41. Greyson
A Few Minutes Prior
I was scared.
That was the beginning and end of my disappearing act with True and Noah this morning. I didn’t know how to sit on the sidelines and not be everything somebody needed, so I ran away. Looking back on it, it was shitty, especially when I remembered I’d promised True breakfast in bed. Somehow, realizing I’d broken a promise to her felt worse than watching her without knowing how to help.
I didn’t fall for people often, and every time I did, it was a mind fuck trying to get out of my own way to enjoy it. Now, I was falling for two people. At the same fucking time, and I didn’t think my compartmentalizing brain knew what to make of that.
After standing in line for five minutes, I moved up and looked at the man smiling behind the counter.
Sincere Davenport.
“Hey, what can I get started for you?” His hand was already poised over the register’s keys, waiting for my order.
“Can you tell me what True usually gets here? I want to get her favorites.” My eyes fell from the chalkboard menu behind the counter.
Sincere smiled, wiping his hands over his blue apron. “Yea, no problem. It’s either the cookie butter or lavender latte when she comes in.”
“I’ll take both.”
All he gave me was a nod. “Hot or iced?”
“Both.”
“For each?” He tilted his head and looked at me skeptically.
“Yea, one iced and one hot for each. I don’t know which one she’ll want.”
A brief frown lit his face before he punched the necessary keys. “Anything else?”
“What pastries does she get?”
It wasn’t lost on me that I was asking somebody else for True’s favorites, and I ignored the pinch of frustration that followed while I looked over the glass showcase of sweets. I vaguely remembered her telling me something about a cinnamon roll. But that didn’t help me when this place had no less than ten different kind.
Sincere slid me an easy smile. “She usually gets a red velvet cinnamon roll, a cheese Danish, or a salted caramel cookie.”
“I’ll take all three.” Noah could eat whatever True didn’t want today.
Once I paid, Sincere went to get my order and I turned to look around the shop, taking in the details. I’d only driven past this place a few times, but I’d never been inside. The vibe was mellow and the few customers in here were quietly working.
A staircase on the far left wall led to the second floor and shared a connected space with the bookstore next door. I got that from the sign near the first step. There was an arrow pointing up and it simply read “More seating and books.”
A smile tugged at my lips. I could see why True liked this place. She liked anything cozy.
Dark honeycomb tile covered the floor and part of the walls, the gold grout adding color to the space.
There were small, hand-painted honeybees on every fifth tile and I wanted to know if that was symbolic of something.
I never got to ask because Sincere called across the bakery for my attention. A paper bag and four coffee cups sat on the counter, waiting for me.
He shot me another pleasant smile. “Do you want me to help you carry these to her?”
“What?” My brow furrowed and so did his.
“She’s next door. I saw her walk in a while ago and when I went to take Goldyn lunch, she was still there.”
Oh ?
“I can help you take them to her,” he offered again.
“Nah, a cup holder is fine.”
I’d been in Bliss Peak long enough to know Sincere was taken, three times over. And yet, the thought of anybody but me hand-delivering True’s favorite things had my blood running hot in my veins. I wanted to be the one who gave her this.
With a nod, he reached under the counter and pulled a cupholder out. Then he sat each cup inside. “There you go. See you next time.”
I gathered everything in my hands and dropped a cash tip in the box by the register. When I walked through the door leading to the book store, my eyes found True right away.
She was hard to miss and I took my time appreciating her before she noticed I was here. It was becoming my favorite thing to do.
There she was.
In brown corduroy pants, a cream sweater and brown leather loafers she seemed to like more than most things. Her red hair was back in its naturally curly state and pulled into a puff at the top of her head.
She was so beautiful.
“Okay and how will you be paying for this today?” Goldyn’s voice snapped me into action and I was rushing to close the distance before True could reach in her pocket.
True’s expression went from shock to smug in a matter of seconds once I put the money on the counter.
“Just so you know, I was gonna use your credit card before you swooped in here.”
Fuck. She wanted to spend my money. Why did that turn me on?
“And now you can use it for something else because I still don’t want it back.” I kissed her nose. She let me.
True went to get Ms. Ruby and I ran my gaze over the bags of books we needed to take to the car. When she was back at the counter, I gave her the cup holder and grabbed all the bags. She didn’t protest and let me lead her and her grandma outside to my truck.
“It’s gonna snow,” Ms. Ruby said as True helped her into the SUV. “I can feel it in my hip.”
It did snow. A full week earlier than the town had been expecting. The first flurries came down when True and I passed the resort on our way home four hours ago.
Now, we were on the living room floor while a fire Noah started, burned in the fireplace. Noah was in his room. Duchess was on the lowest level of her cat tree in the corner of the living room, knocked out. And True sat in front of me, with her legs crossed and a tipsy smile on her face.
There wasn’t a feeling I could name to rival how I felt now that everyone was under one roof. Me, Noah, True and Duchess. Even without us being in the same room, something in me felt settled. At peace.
“Do you want to see the books you bought me today?” True grabbed the bags, tugging at their handles before I could reply and I watched it all with a lazy smile.
After taking Ms. Ruby home, she convinced us to stay for a late lunch. Lunch turned into three hours with True’s grandparents around a kitchen table, telling me things I never would have thought to ask her. The more I learned, the more questions I tucked away to ask her when we were alone.
True had sat there, laughing quietly at the stories they told me about her childhood and college years, and I ate it up, feeling closer to her every time they started another story. Before we walked in, True had hung back a step, cornering me on the porch while Lady ran circles around our feet.
“Are you sure you want to stay? I know you only like eating at home. I can tell them we have to go.”
“Red, I trust your grandmother’s kitchen over most restaurants in this country. We’re staying. I wanna spend time with them.” I kissed her quickly. “And you.”
The rustling of paper bags pulled me to the present moment, forcing me to focus on the woman with a wine glass in one hand and a book in the other. “This is Pucking Around . It’s thick as hell, but Goldyn said it’s good and I trust her.”
She went through five different books and I watched her in silence.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m processing everything I learned about you today.”
A shadow of uneasiness flickered over her face. “Is it too much?”
“Is what too much?”
“What you learned about me today,” True clarified, leaving the books behind and coming to straddle my lap.
“Why would it be too much?”
“You left because I had a night terror.” She shrugged. “And maybe it’s because things got too real for you.”
“That’s not entirely true.”
She dropped her head to the side and studied me. “But it is partially true?”
“Yea,” I admitted, guilt coloring my words. “And I’m sorry. I panicked. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want this.”
True tried to shrug again, but this time it didn’t come off casual. “You’re a very together person , Greyson. Nothing seems to get under your skin. That’s not who I am.”
“That’s not who I want you to be.” I pulled her face closer to mine. “And you get under my skin, Red. Every fucking day. And I like it.”
She didn’t look convinced. “Hmm. Maybe I can sleep in my own bed and we can keep this casual. We don’t have?—”
“Finish that sentence, Red. I dare you.”
“Or what?” A mischievous twitch of her lips told me she knew exactly what she was doing asking me that, and my hands dug into her hips harder, making her stationary in my lap. My dick came to life like it did every time she was near. When she realized she couldn’t move, her tongue darted over her lips before her teeth sank into her bottom lip.
“Or I’ll fuck that doubt out of you and give your mouth something to do besides test me.”
This woman fucking grinned at me. “You’re right…I do get under your skin.”
Pulling in a breath, I grabbed her face, locking us in a stare that warmed me from the inside out.
“Kids?”
“Huh?”
“Do you want kids?”
“I understood the question, Grey.” Her brown eyes rolled. “But why are you asking me now?”
“Because I want to know everything about you. Seemed like a good time.” I shifted my hips, pushing my erection against her. Those pretty brown eyes rolled for a different reason this time.
“One day,” she said on a sharp breath. “I’m not in a rush.”
“You’d make a great mom,” I told her, moving my mouth over hers in a slow kiss.
“Hmm,” True hummed against my lips, pulling back. “Why don’t you like eating at restaurants?”
“Got food poisoning once in eighth grade, never wanted anything but home-cooked food after that.”
“That makes so much sense,” she said on a quiet laugh.
“Why do you use a pen name?”
Roxanne Sapphire herself giggled at the question but pursed her lips to answer. “It’s silly. Before I knew I wanted to stick with it, I chose a name so I could fail quietly if I wasn’t successful.” She shook her head. “And that pen name has made the past year a whole lot easier. I can fade in and out whenever I want because nobody knows my real name.”
“And you like that?”
“I like that I control it,” she answered evenly.
“Control is important to you?”
“In some areas. Other times, I like it when other people are in control.”
“Other times like when?”
“Other times like when I’m under you.” She ran a hand over my stubbled jaw. “This is sexy…”
I stared at her, my fingers still holding her in place on top of me. True’s ability to leave me speechless in the middle of a conversation needed to be studied. It had to be some form of witchcraft.
“Your dominance is sexy, Greyson.” Her nails skimmed my skin, igniting electricity that shot down my spine. “I don’t let everybody do the things you do to me, but I love it when you’re in control.”
“Red.” Her nickname was the first—and only—sound I thought to make, and she smirked.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“About?”
“That time you found me in the woods. Would you chase me?”
“I told you, never without your consent. Your limits and safe word come before anything. Because what do you want to happen when I catch you?”
Her breath hitched at that question and satisfaction simmered low in my chest. My body always responded so hungrily to the effect I had on her.
“Are you going to run until I catch you or give up and beg for mercy? Do you want a fight? Or do you want me to use you however I want? Do you want me to punish you? Do you want it to hurt? If I told you to get on your fucking knees and undo my pants, would it be too much? Would you let me fuck your throat in the woods until I came?”
I drew in a breath, watching her pupils stretch and her breathing change. Just like that day in the woods.
“There are a lot of variables, True. And a lot of them depend on you. Nah. All of them depend on you. But once we have that conversation, all you have to do is tell me you want it.”
“All I have to do is tell you I want it,” she echoed.
When my dick ached from being trapped beneath her without release, I let go of her hips.
True’s eyes clashed with mine. “We’re done with the questions?”
With a dry laugh, I nodded and tapped her hip, silently telling her to get up. “Yea, we’re done with the questions. Let’s go to bed, Red.”