Chapter 7 #2
The drumming of her heartbeat filled her ears. “That sonofabitch.”
“Such language.” He tut-tutted. “Dirty mouth.” His eyes gleamed, more gold than brown in that instant. As if he enjoyed her dirty mouth.
Knowing Gray, he probably does.
“Don’t act like you don’t enjoy it.” The words just fired from her.
He laughed. “See? That’s why you were just wasted on him. Such a prick.” A sigh. “Told him to get his ass out of my office, by the way. In response, he told me that he’d be back. Wanted me to consider the offer he made to me. Said he’d see me later.”
“What offer?”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “The offer to replace you. Nathaniel felt that he could understand violent criminals far better than you could. Seeing as how you are so emotionally fragile and all that.”
“I am not emotionally fragile . ”
“He did make a point of letting me know that you’d only had one serious relationship—a relationship with him—but that he’d had to terminate the relationship because he could not handle all of your emotional barriers.”
This was not happening. Emerson didn’t know if she should be furious or hurt or embarrassed or— “That sonofabitch,” she said again. “He’s trying to steal you from me!”
Gray blinked. “I can assure you, I have zero interest in Nathaniel Hadaway.”
She rushed toward him. Grabbed his arms. “He’s trying to take my job. Probably thinks he can do a ton of papers on the criminal mind based on your cases. He’s trying to use you!”
“Isn’t that what you think, Emerson? Aren’t you using me, too?”
“I think—I think that I want you!”
He looked down at her hands as they gripped his arms. “Do you.” Not a question.
“I want to work with you. You know that. I want to learn from you. And yes, I just want you.” There.
Done. Said. “I think I’ve made that pretty clear.
You’re the one putting roadblocks in the way of what could be one very good time.
” Bold words but inside, she was twisting apart.
Emerson could not believe Nathaniel had gone to see Gray.
That her ex had just savaged her that way with all of this emotional fragility BS.
The jerk would not get out of her life even though she’d told him to stay the hell away multiple times. “I’m not emotionally fragile.”
Gray’s head tilted. His eyes met hers.
“I can handle an undercover case.” Fine, granted, it would be her first ever undercover case, but she could do it.
She would do it. “After all, I have the best trainer in the world, don’t I?
I have you.” She should let him go. Definitely.
Only she didn’t. “Teach me. Show me.” Kiss me.
Nope, she held that back because she’d already stripped her pride bare for him.
“Is this going to be one of those situations where you promise to follow orders…only to then go out and do whatever the hell you want?” His head lowered toward her.
If she’d been doing whatever the hell she wanted, then Emerson would be doing him right then and there.
“Nathaniel is a fucking ass, by the way,” Gray informed her. “Insufferable. Arrogant. And his voice is nasally as hell.”
“Agreed,” she whispered back. His mouth was inches from hers. Inches.
“What did you ever see in him?”
“I thought he could understand me.”
“Yeah, he can’t. Knew it as soon as he said that emotionally fragile bullshit.”
She blinked.
“Your body is delicate. Your mind and your heart aren’t.”
Her heart drummed.
“And even with a build one hell of a lot smaller than my own, you still do a damn good job of tossing me onto my ass so maybe I need to take it back and say your body isn’t even that delicate. Hell, you’re steel. Through and through. Better?”
She smiled at him.
He growled.
She’d never found growls sexy. Until Gray. Every time he growled, she sort of quivered.
The faint lines near his mouth deepened. “If we’re gonna play lovers, you have to get used to my touch.”
That would prove difficult. “Pretty sure I’ll never get quite used to it. Every time you touch me, fire races beneath my skin.”
His eyes widened. “Emerson.”
“How does it feel when I touch you?” She was truly curious.
“Like I’m coming to life.”
That had—that had almost been poetic?—
“Fuck it.”
Okay, not so poetic.
But she didn’t care because his mouth was taking hers. He’d hauled her closer against him, and his lips took hers, and this was what she’d wanted. He was what she wanted. He was kissing her hotly. His mouth wildly passionate against her own.
Could they fake being lovers? Could she handle the undercover assignment? Absolutely. Because kissing him and touching him…easy.
Her mouth opened wider. His hands curled around her hips. The need flared brighter and harder inside of her. She wanted to yank open that perfectly pressed shirt of his. To run her hands over his chest. She wanted to let herself go and not care about the consequences.
Nathaniel—no, he’d never really understood her.
But she had the feeling that Gray did.
“Gray…” She pulled her mouth from his. “Gray, I?—”
Her doorbell rang.
Emerson blinked.
His gaze swirled. Gold and brown. Darkness swallowing the light. The ringing doorbell seemed to echo around them. Neither of them moved.
The doorbell rang again.
Gray slowly pulled away. “You expecting someone?”
No, not at all, she was not. Hadn’t they already established that she didn’t have visitors? Gray had been dead-on target with that analysis. She never invited friends over. Mostly because she didn’t have a great deal of friends.
“This late?” Gray asked. An edge entered his voice. “Got a…friend you need to tell me about?”
She turned away from him. Grabbed her phone from the bag she’d tossed aside after entering her condo. “If that’s your way of asking if I’m dating someone, the answer is no. You’re the only man I’m interested in fucking.” Her fingers swiped over the phone’s screen. “For the record.”
“Good.” He peered over her shoulder as she used her app to see who was ringing her doorbell. And when they saw?—
“Bastard,” Gray snapped.
Yes, indeed. Her visitor was a bastard.
Before she could even put her phone down, Gray was stomping for the door.
“Uh, Gray!” Emerson called after him.
“It’s almost eleven o’clock at night,” he tossed over his shoulder. “He doesn’t get to be at your place, at this hour. Dipshit.”
Dipshit?
The doorbell rang again. Gray hauled open the door.
The man who’d been ringing the bell—three times—blinked owlishly. Emerson caught a quick glimpse of him and his stunned face because, apparently, he had not been expecting Gray to answer her door.
“Uh, ah, Agent Stone,” Nathaniel Hadaway began. “What are you?—”
“What in the hell are you doing at my partner’s door at eleven o’clock at night?” Gray barreled over Nathaniel’s words.
“I-I?—”
Nathaniel wasn’t usually the type to stutter or flounder at all. Normally, he was overly pompous and in full know-it-all mode. But Gray’s voice had a lethal edge, and she could practically see the fury pouring off him. That fury seemed to have terrified Nathaniel.
“Emerson is not for you,” Gray blasted. “Your dumbass lost that chance long ago. I told you before, stay the hell away from her and get out of my town.”
“But—” Nathaniel rose onto his toes. Even on his toes, he was still inches shorter than Gray. Nathaniel strained to see her. “Emerson, I just want to talk! For old times’ sake, just give me a moment. Tell your—your partner here to let me in!”
Um, how about no? Emerson tapped on Gray’s very broad shoulder. He turned his head to look at her.
“Please,” Gray said, voice softening just a fraction as he stared at down her, “let me kick his ass out of the building. It would bring me such joy, and don’t you want me to be happy?”
“Emerson!” Nathaniel’s near shout. A nasally shout.
She peered over at him. Then back at Gray. The two men could not have been more different. Nathaniel with his polo and khakis, his slightly rounded chin and slicked back hair. Slender, at least four inches shorter than Gray even when Nathaniel was on his toes.
Weak.
And Gray…practically vibrating with energy.
Rage? Handsome face tense, body strong. Muscles ready to attack.
Dressed in his expensive pants and shirt but poised to strike at any moment.
Because while he might dress the part of the gentleman, the truth was that Gray held a savagery barely in check, and it was a savagery that had called to her from the first moment they’d met.
No, it was Gray himself who called to her.
“Dammit, Emerson! This isn’t personal,” Nathaniel suddenly snapped. “It’s a matter of life or death. So cut the dramatics, get your new partner under control, and let me in. ”