her mouth twitches. “Just the costume designer.”
“Sorry, I forgot. I’m easily confused.” I hold her hand a beat too long before sliding in my chair.
Knight and Sofia are watching us with interest, but I hope it’s not too pointed. I lean one elbow on the table and focus on Viv. “Let me buy you a drink to make up for my faux pas?”
“I’m an adult woman. I don’t need a man to buy my drinks.” Viv flags down the little robot, scans her watch, and orders her “regular.” I don’t know what that is, but I can’t wait to find out. Before she finalizes the order, she pauses. “Have you tried the cannolis here?” she asks.
“No, and I haven’t eaten dinner yet.”
Her eyes flash. “Can I tempt you into being just a little bad?” Her other hand lands on my knee, unseen, and traces the inside of my thigh. Not too high, but high enough to leave me half-hard. Fuck. She could tempt me into all kinds of things.
And then she does, her fingers trailing along the outline of my erection over the fabric of my pants.
Shit.
“Just a little,” I say in a hoarse voice. I reach for my beer and take a swig, only to realize it’s good. Supposedly, it’s brewed by someone local, and it’s shockingly delicious.
Viv turns to Knight and Sofia. “How do you two feel about a cannoli appetizer?”
“Hell, yeah.” Knight wraps one arm around Sofia’s shoulders. “We’re in, right, babe?”
Sofia looks scandalized. “As if I would ever say no to a Coop cannoli.”
Viv orders for us. When the robot zips away, she turns back to me. “You were asking about the rehearsal. It went well. No wardrobe malfunctions.”
“That’s good.”
“Mm.” A cheeky smirk tugs at the corners of her mouth. “There’s nothing worse than when someone’s boob pops out of their clothing by accident.” Her eyes, which have been staring into mine, flick down, and I realize how low-cut her shirt is.
I swallow. “Sounds terrible.”
“Especially when there’s an audience watching. Which is why we want to get everything sorted out before we open to the public.” Viv winks and turns to Sofia. “Speaking of work, Sofia, are you ready to open?”
Sofia melts like an ice cream in the Vegas sun. “Oh, God, it’s in two days, and I’m totally panicking.”
They spend a few minutes talking about Sofia’s new jewelry shop and bead bar. I take the opportunity to sip my beer and readjust myself back into some semblance of decency. At least if I have to stand up now, I won’t poke anyone’s eye out.
Then the cannolis arrive, along with Vivian’s drink. All three of them pounce on theirs. I lift mine with a bit more trepidation. They’re a bit messy, and the shell is perfectly crisp. I have a terrible feeling I’m going to end up covered in powdered sugar and crumbs and cream.
Beside me, Vivian swirls her tongue through the filling and groans exactly the way she does in bed. I love how her voice goes low and smoky when she’s turned on, like a sultry jazz singer. She catches my eye just before she swallows.
“It’s amazing.” She flicks out her tongue to catch a speck of powdered sugar on her upper lip. “I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself.”
“They’re the best thing on the menu,” Sofia says through a mouth of cannoli. “I would eat them every day if I could.”
Viv’s ankle bumps mine. Her knee brushes my thigh. How the hell is nobody seeing this? So much for being decent.
I want her. Now. I want to steal her away to the bathroom, bend her sweet ass over the sink, push her panties to the side, and pound her juicy cunt so hard she’ll be feeling my cock for days.
I snap out of my fantasy and watch while Vivian finishes her cannoli while chatting with her friends, oblivious to the turn my thoughts have taken. When her drink is down to the ice, she gets to her feet. “Sorry, I’ve had a long day. I’m going home.” Everyone protests, but Viv waves us off. “You kids have fun. I need to be in bed as soon as possible.” She catches my eye again as she turns to leave.
I wait until she’s out the door before reaching for my phone to text her.
Grady : Whose bed are you so desperate to be in, exactly?
VivaLaViv : Ideally? Yours.
Grady : Give me 10.
Grady : If I get up now, people are going to notice that there’s something amiss in my pants.
VivaLaViv : I could help you with that.
Grady : I’m counting on it.
I turn to Briggs and have a brief conversation about… fuck if I know what. I’m not focused on him. I just need to calm down and leave a reasonable span of time before I leave to follow Viv.
I’m saved when an actual server arrives to take our food orders. I take the opportunity to excuse myself.
“Aw, come on, Coach!” Knight says. “You’ve got to try the food here.”
I reach down to pat my leg. “Sorry, but the Tylenol is wearing off. I need to get some ice on this guy.”
Across the table, Noah is giving me a funny look. I hope he’s just disappointed that I’m skipping out on team bonding time. Viktor, on the other hand, is smirking. He knows I’m full of shit.
I pay my tab and make my hasty getaway. The whole drive back to my place, I’m shaking with anticipation.
Viv is waiting on my porch while Blade is going cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs inside the front door. I’ve never unlocked a door so fast in my life.
Any sexy vibes are somewhat dampened by my dog being a goddamn lunatic. He can’t decide if he wants his belly pet, a snuggle, or if he wants Viv to play with one of his toys with him, so he tries to do all three at once. It’s endearing, even if he is a hundred pounds of stupid.
“You can wait upstairs while I handle this ding-dong,” I tell her over Blade’s lovesick whining.
Viv gives me the thumbs-up and climbs the stairs while Blade throws a temper tantrum. It takes far too long to get him to go outside and pee. When he’s finished, I have to literally drag him back to his crate. As soon as I have him closed in, he drops to the floor as though all of his legs have simultaneously broken and sighs so loud that the door of his crate rattles.
“Drama queen,” I scold.
Blade only sighs again.
I leave him to his nonsense and follow Viv upstairs. She’s lying on the bed, still fully clothed, flipping through one of the books she retrieved from my bedside table.
“Sorry about that. Blade’s my special boy. I would let him in here, but he wouldn’t accept staring. He’d demand to participate. And that’s… ew.”
She closes the book and sets it aside. “Nah, he’s a cutie. Nothing to apologize for. He makes a good wingman.”
“Does he?” I sit down on the edge of the bed and run my hand up her calf. Viv spreads her legs, making the skirt of her dress slide up to her hip. Damn, she has such nice legs. I want to sink into her, but before we do anything else, there’s something I have to say. “Listen, Vivian, I… I’m divorced.”
She smirks. “That explains why a hot guy like you can be single.”
I raise an eyebrow at her.
Viv sits up. “Sorry, was that insensitive? I assume the problem was with her, because I know you’re attentive. You’ve been sending me messages daily and calling me every night, and we’re not even officially dating. So, I’m assuming there’s a story there. What happened?”
“I, uh.” My throat closes up. It’s nice to know that she assumes I did nothing wrong. “It was my fault. I couldn’t… give her children.”
Viv licks her lips. “Oh. As in, your sperm count is too low or something?”
I nod. I can’t bring myself to look at her.
I feel her moving on the mattress. She slips her arms around my shoulders and nuzzles my ear.
“Is that a dealbreaker?” I ask.
Viv hums. Her lips brush my neck. “All I heard was we don’t need to keep using condoms.”
I turn my face to hers. She doesn’t look the slightest bit perturbed by my revelation. Her mouth lands on mine, and she swings herself into my lap. Her touch is soft at first, almost hesitant, like she’s not sure I’m still up for this.
“Are you okay?” she whispers against my lips.
I can only nod. I run my hands through her hair and rest my forehead against hers.
“Then, if you don’t mind, I’ve had a long couple of weeks, and I’d really appreciate it if you’d fuck the stress out of me.”
I growl against her mouth, and suddenly the idea of being inside her, with nothing between us, is too much. I need her. I need to feel that pretty pussy pulse on my cock. I need to hear her scream my name while she falls apart.
I grab the hem of her dress and pull it up, turning it inside out in the process. I don’t see where it lands; as soon as it leaves my hands, I’m flipping Viv onto her belly. I shuck my clothes off as fast as I can, then drag her across my lap. She gasps and squirms.
“Are you going to spank me?” she asks. “But I haven’t even been naughty yet!”
I settle one hand on the curve of her butt cheek. She’s wearing lacy little panties and a matching black bra. Half of me wants to take them off with my teeth. The other half isn’t in a rush. I’ve been fantasizing about her since the last time she was over, and I’ve had plenty of opportunities to imagine all the things I’d like to do to her.
“Would you like that?” I ask.
“Fuck, yes.” She sighs and melts against me. “Tell me I’m a bad girl, even if I’m not.” My dick brushes the lace-clad apex of her thighs, and we both let out a soft noise of pleasure.
“Did you touch yourself while I was away?” I ask.
“All the damn time,” Viv admits. “And I saw your face every time I came.”
I lift my hand and bring it down on her ass with a slap. She yelps and squirms, and it feels so fucking good that my hips buck in response.
“Bad, bad girl. You should know better.” I slide my hand between her legs, over the lace, and rub against her entrance. “Who does this pretty cunt belong to, Vivian?”
She mumbles something against the sheets.
I bring my hand down again, this time making sure to include the wet spot between her legs in my slap. Viv mewls and twitches, but she’s pressing against me for more. Good, she liked that. I make a mental note to consider her interest in impact play in the future. Larisse was never into that sort of thing, and I’ve been wary of it—I don’t want to hurt my partner, so this has never been my thing. But with Viv, I want to experiment with different kinds of sensory play to figure out what she likes since she’s made it very clear she likes to push the boundaries.
“Whose cunt is it, Viv?” I ask again, delivering a third slap that leaves her moaning.
“Yours,” she pants, turning her head to one side. “It’s yours, Grady.”
“That’s right.” I nudge the crotch of her panties to one side and drag two fingers through her slick heat. “So all your orgasms belong to me. You don’t come again while I’m away unless I give you permission.” I press my fingers inside her, and she’s so ready for me that I can slide them in to the top knuckle in one movement. Viv claws at the sheets.
I rub circles between her shoulders with one hand, slowly fucking her with the fingers of the other.
“You like that, don’t you?” I ask. “Because you missed me. You’re soaking wet.”
“I am, I am.” Her voice is slurred, and her legs twitch from time to time.
“When you thought about me, did you use a toy?”
“I did,” Viv admits.
I withdraw my fingers and slap her ass again. Her back arches, and she lets out a desperate noise.
“You like toys?” I ask. “Do they make you come extra hard?”
“Yes.” She’s braced this time, but I still feel the shudder that runs through her when I slap the other cheek. I’m careful to keep things light, but her cheeks are still turning a pretty pink beneath the black lace.
“Would you like me to use toys on you sometime? See how many times I can make you come before I finish inside you?”
“Yes.” She braces again, but instead of spanking her, I slip my fingers back inside her and resume rubbing her back until she melts against me.
“I’d like that, too,” I tell her. I adjust the angle of my fingers, searching for her G-spot. I know the exact moment I find it, because Viv lets out the sweetest, most guttural groan.
I keep moving slowly, working her up to that precipice until she tenses and screams my name, tightening around my fingers. I keep going until she relaxes again. God, I love watching this woman come. When I shimmy out from under her, she goes completely limp against the mattress. I lower myself on top of her, my chest to her back, and give her hair a gentle tug, just enough to clue her into what I want. Viv turns her head, and I slip my slick fingers into her mouth. She moans and immediately sucks them.
“Are you ready for my cock?” I whisper.
She nods even as her cheeks hollow around my fingers.
“Do you want it slow, like that? Or do you want me to fuck you hard?”
Viv’s lips curl up at the corners. She sucks her way to the tip of my fingers with a wet pop. “Hard,” she says. “It’s your cunt, remember? Show me how much you’ve missed me.”
I sit back on my heels and lift her hips so that I can shove a pillow beneath them. She lets out a pleased laugh, which shudders into a sob as I line up my achingly hard dick, dig my fingers into her upper thighs, and drag her back onto my length.
My eyes fucking roll back in my sockets. Silky soft and sloppy wet, Viv’s pussy is the most perfect thing I’ve ever felt. I almost, almost, come right then and there. I’ll never wear another fucking condom again with this woman. I take a moment to catch my breath. She feels so good, like she was made for me, like if I let go for even a second, she might slip through my fingers and take every damn piece of me with her.
I have to take a moment to catch my breath. She feels so good, so much better than before. Fucking my fist while I think of her doesn’t compare. I snap my hips forward, seeking more of her warmth, and Vivian mewls into the bedding.
I’m glad I made her come first because there’s no way I’m going to last. So much for my attempts to be the one in charge—I’m fucking her with raw abandon, spurred on by her incoherent cries of pleasure. I’m so keyed up that it takes an embarrassingly short period of time for the pressure at the base of my spine to burn white-hot and spill into her. I keep thrusting until the sensory overload becomes too much, but I’m still desperate and horny and determined to make this good for her. I tip Vivian sideways and crawl backward down the bed to position myself between her knees. Her clit is swollen and such a lovely shade of pink that I kiss it before sucking it between my lips. Viv digs her fingers into the back of my head, holding me in place while she rolls her hips.
I open my mouth without thinking to lick into her, only to remember that I just came inside her, that I’m tasting both of us right now, and the thought is too much for me. I’m hard again, or maybe still, and rubbing myself against the sheets…
Vivian howls my name as she comes a second time, and I don’t wait this time. I haul myself back up the bed and sink my dick into her, thrusting into her as frantically as I did before. I kiss her throat, lift one hand to her lacy bra, and squeeze her breast. I need to get closer, even though I’m pressed against her, even though I’m inside her.
In college, I fucked around. There’s something about hormones that made me horny all the time. I didn’t want to use anyone, but I wanted to come all the time.
My need now is just as desperate, but it’s bubbling up from a different place. I’m not mindlessly desperate to get laid. I’m desperate for her . I need to feel her. I need her to feel me. I need her to want me just as much, and in the same ways.
I think I’m already falling in love with you . Then I’m coming inside her again, and Viv is rubbing my back like I rubbed hers earlier even though I can feel that she’s still coming down from her earlier orgasm. We melt into each other in a messy tangle of limbs, and even though I’m utterly spent, I don’t want to move. Maybe never again. I want to know that she’ll be here again.
I want to know that she’ll stay.
* * *
I don’t remember falling asleep, but I must have because I sit up when my shower turns on. Viv’s side of the bed is empty, and I swear my balls ache from how hard I just came. When I try to get up, my knee betrays me, and I almost wipe out.
Okay, walking is not a right-now thing. I sit on the edge of the bed and wait for my muscles to stop being putty.
I’m still sitting there when Viv emerges from the bathroom, already clothed. Her hair falls in damp waves around her shoulders.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
She chuckles as she comes over to kiss my forehead. “Other than the fact that I’m going to be saddle-sore tomorrow? I think I’m fine.”
I reach up to catch her wrist between loose fingers. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“You did. In a good way. That was exactly what I needed.” She straightens up. “But I’ve got to go. I checked the Ring cameras at home, and the coast is clear. Everyone’s still at the Puck Drop.”
I wish she’d stay, but I’m not going to push my luck. “Do you want me to drive you back?”
“It’s a gated neighborhood. I’ll be fine. It’s only a couple of blocks.”
“It’s dark.”
“There are streetlights. Trust me, Grady, I grew up here. These are my stomping grounds. Plus I have an alarm on my keychain and pepper spray that can disarm a predator from twenty feet away.”
I can tell that I’m not going to win this round, so I reach for a pair of pajama pants and a plain tee. “Will you at least text me when you get home?”
“That, I can do.”
I follow her downstairs, feeling a bit too much like Blade for comfort. At the door, I give her one last kiss.
“I’ll see you soon,” she promises. “Oh, and Grady?”
I lean against the back of the sofa. “Yeah?”
“I was serious about the toys. That sounds hot as fuck.” She winks even as she opens the door and dips out.
Well, shit. Looks like I need to research some good toys, then.