Thirteen
THIRTEEN
Cierra
It was official.
I could confidently say the day had turned around.
Truthfully, it was better the moment Greyson had shown up at my place after learning the truth about what happened to my tires. But it got infinitely better the second he pulled me into his lap and kissed me breathless.
It would have been possible for us to stay like that for hours, as we both seemed more than content to be precisely where we were. As much as I adored our first kiss yesterday and appreciated the kiss at my car before I left lessons, there was something about the kiss this morning that enchanted me. If I didn’t know any better, it would have taken little to convince me that Greyson hadn’t used some sort of magic on me.
Maybe it was the feel of his lips on mine. It might have been the way his fingers got tangled in my hair as his other arm held me close. Perhaps it was the taste of him. Or it might have been all of those and something else. Something that blossomed inside me at the concern and protectiveness he’d displayed. It showed me that this wasn’t just about some physical attraction for Greyson—he cared more than that.
And that feeling didn’t ease as the day progressed.
Greyson had been the one who seemed to have enough strength, sense, and self-control to separate our mouths and hands and bodies, so he could urge us both to do the next step in getting on with our day.
So, I got ready for lessons, and we left. Almost as soon as we stepped outside, we got a surprise. Because it appeared I wasn’t the only one who had gotten her tires slashed. A police cruiser was parked in front of my neighbor’s house, and several of my neighbors were standing with the officer.
Three other cars had experienced the same fate, including the one belonging to my next-door neighbor and the two at separate homes across the street.
More victims.
It should have left me feeling wildly unsettled, but there was a part of me that felt a sense of relief. Obviously, I couldn’t be sure either way, but this new information led me to believe that perhaps Richard Lynch wasn’t involved in this at all. Maybe it was all initiated by someone out causing mischief of the worst kind.
The damage was costly, but at least nobody was physically hurt in the process. Greyson and I stayed for a bit and offered my information to the officer, so he could add me to his report. Everyone was disappointed that of the four of us affected by the tire slashing, only one had an outdoor camera. Sadly, that camera didn’t have a view of the driveway. In fact, it only covered the porch and the area immediately behind it, which was a portion of the front yard and the street. Whoever was responsible for the vandalism hadn’t ever walked in front of that camera.
Neither Greyson nor I shared anything with the neighbors about Richard. Not only was there no proof he was responsible, but my neighbors also seemed a bit rattled as it was. That news would have only made it worse.
Eventually, Greyson and I left, taking off for my lessons at Harper Security with him. For the first time since I’d started training with Greyson, I felt a wave of confidence wash over me. It could have been the result of me simply getting better at what I was being taught, but I had the sense it had more to do with me feeling much more comfortable with Greyson. After kissing one another the way we had, there wasn’t the same kind of tension between us. Sure, it still existed, but it was on a different level. Even if we hadn’t yet discussed where we stood with one another, there was a familiarity and comfort that hadn’t been there previously.
Following what I believed had been my best training session—something Greyson made clear he agreed with me on—Greyson gathered up some items and equipment he said we’d need to put up a security system at my place. Before I knew it, we were back at my house, and Greyson had gone to town, getting everything installed.
I wound up making us both some sandwiches for lunch, and after calling to have my car towed to a local mechanic and experiencing another round of passionate kissing, Greyson left, so he could head home to shower and get ready for our date together.
From the moment he left, and I was alone again, I was surprised by how good I felt. My mood had shifted drastically since I’d first learned about the damage done to my tires. Then again, it would have been difficult for me to feel any other way, especially after the way Greyson had been with me all day.
It was like I was floating around on clouds all afternoon as I got myself ready for our first official date together. And if I was honest, I wasn’t quite sure things could get much better than they were between us.
But Greyson didn’t disappoint me. The second I opened the door to him when he returned, his hungry gaze swept down over me, a bouquet of golden daffodils in his hand.
“You look stunning.” The desire swirling in his eyes made my knees weak. “I tried to imagine what I’d find when I got back here, and nothing came close to touching this. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Greyson didn’t give me a chance to respond before he stepped forward, wrapped me in his free arm, and tugged me close. He inhaled deeply, his hold on me growing tighter.
“You smell fantastic, too.” His voice was a deep rumble, his lips barely brushing the skin where my neck met my shoulder. “Do you know how lucky I feel to be able to take you out tonight?”
My belly flipped. Greyson didn’t mince words. He came right out with what he was feeling, and if this was just the start of things, I could only imagine what else he had in store for me tonight.
When he pulled his face away and my eyes met his, I smiled. He held the flowers out to me. “Thank you.” I brought them up to my nose, instantly taking in the fragrance—it was like the start of spring, fresh and sweet. And Greyson didn’t skimp. He made sure the flowers were already displayed in a gorgeous glass vase that showcased the vibrant green stems against those buttery yellow petals. “You sure do know how to make a girl feel special.”
His lips twitched with amusement. “Considering I’ve been wanting to do that with you for a while now, I’m glad to finally have the opportunity.”
A while.
I wondered how long he’d wanted to say these things to me, how long he’d felt that attraction. Was it as early as our first or second lesson, or was it when we ran into one another in the grocery store?
“Well, I certainly don’t want to be the one to stop you now.” I held the flowers up between us. “Let me put these down inside, then we can go.”
Greyson gave me a nod and closed the door while I did just that.
And now we were here at The Ridge—the most upscale restaurant in all of Steel Ridge—sitting across from one another at a table set for two.
For the first few minutes, we busied ourselves with our menus, eyes roving over the choices in order to make our dinner selections. But once our server had walked away to put our orders in, Greyson and I shared an awkward but silent exchange. It was like we both had so much to say, so much we wanted to share, and neither of us was prepared to break the ice.
Finally, I decided I’d do it, but only to lead him into sharing his thoughts first. “So, it seems like we need to have a discussion.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. Yeah, we do.”
“What do you want me to know?”
Greyson’s eyes roamed over my face, something I couldn’t read lingering in his stare. “I think it’s been made obvious by now that I really like you.”
He had made that much clear, but getting the confirmation again made warmth spread through my body. “It has. And I’m happy to say that the feeling is mutual. I really like you, too.”
“I’d like for us to give this a real effort and see where it could go,” he revealed. “I enjoy every minute I get to spend with you, and I absolutely want to continue seeing you at Harper Security Ops for self-defense lessons, but I want more of this.”
“This?”
Greyson lowered his chin. “Yes. This. The two of us spending time together with one another outside of your lessons. I don’t want all our conversations to just be about the moves you need to execute in the event someone attempts to attack you. I want more than that. I want conversations that go way beyond that. I want to learn about you, Cierra. The things you like, your favorite season, and your plans for your future. I want to learn about what foods you like best and how you spend your holidays. Right now, there isn’t a single thing I don’t want to eventually discover about you.”
My pulse was pounding, and the urge to crawl into his lap and whisper every answer to each question he had about me was strong. Though it would have been difficult after the way things went down today to have a single doubt about Greyson’s intentions with me, everything he’d just said would have obliterated any lingering reservations.
It had been quite a long time since I’d gone on my last date, and it didn’t come close to comparing to this. The interest Greyson showed in getting to know me and not just saying what needed to be said in hopes I’d hop into bed with him right away was heartwarming. It was nice to know there were men who were still interested in real dating. And as a woman who loved learning, the idea of Greyson being interested in learning about me made my whole month.
I smiled brightly, loving how this was going already. “I think this date was an excellent idea, Greyson. It seems you and I are on the same page, because I’ve been just as eager to get to know you better.”
Why he looked surprised by my admission, I did not know. “Yeah?”
“I’m not quite sure precisely when it started, but I knew for sure the day you followed me to the grocery store,” I teased him.
Laughter spilled out of him, the sight making my heart skip a beat. “I swear I wasn’t following you.”
I shrugged. “Well, in any other scenario, I would have probably found something like that creepy, but it’s not that way with you. Anyway, that was the day I knew how much I liked you. Like I said, I had instances before then when I found myself struggling with a bit of an attraction, but I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t just superficial. But after that stroll through the grocery store without a moment of silence, I dreaded having to go home. And then you invited me to have dinner with you, and I had the best time. So, when I drove myself home after that, wishing I’d had the chance to spend more time with you, I realized there was something more here for me.”
For several long moments, Greyson didn’t say a word. His eyes remained focused on mine, something intense swirling in his gaze. After everything he’d said to me, I didn’t think I’d gone too far with what I’d shared, but it was clear Greyson had some thoughts about it.
And though I would have loved nothing more than for him to share those thoughts with me, what he gave me instead was arguably better. “It was the day I picked Tucker up from school for me.”
At first, I was convinced I’d heard him wrong. “I’m sorry. What?”
“The day I picked Tucker up from school when his mom called me at the last minute was the day that I knew I wanted more time with you.”
I blinked my eyes rapidly, attempting to wake myself up. Surely, I was dreaming. No matter how many times I tried, I didn’t wake up in my bed. This was really happening. “But… but that… that was the same day we met each other,” I stammered.
Greyson didn’t flinch. “Yes.”
Disbelief coursed through me. Disbelief and confusion. “I… I don’t understand.”
There was a hint of amusement in Greyson’s expression, his lips forming a slight smile. “I’d be lying to you if I said anything differently. Now, I’ll admit that the day I met you, it was all about the physical attraction. I took one look at you. One look, Cierra. You were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. In all these years, especially through working at Harper Security and teaching hundreds of women, I’ve never met one that left me feeling the way I did with you after just a single look.”
Oh, my God.
He couldn’t be serious. This couldn’t be real.
Our server returned with our food—both our salads and entrees arriving at the same time—but her presence as she delivered everything did little to help me rein in the emotions moving through me. And by the time she walked away from our table, I found my voice and went with the only thing I could think was the case.
“Are you joking? You did say you like to tease me.”
His grin grew as he lifted his fork in his hand. “I’m not joking with you, pretty lady.”
There they were again. Those two words that I’d been wondering about, two words that I now seemingly had an explanation for. He thought I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
I picked up my fork, jabbed it into my salad without taking my eyes off Greyson, and took my first bite while he did the same. Then I repeated those same movements a second time, because I was still so unsure of what to say, how to react.
Greyson eventually broke the tension. “Listen, Cierra. I don’t want you to think I only feel a physical attraction to you. I’ve had time with you since our first encounter with one another, and I’ve learned there’s a lot to like about you that goes much deeper than what’s on the outside. But I’m not going to pretend I’m not blown away by your beauty.”
If he kept talking like that, I was going to wind up crying into my steak dinner. Unfortunately, it seemed I was a glutton for punishment, because I asked him to elaborate. “What do you find most attractive about me?”
“Physically?” I nodded. “Your hair. Hands down.”
“My hair?”
“Absolutely.” Greyson’s tone was not to be questioned, and the speed and ease with which he’d given me his answer told me he’d been having thoughts about this for a long time.
It seemed fitting that I let him know what I liked. “It’s a tie for me.”
He cocked a brow. “A tie?”
“Between your eyes or your shoulders and arms.”
Greyson had the audacity to appear shocked. “A three-way tie?”
“No. It’s a two-way tie. The arms and shoulders are a package deal for me. You can’t have one without the other.”
Chuckling, he returned, “Fair enough.”
I sighed, feeling so light and dreamy and loving being in this place. “I’m happy about this, Greyson, but I do have one small concern.”
Instantly, the smile was gone and replaced by a serious expression. “What is it?”
“Well, if you and I had met through me coming to Harper Security Ops, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but that’s not how things happened.” Understanding seemed to dawn in his face, but he remained silent as I continued. “Do you think it’s a problem that we explore what’s happening between us, considering you’re the uncle of one of my students?”
Part of me had expected some level of hesitation from Greyson, but there wasn’t any. “Not at all. Do you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I’m the librarian, so there’s that. But it’s not like you’re Tucker’s dad or anything. I think that would change things tremendously. Since that’s not the case, I have to believe that means this is okay, right?”
He nodded, a contemplative look on his face. “Yes, I think so. I don’t know what the rules are for you at school, but I don’t see any problem with this at all.”
“Tucker only has one more year there anyway, so it’s not as though this will be forever anyway,” I reasoned. “Do you think it’d bother him? Not that I’m suggesting you need to bring this up to him, not when we’re just trying to figure it out. I just mean… you know, in the long run, if things work out between us.”
Greyson smiled, and it was clear his mind had drifted to thoughts of his nephew. “Tucker’s an easy-going kid. Quite frankly, I could see him thinking this was something cool. Of course, I can admit that he might try to use this to his advantage, if he thinks that’s a possibility.”
I tipped my head to the side. “In what way?”
“Good grades. If there’s a chance he can swindle you for a better grade simply because he thinks he has an in with you, I wouldn’t put it past him.”
Laughter bubbled up inside me and spilled out. “I’ll consider myself warned. And I’m glad, with the exception of that, you believe everything will be fine for us and for Tucker.”
“I do. And I want to do everything I can to see to it that things stay on the right track for us, which leads me to another question. Unless, of course, you have more you want to discuss regarding Tucker, your job, and how us being together could impact any of that.”
“No. No, I think I’m good now that I’ve got your vote of confidence that it won’t be a problem.”
Greyson set his fork down, reached across the table, and covered my hand with his. “It feels good to know you trust my judgment.”
“Why wouldn’t I? You’ve done nothing to indicate that I shouldn’t.”
He squeezed my hand and dropped his gaze momentarily. “Fair enough.”
“So, what it is?”
After pulling his hand back and lifting his fork again, Greyson countered, “What is what?”
I picked up my glass and took a sip of my drink. “You said you wanted to see that things stay on the right track, which led you to having another question. I was curious what that question is.”
Greyson grinned. “Well, now that I brought it up a few minutes ago, I can’t stop thinking about some of these things. What is your favorite season?”
Something squeezed in the center of my chest.
Such a simple question, but it meant everything to me. Greyson hadn’t been kidding about wanting to learn what he could about me and prepared to do it immediately.
I sent a shy smile his way. “I think it might be spring.”
He leaned forward with interest. “Tell me more about that.”
So, that’s what I did.
And Greyson and I spent the rest of our dinner learning bits of details like that about one another. Best of all, Greyson seemed to enjoy himself as much as I had.
If I was honest, I didn’t want it to end. But eventually, our night wound down.
It had been hours since he arrived to pick me up at my place, and as Greyson walked me to my front door, it still felt like those hours hadn’t been nearly enough time with him. For someone who cherished sleep as much as I did, it was the last thing on my mind. I’d have been content to trade hours of it for just one more hour talking to him.
“This was wonderful tonight, Greyson. I had such a lovely time with you.”
We had come to a stop at my front door, and we’d turned to face one another. Greyson brought his hands to my hips and squeezed before he slid them around my waist and tugged me toward him. “I expected tonight would go really well, and I’m happy to say it far exceeded all my expectations.”
I smiled at him, feeling my body melt deeper into his. “Does that mean you want to see me again?”
“If you’re free tomorrow, I’d love nothing more than to make it happen that quickly.”
There was nothing I wanted more than to be able to see him tomorrow. “Tomorrow works for me. What do you want to do?”
“Anything you want.”
I considered the possibilities. “Well, it’s supposed to be nice weather. Warm, they say. And I really enjoyed talking to you tonight. Maybe we could go for a walk in the park tomorrow and do a bit more of that.”
One of Greyson’s arms tightened around my waist. He lifted the opposite hand to the side of my face, where he captured a lock of my hair between his fingers. For a few beats, his eyes were fixed on his fingers in my hair, and I wondered what he was thinking as he played with it. When he returned his attention to my face, he smiled. “I’ll take you to the park. I’ll even push you on a swing, if you want.”
I hadn’t sat on a swing in years, but the moment Greyson offered, I wanted to do nothing else.
I must have been wearing my excitement on my face. “It sounds like I’m in for a wild ride.”
He tucked that lock of hair behind my ear, leaned in close, and whispered, “Buckle up, Cierra. Because if I have anything to say about it, this ride is never going to stop.”
My heart hammered; my belly dipped. There was so much promise in his voice, in his words. I didn’t trust myself to speak, didn’t know what to say. So, I flattened my palms on his chest and pressed my fingertips in as I brushed my lips lightly against his.
Greyson gave me all of a few seconds to enjoy that before he took over, capturing my mouth in a possessive kiss I wouldn’t soon forget.
It was the best night I’d had in a very long time.