Chapter 45 Top Down
Top down
"Ican't believe Cam gave us another day off together!
But, I'm so glad he did!" Gray was beaming at Riley.
They'd woken up together, wrapped in each other's arms, when Cam was suddenly knocking at her door.
After some desperate scrambling and yelling, "Be right there!
" Riley had answered the door as nonchalantly as possible.
Riley could barely contain her glee for another day off with Gray, but not wanting Cam to know Gray was currently hiding in her bed under Bear, she smiled sweetly and accepted the extra day off graciously.
"Thanks for coming to let me know; I'll make the most of it!" and as she went to close the door Cam called inside-
"You've got the day off too Gray, I know you're hiding under Bear. I can see your leg sticking out!" At this he laughed and shook his head as he went back to his vehicle. Riley was beet red from head to toe, and Gray just groaned at being found out.
"Well, that went well. We definitely fooled him!
" Riley giggled as she flopped back into bed, snuggling Bear, who was more than happy to be sandwiched between her and Gray after being banished to his dog bed all night.
He'd been indignant when Riley had told him to stay there and closed her bedroom door.
"I'm just going to pretend he doesn't know; it will make it easier to look him in the eye tomorrow!
Now, what shall we do on this unexpected day off?
" Gray reached over Bear to walk his fingers up her arm.
Riley saw a glint in his eye, and she realized he preferred to stay in bed, a sentiment she shared, at least for the day.
"You know, I love these outings," Gray stretched in the passenger seat, "but why are we always parked on some deserted road?"
Riley grinned as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Because I enjoy dragging you to secret spots. It keeps you on your toes."
"I don't need to be dragged to any of your secret spots."
Gray reached for his water bottle as Riley leaned forward to grab hers. Their hands collided, and in the next second, Gray's fingers brushed against her chest.
"Shit! Sorry, I didn't mean to grab your--" He froze, his face burning.
Riley arched an eyebrow, barely containing her laughter. "My what, exactly?"
"Uh... breast?"
Her lips twitched. "That's the name we're going with? You realize you've touched them more than a few times since last night?"
"Umm, no? I mean, yes, I've touched them, and no, I don't want to call them that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "What do you want me to call it... them?"
"Boob?"
"Boob?" He made a face. "No. Wait, you don't have weird pet names for them, do you?" he teased, raising a brow.
Riley shook her head, but a hint of pink bloomed on her cheeks.
Gray's eyes narrowed. "Wait. Why are you blushing?" He leaned in, cupping her cheek. "Do you have secret names for them you're not sharing?"
She swatted his hand away. "No! I just remembered something embarrassing, that's all."
Gray grinned. "I love embarrassing. Spill."
Riley opened the driver's side door. "Nope. If I tell you while we're walking, I don't have to look at your face while I relive my shame."
She hopped out, grabbed a couple of bags from the backseat, and slung a small cooler over her shoulder.
Gray eyed the supplies suspiciously. "Is this... bedding? Are we sleeping on the beach tonight?"
"I brought stuff so we don't get sand in places sand shouldn't be."
He shot her a skeptical look. "Why would sand be getting into places it shouldn't be? Are you planning to seduce me under the stars?"
Riley snorted. "Get your head out of the gutter. I like the beach. I don't like sand-burn. A little prep work means I won't spend the entire night scratching like I have fleas." She jabbed him in the ribs. "And do I strike you as the kind of person who wants to put on a show for random beachgoers?"
Gray chuckled as he followed her down the narrow, overgrown path. He'd learned to trust her sense of adventure; she always led him to incredible places. At this point, he'd follow her anywhere.
"Okay," he said, "back to your embarrassing story, tell me."
Riley shot him a mock glare. "It's too embarrassing, and you look too gleeful."
Gray grinned. "Definitely go on."
She sighed. "A few years ago, we had this Jamaican guy, Justin, working at the facility. Funniest guy, super dry humour. He'd sit in silence, then just drop these one-liners out of nowhere. Took a second to process, but when you did, everyone would be howling."
She smiled at the memory. "One day, I was walking down the docks to do a session with Phoenix. Justin was heading back to the fish house, grinning at me. So, naturally, I smiled back. As we passed, he casually said, 'Your top fell down.' And then just kept walking."
Gray stopped in his tracks. "No."
"Oh, yes." She winced, laughing. "It took me a second to process, but when I looked down, yep. Bikini top had slipped, and I had just been strolling along, completely oblivious."
Gray doubled over, gasping for breath between laughs. "Riley, no!"
"Oh, it gets worse." She shook her head. "I finished my session, went up to the lab for our afternoon break, and Justin, without even cracking a smile, announced to the entire team, 'I saw Riley's boobies.'"
Gray let out a bark of laughter so loud it startled a nearby sleeping bird. "Where is this man? I need to thank him. Boobies it is!"
Riley groaned. "It was mortifying. The team thought it was the funniest thing ever. Declan wouldn't let it go for weeks."
"I love this story. I love Justin. I love everything about this." Gray wiped a tear from his eye.
"Glad my suffering brings you so much joy."
She rolled her eyes and grabbed his shoulders, steering him forward. "Come on, if you don't stop laughing, you're going to miss what I brought you here for."
As the trees thinned, she grinned to herself. Any second now, the view would open up, and she couldn't wait to see his reaction.