Chapter 38
Ava
I woke with soft kisses to my face, and Grayson’s dark presence curling around my senses, holding me captive.
“Wake up, little star,” he whispered against my cheek before he flipped me over.
I giggled sleepily into the pillow, my stomach making flip-flops as he lowered his weight over my back, nudging my legs apart.
He pushed his rigid cock into me, making me bite my pillow like a rabid animal to keep from moaning.
He’d touched me for all but five seconds and I was ready to howl his name.
I couldn’t possibly give him the satisfaction.
But gods, there was nothing like it. I was painstakingly reminded how nothing could ever compare to the feel of the devil inside me.
His thrusts were slow and lazy as he trailed his fingers along my spine. He stroked his thumb over the faint line across my right ass cheek—one he made on a rainy day in Paris.
My cheeks flushed hot at the memory. My body was full of his marks. And his was full of mine. There were even faint discoloured marks underneath his jaw in the shape of my teeth.
Grayson hummed appreciatively as he squeezed my ass. “God, you are a piece of fucking art. Perfection.”
I chuckled breathlessly, my body going hot all over as I felt him move in and out of me. “Did you not say once that the gods made me for your pleasure?”
“Yes, baby. You have no idea how much you please me.” He deepened his thrusts, making my body shake with the force.
Gods! It felt so good… so unbearably good.
“If I died right now, I would die the happiest man to ever walk this goddamn earth. Fuck, Ava,” he grunted, increasing his pace. “I have no fucking self-control.”
Neither did I. There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do to be with Grayson.
It was a vile, reckless thought, but it was true.
I hated how true it was. I hated how far I would go.
I hated how much of me he possessed. I hated how my body was vibrating with how good he made me feel.
And I hated how he knew exactly what I needed as he pulled my hips up, changing into an angle that had me fisting the sheets.
Grayson chuckled breathlessly. “That’s it, baby. Be a good girl and come for me.”
My body obeyed against my will—waves of heat crashing over me as the orgasm hit.
Grayson didn’t slow. His hand came around my torso, pressing onto my sensitive clit, lightly swirling his fingers around it until another orgasm ripped through me.
He followed right after, moaning my name into my hair as he collapsed onto me.
His arms circled around me like I was the most precious thing he had ever held.
Yes. There was nothing I wouldn’t do to be with this man.
“I hate you, Grayson Varon,” I whimpered into the pillows.
Grayson shifted my hair away to kiss the back of my neck. “I love you too, priceless star.”
It was late afternoon when we left the villa. I wondered how Owen was doing as we drove farther inland on our way to the rendezvous point.
It caused a physical pain in my gut to think I was now one of the people that Owen hunted.
Grayson opened the door for me when we stopped at a small airport next to a private jet waiting on the tarmac.
“Ready to disappear?” Grayson asked, smiling down at me.
My heart started to beat faster as we reached the plane’s steps.
I swivelled to him. “No.”
He frowned down at me, his eyes instantly panicked. He was somehow still afraid that I would leave him. It was ironic how I was just as scared of the same thing.
I cupped a hand over his cheek to reassure him.
“I love you, Grayson. More than anything in this world, and everything beyond it. I would die to be with you. But I’m not doing this again.
I’m not giving up everyone I love again.
” Leaving Owen was enough. No more. “I made a promise to Rachel. I’m not breaking it. I’m not leaving my friend behind.”
“You mean this friend?” said an all too familiar voice.
My head snapped to the plane door, where Rachel stood, grinning like a fiend.
I ran up the steps, locking her in a bearhug, my heart pounding out of my chest in excitement. “What are you doing here?” I looked around the plane to see Gemma grinning ear-to-ear from behind her mouse cage.
“You really thought I’d let you run off without me again?”
I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief. “But how did you know?”
“Babe. I’ve known you since you were still wetting my bed.”
I laughed even harder. “It was one time!” I was six. She would never let me forget it.
Rachel shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, Grayson came by a few days ago to tell me and your parents what he was planning. I knew what you were going to choose, so I packed my bags. Mamma and Pappa Beaumont will visit as soon as the dust mites settle.”
My mouth fell open. Grayson spoke to my parents?
How the hell did that go? I needed to get every detail from Rachel.
But first, “Why did no one warn me then?” I turned to glare at Grayson.
“How did you get them to stay quiet?” I knew he was behind their silence.
He could talk a duck into buying a new quack.
“Because it was your decision to make without any interference. Me in prison, or by your side. Whatever your choice was, you would be happy. And that’s all your parents want for you. That’s all we all want.”
“And he also swore not to take you away from us again,” Rachel added.
Grayson rubbed a strand of my hair between his fingers. “It won’t be like last time. You won’t have to give up anyone to be with me. It won’t be easy. But I will break my body to make sure you still get to be with your loved ones. I’ll do whatever it takes, Princess.”
I swallowed. Except for Owen.
Rachel blinked between me and Grayson. “Princess?” she mouthed, pulling her eyes wide at me.
Hunter started laughing, clutching at his stomach. “That’s what I’ve been saying! I’ve never met anyone as cheesy as my brother in love.”
The Apparitions decided to lie low in Scotland for the winter. Gemma had chosen a beautiful castle with the most magnificent view of the cold ocean. It was where she wanted to get married—on the beach while the snow was falling.
“Something weird and magical, just like us lot,” she had said.
We were all sitting in the library around the cozy fireplace, finally relaxing after unpacking six months’ worth of stuff. Including Grayson’s new favourite painting, hanging on the mantle above the fireplace. The woman staring at the moon—the painting he stole from the student in Florence.
Grayson was absentmindedly playing with my hair, lost in a book. Rach sat on the other end of the sofa, painting my toenails. I wiggled them at her, and she smacked my foot to keep still. I giggled, my heart feeling overwhelmingly full.
“I think you should go with the burgundy,” Rach said to Gem, who was frowning at a wedding magazine. She was trying to pick out a colour scheme for her snowy beach wedding.
“Yes!” Hunter exclaimed. “Epic.”
Gemma chewed on her lip, but her eyes were already sparkling. “You guys think so?”
I nodded my agreement. “You want weird and magical? A pop of bright burgundy on the snowy beach would be stunningly weird and magical.”
Gemma squealed excitedly, crushing the magazine to her chest.
“Since we’re going for weird and magical, can I dress up as a knight? In like armour?” Hunter asked, shooting his shot.
Rachel giggled down at my toes. “How will you kiss the bride?”
Hunt shrugged. “My brother’s a genius. We’ll figure something out.”
Grayson peered over his book, lifting a brow, but Hunter ignored the look.
“Please, Gem? We’re in a castle and everything,” he pleaded, pulling her closer to him.
Gemma shook her head, laughing up at the ceiling. “Why the hell not?”
“Yes! Thank you!” Hunter cried out, kissing Gem all over her face.
“Save some of that for the wedding,” came a voice from the door, startling me.
Ice shot up my veins.
I moved so fast, the world seemed to spin as I plucked Grayson’s gun from his hip and pointed it at the man coming through the door.
Director Devereux.
How did he find us? My heart raced.
He quickly shoved the woman with him behind him. His wife. Mary, was it?
It was all of two seconds before Grayson was in front of me, blocking my view of the director, stepping in front of the gun.
“Ava…” he said calmly, bringing his hands up slowly as if not to startle me.
Why was he so calm? The FBI found us!
“Grayson, he’s…” I tried to find the words while fear choked me.
“I know.” He softly placed his hands over mine where I tightly gripped the gun. He bent down and kissed my knuckles. “Give me the gun, baby.”
I was shaken and confused, but I released the gun to him, trusting him.
When he had it, he let out a breath on a chuckle, then pulled me into him, kissing my forehead before stepping out of the way.
What the hell was happening?
“Jeez, Ava! Don’t scare me like that!” Hunter exhaled from close behind me.
Director Devereux glared between me and Grayson with Mary peering wide-eyed over his shoulder.
“Has no one told her yet?” he bellowed.
“I was getting to it. I was trying not to overwhelm her. You’re early,” Grayson said from beside me.
I was frozen, shock tingling through my limbs as realisation set in.
I understood now why Director Devereux’s eyes had looked so familiar. They were Hunter’s eyes.
“No way,” I breathed. No fucking way.
Mary chuckled, moving out from behind the director towards me. “Well, you fit right in, don’t you? Just as trigger happy as the rest of ‘em.” She took my hand, beaming lovingly at me.
Gods, this was unreal. “The pity date was him?” I pointed to Grayson, finally finding my voice. Fucking hell.
Grayson groaned. “She should never have done that.”
Mary lifted her chin. “Well, if you weren’t going to go get your girl, then I would have done it for you. One way or the other.”
Grayson chuckled, kissing her on the cheek. “She’s here now.”