46. Aspen
Chapter 46
Aspen
“ T hank you,” I say as I maneuver out of the craft fair parking lot. “I had such a fun time.”
“I did too,” Grey replies.
“I almost don’t want the day to end.”
“Don’t worry, Jordan, there’s enough of me to go around. You’ll see me again tomorrow. We still have a few days left of shooting anyway.”
“Isn’t that crazy?” I ask. “I can’t believe we’re wrapping so soon. It feels like this film just started.”
“Really? It’s hard to imagine my life without you being an ever present thorn in my side,” Grey jokes. “Seriously, it’s a mindfuck.”
We sit in silence for a few seconds, probably both thinking about the truth behind his words. It is weird to imagine my life pre-Grey, especially since he’s been such a central figure these past few months.
“What if we went back to my place?” I ask suddenly before I lose my nerve. “I know your car’s still on set, but we can ride back there together in the morning. We’re both going to the same place, after all.”
“Are you asking me to sleep over?”
I look over at Grey cautiously. “Do you want to?”
“Jordan, if I ever say no to spending the night with you, I want you to use your national affinity for guns and shoot me.”
I crack up laughing. “Noted. Glad to hear your enthusiasm.”
“Very enthusiastic. Do you want me to order us food to be delivered?”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. You’ve spent enough money on me today. And, anyway, I have one of those food delivery services that does meal prep and drops meals off at my house every other day.”
“So they can get in the gate but I can’t?”
I side-eye him. “You didn’t ask . I would’ve called in a pass for you, I told you that.”
“I don’t want to have to bug you for a pass every time I want to drop by.”
“But wouldn’t you be bugging me anyway, by stopping by?” I tease.
“Ha-ha,” he responds dryly.
I sigh and press the button on my car for voice control. “Call ‘Hidden Hills Security.’”
Out of my peripheral vision I see Grey raise his eyebrows at me, impressed.
They pick up on the second ring. “Good evening, Miss Jordan. What can we do for you tonight?”
“Hi, how are you?”
“I’m good, thank you for asking, Miss Jordan. How are you?”
“I’m doing fine, thanks. I wanted to add my boyfriend, Grey Aldridge, to my permanent guest list.”
“Grey Aldridge,” the man on the other end responds slowly, as though he’s typing in the name. “Address?”
Grey responds from beside me, giving the man his address.
“Phone number?”
Again, Grey responds for me.
“Driver’s License number?”
Grey pulls out his wallet and finds his license, rattling off the numbers. “It’s a UK license,” he adds.
“Okay, great, got it. You’re all set, Mr. Aldridge. Anything else I can do for you, Miss Jordan?”
“No, thank you. Have a nice night.”
“You too. Bye-bye,” he says as he hangs up.
Since we’re stopped at a red light, I take my eyes off the road and look at Grey.
He squeezes my hand resting on the center console. “I’m impressed, Jordan,” he says. “But what’s the fun in it now?”
I scoff. “You’re unbelievable.”
He just smirks in response, the smug bastard. And I hate that it makes me want to smile too.
A few minutes later we pull into my driveway and hop out of the car.
“I have a spare toothbrush, by the way. And I’m sure my dad has left some t-shirts and sweats here, or something,” I tell Grey as we walk in the front door.
“Hey, Aspen, I was wondering if you wanted to—” Phaedra says, strolling out of the hallway, looking at her phone. When she realizes there’s a second person in the foyer, she looks up from the phone. “Oh. Hey, Grey,” she says, clearly not expecting him.
“Sorry, I invited him over for the night. Is that good with you?” I ask her.
Phaedra raises an eyebrow. “Aspen, it’s your house. Of course it’s okay with me. I was going to ask if you wanted to have some friends over later, but I see you’re occupied.”
“I thought you had a club appearance thing tonight?”
“I did but they canceled it at the last minute. Something crazy about the bar getting raided by the feds for RICO or something.”
My jaw drops.
“No, it’s fine, I get paid either way. But, I’ll find something else to do. Out of the house,” she adds.
“No, you can stay. Grey and I will stay in my room and you can have the whole house.”
“Aspen, it’s fine, I want to do something social tonight anyway.”
“I can go if it’s not a good time,” Grey interjects.
“You’re staying,” Phaedra and I say in unison.
“Seriously,” she adds. “Stay. I’ll just ask one of the girls I’ve been seeing if I can crash at their place tonight.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, feeling terrible that she might feel unwelcome tonight since Grey is here—which isn’t the case at all.
“Aspen, seriously. I’m just going to go pack a little bag and I’ll be gone until tomorrow afternoon, since I have to be on set early tomorrow morning. I’ll just slip out the side door too, so I’m not getting in your way.”
“If you’re sure,” I respond, still a little wary.
Phaedra chuckles. “You worry too much. Have fun, see you guys later.”
“Okay, bye. Have fun too, be safe!”
“I will,” she says. “You too.”
I give her a quick goodbye hug before she returns down the hallway she came.
“Now that we’re alone…” Grey says, reaching down to squeeze my ass.
I let out a heavy sigh of disappointment.
Grey’s hand immediately retracts. “Sorry, I’m moving too fast, aren’t I?”
“I was just expecting a bit more finesse from the sexiest man alive,” I reply, letting the sarcasm show.
“Oh, shut up, Jordan,” he says, grabbing my ass again, but this time pulling my body flush him.
“I’m almost offended you didn’t realize I was acting. You don’t think I’m a good actor?”
“I think you’re a great actor,” he says into the crook of my neck, his arms wrapped around me holding me close.
“Yeah, you’re definitely in my top fifty too.”
“Shut up,” he growls, pressing his hips into mine.
“Is that a Tic Tac in your pocket, or are you just excited to see me?”
“You little brat,” he bristles, grinding into me. “Are you just trying to rile me up?”
“Is it working?” I ask, trying to provoke him further.
Suddenly, Phaedra’s voice carries from down the hall. “Okay, bye,” she yells.
Grey’s arms immediately slacken around me and he backs up a few inches.
After we hear the door click shut behind her, we both look at each other wide-eyed. “You don’t think she heard us, do you?” I ask.
“I fucking hope not.”
Then we both devolve into laughter, the raw kind that makes your stomach tense and your eyes tear.
“So,” I say, once our laughter has died out, “should we eat something?”
“Do you want the polite answer or the real answer?”
“Real.”
His eyes darken. “There’s only one thing I want to eat right now.”