18. 2
The pilot's voice came over the intercom and into her ear in French. Sitting back in his own seat, Grayson slipped on the headphones and spoke into the mic. His French rolled off the tongue and Golden stared up at him in awe. She always forgot that the Rosebanks could speak French. It was a requirement; all the Rosebank children had to speak it. Of course, Gaige had used the skill countless times to impress girls back in school.
Within a few minutes, they were lifting into the air. And it was at this moment, Golden quickly learned there was a difference between a plane ride and a helicopter ride. While traveling in a plane everything was surreal and smooth, the helicopter—not so much. It was jerky and visceral and she was not a fan.
Hesitantly she peeked out the window to her left. There was nothing but darkness and the hazy white view of the snow-covered landscape below. A half hour into their journey the soft snow hurtling past their windows became a relentless blur, making it hard to see anything at all. Grasping her harness, she stole a glance at Grayson. The hardness in his expression, coupled with the subtle tick in his jaw, made it clear he was upset. She could see his mouth moving and realized he was speaking into the mic as he looked toward the pilots. Glancing up front, Golden realized they were talking, too. Did they mute her headphones? Worried, she looked down at her lap, resisting the urge to look out at the blizzard.
Grayson's hand appeared on her knee and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry. We're going to land in Chamonix."
Golden just nodded. All she could think about was all the helicopter crashes she had ever seen on social media and in movies playing in her head like a torturous reel.
Putting his arm over her shoulders, Grayson pressed her to his side and continued to talk to the pilots off and on until soon they were coming to a shaky landing. Never in her life had she felt more relieved to be back on the ground, even if it was in the middle of a blizzard that made the helicopter creak and groan as the wind rammed against it.
They waited in the helicopter for another thirty minutes. Golden had no real choice but to sit and listen as all three men spoke in French on their phones. Soon a pair of headlights shone through the dark and pulled up next to the helicopter. Within minutes Grayson had her unbuckled and out of the helicopter and into the waiting SUV. Once again, she was waiting in silence. Bundled up in the SUV, she watched from the back seat as Grayson helped the driver load their bags into the car.
Finally, they both got inside. The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror with a friendly smile. "Bon soir," he greeted in a heavy accent. "My name is Maurice and I will take you both to my chalet."
For the rest of the way through the narrow winding roads and into the quiet little town Maurice chatted happily to them. He was so bubbly Golden had to remind herself it was almost four in the morning. Where had Grayson found this man so quickly? Even as they pulled toward a large house on a narrow private drive, the only house she had seen thus far with light in its windows, Maurice was still explaining all the things to see in his village.
"And tomorrow, when you are both rested, you might want to see Isabella at the café. There, you will find the second-best breakfast in town. Second to mine, of course," he added with a laugh before jumping out of the car.
Alone Grayson turned to her with an apologetic smirk. "He was the only place that answered their phone," he murmured.
Golden barely had time to hide a laugh before Maurice flung open her door and reached for her hand. Aw, it all made sense, she thought. Maurice had no doubt answered his phone earlier to a very perturbed Grayson Rosebank throwing an obscene amount of money to the man for his inconvenience and subsequent hospitality.
Taking her by the hand, Grayson led her through the snow and into the large two-story wood house. Warm delicious-smelling air surrounded them at once as they stopped at the entrance. Maurice explained his wife was in the kitchen making them some dinner and once it was done, they would bring it up to the second floor.
Again, Golden reminded herself not to feel too guilty for disturbing these kind people in the dead of night as she climbed the stairs behind the men. She was certain Grayson would compensate them nicely.
"You will have the entire top floor to yourselves," Maurice's heavily accented voice cut through her worries and refocused her attention. "This is the living area. I have already started the fires for you," he beamed as he led them down a small hallway, passing by several closed doors.
They stopped at a door at the end of the hall and Maurice opened it to reveal a living area. With a few comfy couches facing a TV, a wall of books, and a large table and chairs, the real focal points of the room were the large twin fireplaces on either side of the room. On each side, the fire blazed bright, warming the room wonderfully.
"Please sit and relax, I will bring dinner up shortly," Maurice gestured to the sofas with a big smile before turning to look at Grayson. He said something in French to him and Grayson nodded and replied with something as well.
Once Maurice was gone, Grayson turned to her with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't think the weather would turn for the worse."
Sitting down on the surprisingly plush sofa, Golden slipped off her jacket and her cap. Running a hand through her short curls she smiled at Grayson. "It's okay, it wasn't your fault. I was only scared for a second."
Taking off his own jacket, Grayson sat next to her and gave her a long look. "A second is too long."
Golden's heart swelled. Unable to maintain his gaze, she looked down shyly at her lap. Since waking up on the jet, they really hadn't had a chance to talk. The memory of his lips roughly pressing against hers sizzled through her senses, making her lips suddenly feel dry.
Feeling him watching and waiting, Golden looked up and sucked in a breath at the raw need glowing in his expression. She should say something. It felt like she should say or do something, anything, to take the pressure off her heart.
Above them, the lights flickered and the house creaked as a howling wind sounded outside the windows.
Grayson stood up. "Wait here."
Golden watched him leave and waited for the door to shut behind him before she scrambled to take out her phone. Ignoring the numerous messages from Carter and some from Lydia, Golden typed furiously to Gaige.
Me : Your father kissed me on the plane. I don’t know what to do! I'm losing my mind!
Her knee bounced in impatience as she waited for Gaige to respond. What time was it in New York? Wasn't it technically a day behind there or something? Golden sat there glaring at the screen willing it to change.
Finally, three dots appeared. She nearly fainted in relief.
"Thank God," she whispered. She desperately needed some advice on how to handle this.
Gaige : Thank fucking Christ, it's about time. What do you mean what should you do? You've been obsessed with him for over six years. Kiss him back or get naked, you pick. Just do something.
Golden could've screamed. Standing up, she paced toward the fireplace and glared back at the screen rereading the text. This wasn't helpful. She needed real advice. Like, what was Grayson thinking? Could he be serious? Or was he teasing her? What if she did follow Gaige's advice and Grayson gave her a horrified look in return because she misunderstood? A pain spasmed in her chest just at the thought.
The door opened, and Grayson walked in. Sticking her phone back into her pocket she tried to school her features.
For a brief second, his blue eyes flicked to her hands where she shoved her phone away, before looking away. "Maurice says the storm is bad and there is a good chance the power might go out," he informed her as he sat back down on the couch. "However, there is a backup generator for some of the lights. Between the fireplaces and the generator, we should be comfortable."
She came back to the couch to sit beside him. "As long as I'm warm, fed, and -" she paused for a moment, considering her next words. "and with you," she whispered looking down at her feet, "then I'm perfectly fine."
The room's atmosphere shifted abruptly, a palpable tension crackling through the air like a storm about to break, making every breath a sudden difficulty.
Beside her the couch shifted and Golden startled at the sudden puff of warm air on her ear. "Lucky for you, I can hear Maurice coming up the stairs with the food now," he murmured with an audible smile.
At a loss for words, she watched Grayson get up and open the door for Maurice who was wheeling in a cart full of food. Choosing to focus on Maurice's explanation of his wife's cooking instead of Grayson's suggestive words, she watched as he laid out each dish. From gratin dauphinois to sausages covered in a buttery wine sauce and a beautiful layered vegetable dish covered in cheese, Maurice set each one on the table along with a bottle of wine before bidding them both goodnight.
Golden looked desperately at Grayson. "How many people did she think she was cooking for?" She whispered.
Even Grayson gave the full table a dubious look. "Well, we know we won't be hungry."
Golden laughed and pulled out a chair. For a brief moment, she thought she would be forced to eat in awkward silence as they both skirted the elephant in the room but thankfully Grayson spoke first.
"So, tell me the truth," Grayson began as he cut into a sausage. "On a scale of abysmal to godawful, how would you rank Lombard's new short story he submitted?"
Golden burst out laughing. "Oh dear Lord, it was so very bad."
Dinner progressed with their usual lighthearted banter, completely erasing the earlier tension. They traded stories about the awful things they had read in the proposal pile, and she felt so comfortable in his presence that she even found herself telling him a funny story from Juilliard. There was a warmth that existed between them when she talked with Grayson, a warmth she had never experienced with anyone else. Like a cozy blanket on a cold night, he had always made her feel perfectly safe and accepted from the moment she met him.
Golden's phone vibrated against the table; it was no doubt Gaige. Unwilling to let anything interrupt the moment, she ignored it. Grayson’s eyes flicked to the phone, his jaw tightening slightly, but he said nothing.
Having finished their meal some time ago they were both sitting on the couch listening to the crackle of the fires on either side of the room and the noisy howl of the wind outside as they talked.
"Where do you see music in your life in the future?" Grayson asked, his focus never straying from her.
Golden felt herself flush. Setting down her half-empty wine glass on the coffee table, she looked up at the blank TV and thought about his question. "To be honest I'm not sure. Right now, nothing professional. Maybe just more lounge singing or maybe a few theater classes at the college, to scratch the itch of wanting to sing. Maybe that will change in the future but who knows," she said with a shrug.
Grayson nodded understandingly just as her phone, which was sitting on the cushion next to her, vibrated once then twice with two rapid messages. They both stared at the screen light up.
His eyes flicked to hers, his expression darkening. A deafening silence crashed over them spilling to the rest of the room and despite the two crackling fires in the room the temperature seemed to drop as if the blizzard had found its way inside.
The couch creaked as he sat back, his keen eyes looking from her phone to her. "Who keeps texting you?" His voice was deceptively soft. "All day I've watched you smiling and looking at your phone."
Golden opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Her mind spun as she thought of her very damning text conversation with Gaige.
A line appeared between Grayson's brows and his lips thinned in restrained anger.
Faster than she could comprehend, Grayson reached for her phone, snatching it up. "Then let me see," he growled.
Panicked, Golden tried to reach for her phone. "No wait. Stop. Grayson, don’t!" she cried. She couldn't let him see what she texted. She would die if he did.
But Grayson wasn't listening to her. Standing up, he walked over to the window as he swiped to unlock her phone.
Raw menace etched onto his face as he turned his back to her reaching hands. "I swear to God if it's the Serrano kid, I will murder him in front of you," he mumbled as his thumb swiped up on her screen.
Panic clawed at her chest, wrapping its invisible hands around her throat, making it hard to breathe. With every swipe of his thumb and furrow of his brow her mind spiraled, envisioning the look of judgment on his face when he ultimately found her texts to his son. The room was beginning to close in around her, the walls pressing in closer as the wave of humiliation threatened to swallow her whole.
"Oh God," she whispered and turned to run toward the living room door but a strong arm caught her around her waist lifting her practically off the ground.
"Your father kissed me on the plane. I don’t know what to do. I'm losing my mind," Grayson read the text from behind her. She could hear the menacing smile in his voice.
Golden nearly cried. She covered her face with her hands. This couldn't be happening.
"Please don't," she begged, her voice tight with unshed tears.
Grayson's arm only tightened, keeping her secured against him as he read. "And Gaige responded saying, Thank fucking Christ, it's about time. What do you mean what should you do? You've been obsessed with him for over six years. Kiss him back or get naked, you pick. Just do something."
Her heart hammered against her chest. Golden pressed a hand to it. "I think I'm having a heart attack."
Tossing her phone onto the couch, Grayson grabbed her by the shoulders, turned her around, and backed her into the wall. Beside them the window radiated with a bite of chill, only a fraction of the cold outside in the howling blizzard.
"Is it true?" Grayson rasped; his voice heavy with emotion. "Are you obsessed with me?"
Golden refused to look up at him. She couldn’t bear to see his laughing face or worse, a look of pitying disgust. Keeping her eyes downcast, she bit the inside of her lip to force back the tears that threatened to spill. She wanted to run away from this moment so bad. She wanted to lock herself up in one of the rooms and find some way back to the airport in the morning. As if reading her mind, Grayson's large hands flexed on her shoulders keeping her firmly in his grasp.
Angry and embarrassed she tried to twist away from him. "Don't do this," she hissed at him. Pulling away from him, she glared at him with burning eyes. "You have to have known I had a crush on you. Don't make fun of me for it."
Grayson's eyes went wide and he took a step toward her. Golden tried to maintain the distance she had won from him but he kept her corralled between the table and the wall—absolutely cornered.
"Make fun of you?" he whispered. Reaching out to her, he placed his hands on her shoulders again and gently pulled her to him until there was less than a foot between them. "Golden, I swear to God, I'm just trying to understand you so I don’t cross the line any further than I did earlier on the plane. You're right, two years ago I knew exactly how you felt about me. And I knew exactly how I felt about you. Do you know what it did to me to watch you mature for four years practically under my roof? To instinctively know by the third year, you were the one I had been waiting for my whole life? A child, for God's sake?! It was fate dealing me another cruel hand. I had no choice but to just sit by and watch. Watch you as you became the glorious, devastatingly beautiful woman standing in front of me now. I had to show you my unwavering support as you flounced around Gaige's friends, fell asleep on my couch, and then left me to move across the country and start a new life," he said through gritted teeth. "And you say I'm making fun of you. Are you serious? How about you finally put me out of my misery."
"H-How am I making you miserable?" she stuttered, beyond floored by his words.
His hands dropped away from her but he didn’t give her a chance to mourn the loss as he loomed over her, ticking off a finger at each damning accusation. "Let's see, allowing Carter Serrano to carry you home when you could've simply called me. Being the smartest and most beautiful woman in the entire room but still relegating me to the role of your friend's dad. Or," he paused, planting one hand on the wall beside her ear and the other on the other side. "How about forcing me to hire a man to keep an eye on you for two years straight while reporting to me the events of your life as well as your first boyfriend."
Golden gasped. Hired a man? In New York? She thought back to her time in New York and subsequently, the guy she briefly dated. Did Grayson really know about Tye?
A knowing look passed in Grayson's eyes and her stomach dropped. He did know about him.
Leaning closer, Grayson looked at her. His intense eyes glittered like hellfire in the low light of the room. "You have no idea the true meaning of misery."
"I…" Golden tried to speak but she didn't know what to say. Her mind was still trying to process everything he just said.
"Please Golden, end this suffering," he breathed next to her ear, his voice rough with need.
Tilting her head back so she could look at him, Golden searched his face. There was no disgust as she had feared. No judgment or pity, just the look of a man balancing his control on a knife's edge. Her chest tightened. After months of push and pull, that intangible something culminating between them was finally here shining brightly in her face, ripe for the picking. Grayson's steel blue eyes looked down at her, practically vibrating with need as he waited for her acceptance. And for the first time, she was sure of everything.
Lifting her hand, she let it glide along the soft stubble of his face watching how his eyes closed. Gently she brought her lips to his.
There was the firmness of his lips that made her sigh as they pressed against hers. His arms locked around her, his hands settling on her ass. Gently as if handling crystal, his hands covered each rounded ass cheek, heating her through her jeans, pressing her close. Golden let out a small gasp and Grayson wasted no time seizing the relinquished territory. Slow and deep, Grayson steadily consumed her. Excitement darted through her. Her fingers curled into his fine sweater as she tried to keep up with his tongue. It was pure bliss. The heady taste of him, the feel of his hands cupping her ass and nearly lifting her off her feet. This wasn't a dream, it was truly happening.
Pulling back, Golden panted in awe as she stared up at the man she loved for years. His eyes were like cobalt flames that sent shivers through her.
Grayson didn't say a word. Taking her by the hand, he led her out of the warm living room and into the quiet, dark hall. Opening the door on the right he pulled her inside and shut the door.
To her surprise, the bedroom was just as warm and cozy as the living room. On the far wall, a fire blazed bright in the fireplace, its wood popping and cracking behind the screen. In the corner was their luggage.
Golden turned and looked at him questioningly.
Still having hold of her hand, Grayson pulled her close. "I had Maurice bring them here. I knew when I woke up this morning, today I was ending this unspoken game between us one way or another."
Golden wanted to throw herself in his arms, to cry in relief, to laugh with joy, but she did none of that. Instead, she reached for him and placed a halting hand on his chest.
Grayson looked from her hand to him and she could have sworn she saw something violent and wild pass through his eyes. Quickly she spoke, her voice just a whisper as the weight of her words poured from the dark lonely place in her heart. "Please say you won't change your mind in the morning."
The panicked look dissipated from Grayson's face as he let out a ragged sigh. Cupping her by the back of the neck, he pulled her to him, erasing the cautious distance she created. "No more games. No more tiptoeing around each other. I loved you when I shouldn't have and now nothing will keep me from you."
Grayson's mouth slammed into hers, his hands on either side of her face. His tongue found hers immediately, dancing around each other as they each savored the other.
Following him to the bed, Golden watched as Grayson pulled off his sweater and began unbuttoning his shirt. Hesitantly, she reached for the hem of her own sweater but Grayson's rough voice stopped her.
"Don't you dare," he growled, a dark smirk playing on his lips. "I'll do that. I have dreamt of this moment."
Golden nodded shyly and watched as he peeled off his black Oxford shirt. His big shoulders shifted at the movement and his abs flexed beneath his firm stomach as he ripped off his belt and threw it across the room. He was barefoot now, wearing only his black slacks, which hung partially open off his lean hips, revealing a taut area of skin sprinkled with dark hair.
Golden reminded herself to breathe. Everything about this moment was so intimate. Gone was the formal father of her friend she had admired and been infatuated with for years, in his place was a powerful man with mussed hair and fire in his eyes as he approached her.
Her breath caught in her throat as he reached for the end of her sweater and pulled it up and over her head.
"Breathe, Golden. I won't hurt you," he whispered in her ear.
Golden nodded. She knew that. It wasn't fear she felt, it was the overwhelming dreamlike feeling of having her fantasies come true before her. Standing in her bra and pants now, she watched as Grayson's eyes slowly drank her in. He looked like a man starved as he reached for her jeans and undid the clasp. Slowly, he peeled them down her legs and helped her take them off.
Golden let out a small noise of surprise when he stood up suddenly and picked her up. Instinctively, she put her legs around his waist as he sat on the bed. Reaching behind her back, she unclasped her bra, letting it fall down her arms before dropping it to the floor.
Grayson's irises widened and then narrowed to small dots in a sea of blue before he dipped his head forward. Golden cried out and hugged his head as his hot mouth laved over the tender flesh. Roughly, he suckled and nipped at the sensitive nipple before switching to the other. Her cries filled the quiet room as she pushed against his massive shoulder. The feeling was too much. Pain mixed with the hot, mouth-watering sensation of need was pulling her apart.
Biting the tender bud once more, Grayson let her fall onto the covers. But her moment of reprieve from his torture was short-lived. Pulling down her panties with one vicious yank he parted her legs, pressing his mouth to her center with a satisfied groan.
Golden arched off the bed. His mouth was hot and searching against her folds. His tongue sought and dove deep until he found the hiding pearl of nerves.
"Grayson!" she gasped trying to wrench away from him. It was too much too fast. She was going to disintegrate in his arms. With her very limited experience dating never before had it been this intense. It felt as if Grayson was punishing her body, forcefully bringing her to the edge of her sanity.
Ignoring her pleas, Grayson cupped his hands under each of her ass cheeks and brought her hips up higher to his feeding mouth like an offering to a dark God.
He alternated between sucking and licking, pushing his questing tongue deep into her tight passage until she cried out, before dragging it up her folds to suckle on her clit. Over and over again, she cried and writhed in his hold but his strong hands kept her to his feasting mouth, giving her no mercy. And just as her mind threatened to break, Golden looked down between her swaying breasts and past her stomach and caught a glimpse of his wicked eyes staring directly at her and the final wave of pleasure crashed over her with a cry.
Resting his chin on her pelvic bone, Grayson watched with an evil smile as she shuddered and settled from her climax.
The bed creaked, but Golden was too delirious to care. She could feel Grayson's movements and heard the rustle of clothes. Opening her eyes, she froze at the sight of his glorious naked body kneeling tall between her legs. Fearfully, she stared at the thick length of him jutting from between his legs.
Her mouth went dry and Grayson leaned forward, planting a hand onto the bed beside her.
Oh God, this was it. Her body tightened even as her eyes locked onto his.
Sensing her nervousness, Grayson lowered himself until his lips ghosted against hers. "Shh," he whispered, as if soothing a wild horse. "Trust me, sweetheart. I love you far too much to let you feel anything other than pleasure."
Golden's body immediately reacted to his words, softening and heating as she felt the head of him push against her entrance. Opening her legs wider for him, she wound her arms around his neck. "Tell me again. Please," she begged.
Knowing what she wanted, he pushed himself deeper inside, his buttocks flexing beneath her legs as he pushed himself to the hilt receiving a small gasp from her. "I love you," he groaned.
Breathing heavily, Grayson pushed himself up and looked down between them before his dark eyes flicked back up to hers. "You're doing so good. You're taking me so well, sweetheart."
Golden made a whimpering sound at his praise. She could imagine her pussy, wet and stretched to its limit around the fat base of his cock.
Shifting his weight again he began to move inside her. They both groaned at the rock of his hips. His muscled thighs pushing her legs wider apart, Grayson drove into her harder with each thrust, letting her feel every single inch of him before bottoming out at the entrance to her womb. Again and again, she felt the thick head of his cock hit her cervix coaxing a cry from her each time.
His eyes, which hadn't let hers go for a second, narrowed as his hand appeared around her throat. Tightening his fingers, they could both feel the pressure of her swallow as his balls slapped against her ass with each violent thrust.
Golden gasped and stared up at him with wide eyes as her walls tightened around his shaft.
"For years I've thought of you," he rasped against her lips. "For years I've mourned your loss in my life. Agonized who you were giving your smile to."
Golden whimpered and his hand tightened. "Please," she begged.
"Please what?" he licked the tear falling down her cheek, his hips never stopping as he ground into her.
Golden closed her eyes, her fists twisting into the linen beside her. "Give me more."
Grayson removed his hand and bit her neck. "I'll never stop," he vowed." Do you understand me? You and I are bound together for life, now and forever. I will never let you leave me again."
Golden closed her eyes to his beautiful words. It was all she ever wanted.
A white-hot heat spread through her, stealing her very breath and tightening every muscle in her body. At the same time, Grayson's body went rigid over hers and he dropped his head to her shoulder, letting out a deep guttural groan.
Sometime later when the fire died down to a small flame, Grayson shifted in bed beside her and got out. Fully nude, he walked unconcerned across the room and threw a few logs onto the fire and stoked the flames until they blazed hot. Going to his luggage, he produced a handful of small boxes and brought them back to the bed. Settling under the covers once more, he leaned against the headboard and looked lovingly down at her as he opened the first rectangular velvet box. Inside he pulled out a stunning diamond bracelet.
"This was a gift I talked myself out of giving you your junior year," he said quietly, snapping the bracelet onto her wrist.
Fully awake now, Golden held the cover to her breasts and sat up and stared in shock at the gleaming bracelet. "Grayson, you didn't have to-"
Holding up a hand to pause her, he pulled out another box, a small velvet ring box. "This is the ring I stared at for hours in Paris thinking of you as you ran away from me two years ago."
Grayson slipped the simple gold ring band, delicately studded with tiny diamonds, onto her left ring finger, ignoring her shocked expression.
"And this," he said, pulling out the final small black leather ring box and opening it to reveal a large diamond ring surrounded by a cluster of diamonds set on a gold ring. "This is the ring I swore to myself you would be wearing on your finger, as my wife by the time we return home."
This time he did not slip the ring onto her finger; he held it up to the light. "Read it," he whispered.
Leaning forward, doing her best to fight back the tears tightening her throat, Golden read the inscription. "To my Golden, now and forever."
Golden let him slip the ring onto her finger before she buried both hands in his hair and pulled him down for a kiss.
She had loved him back then, she loved him now, and she would love him forever.
Fin