by Marie Skye
“Why would Dale have anything to do with it?” Emmalin stared at me, wide eyed.
“He’s her uncle. He’ll do anything to get at me, including fucking up the progress we’ve made with her, including using you against me.” I lifted her chin so she’d look at me. “How’s that working out for him?”
She lowered her head. “I’m sorry for your losses, Grayson,” she whispered.
I nodded. “I’ve done my grieving. I’d be lying if I said I don’t think of her from time to time, but it’s been a long time. I’m in a good place in my life now. At least, I hope I am.” I watched her as she watched me, and she let out a small sigh. I tucked her hair behind her ear and took a deep breath. “There’s one more thing. After you left, I went to Tesh. I wasn’t in the right state of mind, and I was pissed and drunk. I think I was even going there with the intentions of doing stuff. Chace, of all people, was my voice of reason, which I’m grateful for.”
“So, if Chace hadn’t been there, you’re saying you would’ve been with someone else?”
My grip on her hand tightened. “I’m saying, I was pissed enough that I thought about it, but there’s no way in hell I would’ve done it. All I kept seeing was your face. I love you, Emmalin. I want you. Only you, no one else.”
She stood and went to the window. After a few minutes, she slowly turned to face me. “There’s more, isn’t there?”
Even in the dim light, I could see the hurt on her face. I stepped closer. “I went to bed and woke up to you. Or who I thought was you. She smelled like you, I thought you came back to me. The moment I touched her, I realized it wasn’t you, and I threw her off me.”
I watched as Emmalin visibly grimaced. She cleared her throat. “Did, um… did anything happen?”
“She touched me once. That was it.”
She nodded. I could see the tears welling in her eyes. “I guess I can’t be too mad, right? We were broken up.”
I closed the distance between us as her voice cracked. “Stop saying that. I didn’t want to lie to you. She was trash, and it shouldn’t have happened no matter how drunk or how mad I was. I shouldn’t have been there. It won’t happen again, I swear it.
She held my gaze before slowly turning to face the window again. Several minutes went by and neither of us spoke. I decided pleading with her wasn’t going to work. Demanding was, because I’d had enough of being without her this week. And I was demanding her back whether she liked it or not.
“Emmalin, turn around.”
She didn’t move.
“I said turn around. Right. Now.” She stiffened and slowly turned around. Her eyes held a touch a fear, but also desire. I pulled her to me. “I will always fight for you. You’re mine. You and me.”
She laid her head against my chest.
“Would you do something for me?” I asked.
She peeked up from under her lashes and gave me a small nod.
“Would you go somewhere with me?” She hesitated. “Please?” She finally gave me a small smile and nodded. “Good. We have to leave soon.” She was still a bit skittish, but I wasn’t going to give her a chance to back out.
“I’m just going to take a quick shower, and then I’ll be ready. I still have the club smell on me,” she said quietly.
I nodded. I was tempted to join her but wanted to give her space.
I was glad it was still dark as we drove to the airport.
“Our destination requires a plane?” She looked at me worriedly.
I laughed, pulling her tighter against me. “Yeah, is that okay?”
She stared out the window at the plane. “It’s just been a while since I’ve been on one.”
I kissed the top of her head. “How long?”
She cleared her throat. “Never.”
I looked at her. “But you were so happy about Paris.”
“Yeah, I just forgot about the plane part.”
We got seated, and she looked cute as she nervously sat by the window, ticking her leg and staring out the window.
"Mr. Mandrake, flight control has given us the green light for takeoff. Are you ready?” I nodded to the flight attendant.
Emmalin gripped the armrest and looked panicked. Her eyes darted to the window as the plane began to move.
I leaned over, shut the window, and turned her to face me. "Look only at me, okay? Breathe.” She nodded. “Did you know it's impossible to hum while holding your nose?"
She raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"It's true. It's impossible to hum while holding your nose."
She looked at me, confused. "How do you know that?"
I shrugged and leaned back in my chair. "Don't believe me? Try it."
She laughed. "You're ridiculous."
"I tell you what. I'll try it. And if I can't hum, then you have to do something for me."
She glanced at me skeptically. "Gee, what does this remind me of? And how do I know you aren't purposely going to not hum?"
"Touché. Fine, then you hum, and if you can't hum, then I win. But to make it fair, I hold your nose.” She rolled her eyes, and I made a mental note to keep track of her eye rolling.
She held out her hand. "Deal."
I could barely hold in my laughter as she tried to hum.
She made sure to sulk about it for all of ten seconds before she started laughing. "I can't believe you, Grayson Mandrake, knows something like that."
"Yeah, well, it worked, too.” I reached over and opened her window shade, and she gasped. We had already reached altitude.
"Sneaky.”
“I think the word you were looking for is ‘clever.’ Are you hungry? Breakfast will be served here shortly.”
“Am I free to wash my hands, or do I have to stay buckled in?”
“Well, as much as I would love you buckled in, you are free to roam. Down the hall to your left.”
While she was gone, I thought about that morning's events and all that transpired. Telling her about my past was a big step for me. Losing Carmen fucked me up in life. Then there was dealing with Lydia’s shit.
And then there was Emmalin. I still didn’t know what she was running from or who she was running from. I needed her to trust me again.
She came back and sat across from me. She was back to laying those bricks back out. Before I could comment, breakfast was being served.
“So how long is our flight?”
I looked up from my cup of coffee. “Why? Did you have somewhere to be?”
She sat her fork down on her barely touched food. “I was just wondering. You hardly had me pack anything, just the essentials.”
“Well, it’s not kidnapping. You came willingly, although that probably wouldn’t stop me. Did you want something else? I can have Leslie bring you something else. You didn’t eat much.” She looked at her plate. “I noticed your lack of eating these last few days, and with the amount of alcohol you consumed last night, it has me a little on edge about your health.” She rolled her eyes before resting her head back against the seat and shutting her eyes.
“Emmalin!” She jumped. “Did you forget you have diabetes?”
She sat up, pushed her tray to the side, and stood up. “No, Grayson, I did not forget I have diabetes, because I can’t forget, even if I fucking wanted to. I can’t ever forget, because if I tried, it finds a way to remind me, okay? But there are days when I just want to feel normal because I forget what that feels like. As for the lack of food, I was going through a breakup because I was hurt, so I didn’t order room service. But because I was staying in the penthouse suite, it had a fully stocked kitchen, so I still ate a little. I don’t need you to baby me. I get enough of that shit from Tyler.”
I stood up, towering over her and definitely not liking the comparison to Tyler. I guided her to look at me. “I’m just looking out for you because I worry. You’re off, and if something was to happen to you…” I pulled her tight against me. “I’m sorry about last week. I’m so fucking sorry that I hurt you. I didn’t want
you to find out that way, and I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you. I was scared you’d run. You did run. And the look on your face killed me.”
She pulled back. “I appreciate you sharing your story. I know it wasn’t easy. I just wish you would have told me sooner. Don’t lie to me again, Grayson. I mean it, about anything.”
I nodded. “I promise.”
Two hours later, we landed in what I found out was Naples, Florida. Thirty minutes later, we drove up to a quiet beachfront property. Grayson looked nervous, yet he had a smile on his face the entire time.
“Your homes just get bigger and bigger, don’t they?”
“This is more of a family home.” He got out of the car, came around, and opened my door before I had time to question him.
I looked around the property. It was huge, yet it had a warm feeling to it.
“I wanted you to feel the love I have for you by bringing you around the people who I love.” I looked up at him, and he appeared a bit anxious. Grayson Mandrake, the man who walks into a room and everyone practically bows to him, actually looked anxious. He was taking me home to meet his family.
Then it dawned on me. He was taking me home to meet his family. I’d never done that. Panic quickly overtook me.
He grabbed my shoulders. “Hey, they’re going to love you. Is this okay?”
I looked at him and the house, took a deep breath, and smiled. “It’s okay.”
He grabbed our luggage out of the trunk. I looked at him questioningly because neither one of us packed luggage. “I had all of this prearranged.” He guided me up to the house.
“And what if I said no about coming?”
He whispered in my ear. “I told you before, I always lay my cards out.” Just then a dog came running past us followed by a squeal.
“Uncle Gray!” I stood by the door as a little blonde girl came running into Grayson’s arms. He scooped her up, and she gave him the biggest smile. “What took you so long? Did you see our new dog?”
“You mean that mutt that ran through here?”
She laughed as if it was the funniest thing ever. “Noah picked him out at the shelter. His name is Baxter, and because he’s so big, Mom said I got to pick out a cat. Her name’s Shelby.” I stood back smiling, as she smoothed back Grayson’s hair.
“Abigail Lyn, did you find him?” We both turned toward the woman coming from the other room. I assumed she was his sister. She smiled as she walked toward Grayson, arms outstretched. “Hey, brother, good to see you, and not just at some event.” He checked her over as they shared some unspoken communication. I remembered the conversation we had about her addiction. That must’ve been hard on everyone and had to have taken its toll on them.
Baxter, the dog, came trotting over to me, sniffing around my feet. I wasn’t raised with dogs. I was never allowed to have one.
“He’s a pit and very friendly. My name’s Abby. Who are you?”
Grayson came sauntering over. “I’m so sorry, Abby, Meredith. This is Emmalin.”
Meredith hit Grayson in the chest. “You left your girlfriend at the door?”
Abby giggled. “Dad said I can’t have a boyfriend until I’m thirty.”
“Thirty-five!” In walked a man with a little boy on his shoulders, followed by an older couple.
It looked like I was meeting his whole family. As if sensing my nervousness, Grayson pulled me tighter against him.
His mom went straight for me, fanning him away. “You see her enough.” She pulled me into the biggest hug that, at first, shocked me, but I quickly relaxed. She held me out at arm’s length. “You are stunning. It’s so good to meet you. I’m Lorraine, and this is my husband, Chad.” I shook Chad’s hand since he was more formal.
“Mom, Dad, this is Emmalin. This little guy here is Noah, and this is Meredith’s husband, David.”
I hoped to remember everyone’s names.
“Uncle Gray left his girlfriend at the door.” Abby giggled.
Lorraine turned to me, and I clarified, “Not really. I was just standing there.”
She rolled her eyes at Grayson. “You have to forgive my son. You’re the only girl he’s brought home in forever, and you would think we didn’t teach him manners. Grayson, I swear.” She punched him in the arm. I laughed as I noticed a theme among the Mandrake women. “Why don’t you guys get settled? I’m sure you’re tired after your trip, and we’ll meet for lunch in a few hours.”
We said our short good-byes as we made our way to a guest house a short distance away.
The guest house itself was impressive in size. I was looking at some art when Grayson wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled into my neck. I missed that. I missed him.
“If you prefer to stay at the main house to be closer to your family, we can.”
He growled in my neck. “I spent days without you. I’m choosing to be selfish by wanting to keep you all to myself for the short time we’re here. And if I know my family, which I do, they’re already over there planning our wedding, and us getting involved with details like that just gets in the way.”
I awkwardly laughed as I stepped out of his embrace. He studied me. “So you never brought a girl home?” I asked hesitantly.
He shook his head. “I never had girlfriends after Carmen died.” Oh. “Come on, I want you to lie down. You barely got any sleep this morning, and judging by the bags under your eyes, you're running on a few hours of sleep at best.” I started to protest, but he put his hand over my mouth. “None of that.”
I smiled as he pulled my dress over my head. “You’re always taking care of me.”
“I want to. You keep fighting me over control, trying to get me to compromise, so you resort to other tactics you think I’m not aware of.” He pulled back the duvet and motioned for me to get in before he got in behind me and pulled me closer.
“What do you mean ‘other tactics’?”
“You use sex to gain control or to ignore the topic. You top from the bottom. Which by the way, you think you’re winning, but in reality I’m just really enjoying the sex.”
I gasped and punched him in the shoulder. “You knew about that.”
“Baby, I had you figured out the first time you did it. It was sexy as hell, I must admit, and I wanted you to do it again. But at the end of the day, I commanded your body. I’ll always command your body.” He shifted on top of me. “Why is that, Emmalin?” I moaned as he traced my nipple with his tongue through my camisole. I arched into him. “You know I hate repeating myself.” He moved to my other nipple.
“Because,” I breathed.
He chuckled before rising up and flipping me over so fast I didn’t have time to react. I yelped as he bit my shoulder.
“Topping from the fucking bottom. Will you ever learn, or do you need to be taught a lesson?”
I shrieked as his hand came down on my ass, hard, taking me by surprise. By the second and third blow, I wasn’t shrieking; I was moaning and a bit hazy. I really was thankful we were in a completely separate house.
Grayson nipped my ear. “My vixen forgot how much she liked pain, did she?” I nodded and felt a rip as my panties were tossed to the side. Then he thrust two fingers in. “Fuck, your wet, greedy pussy is tightening around my fingers.”
I moaned. “It’s been too long.”
“I told myself I was going to be good this weekend, but right now, I want nothing more than to sink into you.”
“Please,” I heard myself whisper and gasped as he started to fill me. He paused to give me time to stretch around him, both of us breathing hard.
“More?” he asked, and I nodded. He inched more and we both moaned. “I need you, Emmalin. I need you so bad.” He thrust in all the way to the hilt, and I was on fire. “I need to feel you come, baby.”
I moaned as he reached around and started rubbing my clit. I screamed as the pressure built. When he bit hard into my neck, I let go, completely shattered.
A few hours later, I woke up from a nice sex coma with
Grayson tangled around me. I tried to move, but his grip tightened.
He snuggled in my neck. "Going somewhere?"
I smiled. "No, but I think we should join everyone."
He sighed. "I suppose I could share you for a few hours."
I gave him a chaste kiss. "Good. I'm going to shower. I still have no idea what you packed."
Fifteen minutes later, I came out, and Grayson was sitting on the edge of the bed looking at something on his tablet. I came up behind him and was shocked to see it was pictures of Caleb and me outside the pub.
I sat next to him. There was another of us getting into the cab and another of us at the hotel with him caressing my face. I didn't even realize anyone had followed us.
"My PR representative sent these over. They were scheduled to be released today."
I looked at him. "Were?"
He nodded. "Were, as in no longer." He shut the tablet, and we just sat there, not saying anything.
I stared at my hands in my lap and asked, "Why?"
He turned abruptly and angrily asked, “Do you want them released?"
I stood up, tightening the towel around me. "No, of course not. That's not what I meant. Nothing happened. He was just seeing me home. He was being nice. Hell, he was just passing through, and I stumbled." All of a sudden, I felt the need to explain how such an innocent gesture was taken way out of context in the pictures.
"I know,” he whispered.
"What?"
"I said I know. Just because I'm not there doesn't mean I don't have eyes on you, Emmalin. I appreciate that he was looking after you. What I don't appreciate is that you were dodging Alistair."
"I wasn't dodging him. I don't need a babysitter, Grayson, and I don’t like being watched like that.” I opened my suitcase, finally taking a look at the clothes that were packed for me. None were clothes I had ever seen before.