Opposites Attract

by Jayce Carter

  If he’d divined the string of nonsense in her head, he didn’t say a word. The truth was, dealing with contacts wasn’t a sexy thing. No man looked at someone with half her eyeshadow and mascara smeared across her face and thought that’s hot.

  Not that she normally worried about people thinking she was hot, but she’d wanted something with Gray. She wanted him to look at her the way people looked at Haylee.

  Instead, after washing his hands, he used his fingers to pry her lids open, telling her to look up and to the outside. It took a few tries, but eventually Gray got the irritating contact out. Since the other eye hadn’t been bothered, she managed that one on her own.

  Without them, the world lost most of its details, but the burning had stopped.

  At least until she twisted to see exactly how much she’d messed up her makeup. She looked like some sad emo clown. Worse? Since Becky had done the makeup in the first place, it wasn’t like she could just clean off that side of her face and redo it.

  “So what’s this bullshit about?”

  Tabby turned back toward him, toppling in her far-too-high heels and caught only by his intervention. “What BS?” she asked.

  His snort was the only response as he lifted her, then set her butt on the wide vanity of the sink. Despite her waving him off, he unstrapped the black heels and hung them over his fingers, leaving her barefoot.

  “Now, talk.”

  Tabby crossed her arms, willing to stare him down.

  He shrugged. “Fine. Shout when you’re done being stubborn.” He turned to leave.

  “I can just leave. I don’t need shoes.”

  He looked over his shoulder and hiked up a dark eyebrow. “You’re telling me you’re going to walk barefoot on a public bathroom floor? Then through a bar? Because the girl I know ain’t about to do that. So you can cool your ass right there until you’re willing to talk to me about whatever shit is going on in your head.”

  Tabby’s mouth hung open at Gray’s audacity. And worse? He was one hundred percent right. The moment he’d pointed out the floor, she’d had visions of all the horrible illnesses she’d pick up from walking on a surface like that.

  Still, he didn’t seem to be bluffing as he opened the bathroom door, ready to leave her.

  “Wait!”

  He stilled, then turned. At least he kept a mocking grin off his lips.

  Tabby said nothing at first. Sharing sucked, and it wasn’t something she ever had to do. Finally, she sighed, uncrossed her arms and slouched. “I just wanted to fit in.”

  “Fit in? Take a look out there, Tabby—none of us fit in anywhere.”

  She gave him her best ‘you don’t get it’ look. “You invited me somewhere where everyone is so different to me. I didn’t want to show up and stick out, for you to wish you’d never brought me. Then I embarrassed you in front of Haylee—”

  “Wait a fucking second,” Gray snapped, his sharp tone cutting her off. “You didn’t embarrass me. She was being a bitch and Mia put her in her place for it. And as far as the rest of that bullshit, if I’d wanted you to change, if I’d thought you’d be a problem here, I wouldn’t have invited you. Fact is, I figured you’d have a good time once you stopped worrying so much, and I wanted to spend some time with you.”

  Tabby let her shoulders drop more, her gaze tracing the tiles of the floor instead of looking at Gray. “You and Haylee look right together. I guess I thought a little makeup, the right dress, and maybe I wouldn’t look so wrong.”

  A heavy sigh was all that came back at first, and she cursed herself. Guys don’t like emotions, and especially guys like Gray. She waited for him to give her back her shoes and tell her to get out.

  And for the first time, she admitted to herself how disappointed she’d be by that. Before Haylee had come to ruin it, she’d actually been having a good time with Gray and his friends.

  His boots came into view first, then he caught her chin and lifted her face. The kiss surprised her, so much softer than the last one, far gentler than his appearance would suggest he was capable of. Even with her makeup smeared, even as she felt about a second from crying, he kissed her like she was still worth a damn.

  He broke the kiss after a moment, then grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser and wetted it in the sink. He went about cleaning the makeup off her face, the action careful. “I didn’t ask you to come out because I wanted you to pretend to be something you ain’t. Believe it or not, I like you the way you are. I ain’t a man who sugar-coats much, so if I don’t like something, I say it. I wanted you here because I thought it’d be fun. Wanted you to meet a few of my friends, maybe see I’m not the asshole you like to think I am.”

  Once her face was clean, he tossed the paper towel into the trash, then reached behind her and undid the clips in her hair. Her long tresses fell, undoing all the work Becky had done. Pin by pin, he worked until she twisted to find she looked like herself.

  Which was the last thing she’d wanted to be.

  “Not quite,” he said with a frown. He reached into her purse which sat on the counter and fished out her glasses as if he’d known she wouldn’t actually leave home without them. He slid them onto her face, and she could feel them askew as they always were.

  Gray cupped her chin, staring down at her with a smile that warmed her in places she hadn’t even known she had. “There we go.”

  Then he kissed her, one that said for whatever reason she couldn’t come close to understanding—he wanted her.

  And it terrified Tabby down to her core, because no matter what either of them said, they were just too different…

  Gray grinned at the way Tabby leaned against his side despite herself. He’d bet if she realized it, she’d move away, which was exactly why he had no intention of pointing it out.

  The best thing had been tossing her over his shoulder after their little talk, since he wasn’t about to put her back in those heels and she wouldn’t walk barefoot. She’d let out that little surprised squeak he liked, then settled down when she’d realized squirming would only make her dress ride up. Walking her through the crowded space had made him feel like a caveman staking his claim. Neanderthal or not, he fucking loved it. When he’d made it back into the bar, he’d found Tom and Mia had moved into the private back room, and he didn’t bother to hide the relief.

  Tabby would relax if she wasn’t constantly reminded of the other folks around.

  Her self-doubt bit at him, even as they sat in the back room, as she leaned against his side on one of the large couches. Sure, they were different. It’d take an idiot to claim otherwise. Then again, he’d always been different. He’d always been the wild one, the one who refused to follow the rules. Tabby was the same, different. Not wild, maybe, but her attention to detail and desire for order didn’t make her just like everyone else, either.

  The thing that set them apart was that while Gray was comfortable living on the outskirts of normalcy, Tabby was always striving to fit in. It had pushed her to dress as she had, to put pieces of plastic in her eyeballs just because she’d wanted to be part of the group.

  As they spent time in the back room, she’d relaxed. It was hard not to with Tom and Mia, who despite looking like people who might just rob anyone had enough charm to win anyone over.

  “So then he went up to this guy,” Tom said, recounting yet another story. There wasn’t any shortage of them, since he and Tom had been friends since they’d been eighteen.

  Mia chimed in, perched on Tom’s lap. “No, he isn’t making this clear. This guy? He had to be almost seven feet tall with the nastiest attitude you’ve ever seen.”

  “He wasn’t that big,” Gray said.

  “Oh, he was,” Tom argued. “He could have picked you up and spanked you.”

  Tabby laughed, some of her drink sputtering from her lips.. She grabbed a napkin from beneath her cup and wiped her mouth as though trying to hide it. “What happened?” she asked after regaining her composure.

  Tom cast a grin at
Gray, the sort that meant he liked Tabby. Course, it would be hard not to like that girl. “Oh, Gray held his own, at least for a while. He’s a dirty fighter, so even if he isn’t the biggest, he’s always the meanest.”

  Gray glared at Tom. Tabby was already nervous enough around him. Did he really need her thinking he was the meanest? Thanks, asshole.

  Except Tabby only chuckled. “I got into one fight in my whole life.”

  “You, a fight?” Gray leaned back to get a good look at her. “Someone have their music too loud?”

  “No. There was this boy who was always picking on me. I was six and he was eight and just wouldn’t leave me be. When I complained to my dad, he said I needed to toughen up. So the next time he came up to me and shoved me down, I waited till he leaned closer, because he liked to gloat. As soon as he did, I kicked him as hard as I could. He went over and I got on top of him. The teacher pulled me off, and I got suspended for a week over it.”

  Gray’s laugh was hard, and he didn’t bother to quiet it. “So, I guess you do know what it means to fight dirty, huh?”

  Tabby flushed, as if the praise meant something. Then again, she seemed to do that each time he said something nice. Poor girl’s starved for praise, isn’t she?

  Tom spoke up, almost forgotten by Gray. “Yeah, well, sounds like you did better than Gray. We spent the evening in the ER getting his face stitched up.”

  Mia let out a yawn, something that instantly drew Tom’s attention. Damn, those two always reminded him of just how good love could be.

  Good or not, though, it required change. Tom might not mind being tied down, but he was still tied down. Could he ever want that? Could anyone mean enough to him for him to change his life and make room for them?

  Tom leaned in and whispered to his wife, who nodded in return. He looked back at Gray. “I’m gonna get Mia home. Why don’t you hang out a bit, huh? Got plenty of drinks in the far back. Been a long time since you crashed there. Take off whenever you want or stay the night.”

  Gray went to argue, but the thought of a bit of one-on-one time with Tabby on neutral ground sounded good. She couldn’t run off to her place, didn’t have to keep up pretenses for anyone. If they went home, they would have to fit back into their own boxes. They’d have to play the parts they always played, and Tabby would take the chance to start overthinking. If they stayed put, they could just be them.

  Maybe staying put wasn’t such a bad idea.

  Tabby popped another peanut into her mouth as she sat on the couch, the music still floating in past the locked door.

  “Sorry, there ain’t any real food. Tom doesn’t sleep here anymore, so he doesn’t have anything but beer.”

  “I’ll live,” she said as Gray sat beside her again, another two beers in his hands. She’d only drunk a total of two beers, so she wasn’t drunk. A slight buzz inside helped her relax, though.

  “So this place ain’t what you thought it was, huh? Didn’t even get stabbed.” Gray gave her his smile that softened his sharp edges, that made him look less like the tatted-up hellion and more like a man she could see herself—

  She cut that off before she fully thought it. That was the last thing she needed to be thinking. One night of fun didn’t mean anything.

  “Yeah,” she admitted. “I actually had fun.”

  When was the last time I just had fun? When she hadn’t had a single thing to do but enjoy?

  “You need more fun, need to let loose more often. You know, the whole world won’t fall apart if you let shit go.”

  Tabby sighed and gave in when Gray pulled her against his side.

  Now out of those heels, with her hair down and glasses on, she was able to forget her worries. To enjoy the moment in a way she rarely did. “I try,” she said. “I just spent so long taking care of Becky, so long trying to keep everything together, I don’t know how to take it easy. I always feel like there’s something I should be doing, that if I work a little harder, everything will go into place.”

  “Hasn’t it, though? You’ve got a great job, you’re safe, Becky’s on her own. What would happen if you just stop worrying, just for one night?”

  Tabby bit softly at her bottom lip as the million potential downfalls came to her. All the many ways everything could fall apart because she’d stopped holding on so tightly. “I don’t think I even know how.”

  Gray huffed out a masculine laugh that did sinful things to Tabby’s insides before he grasped her chin and turned her face to his.

  His lips were soft and coaxing when he slid them across hers. The touch was everything she wanted it to be, warm and promising.

  The fears about what this could mean, about why they didn’t work—his kiss wiped it all away.

  Tabby let the warmth of the alcohol and Gray’s body drive her onward. She twisted to press against him, using his strength to keep her balance. She returned his kiss, ignoring her lack of experience or skill. She acted on instinct, on what her body seemed to know and she didn’t.

  His groan was deep and heady when she slid one hand down his front, exploring the hard planes of his chest. “Fuck, Tabby, I love when you heat up like this.”

  Me? Hot? His words drugged her, the idea of being some sort of vixen instead of level-headed unremarkable Tabby charged her.

  She shifted into his lap, tossing her leg so she straddled him.

  He stood, the shock causing her to grasp at him, afraid of falling. A stupid worry, because Gray easily held her, his lips never pausing, as if the action were as easy as breathing.

  The first step he took rubbed his erection against her core, and when it did, she gave up the worrying about where they were going. She didn’t care, as long as he didn’t stop.

  He bent forward after passing through a doorway, her back meeting a mattress, his body blanketing her.

  When he went to pull away, she kept her legs wrapped around him.

  His chuckle was hot against her lips. “Ain’t you a needy little thing?” Even so, he didn’t deny her. He returned his lips to hers as he bowed his back to make space between them. Space he used to run his hands up her body. He grasped her hips in his large hands before stroking up to her chest. He cupped her breasts, groaning as though he’d felt nothing better.

  It all made her feel sexy.

  Tabby explored, too. She felt his shoulders, broad and hard and covered in muscles. She traced down his biceps, the muscles shifting beneath his skin as he moved.

  He pressed his hand beneath her, and Tabby arched up for him. The click of her zipper was paired by the loosening of her dress as he dragged it down. He slipped the straps off and pull the fabric down to bare her chest.

  Cold air made her nipples tighten into hard peaks, and they tightened more when he broke the kiss and devoured her with a hungry gaze.

  He cupped her breast again, this time skin to skin, and she gasped at the intimate touch. It was already so much better than the entire time she’d had sex before.

  Gray chuckled at her reaction before sliding down her body so he could run his tongue across a nipple.

  Each time she thought she’d hit some limit, he drove that need higher. He used his lips against her, drawing a hardened peak into the heat of his mouth. He released and blew a stream of cool air across it.

  Tabby drowned in sensation, in the crashing waves of pleasure she could scarcely believe felt like this. All the years she’d been missing out on hit her.

  He moved back again, curling his hands around the fabric of her dress, tugging it down the rest of her body until he tossed it away. He raked his gaze over her nearly nude body, and his eyes darkened.

  There wasn’t a speck of disappointment, of wishing she was something or someone else. Instead, he stared at her like he couldn’t imagine anything better.

  Which she knew was stupid, but right then, she didn’t care. She just wanted more.

  And she was pretty sure he could give her exactly what she needed.

  Chapter Six

  Gray had
never been a particularly religious man, but he’d have worshiped any deity that had created the woman beneath him.

  Her small breasts were tipped with pink nipples, like the best lure. She had a narrow waist that flared out into hips he’d already had his hands on.

  Hell, all of her was begging him to try out each of the thoughts he’d had about her. Each filthy fantasy, each time he’d let his eyes close and pictured all the ways he could take her ran through his head.

  None came close to the reality, though. She was breathless, flushed and for once not overthinking. He could see in her eyes, when one of her random thoughts would pop up, and instead of focusing on it, the tidal waves carried it away.

  Gray pulled his own shirt off, then followed suit with his pants and boxers. Maybe he was being overly optimistic, but he wanted nothing between his and Tabby’s bodies. She deserved to be thoroughly worshipped, and he planned to do just that.

  Tabby’s gaze locked on him was an aphrodisiac. She ran her tongue along her bottom lip, her eyes taking in each detail of him.

  And Gray, never a shy one, wrapped one hand large around his thick cock.

  The way she zeroed in on the action said everything about her feelings.

  She might have not enjoyed sex before, but the want in her eyes screamed that she was still interested.

  Gray swore she’d feel differently with him. By the time he was done with her, she’d understand exactly why people felt sex was the sort of thing they would do anything for.

  She pushed herself to sitting, the same uncertainty on her face that he loved. Something about unsure but curious had always gotten to him.

  “So, you sure about this?” Gray lifted one of his eyebrows, eyeing Tabby and trying not to look like a predator.

  Her cute glasses sat askew, as they typically did, adding to the innocence she had. It was part of what made him ask. Neither of them had drunk enough to be drunk, and as much as he wanted this, he had to be damned sure she did, too. Gray wasn’t the sort of man to trick women into his bed.