Chapter 32
32
Grayson Hawk
“I need to get back inside.” She looks away, focusing on our joined hands. “I have a client that I need to finish up and another one due here any minute.”
“Skye.” I lean in trying to force her to look at me. “Tell me you believe me,” I try again feeling like I can’t breathe.
“I do.” She nods and it should make me feel better but the way she worries her lips tells me there is more. Things she’s not saying.
“Ok fine, I’ll go.” Again I place my hand on her jaw, tilting her chin up so that she has to look at me. “But this isn’t over.” The conversation or us, I wasn’t letting either go. “I’ll be at your place tonight, after you get off work. We’re gonna talk though this.”
She bites on the inner part of her cheek. I press my lips to hers, kissing her after days of missing her lips. Dragging my tongue along her lips they part and I feel the tip of her tongue touch mine.
The idea of losing her is tugging at my insides, like I am being shredded. “These last six weeks, they’ve changed everything I thought I wanted. I look forward to my time with you and with Tori. I mean it when I say the two of you make me feel like I’m home. Don’t let this go.” I motion between us with my finger. “Don’t let one screwed-up night change what we’ve been building.” I kiss her once more. “I’ll see you tonight.”
I drop my hands to my sides, walking toward my bike waiting next to the curb.
Climbing over it, I grab my helmet and strap it in place. Kicking the stand, I start it and look up to find Skye still there watching me, her eyes locked on mine, her hands twisting together in front of her.
When she starts toward me I watch and wait.
Saying nothing, she lifts her hands and places them one on each side of my face. Leaning in she presses her lips to mine and I hate how she trembles. Wrapping my arm around her waist I hold her close allowing her to kiss me.
“Bye,” she whispers and I release her, watching her walk toward the front of the salon. I remain where I am until I can no longer see her and then I pull away from the curb.
I choose not to go home, instead I go to my father’s. He’s in his garage, working on his newest project. After he retired from the force he took up with a local shop where he makes furniture that is displayed for sale. Half the county has his handmade wooden rustic chairs sitting on their front porches.
“Hey ol’ man.” I enter the garage and lean my ass against his work bench. He looks up over his glasses, squinting.
“Mornin’.” He looks behind him to ensure I’m alone. “Just get off shift?”
“A couple hours ago.” I had a couple stops to make. First to Rose, she had a critter in her garage and Myles and I trapped and then released it in the woods. That was before I stopped at the salon.
“I take it last night was a better night?” I know he is referring to the losses we suffered. My father knows what that’s like, he’d served as a police officer for 28 years before retiring just this last year.
“Yeah, it was a quiet night.” Thankfully. We all needed that, still feeling the ache of our last shift.
“So when do I get to meet this lady of yours?” I refocus on him to find he’s gone back to focusing on his current project.
“Not sure she’s still my lady.” Saying it out loud makes it real, and my stomach coils.
“Ah yeah.” Dad nods his head. “Gia,” he adds, shaking his head and looking back over at me. “What did I tell you about that situation?”
I’d heard it from several people, from Scarlett, the guys, hell even Cap had said a time or two that it would blow up in my face somehow. I should have listened.
“How did you hear about it anyway?”
“Son, you know how the women in our family are.” He chuckles. “They don’t keep secrets. Hell, they had the phone tree activated the minute Scarlett got wind of what took place.”
Spinning in his chair he puts down his tools. “Now that girl, she was pissed, Uncle Issac had to calm her down. She was ready to go track Gia down and tie her to her bumper by her hair so she could take her for a ride around town.”
“I’ve already gotten my ass chewed out a few times from Scarlett. Even Tori gave me hell.”
“Tori?” he asks, wrinkling his brows in question.
Grabbing a chair I pull it forward and get comfortable, knowing he and I are about to have ourselves a heart to heart.
“Tori is Skye’s younger sister. Skye is the lady I hope is still my lady and they lost their parents in a car accident a couple years ago.” He pushes his glasses up, placing them onto his head. “There’s an eight-year difference between the two of them, so when it happened Skye took Tori.”
“Strong girls,” he says and I nod my head in agreement.
“They are incredible, Dad,” I confess. “Tori is a spitfire, full of sass and attitude. But she’s also loyal and vicious when it comes to those she loves. And Skye.” There aren’t enough words to describe the pure beauty she carries but I try. “She’s amazing.” The familiar burning sensation fills my chest. “I’d seen her a time or two in the hallway but I’d always had my head down, or tunnel vision, not really paying much attention. But then she walked into Ruby’s one night and I swear it was like I’d been hit by a freight train. But she’s not only beautiful on the outside, she has such an amazing heart. What she sacrificed for Tori and is still sacrificing.”
I wish I had the words and I’m frustrated that I can’t emphasize to him just how incredible she truly is.
“Son you’ve been running your whole life. You’ve based every decision you’ve ever made on the fact that your mother ran out on us.” His words surprise me. “You decided at a young age that you’d never allow yourself the chance to lose the woman you love. I’m just glad to see you’ve finally stopped running.”
“I stopped running, but I still may lose the girl.”