by Cara E Holt
Grayson scoffs, not looking convinced.
“At least you know he won’t be sniffing around your sister, and well, Lottie is big enough to make her own decisions. If he hurts her, then I’ll just have to be there to pick up the pieces.”
Grayson pulls me against his chest and rests his chin on the top of my head. “I guess you have a point.” He’s quiet for a moment, and then he leans back so he can look at my face. “I was thinking we could do something with Olly this weekend. There’s that new superhero film on at the cinema?”
“I love that idea,” I say, “But be honest, you just want an excuse to see the movie, don’t you?” I ask him with a knowing smile.
“Who, me? Never,” he says, giving me a cheeky wink.
When the other find out we’re going to the movies, it seems all the boys want an excuse to watch the movie, and it ends up being a group of us, including Dom, Izzy, Ben, Jacob and Molly.
Olly is bursting with excitement at the idea of being out with Dom and me and all our friends. It’s Grayson he adores though, and he gets a piggyback ride off him from the car park to the cinema, laughing delightedly.
Olly doesn’t move when the film comes on. Grayson nudges me and he gestures to Olly who is sitting between him and Dom and he is avidly watching the screen with his mouth gaping open. We share a secret smile. I love how Grayson is with my little brother, he always makes time for him and that means a lot to me.
We all pile out of the cinema and Grayson suggests we all head back to his for a barbecue. Olly is delighted when Grayson tells him he can come with us.
We pull up at Grayson’s’ home and all pile into the house.
“Go on through to the back,” Grayson tells us as we enter. “I’m just going to go change into some shorts.”
The weather is surprisingly nice today and even I am a bit warm in my jumper, even though it isn’t that thick. We head out through to the back and Dom takes charge and starts the barbecue up and he sends Izzy, Molly and I to the kitchen to get the meat from the fridge and all the supplies.
I’m piling the trays of meat up in my arms when I hear raised voices upstairs. I look at Izzy in question as she has clearly heard the same thing, looking towards the hallway puzzled. Two seconds later, Ems comes running downstairs in nothing but her panties and a t-shirt.
“Ev, you have to come stop him! He’s going to kill him.” Ems begs me, pulling me by my arm into the hallway.
“Kill who?”
“Grayson. He’s going to kill Owen. He found us in my room.”
The penny sinks in and I turn as Ems is dragging me out, “Izzy grab Dom, I think world war three is happening upstairs.”
Ems drags me upstairs and as we ascend and I can hear Grayson shouting and Owen asking him to calm down. We enter Ems’ bedroom, finding Owen in nothing but his boxers on one side of the bed, looking on edge, and Grayson standing on the opposite side, fists clenched and steam almost coming out of his ears. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this mad.
“Stay by the door,” I softly tell Ems, and she makes a noise of protest. “Trust me, stay here and let me handle this, okay?”
She looks frantically over at Owen. “Just don’t let him kill him, I care about him Ev.”
I quietly approach Grayson and wrap my hand around his bicep. “Gray. I know you’re mad, but this is Owen, one of your best friends.”
Grayson’s eyes remain fixated on Owen. “I’m going to fucking kill him.” He glares across the room at Owen, who gulps and looks towards the door as if wishing he could escape through it. “They were on her bed, kissing and shit.”
“Okay. So I know that can’t have been something you wanted to see — “
“Oh shit,” Says Dom, as he rushes into the room with Izzy close behind him and he takes Owen in his boxers.
“He broke the rule,” Grayson hisses, “We don’t hit on each other’s family.”
I nod, gently stroking up and down his arm. “But you kind of broke that rule with me.”
He turns his head and glares at me.
“Except you’re not fifteen and I haven’t known you since you were in nappies like this fucker has with my sister!” He growls.
“I’m sixteen Grayson and you can’t treat me like a child forever.” Ems pipes up behind me and I eyeball her to shut up before she riles him up even more.
“Look, I know this looks bad, but why don’t we let them both get dressed and then they can come downstairs and we can all talk this through like adults.”
Grayson clenches his fist. “Or I could just beat the shit out of him for hitting on my baby sister.”
“Ev’s is right, G.” Dom says coming up beside me. “Come on, come downstairs and calm down and have a beer. Don’t beat Owens’ face up, he’s already an ugly fucker as it is.” Dom jokes, trying the humorous approach.
“Thanks, fucker.” Owen tells him with a frown before his wary eyes return to Grayson’s.
“Come on.” I tug on his hand. “Let’s go down and take a minute to breathe.”
I let out a sigh of relief when Grayson lets me pull him from the room, but his eyes don’t leave Owen and the anger is coming off him in waves.
Grayson stalks into the kitchen and walks straight to the fridge and grabs a beer. Izzy looks at me wide-eyed with shock. She clearly did not see that one coming. I gesture to her and Dom with my head to outside and they both quietly leave us alone.
Grayson sits himself down on a stool at the kitchen island and glares down at his beer. I jump up onto the island and shuffle myself over until I’m sitting in front of him with my legs dangling over either side of him. I lift his chin with my finger, forcing him to look at me.
“Look, you’re not going to like what I have to say, but I’m going to say it, Gray. If she dated, would you rather it not be someone you know, someone who you know is a good guy?”
Grayson scoffs at me, his eyebrows arched. “Owen’s the biggest player I know.”
I smile. “I think you’ll find you owned that title before I came along. People said the same thing about you and look at you now. Maybe Owen cares about your sister.”
Grayson glares at me. “The only thing he cares about is getting his dick wet.”
I shrug. “Maybe at one time, but do you really think he’d risk your friendship for something casual or for a one-off hook up?”
Grayson’s frown deepens, and he remains silent, which gives me hope that I’m getting through to him.
“My little brothers out there and I don’t want him to see my boyfriend with his fist in our friend’s face.”
Grayson sighs. “You’re playing that card? That’s low.”
I half smile. “Well, I’ll try anything to stop you doing something you’ll later regret.” I lean down and raise his face and kiss him softly.
“Are you trying to distract me Manchester?” He says against my lips.
I grin against his mouth. “Yeah, is it working?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “I think you need to try harder.”
I shuffle my bum to the edge of the island and drop myself on to his lap, so we’re both sitting on the stool together. I kiss down his neck and he groans. “Just relax and loosen up, baby.” I tell him softly as I rock my hips against his.
The sound of someone clearing his or her throat pulls both our attention and we look up to find Ems and Owen stood lingering in the doorway. Grayson’s eyes immediately zero in on to where they hold hands. With a deep breath, I lift myself back onto the counter-top and gesture them over.
“Come sit.” I drop myself down onto the stool beside Grayson and they come and sit opposite us.
“How long?” Grayson asks, his voice cold and hard.
Ems and Owen share a look before Em’s answers. “About two months, but its kind of been bubbling for a while. I think the first time I realised there was something there was when we went to the local pub that day, remember when that band was on?”
Grayson nods, still looking lik
e he is fighting hard not to jump over the worktop and lay into his friend.
“Have you fucked my sister?” Grayson growls out.
Owen shakes his head. “No man, what you walked in on upstairs we were just fooling around. We haven’t— “
“I‘ve wanted to though,” Ems blurts out, sitting a little taller in her seat. “I wanted to take it further, but it is Owen who held back and said he wanted us to date and wait.”
Grayson scoffs, clearly not believing her.
Ems shakes her head, looking exasperated with her brother. “It’s the truth, Grayson. Owen has been the one to make us take this slow. Look, I know you’ll always think of me as a child, but I’m not. I’m not a virgin. I mean for Christ’s sake Grayson, I’ve had a fucking abortion. I’m hardly the sweet innocent girl you make me out to be.”
Grayson’s eyes flash with surprise. “He knows about that?”
“Yeah, he knows,” she replies firmly, “He knows because I feel I can talk to him and open up. He makes me laugh. He makes me feel cherished, and I really like being around him.”
“You don’t know him like I do. Do you know how many girls he’s slept with?” Grayson asks gesturing with his hand at Owen who, up to now, has remained silent.
Ems cocks a brow. “I bet it’s not as many as you have, big brother. Besides, I don’t care who he’s been with before he met me. We all have history, me included.”
“G, I know you’re mad,” Owen pipes up, he holds a hand out. “Just hear me out okay. I tried to fight this,” he confesses. “I tried not to like her, to not want to be around her, but I just couldn’t fight it anymore.”
“I made the first move.” Ems’ confesses. “I was the one to kiss him and at first he rejected me and said we couldn’t because of you, but I was the one who pursued him until he admitted he felt the same about me.”
She looks over at Owen and they both share a smile. “Look Grayson, whatever your feelings are, this is happening. I like Owen, like a lot, and what we have is good. He makes me happy and god knows, I deserve some of that in my life.”
Grayson stares at Owen. “You care about her?”
He nods firmly, chewing on his bottom lip. “I do.”
Grayson sighs and I see some anger fade. “You hurt her and I’ll break your legs.’
Owen nods. “That’s fair enough, but I have no intention of hurting your sister.”
Grayson rolls his eyes, not convinced. “I don’t want to see the two of you groping each other around me, okay?”
“Loud and clear.” Owen replies with a firm nod.
Owen stands to his feet and Ems follows him and stands beside him and he places an arm around her shoulders. “We’re going to get out of your hair for a bit, you know, give you time to digest this.”
“I think that might be a good idea,” I say in agreement. They both nod and leave the room quickly and for a few seconds Grayson just glares at the doorway they just walked through. Grayson necks his beer and stands to his feet and grabs my hand. “Come on, we got guests to entertain.” He pulls me outside and he plasters on a relaxed smile as Olly comes bounding over and he sweeps him up and throws him over his shoulder and tickles him. Olly wriggles in his arms and belly laughs. “Grayson, you’ll make me piss!” He protests.
“Hey buddy, that’s swearing,” I warn him with a disapproving frown.
“But Dom says it all the time,” he replies, pointing at Dom from where he dangles upside down over Grayson’s shoulder.
Dom fights a smile. “I don’t know what he’s talking about.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I reply, giving him a pointed look.
“Is my brother alive then?” Izzy asks Grayson from where she sits on Dom’s knee eating a hot dog.
“For now,” Grayson replies with a grunt.
Izzy looks over at me, and I shrug my shoulders. I wish I could reassure her that Grayson is going to accept this thing between Owen and Ems, but I can’t.
Chapter 6
“YOU SURE YOU CAN HANDLE this?” I ask Grayson as I brush a wayward piece of hair that dangles on his forehead.
Grayson sighs. “I’ll behave for you, but if he mentions my sister once, I’ll break his nose again.”
I roll my eyes at him and move away to put my jacket on. That was as good a reassurance I was going to get off him.
I’m checking my reflection in the mirror when he comes up behind me and nuzzles into my neck. “Did I say already how insanely hot you look tonight, Manchester. That dress should come with a warning label.”
I am wearing a black lace overlay, fitted off the shoulder dress that clings to my frame.
“I think that might be the fourth time you’ve told me in the last twenty minutes,” I reply with a smile.
He spins me so that I am facing him and moves us back until my back hits the sink unit. His hands sneak up my bare legs and push my dress up. “This dress makes me wants to do bad things to you, baby.”
My breath hitches as his touch sends a shiver down my back. “Grayson, we don’t have time the Uber will be here any minute.”
“Fuck the Uber. He can wait,” he says with a smile as he continues to push my dress higher and higher until he exposes my black lace thong. “Mmm, more lace.” He brushes his hand against my folds and pushes my panties to one side. He slides his finger inside me and I moan. Jesus, I had no willpower when it came to him. He adds another finger and pumps in and out and I move my hips, riding his hand, my earlier protestations completely forgotten about. Grayson watches my face with fascination as he gets me off. “That good, Manchester?” He asks me, knowing damn well that I’m loving every second of his touch.
“If that Uber arrives before I come, you’re going to be in trouble, posh,” I warn him.
He leans in to kiss me and he smiles against my lips as he presses a finger against my clit. I reach out and cup his hardness through his jeans.
“Uh-huh,” he tells me, moving my hand away. “This is all about you baby, you can get me off later.”
That is my man all right, he’s a giver, not like most boys his age who would only be interested in getting themselves off. Grayson always made sure that I orgasmed before he thought about himself and his release. I grip tightly on his shoulders as I feel the need building in me.
“Grayson, I need — “
“I know what you need Manchester, no ones knows this body like I do.” He pumps his fingers faster and his mouth covers mine to drown out my moans as I come.
Smiling against my mouth, he pulls his fingers from me and sucks them into his mouth, making me blush.
“Grayson, what are you doing?” I ask as he hooks his fingers in my thong and pulls it down my legs.
“Come on baby, go bare tonight, it will drive me insane knowing you’re not wearing anything under there.” He pockets my thong in his pocket.
“Grayson,” I protest, pulling my dress down. “This dress is too short for me to go commando.”
He shakes his head. “Its fine baby, you think I’d risk anyone getting a glimpse of what’s mine? Trust me, the dress is long enough.” He leans in and drops a kiss on my lips. “Plus, it gives me easy access all night.”
“You’re terrible,” I tell him, trying to sound exasperated, but really I love how much he constantly wants me.
The sound of a car horn beeps downstairs. “See, I told you I’d be done in time.” He takes a step back away from me and holds out his hand. “Come on beautiful, lets go to this fucking party.”
We meet Dom and Izzy downstairs and with a quick shout to my dad that we’re leaving; we head out to the taxi. We are heading to a social club in the next town to celebrate Lottie turning eighteen. When I’d first shown Grayson the invite and told him that Andrews would be there, he had scoffed and firmly told me there was not a chance in hell he was going. I’m not going to deny it; I’d used my feminine persuasion to change his mind. I could only hope that my guy could reign in that temper of his tonight and keep his fist away from Andrews
face.
When we arrive the party is already in full swing and there are photos everywhere of Lottie from a newborn to her now. It is super cute.
Lottie spots us from over near where she stands at the buffet table, and she waves excitedly at me and pushes her way through her guests to get to us.
“You made it!” She exclaims. Clearly she was also unsure whether we’d actually show up, but even if Grayson had refused to come, I wouldn’t have let her down and I would have come on my own.
I pull her into a hug. “Happy birthday!”
Izzy leans in and kisses her, and Dom nods his head in greeting. Lottie’s eyes fall on Grayson and I can she the uncertainty in her eyes. “Grayson, I’m glad you came.”
Grayson nods. “I’m under orders to behave, so you can relax.”
Lottie releases a breath she had been holding. “That’s good.”
Izzy and I hand her our gifts and she tells us to go get drinks and she’ll put them with all her others over by the DJ. We’re at the bar waiting to be served when my eyes follow Grayson’s to where Lottie and Andrews are standing together. Andrews looks down at her with a smile and she beams up at him as they talk. He softly brushes a piece of hair off her face.
“They both look pretty smitten, don’t you think?”
Grayson sniggers. “The only thing Andrews has ever been smitten with his himself.”
I bob my head from side to side. “I don’t know. He looks pretty mesmerised by my friend. Maybe she’ll be the making of him and he’ll be a changed man.”
Grayson pulls his gaze away from them and snorts at my comment. “I highly doubt it.”
We order drinks and then I spot Hannah and ........ we go and join them at their table.
“Hey guys.” Hannah greets us warmly making room for us round their table. We settle in and catch up with everyone.
I stiffen slightly, when I see Lottie and Andrews heading our way. Here we go.
“Grayson, Everly,” Andrews says with a nod of his head. “I’m glad you both could make it.”
Grayson’s hand tightens on my leg. “I wouldn’t miss it. Lottie’s my friend, we’re here for her tonight.” I reply.