Chapter 10
Kiersten
There are many reasons why I rarely drink, but mainly it’s because of the morning after.
The throbbing headache, the queasy stomach, and the foggy haze that takes hours to get over.
But the absolute worst is remembering all the stupid things I did or said while I was partaking in said drinking and the regret that came with it.
Sadly, I wasn’t thinking about that when I was partying with the girls, and I drank a few too many.
I also wasn’t thinking when I got upset with Grayson and drank even more—much, much more.
I hadn’t even opened my eyes the following morning when the dread washed over me.
My head was pounding, my mouth felt like it was full of cotton, and I felt like I was going to be sick.
I cracked my eyes open, just enough to see that it was daylight, and that’s when I realized I was alone in Grayson’s bed.
I eased up from the bed with a groan, then wiped the sleep from my eyes with an even louder groan.
I felt like absolute death, and seeing that there was no sign of Grayson didn’t make me feel any better.
I tossed the covers back and was about to get out of bed when I noticed there was a bottle of water and two Tylenol sitting on the bedside table.
I reached for them both, and after I’d swallowed the pain relievers, I forced myself out of bed.
I was in desperate need of a shower, so I went into the bathroom and turned on the water.
I slowly removed my clothes, then stepped into the shower and dipped my head under the hot water.
I just stood there and let the warmth cascade down over me as I rehashed the night before.
I was having such a good time with Grayson, his brothers, and their ol’ ladies.
I couldn’t remember enjoying myself more with a group of strangers.
They treated me like I belonged there—like I was one of them.
I think that’s why it hurt so much when Grayson thought I’d lied to him and stormed off without giving me a chance to explain.
It hurt even more when he didn’t try to convince me that I was wrong when I said we’d made a mistake when we didn’t end things after that night in the bar.
I knew it was a stupid thing to say. I didn’t really mean it.
I was just drunk and being dramatic, but clearly, he found some truth in what I said.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have left me in the bed alone—which made me wonder where he’d ended up sleeping last night.
My mind immediately went to the scantily dressed bartender who was basically throwing herself at him at the party.
The thought of him ending up in her bed had my heart hammering in my chest. I quickly finished my shower and got out to dry off.
Since I hadn’t packed a bag, I had no choice but to put on my dirty clothes—which didn’t exactly help my state of mind.
I towel dried my hair and charged out of the bathroom to hunt down Grayson, only to find him standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. “How ya feeling this morning?”
“I’ve been better. You?”
“The same.”
“Hmmm.” I placed my hand on my hip and glared back at him. “So, ah... where did you end up last night?”
“You mean after you told me that us seeing each other was a mistake?”
“Oh, so you’re going to play it like that?”
“I’m not playing anything. I’m not the one who said it.”
“Just tell me where you were.”
“Where do you think I was?”
“I have no idea.” I was acting like a complete ass, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “Maybe you were with that hoochie-mama who was hitting on you last night.”
“Would it bother you if I was?”
“No,” I lied.
He cocked his eyebrow as he asked, “You sure about that?”
“Okay, fine!” I threw my hands up in the air. “Yes, it would bother me. I don’t like the idea of you being with someone else.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because I want you to be with me, Grayson. Is that what you want to hear?”
“Yeah, as a matter of fact, it is.”
“So, were you with her last night or not?”
“No, Kiersten. I slept on the couch in the family room alone.” He stepped over to me and slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. “I have no desire to be with her or anyone else. I only got eyes for one girl, and she’s standing right in front of me.”
Hearing those words from him hit me hard. Up until that moment, I hadn’t realized just how much he really meant to me. I rested my forehead on his chest and fought back my tears as I muttered, “I want you, too. More than I realized.”
“Does that mean you’re done with your little tantrum?”
“I wasn’t having a tantrum.”
“Um-hmm.” Grayson slipped his hand under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “I fucked up last night. I jumped to conclusions and didn’t hear you out. I won’t make that mistake again.”
“And I won’t get drunk and say things I don’t mean.”
“Fair enough.” Mischief danced in his eyes as he teased, “You really are cute when you get jealous.”
“Just shut up and kiss me.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Grayson brought his hand up to the nape of my neck, gently pulling me towards him as he lowered his mouth to mine.
It is impossible to explain how good it felt to be in his arms again.
I was like putty in his hands. His tongue drifted over my bottom lip, and with a slight whimper, I opened my mouth, giving him access to delve deeper.
Unconscious of my own movement, I leaned towards him, and in a matter of seconds, we were both lost in the moment.
There were no thoughts of our argument the night before or hesitations about the future. I knew I was right where I belonged.
Our hunger for each other escalated, causing the kiss to become wild and heated.
My hands wound around his neck, and my fingers raked through his thick, dark hair as I moaned into his mouth.
I was becoming completely lost in the moment when Grayson stepped back, breaking our embrace.
There was no missing the sexual frustration in his voice as he said, “You’re gonna have to stop that shit right now. ”
“What?”
“Don’t play innocent with me, woman.” He motioned his head towards the door as he said, “The guys are out there waiting for us, and you’re in here trying to take advantage of me.”
“Taking advantage of you?” Grayson never seemed to disappoint with his crazy sense of humor. I shook my head and giggled. “I’d never dream of doing something so outlandish.”
“Um-hmm.” He gave me a playful wink. “Grab your stuff, babe. We need to get going before Viper blows a gasket.”
“Okay. Just give me a minute.” I rushed into the bathroom and quickly combed through my wet hair, then pulled it back into a quick braid. Once I was done, I came back out and said, “All set.”
Grayson took me by the hand and led me out of the room, then down the hall and out the back door. When we got to the parking lot, Viper and Lynch were already there waiting for us, and from the expression on Viper’s face, he looked eager to go. “You two ready to roll out?”
“Ready when you are.”
Viper gave Grayson a nod, and then he and Lynch got on their motorcycles.
Grayson gave me my helmet, and once I had it secured, we got on his Harley and followed Viper and Lynch out of the parking lot.
Viper immediately sped ahead, making it clear that we weren’t out on a leisurely ride, and in what seemed like no time at all, we were pulling into Langford Manor.
Grayson quickly parked, and I’d barely gotten off the back of his bike when Viper came over and said, “It’s bigger than I thought. ”
Grayson smiled, and I knew he was itching to say something inappropriate. I gave him a stern look, warning him to keep his thoughts to himself, and then quickly turned to Viper and said, “Well, the entire property is just over forty acres, but we spend most of our time here focusing on production.”
“Okay, let’s see it.”
Viper wanted to jump right in. I shouldn’t have been surprised.
He’d been all business from the moment we met, and today was an important step in our partnership.
Unfortunately, I was still suffering from my hangover.
The Tylenol had done little to help my pounding headache, and my stomach was still doing summersaults.
There were moments when I feared it would get the best of me, but with a bit of pushing through, I managed to complete the entire tour without actually getting sick.
Viper seemed pleased when he came up to me and said, “I gotta say, you have quite an impressive place here.”
“I’m glad you think so.” During our tour, Viper mentioned that he and the boys needed to meet with Braylon and his team.
Actually, he mentioned it on more than one occasion—usually right after he grimaced over something he’d seen or heard.
Knowing he was eager to talk to him, I motioned my hand towards the office and smiled. “Braylon is waiting for you inside.”
“Good.” Before heading inside, he said, “This shouldn’t take long. Once I’m done, I’ll be heading back.”
“Take your time. Country can show Lynch to their living quarters when you’re done.” I knew I should go to the meeting, but I just didn’t have it in me. I was in desperate need of a change of clothes and possibly a nap, so I told him, “I’m going to go over to my place and freshen up a bit.”
“Good deal. You take care, and I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Sounds good.”
Once they headed inside, I went straight to my place, put on a pot of coffee, and hobbled into my room.
I changed into a pair of sweats, then drug myself back into the kitchen for my coffee.
As soon as I’d made a cup, I grabbed a box of crackers and carried them back into the bedroom.
I put them both on the bedside table, then crawled under the covers.
I’d barely rested my head on the pillow, and I was out.
I woke up later to the sound of someone clanking around in my kitchen. “Hello?”