14. CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 14
GRANT
I want to be a supportive boyfriend.
I don’t want to do anything to ruin this day for Scarlett.
It’s just that my protective instincts are surging again.
As I watch Scarlett fuss with her makeup, carefully patting some kind of skin-colored cream onto her bruised cheek, I want to pick her up and bring her back into the bedroom and tell her our plans for the day are off.
Not that I think that would go over too well with Scarlett at first, but I think I could convince her. Coax her with promises of foot rubs and snuggling on the couch and the series premiere of that new show she’s been talking about watching— Bachelors in the Bush , which sounds even more ridiculous than Love on the Farm , but I know I’ll watch it because Scarlett wants to.
If I carry Scarlett over to the bed and kiss her to distraction, maybe peel off her clothes and take my time kissing her everywhere, she might agree to call her boss and say she’s not feeling up to going back to work yet.
I could call Wyatt and tell him I need him to cover for me another day. He wouldn’t mind. And I’ve already decided I’m giving him a raise for stepping up while I’ve been staying home with Scarlett.
But I won’t, because I know how important this is to her.
Instead of staying here with Scarlett like I have the last week and a half, I’m taking her to Blade and Arrow while I head back to work. While I’m checking on Mrs. Plimpton’s shed, Scarlett will be starting her day working as a virtual nurse from the safety of one of the B and A offices.
It’s good for her. I know that. And there’s no reason to worry. She’ll be perfectly safe.
Scarlett was worried about her job once we determined it wasn’t really safe for her or her patients to be traveling to different, unsecured houses when there could potentially still be someone trying to hurt her. I felt terrible when she got all teary, worried about losing her job and not being able to pay her bills, and I was about two seconds from offering to cover all her expenses for her.
That would not have gone over well either.
But she talked with her boss, and fortunately they were able to come up with a solution. Until the threat to Scarlett is resolved, she’ll work remotely either from here or B and A, depending on whether I have to head to a job site or not.
So it’s a great solution. Except.
I don’t want to be away from Scarlett.
In the ten days we’ve been living together, I’ve discovered I like her being here. A lot. And while I’m used to being busy—rushing from one job to the next, working a shift at the station, getting in my daily workouts at Ian’s gym, long hikes whenever I can squeeze them in—having this quiet time with Scarlett has been even better than I imagined it could be.
When I’m with her, I don’t need to keep busy to block out the memories. They don’t seem to come as often when I have Scarlett beside me, and when they do, it doesn’t hurt as much. I can tell her about Zack and how funny he was instead of focusing on how much I miss him. I can show her photos of my old team without feeling like there’s a gaping hole inside me.
I never really understood before. When Cash got together with Ari, and Ben finally admitted his feelings for Thea, and then the big shocker—resolutely single Ian fell in love with Rose—I was happy for them, but I didn’t really understand.
Now I do. Scarlett’s so much more than a friend or a woman I care about. She’s someone I could actually see spending my life with.
Is it any wonder I’m so protective of her?
But I know how difficult it was for Scarlett; growing up with her father and brothers constantly trying to shield her from everything. It instilled an almost desperate need to be independent, and the last thing I want is to make her feel like I don’t support her.
So instead of trying one of the half-dozen methods I’ve come up with to convince Scarlett to stay home, I walk up behind her at the mirror and say, “You look beautiful, baby. And you’re going to be great today. ”
She sets the fluffy brush she was using on the counter and turns to face me. Her eyebrows arch up in concern as she asks, “Are you sure I look okay? The bruise isn’t too noticeable? I know it’s all through video, but I don’t want people to notice it.”
My hand twitches towards her cheek—it’s still slightly swollen, though much better than it used to be—but I don’t want to mess up whatever stuff she’s put on it to cover the bruise, so I tuck her hair behind her ear instead. “It’s not noticeable at all. You look gorgeous.”
Pleasure lights her eyes, turning them a brilliant sapphire. A hint of pink touches her cheeks. “Grant.”
“What? It’s true.” I kiss her before adding, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
A smile curves her rosebud lips. “You’re too sweet. And now I don’t want to go to work. I want to stay home with you.”
Framing her waist, I pull her towards me, letting our bodies brush against each other. As one hand slides down to cup her ass, her breath catches and a rosy flush moves across her cheeks. “We could stay home,” I reply, my voice going rough. “If you wanted to. I wouldn’t mind.”
I feel myself growing hard as the desire I’ve been tamping down while Scarlett recovers comes to life with a needy insistence.
It’s been an exquisite torture—holding Scarlett while she sleeps, cuddling her when she needs comfort, snuggling together on the couch each evening, feeling her perfect curves pressed up against me—wanting her so badly, but knowing she wasn’t ready. Not physically, at least.
Does she want to make love? Not sex, it would be much more than that. But does she want to be with me? I’m fairly certain she does, if her lingering glances when I get out of the shower or the way she wiggles her ass against me when we’re spooning in bed are any indication.
And then the other night, when our kissing got heated, Scarlett said, “You know. I was reading about concussions. And one article said you can get back into physical activity three to five days after. It’s been a week now. So… you know. If you wanted to do more than kiss…”
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” I told her gently. “But if I hurt you, I’d never forgive myself.”
Scarlett gave me the cutest pout, and it was all I could do not to fold and take her to bed right there and then. But three days ago she was still flinching at the overhead light in the kitchen, which made it too soon in my mind.
Now? I haven’t seen any light sensitivity for two days, and she swears her head doesn’t hurt at all. Her shoulder is still in a sling, but we could work around that.
Would we need to be careful? Yes.
Do I want to make love to her? More than anything.
“I want to stay home with you,” Scarlett says, making another one of those adorable pouts. “But I’m supposed to have a meeting with my new supervisor, and it wouldn’t look very good to postpone. Not when they’re doing me a favor with this job. ”
“I know.” Sternly commanding my body to stand down, I set her back a few inches and meet her gaze. “You need to get to work.”
“Yeah.” She casts a longing glance down at the bulge in my pants. “But maybe later…”
“Actually. That reminds me. I have a surprise for you later.”
“A surprise?”
“Yes. Something special.”
“Grant. You don’t have to do that.” Her tone is lightly scolding. “You already do so much—”
“Scarlett.” I catch her hand and bring it up to my lips, pressing a soft kiss to her palm. “I can never do too much. Not for you. And I want to do something special for you, just because. Is that okay?”
She stares at me for a second. Then she smiles, and her whole face lights up with it. “Yes. I suppose that’s okay.”
“Really, I was surprised how much I liked it.”
Scarlett’s been bubbling over with enthusiasm since I picked her up from Blade and Arrow, her face glowing as she tells me about her first day. And it’s such a relief—even though she texted me several times throughout the day to tell me everything was fine, I was still worried. All day, I kept thinking of all the things that could go wrong .
It could have been too soon to go back to work, albeit virtually, and Scarlett could have suffered a setback. She could have had an anxiety attack after leaving the place she’s felt safe at for the last week and half. The job could have been nothing like she was hoping, and she could have ended the day disappointed and stressed.
I didn’t tell her any of those things, of course. And on the drive home, Scarlett clearly not stressed, suffering a setback, or disappointed, it’s clear my worrying was for nothing.
“It’s not the same as in person, of course,” Scarlett continues, glancing at me from the passenger seat. “I love seeing the patients in person, but these patients, the way it works, they can contact their care team any time throughout the day. So one woman, she was really feeling anxious because her family hadn’t gotten there yet. She said even though she thought it would be weird talking to me on a screen, it really helped and she didn’t feel as lonely. Stressed. So that was really nice.”
Reaching over, I take her hand and give it a little squeeze. “I’m so glad you had a good day. And I knew you’d be great.”
“I wasn’t sure, going into it. But I don’t think I’ll mind this. And it was nice seeing Maya and Clara on my lunch break.” As I turn down the winding gravel driveway that leads to my cabin, Scarlett adds, “But I still like being here better. B and A is nice, and I like everyone there, but here… it’s peaceful. Plus, you’re here.”
Years of navigating my driveway allow me to steer one-handedly, so I don’t have to let go of Scarlett’s hand. “I like it here, too. Especially with you here.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Scarlett smiling. And something about this moment; driving her home after work, talking about our days, holding her hand… it feels so perfect my heart feels like it’s on the verge of exploding.
Once we get to the house and pull into the garage, I turn off the car and turn to her. “Okay. Are you ready for your surprise?”
Her gaze sweeps around the interior of the garage. “Is it in here?” Teasingly, she asks, “Did you buy me a shovel for the winter? Or a rake to help with all the leaves?”
Chuckling, I reply, “No. I was planning on using the lawn mower, but if you want to help rake instead…”
Shaking her head, she laughs. “No, thanks. With all the trees you have out here, it would take days. I’ll ride on the mower with you, though.”
“It’s not in the garage,” I tell her with a grin. “But you’ll see soon enough.”
When we get to the front door and I’ve disarmed the series of complicated locks, a rare flutter of nerves strikes me.
Planning this, I thought it would be something Scarlett would like. But really, what do I know about romance and surprises? I should have called Ari or Thea or Rose and asked their opinion. I would have, except there was a part of me that wanted to prove I could do this myself. That I didn’t need help to do something special for the woman I’m falling for .
As I open the door, Scarlett tucked against my side, my pulse leaps. “It’s nothing big. Just something I thought might be nice. But I don’t really know what I’m doing…”
A moment later, she gasps.
Her head on a swivel, she scans the living room, taking it all in.
I already saw everything when I was setting it up, but now I look at the room again, trying to imagine what Scarlett is thinking.
There are dozens of flowers arranged in clear glass vases; adding splashes of pink and red throughout the room. Hundreds of battery-operated tea lights are scattered on every possible surface, and now that I’m looking at them from a distance, they really do look like actual candles like I’d hoped they would.
Initially, I’d thought of going with real candles, but then the logistics of it—lighting all of them while still trying to keep it a surprise, watching them burn down too soon—made these seem like a good alternative.
Did I spend more money than I ever imagined on fake candles? Yes.
Was it worth it, judging from the expression on Scarlett’s face? Absolutely, yes.
I grab the fireplace remote from the table beside the front door and click it on, and several seconds later, the fireplace comes to life in a rush of amber and gold. The glow of the fire illuminates the cushions and pillows I arranged in front of it; a sort of hybrid bed slash lounge area I got the idea for from searching online for romantic date ideas.
To the side of the cushions, a large, wooden tray holds wine glasses, a bottle of Scarlett’s favorite Pinot Noir, and a box of Lake Champlain truffles, which I know are her favorite treat to splurge on. And tucked behind the box of chocolates, there’s another, smaller box, this one in a deep shade of purplish-blue.
Scarlett grabs my hand as she steps into the room. “Grant.” Voice thick with emotion, her gaze jumps to mine. “You did all this?”
“It’s not much,” I start. “Just some flowers and—”
“Not much?” Her voice lilts up. “This is… it’s beautiful, Grant. All the flowers. And the candles… there are so many…” She walks towards the fireplace, leaning over to inspect the wooden tray. “And you got my favorite chocolates. And the wine. And—”
As she notices the small box beside them, and she turns back to me. “Grant?”
I hadn’t decided when I’d give Scarlett her gift, but now I can’t wait.
With another jitter of nerves, I lead her over to the cushions and sit down beside her. Taking the box in my hand, I hold it out to her as I say, “I’ve been wanting to get you something special. A real gift. Not something between friends, but something a man gives to the woman he’s—”
Dating? That doesn’t seem like a strong enough description. But to say something more …
Is it too soon?
But as I look into Scarlett’s wide, blue eyes, my heart insists on the truth.
“What?” There’s a hesitant note in her voice.
“The woman he’s falling for.” It comes out in a rush. “I’m falling for you, Scarlett. And maybe it’s too soon to say it. But it’s how I feel.”
Her features freeze for a moment, and my heart plummets to my feet.
Shit. It was too soon.
Then she smiles, and it’s like the sun rising in the morning, warm and glowing and filled with hope. “I’m falling for you, too.”
Oh. This feeling.
Leaning forward, I capture her lips with mine. The kiss is tender at first, but quickly grows more passionate as she opens for me and I plunge inside. Stroking and teasing and tasting, we come together in a collision of pent-up nerves and breathless need.
Scarlett comes up on her knees and grabs the back of my neck, tugging me closer to her. Pressed against each other, I can feel her heart racing and the soft swell of her breasts and her nipples tightening into hard peaks.
I tunnel my fingers through her hair, tilting her head back and taking the kiss even deeper. I make love to her mouth, devouring her, showing Scarlett all the things I’d like to do to her. All the pleasure I want to give her .
Only when Scarlett pulls away gasping do I realize we forgot to breathe.
Then I look at her, and I stop breathing again.
This Scarlett—golden hair slightly messy, desire darkening her eyes, cheeks flushed and lips rosy and kiss-swollen—literally takes my breath away with her beauty.
I’m beyond hard; I'm throbbing with a relentless need.
I want to feel Scarlett’s naked body against mine. Kiss her everywhere. Feel her wrapped around me; joined completely.
But I keep reminding my body to calm down. To wait. Just because I want Scarlett more than anything doesn't mean it should happen now.
“Grant.” It’s low. Sultry. Her pupils dilate until there’s just a tiny ring of blue around them.
I take a steadying breath. “What, baby?”
“I don’t want to wait anymore.” Before I can respond, she continues, “I know you wanted to be careful. But I’m okay. I know my body, I wouldn’t do anything foolish. I just…” Her cheeks flush a brighter pink. “I wanted to before. And now… I just want to be with you. In every way we can be.”
While my body shouts at me to say yes, my brain still needs to be sure.
“What about your shoulder? Your head?”
“My head is fine. And as long as we’re careful, my shoulder will be, too.”
“But you just went back to work. It might be too much—”
Her delicate features are set with determination. “It’s not. ”
Shit, I want her so badly. But I have this whole thing set up…
“Dinner,” I blurt. “It’s in the oven. Warming. I got lasagna from Antonio’s. I thought we’d eat, and have wine, and—”
“Grant.” She holds my gaze. “Do you want this? With me?” A fine line forms between her brows. “Or did I get this all wrong?”
Shit. In my attempt to do the right thing, I’m ruining this.
“No, baby. You didn’t get it wrong.” And I cast all my good intentions to the side and give in to my desires instead.
As I carefully take off her top, I continue, “I want you. So much. I was trying to take things slow. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
She blows out a relieved breath. “I know. But you won’t.”
Ah, shit. Her bra. It’s black and lacy and sheer enough that I can see the outline of her nipples through the fabric. My voice goes rough as I ask, “Did you wear this on purpose? For me?”
“Do you like it?”
I lower my mouth to her breast, suckling at one taut nipple, laving and lapping at it with my tongue. Scarlett lets out a low moan and arches toward me, her head falling back, eyes fluttering to half-mast.
After I’ve given the same attention to her other nipple, I release it with a small pop. “I love it, baby. But you know what?”
She drags her eyes open to meet my gaze. “What?”
“I think I’d like you even more without it.”
“Oh.” Her lips curve up. “Then take it off.” A pause, and then, “In fact. I think we should take everything off. Don’t you? ”
I don’t hesitate. “Yes. I think that’s an excellent idea.”
And when Scarlett’s laid out on the cushions, completely naked, I know it was an excellent idea.
Before, I thought I knew how incredible she’d look, but the reality is so much more than that.
As I kiss my way up her legs to her softly curving hips, I can’t get over how soft her skin is. How perfect it feels against my lips.
I find each tiny freckle and kiss it tenderly—the one just below her right breast, the one on her inner thigh, and the tiny constellation of them on each shoulder.
When I spread her legs and lower my head between them, I discover trimmed, golden curls and velvety pink skin and the way her stomach quivers as I kiss her down there…
It’s incredible.
I plunge one finger inside her, then two, pumping them in and out in rhythm with my tongue. Scarlett makes this sexy sound—half moan, half whimper—and her inner muscles flutter around my fingers. She’s close, her hips jerking, breath coming in quick gasps, and she grabs my hair, tugging it lightly.
“Grant.” Her tone is urgent, and I pull back, fear shooting through me— shit, is this too much? Should we have waited —but she adds, “I want you inside me. This is amazing. But our first time? I want to finish together.”
I’m not going to argue with that.
“Anything you want,” I tell her. “And I can’t wait to feel you wrapped around me. So tight and wet and velvety soft.” I trail my fingers along her breasts and down her belly, watching the muscles in her belly quiver. “So responsive.”
With her good arm, she guides me to her, her slender fingers stroking and using just the right amount of pressure. The relentless ache increases, pressure coiling inside me. My skin feels hot and tight and every touch sends sizzles of electricity through my body.
After only a few strokes, I’m ready to burst. “Scarlett, baby.” I still her hand, catching it gently with mine. “I want to be inside you, too.”
I’m braced over her with one arm, and I lean in to kiss her tenderly. She brushes my cheek, her touch feather-light against my skin. On an exhale, she whispers, “I can’t wait to feel you inside me.”
I thought it would be something special; making love to Scarlett. But it’s beyond special.
As I plunge deep inside her, filling her completely, I’m hit with an absolute certainty.
This is what I’ve been waiting for.
Each time I sink into Scarlett’s welcoming heat, it’s perfection.
Everything about her is perfect, really.
Her soft moans and cries as she flies closer to the edge.
The flush of excitement across her cheeks and chest.
The way she looks at me.
How she makes me feel. Like she’s the piece I’ve been missing.
It’s more intense than anything I’ve felt in my life .
And when she finally goes careening off the cliff, clutching at me, moaning, “Grant, yes. Oh, yes ,” that’s all it takes for me to finish right along with her.
Once we’re cleaned up and snuggled together in front of the fire, I reach for the forgotten jewelry box again. Opening it, I hold it out to Scarlett, saying with a smile, “We got distracted earlier. But I don’t want to forget to give you this.”
She looks into the box and her mouth drops open. “Grant!”
Even though we’ve just made love and I told Scarlett I’m falling for her, my heart still stutters a little. “I thought… it just seemed to fit you.”
It’s a delicate platinum rose pendant with a small diamond set at the center of the petals. I had the idea weeks ago, but it took hours of searching before I found the right one. “Since you got me watching all those shows,” I explain. “And your favorite is The Bachelor , with all those roses. I thought… well. I’d give my rose to you. Every time.”
Scarlett stares at me for a second, and then tears spring to her eyes. “Grant. I love it. I can’t believe…” She kisses me hard. “It’s perfect. I love it.”