67. Grady
GRADY
Blake’s at her job interview right now, and I can’t stop thinking about her.
Wily hooked it up for her. He heard from his high school buddy Liam that his girlfriend was looking to hire a cleaner to help now that the villa is taking off.
He jumped all over it, arranging the interview, and man, I hope Blake’s okay.
She was raised in privilege, so she doesn’t really know how to get her hands dirty.
I’ve been cleaning my house since I was eight.
And, for once, I’m actually grateful for that fact.
I’ve been able to show Blake how to do the basics, and she’s smart enough to pick anything else up along the way.
She was so nervous about going, but her father called just before she left. The second I saw his number, my stomach scrunched into a tight knot. Blake gave me an edgy smile before clearing her throat and answering the call.
“Hey, Daddy.”
“Hey, bean.” She put it on speaker so I could listen in, and I moved around my room, getting changed in stealth mode so he couldn’t hear me.
Blake smirked when I dropped my pajama bottoms and swapped them out for a pair of boxer briefs.
The heat in her blue gaze nearly took me out on the spot, so I had to turn away and focus on my bedroom wall, commanding my dick to calm the hell down. But that wasn’t happening.
“I just wanted to wish you luck for your interview.” Her father’s voice was thick with emotion, and I stilled, wondering what’d be coming next.
“Really?” Blake’s voice perked up in surprise. “Thanks.”
“Honey, of course I want to wish you luck. We do support you, you know.”
“Yeah… I… Thank you.”
There was a pause as I slipped my boxers on, then spun to face her.
She gave me a cringing, helpless look, and all I could do was shrug.
“Well, um… thanks again.” She scratched the side of her nose. When she lowered her arm, her pajama top strap slipped off her shoulder, and it was my turn to drink in that silky white skin of hers.
She noticed my gaze and started smirking all over again.
“Your mother and I have decided that…” He cleared his throat, interrupting the eye sex Blake and I couldn’t help having. “If you get this job, we’ll buy you a new car.”
Blake gave a surprised blink. “But what about my Mini in Chicago?”
“I think it’s best we sell that and get you something else. We’ll arrange to have the storage unit emptied and all your belongings shipped to Nolan. But a new car will be a fresh start, no bad memories attached to it, and you can get on with being the girl you want to be.”
Blake kept blinking for a second, obviously not sure what to say.
“We don’t like you driving around in that massive truck of Wily’s. It’s not a lady’s car,” her mother piped up.
Blake rolled her eyes, and I had to bite my knuckle to smother my laughter.
Blake?
A lady?
Yeah, her mother seriously does not know her at all.
“I was thinking a little VW Beetle or something peppy that you can get around Nolan in. What do you think?”
“I think…” Blake blinked some more, then let out a happy little laugh. “I think that would be amazing, thank you. That’s really kind.”
“Well, anything to get you back on your feet, sweetheart,” Mrs. Wilson chimed in again, the underlying warning to stay on track loud and clear.
Blake doesn’t need it. She’s gonna do just great, with or without her parents’ pressure. But I guess they’re trying. Making sure she doesn’t have to deal with any more shit in Chicago is a big gesture, and I’m glad Blake’s not rejecting it.
She thanked them again, wrapping up the call before giving me an edgy smile. “Damn, I better nail this interview.”
Striding across the room, I lifted her into my arms, kissing her soundly and assuring her, “You will. ”
And then Wily assured her over breakfast, and Zoey popped in with a picture she made.
“Oh, wow. Thank you, Zo-Zo.” Blake grinned down at the scribble. “Can you explain it to me?” She pointed at the swirls of yellow. “Is that me?”
“Yup!” Zoey puffed her chest out proudly and tapped the picture. “Toiwet.”
“And that’s a…” Blake’s expression buckled in confusion. “A toilet?”
Zoey nodded. “Keen toiwet!” She tapped the image again. “You keen toiwet.”
“Right. Okay.” Blake started to laugh, and Zoey tipped her head, confused by why that was so funny. Straightening out her expression, Blake gave the little girl a sincere smile. “I love it. And I’m gonna be the best toilet cleaner in this whole house.”
“Yay!” Zoey punched her arms in the air, and Blake waited for the little girl to spin around and run out of the kitchen before wrinkling her nose at me.
“I’m gonna have to clean toilets. A whole lot of them.”
“Yeah, baby.” I gave her a pained smile and leaned across the table to kiss her.
“Would you two stop doing that in front of me,” Wily groaned, tipping his head back in dramatic agony. “That’s my sister. It’s gross.”
Blake narrowed her eyes at him before that cute little eyebrow of hers arched and she stood from her chair, then straddled my lap with a playful grin. “You don’t like me kissing my boyfriend?” she teased him, holding my face and giving me a passionate kiss that was all tongue.
“Ugh! You guys are killing me!”
She grinned against my lips before diving in for another, and I squeezed her ass until he was throwing pieces of toast at our heads.
Blake broke away with peals of laughter, and I caught the piece that was about to smack the side of her face. Giving her brother a look of warning, I popped it into my mouth and chewed.
We had a brief, silent standoff after that before he broke with a growl. But he was fighting a grin. At least I think he was.
So, yeah, he’s okay with me dating his sister. I think he’s starting to see how much I love her, and he can’t fault that, right? I’ll look after her. I promised him I would, and he’s just gonna have to adjust to the fact that his sister is a grown-ass woman now.
A grown-ass woman with a very fine ass.
I squeezed it one more time for good measure, then had to let it go.
I skipped my workout so I could stick around and eat breakfast with her, then let her borrow my Jeep. I took Wily to his PT appointment, then headed off to class, and now I’m wandering beside Tyrell, anxiously waiting for a phone call.
Thank fuck she doesn’t leave me hanging.
I’ve only been out of class a couple of minutes when my phone starts buzzing.
“How’d it go?” I answer after one ring.
“I got it!” she squeals.
“Really? Just like that?”
“Yes! She hired me on the spot, said Wily sang my praises, and she trusts any friend of Liam and Ethan’s. It was so sweet! She knows it’s only until the end of summer, but she’s excited to work with me. ”
I grin, stoked by the excitement in Blake’s voice.
“I met Tammy as well. You know the mom Sienna hangs out with sometimes? She was there with her boyfriend, Baxter. And her little son, Kai, is so cute! I played with the dog, Fezzik, and Rachel showed me all around the place. It’s huge, and I’ll be cleaning a lot of rooms, making beds, washing sheets, toilets, bathrooms, the floors, dusting. It’s gonna be big, but I’m up for it.”
“Is the pay okay?”
“Yeah, the guy who owns the place is awesome, apparently, and Rachel said I’ll be getting more than minimum wage, which is amazing considering I’ve never worked a day in my life!
” She laughs. “And she said I might get some tips, too, so that’s pretty cool.
Aw, Grady, I want to do, like, the best job for her, you know?
I’ve never been more motivated in my life, and it’s cleaning fucking toilets! What is wrong with me?”
I laugh, holding the phone to my ear and feeling this burst of pride rise through me. “It’s your choice. That’s what’s so right about this. You’re steering the ship this time, baby.”
She lets out a sigh, and I can picture her pretty face. “I’m sure I’m not going to feel pumped like this every day, but you’re right. It’s nice to feel that sense of control.”
“I’ll motivate you on the days you don’t wanna go. I promise.”
“Ooo. Looking forward to that… I think. What does Grady motivation look like?”
My smile grows a little wider. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Well, I look forward to it.”
I nod, my brain already blooming with ideas .
“I better go. I was too nervous to eat this morning, so I’ll grab a late breakfast, then call my parents, I guess. Time to pick out a new car.”
I snicker and shake my head. “Don’t let them talk you into anything you don’t want.”
“But it’s their gift to me.”
“If you want a big-ass pickup, then you ask for it, baby. Who gives a shit if it’s not ladylike enough for your mother? You can drive whatever the fuck you want.”
She giggles, and I picture her smile in my head.
“Love you, Bee.”
“Love you, Bear.”
We hang up, and I can’t drop my smile. Tyrell snickers at me, shaking his head. “So loved-up. Damn, man. Now I’m flying solo. The only single in the house.”
I wince. “Yeah. We really need to do something about that. Hey, why don’t we go out tonight? We could celebrate Blake’s new job and take her to Offside or something. We could get the whole crew together. It’ll be fun.”
“What? You gonna sit their snuggling with your women and pick out a girl for me?”
“Maybe.” I grin.
He sticks out his tongue, obviously disgusted by that idea.
“Oh, come on. If you want to get yourself a girlfriend, you need to put yourself out there. You won’t find anyone hanging out at home, and if you’re not willing to do that online dating thing, then you need to go to places like Offside.”
“I haven’t been there in ages.”
“Well, tonight’s your night.” I give him a soft slap on the shoulder, then point at him. “You’re coming. ”
“Yes, sir,” he mutters, obviously hating the idea.