Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
C arys
“Here.” Gannon tosses a pair of boxers and a plain white T-shirt on the vanity. “You can wear that.”
I turn away from the mirror, tucking my towel tighter against my chest. “I have clothes. I just need to get them from your office.”
He lifts a brow cockily. “I thought you were hungry?”
“I am.”
“Then you better put on the clothes I gave you because if you put that skirt back on, you’ll miss dinner.”
His grin is deliciously lazy as he strolls out of the bathroom in only black boxer briefs.
I heave a breath, returning to the sink and catching my reflection in the glass.
My cheeks are rosy, and my lips are swollen from the make-out session Gannon and I just shared in the shower. It was sweet and slow—my back pinned to the shower wall as he lavished his attention on my mouth. It starkly contrasted to the hard and fast action in the bedroom. A total mindfuck in the best way.
I slip on his clothes, inhaling the scent of his cologne embedded into the fibers. The fabric is warm and soft. I could burrow in his bed, wrapped up in his shirt and boxers, and fall asleep completely sated.
Instead, I run my fingers through my towel-dried hair and patter into the bedroom.
“What time is it?” I ask.
“I don’t know. Probably close to midnight.”
“Are you usually up this late?”
He shrugs. “I’m kind of a night owl, I guess. Not by choice. You?”
“I’m usually in bed by ten. Ten thirty at the latest.”
“Really?” He nods, leading me out of the room. “That’s not what I was expecting you to say.”
“What did you expect? I’m curious.”
We take the stairs to the main level. “I don’t know. You seem like someone who has a full life.”
I grin at him. “Believe it or not, I don’t need to be picked up from parties because I’ve been drinking. That was a fluke.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
I laugh, following him into the kitchen.
“How do you feel about a grilled cheese sandwich?” he asks, opening a refrigerator.
“At midnight? Is there anything better?”
I mosey around the expansive space as he gets to work behind me. It’s a sight to behold. A massive kitchen with white quartz counters and state-of-the-art appliances opens to a family area with seating for ten, maybe twelve people. I imagine huge family dinners with everyone around the island sharing cocktails and stories or watching a football game on the oversized television.
It's a beautiful but blank canvas. With a little effort, it could feel warm … like a home.
“What are you doing with mayonnaise?” I ask, hopping onto a barstool. “I thought we were having grilled cheeses.”
“Ah, you don’t know the secret.”
“To what?”
He opens the lid and sticks a knife inside the jar.
“Mayonnaise has a higher smoke point than butter,” he says. “You get a crispier, more golden-brown crust and a better outside texture.”
I laugh. “Wow. Okay.”
He looks up, smiling shyly, and my heart almost stops.
There’s so much more to this man than I ever imagined.
“Wow, what?” he asks.
“Are you an amateur at anything? Is there anything you don’t know or can’t do?”
He chuckles. “My brothers would say I’m not great at everything.”
“Oh, shut up.”
“I mean it.” He slathers mayonnaise on four pieces of bread. “It’s the joke of the family. I can kick their ass at golf, but that’s it.”
“It seems they’ve never seen what you can do in bed.”
He looks up, and we exchange smiles.
My chest warms at our secret—because no one can ever know we’ve slept together. I can’t even tell Courtney because it could get back to Tate. But tonight was exceptional and a night I’ll never forget, and I’m happy it was with Gannon.
“Your house is gorgeous,” I say, looking around again. “How big is this place?”
“Too big.”
“So specific.”
He turns a burner on, placing a cast iron skillet over the flame.
“It’s about eight-thousand square feet,” he says, his back to me. “Six bedrooms and nine baths.”
I flinch. “That’s a lot of space.”
“It’s a lot of space,” he repeats, his voice fading away. “I bought this place ten years ago and think about selling it and moving into something smaller all the time. But I really like the peace and privacy, and moving seems like a headache that I don’t need.”
He works quietly, adding the bread and cheese to the skillet. Then he pours a glass of tea for each of us. I offer to help, but he refuses, ordering me to relax.
I’ve never seen Gannon so calm. He almost always wears a scowl, and I thought a permanent wrinkle lived on his forehead. But tonight, he’s different. Tonight, there’s a softness in his shoulders and I’ve seen him smile more in the last few hours than I’ve seen in the years we’ve known one another. He’s laughed. He’s been playful.
Is he always like this at home? If so, why is he such a prick when he’s not here?
“What?” he asks, catching me staring at him.
“I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
I rest my chin in my hand. “I was just noticing how different you are here from how you are in the office.”
“Oh.”
“That’s it? Oh ?” I sit up when he slides me a plate with my sandwich. “You don’t have an explanation?”
“I do. I’m just not giving it to you.”
He takes his plate and tea and heads for the couch.
I gather my things and follow him. “Why not give it to me? Come on. I’m curious.”
“Have I not given you enough this evening?”
“Well, okay. Fair.” I sit beside him and grin, placing my glass on the coffee table next to his. “I can’t believe you eat on this thing.”
“Why? It’s a couch.”
I trail my hand over the leather. “It just looks very expensive.”
“It is very expensive.” He takes a bite of his sandwich. “But why bother having it if you aren’t going to use it.”
Again, fair. I take a bite of my sandwich, too.
“How’s Plantcy going?” he asks. “Are you getting further away from going back to insurance?”
I smile that he remembers. “I got a couple of good leads at Courtney’s party. Hopefully, I’ll hear something about them this week.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah. I hope they pan out. Mom is starting a new wing of her business, and I don’t want her guilt-tripping me into coming back and helping with it. If I’m killing it at Plantcy, she won’t even ask.”
He takes another bite. “What kind of new wing?”
“Life insurance.” I curl my legs up under me. “She started my enrollment into a whole life policy a few days ago. Apparently, I’m still young enough to get my rates locked in at a reasonable price.”
“That’s great advice. Those policies build up tax-deferred over time, and you can withdraw the cash or borrow against it later.”
I laugh. “Again, is there anything you don’t know?”
He shakes his head and looks away. Is he embarrassed ?
“What about Brewer Group?” I ask, jokingly. “How’s business?”
Gannon chuckles. “How’s business, huh?”
“I mean, it sounded pretty intense on the phone.”
“I’m surprised you could hear any of it over your moaning.”
I narrow my eyes at him. Although, he’s not wrong. Apparently, my body responds exceptionally well to Gannon Brewer’s growly voice.
“That call was a pain in my ass,” he says, taking another bite. “I’ll jump on a call with them and Renn in the next couple of weeks and shut them down.” He pauses, realizing I’m not following. “Renn gets the final say on all things associated with the Royals rugby team since he’s the GM. But he’ll never agree to their bullshit.”
“What’s it like having a big family? I know Tate loves it, but what about you?”
He takes a drink and then sighs. “It’s fine.”
“It’s fine?”
“It’s fine.” He shrugs. “Things change over time. I’ve never loved it or hated it.”
There’s more to his thought. I can see it in his eyes. But I can also tell he doesn’t want to talk about it, so I don’t push. He’s already sharing so much more than I ever expected.
“Speaking of business,” he says, “I have to fly out of town tomorrow morning, and I’ll be gone until Saturday afternoon.”
My spirits smash against the floor. “Oh. Okay.”
“What do you have going on this week?”
I set my plate next to my tea and curl up with a pillow pressed to my stomach.
“I don’t have too much going on,” I say. “I’ll be in your office on Wednesday and Friday. Tate and I are having lunch on Thursday. My stepmom texted me today that she’s putting together a birthday dinner for my dad. I’m not sure I want to go.”
My chest tightens because that’s a lie. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to put myself out there and feel demoralized all over again. I’m in such a good place and seeing him feels like a step backward. Maybe Aurora picked up on my lack of enthusiasm and will let it go.
He puts his plate beside mine and then sits back, staring into the distance.
The house is dead silent. Instead of wanting to say something to break the stillness, I’m happy to lean my head on the cushion and absorb the peace. “I really like the peace and privacy.” I get it.
“What do you want out of this, Carys?”
Startled, I sit up. “What do you mean?”
“What do you want out of this? Is it a one-night stand? Are we fuck buddies? I just feel like we need to be on the same page.”
Oh . I force a swallow and try to slow the pace of my heart.
“I mean, I don’t know,” I say, stumbling over my words. “You were honest with me about your situation and not wanting a relationship, so I get that. I was honest with you when I said I don’t do feelings. I like to keep things casual.”
He nods slowly. “Okay.”
“Look, I won’t be the girl who begs you for attention. I mean, I know I was that girl today .” He laughs at the look on my face. “But you don’t have to worry about me calling you constantly or having expectations. I’ll enjoy our time together whenever that happens and go on about my life otherwise.”
Gannon’s Adam’s apple bobs in his throat as he reaches for his tea. “And Tate will be none the wiser.”
“We can’t tell Tate. There’s no reason to tell Tate anything because this isn’t going anywhere. He’ll be the dramatic one in our relationship … or whatever we have here.”
He downs the rest of his drink and then rests his elbows on his knees.
“It’s late,” he says. “Do you want to sleep here tonight? Practically speaking, it might be the best move, as I have to be at the airport at nine.”
“Tomorrow is Tuesday, so I don’t have to be anywhere but Mrs. Galbraith’s around noon.”
“Wanna stay?”
I climb over the couch and straddle him, lifting his chin so his eyes stare into mine.
“Can we negotiate the terms of me sleeping over tonight?” I ask.
He grins, and I know I’ll never get used to it. It’s so rare, so special. It feels like a gift when he shares it with me.
“What are your demands?” he asks.
The unguarded look in his eye hits me in the heart. I don’t think Gannon trusts many people, nor does he allow many people access to him like this. If he did, someone would’ve married him by now.
I stare into his chocolatey orbs and try to tell him I won’t make him regret this. I won’t hurt him. Our time together will be easy and safe.
As if he gets the message, he leans forward and presses a simple kiss to my lips.
I run my hands through his hair, brushing it back and away from his handsome face. “My demands are that you carry me upstairs because my legs are too tired to walk.”
He smiles.
“Then you put me in your bed, and I want to fall asleep with your cock in me. And, if possible, I’d like to wake up the same way.”
“You’re going to be the death of me.”
He stands abruptly, taking me by surprise.
“Don’t die until you make me come again,” I say through a fit of giggles, wrapping my legs around his waist.
He bites my shoulder, making me yelp, as he races with me upstairs.
Yeah, this might be my best negotiation of all time.