by Deanna Chase
“You don’t have anything to be insecure about.” He caressed her cheek. “I’m in love with you.”
Emotion flickered through her eyes. “I believe you. But doubt definitely creeped in when I saw that picture. I know what she means to you. And I’m okay with it. But I think sometimes I’m going to have to work through my own abandonment issues and not put them on you when I see stuff like that. Because I love you, too, and I’ll admit that I’m afraid to lose you again.”
He slid closer to her and pulled her into his arms. “You’re not going to lose me,” he whispered.
She didn’t say anything, just buried her face into his shoulder and held on. Still, there was something about the way she’d stiffened slightly that bothered him. She still didn’t fully believe that he was hers. All he could do was keep on proving himself day in and day out. It might take some time, but he was determined, and patience was something he had to spare.
“Come on,” he said, rising from the couch. “It’s late. Let’s get you and that baby of ours to bed.”
She didn’t resist as he tugged her to her feet, and when they got to her bedroom, she turned to him and slowly started to unbutton his shirt.
Grayson stood still, watching her take her time undressing him. It wasn’t until she’d shoved his shirt all the way off and placed her hands on his chest that he let out a small sigh of pleasure. “I’ve missed you touching me.”
“Me, too.” She leaned in and kissed him slowly before reaching for the button of his jeans. It wasn’t long before she had him just in his boxer briefs. Every nerve was on fire for her. It had been way too long since they’d been together, and even though he knew they wouldn’t be taking things too far that evening, he still reveled in her touch. It was enough to just be near her like this. The rest could wait.
“My turn,” he said, tugging on her sweater and lifting it over her head. She stood there in just her black lace bra and leggings, her small bump mesmerizing him. Sliding his hands to her hips, he lowered himself to his knees and placed a kiss on her belly, worshiping her and everything she’d brought into his life. “You’re perfect in every way, Amelia.”
She let out a tiny whimper and buried her hands in his hair as he continued to rain kisses all over her skin.
“These need to go,” he said, tugging at her leggings.
Amelia nodded and watched him as he stripped her of the rest of her clothes, leaving her completely bare.
Grayson sucked in a sharp breath at her beauty. She was radiant, full of love and life and everything good. “I just want to lie skin to skin with you tonight and to worship you with my hands and lips.”
Trembling, Amelia nodded and relieved him of the briefs that had kept him restrained.
After cupping both of her cheeks and kissing her thoroughly, Grayson took her by the hand and tugged her into the bed where they spent the rest of the night exploring each other with hands and lips but stopping short of doing anything that would risk her pregnancy. It was both tortuous to hold himself back and, at the same time, beautiful the way they cared for one another, showing their love through soft touches and tender kisses. There’d be time for more later, but for now, spending the night in her arms, showing her just how much he loved her, was enough.
In the days that followed, Grayson all but formally moved into Amelia’s house. He still had his rental in town but never went there unless he needed to pick something up. Life was entirely domestic, and he thought he’d never been happier.
Grayson had just finished making dinner when he heard the door open. He smiled to himself and poured Amelia a glass of ginger ale. It was a new craving for her along with strawberries. It seemed she could never get enough of either these days.
“Dinner’s ready in five,” he called out.
“Can it wait?” she asked from behind him.
He smiled at her over his shoulder. “It’s salad and lasagna, so it’s nothing that is going to spoil too quickly. Why?”
She slipped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to his neck before whispering, “Healer Whipple gave me good news. Since there’s been no more bleeding and my back is feeling better, she said there aren’t any more restrictions. No more bedrest. I can go back to work as long as I don’t engage in any heavy lifting, and…” Amelia nipped at his neck right below his ear. “We’re in the clear for bedroom activities.”
Grayson turned in her arms and smirked at her when he said, “So, Monopoly and Backgammon?”
She chuckled. “Only if we play strip Monopoly and Backgammon.”
He grinned at her, reached back to turn off the oven, and then pulled her down the hall to the bedroom. “It looks like we have some catching up to do.”
Giggling, she fell onto the bed with him. In no time, their clothes were on the floor and Amelia was lying under him with her limbs wrapped around his body.
“Damn, I’m going to enjoy this,” he said, lowering his head to press a kiss to the swell of her breast.
“You damn well better,” she breathed and arched her back, pressing herself against him. “Otherwise, we’re gonna have some issues.”
“No issues here,” he said. And then he went to work, making her moan with pleasure over and over and over again until deep into the night.
Chapter 23
“She lives!” Georgia cried and threw her arms open wide for Amelia when she walked into Incantation Café.
Amelia grinned at her friend and embraced her with a hug. “Sorry! It’s been a busy few weeks.”
“Sure it has.” Hanna rolled her eyes and set three coffee cups on the table next to a couple of pastries. “Being holed up in that house with Grayson must’ve been just torture for you.”
Flushing, Amelia averted her gaze. She and Grayson really had been MIA when it came to polite society. After the night with the gang on the golf carts, they’d spent the majority of their time at her house. They’d even missed the barbeque at Lin Townsend’s home because Amelia was still technically on bedrest and had a little bit of nausea to deal with. “I am back at work now, you know.”
“Uh-huh. I heard part-time.” Georgia winked at her.
Amelia just shrugged. Since she’d told her boss that she wanted to be put on administrative duty until she gave birth, they’d complied, but there just wasn’t that much work for her to do. She was fine with the part-time status. “I’m here now.”
“Yes, you are.” Georgia sat at the table and leaned forward, whispering, “And we want all the details.”
“Yeah. Spill.” Hanna grinned at her. “Some of us need to live vicariously through our friends who are still in the honeymoon phase.”
Georgia rolled her eyes at Hanna. “Please, girlfriend. You just told me that Rhys kept you up half the night last night. I know you weren’t talking about baking cookies.”
Hanna laughed. “That doesn’t mean I don’t still want details. Besides, why are you discouraging her? You surely could use a refresher on what to do should a hottie get his paws on you.”
The two bantered some more about Amelia’s sex life while she sat back and sipped her decaf latte. When they finally turned to her with interested expressions, she said, “I’m still the type of girl who doesn’t kiss and tell. But nice try.”
“Nice hickey,” Hanna said.
Amelia pressed her hand to her neck, wondering how the hell she’d missed the fact that Grayson had given her hickey. “Oh my gods, really?”
“No, not really.” Hanna sat back in her chair, chuckling to herself. “But now we know it’s possible.”
Georgia shook her head at their friend. “Seriously? Since when have you become so thirsty for details of other people’s private lives?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. But you’re right; it is kinda new for me.”
“Your clock must be ticking,” Georgia said.
“Bite your tongue.” Hanna physically recoiled, making Amelia laugh.
“You two are too much,” Amelia said.
“That
’s probably true.” Georgia took a sip of her coffee and said, “Let’s get down to business. When’s our next spa night?”
The three of them made plans to get together again soon and then moved on to Keating Hollow gossip. The word was that Silas’s movie was being buzzed as Oscar worthy and that Shannon was busier than ever with trying to manage his career. Amelia wondered what that meant for his relationship with Levi and hoped they were finding a way to make things work.
“Did you hear that Gideon is buying the Enchanted K gallery?” Hanna asked.
“Miranda Moon’s partner, Gideon?” Amelia asked, remembering that he already worked at the gallery. She knew Miranda was busy writing books and also screenplays with Cameron Copeland, and that Gideon was a former Hollywood producer. She got the impression that money wasn’t exactly an issue with them.
“Yeah,” Hanna said. “He’s an artist now, so I guess that makes sense. The owner died recently and left it to her granddaughter, but it appears she doesn’t really have time for it and wanted to sell it to someone she knew wouldn’t turn it into something cheesy like a paint your own ceramics studio or something like that.”
“Well, that’s cool. I can’t wait to go by there and see what new stuff he does with it,” Amelia said, checking the time. She was supposed to meet Grayson for dinner. As soon as she picked up her phone, it started to ring. She didn’t recognize the out-of-state number and didn’t answer. When the voicemail popped up, she checked the transcription and paled.
It was a reporter trying to get a comment on a story. She got up without a word and went outside to listen to the recording.
Hello, Ms. Holiday. This is Rosy Tester from the Hollywood Scene. I’m calling to get a comment on a story we’re about to run involving Katy Carmichael, Grayson Riley, and yourself. Please call back at your earliest convenience.
Amelia hated the thought of talking to a reporter, but she needed to know what the story was about. She hit Call and waited while the phone rang and rang and rang, until finally someone picked up.
“Rosy Tester here. I assume this is Ms. Holiday?” the woman said.
Amelia nodded even though the woman couldn’t see her. “It is. What’s the story you’re running?”
“Thank you for your quick reply. I’d like a comment on our story if you’re willing.”
“I think that entirely depends on what you’re printing,” Amelia said, already annoyed.
“Did you know your partner Grayson Riley was in a relationship with Katy Carmichael?” the reporter asked.
“I’m not sure why that’s relevant to anything at all,” Amelia said.
“It’s relevant because we here at Hollywood Scene have been given reliable information that two years ago Katy Carmichael had an abortion, and sources say that Grayson Riley was the father. That Grayson forced her to have the abortion and then left her when she begged to try again. Were you aware of these events? And if so, how do you reconcile having a child with him now?”
Amelia’s entire body went numb. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be. Her hand started to tremble, and the phone slipped from her grip, landing on the cobblestone sidewalk of Main Street.
“Whoa. Are you all right?” Shannon Ansell-Knox asked, appearing out of nowhere and picking up her phone. Amelia had heard that she and Brian were back from their honeymoon, but this was the first time Amelia had run into her.
Amelia stared at the auburn-haired beauty and shook her head. “No. There’s a terrible news story about to break and they want me to comment on it.”
“About you?” She handed Amelia her phone back and clutched her hand as she frowned.
“Mostly about Grayson and Katy Carmichael. But yes, they have me in there, too, I think.”
Shannon muttered a curse. “I heard that Katy had been in town. Did something happen while she was here?”
“No.” Amelia shook her head. “This is apparently from a few years ago, but it’s highly personal and if they run it, it’s going to be devastating to her. I really need to get home and talk to Grayson.” Amelia turned and started hurrying toward her car.
“Wait,” Shannon said, concern in her voice.
Amelia paused and glanced back at her.
She produced a card and handed it to Amelia. “I have a lot of contacts in the industry and the media. If I can help in any way, let me know. I’m sure Katy has lawyers who will work on things from her end, but if you or Grayson need help, I’ll do what I can.”
Amelia had no idea what that would be, and she had every confidence that Grayson would know what to do, but she appreciated Shannon’s kindness. “Thank you. I’ll call if something comes up.” She started to rush to her car again, but right before she pulled her door open, she called, “Shannon?”
“Yeah?” the other woman said with her hand on the café door.
“Can you tell Georgia and Hanna I had to go and that I’ll call them later?”
“Absolutely.”
With a nod, Amelia climbed into her car and took off toward the mountain road that would lead her to Grayson.
Amelia let out a sigh of relief when she spotted the Toyota Highlander in her driveway. She’d try to call using her Bluetooth on the way, but Grayson hadn’t picked up. She was afraid he’d still been out meeting with a client or stuck in an area with bad cell reception. If there was one thing Grayson never did, it was ignore Amelia’s calls.
She rushed into the house. “Grayson?”
There were footsteps in the hallway, and she turned to find him standing there with his suitcase handle in one hand and his phone in the other. She stared at the phone, spotting the mobile airline ticket. A chill ran through her. This was Holly’s vision playing out in front of her. Her brother’s girlfriend had been one hundred percent correct when she’d said Amelia didn’t like it one bit. “Going somewhere?”
“We need to talk,” he said, setting down his suitcase and moving to her side.
She took a step back, needing a little bit of distance. She hadn’t known what to think when she got the call from the reporter. Abortion? Grayson’s baby? That all seemed highly unlikely considering how Grayson felt about having a child, but what if that was the real reason he’d left her in December?
“Amelia,” he said, concern flooding his dark eyes. “What is it? Did the reporter call you, too?”
She nodded slowly and then sank down into the oversized chair.
Grayson let out a string of curses and dropped down onto the couch, rubbing at his neck with one hand as he spat out, “Those vultures.”
“Where are you going?” Amelia tried again, staring at his suitcase where he’d left it at the end of the hall.
“Rhode Island. That’s where Kira and her lawyers are. I need to do damage control. This isn’t just Kira. It’s you and me, too. My history, all of it, including my parents’ accident. There’s stuff in there about you and Victoria, too.”
“Me and Victoria?” Amelia said with a gasp. “Why? That was eighteen years ago. Why would anyone bring that up?”
“Because pain sells. It’s what they do. I imagine there is some article out there that detailed the fact that you were with her that day, so they ran with it even though it has nothing to do with Kira or the story they want to write. Whoever wrote this article, did some serious deep dives on all of our histories. And babe, I will do anything to keep this out of the media and keep those reporters away from you.”
Tears stung the back of her eyes, but she blinked them back. This wasn’t the time to break down. She didn’t want to focus on the article or the painful memories it would invoke. Instead, she focused on Holly’s vision. “Rhode Island? I thought you’d be headed to New York.” That’s what Holly had said, wasn’t it? That in her vision he was holding a ticket to New York City?
“What?” His brow crinkled in confusion. “Why are you asking me that?”
“Holly told me she had a vision that you’d be holding a ticket to go to New York City.” She grabbed his phone that wa
s sitting on the coffee table and held the phone up, waiting for him to put in the password. He did without comment. When she opened the phone, there it was. The ticket to New York. “I thought you said Rhode Island?”
“NYC is the layover.” He bit his lower lip. “Holly had a vision? You didn’t tell me that.”
She shrugged. “I try not to put too much stock in them, especially when they are of something I don’t like. They usually lack context.”
He nodded. “True. But I’m sorry this one came true. And I’m really sorry you’re caught up in this. What did the reporter say to you?”
She recapped the conversation and ended with, “I didn’t say anything. To be honest, I had no idea what to say.”
“Listen, Amelia.” He grabbed her hand, holding it with both of his. “Kira was pregnant. But she didn’t have an abortion. She lost the baby. And then she needed a D & C. And no, I was definitely not the father. I swear.”
Relief rushed through her, and she felt her entire body sag with relief. She’d hoped there was an explanation, but the shock of the reporter’s words had left her completely rattled. As she sat there, staring at Grayson, all of her relief suddenly turned to immense sadness for Katy. “She lost the baby? That’s horrible.”
“It was. What’s worse is that it happened during a time when I wasn’t there. She called, but I ignored her because I was pissed at her behavior. I’d been trying to go off on my own, and she kept calling for trivial stuff. I’d had enough. Then this happened. It was fairly early on, and Kira didn’t want to deal with the emergency room, so she stayed home and went through it by herself. It took until the next morning for her PA to finally track me down and beg me to go to her. She was a complete mess. By that evening she was in pain and it was clear she needed medical attention. I’m the one took her to the hospital and was with her when she had her D & C. It was awful and traumatic. If this gets out, it will wreck her.”