Chapter 41
Forty-One
Gray
“Perfect,” I say, leaning back enough for Faye to see the number on the scale. “See?”
She grins. “Learning the difference between grams and cups, are you now?”
“Turns out grams is a more accurate measurement for baking.”
“Hmm.” She comes close, her breasts pushing against my arm, her scent in my nose, her lush body in the Grizzlies jersey with my name on her back.
Fuck, I’m a caveman.
I love the sound of my name on her tongue, her lips…
But seeing it emblazoned between her shoulder blades may be even better.
“Where’d you learn that from?” she asks, stroking her hand along my side.
“From a very smart, very sexy”—I turn, take her in my arms—“woman.”
“And whom may that be?”
I nip at her bottom lip, dip my fingers beneath the hem of the jersey, trailing them up her bare thighs. “She’s an author,” I murmur, bending and tasting her lips, her jaw, her throat. “She knows all sorts of things.”
“Like big words?” A breathless question.
“And proper comma placement.”
She shivers. “Ah, Gray, you sure know how to talk dirty to a woman.”
Laughter bubbles up in my chest, glazes her skin with the damp heat of my amusement.
Her hands dive into my hair, holding me against her as I suckle at the fluttering pulse point at the base of her neck, as my fingers drift higher and find that she’s not wearing any underwear.
The burst of need at finding that slick pussy bare to me means I’m no longer thinking about banana bread, about the newest recipe we’re testing out, trying to replicate her Nana’s deliciousness.
Nope.
I’m only thinking about tight, wet heat, about my name in the air, about her nails biting into my skin as she—
“Gray!” she gasps as I lift her up in one smooth motion. And then she gasps again…probably because I haven’t stopped to settle her on the counter.
No, I’ve kept going…
Higher.
Higher.
Until lush thighs are settled on my shoulders and that slick pussy of hers is bared for my lips.
“Oh, my God!” she cries as I drag my tongue through her.
Her hands tangle in my hair, her legs clamp tight…
And then I drag her even closer.
Then I see about conquering another challenge.
We’re both naked and panting…and covered in flour by the time we finish.
“You’re a menace,” she says, panting as she sprawls on my chest.
“Please tell me I’m inspiring enough for another scene,” I joke, slanting my mouth over hers and kissing her deeply.
Which means we get even further distracted from baking banana bread.
But I can’t find it in me to care.
Faye doesn’t seem to mind either, especially when we end up with no bread baked our naked bodies intertwined in the shower, our hands tangling as we take turns washing off the remains of the mess me made.
“Molly’s?” she asks when we finally make it back downstairs. “I think Bri is working today.”
“You’re on.” I tug a lock of her hair. “I’m pretty sure Aiden said peaches and cream muffins are on the menu this week.”
Her face goes soft. “You remember?”
“That those are your favorite?” I touch the gentle edge of her smile. “I remember everything about you, Red.”
“God, I love you.”
I nuzzle at the hinge of her jaw, murmur the truth, “You’re my heart.”
Another kiss. Tight fingers in my hair.
But eventually, we make it out of the house and over to Molly’s.
As is often the case, we find it full of Grizzlies—Aiden and Luna at the register with a tray full of goodies, Smitty and Kailey saving them (and then us) seats at a large table.
Bri pops out from behind the case when she sees us, giving Faye a hug and then surreptitiously passing her a bag of what I find out later is Molly’s famous streusel.
And Leo is there too.
Glowering at everyone as he eats and apple turnover.
I need to do something about him.
But not today.
Today, I’m enjoying good food and spending time with my family and…I’m enjoying time with the woman I love.
Especially when she settles her hand on my thigh, leans close and whispers, “Thank you.”
“For what?” I whisper back.
“For making it so I’ll never be alone again.”
Those words hit me so hard they steal my breath.
So hard it takes me a minute to realize the table has grown quiet around me.
“What is it?” I ask when Faye and I finally pull back from each other, finally tune back into the rest of the world.
To find my teammates and their women looking at me with concern.
No.
More than concern.
With matching expressions of horror.
And then Smitty lifts his cell, pointing it in my direction.
“Fuck man, but you need to see this.”
He taps the screen, hits play…and I watch the thirty seconds.
Thirty fucking seconds.
That’s all it takes to go from loved and complete, secure and wanted…
And dive headfirst into destruction.