Chapter 20
20
Skye Simmons
“Feeling better?” Vivian asks as I emerge from the hallway to find her and the girls surrounding the coffee table. But what surprises me most is the man opposite Tori.
“Hey.” Grayson lifts his hand and waves, the corner of his mouth tipping up in a smile.
“And here I was hoping that this was all a nightmare.”
“What, the fact that you drank a bottle of wine and chased it with two shots vodka because you were terrified to have Grayson take me to the hardware store?”
“Do you ever shut up?” I wonder if they sell muzzles for teenagers.
“Nope.” Tori shifts around doing some weird dance before tossing down her card on the table. “Full house, bitches!”
Rachel laughs, Vivian squawks, and Grayson still watches me.
“Headache?” he asks and I offer him a nod. Moving through the living room toward the kitchen I grab the Tylenol out of the cabinet and then a glass from the dishwasher. Holding it beneath the water I sense the moment he moves in behind me.
“Is me being here bothering you that much?”
I take a deep breath and tip back the cup swallowing the water to wash down the pills. Placing the cup into the sink I turn around to face him. “I don’t know what is happening here.” I wave my hand between us. “We’ve lived next to one another for more than a year, and we’ve never said a word to each other. But over the last few weeks everywhere I turn you’re there.”
“And?”
“And,” I take another calming breath. I’m not good with words or explaining things. I know the moment I say what’s rolling around in my head it will sound crazy and I’ll never be able to take the words back.
“What?” he pushes, taking a step closer. With only a few inches to separate us it’s even harder to think straight.
“I shouldn’t be curious, I shouldn’t want to know what this is I’m feeling whenever you’re around, I shouldn’t care.” The words just tumble from me in a confusing ramble. “I know you aren’t the kind of guy that even looks at a girl like me. I’m not a hookup kind of girl. I shouldn’t even let myself think about what it would be like to kiss you but every time I am within a foot of you it’s all I can think about.”
And there it is, the damage is done.
“So you think about what it would be like to kiss me?”
I let my head hang forward, staring at my feet.
“Can we please just forget the last five minutes even happened?” I should have stayed in bed.
“Not a chance.” Grayson places his thumb beneath my chin and tips my head upward. I close my eyes, because seeing the humor I’m sure is written on his face would be more humiliating than the knowledge that I’ve openly admitted I want to kiss him.
I’ll have to move now. And I’m putting my sister up for adoption, I’ve made up my mind.
“Open your eyes, Skye,” he whispers and I shake my head. “Open,” he says once more and even though I don’t want to, I do it anyway.
There is no humor, but instead an intense feeling I can’t explain. He cups my jaw, dragging the pad of his thumb over my lower lip, his eyes following the motion as his tongue moistens his own.
“You aren’t the only one that wants this kiss.” I shift my gaze to meet his. “You couldn’t be more wrong about me looking at a girl like you, because every single time I see you I can’t look away.” He inches closer, lightly skimming his lips over mine. His breath tickles my lips as he pulls back much too soon. “You aren’t the only one nervous.” His confession pulls me out of the haze his simple kiss caused.
“Why would I make you nervous?”
“Because I’ve spent years thinking one way and here you are after only three weeks and you’ve got me considering things I never thought I would."
“Things?” My voice is breathy.
“What it would be like to truly let someone in.” Grayson’s voice is low, like he’s wanted the words he offers only to be ours. “To give in to this connection I feel whenever I see you. To stop fighting this pull and let things happen.”
Was I being foolish to fall for his words?
Before I get the opportunity to question myself any more Gray closes the distance and this kiss is so much more. A slow tantalizing exploration of my mouth. His tongue dragging along the seam of my lips they part and he takes full advantage.
And just as I imagined, the man kisses with gusto. He is a master, conquering not only my every thought but my entire body as I sag into him. Quickly his arm encircles my waist like he knows I need him to hold me up or I’ll fall to the floor.
“And with one kiss you’ve destroyed every single reservation I’ve ever had.” His forehead rests against mine. His words sink in as we both simply breathe trying to slow our racing hearts. “You came out of nowhere, Skye,” he adds and I’m unsure of how to respond. So instead I nuzzle into him and enjoy the way it feels to be so close.
“I have to be at the station at seven tomorrow morning for my twenty-four hour shift.”
I nod.
“Wednesday night.” He leans back and I tilt my chin up, looking at him. He lifts his hand, combing his finger through my hair. “Dinner, even if it’s takeout here. No trying to make me disappear with alcohol.”
I try to look away and he laughs cupping my face in his hands. “I’m playing.” He kisses me softly then moves away again much too soon.
“We can watch a movie, whatever you want, but I’d like to see where this goes.”
I hold his stare.
“That feeling you’re talking about,” he takes my hand in his and places them together against his chest, “I feel it too.”
This is so far from how I thought tonight would turn out.
“I’ve felt it from the very second you walked into Ruby’s and every day since it’s only gotten stronger. Let’s give this a chance.”
My thoughts are screaming out telling me to retreat. Grayson Hawk isn’t a long-term guy, but I can’t seem to listen to them. So instead I nod, wondering if I am making a huge mistake with my heart.