61. True
“That whiskey I gave you yesterday wasn’t your gift.” Greyson tested the strap of my boots and dropped my foot back on the floor.
The thick sole of my leather boot landed on his bedroom rug with a thud as he turned away from me.
“Your real gift is out here.”
My eyes followed his finger as he pointed out of his large window, overlooking the path to my cabin and the woods beyond it.
“Greyson,” I chuckled, “You did not hide my gift in the woods.” Denial crept into my tone, and my neck flushed from the thought of having to look for it while he looked for me.
The snow had stopped for a couple days, but there was at least six inches of it still on the ground around our cabins. I knew the woods would be even worse since no tires had broken it up.
Now I wouldn’t only be running, I’d be looking for something too?
“Don’t tell me what I didn’t do, True.” His hand collared my neck, yanking me closer.
I could feel my heart thud against all the layers of clothes I had on and swallowed hard when his fingers flexed.
“Okay…” A thrill shot through me at what was coming. Because I didn’t know what Greyson planned to do to me when he caught me.
I fidgeted with a button on my overcoat, hoping it was enough to keep me semi-warm outside. I had on a black turtleneck, fleece-lined tights and a bright red, suede skirt under it. Not a lot of clothes for winter, but I told myself the cardio would keep me warm.
“I feel like you need a reminder, so listen carefully.” He plucked the earmuffs from my ears so I could hear him, and I swore my breaths were getting further apart. “You can run as far and as long as you want, but when I catch you, you’re mine, Red.”
Greyson’s hand flexed again and he used his strength to drag me flush against him.
The pressure around my throat lessened when we met eyes. He studied me silently, his dark orbs fixed on the pulse point at the base of my throat. “You said you wanted a fight. And you said you wanted it to hurt,” he clipped out, jogging my memory of the boundaries we’d put in place when we talked last week.
I said I was open to everything and he told me that was too vague.
Then he pulled out a list and read me every item on it, checking the boxes I agreed to and triple checking that I was sure.
If Greyson was nothing else, he was thorough. And it made me trust him more. Made me want to test my limits with him because I knew he didn’t do anything by halves.
With a gulp, I held his gaze, determined not to cower.
“If I catch you and you try to run from me again, remember it’s just us in those woods, True. The only person who will hear you scream is me, and I’m going to love every fucking second of it.”
Chills skated over my body at the reminder. Noah had gone out to lunch with his sister. Besides Duchess, it was just us in this house and it would be just us in those woods.
You can run as far and as long as you want, but when I catch you, you’re mine, Red.
Emboldened by his promise, I asked, “What kind of box is the gift in?”
He studied me as his lip curled into a devious smile. “Now, why would I tell you that, Red?”
My brows pinched, my bold facade cracking a little. “So I know what to look for.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” His question was calculated. Taunting. Irritating.
We weren’t even outside yet and I was already losing my cool.
Kissing my teeth, I cut my eyes and looked away from him.
Without warning, his hand was gone from my neck and he was reaching in his pocket. When I heard what sounded like dice colliding, my intrigued stare fell to his hand.
There were two dice sitting in his palm, the pips on all sides a deep red instead of the usual black.
“What are those for?” I asked as he placed them in my hand.
“Roll them.”
“Why?”
Greyson shot me a sidelong glance. “To see how much of a head-start I give you before I come looking for you.”
There was something dark and ominous in his tone that made my fist close around the dice. My palm was clammy out of nowhere, and I didn’t want them to slip against the moisture and give me snake eyes if I wasn’t careful. I needed more than two minutes to get away from him.
Greyson was on my heels as I walked over to the closest flat surface, his nightstand.
Shaking the dice, I exhaled and released them, closely watching them roll until they landed in their final position.
Three on the right. One on the left.
“Four minutes,” Greyson announced over my shoulder. “From the time you leave my room when I say run .”
My pulse thumped harder in my chest.
Four minutes . Then he was coming to get me.
Anticipation tied my tongue in knots, but I looked up at him with a subtle curve of my lips.
“Four minutes,” he repeated. “Let’s see how far you get, Red.”
His hand wound around the back of my head through my braids, the pressure of his touch grounding, even as my heart tried to leap out of my chest.
“Safe word?”
“Whiskey,” I breathed, falling into the depth of his nearly black gaze.
“And if your mouth is busy?”
Instead of speaking, I extended my hand, tapping his forearm three times in the signal we had agreed on.
Greyson gave me an approving wink. “Good girl.”
In the next second, he kissed me deeply, murmuring, “I love you. Remember that, ” against my lips.
The words were so soft, I almost thought I imagined them.
I blinked and his hands were no longer on me. He was a few feet away from me, watching me silently.
He glanced at his watch.
Then back at me.
Adrenaline surged through me, waiting for his next words.
“Run, Red.”
The first time I ran from Greyson, I didn’t know he was chasing me.
All I’d known was that there was somebody in the trees with me and I needed to get away from them. Leaves and branches had crunched under my feet while I tried to escape. Those same leaves had crunched under Greyson’s shoes, warning me that he was closing in on me.
This time, there was nothing but silence and the sound of my breathing.
This time, I didn’t know where the fuck I was going or how the fuck I was getting there.
Once I got past a certain point, I couldn’t remember the path I’d taken the first time, but I wasn’t about to stop and make it easier for Grey to find me.
No more than two minutes could have passed since I sprinted out of his room. Or maybe my sense of time was warped. I wanted to kick myself for not pacing myself.
My lungs already burned from exhaustion, and I was still close enough to my cabin to see it through the barren trees.
Running through snow wasn’t as easy as I thought, no matter how pliant it was under my feet.
It took effort to pull my legs up on every stride and frustration was trying to worm its way into my brain, telling me I wouldn’t be able to run from him.
As I ran, I scanned what I could see of the ground in front of me, careful not to pass the gift Greyson claimed he left for me out here.
So far, I hadn’t seen anything resembling the gift boxes they’d given me before, so I kept moving, trying to at least reach a running pace before he was on my trail.
Thanks to the footprints I’d left in the snow, he wouldn’t have to try hard to find me. Maybe that’s why he wanted to give me a head start.
Pulling in a lungful of cold air, a panicked huff left me when I turned in a circle and everything looked the same in every direction.
Tall trees. No leaves. Snow blanketing the forest floor.
My thighs ached, but I kept running.
My chest burned, but I kept running.
Desperate and directionless.
“It had to be four minutes by now,” I mused, only slowing to a jog to catch my breath.
But apparently, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and I stumbled over my own feet, falling knees-first into the icy snow.
“Red?” The first sound of Greyson’s baritone had me scrambling back to my feet.
He was not catching me on my knees. My pride wouldn’t allow it.
“Fuck!” I hissed, pushing myself up on my hands, ignoring the bite of cold through my gloves.
A cramp formed behind my ribcage and I forced myself to breathe past it, adopting a jog again to get away from the man chasing me.
“Reddddd, is that you, baby?” His voice came out sing-songy and it was more taunting than playful.
My stomach lurched and fear added speed where sheer will alone wouldn’t.
I couldn’t hear anything but his voice, his footfalls were too light to track, and I refused to look over my shoulder to check how close he was.
“You can run, baby. But when I find you, remember what I promised you.”
His voice sounded closer than before.
Shit .
Using the last burst of energy I had on reserve, I broke into a sprint.
“How long are we gonna do this, Red?” A rumble of laughter followed his question. He didn’t even sound like he was winded. “You know I can see you, right? Turn around, baby…”
“No!” I yelled, eyes forward. The trees passed me in a blur.
He hadn’t caught me yet. This wasn’t over.
Running in a zig zag, I almost tripped again, but I righted myself by hugging a tree trunk instead of toppling face first into it.
The move slowed me down and when I pulled away from the tree, I collided with a solid wall against my back.
Fuck. Why was he so silent?
I didn’t get to form another thought before his hand was fastened over my mouth and his other hand wrapped around my shoulders and chest from behind, dragging me back where we had come from.
I kicked my legs, but he was so strong, they flailed in the air while he effortlessly dragged me through the snow.
“That was too easy, Red.”
Whimpering, I tried to bite his palm, but all I succeeded in doing was licking it.
“You lasted eight minutes, I’m proud of you.”
I didn’t want his backhanded praise. I wanted to run.
Jerking my head, I managed to free my mouth from his hold and spat, “Fuck you! Let me go!”
His hand found its way back to my mouth, closing around it tighter. My muffled screams made laughter rumble in his chest and the vibrations against my back sent me on another kicking spree.
Greyson let me flail against the air, holding me captive without much effort. After a while, he set me back on the ground and I didn’t notice until my feet were kicking up chunks of white powdery snow.
I was wearing myself out. He knew that and he was letting me. A sharp tug against my braids and I was hissing again, the sound not enough to make Greyson show me mercy.
“ Oww ,” I whimpered, sagging against him.
“What did I tell you was gonna happen when I caught you, True?”
“I—” He yanked my hair harder, until my head snapped back and I was forced to look up at him over my shoulder.
There was a vicious glint in his eyes and heat gathered at my center.
I was almost ashamed of how wet I would be if he reached between my legs right now.
“Let me go…please.” I tried to make my voice meek, but Greyson wasn’t buying it. He clicked his tongue before releasing his hold on my shoulders and my hair unexpectedly.
I stumbled on my feet, not having enough time to steady myself before Greyson growled, “You wanna run? Run , Red.”
He shoved my back and my legs buckled, sending me to my knees in front of him.
When I looked over my shoulder, he hadn’t moved. He looked down at me with a menacing tilt of his head.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he seemed bored and anger rose in me, burning my esophagus. I was on my knees, in this fucking snow and he towered over me, looking like he was out on a casual stroll.
Get up, True.
Fight back, God damn it.
Greyson echoed the pep talk I was giving myself, but his came out rough and unforgiving.
“Get the fuck up and run since you wanted to so bad.”
His words cut through my pity party and I was back on my feet. Huffing and puffing, but back on my feet, nonetheless.
I retraced our footprints in the snow and made it to the clearing behind my cabin before fatigue set in.
I did it. I made it back without getting caught.
Except, I made the mistake of slowing down to celebrate and before I knew it, static filled my lungs.
Out of nowhere, I was shoulder-checked and tumbling to the ground, this time with Greyson on top of me.
His mouth was on mine before I could scream in protest. He kissed away every whimper and half-hearted yell. And with force, he pushed his tongue past my lips and wrapped it around mine.
Thanks to the thickness of my overcoat, the snow wasn’t too cold beneath me. I was still overheated from the chase and Greyson’s body on top of me was helping.
Still kissing me roughly, he pinned my gloved hands above my head.
“Such a fucking tease. Why were you running from me like this isn’t exactly what you wanted?”
He used his other hand to shove my legs open then housed himself in the space between them.
The jeans he had on weren’t thick enough to mask his erection, and now that my legs were open, he pushed it against my center, grinding harder when a moan left my lips.
I was strung so tight, he could make me come in ten seconds if he kept moving just…like…that.
Adrenaline had all my senses heightened and all I wanted was to feel good.
Greyson must have sensed that because he stopped moving and stared at me like I was an exhibit, his eyes meticulously tracing every inch of my face.
Laid out on this snowy forest floor, hands pinned above my head and my chest heaving, I didn’t know what I looked like. And I didn’t care. Because the lust in his eyes told me he liked what he saw.
Working my hips in a needy wine, I tried to grind against him again.
“Look how greedy you are. I got you out here in this snow and all you want is to come.”
The heat in his voice was just as evident as the jeer. He was mocking me, but he was turned on too. He wanted this too .
“Please, Greyson.” I wound my waist again, this time connecting and letting out a relieved gasp. The friction fed my desire. Then I was pleading. “Please, Greyson. I know you want to come too.” I was whining. “I’m sorry for running. Just please let me come.”
Greyson swore under his breath but gave me what I wanted.
His lips found mine again.
His hips thrust against mine again.
And he called out my name when I shook under him, overcome by the pleasure ripping through me as I came, pinned up under him.
If you told me a month ago I’d be dry humping one of my boyfriends in the woods after he chased me, I would have looked at you sideways.
But now that I was doing it, now that it was my reality, the only thing I wanted was more of this.
More Greyson. More bliss. More kisses. More this .
“Fuck, Red. You’re gonna be the death of me,” Greyson groaned before kissing my neck and getting off of me.
He reached down to pull me up and I went happily, needlessly fixing my skirt as he led us back to his place.
My legs felt shaky, so he wrapped an anchoring arm around me and let me lean on him until we made it home.
Right there in the living room, he stripped us both out of our damp clothes and carried me to his bedroom.
By the time he had me wrapped in a towel after our shower, I was too drowsy to do anything but snuggle against him while he spoke softly in my ear, reassuring me and kissing me the whole time.
“You did so well, True. I knew you would. I fucking love you.”
When I fell asleep, I’d forgotten all about the gift I was supposed to find in the woods.