by Jordyn White
Once we’re put back together, but still in the darkened room, he pulls me into his arms.
“I think I’d better get you back in there before I get into trouble.” He rubs his nose against mine.
“I’m ready.” Now that I’ve settled things with Sam and quenched my need for Grayson, even if only for the moment, I do want to go celebrate with Isabella and my girls.
“We still have some things to discuss,” he says quietly.
I nod. I haven’t forgotten that I’ll be on a flight to Boise in less than 24 hours. God, how I’m regretting that move just now.
“We’ll do it after,” he says, kissing me sweetly. “Maybe in your room, where we can have some privacy?”
“Can we go to your place?” I ask tentatively.
“You want to come to my place?”
I nod. “I want to sleep in your arms tonight. Is that alright?”
“Of course.” He gently tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and squeezes me. “I’d love that, Chloe.”
Then he gives me one, last, lingering kiss, and Grayson and I leave our little cocoon to rejoin the rest of the world.
At first it’s a little weird, to be dancing with Grayson so openly when he’s been here with Sam all week, but it doesn’t seem to bother her at all. In fact, judging by the way she and one of the groomsmen dance during a slow song, I’d say Sam has landed on her feet just fine.
A few times during the fast songs, a large circle forms—including Isabella, us girls, Jack, and our dance partners—with everyone bopping around and laughing. I feel like I could soar up to the ceiling, I’m so light.
After one of the slow songs, Jack comes up to us and pins my feet on the ground a bit. After putting his arm around my shoulders and planting a kiss on the top of my head, he turns his attention to Grayson.
“Grayson,” he says, a smile on his face but a serious tone in his voice. He extends his hand, and when Grayson shakes it Jack hangs on. “A word?”
My smile falters as I glance between the two of them. They’re still gripping each other’s hands and holding each other’s eyes. “Uh—” I say.
“Sure,” Grayson says calmly, “I think that’s a good idea.”
“Uh—” I say again but they turn away from me and head toward the ballroom doors.
I stand there frozen, not sure what to think. Sam and Ashley come up to me. Sam’s watching Jack and Grayson depart as well. “Don’t worry,” Sam says, smiling, “he’s not going to kick his ass or anything.”
I glance at her, then look back to the doors, where they’ve both just disappeared. “Are you sure?” Jack kind of had that big brother look I’ve seen in him before.
Sam shrugs easily. “Pretty sure.”
I bolt forward, toward the doors, but she laughs and grabs my arm, stopping me. “I’m kidding, ding dong. He just wants to talk to him.”
“O-kaay,” Isabella’s firm voice says behind us. We spin to find her examining us with crossed arms. “Are you guys going to tell me what’s going on with Grayson, or what?”
“Uh...” Sam says.
We look at each other. Where to begin?
“There was a little mix up,” Ashley jumps in. She gives us a questioning glance.
Sam and I look at each other and shrug. I guess now’s as good a time as any.
Permission granted, Ashley proceeds to give Isabella the condensed version of events. Isabella’s eyes widen almost immediately, then we watch as various expressions of astonishment cross her face. Sam and I are both trying to give her reassuring looks.
“So they got it all worked out,” Ashley finally concludes. “It’s okay.”
“It really is,” Sam says.
“Because Sam’s awesome,” I say.
“Fucking awesome,” Sam agrees.
I have to smile, but Isabella’s still giving us this look of disbelief. Poor thing. It’s a lot to catch up on in just a couple of minutes. Maybe we should’ve waited.
“Really, it’s—” Ashley starts, but Isabella holds up one hand, stopping her. Her mouth is partially open and her brows are furrowed.
We all hold our breath, watching her.
“Let me see if I’ve got this straight.” She looks between me and Sam. “Out of the two of you,” she points at me, “Chloe’s the one getting laid tonight?”
My eyes fly wide and my mouth drops open.
A sly grin emerges on Isabella’s face.
That little stinker!
Sam doesn’t miss a beat. “Oh, I’m getting laid tonight, don’t you worry about that.” She points through the crowd. “With that guy right over there.”
With that, Sam heads in the direction of the lucky groomsman, glancing back over her shoulder and giving us a wink.
We watch her go, smiling, but Isabella gets serious again when she turns back to me and Ashley. “Is she really okay?”
Ashley nods. “I think so.”
“And are you okay?” Isabella asks me.
“I am now, yes. I’m really, really glad it’s over.”
Isabella’s aunt comes up and taps her on the shoulder. “You and your dad are up next.”
Isabella glances over her shoulder. Her father is waiting for her on the edge of the dance floor.
“Okay, I’ll be right there,” she says, and her aunt leaves.
She looks back to me. “You’ll fill me in later, right?”
I nod and give her a hug. “You look beautiful, Isabella. The wedding was perfect.” I’ve said all this already, but it’s nice to say it again when I’m not in such a fog.
“Thanks, Chloe,” she says, beaming. She gives us both a smile before heading off to dance with her dad.
Ashley smiles at me. “I told you it would be okay.”
“Because you never had any doubts,” I say smiling.
“Nope. Not a one.” We laugh, but then I see Jack and Grayson reemerge. They’re both laughing.
I exhale heavily.
“See?” Ashley says. “No worries, honey.” She pats me on the arm and goes back to the dance floor as I head toward Grayson. Jack gives me a wink, but spots his date and heads in that direction.
“What happened?” I ask, as I get close to Grayson.
He gives a little laugh. “I feel like I’ve just been interrogated by your father or something.”
“What? Why? What did he say?” I’m starting to get worked up but Grayson takes my hand and squeezes.
“It’s okay. Jack’s a good guy. I think he just wanted to make sure I’m not the kind of guy to...”
He trails off and I furrow my brows. I know he’s trying to reassure me, but I see the discomfort on his face. Whatever they discussed, it’s left a mark.
“Well,” Grayson continues, “after the way he found us he wanted to make sure...”
He trails off again, but I think I understand. “You’re not the cheating type?”
Grayson nods and frowns. “You know, I realize Sam and I were never exclusive, but I also knew you and I shouldn’t have been doing that. I’m not.... It’s not one of my finer moments.”
“No,” I say seriously. “Me either.”
“Does... stuff like that worry you?”
“That you’ll turn out to be a cheater?”
“No. Well, I mean I don’t want you to worry about that, because I’m really not that kind of guy.”
“I know.”
“No, I mean...” He sighs. “The whole point of the Rule was to avoid doing stupid things. And here it seems I’ve been making bad decisions all week long.”
“Well,” I kind of laugh and shrug. “I hate to tell you this, but people do stupid things when they’re in love whether they’re twenty-five or fifty-five. It just... can’t be helped.”
He laughs and pulls me into his arms. “That’s not very reassuring.” We begin to sway to the music.
“But if things work out, it’s worth it.” I give him a broad smile and raise my eyebrows. “Right?”
I have no idea what’
s going to happen next with us. I’m getting on a plane tomorrow afternoon and heading back to my job in Boise, whether I want to or not. But for now, Grayson’s here, and I’m here in his arms, and that’s a start. I’ll take it.
He smiles and gives me a gentle kiss. “It’s already worth it.”
Chapter 20
It’s almost three in the morning when Grayson and I walk into his kitchen and I’m back to where it all began.
Is it weird to say I feel like I’m coming home?
Holding my hand, he leads me into the living room, setting my suitcase at the foot of the stairs. The wall of windows, open to the city beyond, lets in enough moonlight for us to see by. We settle on the couch, facing one another, hands intertwined.
I let out a deep breath.
“Quite a day,” he says quietly.
I raise my eyebrows and nod. “Uh, yeah.”
“How tired are you? Would you rather talk in the morning?”
“I’m pretty tired,” I acknowledge, “but I want to tell you what I’m thinking.”
“What are you thinking?” He says this calmly, but I sense some nervousness underneath. I’m feeling a bit of nerves too, remembering what happened the last time I was here. But things are different now.
“I’m thinking a move back to Swan Pointe is in order.”
He smiles. “I like the way you’re thinking.”
“You know don’t you, that I’d be coming back for you. That’s not too much for you, is it?” I do feel the need for both of us to be perfectly clear, but I confess, I’m not much worried about his answer at this point.
He raises one eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right?”
I smile. “Kind of.”
He rests his elbow on the back of the couch and leans his head on his hand. He rubs the back of my hand with his thumb. “I’m definitely not too happy about the idea of you being in Boise.”
That makes two of us.
The company I work for will soon have one less cog working for them, but I have a feeling they’ll manage just fine. It’s fine by me, too. I wish my blog were making enough to live off of, but I’m not there yet. “I don’t know how quickly I can find a job here, but I’ll start looking tomorrow. The sooner the better.”
He opens his mouth, as if to say something, but seems to think better of it and closes it again.
I lean in and give him a gentle kiss, inhaling slowly. I pull away and put out my hand, palm up. “Phone please.”
He furrows his brow at me, but pulls his phone out of his pocket and puts it in my hand. I bring up his contacts and start adding my information. “It’s way past time for you to have my number.” When I’m done entering my info into his phone and send myself a text so I have his number too, I set his phone on the cushion next to me. “I expect frequent calls and texts,” I say smiling.
He’s grinning too. “Can I take you to dinner on Friday? You know good places in Boise, right?”
I look at him in surprise.
“You’re not the only one who can hop on a plane, you know.”
“Oh,” I breathe, “That sounds so heavenly!” I give him one kiss, which turns into half a dozen more enthusiastic kisses.
He laughs lowly. When I rest my head against the couch, smiling at him, he runs his hand through my hair. Part of me is so tired. I could fall asleep right here. The other part of me doesn’t want to miss a second of Grayson. That’s the part of me that wins. I haven’t stopped smiling since he said he’s coming to Boise.
Five more days. I’ll get to see him again in five more days.
In some ways that feels like torture, but it’s better than nothing. Who knows how soon before I can be back in Swan Pointe where I belong?
I sit here happily, watching him as he slowly runs his hand through my hair. He pauses just long enough to gently touch the tip of his finger to my nose piercing, like planting a little kiss on it. I smile sleepily.
“Smile for me,” I say softly as he continues to play with my hair. He furrows his brow, but a crooked smile emerges. God, he’s so damned cute.
I bring my fingertip to my lips, put a kiss on it, then place the tip of my finger on his dimple. He smiles deeper and catches my fingers before I can drop them. He puts my fingers on his lips so he can kiss them, then lowers my hand in his and gently rubs my hand with his thumb again.
My body betrays me, and I cover my mouth as I lose the fight not to yawn.
“Oh, big yawn,” he says quietly, smiling. “Come on.” He stands slowly and extends his hand to me. “Let’s get you to bed.”
I put my hand in his and go with him toward the stairs. He grabs my suitcase and we silently head up to the master bedroom.
I look at him and he gives me a gentle smile, his dimple just making an appearance. My heart flutters in response. I can imagine us doing this every night, for the rest of our lives.
Once upstairs, we go through a silent routine of sorts. We brush our teeth and get undressed. I drape my clothes over my suitcase, but don’t bother retrieving my night slip. He’s down to his boxers, but by the time I’m in only my bra and underwear, he’s left off undressing and is standing still, watching me.
I’m feeling more awake now, I’ll admit.
Eyes on his, I quietly remove my bra and slide it off my shoulders. As I’m exposed, his eyes slide downward, taking me in. Heart pounding, I let my bra drop to the floor.
Slowly, I hook my thumbs over the lacy band of my panties. He looks back up at me—with an impossibly loving expression that gets my insides dancing—then watches as I slide my panties down my legs. I let them fall to my ankles, then carefully step out of them, moving slightly in his direction.
He lets out a long, shaky exhale.
I stand still as he slowly comes up to me. He places his hands softly on my shoulders, then lightly trails them down my upper arms and over to my breasts. Goosebumps rise on my skin. His palms reach my erect nipples, and he cups me gently before continuing on to my stomach.
I raise my hands to his forearms. I rest them there lightly, then run my hands up to his firm biceps, and over to his chest.
His fingertips gently caress my belly button piercing. He leans in, placing his mouth on mine. I part my lips to receive him. My knees weaken as his tongue dances gracefully with mine. I take hold of him for support as his arms encircle my waist, bringing my naked flesh against his, linking us from chest to thigh.
Opening to a deeper, gentle kiss, I softly tug on the waistband of his boxer shorts. He pulls away quietly and slips them off. I stand, exposed and tingling and waiting, until he wraps his arms around me again.
Kissing me slowly, he continues to run his hands softly over my shoulders and back and rear. I’m lightly running my hand over his body as well, his hard desire for me gently pressing against the cleft of my sex.
He cups my face, intensifying his kiss. I tighten my hold on him, pressing harder against his firm chest. Still holding my face with one hand, he drops the other to my breast and squeezes gently as he starts working his mouth down my neck. I exhale a long breath as I tilt my head, giving him more room. My skin tingles everywhere his lips touch me.
As he continues to work down to the base of my neck, to my collar bone, and further down, he gently steers me to the bed until the mattress is against the back of my legs. I grip his shoulders firmly as he works his way down. My nipple is aching, but I wait for him. His hands lightly trail down the side of my torso until his mouth is hovering above my nipple. As he latches on, sending shivers over my body, he grips my hips tightly.
I let out a shaky exhale. What kind of sweet torture is this?
He gently sucks me, lightly trailing his hands over my ass and gripping my upper thighs from behind.
I let out a whimper and reach my hands down the length of his back.
He plants a trail of soft, hot kisses from one nipple and toward the other. I angle my hips and thighs closer to him, pressing against his body. He reaches my nipple, but doesn’t suck it
right away. He lightly flicks it with the tip of his tongue, teasing me.
I look down at him, my mouth slightly open, and slide my hand into his hair. He fully takes me into his mouth, tightening his arms around me as he sucks firmly.
I let out a soft moan. I’m throbbing and weak in the legs. But still I don’t rush him. As he sucks my nipple, sometimes softly, sometimes firmly, I run my hands over his cheek and neck and shoulders. I’ve never given so much love in a single touch, or been loved so well in return.
He gives my nipple one last, firm taste, swings over and does the same to the other one, then comes up to my waiting mouth. Kissing me deeply, he gently adjusts me into a sitting position on the bed, his warm body between my thighs.
I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I want to wrap my legs around him, but still I wait.
He pulls away, looking me deep in my eyes before slowly lowering his head and placing his lips on my breastbone. He works his way down, planting moist kisses in between my breasts and toward my stomach. My nipples are aching for his touch, but that isn’t the only thing. As he gently lays me back, his mouth still wandering downward, I bring my knees up in anticipation of his ultimate destination. By the time he reaches the top of my pubic bone, I’m spread and lifting my hips up, unable to help myself. I’m throbbing and wet and I know it won’t take me long to get there once he finally satisfies my need for his touch.
He continues downward, but veers to the side and gently sucks on the tendon at the top of my upper thigh. I grip his shoulder with one hand, his hair with the other. He goes over to the other side, his hot breath teasing my clit. I arch my back, enjoying the delicious frustration. He sucks on the other tendon, closer to the folds of my sex this time. I spread myself further and tug his hair in the desired direction, asking.
His head moves as directed and my clit throbs in expectation, a little heartbeat. “You’re so beautiful, Chloe,” he says softly, then laps his wet tongue over my clit. My mouth drops open and my body jolts as I’m consumed with the pleasure of him making contact at last. He licks and sucks and works me into a frenzy quickly. I moan and grind my hips toward his mouth helplessly. He slides two fingers into me.