by Elks, Carrie
“Gray, does she understand what she’s getting into?” Marco’s brows dipped with concern. “The gossip sites are going to be all over this. It’s big news. You haven’t dated anybody seriously since Ella Rackham a few years ago. And you remember what the response was to that, right?”
Yeah, he remembered. They couldn’t go anywhere without the paparazzi being all over them. That had been part of the reason their relationship had ended.
“I don’t want that for Maddie.”
“You might not get a choice,” Marco told him.
Gray leaned back in his chair and ran his good hand through his hair. “I need you to help me keep it quiet as long as we can. Jesus, we’ve barely started seeing each other.”
“And it’s already out of control.” Marco sighed. “Look, Gray, I get it. It’s annoying that you can’t have a relationship without the public knowing all about it. But it’s the price of fame. You can’t change that. You just have to roll with it.” He clasped his hands. “How serious is this thing between the two of you?”
Gray swallowed hard. He’d hated not talking with her for the past couple of days. Weird how quickly he’d gotten used to being with her. It was like his body craved her closeness. “It’s serious,” he said, his voice low.
Marco nodded. “Okay. How about I arrange for some media training for Maddie? We could fly her to L.A., have her talk to your publicist, work out a way to make it as easy as possible.”
“Do we have to?” Gray grimaced.
“If you want to protect her, then yeah. Either we work out a strategy to deal with the media, or they’ll come running for you. This way it’s under our control.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Gray muttered. Marco was right, he knew it, but it didn’t stop him from feeling angry. Hartson’s Creek was a whole other world to L.A., and he hated the way his two home towns seemed to be getting closer. For the past few weeks it had felt like the town had wrapped its arms around him and welcomed him home.
Now he felt like he was setting fire to the whole damn place.
* * *
“Mom?” Maddie called out, glancing inside the bedroom. Her mom was propped up on pillows, her reading glasses perched at the end of her nose. She took them off and looked up, a smile on her face.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
“I’m heading out for the evening. Any problems just call me. I’ll probably be late.”
Her mom’s smile faltered. “Should I ask where you’re going?”
“Probably not,” Maddie admitted.
“Okay. Well, be safe.” Her eyes were soft. “Ashleigh invited me over for dinner on Sunday. I thought maybe I could talk to her. See if we can build some bridges.” She twisted her glasses in her hands. “There has to be a way for you girls to get along.”
“Try not to worry about us,” Maddie told her, hating the way her mom sounded so forlorn. “None of this is your fault, and it’s not your job to repair things.”
“But I do worry. You and Ashleigh are my world. It breaks my heart that you’re not speaking to each other.”
Another heart broken. Maddie was leaving a trail of them. And all because she didn’t want to break her own. Look how that turned out, her chest felt like it was being pulled apart.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Her mom attempted a smile. “Go and have a good time doing whatever it is you’re doing. You’ll work it out. I know you will.”
Taking a deep breath, Maddie managed to conjure her own smile. “Thank you. Sleep tight.”
She closed the door softly and glanced at her phone again. Her messages with Gray were still on the screen.
I’ll pick you up at eight. Wear flats and bring a change of clothes – G.
A change of clothes? Why? Are you planning on throwing me in the creek? – M.
Something like that. I’ll see you tonight. – G.
She felt a sense of relief now that the journalist had returned to L.A. and things were going back to normal. As far as she knew, he hadn’t contacted Ashleigh – thank God. At least she’d managed to dodge a bullet there.
But more than anything, the relief came from being able to see Gray again. It had only been a couple of days since they were last together, but it felt like so much longer.
At exactly eight, a black car pulled up outside the house. She grabbed the canvas bag she’d stuffed with a spare pair of jeans and t-shirt before she checked herself in the mirror, fluffing up the back of her hair with her free hand.
As she walked outside, to her surprise, the passenger door opened and Gray climbed out, a smile curling his lips.
“Aren’t you driving?” she asked him, bemused.
“I hired a car for the night instead.” He reached the steps, his eyes soft as he stopped in front of her. “God, I’ve missed you.” He curled his hand around her waist and pulled her against him. She sighed at the feeling of his strong, lean body pressing into hers. And for the first time in days it felt like she could breathe easy again.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he took the bag from her and slung it over his shoulder.
“It’s a surprise. You’ll see.”
She climbed into the backseat, and he followed, pulling the door closed behind him. As soon as they were buckled in, he grabbed her hand, enfolding it in his own.
“You okay?” he asked her, his gaze catching hers.
“I am now.”
He grinned. “My sentiments exactly.” Still holding her hands, he leaned forward. “Okay, we’re good to go.”
The sun was setting over the mountains to the west, casting a warm orange glow across the peaks. The driver switched on some music – a soft country song that had been playing non-stop on the radio for weeks, and she felt her body relax into the soft leather seats.
Gray slid his arm around her, pulling her close until her head rested on his broad shoulder. She felt him press his lips against her hair, then he slid his hands under her chin, angling her head until her face was a whisper away from his.
“Hey,” he said softly. She could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin.
“Hey.” Her chest contracted at his closeness. At the need she felt shooting through her body.
He cupped her chin with his palm and brushed the sweetest of kisses against her lips. “I’ve missed you.”
Hot sparks exploded in her chest as he kissed her again, his tongue soft against hers. She hooked her arms around his neck, her head tipped enough that she could meet his kisses with her own, and god, it felt good.
Too good.
Only when they broke for air did she remember where they were. In a car with a stranger driving them. She glanced in front to see if he’d been watching.
“It’s okay,” Gray whispered, his voice caressing her ear. “He’s signed an NDA.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Why did he need to sign a confidentiality agreement?”
“Because I can’t take a shit without somebody knowing about it.” Gray shrugged. “And I wanted you to feel comfortable.”
“You’ve been able to do a lot of things without anybody knowing,” she pointed out. “Until you invited a journalist to town.”
He grinned. “Mea culpa. But like I told you, that’s all taken care of. Tonight we can relax and enjoy ourselves.”
“So where are we going?” She looked out of the window again. It was getting darker, the sun only half visible beneath the caps of the mountains. She knew from its position they were heading south, but not to where.
“Actually, we’re almost there.”
“We are?” she frowned. “But there are only fields.”
“When I say there, I mean we’re at our first destination. This is where the car drops us off.”
A minute later she saw an old, weather beaten wooden sign affixed to a metal post. Sumner Airfield. “We’re going flying?” she asked, as the car turned right and drove through the gateway. Ahead of them were two large metal hangars. A myriad of small planes dot
ted on the blacktop and grassy field beyond. “At this time of night?”
Gray leaned down to kiss the tender spot between her jaw and neck. “Kinda,” he murmured. “Just wait and see.”
The car continued along the makeshift road, past the first hangar, then took a left alongside the second, coming to a stop when they reached the far side.
“A helicopter?” A bemused smile lifted her lips.
“Just for a short ride. It’s faster than taking a car then a boat.”
“A car then a boat,” she repeated. “Where the heck are we going?” Her eyes were alight as they met his, a buzz shooting through her body. Nobody had ever done this for her before. Arranged a surprise – and what a damn surprise this was.
“I promised you a kiss in the ocean.”
“Will a helicopter get us all the way to the west coast?”
He laughed, and it lit up his eyes. “No. But it’ll get us to a pretty little island in the Atlantic, where I can kiss the hell out of you without anybody seeing.”
“We’re here, Mr. Hartson. Enjoy your evening,” the driver said, climbing out of the car to open Maddie’s door. She grabbed her bag of spare clothes and followed Gray to the little cabin next to the helipad. After they checked in with the pilot, he gave them a safety talk and told them how to correctly enter and exit the helicopter.
And then they were climbing aboard, Gray helping her up the steps and into one of the back passenger seats. He climbed into the other and they both buckled themselves in and put their headsets on as the pilot directed.
“Are you ready?” Gray asked her.
“I think so.” Her heart was pounding, her body full of adrenaline. Gray took her hand, squeezing it tightly as the engine started up and the propellers began to beat. Even with the headphones on the sound was loud, the whomp-whomp of their rhythm matching the beat of her heart.
“Good evening,” the pilot’s voice echoed through their headphones. “We’re just waiting for the rotors to get up to speed and for air traffic control to give us the nod to take off. Then we’ll be flying for approximately thirty minutes to Samphire Island. The wind is with us on this leg, so coming back it might take a little longer. Go ahead and sit back, relax, and enjoy the views.”
Maddie held her breath as the helicopter lifted vertically. It wasn’t anything like flying in an airplane. Instead, it felt as though the ground was falling away beneath them, along with her stomach. She looked out of the window, watching as the world beneath them became smaller, the lights of the houses becoming tiny yellow and white dots.
Then they were flying forward and the sensation made her giddy. She laughed out loud, looking at Gray with sparkling eyes. The way he was staring at her made her breathless. There was a need in his eyes, but a softness, too. One that made her want to crawl her way into his lap and stay there forever.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“It’s amazing.” Her breath was short. “I thought it would feel like being in a plane, but it doesn’t at all.”
Twilight was in full force below them, and it made the landscape look desolate and beautiful. As they made their way toward the coast, the mountains giving way to the flats, and then to the dunes, she couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” she asked Gray.
“Yeah.” He grinned. “It is.”
“How many times have you flown in a helicopter?”
“A few.” He shrugged. “But this is my first time with you.”
The way he said it made her skin tingle all over.
But it also made her realize how different his life was from hers. These past few weeks they’d felt like equals. Two inhabitants of Hartson’s Creek spending time with each other. Falling for each other. But he wasn’t just some guy who lived in town. He was Gray Hartson. He sold out arenas and took helicopters like they were taxis.
“You okay?” he asked her, as though he noticed her change in thoughts.
“Yeah. Just thinking about your life and mine. How different they are.”
He reached out to stroke her cheek. “That’s why I like you. Why I like this. Watching your face as you experience this flight for the first time. I’m not looking for somebody who likes me because I’m a singer or because I have money. I want you because you like the Gray Hartson who repairs roofs and cuts his hand up.”
The tightness in her chest loosened a little. “But it all has to end soon, doesn’t it? You’ll go back to L.A. and touring, and I’ll be here teaching piano and serving at the diner.” No more late night visits. No more kisses that become dirty. No more hearing his deep voice in her ear as they make love beneath the stars. God, she was going to miss that.
“It doesn’t have to end, Maddie.”
“Okay, folks, we’ll be landing in a few minutes. If you take a look outside, you’ll see the Atlantic Ocean. And up ahead, if you stare real hard, you’ll see a lighter dot. That’s Samphire Island, your destination.”
The dot grew bigger as they got closer, and she slipped her hand into Gray’s as the helicopter slowed down and hovered over the helipad, slowly lowering down until the rails hit the ground.
And when the rotors finally stopped, Gray climbed out first, holding her waist as he helped her to the ground. Maddie knew the night was only just beginning.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Dinner was set up on the beach. The white chairs and table were positioned under a canopy of sparkling lights, facing toward the ocean as it ebbed and flowed against the shore. Gray couldn’t stop looking at her, despite the beauty around him. At the way her face lit up as she saw the tiny candles lining a path to the water, or the waiter standing next to the table with a bottle of champagne in his hand and a cloth draped over his forearm.
“This is crazy,” Maddie told him, shaking her head with a grin. “You know that, right?”
“Maybe we need a little crazy,” he said. “It’s been a tough few weeks.”
“You know, I would have put out for a lot less.” She tipped her head to the side. “You don’t have to do all this. I’m pretty much a sure thing where you’re concerned.”
He pulled her against him, closing his eyes as he breathed her in. The floral scents of her shampoo mixed with the salty tang of the ocean, filling him up. “You’re never a sure thing,” he whispered. “I wish you were.”
She tipped her head up to look at him. “Nobody’s ever done this for me. Nobody. And you must know I’d go anywhere for you. It has to be written on my face.”
His throat felt tight. Not just because this felt so right, but because it was what his soul needed. Somebody who wanted him for him. Not because he was Gray the football captain, or Gray the son who managed everything. And definitely not because he was Gray the successful musician.
But because he was Grayson Hartson IV, the kid who cried every night when his mom died, but hid it from his siblings because they needed him to be the strong one. The boy who protected them from their father’s wrath. The teenager who escaped to follow his dreams, only to discover they had an edge of a nightmare, too.
And now Maddie was waking him up from those bad dreams. Showing him what life could be like if he could only have her.
Truth was, he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. Including his career.
“I want to kiss you,” he said, his voice rough.
“Here on the beach?”
“No. In the ocean.” He nodded his head toward the vast darkness. “The way I promised we would.”
“Won’t it be cold?” she asked, looking down at her jeans. “Is that why I brought a change of clothing?”
“Yeah. I figured we might get a little wet.” He held his hand out. “Will you come with me?” The words felt heavy; full of unasked questions. And yet she slid her hand into his without hesitation, filling his heart with warmth. With a grin, he lifted her until she was in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms around his neck, and he carried her to the w
ater, loving the way she was laughing against his ear.
He didn’t want to stop to take his clothes off, no matter how expensive they were. Didn’t care about his socks or the designer jeans his stylist had paid way too much for. Instead, he kicked off his shoes and waded through the water, holding the woman he ached for in his arms, wincing as the cold water soaked the denim.
“Shouldn’t we have taken off our clothes?” she asked him.
“Yeah.” His voice was gruff. “We can do it now.”
“Where will we put them?”
“They’ll wash to the shore.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure they’ll be salvageable though.” As if to demonstrate, he pulled her strappy flat sandals off and threw them onto the sand.
He glanced at where the waiter was still standing. “We’ll be ready to eat in an hour.”
The waiter nodded. “As you wish, sir. I’ll be back then.” He turned and left.
Then it was just the two of them and the ocean. He gently set Maddie down and pulled his t-shirt off, taking a sharp breath in as the spray hit his bare chest. Rolling it into a wet ball, he threw it until it thumped against the sand. “Score,” he said softly.
“Don’t get your hand wet,” Maddie told him, nodding at the bandage on his left palm.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He winked.
Maddie grinned and pulled her dress off, revealing an ivory lace bra that barely covered her breasts. She followed his lead, throwing it, though her aim was worse than his and it bobbed in the tide.
Before he could take off his jeans, she was diving into the water. He watched as the ripples closed over her, before she surfaced again, swimming out toward the waves. “Come on,” she called.
He grinned and unzipped his jeans, having to tug at the soaked denim to peel them from his legs. Then he pushed through the water, closing the distance between them with strong, sure strides.
He grabbed her waist with his good hand and pulled her to him. The water was chest deep here, and he could feel her float against him as she pressed against him. And damn if he didn’t have the biggest hard-on as her chest pressed against his. Her arms curled around his neck to keep herself steady, and he cupped her face with his free, injured hand.