by Cara E Holt
I tug on his tie again with a wicked smile, and he laughs. “You coming to mine to study later?”
I chuckle. “Is that what we’re calling it these days?”
Grayson rubs his nose into my hair. “Yep. I plan to get a grade 9 in the study of anatomy.”
FRIDAY NIGHT ROLLS round quickly. Tonight we are off to Louie’s bar to celebrate my eighteenth with all our friends. This week hasn’t been as bad as I had thought it was going to be. I’m just finishing curling my hair when my phone pings. It is a message from Courtney, from home. Courtney had been the one friend from school that I had held onto when I went into the eating disorder unit back up north. All my other friends suddenly disappeared off the radar. No one had wanted to deal with someone who was starving herself. Courtney’s message is to tell me she is off to a party at Jake’s house. Courtney has been crushing on Jake for years, and she never could work up the courage to make her move. I text her back and tell her to grow a pair and tell him how she feels tonight.
I finish up my hair and slip on my heels and head downstairs.
“Wow.” Grayson stops whatever he was about to say to my dad as he sees me coming down the stairs.
My dad follows his gaze, and he frowns slightly. “It’s cold outside, you know.”
I roll my eyes. “It won’t be cold in the bar, Dad.”
Grayson stands up and comes to meet me at the bottom of the stairs. He eats me up with his eyes.
“Will I do?”
Grayson licks his bottom lip and nods. He leans in and kisses my cheek. “You look amazing in that dress.”
Dom bounds down the stairs and pulls me from my eye-fucking of my man.
“Ready?”
My dad looks through the window from where he is sitting on the sofa. “Your Uber’s here. Be safe.”
We pile into the Uber and head over to Izzy and Owen’s house to pick them both up. Everyone else is meeting us there. The boys chat away about the rugby match they have on Sunday morning, so I turn my attention to Izzy.
“I love that dress Izzy,” I say, and she pulls her faraway gaze back to me with a forced smile.
“Thanks. Sorry, I’m distracted tonight. You look beautiful too, Ev.”
I lightly place my hand over hers and lower my voice. “Izz, is something wrong?”
Her eyes tear up for a moment before she smiles. “I’m fine, honestly. It’s just been a long day.”
Smiling, I squeeze her hand. “Well, I hope you aren’t too tired for dancing?”
Izzy grins and winks at me. “Never.”
WE ARRIVE AT THE BAR and Grayson speaks to the doorman who lets us all through and a waitress guides us through the bar. We weave through the busy crowd and then up a few steps to a seating raised area that is sectioned off. Grayson has done good and got us our own section for the night.
I smile, shaking my head when I see the birthday banners and balloons. As soon as we enter our section, Lottie sweeps me into a hug.
“Hey birthday girl.” She grins. She stands back and holding my hands looks me over. “That dress is gorgeous, Everly.”
“Thanks hun, and wow, you look amazing.” I study her for a minute and she looks at me in question.
“What? Is there something in my hair?” she asks, patting her dark locks.
I shake my head, smiling. “No. There’s just something different about you lately and I can’t put my finger on it.”
She clears her throat and smiles. “Nothing different here. I’m the same old me.”
I nod, continuing to study her. She can say what she likes, but something has changed about Lottie. She has this almost glow and confidence about her.
“Oh, my god.” I grin as realisation hits me. “There’s a guy!”
Lottie bats away my comment. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
I wag my finger at her. “We’ll talk more about this.”
She shakes her head laughing and offers me a drink. “Okay, but there really is nothing to talk about.”
“Can I interrupt?”
I do a double take when I turn and see Emily in front of me.
“Ems! What are you doing here?” I ask, made up that she is here for my birthday.
She grins and leans in to hug me. “There was no way I was missing your eighteenth. So I pecked my brother’s head until he agreed I could come.”
I squeeze her tightly. “Well, I’m glad you did, this has made my night.” I adore Emily, she is a great girl, and we have become good friends over the last nine months. She will often text me whilst she is away at boarding school to bitch about a girl she hates there or to talk boys.
One by one all my friends greet me and offer me cards or presents, that Grayson kindly takes from me and puts together on a table in the corner of the room. I finish my drink and grab Lottie, Ems and Izzy and pull them down onto the dance floor as one of my favourite songs comes on.
I’m laughing and dancing with my girls when hands move around my hips from behind me and that familiar scent of Grayson surrounds me. With my eyes closed and a smile on my face, I lean back against his chest and we move together to the music.
“You’re driving me insane in that tight little dress Manchester,” he says against my ear. “Can we not leave now? I want to do all kinds of dirty things to you tonight.”
My body tightens in excitement at his words. She is a greedy fucker when it comes to Grayson St. Clair. I turn, facing him and I wrap my arms around his neck.
“We have all night posh. Beside it’s my party. I can’t just leave.”
He sighs, pulling me flush against his delectable body. “I guess good things come to those who wait.”
I grin wickedly and lean up and take his bottom lip with my teeth. “Oh, I promise there are good things coming your way later, baby.”
Grayson groans and presses his lips down onto mine. “You’ll be the death of me Manchester.”
We dance together for a while, grinding on each other and teasing each other with our bodies until Grayson says he’s going to take his blue-balls off to mope.
I continue dancing with my girls for a few more songs until Izzy demands we take a toilet brake and the three of us wind through the crowd hand-in-hand to the ladies.
I walk out of the toilet cubicle to wash my hands and groan internally when I see Paige at the mirror painting on her lipstick.
“Well, if it isn’t the birthday girl herself.”
“Paige.” I say flatly as I run my hands under the water.
She puts her lipstick back in her bag and leans her hip against the counter, staring at me.
“Have you got something you want to say, Paige?” I ask with a sigh.
“It won’t last, you know. He will tire of you, eventually.”
I smile to myself. Here we go.
“You might think you have some magic pussy that has him all in love with you, but the effect will wear off.”
I turn and face her and lean into her space. “See, I think you’re wrong. I think Grayson plans on keeping me around for a long time. Why else would he have me tattooed into his skin?”
Her eyes flare with surprise. “You’re lying?”
I grin a slow and confident grin. “I was there when he had it done. I’m inked into his skin, right above his heart.” I turn my attention back to the mirror as Izzy comes up beside me and glares at Paige.
“You want something Paige?” She asks her.
Paige briefly scowls at her, before giving me one last deathly glare and she storms out of the ladies.
“It’s really sad that she still thinks she has a hope in hell of bagging your man.” Lottie says with a shake of her head as she touches up her blusher. Lottie’s phone pings and she scrambles to get it out of her purse. Her cheeks flush as she looks at the screen.
There is definitely a guy. She can deny it all she wants.
We weave through the crowded space to the bar and Izzy grinds to a halt as she bumps into someone.
“Well, hello lovely ladie
s.”
I look up to find Andrews in front of us. He looks each one of us over, his gaze resting slightly longer on Lottie.
“Happy birthday, Everly,” he says with a lazy grin.
“Thanks,” I reply dryly.
“Who’s your friend?” Andrews asks me, gesturing with his head to Lottie, who blushes under his scrutiny.
“No one you need to know.” Izzy hisses.
“Look Andrews, it’s my birthday and I don’t want any trouble tonight, so try not to wind my boyfriend up please.”
Andrews holds his hands up in the air in surrender. “I’m just here having drinks with friends. I have no beef with Grayson tonight.”
I nod my head, not convinced. “Ems is here tonight too, so if you want to stop that face of yours getting bloodied, I suggest you stay well away.”
“I hear you loud and clear.” Andrews replies, and with one last lingering look at Lottie, he disappears into the crowd.
We head back to the dance floor where most of our friends are now dancing. Owen picks Ems up by the waist and spins her around, making her giggle. For the rest of the night we dance and drink and let our hair down.
I wake in the morning, and my stomach coils tight with pleasure. I take a moment to realise why that is, and then I feel my man’s tongue against my clit and I groan sleepily. Fuck. He sure knows how to wake me up in the morning. He continues his leisurely assault on me, his tongue working me up into a frenzied high. I grasp his hair with my hands and squirm under his mouth. My eyes roll back in my head as I chase that orgasm that is almost within reach.
I come seconds later, breathlessly moaning my man’s name. I tug on his arms, needing his mouth against my lips. He moves up my body until he is above me. His dark hair is all ruffled and sexy.
“Morning, Manchester,” he says with a lazy smirk.
“Morning,” I reply with a content smile. “I hope you know we’re not finished here.”
He cocks a brow. “Oh, I was just getting started.” He moves until he is at my entrance, teasing me, and then he slowly enters me.
He lifts my hips slightly, and then he moves, and nothing exists but the feeling of my man loving me, worshipping me with his body.
“Look at me Manchester,” he commands and I open my eyes and meet his. “You know I love you. That I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
I reach up and cup his cheek. “I know that.” His question puzzles me, but that thought quickly dissipates when he increases his pace, and then all I can think about is how good he feels.
We lie tangled together a few minutes later and I gently touch his tattoo with my fingers. Seeing my name there on his skin does something to me. I feel a heady sense of satisfaction that no matter what happens in our lives; I am branded on his skin.
My phone pings and I reach out and grab it. It’s a message from Courtney. When I open it, I’m taken back to a time in my life before things became dark and serious.
It is a photo of Courtney with her arm around Tyler Kingston. My schoolgirl crush and the last boy I kissed before Grayson. The caption reads ‘look who I bumped into last night!’
I roll onto my front and type back to her. ‘Wow, blast from the past.’
Bubbles appear telling me she is typing back. ‘He was asking about you a lot, I think someone still has a thing for you.’
I shake my head smiling, ‘Tyler Kingston has a thing for a different girl every week. I doubt that has changed. Ring me later.’
I put my phone down and I roll and straddle my man. He reaches up and runs his thumb across my bottom lip.
“What are we doing today?”
Grayson grins. “I was kind of hoping we’re staying in bed all day.”
I shake my head, unable to fight the smile on my face. “All our friends are here and your sister.” I lean down and kiss him before I climb off him and leave the warmth of the bed. Naked as the day I was born, I walk towards his ensuite. I laugh when I hear him groan behind me.
“Jesus wept, you’re killing me Manchester.”
I stop at the door and turn my head back to him. “You joining me?”
I chuckle to myself as I hear him jump up out of the bed and chase after me.
WHEN WE EVENTUALLY tear ourselves away from each other, we head downstairs. Grayson frowns when we walk into the kitchen and find Ems and Owen sitting together, watching something on his phone, laughing and joking.
“This looks cosy,” he growls, giving Owen a scowl.
Ems looks up, smiling. “Hey guys. You should see this video of Ben from last night. He was so wasted.”
Grayson nods, continuing to frown as he heads straight for the coffee machine and I roll my eyes. He is so protective of his little sister. It is adorable, but sometimes he takes it a little too seriously.
Owen puts his phone away and stands to his feet and moves to lean on the units away from Ems. I catch Em frowning as she watches him and she twists at the sleeve of her jumper, looking a million miles away.
Izzy and Dom enter the room and we chat about what to do with our day. In the end we decide to go bowling and then the cinema afterwards. I message Lottie to see if she wants to come, but she texts back to say she is watching her brother today. She has been babysitting him a lot lately.
College has been crazy busy this week and I am so ready for the weekend, although it won’t be much fun without Grayson around. I hate it when his dad pulls him away for the weekend to attend business functions and I know Grayson hates it as much as do.
Courtney has been bugging me for months to come home, so I have decided that this weekend would be the perfect opportunity. My mum’s house is still sitting there empty, so it isn’t like I don’t have somewhere to stay. I know going home will not be easy for me, and Grayson has spent the week trying to convince me to go another weekend so that he can come with me. In the end I asked Izzy to come with me and she eagerly agreed, having never been to Manchester.
Grayson texts’ me after school and he asks me to come to his for an hour before he leaves with his dad. Dom drops me off and tells me he’ll pick me back up in an hour. I knock on the door and my mood sinks when Mr St. Clair answers the door.
“Ah, Everly.” He holds open the door for me to enter and I feel like he is inviting me into the devil’s lair. I don’t like this man. I don’t like the way he treats his son, or the way he looks at me. “Grayson is in the gym. Come, I’ll make you a drink.”
“Oh, that’s okay Mr St. Clair. I’ll just go and find him.” I protest hastily, not wanting to spend another minute in his company if I can help it.
“Nonsense. I won’t take no for an answer, besides you and I need to talk.”
That sounds ominous. Realising I may as well just give in, I follow him into the kitchen. He silently makes us both drinks and I sit myself at the kitchen island. He brings my drink over and he stands opposite me, leaning both his hands on the marble worktop.
“You’re a lovely girl Everly, and I can see you make my son happy.”
“I like to think so,” I reply, blowing on my drink as I cup it between my hands.
He nods, continuing to watch me intently. “My son has a role to play in my company. Soon he will start taking a bigger role in things and for that certain sacrifices are needed.”
I frown as I listen to him, an uncomfortable feeling settling in my stomach. “Oh, what kind of sacrifices?”
Mr St. Clair reaches into his trouser pocket and pulls out a white envelope. He slides it across the worktop until it is in front of me.
“What is this?”
He smiles tightly. “It’s a proposition for you. Open it.”
I reach out and take the envelope and tear it open. I pull out a cheque in my name for thirty thousand pounds. I wrinkle my brow and look back up at him. “I don’t understand.”
Mr St. Clair smiles tightly. “It’s a cheque for you, for thirty thousand pounds on the proviso that you break off your relationship with my son and promise to stay away.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “You’re trying to pay me to stay away from your son?”
He nods, his face serious. This had to be some sick joke.
“Is this some kind of test?” I ask with a nervous laugh. “Is this to test my loyalty to your son? I told you when we met I was never interested in him for his money.”
He chuckles dryly. “This isn’t a test, Everly. I need you gone from my son’s life. You are a distraction in my plans. Walk away now and that money is yours.”
I scrunch the cheque up in my hands and throw it across the island to him. “There’s what you can do with your cheque. I don’t need your money. I have a house in Manchester that’s worth one hundred grand. I’m not as poor as you have pegged me to be.”
Mr St. Clair sighs and shakes his head. “I was hoping you’d be more sensible than this.” He takes the crumpled up cheque in his fist and on his way out of the room he deposits it in the kitchen bin.
I sit there for a few minutes reeling in shock. Has Grayson’s dad really just tried to bribe me to leave his son, and why?
An hour later Grayson and I are outside on his drive waiting for Dom to arrive to take me home. Grayson is sitting on the bonnet of his car with me standing between his legs.
“I hate this,” he sighs. “These events are so dull and I have to deal with my dad’s company for the whole fucking weekend.’
I smile sadly and lean in and kiss him. “It’ll be over before you know it.”
He nods and rests his forehead against mine. “You’ll text me when you arrive up north?”
I nod. “The minute we get there.”
He pulls me closer and looks into my eyes. “You ring me, if it gets too hard, okay? Anytime, day or night.”
“I promise.” It was sweet how much he worried about me.
Dom’s car rolls up the driveway and he beeps his horn in greeting. Grayson pulls me in for a toe-curling kiss and I don’t know why, but something deep within me feels like this weekend will change things.
“I’ll see you Monday morning.” I tell him and with one last quick kiss to his lips, I walk away and climb into the car.