2. Grayson
Chapter 2
Grayson
Sliding my seat belt over my shoulder and clicking it into place, I reach for the ignition switch, bringing the motor to life. The roar of the engine has my lips lifting into a smile. I love this damn car, my silver, Saleen S7 sports car, is hands down my favorite. She’s my baby. Her sleek curves and hard lines are any man’s wet dream. I have a fleet of fast cars, well technically only four. My mother thinks owning more than one vehicle is a tad on the excessive side, but I can afford them, so why the hell not I say. You only live once.
I sit for a brief moment, reveling in the vibration pulsing from underneath the hood. I listen to her purr, before shoving the gears into drive and speeding up the incline of my driveway.
I’m on my way to Vanessa’s. She texted me earlier to see if I wanted to meet up. I had nothing better to do, so I agreed. She’s one of my semi-regular hookups; I have a couple. Sure, I’ve been around the block a few times in my life, but it’s not like I have an endless list of fuckbuddies, I’m pretty selective. The girls I do see on the regular know the deal going in. I’m not the type to feed a woman false hope. I give back just as much, if not more than I take.
The clingy and crazy ones, however, are usually a one-and-done for me. I don’t care how attractive they are. I saw firsthand what Ashton, my best friend, went through with Anastasia, his psycho ex. It opened my eyes, making me wary if nothing else. I never want to find myself in a predicament like he did. The poor bastard is still dealing with the turmoil that relationship brought on.
I’m not opposed to girlfriends per se, I just haven’t met anyone I’d like to get serious with of late. The women I date are what I refer to as surface beauty, great to look at, but superficial and shallow on the inside. Mostly they’re interested in my body, my looks, or the number of orgasms I can give them in one night. Others see me as a meal ticket, a quick path to an easy life. I have dreams for my future, and moving from one bed to the next isn’t it.
I have a lot more than money and a good time to offer .
I’m looking for a woman with substance. That all-consuming love… that once-in-a-lifetime special someone.
A woman I enjoy being around, in and outside of the bedroom.
A mother to my future children.
A person I’d happily grow old with.
It’s not much to ask, but I’ve yet to find anyone who ticks all those boxes.
There’s no doubt in my mind I’ll settle down one day, but I’m in no rush. I’m thirty, but unlike women, I don’t have to worry about my ticking biological clock. My uncle was pushing fifty when he had his first child with my aunt… she’s twenty years his junior.
I want the kind of love my parents once shared. Growing up and seeing them so madly in love is the reason I’m searching for the real deal. I may have only been a boy when we lost my dad, but I vividly remember the intense passion they shared for each other. You could literally feel their connection whenever they were in the room together. That’s why my mother was so shattered when he passed, it almost broke her. Half of her soul died right alongside him.
My father once told me he knew the moment they met that she was the one. That’s what I’m searching for. An awakening… a deep-seated knowing in my gut. I’ve been with a lot of beautiful women in my life, especially when I was modeling during college. Yet, nobody has ever made me feel that way, and I flat-out refuse to settle for less.
I’m confident when I meet that special someone I’ll know. In the meantime I intend to enjoy the ride, and all the bountiful beauties on offer. I’m a man after all, so I’ll keep sampling the wrong ones until the right one comes along. As my granny Edwards always says, “We are here for a good time, not a long time.”
Thirty minutes later I pull up outside Vanessa’s condo. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen her. As I go to exit my vehicle, a text message comes through on my phone.
Ashton: SOS. I’m at my mother’s. Get me the fuck out of here!
I throw back my head and laugh. He’s such a pussy. Surely, he could tough it out through an entire dinner. His family only meets up once a month for Christ’s sake.
Granted his mom is constantly trying to marry him off, which annoys him to no end, but Valentina’s heart is in the right place. She’s been good to me and my family over the years. Especially after my father died and we lost everything. In my heart, I know she was the anonymous donor who funded the rest of my private schooling right through to graduation. I’m not sure if she did it for me or Ashton, but I’m still eternally grateful. I wouldn’t have gotten the education I did without her help; my mom could no longer afford to pay the hefty fees.
My mother not only lost her soul mate when my father passed, but she went from being a socialite to bussing tables during the day and cleaning offices at night just to keep a roof over our heads. It killed me to see her like that. My sister, Kaitlin, was only a baby at the time, so Granny Edwards had to move in to help out.
I wait a few minutes before dialing Ashton’s number, letting him sweat it out a tad longer.
“Hey,” he says, answering after the first ring. “What’s up?”
“You’re a fucking child you know that?” I reply, chuckling.
“Shit. Okay, that’s no good. Oh, an emergency you say?” I shake my head as he puts on a show for his parents’ benefit. “I understand, hold tight I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Whatever, dickhead, man the hell up.”
I end the call and stay seated in the car because I know he’ll ring me once he’s used my phone call as an excuse to escape. Bros before hoes and all that.
It only takes a few minutes for my cell to ring. I’m chuckling as I answer it. “Dude, this shit has got to stop.”
“You have no idea. At least your mom’s not constantly shoving potential brides in your face every chance she gets.” I can hear the frustration in his voice, but I still laugh.
“We’ve been friends for over twenty years, I think I do,” I say. “Who was it this time?”
“Willow fucking Henderson. I tell you one of these days I’ll show up there and she’s going to have a preacher waiting ready to seal the deal before I get a chance to shut that shit down.”
I can’t help it, I crack up. I’m not sure she’d go that far, but she’s been pressuring him for grandbabies for years, so if she’s desperate enough she might just do it.
“Come on, man, Willow’s not that bad.”
“You’re shitting me, right?” he snaps. “Have you seen her lately? She’s so plastic the amount of greenhouse gases she emits into the environment are contributing to global warming.”
I have to wipe the tears from my eyes I’m laughing so hard. I don’t doubt him though. Rich bitches in our circle regularly go under the knife. Daddy’s money can buy almost anything these days. I’m all for a nice rack, but sometimes they take it too far. It’s fake advertising; you never know what you’re truly getting. I’ve seen poor unsuspecting schmucks thinking they’ve hit the jackpot when they snag a beautiful young wife, only for their significant other to pop out a kid ten months later with a nose like Pinocchio or ears that resemble Dumbo’s.
I’m a red-blooded male and guilty of bedding chicks like this myself, but a natural beauty is way more appealing to me. I may have been blessed with good genetics, but what’s wrong with being satisfied with what God has given you? Vain and shallow people piss me off.
“Well, on that note I’m out of here,” I say. “I’ve got a hot date.”
“With whom?”
“Vanessa.”
“That’s not a date, it’s a booty call.”
“At least I’m getting some action tonight.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“You could always waltz back into your mother’s house and proposition Willow. I’m sure her plastic lips would feel rather… adequate wrapped around your tiny cock.”
“Not a chance in hell,” he grumbles, making me laugh again. “Ditch Vanessa. I’ve had a shitty day. Come have a drink with me. You can hit that up later.”
Resting my head back against the seat, I sigh. I hate seeing him like this; he’s been to hell and back. I’ve always been there for him, and I don’t plan to stop now.
“Fine, but you’re buying.”
I’m already texting Vanessa as he rattles off where to meet him.
Grayson: Something’s come up. I’ll have to take a rain check.
Vanessa: What a shame, and my friend Sarah is staying the night too.
I drop my head forward and groan. Vanessa knows the score, we’re not in a relationship, never have been. We can go weeks, sometimes months without seeing each other. Occasionally when we meet up—like tonight apparently—she invites one of her friends over to join in the festivities. Those are fun times. I’m not opposed to threesomes; I’ve even participated in a few foursomes in my old modeling days.
Fucking Ashton. He owes me big time for this.
I look up from the bar where I’ve been sitting for the past fifteen minutes, waiting for my best friend to arrive. My eyes follow him as he crosses the club, heading in my direction. The sullen look on his face has me exhaling a large breath. I get it, I do, part of him died six years ago when his psycho ex killed herself to spite him, along with their unborn child. But that doesn’t stop me from missing the fun-loving guy he used to be, the man he was before Anastasia destroyed him.
Call me coldhearted, but I’m glad she’s out of the picture. I never liked her. She made his life a living hell, even before she did what she did. He deserved so much better than that.
She ruined him in the worst possible way, and I’ve spent the last six years trying to get a semblance of my old friend back. He hasn’t dated anyone since. Sure, like me, he has his fair share of women, but those hookups are a one-time thing, purely a release and nothing more. They also come with a set of rules. Rules he sticks by. I try not to delve too much into it because it upsets me to see what’s become of him.
“Hey,” I say when he’s close enough to hear me.
“Hey.”
He pulls up the stool beside me, and I raise my hand getting the bartender’s attention so I can order him a drink. “Beer?”
“Sure, thanks,” he says with a nod.
We polish off two beers each, without uttering another word. It’s a comfortable silence. Ashton gets like this when he’s brooding, but just being here helps. If the roles were reversed, I know he’d do the same.
“Amber messaged earlier to say the contracts for the Conrad deal were couriered over this afternoon,” I say. He and I are business partners in a very lucrative property development company. It’s how I made my millions. Ashton’s a trust fund baby. Money has never been a problem for him.
My parents grew up with nothing, but my father was a genius with numbers, and quickly became a self-made millionaire dabbling in the stock market within years of graduating from college. Life was good for them… for all of us. Until he got sick. They lost their entire fortune trying to save his life. It was a constant struggle after that, right up until I graduated college. But I’m living the dream now, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to care for my mother and younger sister in the process.
I look up when Ashton doesn’t acknowledge what I’ve said. His predatory gaze is honed in on a chick at the far end of the bar. Interesting . I observe them both for a few minutes. The woman in the red dress doesn’t appear to notice she’s being eye-fucked by my best friend, and as for Ashton, I’m pretty sure he hasn’t even blinked. It’s very unlike him.
My gaze darts to the chick beside her. “Did you hear a word I said, Ash?” I ask, my eyes now glued to her friend.
“Yep, every single one.”
“You fucking liar, what did I say then?”
He ignores me again, unable to tear his eyes away from Red. She’s pretty, but not my type. Her friend with the tattoos though… she looks like a good time.
“Check out the tits on that one in the red.” I bite my lip to try and hide my amusement when I hear him growl beside me. This is going to be fun.
“Put your eyes back in your head, asshole.” He gives me a death look, making me laugh. My attention purposely moves back to her. I’m goading him because I’m curious to see his reaction. “I’m serious,” he snaps.
“I’m gathering she wants people to look because they’re on display for the entire world to see.” I’m not sure what’s going on with this woman, but she’s piqued his interest, and that makes me happier than I care to admit. It’s been too long since I’ve seen him act this way, maybe there’s hope for him yet.
“Just stop looking at her like that, all right?”
I give him a strange look. “Wow. When did you become so possessive of a woman?”
“Just drop it, okay?”
“Do you know her?” I ask. I’m fishing now. Is it a chance meeting, or has he met her before? When he lifts his beer to his lips, taking a chug and shrugging his shoulders I know there’s more to this. “Jesus, you do. Who is she, Black?”
“None of your business, Edwards.”
I stand because I’ll get it out of him if it’s the last thing I do. “Maybe I should go over there and introduce myself, then.” I’m bluffing, although I wouldn’t mind getting to know her friend a little better.
“Sit the fuck down.”
When he reaches for my arm to stop me, I laugh, ignoring his request. “I want to meet the woman that’s got your nuts on a platter.”
“I mean it, Gray. Don’t force me to hit you.”
“All right, lover boy, settle down.” I retake my seat.
“Lover boy,” he scoffs. “As if.”
Reaching over, I slap him on the back. “Keep telling yourself that, buddy. I’ve never seen you like this before…” I pause for a moment. “Well, not for a long time, anyway. Would you seriously punch me if I went over there?”
“Damn straight.”
I throw my head back and bark out a laugh. “I think every guy in this club has eye-fucked her tonight. Are you going to take us all on? ”
“If I have to,” he grumbles.
Although I’m extremely pleased by his answer, I still shake my head in disbelief. “I’ll be fucking damned; this one’s got you good.” Even though he’s refusing to look at me, my eyes are glued to his profile. He appears to be in some kind of lust-induced trance. “Sweet baby Jesus. Who is this woman?”
“If you must know, I met her this morning, but that’s all you’re getting.”
Hmm, so he does know her. “The girl she’s with is pretty hot,” I say, flicking my head in their direction. “Those tattoos are smokin’. Damn, I’d tap her.”
Aston chuckles. “You’d tap anything that moves.”
“Hey, I have standards.”
“Sure you do,” he says.
When the girls take their drinks and move toward a booth on the other side of the club, I drop the subject, although I continue to see his gaze flicker in their direction when he doesn’t think I’m paying attention. I should try and convince him to go over there and introduce me to her friend, but I don’t want to push him.
I clear my throat when two women suddenly appear. One of them moves in between us, rubbing her tits against Ashton’s arm. I’m confident I know how this is going to play out, so I sit back and observe.
“Do you want to dance, handsome?”
“No,” he snaps.
“Come on, it’ll be fun,” she coaxes, running her long nails through the side of his hair.
When he shrugs her off, I have to bite back my laugh. “Go away.”
“Wow. No need to be so rude.” She retreats a step, and when I hear her mumble, “Bastard,” I snicker. I know exactly why he just ran her off, and it has nothing to do with her, and everything to do with the woman dressed in red. Damn, I want to know who she is to him.
“Move along, ladies, someone’s on their period tonight,” I say, deciding to help him out.
“Fuck off,” he grumbles.
“Just because your head’s all wrapped up in the babe in red with the killer rack and the mile-long legs, it doesn’t mean you have to ruin my chances of getting laid tonight.”
When he grits his teeth at my comment, I bring the beer bottle to my lips and wait.
“Stop talking about her rack and fucking legs.” I’m grinning to myself because I knew he’d bite. He chugs the rest of his beer, slamming the bottle down onto the bar. “I’m going to get out of here, you coming?”
“Fuck,” I grumble, finishing my drink. I was hoping our night would end with getting more acquainted with Red and her hot friend. “Guess I’ll be taking care of myself tonight.”
“You say that like it’s foreign to you. I shared a dorm room with you, remember? Considering how many times you’ve manhandled yourself over the years, I’m surprised your dick hasn’t fallen off.”
“Very funny, asshole.” We both stand, and my eyes scan the room looking for the girls as we head toward the door. I flick my head in their direction when I spot them on the dance floor. “Your girl’s got all the moves,” I say, smirking. But my eyes are more engrossed in her friend.
“She’s not my girl.”
“Right. So, you wouldn’t mind if I went over there and ground my big cock against that shapely ass of hers?”
“Don’t even think about it.”
“She’s so your girl.”
“Remind me again why we’re friends,” he says as I pull him into a headlock, ruffling his hair. He hates it when I do that.
“Because you love me, Ashton Black.”
“Yeah, like a hole in the head.”
My eyes are still on the tattooed hottie, but when they flick to Red, I see a handsy douchebag approach her from behind. I instantly stop walking, and Ashton bumps straight into my back.
I let out a low whistle. “Shit’s about to get real.” Ashton hated me even looking at her, so I knew this wasn’t going to go down well. He walks around me, stalking across the dance floor. The man is on a mission. “I’ve got your back, bro,” I say, quickly following him. This isn’t his first hoedown so I know he’s got this, but I’m there just in case some other asshole tries to step in.
When Ashton grabs the guy by the collar of his shirt and yanks him backward, I bark out a laugh. I’m finding this whole situation thoroughly entertaining. We’re grown-ass men, neither of us has gotten into a physical altercation with anyone since high school. If this doesn’t scream, she’s his girl , I don’t know what does.
A few punches are thrown, but the fight is over in seconds. The douche is dragged off the dance floor by his friends before any real damage can be done, and I’m a little disappointed by that. My gaze moves back to the girls, and I find them both slack-jawed and wide-eyed. Ashton’s on Red in a heartbeat, grabbing her hand and dragging her off the dance floor.
“The fuck,” I hear the tattooed hottie screech when she realizes her friend is being taken away. My arms automatically come out, snagging her around the waist before she can go after them. “If you value your life, you’ll remove your hands, asshole,” she snarls, making me chuckle .
I spin her in my arms so we’re facing each other. From a distance, I could tell she was gorgeous, even under this subpar lighting, but I’m in no way prepared for the mere sight of her up close. She’s stunning . Her pretty hazel eyes narrow as soon as they lock with mine, and the strangest thing happens… my skin starts to prickle all over, like tiny live wires zinging around underneath the surface of my body. It literally steals all the breath from my lungs, and something my father said to me just before we lost him, plays on repeat in my mind.
“I’ve been looking for you.” The words fall from my mouth voluntarily, and I’m not even sure what they mean, but all I can think is, is this girl the one ? Is she what I’ve been waiting for? Crazy right ? Since I’ve known her for less than a minute.
She doesn’t acknowledge what I said unless you count her growl. She actually growled, and that amuses me to no end.
“Feisty and beautiful, my favorite combination,” I say, popping a dimple before giving her my most charismatic smile. I don’t bring out the big guns regularly, usually, I don’t need to, but I feel it’s warranted with this one.
She falters for a moment, and I know my smile has done its job, I’m moments away from having her under my spell. But then she drags her attention from me as her head darts around in a panic, trying to find her friend. It’s a blow to my ego, but I admire her loyalty.
She shifts in my arms, so I tighten my hold. “Relax.” I bring my lips to her ear so she can hear me over the music, and her sweet, flowery scent envelops me. She smells good enough to eat. “Your friend is safe,” I say, trying to ease her concern. “They know each other, and I can assure you that Ashton won’t harm her.”
He can be a sour bastard at times, but he has a big heart. Underneath all that bitterness is a stand-up guy. He’s just messed up inside.
She draws back to get a better look at my face. I’m not sure if she’s searching for the truth or checking me out. When her eyes slightly widen and that pouty mouth of hers gapes open, I know it’s the latter. I’m used to that reaction from women, and to be honest, being constantly objectified gets old fast. I’m much more than a pretty face. Placing my hand under her chin, I chuckle to myself as I gently push up, snapping her jaw closed.
“You need to unhand me,” she says, wiggling around in my embrace.
I tighten my grip on her tiny waist, drawing her body even closer. “Not happening, sweetheart. I like you right where you are.”
Her eyes narrow and she growls again, making my smile grow. She’s got spunk. I like that she isn’t making this easy for me, but what she fails to realize is, I’m definitely up for the challenge.
We’re still standing in the middle of the dance floor, but neither of us moves. We’re transfixed in each other, but the sudden vulnerability I see in her eyes has my heart squeezing in my chest. Her hazel depths are like a vortex to her soul and for some reason it calls to me on the highest level. They hold an underlying sadness that tugs at something deep inside me. It’s a look I recognize all too well because I’ve seen that same hidden torture swimming in Ashton’s eyes since Anastasia fucked him over. In this woman though, I find it alluring. I want to get to know her, find out all her secrets, and make it my mission to bring that spark back.
My gaze moves down to her plump, ruby-red lips. Her sweet body melts against mine. It’s like she can’t seem to get close enough. An overwhelming desire to lean down and kiss that fuckable mouth of hers thunders through me, but I stamp down the temptation. I can tell she’s feeling this connection too, but the reality is I’ve just accosted her as she tried to go to her friend’s aid; if I make a move now, she’s going to think I’m a creep.
She’s a petite thing, with a cool vintage vibe going on. A rare look for this day and age, but I like her individuality. She reminds me of a pin-up girl from the forties, with her rockabilly blonde curls strategically pinned into place on top of her head. Her tattoos though, definitely bring her into the twenty-first century. I find her uniqueness a total turn-on. It’s only taken mere moments for me to be completely spellbound.
What kind of witchery is that?
She’s straight-up sexy, but the doe-eyed look she’s giving me as she nibbles on her bottom lip has my insides all kinds of messed up. Fuck it, I’m going in, I need to taste her. I inch my face forward, but the moment is broken when a flash zooms past us, and I see Red’s retreating back as she flees. My gaze moves over to where she was standing with Ashton minutes earlier, and he’s watching her leave, his fingers are weaved together, locked behind his head. He looks crestfallen the poor bastard.
“I’ve got to go,” hot tattooed girl says, wiggling her banging body to free herself from my hold. No. I want more time with her, I never even got her name.
“Wait.” I reach into my back pocket and pull my phone out in a panic, handing it to her. “Can I get your number?” If she walks away now, I may never get to see her again, and that would be a travesty.
She frowns down at my cell, before looking over her shoulder once more. Her friend disappears down the corridor that leads to the restrooms .
“Please.” I’m not above begging. I don’t know the first thing about this woman, but I want to get to know her better.
Reluctantly, she takes my phone and punches in her digits. “Here,” she says, passing it back to me when she’s done, and a sense of relief washes over me.
Only then do I release my hold on her, letting her slip through my fingers as she retreats. My eyes flicker down to the screen and I see a bunch of numbers there, but nothing else.
“Wait,” I call out. “What’s your name?” But she’s already too far away to hear me. “Fuck,” I grumble, glancing back at my cell.
I press on the field to enter her name, typing ‘Hot tattooed girl from the club’ in the section allocated. I stare at it for a few seconds before deciding she deserves something better than that.
On impulse I’m deleting what I typed, replacing it with ‘Future Mrs. Edwards.’ I shake my head as I press save contact. It’s a spontaneous, and some might say a ridiculous, move on my part, but fuck me if it doesn’t make me smile. Maybe my dad was onto something all those years ago.
An eerie feeling settles over me… did I just meet my soul mate ?