Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Friday Morning
Livie
The warmth of morning sunlight filters through the curtains as I slowly drift into consciousness. My first awareness is of the heat and wetness between my thighs, a delicious sensation pulling me from my dreams into something far better. I gasp, my eyes flying open as I realize what's happening.
Greyson is between my legs, his broad shoulders pushing my thighs apart, his mouth working against me. His blue eyes flick up to meet mine when he realizes I'm awake, but he doesn't stop. If anything, his tongue circling my most sensitive spot before dipping inside gives him more determination.
"Oh my God," I breathe, one hand fisting in the sheets while the other tangles in his dark hair. "Greyson…"
He hums against me, the vibration sending shock waves of pleasure through my body.
I arch off the bed, but his large hands pin my hips down, keeping me exactly where he wants me.
There's something almost primal in his focus, a possessive hunger that makes me feel simultaneously vulnerable and powerful.
When he slides two fingers inside me while sucking gently on my clit, stars explode behind my eyelids. My orgasm crashes through me without warning, my thighs trembling around his head as I cry out his name.
Before I can fully recover, he's moving up my body, his eyes dark with intent. "Good morning," he growls, his voice rough with desire as he positions himself between my thighs.
He pushes inside me, stretching me in the most delicious way. There's no gentleness now, no careful consideration of my inexperience. This is Greyson claiming what's his, and my body responds instinctively, meeting his with my own.
"Mine," he snarls, his pace relentless as he drives into me. "Say it."
"Yours," I gasp, my nails digging into his shoulders. "I'm yours, Greyson."
He shifts, hooking my leg over his shoulder, changing the angle until he's hitting a spot inside me that makes coherent thought impossible. The headboard slams rhythmically against the wall, the sound mixing with our harsh breathing and desperate moans.
"Look at me," he commands, his hand gripping my chin. "I want to see your eyes when you come apart for me."
I force my heavy lids open, meeting his gaze as pressure builds impossibly inside me. The connection between us in that moment transcends the physical, and his soul seems to reach for mine through the windows of our eyes, claiming, promising, demanding.
When my second orgasm hits, it's so intense my vision blurs at the edges. My body clamps down around him, pulling him deeper, and with a guttural groan, he follows me over the edge, his release hot inside me.
He collapses beside me, pulling me against his sweat-slicked chest as we both struggle to catch our breaths. For several minutes, neither of us speaks, the only sound our gradually slowing heartbeats.
"Well," I finally manage, my voice hoarse from crying out, "that's certainly one way to start the day off."
His laugh rumbles through his chest. "Happy day off," he adds, pressing a kiss to my temple. "I've been thinking about doing that since I felt you stir this morning."
"Remind me to take more days off," I murmur, snuggling closer despite the heat between us. Every muscle in my body feels pleasantly loose, a delicious ache settling between my thighs.
Greyson's hand traces lazy patterns on my back. "How do you feel about spending the day in bed? I could make us breakfast… eventually."
The suggestive tone in his voice makes me smile against his skin. "I think that sounds perfect. Though I should probably text Meadow to confirm tonight's plans."
At the mention of the girls' night we've been planning, his body tenses slightly against mine. Though he agreed to it earlier in the week, I know he's still not entirely comfortable with the idea of me being anywhere without him, especially with the lingering threat from Diane's mob connections.
"You'll have your phone the whole time?" he asks, trying to keep his tone casual.
I prop myself up on one elbow to look at him. "Yes. And I'll be at one of the club bars, surrounded by security cameras, and we have a party bus driving us there and back home,” I point out, knowing how he worries about me.
His jaw works as he processes this. "I know. I trust you, I just…"
"Worry," I finish for him, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "I know you do. But this is important to me, having friends, building relationships with the women in this life. If I'm going to be part of this world, I need my own place in it, not just as your woman."
Something flashes in his eyes at that phrase—'your woman'—a possessive satisfaction that sends a shiver down my spine.
"You're right," he concedes finally. "And I'm trying. I promise I won't crash your party or station prospects outside the door of the bar."
I laugh, relieved. "Thank you. That's all I ask."
His hands slide down to cup my backside, pulling me more firmly against him. I can feel him hardening again between us, his recovery time impressive.
"But until then," his voice drops to that low tone that never fails to make my stomach flip, "I intend to make the most of having you all to myself."
"Is that so?" I tease, rolling my hips against his growing erection.
In one swift move, he flips us so I'm beneath him again, his weight a delicious pressure pinning me to the mattress. "That's so," he confirms, his mouth descending to capture mine in a kiss that promises the day is just beginning.
* * *
Hours later, after we've finally managed to leave the bed long enough for a shared shower, which led to activities that had nothing to do with getting clean, and a late breakfast, I curl up on the couch with my phone to finalize tonight's plans with Meadow.
"Everything set for tonight?" Greyson asks, bringing me a mug of coffee before settling beside me.
I glance up at him. "What are you guys planning while we're having our fun?"
He shrugs, trying to appear nonchalant. "Probably just hang out.”
I narrow my eyes suspiciously. "You're not planning some kind of surveillance operation, are you?"
The flicker of guilt that crosses his face tells me I've hit close to the mark. "Livie," he begins, but I cut him off with a raised hand.
"Greyson Reed, if I find out you or any of your prospects are spying on our girls' night, there will be consequences."
His eyebrows shoot up, amusement replacing the guilt. "Consequences? What kind of consequences are we talking about here?"
I set my mug down and straddle his lap in one fluid movement, surprising us both. "The kind where you don't get to touch me for a week."
His hands immediately find my hips, gripping possessively. "That's a punishment for both of us, don't you think?"
"I'm willing to make the sacrifice if it means teaching you a lesson about boundaries," I reply primly, though I can't help squirming slightly as his thumbs trace circles on my hip bones.
"Hmm." His eyes darken as he studies me. "And what if I promise to behave? What's my reward?"
I lean forward until my lips brush his ear. "Be good tonight, and when I get home, I'll show you just how much I've missed you."
A growl rumbles through his chest as his arms tighten around me. "Deal."
As I settle back against him, content with the knowledge that I've won this round, I can't help marveling at how quickly my life has transformed. A month ago, I was a different person—uncertain, searching, afraid of the very connections that now sustain me.
Now, cradled in the arms of a man who would move mountains to keep me safe, surrounded by a family and community that accepts me for exactly who I am, I finally understand what I've been looking for all along.
Not escape. Not freedom from my past. But the courage to embrace it, to find my own place within it, and to build a future that honors both where I come from and who I choose to be.
Tonight's girls' night is more than just about having fun—it's a step toward that future. A declaration that I am both Greyson's woman and my own person, capable of standing in this world without hiding behind his protection.
And as his lips find mine in a kiss that's equal parts tenderness and possession, I know with bone-deep certainty that I've finally found where I belong.
"Speaking of tonight, the party bus will be here in a bit," I say, glancing at the clock. I’ve been ready for the last thirty minutes, excited about the evening ahead of me.
Greyson's eyes darken as he follows my gaze to the time. “Plenty of time," he murmurs, his voice dropping to that dangerous octave that makes heat pool low in my belly.
"For what?" I ask innocently, though I can feel his intentions pressing against me through our clothes.
"For me to give you something to remember me by while you're out having fun."
Before I can respond, he stands in one fluid motion, lifting me with him. I wrap my legs around his waist instinctively as he carries me through the house, but instead of heading upstairs to the bedroom, he makes for his home bar in the corner of the living room.
"Greyson, what are you—"
His mouth captures mine, swallowing my question in a kiss that's all possession and hunger. When he sets me down, it's to spin me around and press me forward until my palms flatten against the polished wood of the bartop.
"I need you to remember something while you're out tonight," he growls against my ear, his large body caging mine from behind. His hands slide possessively down my sides to grip my hips. "Need you to feel me with every step you take."
One hand snakes around to unbutton my jeans while the other pushes between my shoulder blades, bending me farther over the bar. I should protest—we're in the living room, in broad daylight—but the raw need in his voice ignites something in me.
"Yes," I breathe, arching my back to press against him.