18. Chapter 18
A familiar ring punctured her sleeping mind, making Golden open her eyes with a groan. For a second, she just stared up at the softly illuminated ceiling trying to get her bearings. A soft blue light was cast around the dark room and she realized it was from her phone. Her phone was ringing.
Groggily she reached for it and frowned at the late hour. Seeing the icon on the screen her frown deepened. Gaige? Golden stared at Gaige's picture on her phone. It was a picture of him standing in her empty apartment in New York looking at her from over his shoulder.
Tired and a little uncoordinated, she swiped the accept icon and answered with a sleepy voice. "Hello?"
"Just what in the hell are you doing?" Gaige's angry voice was wide awake. What time was it in New York? Was it not equally late there?
"What?" Golden groaned as she propped herself against the metal headboard and squinted into the darkness as she tried to make sense of him. "What are you-"
Gaige cut her off. "I log on to see your social media feed filled with pictures of you and Lydia Harper at the beach. You're wearing a lime-green bikini. I scroll past and what do I see? Carter fucking Serrano posting not only a picture with you and him smiling-"
"Me, him, and Lydia," she pointed out, but Gaige went on as if he hadn't heard her.
“But another picture of your huge ass bed with a familiar lime green bikini sitting on top," he growled. "So, what the hell is going on?"
Golden groaned, inwardly cursing Carter. For five full minutes, while she changed in the bathroom, he remarked on the size of the bed, calling it an art structure more than a bed. When she got out, she tossed the bikini onto the bed; she had no idea the little shit took a photo of the scene.
"It's nothing like that,” she yawned into the darkness. “I just hurt my foot and-"
"Let's be straight with one another," he said stonily. Golden could just imagine Gaige’s handsome face staring down at her, pinning her to the spot. "Are you trying to fuck my dad or not?"
All the sleep vanished from her system and Golden sat straight up. "What -"
Gaige didn't give her a chance to finish. "You've wanted him for years. You're finally working with him. This is your goddamn opportunity but all I see you doing is fumbling the ball with Carter fucking Serrano of all people."
Outraged her heart hammered in her chest. "I'm not doing anything and my relationship with Grayson is nothing like that."
"I swear you two are like children," he muttered. "Could you just take the next step, dammit? Just a little initiative, that's all I'm asking for. Kiss him, put his hand on your boob, just do -"
Golden jammed her finger against the red icon and tossed it onto the covers in front of her. Flopping back down onto her pillows, she draped an arm across her forehead.
This is your goddamn opportunity but all I see you doing is fumbling the ball with Carter fucking Serrano of all people.
Golden winced at Gaige's words. Annoyed, she turned over, burying her head in her pillow. She couldn't believe that was what Gaige thought after seeing that picture. His words wouldn't stop echoing in her mind, gnawing at her thoughts until she eventually drifted off to sleep.
For the second time that morning, the ring of her phone woke her up. Thankfully it was light out this time, she thought with a groan as she searched the tangle of sheets for her phone. Finally finding it, Golden's heart rate picked up as she noticed Grayson's icon.
"Hello?" She winced at the rough sound of her morning voice.
"Golden," Grayson's smooth voice began. "Don't come into the office today."
Like frost creeping up a window pane, dread filled her chest as she stood up from the bed. Glancing at her phone screen she read the time. It was six in the morning, she had class at nine and at two she normally came into the office.
"Oh okay," she managed to say in a small voice.
"But I do need you for something else today, so please open your door."
Golden could hear the edge of a smile in his voice and rushed to the front door despite her hair being tied up in a scarf and the mismatched pajama short set she was wearing. Opening the door, she beamed a smile of relief at Grayson.
Instantly her eyes drank him in as he stepped inside. He was wearing black slacks, a black fitted polo shirt, and black Italian loafers that were worth twice as much as her entire house. On one hand, he looked like a model with his classical good looks and whiskey gold hair gleaming in the sunlight but on the other hand, she could see every line of his powerful physique in his tailored clothes and it gave him a dangerous edge. He wasn't just some soft billionaire, he was a billionaire that could kick the ever-loving shit out of someone. The thought made Golden want to giggle, but she managed to suppress it.
"Just ignore me," Golden said, waving to her blue head scarf and wrinkled night clothes. "Just give me a second to brush my teeth and…" she gestured to the living room for him to wait as she walked to her bedroom but her words died on her tongue as Grayson followed her inside the room.
Grayson shook his head, his searing gaze tracing over her figure. "Sweetheart, you could wear anything and you would still be beautiful."
Struck by his words, Golden stood there basking in the compliment until she caught sight of her laundry basket full of underwear peeking out of the closet.
"Thank you," she mumbled shyly while firmly shutting the door to the closet. "Let me at least brush my teeth first and you can tell me what you need me to do today."
A few minutes later she was back. Having run some product through her curls and brushed her teeth she felt at least halfway presentable.
"You're limping." Grayson's eyes narrowed as he stared at her bandaged foot.
Her first instinct was to brush off the injury as no big deal but she thought about her conversation with Gaige earlier that morning.
"Yeah, I stepped on a shard of glass at the beach yesterday," she admitted. "But don't worry, I went to the clinic and got it bandaged up. It's just a little sore." She studied his expression; she couldn't read his thoughts. He just stared back at her as if waiting for her to continue. Did he know about Carter's involvement? Would he even care? But no sooner did the thought complete itself than she knew the answer, Grayson would care. Deciding to go with honesty, Golden took a fortifying breath. "And just so you know, my friend Carter from high school, well technically he was one of Gaige's friends, just happened to be around yesterday and helped me."
"That explains the photo," He looked toward her bed.
Golden's eyes followed his staring at her messy unmade bed. Photo? Wait, was he talking about her photo or Carter's? Did he follow her online?! Did he follow Carter, too?
Not sure what to say she shifted on her feet. "I didn't know you followed me online."
Grayson's eyes cut to her. There was a hard edge to them. "What other choice did I have when someone had me blocked for the last two years."
Ashamed, she looked away.
Stepping forward, Grayson reached out and cupped her cheek, tilting her head up gently until she had no choice but to look at him again. "I want you to call me. Anytime you need something I want to be the one you call."
"It just happened so suddenly," she exclaimed, willing him to understand. "Besides, I wouldn't want to bother you."
Grayson brought his other hand up to her face until he had her face gently bracketed in his hands. Looking down at her, his expression grew serious. "I want to know everything that happens to you. I want every part of your day. Every part of your life. Do you understand?"
Everything went mute around her and her heartrate seemed to slow down. It wasn't a question or quite a command. It was an unspoken edict waiting for her blessing ready to bind her to him once she agreed. With anyone else it would've scared her but with him it felt like a fraction of her fantasy was coming true.
Golden licked her lips nervously and Grayson watched like a bird of prey as she answered. "Yes."
He nodded and stepped back. "I came here to inform you that we need to take another trip."
Excitement shot through her at his words and she practically bounced on the balls of her feet. "Oooh where to?"
"You would need to miss a few classes," he warned, amused by her reaction.
Golden waved the warning away like a gnat. "Don't even worry about that. I'll make up for them when we're back."
"Well then get dressed," he instructed, his eyes darkening as they traced her pajamas. "Wear something warm, and grab your passport. We're going to France, specifically a small town located in the French Alps."
Letting out a squeal of excitement, Golden launched herself into Grayson's arms. Like a steel trap closing in around her, his arms caught her against him. Instantly she was reminded that she was only wearing a thin pajama set. The heat from his hands seared through the fabric and into her skin. Realization crackled through all of her senses. With her face half pressed to his chest, Golden watched as Grayson looked down at her, his eyes glinting in the low light of her room.
For a breath, they both stared at each other, something vital passing between them. A muscle ticked in Grayson's jaw and he slowly, almost reluctantly, let her slip away from him.
Self-conscious now, Golden tried to straighten her tank top and looked away with a smile. "As you can tell I'm more than excited." She paused and thought of something, looking back to Grayson in alarm. "My only winter clothes are the ones I wore in New York. Do you think that will work in the French Alps?"
The corner of Grayson's lip twitched as he began to casually examine the room, focusing on the old brass doorknob to her closet door. "Don't worry about that, I had Omar buy you a small wardrobe last night just in case."
He did what?! Shocked, she began to tell him he didn't have to spoil her like this. "Mr. Rose-"
Grayson's steel blue eyes cut to her like a knife slicing through the air and Golden immediately caught herself.
"I mean, Grayson," she quickly corrected. "You don't have to -"
Grayson looked down at his watch and pointedly back to her, his eyes drifting over her from head to toe. "The jet leaves in an hour."
Anything she was going to say was lost as the realization of just how little time she had to prepare.
Grayson sat on the edge of her bed with an amused expression as she ran around the room grabbing things. He even sat there as she closed the door to the bathroom and took a quick shower. He was still there with his ever-watchful blue gaze hovering over her as she emerged from the steamy bathroom asking about their itinerary.
As he carried her luggage out of the house, he explained that they were visiting a French award-winning novelist considering signing with Grayson's small imprint for his next book. On the jet, Golden greeted both pilots as they explained the route for their trip to France.
Sitting down in the cream leather seats near the window, Golden couldn't help but glance toward the door that led to the back room. The last time they were on the plane, they had fallen asleep together watching movies. It had been wonderful.
Setting his laptop case onto the lacquered wood table between them, Grayson sat down and pulled out his phone. "I'm going to have to take some calls," he informed her, not looking up from his phone.
A twinge of disappointment shot through her but she forced herself to give him a bright smile. "And I'll work on reading the latest edits."
You're just being greedy , she told herself. This was a work trip, not a vacation.
Getting up, she went to grab her laptop from the luggage room. Inside the narrow room, she took a chance away from Grayson's view to let out a breath. Leaning against the luggage rack she stared out the window to the runway outside. Golden could see men going around the jet doing their final checks. Her mind raced as she watched them. Maybe Gaige was right, maybe she should take some initiative. There was something definitely between her and Grayson, she was sure of it now. She could feel the blush of heat crawl up her neck when she thought of his possessive gaze lingering over her as it did every time she was in his presence. Or the way he always found a reason to touch her. And not to mention the "not kiss" that happened in the foyer of his house weeks ago.
Grayson Rosebank wanted her…maybe.
Ugh. Golden deflated as an arrow of doubt destroyed her building confidence. On one hand, it truly felt like the man saw her how she saw him but on the other—what if it was just him being overly protective of her and nothing more? Besides a few touches and looks that could melt off her panties, what evidence did she really have?
Above her, the intercom beeped and the pilot came over the system announcing their takeoff. Golden grabbed her laptop and exited the luggage room.
Instantly she could feel the pressure of Grayson's eyes on her as if he had been staring at the door waiting for her to emerge. With the phone pressed to his ear, he was leaned back in his seat watching her as she set up her laptop across from him.
For a few hours, she listened off and on as he went from one call to the next. After a few grumbled curses and angry retorts, she realized with a grin he was speaking to his brother. From what she could gather in the one-sided conversation, Grant Rosebank was buying more property in the Dallas area and wanted Grayson's opinion about a legal matter. Golden had to bite back a laugh at Grayson's face; he looked as if he couldn't decide whether he wanted to throw the phone out the plane window or reach through the line and strangle his brother. Instead, he just sat there with a look of irritation while he typed on his laptop.
Golden's phone chimed softly and she looked down at the screen. It was a text from Carter.
Carter : When can we hang out again?
Golden stared at the message for a second before replying.
Me : Um aren't you back at university in California?
Carter : Yeah but I can come see you on the weekends or I can fly you up to me. California weather is way better anyways.
Golden shook her head. Carter was such a flirt. She wondered if there was even a reality where he wasn't ping-ponging from one girl to another.
Me : Hard pass. Thanks tho.
Her phone chimed again and she ignored it, letting it drop to her lap. Glancing up, her breath caught as she caught Grayson's hard gaze. Still holding his phone up to his ear, he was looking directly at her.
Focusing back down to her laptop screen, Golden's stomach turned with worry. Was he angry? Glancing back at him, he was now staring out the window occasionally saying something in reply. The usually defined yet regal architecture of his face looked as if it was suddenly hewn from stone. There was a firm set to his jawline and a sharpness to his features that put her nerves on edge.
Maybe it wasn't good news from his brother. Or maybe, her stomach dropped a little at the sudden thought, he was mad at her for playing on her phone when she should be working. Since she was already done with most of the work, she supposed she could start next week's work. With her decision made, she got up from her chair and grabbed both her laptop and phone.
Feeling the pressure of Grayson's eyes on her she turned to him with an overly bright smile. "I'm just going to go call the office," she whispered, pointing to the conference room in the front of the plane.
Tilting his head, Grayson regarded her for a moment as if considering her words. Finally, after a few torturous seconds, he gave a slight nod to his head.
Beyond relieved, Golden hurried to the front of the plane. Located across from the luggage room, the conference room was a narrow room on the other side of the plane with four chairs and a long table in the middle. Golden debated sliding the door shut, but decided against it in case Grayson needed her. Sitting down on one of the chairs near the window, she let out a deep sigh.
She really hoped that whatever caused Grayson's disapproving gaze had nothing to do with her. Dialing the office, she spoke to Sanjay about her notes on the last edits. For half an hour, she was able to forget about the tension with Grayson and even laughed at Sanjay's playful banter. Together they finalized her work and sent it to the rest of the editing department.
Golden was saying her goodbyes and hanging up the phone when she heard Grayson's voice coming down the hallway.
"Golden?"
His deep voice pulled her from her chair. Standing, Golden went to the open door just as Grayson came into view. Nervously, she looked up at him. "Yes, sir?"
She realized her mistake once the honorific hit the air and his eyes narrowed while hers widened.
Blue eyes locked onto her, and his features hardened. "I swear to God, Golden, if you call me that again, I'm going to lose it," he snapped.
Fear lanced through her heart and she held up a placating hand. "I'm so sorry. Yes, of course -"
With every word of sorrow, Grayson's handsome face hardened into anger. Without warning his hand reached out and grabbed her face. Golden didn't know what to do or how to react but suddenly he was pulling her to him and his lips found hers. The kiss was short and rough. She felt all of his frustration coursing through him in the brief contact.
Pulling back, he glared at her, still holding her face in his hand. His grip was light enough not to hurt but still firm enough she knew she couldn’t pull away.
"What is my name?" he commanded.
Too stunned to speak, all Golden could do was stare at him in shock. Did he really just kiss her? Or did she just have a small stroke? She replayed the feeling of his soft lips against hers over and over again. The wispy feeling of his facial hair against her skin and the warm spice of his masculine cologne. How could she speak with all of that playing through her senses?
A wild crackle of energy glimmered in Grayson's eyes at her silence and his grip tightened in warning. Again, he pulled her to him and placed a rough kiss against her lips. Golden let out a small sound just before he pulled back once again.
She was going to faint. Her legs felt weak and unsteady.
Grayson took no pity on her. His eyes were like storm clouds, dark and heavy as he watched her, taking in every detail of her face. "My name?" he commanded once again.
She wouldn’t survive another kiss. Her brain already felt as if it had been rebooted twice. "Gr-Grayson," she stuttered.
An evil look of satisfaction settled over his beautiful features. The grip on her face slid to the back of her neck and brought her in closer as he whispered. "Call me sir or Mr. Rosebank again, and I promise you I'll make you say my name over and over again until your voice goes hoarse."
Golden closed her eyes and felt herself sway a little before opening again. Did he…did he really just…
"Now go in the back and lie down. I've got calls to take," he ordered with more harshness than necessary.
Desperately her mind tried to work. "But I'm not tired," she managed to whisper.
His eyes narrowed at her and she quickly nodded. Now that she thought about it, she was feeling suddenly tired. "Okay," she squeaked and hurried past him and out of the room.
In the bedroom, Golden practically wilted onto the bed. She couldn't catch her breath. Holding her hand to her chest, she breathed in and out heavily, staring in shock at the ceiling as she replayed what just happened. Grayson Rosebank just kissed her—twice!
"I'll make you say my name over and over again until your voice goes hoarse."
Turning over, she squealed into the pillow. She wanted to call Gaige or to tell someone, just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating but she also wanted to keep this moment to herself. Instead, she just lay there spiraling over Grayson's words and recalling every nanosecond of the brief kisses he gave her until she really did fall asleep.
Around her the plane jolted and Golden stirred. Turning over, she blinked in a tired daze at the ceiling. She had actually fallen asleep. Turning her head, her heart jumped at the figure in the chair across the dark room. With only the dim cabin lights from the floor as any source of light, Grayson sat draped in shadows.
As if watching her and waiting, he smiled softly at her as she slowly sat up in bed.
"We just landed," he told her.
Looking at her watch and out the dark window, Golden frowned in confusion. "What time is it?"
"It's a little after two in the morning." Standing, Grayson went to the closet and pulled out a garment bag. "I had Omar pack an extra suitcase for you with additional winter clothes and he set this one aside for you to wear upon arrival."
Taking the bag from him, Golden avoided his gaze, her stomach doing flips. She was so confused and excited about everything that happened she couldn't bear to look at him just yet. Nodding, she clutched the bag to her chest and went to the bathroom to change.
Wearing a pair of fleece-lined jeans that felt like melted butter against her skin, a cable-knit sweater, a new oatmeal-colored jacket, and a pink knitted cap, she felt warm and cute. Emerging from the bathroom, she found Grayson talking to the pilot near the open exit door also dressed in warmer clothes as icy wind whipped around him inside.
Seeing her, Grayson turned from the pilot and looked at her with open appreciation that made the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. Things were finally changing between them and changing fast. As if the final door had been flung open and Grayson was marching purposely through it dragging her along with him.
"You ready?" he asked.
"Umm," Golden thought of her abandoned laptop in the conference room.
Reading her mind Grayson spoke and held out a hand. "I packed your laptop away, and your luggage is already in the helicopter."
Looking at his hand and back to him, Golden smiled and took his hand, relishing the feel of his warm fingers closing over hers. "Then yes, I suppose that's everything."
They were descending the short stairs of the jet when her brain finally pulled itself out of the pink haze of infatuation to catch up to his words.
"Wait, helicopter?!" she paused at the bottom of the stairs, staring in shock at the huge black helicopter in the distance.
Grayson looked back at her and quirked an eyebrow. "You didn't think we were going to drive through the snow at three in the morning down narrow two-lane French country roads, did you?" he asked, reaching for her hat and tugging it down further around her ears.
The wind was biting and there were flurries in the air. It was amazing what a ten-hour plane ride could do. In Texas it was hot, but here it was snowing—heavily.
Nodding, she let him guide her to the helicopter where they quickly met and greeted the pilots of the massive vehicle. Stepping inside, Grayson was the one who got her strapped in. His hands were quick and efficient as he pulled the harness from over her head and down. Only once did he pause and look meaningfully at her, his eyes burning like coals in the dark space, his hand hovering right above her stomach. It took a full second for her brain to realize what he wanted. Biting her lip, Golden slowly raised her arms and let him snap the belt around her before slipping a pair of headphones over her ears.