The Price: Greyson and Sasha's Story (A Novel Addition to The Terms Duet)
Page 1
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
EPILOGUE
THE PRICE
Greyson and Sasha’s Story
Ruby Rowe
Copyright © 2018 Ruby Rowe Books
Cover Art by Just Write. Creations
Edited by Proofreading by the Page
All Rights Reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
ISBN-13: 978-1985677562
ISBN-10: 1985677563
NOTES
The Price: Greyson and Sasha’s Story (A Novel Addition to The Terms Duet) is told from the points of view of Greyson, Sasha, Ellis and Camilla.
The Terms: Part One and Part Two must be read prior to reading this novel.
The Price: Greyson and Sasha’s Story contains explicit language, graphic sex and references of past sexual abuse to one of the characters.
DEDICATION
This novel is dedicated to my PA, Edith. Her strength and perseverance astound me.
Contents
NOTES
DEDICATION
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
EPILOGUE
END NOTES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CHAPTER ONE
Greyson
Ellis receives the ball, and after beaming it toward the front wall of the court, he throws his racket down and yanks off his eyewear.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he snaps. My head falls over from embarrassment. Damn, I’m so off my game today.
“What? Can’t I make a mistake?”
“Foot fault, long serve, short serve, ceiling serve… You’re fucking up so much that you can’t even get a rally started.”
I scowl. “I don’t need you pointing out every fault serve I made.”
“That wasn’t all of them,” he says angrily, while pacing inside the racquetball court at the country club. His hands are on his hips, and I don’t know why he’s out of breath, seeing how I can’t even serve the ball for us to go after it.
“Fine, let’s call it a day.” After only our first match, I yank my eyewear off and march toward the door. I head straight for the locker room, not waiting on my asshole of a cousin. He never cuts anyone slack.
After retrieving my gym bag from my locker, I plop down on a bench and begin unlacing my tennis shoes. Ellis takes a seat next to me and wipes his face with his towel.
“Maybe you need to step up your cardio, old man. You’re sure out of breath for your age,” I chide, attempting to get back at him.
“Watch it. Look, I’m sorry I lost my cool back there. I’m trying to balance working from home with Liam and Camilla there, and I can’t get five minutes’ peace, so if I get a chance to leave the house and work out, I can’t afford to waste it.
“She’s mad that I work so much, yet there aren’t enough hours in the day for me to complete my assignments, and then there’s the worry of Camilla while she’s pregnant.
“It’s what I wanted, but so much has changed in six months, and let’s not forget our trip to Italy in August.” He shakes his head. “Enough about my stressors. What’s up with you today?”
“Much like you, between work and helping Sasha while she’s healing, I have a lot on my mind.”
“I thought things were great between you two. Camilla said Sasha told her you’ve been spending quality time together, which I couldn’t unhear after the fact.”
“Yeah, like fucking teenagers. With her gunshot wound, we’ve had to be careful, so it’s been nothing past third base. I’m sexually frustrated.”
“No, you’re angry. After Sasha agreed to be with you, you were fucking euphoric. What changed in the six weeks since you two got together?”
“Nothing, man.”
“Bullshit. I know you, and if you don’t talk about it, it’ll drive you crazy.” He snaps his white towel at my thigh. “You’re like a fucking girl that way.”
Shoving him hard, I almost knock him off the bench. We both laugh, but recalling the serious talk that’s looming, I rest my elbows on my knees and slide my hands through my blond hair. No one’s in the locker room with us, so I guess it’s safe to discuss it here.
“I can’t bring myself to have sex with her. I can’t fuck her-have intercourse-or whatever the hell you want to call it. I can’t do it.”
“Is it due to the abuse she suffered?”
I look over at him. “How did you guess?”
Shrugging, he replies, “Your anger gave it away. You put a hole in the wall of my family room when I shared with you about her past, remember?”
“Right.” I shake my head. “I’ve tried to have sex with her. I want to, but every time we’re about there, she clenches her eyes shut, or tenses, and all I can think about is how she’s probably imagining what happened to her when she was young instead of thinking about me.
“Once that happens, I can’t go through with it, so I make up lame excuses to stop us, or I get her off another way so she’ll drop it. I even tried to fuck her in the dark, but I could still picture her eyes closing tight in fear. She’s not well enough to try from behind, but what kind of douche boyfriend would I be if that was the reason why I was doing her doggy style?”
Feeling the fury building, like it always does when I think of the abuse Sasha endured, I grip the seat of the bench until I feel my knuckles tighten.
“Talk to her. Maybe she’s not thinking about it at all.”
“But what if she is?”
“Look, I’m not one for deep conversation, but a single talk with her might clear this up. If not, maybe counseling would help her. Camilla said she’s never had it.”
I scratch my head. “Yeah, maybe. I’ll think about it.”
Sasha
Hearing
Greyson come through the front door, I smile. My stomach flutters, and my heart rate increases, too. He doesn’t know it yet, but we’re having sex tonight. No. Matter. What. I’m determined to see this through.
He strolls into the kitchen to greet me, and my elated balloon bursts. I frown at the sight of him.
“You showered already.”
Glancing down at his dress clothes, he drops his gym bag on the floor.
“Yeah, after racquetball I had to run back to the office for a quick meeting, so I didn’t have a choice. Why?”
Feeling my face warm, I look back toward the stove where I’ve been cooking spaghetti.
“I was hoping we could take a shower together.” With a full-on blush, I brave a glimpse of him. “I saw the surgeon today, and he gave me the all clear for a particular activity.”
“You asked him about that?”
“Yeah,” I say before I shrug. “It was important.”
“It’s only been six weeks.”
“Yes, but since the bullet didn’t hit any major organs or arteries and I’m healing well, he said it’s fine as long as we don’t overdo it.”
Picking up his gym bag, he walks toward the doorway like he can’t escape fast enough. “I’m gonna go change. Dinner smells great,” he adds as he exits the kitchen.
Sighing, I stir the sauce and noodles. This is getting old. He’s dodged my advances for weeks, and now that he’s doing it after I got the OK from the doctor, I know there’s another reason besides my health that’s preventing him from having sex with me.
Frustrated, I turn the burner off and march to the bedroom. He’s only in boxer briefs when I walk in, and seeing his defined muscles only makes me more determined to get past this. I want that fit body on top of me.
“Why don’t you want to have sex with me? Are you having second thoughts about us?” My insecurities take hold, nudging my arms to cross in a protective manner. Releasing a lengthy exhale, he walks over to me and rubs them.
“I’ll never have second thoughts about us, so don’t question that. Not ever.”
“Then why won’t you make love to me?” I murmur as I stare into his bluish-green eyes. The stunning ocean view sucks me in every time I see them.
“I want to, Sasha, but I’m worried about it upsetting you. You know, because of your past.” He looks away, unaware of how that simple action is like a slap in my face.
“I admit that the first time or two you touched me, I thought about it, but I worked through it. Now, the only thing I think about when we mess around is how I want more. I yearn to feel that close to you.”
“Maybe you don’t notice the way your body tenses when I touch it, or how you snap your eyes shut, but I do.”
I clasp his chin to turn his face back to me, but he won’t let me, so I huff and drop my hand.
“And you don’t realize how awful it makes me feel when you can’t look at me while we talk about my past. I don’t know how much of it Camilla shared with Ellis, or what he then shared with you, but I can see that you know enough to feel sorry for me. Shame, Greyson. That’s what your lack of eye contact makes me feel. You think about that for a while. I’m leaving.”
Stomping out of the room, I grab my purse off the table in the foyer and leave the penthouse. I’m on the elevator in a flash, and just as the doors are closing, I see Greyson.
“Sasha, don’t go.”
CHAPTER TWO
Camilla
“Greyson, hi,” I say after answering his call.
“Is Sasha there?” he asks in a panicked tone.
“She just showed up, and I was about to call you.”
“I’m coming over.”
“No, don’t. She already went upstairs to bed. What happened, anyway?”
“I–I can’t talk about it with you, but she can’t run off every time we have a disagreement.”
“You’re right, and I’ll talk to her about it, but all she knows to do when things get tough is run. Just because she got clean, and you’re together, doesn’t mean her issues vanished.”
“I know that.”
“Do you? I love that you two are together, but it was too soon in her recovery. I know you didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did, so choosing Sasha means choosing her baggage, too, and she’s never unloaded it on anyone but me.”
“Then maybe she should go to counseling.”
“I agree. Look, let her sleep here tonight so we can talk, and I’ll have her call you in the morning.”
“Tell her I love her. Will you?”
“Of course, Greyson. Goodnight.”
Ending the call, I walk up the stairs and head to the spare bedroom Sasha fled to. I tap on the door before cracking it open. Seeming lost, she’s sitting on the side of the bed in her shorts and a t-shirt, staring at the wall in front of her.
“Greyson called. You should’ve told him you were safe.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Apologize to him, not me.”
“I will, but I can’t talk to him right now. He thinks I’m dwelling on my past when we mess around, but that’s not the case. I’m not scared when it’s about to happen; I’m nervous. There’s a big difference.”
I squeeze the bridge of my nose and look to the floor.
“Geez, now you’re acting like him,” Sasha adds, exasperated.
“No, my reaction has nothing to do with your past. It’s about how my sister wants to talk to me about having sex with Greyson. I know you both too well, so it’s awkward.”
“Well, you need to get over it because I need your help. How can I make it impossible for him to resist me? If I can get him to do it once, then he’ll see I’m good with it. What he doesn’t realize is how a healthy sexual relationship could help me heal from my past experiences.”
I raise my eyebrows. “That’s insightful of you, but I can’t help. Uh, go see Ellis. He’s in his office, and maybe he can tell you how to get Greyson to cave.”
“You’re trying to pass me off.”
I snicker. “OK, yes, but maybe he’ll have a different perspective on the issue.”
“Momma, Momma!” Liam yells from the hallway in a singsong before he sprints into the room. His eyes light up at the sight of his aunt. “Sasha!” He skips to stand in front of her and asks, “Are you sleeping in here?”
“Yes, if that’s OK.”
“Momma, Auntie Sasha can stay in my room 'cause I have a big bed now like you and Boss-Daddy, so there’s room for her to sleep.”
Sasha grins, and it’s nice to see her smile. “That sounds fun. We could build a fort over it with your blankets.”
Jumping up and down, Liam claps his little hands. His rich blue eyes exude excitement, and I guess I have no say in this now.
“OK, but I need to give you a bath first, and no staying up super late. You and Auntie Sasha will have to build your fort fast.”
His gaze widens. “I’m fast, Momma, at evewything.”
“Yes, you usually are fast. Let’s get that bath while Sasha talks to Daddy for a minute.”
Ellis
I sigh when I hear the knock on my office door. Liam was extra talkative after dinner, so he’s been hanging out with me in here. I entertained him for a while, but needing to finish a critical government assignment, I had no choice but to encourage him to find his mother.
“Come in.” The door slowly opens, and Sasha sticks her head inside.
“Hi, Ellis. Do you have a minute?” Surprised to see her, I pull off my readers.
“Sure. Is Greyson here, too?”
“No, just me. Uh, I was wondering if you could help me with something. It has to do with him.” She wrings her hands in front of her as she glances around my office.
“Have a seat.” Looking at me briefly, she sits down in a wingback chair to her right and tugs on the hem of her shorts. “What do you need?”
“OK, um, I’m just going to say it. It’s really embarrassing, but Camilla said you might have an answer, and I’m d
esperate at this point. I need you to tell me how to get Greyson to have sex with me.”
I stare at her blankly after words I should never hear were projectile vomited on me.
What the fuck?
“Did you say Camilla sent you in here?”
Nodding, she continues to mess with the hem of her denim shorts, and my Rose will receive a punishment soon. What the hell was she thinking? “You and Greyson should be having this discussion.”
“I tried to talk to him about it. He thinks I’m too traumatized by my past, but I want to have sex with him. Like as soon as possible, so if you have any ideas of how to make that happen, I’m all ears.”
As I sit uncomfortably stunned, I rub my eyes with the palms of my hands and fall back in my chair.
“Sasha, look, I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to discuss your and my cousin’s sex life, or lack thereof.”
“It doesn’t have to be about sex. I mean, is there a perfume he especially likes? Or, does he prefer short hair over my long strands?” She picks up a piece of her caramel-brown hair and studies it, so I shake my head.
“No, the ways that you’re different from the other women Greyson has dated is what he loves about you.”
“OK, but there has to be something he can’t resist.”
Shit, I want this over with. “The two of you need to have another discussion. Tell him you’re ready.”
“I already told him that, and it didn’t work.”
“Try again.” Sitting up, I put my glasses back on and pull my laptop closer, hoping she’ll take the hint.
“Ellis, please. I’m desperate. If he’ll cave, he’ll see how much I like it and—”
“Stop. God, please stop. OK, I’ll tell you something if you promise to leave my office afterward and never speak to me about this again.”
She beams, and I don’t think my eager hand will wait to punish Camilla in our hideaway. It’s happening ASAP.
“I promise.”
“Greyson likes lingerie–all kinds. It’s his thing.”