Chapter 15
The next day, it was pouring rain. The cold outside turned the water clinging to the leaves and blades of grass into ice. Icicles started to form on the tops of the windows. I had a feeling that it was the last rain that would fall. The next time, it would be snow.
The weather was fitting. My parents were also mourning me, like Demeter mourned for Persephone, I was sure of it. And here I was, playing under rainbows with Hades and squashing my chances of getting back to them. The worst daughter award must surely be mine.
I was staring out into the beautiful gloom, when Gemma came bursting through the door. She was practically jumping up and down with excitement.
“Ava, come on!” She ushered me to the door. “We’re having a movie marathon.”
Her enthusiasm had me smiling, despite myself. “Let me get dressed first,” I protested.
She shook her head. “Nuh-uh, pyjamas is an admission requirement.”
Gemma practically dragged me down the stairs.
My eyes found Grayson immediately. He was crouched in front of the fireplace, peering over his shoulder at us, smirking at the sight of me being hauled down the stairs by Gemma.
He had started a fire and looked oh so sexy in his sweatpants as he stood.
There was a blanket on the armchair he usually sat in, which he picked up and held open, waiting for me to sit, so he could cover me with it.
I complied, my toes curling as he tucked me up in the cozy blanket and gave me a kiss on the head.
Hunter surprised me by handing me a cup of hot chocolate. I sniffed at it suspiciously. “Did you poison it?”
He rolled his eyes at me. “Isn’t that your department?”
I smiled down at the mug, surprised by the lack of animosity in Hunter’s tone.
“What are we watching first, Gem?” Grayson asked, waiting by the DVD player.
She handed him a DVD. “I picked the first one in honour of my new friend,” Gemma declared.
“Practical Magic,” Grayson read aloud with a grin. “Sounds about right.”
Laughter bubbled up my throat. Grayson placed the disc in the machine, and I was surprised when he didn’t join Gemma and Hunter on the large couch. Instead, he came to sit on the floor with his back against the armchair, leaning slightly into me, his shoulder against my leg.
I had an overwhelming urge to run my fingers through his hair, to which I caved, my stomach making somersaults at my audacity. He tilted his head slightly, leaning into my touch. It sent butterflies scattering throughout my body.
I watched the movie, the feeling of complete contentment creeping up on me. I did it again. And again—running my fingers through Grayson’s dark hair a couple more times. He had my knees weak when he caught my hand and kissed it. Touching him was like a drug. Once you started, there was no stopping.
When the movie ended, Gemma stretched herself out, declaring, “Bathroom break.”
I stood too, and Gemma linked her arm with mine and followed me to my bathroom. She was standing in front of the mirror, picking at her hair. “So… you and Grayson, hmm?” She wiggled her eyebrows at me like we were teenagers discussing our crushes. Of course, she didn’t miss any of it.
“Gods, Gemma. Don’t say it out loud,” I sighed. But there was no use denying it. There was something, and there was no stopping it. Lying about it to myself was dumb. “I’m insane, right?”
“Yes. Yes, you are.” Gemma grinned.
I groaned and dropped my head into my hands. “Who in their right mind falls for their kidnapper?” I grumbled. Maybe Grayson was right. Maybe I was just as fucked in the head as he was.
Gemma had gone quiet. I looked up to see her chewing on her lower lip, as she does when she’s nervous. It seemed like she needed to get something off her chest, so I waited. “Ava, things have become very complicated, and I’m a bit worried. About you.” She didn’t meet my eyes.
“What do you mean?” I pressed.
She looked up at me and stared for a moment. Unsure. “There’s more to this, than you know, Ava. He wasn’t supposed to fall for you. God, I didn’t even know he could fall for someone. It’s all a mess now. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I don’t understand.” What was she saying? And why didn’t she think Grayson could fall for someone? And what more was there to know? What was she getting at?
She chewed on her lip again, contemplating her words. “Things are not what they seem, Ava. I… you should talk to Grayson.”
I wanted to know more, make her tell me what she meant, but she quickly changed the subject, determined to not say anything else.
When we were done, Gemma stopped me before we were out the bedroom. “Promise me you’ll talk to Grayson. Soon.”
I nodded, feeling a bit uneasy with how serious she looked.
As we came down the stairs, Grayson and Hunter were laughing, the sound dissipating my uneasiness. Grayson was sitting in the armchair, and I stood in front of him, expectantly. No way was I letting him steal my spot. It was too comfortable.
He arched a brow at me, challengingly. But before I could decide on my battle strategy to win back my throne, he pulled me onto his lap and draped the blanket over me. I, of course, had no choice but to snuggle into his chest.
Maybe this was even more comfortable.
We watched Ace Ventura, Hunter’s pick in honour of Gemma, who had her three little mice snuggling with them under the blanket, much to Hunter’s dismay.
She had already decided to keep them as pets and train them for their heists.
Grayson was, of course, intrigued by the possibilities, but Hunter had visibly blanched at the idea of being trapped in an airduct with them crawling around.
Grayson absentmindedly twirled my hair around his finger.
His eyes were on the screen, but I knew his mind was elsewhere.
I was starting to see why Hunter thought Grayson thinks too much.
He always has a crease between his brows and that faraway look.
It would usually be accompanied by him flipping his knife absentmindedly.
Sometimes he would go completely still, except for his pointer finger tapping, tapping for minutes on end and then look around blinking, like he had forgotten there was a whole world outside his head.
“A penny for your thoughts?” I whispered to him, making sure the others couldn’t hear me. I wanted to climb into his head and have a look around. I bet it would be fascinating as hell in there.
He shifted his head so he could see my face. “Oh, my thoughts are worth a lot more than a pretty penny.” His eyes glinted with mischief. “And I’ve told you, Princess. You don’t need to know all my secrets,” he whispered back with a sly smile.
I had come to enjoy his evasiveness. Had I not always found pleasure in discovering and then unlocking all kinds of mysteries? And Grayson was the biggest mystery I found myself lured into. Like honey to a bee.
I traced the curve of his chin, forgetting that there were other people in the room with us. The simple touch felt so intimate. “Then maybe just one?” I smiled sweetly at him.
The playfulness disappeared off his face and was replaced with something else.
“Okay.” He licked his lips and swallowed.
“I think you have the most beautiful eyes. They’ve been haunting my dreams every night since I’ve seen them up close.
” His tone was hushed, pulling me in, creating a little bubble around us.
All I could see, hear and feel, was him.
I blushed, sucking my lips between my teeth. Gods, this man had me gushing like a teenage girl. No man or woman had ever made me feel this flustered.
Grayson was still watching me, so I snuggled even closer, in an attempt to hide from his eyes, but I felt it then, pressed thickly against my backside. My eyes darted up to his.
He swallowed hard and shifted me away. “Sorry,” he said, looking a bit uncomfortable.
I giggled. An expression of my nerves and how satisfied I felt with the look on his face. I had never imagined Grayson could feel embarrassed. He flicked my nose.
I dropped my head to his shoulder. Grayson’s lips brushed my forehead before resting his cheek against it. I pressed my thighs together, trying hard not to think of the way his body’s reaction to me made me feel. Had I not sworn to never want a man’s touch again?
We watched another movie before Hunter started complaining he was hungry.
And since Grayson didn’t complete his dinner duty last night, he had to make lunch for everyone.
Dinner too. And since I felt a tad responsible because he had stayed with me until I fell asleep, I helped him.
I had offered before, but they wouldn’t let me join their chore schedule.
We worked together in silence, stealing glances and hiding smiles.
By dinner time, I was aching to get a moment alone with Grayson. Gemma and Hunter had finally disappeared into their room to shower, which had me thinking.
“You can use my… or your bathroom again, if you’d like.” I felt a bit guilty for not offering sooner. They had all been sharing a bathroom, while I had one to myself. No wonder he called me a princess.
He contemplated it. “I don’t know about that. There’s no lock on the door.”
I looked at him, puzzled. “So?”
“From the moment you got here, you’ve wanted to fuck me. I wouldn’t feel safe.”
I pushed at him. “Says you, who had me tied to a bed.”
He lowered his gaze, then looked back at me. “If I do that again, you’d enjoy it.”
I struggled to breathe. Grayson was no ordinary man, and I bet that sex with him would be anything but ordinary. If white-picket fences bored him, then… I cleared my throat and tried to get rid of the thoughts as well. The prospect of it scared me, but excited me at the same time.
“Like I’ve told you, it’s all in your head. I have no interest in fucking you.” I tried my best to hide my smile, while continuing to chop a carrot.