10. Chapter 10
Chapter ten
Three Years Ago
Stepping into the warm house, Golden shuddered. The walk from school was much colder than she had expected when she left choir practice early. Gaige had told her to call him when done and he would come back and pick her up, but she just decided to walk instead. It wasn't that far and besides it was only a little cold. She didn't account for the harsh wind, however. The entire walk down, the wet freezing wind blasted her exposed face and bare hands. She should have called.
Hanging up her coat in the foyer closet and slipping off her wet shoes, Golden walked into the massive kitchen to find Omar in front of the oven.
He turned and smiled at her in surprise before frowning, his observant eyes taking in her sock-clad feet before looking at his watch. "Gaige said he was picking you up in another hour."
Golden grinned at his accusing tone. "I got out early and figured I would save him a trip and just walk," she paused and inhaled deeply. "It smells amazing whatever you're making."
He made a tsking sound at her and walked past her and out of the kitchen only to return a few minutes later with a brand-new pair of creamy white slippers. "Here, I bought these for you a few weeks ago, just for occasions like this." He set the slippers in front of her, watching her put them on before giving her a satisfied nod.
Golden beamed under his doting attention. She seriously loved Omar. "Thank you!"
He always made her feel as if she was part of the household.
"And I'm making chocolate walnut cookies. Would you like one?" he asked over his shoulder as he opened the hot oven, exposing two huge trays of cookies.
I would like a whole tray of them , she said mentally as she inhaled the wonderful chocolatey aroma. Instead, she answered, "Yes, please."
After eating two cookies with a speed that would put the cookie monster to shame, she made her way down the long hallway toward the gym where Omar informed her Gaige was located.
Golden wasn't sure what she was expecting when she pushed her way through the door and suddenly froze. It certainly wasn't the sight of two shirtless men sparring with each other. Like a broken watch desperately trying to work, she was able to make her brain remember Gaige practiced Taekwondo despite the heart-stopping scene before her.
Sweat glistened on the planes of Grayson's defined chest as he lifted his leg unbelievably high to kick at his son's head. Both men were wearing bright red padded helmets and loose white pants belted with a braided black belt at the waist. Once more the failing cogs in her head somehow turned once more allowing her to remember that Gaige had told her his whole family including his dad, uncles, and even his younger cousins Gavin and Ebony practiced the sport.
Gaige returned a series of fluttering kicks to his father's flanks which he blocked with his elbow. Hopping on the balls of his feet to kick at his father again, Gaige's eyes widened within his mask as he caught sight of her.
Snatching off the mask, Gaige scowled at her. "What are you doing here?" he demanded as he checked his watch.
Golden smiled at his mussed hair. Gaige was normally so neat it was fun to see him like this. However, her grin only grew wider as her eyes magnetized back to his father who was now taking off his own helmet.
"I…I umm, got out of practice early," she answered, not able to take her eyes off Grayson as he smoothed down his hair. He was shirtless. So gloriously shirtless. His chest was even more defined than she had previously suspected, his pecs were thick and raised from his abs.
She was just about to focus on his nipples when Gaige stepped into her line of sight giving her an impatient look. "You were supposed to wait for me or call me."
Pulled out of her trance, she blinked up at Gaige. Realization Rayed on her and she stepped backward toward the door. "I'm sorry. Was I not supposed to be in here?"
She had been in the huge private gym before while Gaige worked out but never before while he sparred. And never ever while Grayson was here. Maybe sparring was a private thing.
Seeing her guilty expression, Gaige relaxed, letting a smirk play at his lips. "No. It's fine. I just didn’t want you to walk all the way here."
"I agree," Grayson's husky voice appeared next to her as he carried the matching jacket to his uniform slung over one shoulder. "I would rather you call Gaige than walk."
Now only a few feet away from his bare chest, Golden couldn't pull her eyes away as she nodded to whatever he said with a silly grin.
"Jesus Christ," Gaige murmured before taking her hand and pulling her behind him. "Let's go."
With one last look at Grayson's amused expression, Golden followed Gaige out of the gym.
Half an hour later she was lying on Gaige's bed reading some of his old comics while Gaige sat at the edge of the bed drying off his hair from his shower. They had hardly spoken a word once they came upstairs and she was more than relieved when he didn't say anything about her ogling his father. But now she could feel his grin directed at her without even looking at him.
"So?" he purred evilly. "Was it everything you dreamed, you little pervert?"
Golden pretended not to hear him.
"You were so smooth down there," he continued, the grin evident in his voice. "Staring directly at his chest and never making eye contact. I'm sure he didn’t notice at all."
Pulling the comic across her face, Golden let out a sound of pure embarrassment. Dear God, he was right. She had absolutely no poker face, something friends had told her often throughout the years.
Gaige laughed and she felt his hand on her foot. Snatching the comic off her face, she looked at him in horror as he held a soccer ball up in one hand. Before she could say anything, he threw the soccer ball at the wall just above the headboard, letting it thump loudly against the wall before catching it again with one hand. Flashing her a menacing grin, he repeated the action again and again, throwing the ball against the wall and catching it while holding her foot with one hand.
"Gaige, stop!" she cried, trying to roll to the side and out from under whatever game he was playing with the wall. But his grip on her foot kept her mostly in place.
He ignored her and bounced the ball twice more.
A few feet away the door suddenly slammed open and both she and Gaige paused to see Grayson filling up the space. His hair was still damp from his shower and his chest heaved in and out against the fine material of his crew neck sweater, as if he had run to the door.
"Careful now," Gaige laughed and held up both hands, one still palming the soccer ball. "I would hate to have Omar have to replace my door."
Grayson's burning eyes narrowed like blue fire on his son before passing over her. Golden shrank in on herself as she realized what he must have thought he heard. It must have sounded like sex noises from the outside! She prayed the bed would just swallow her whole here and now. She could kick Gaige, and she would, too, just as soon as Grayson left.
Gaige's phone chimed from across the room and he reached for it and looked at the screen before dropping the ball and abruptly standing straighter. Both she and Grayson watched his eyes go wide before settling back to his usual half-lidded smirk. Gaige turned to her with a look she was more than familiar with.
Sitting up in the bed, she threw a pillow at him. "Nooo," she moaned. "We were supposed to be watching all the Resident Evils in order tonight."
Not apologetic in the least, Gaige gave her a fake pouty smile. "Sorry love, but Adriana is waiting and judging from this photo—eagerly," he said, holding up his phone.
Beyond frustrated, Golden glanced at Grayson and glared back at Gaige. If his father wasn't looking, she would seriously cause Gaige bodily harm. She had been looking forward to hanging out tonight. "Ugh. Fine."
Snatching up her bag, she pulled it onto her shoulder. She was just about to inform him that he would be dropping her off at home whether he liked it or not when Gaige spoke.
"Don't you have a new copy of the Thorn and Quill to proof?" he asked his dad who was turning to leave.
Grayson paused and turned to look skeptically at his son before his gaze fell back to her, softening as it did. "I do. It's in the library."
Gaige grinned even wider. "Good. Why don't you two nerds do that then? And Dad can drop you off later. You can even have more cookies because I’m positive Omar baked them for you anyway."
Golden couldn’t stop the pout in her bottom lip at his words. "I'm not a child." Although she did want more cookies.
Gaige walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I know you're not and you know you're not. The only one here who doesn't—"
"Either you're leaving or staying, which is it?" Grayson said roughly. Grayson's tone held enough menace to crumble a mountain, certainly a lesser man.
Golden was just glad he wasn't talking to her.
Unfazed, Gaige chuckled and nodded to his father before pulling her in for a hug. "You can thank me later," he mumbled in her ear. Grabbing his keys off his desk, he walked past his dad, muttering something under his breath that left Grayson scowling after him.
Still standing with her bag on one shoulder, Golden shifted from foot to foot. "I wouldn’t be imposing, would I? Because if you had something else planned-" she began.
"Golden," Grayson cut her off with a soft smile. "When have I ever minded your company? I enjoy it when you come over."
She nodded with a sheepish smile, not trusting herself not to say anything embarrassing. Following him down the hall and down the stairs to the library, she contemplated his words. Did he really enjoy it when she came over? Or was he just being polite? Golden considered all the other friends Gaige invited to the house to hang out and though Grayson was hardly around for those times he probably enjoyed her quiet presence much more than the others. Yeah, that was most likely what he meant.
Inside the library, Golden let the quiet calm of the space wash over her as he flicked on a light, switching on the soft lamps around the room. She would never get enough of being in here. Between this room and the indoor pool, there were no better spaces in the house. Coincidentally, they were also Grayson's two favorite spaces.
Putting her bag down by the couch, she sat down and watched as Grayson walked around his desk and sorted through some packages. She couldn't help but notice the way his big shoulders shifted underneath his dark sweater. Her mind instantly went back to him earlier and shirtless. That image would be forever ingrained in her memory. If she had the money, she would hire a sketch artist to replicate the memory just so she could frame it. Even now she could see the strong shape of his pecs pressing against the material of his shirt. Was that what swimming twice a day did to a man? Whatever it was, it was amazing.
Forcing herself to stop ogling him, she reached for the remote on the arm of the couch and looked at him, silently seeking permission.
Sensing her request, Grayson nodded without looking up from what he was doing. "Have at it."
Happy, Golden pointed the remote to the hidden sound system in the corner and selected an album full of moody piano music that gave the library a dark academia vibe she enjoyed far too much.
Finding what he wanted, Grayson walked over to the wingback chair next to the couch with a heavy envelope in his hand. Rubbing her arms against the cool air in the room, she sat on the edge of her seat.
"Are you cold?" Grayson didn't wait for her to answer. Using the same remote, he pointed it at the huge fireplace in front of them and turned it on. Flames sprang to life.
"It probably didn't help that I wore a short-sleeved shirt today," she explained.
Standing up, he walked across the room and grabbed a folded fur blanket from the closet concealed in the wall. Coming behind her he draped the fur down and around her shoulders, allowing it to pool around her like a cloud of mink. She was instantly warmer.
"Thank you," she murmured, feeling suddenly nervous from his attention. No one was ever this considerate to her. Even Gaige would have just tossed the blanket, aiming for her head.
Grayson paused next to the couch. "Would you like for me to have Omar get you anything? He makes amazing hot chocolate."
She shook her head. "No, no, no, I'm fine, trust me. If I get any more comfortable, I’ll never leave."
Grayson said nothing to that, his expression unreadable as he sat and pulled a thick envelope from the nearby table onto his lap.
Around them, the somber notes of music drifted in the air. Golden stared at the flames ahead of her but their dancing light wasn't strong enough to hold her straying eyes. Instead, she looked back up at Grayson, taking in every detail of his straight posture, his thick honey-blond hair, and his handsome face as he ripped open the end of the envelope.
As if sensing her, his blue gemstone eyes cut upward and captured her gaze. Nervous energy bubbled to life inside of her and she began to talk before she could even stop herself.
"I want to ask you something but I'm afraid it may be too personal," the blurted words trailed off into a near whisper as her recklessness faded at the end.
Grayson tilted his head and put down the heavy envelope in silent expectation.
Her nerves only tightened further and she rushed to explain. "I mean it's not that personal, just odd or maybe not. I mean-"
He cut off her rambling. "Ask me," he commanded.
If it wasn't for the glimmer of amusement in his eyes she would have fainted then and there.
Swallowing her nerves, she tried to think again what she had been thinking as she stared at him. Her eyes dropped to the small bit of skin peeking out from beneath his sweater. Golden licked her dry lips and forced her eyes back up to his, which seemed brighter than moments before. "Do you ever just dress in regular around-the-house clothes? Like stuff to lounge around in."
Grayson blinked as if perplexed before gesturing to himself. "I am right now."
"What?!" Golden did a double take at his outfit. Besides the soft-looking loafers, the entire outfit was not only expensive judging by the quality of the fabric, but it looked no different from any of the other clothes she had seen the gorgeous man in. "You look as if you could call a late-night board meeting, though."
Grayson laughed, a deep rich laugh she wished she could have recorded.
Relaxing, Golden pushed the subject. "I'm talking about barefoot, ratty t-shirts, and sweats."
Grayson looked away in thought, his dark brows furrowing. "I...I...honestly don't think I have an old t-shirt. And I only wear sweats to the gym. I don't think Omar would allow anything with a stain on it, much less a hole."
"What about going barefoot? Do you ever indulge yourself with bare feet hitting the floor?"
"Only in my bedroom," he answered, his tone a touch deeper than before. Just low enough to send her heart racing.
Golden turned her face to the fire hoping to hide the flush in her face as she thought of him in his bedroom, a place she of course had never seen. It was located in the other wing of the house with other empty spare bedrooms, a section of the house there was never a good enough reason to go to.
"But you’re right," Grayson continued. "I don't dress down a lot. I'm not home much so it makes sense I stay dressed to leave."
She wondered if some of the reasons he left home were similar to Gaige's. Did he have his own Adriana ready and waiting somewhere? And as much as the thought killed her on a cellular level, it made sense. Grayson was one of the most eligible bachelors in America much less Stardust Cove and Stardust Heights. Kind, smart, handsome, and obscenely wealthy, the man was everything someone could want. Which only confused her more when she thought of the enigmatic woman Gaige referred to as his birthing vessel .
All Golden knew of the woman was that she and Grayson had Gaige when they were very young. Their parents forced them to get married but the union hardly lasted a year. The girl admitted she was pressured by her family to have Gaige and even more so to marry Grayson. Her family had been enamored with the Rosebank name and only saw what it could do for them financially, not what she wanted. In the end, she left Gaige to Grayson and signed away her rights. With a hauntingly casual tone that had no place in talking about the mother who abandoned him, Gaige said the last he heard the woman was somewhere overseas.
"Did you want to read the latest copy?" Grayson pulled a plain white copy of Thorn and Quill out of the envelope.
Smiling eagerly, Golden tucked the blanket around and under her legs until she probably resembled a seal. "Okay, cozy and ready." She held out her hands making the gimme motions.
He handed her the journal with a smirk.
Golden paused, holding the copy up. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be reading this to proof it?"
He pulled another one from the envelope and placed it on his lap. "I knew there was a strong chance you would be here tonight so I had two printed."
There was a verse in a song from a popular Italian opera that leaped forward in her thoughts at his words. A gentle embrace that melts away the coldness of loneliness. That's what his words did. That was what she felt when she was around Grayson. The subtle acts of care that may seem like nothing to anyone else felt so profound to her. Maybe it was because she was starving for it. Deprived from proper love for so long only living off the tepid familial love her aunt provided along with her generosity. It wasn't enough. As grateful as she was, it simply wasn't enough. Golden wanted more. She wanted the love she was robbed of when her mother died or when her father abandoned her for a new family.
A tear slipped down from her eye and down her cheek before she could stop it. She barely heard the creak in leather before she felt the startling warmth of Grayson's hand sliding across her cheek until his thumb was there, swiping away the errant tear.
"Golden," his voice normally so smooth was rough as it whispered her name in worry. He was sitting beside her on the couch looking worriedly down at her. "What's wrong?"
She wanted to shake her head but she didn't want the contact of his hand to disappear. "I'm sorry I was just thinking—how nice you are to me. It just feels good here." With you, she added mentally.
Grayson’s brows furrowed as he searched her face. "Is everything good between you and your aunt?"
"No, no, she’s fine. She's very kind to me," she rushed to explain. Golden could never thank her aunt enough.
"Kind, huh?" Grayson looked away, clearly mulling over her words. "And Gaige, he's good to you, right?"
She could see the flash of an unholy gleam in his eyes just waiting to unleash on his son if she said otherwise and Golden couldn't help but smile.
She shook her head. "Gaige is perfect. I wouldn't survive all the posh kids at Stardust Heights High without him. It's nothing, I was just being-"
He cupped her cheek again. "Don't do that," he whispered. "Don't dismiss your feelings."
As their gazes locked, the tension between them intensified with each heartbeat.
"Let me go get you some-" Grayson attempted to stand but she held his hand keeping him beside her.
"Could we...could we stay like this a little longer...together?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
For a moment, she feared he would deny her request but she felt his body relax next to her. "Of course."
Side by side they sat and read the proof of the upcoming quarter's journal. Together they compared thoughts on passages and opinions on future authors while the fire danced ahead of them. It wasn't until the faint gong of the grandfather clock striking the tenth hour did they finally stand up.
"I'll take you home," he announced.
The drive to her aunt's house was ridiculously short. Although the quiet evening with Grayson hadn't been what she expected it was everything she could have wanted and she wasn't ready for it to end.
Pulling the SUV to the curb in front of the small bungalow they both looked at the dark windows.
"The lights aren't on," he observed, his eyes scanning the lit-up houses next door. "Is your aunt not home?"
Pulling her bag from the floor to her lap, Golden shook her head. "No, I think she’s out with the Stardust Cove's Women's Society."
"I see." A line of tension tightened Grayson's jaw.
With her hand paused over the door handle she looked at her house and back to Grayson. "I would invite you in but…the house is…full—very full."
She thought of all the furniture stuffing the house and the pathway that led from one room to another that got smaller each year. A small shameful part of her didn't want Grayson to see it.
Grayson smiled understandingly. "Gaige told me about the inside," he confessed. "He said your aunt could easily open an antique store and have enough inventory for years."
That was a polite way of putting it. She laughed under her breath as she thought of Gaige's wide eyes and obvious fascination inside her house. He enjoyed looking at all the stuff. To him, it was like one of those puzzle games where you had to find how many cats were hiding amongst an abundance of items in a picture.
Pulling her bag onto her shoulder, Golden turned her legs toward the door when Grayson's voice quietly cut through the silence. "I don't like the idea of you being alone."
Golden glanced back at the dark house. She didn't like it much either. "I'm used to it."
"You and I both know that's a lie. You never get used to loneliness," he said carefully. There was a spark in his eyes daring her to argue. She couldn't, he was right.
Looking down at her tennis shoes, Golden thought of the loneliness that seemed to follow her like a curse. First, it took away her mom, then it made her father turn his back on her for a new family, and now it simply lingered in the far corners of her life. It was like shadows waiting to pounce on her when she least expected it.
"You're right," she admitted. "But meeting Gaige helped. Having access to Omar's cooking helped…you helped," she added quietly. "Loneliness isn't near as bad as it used to be."
Grayson turned and looked out his window for a long moment. She could see his hands tighten on the steering wheel before relaxing once more. He turned and looked at her, pinning her with his bright eyes. "I don't want you to ever feel alone, because you're not. Do you understand?" He didn't wait for her to respond before he continued. "You have Gaige and you have me. You can always call me, and I will always be there for you."