Page 51 of Breaking Point (IceHawks #1)

Grayson’s face turns red and suddenly everything clicks into place.

“You’re not just a volunteer…are you?”

Liz arches a pointed brow at her—I now realize—boss. “I’ll leave you to make amends for that one. I’ll deal with ABC, just be ready with the team for an interview, volunteer .” Liz spins on her heel, heading in the direction of the barn.

Bambi whines between us, demanding to be pet, and as Grayson kneels, giving her attention and love, I tsk. “No, don’t go being cute with Bambi. What the fuck, Grayson?”

He flashes me a crooked smirk. “You think I’m cute?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “For the love of god, Grayson, focus on what’s important.”

His eyes never leave mine as he whispers, “I am.”

Ignoring the way he’s looking at me, I bend, giving Bambi belly rubs as she rolls over onto her back, her Lamb Chop dangling from her mouth. “You don’t think your girlfriend should know that you created one of the largest animal rescue organizations in the state?”

I can’t keep the hurt from my voice, and by the way his back straightens, I know Grayson heard it. His shoulders slump as he reaches out, placing a gentle hand on my knee. “I’m sorry I kept this from you.”

“Why don’t more people know?”

He rubs the nape of his neck. “Because it’s not about me, it’s about the animals, and if I announced I was not just a volunteer but the founder, that’s all people would focus on.”

“I get that,” I say, nodding until my chest pains. “But I don’t know why you didn’t tell me .”

His lips part, his eyes growing wide as he frantically searches my face. “I’m sorry for hurting you,” he whispers, squeezing my knee. “I just…” He takes a deep breath. “It felt like I would be claiming it for the wrong reasons if I told you, and I didn’t want you to think of me that way. ”

The sincerity in his tone, the way his eyes seem to plead with me, makes me pause. “You thought it would be showboating?”

He pokes his tongue into his cheek. “I kept picturing how it would sound in my head and all I came up with was, oh Bella, by the way, I own the entire organization and started it from the ground up. Pretty cool, right ?”

“Yeah, it is pretty cool and not at all showboating.”

He gives me a blank stare.

A beat passes.

“Okay fine,” I relent. “I can see why you were unsure of how to say it.”

“Thank you.”

“But I’m still hurt.” His eyes widen. “As your girlfriend ,” I emphasize, hoping he buys it, but something tells me he doesn’t.

“Let me go do this interview, and then I’ll make it up to you.” His eyes are piercing mine, those blue depths stealing my breath, and suddenly all I can remember is the way he pinned me to the door and ravished my mouth. That and the rink, the way he held me against him and so easily lifted me?—

I shake my head to clear the thoughts.

But the heat in his eyes tells me Grayson knows exactly what I was just remembering.

“Okay,” I whisper, surprised to hear my voice is hoarse.

His smile stretches, that lone dimple popping out to wink at me.

Suddenly, all I want to do is kiss it.

“I’ll come find you. Do you think you can watch Bambi? She seems to like you.”

Smiling down at the golden retriever looking up at me with big brown puppy eyes, I coo, “Of course I can.” But Grayson makes no move to leave.

Lifting my gaze, I find his on me, searing me to the spot.

The chaos around us pauses. The sounds evaporate, and suddenly, it’s just us.

My lips part as Grayson’s tongue darts out to lick his lips.

His hand is still on my knee, the heat of his skin burning me something fierce, and I wonder if he’s thinking the same thing I am. That we’re in a public space and I am fully in the role of his girlfriend.

“Aren’t they waiting for you?” I probe, testing.

“They can wait some more.”

I can feel my body melting toward his, can feel the heat of my skin, the rush of my blood, the pumping of my heart.

Until a big slobbery tongue licks up the side of my face.

I burst out laughing at Bambi now sitting between us, panting. I can smell what she had for breakfast.

“Seems I’m not the only one vying for your attention,” Grayson drawls, the sound of his deep timbre voice sending a shiver down my spine.

My brow quirks. “You have some competition.”

“I’ve never shied away from a challenge.”

Biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling, I settle on, “You should really go before Liz comes back with another thing to be cross about.”

He rolls his eyes but stands. “She always has something to be cross with me about.”

I stand too. “I’ll keep Bambi company. Now go.”

Before I can blink, he leans over and kisses my cheek, his lips sending electricity through my body. I don’t even have time to say anything before he’s walking toward the barn. Bambi also seems to watch him go in stunned silence.

“You and me both, Bambi. You and me both.”

A low whistle has me flinching.

“That man is smitten,” Layla says as she comes to stand beside me.

My breath hitches. “No, he isn’t. We’re in public, Lil.” I drop my voice. “It’s all a show.”

All fake , I remind myself.

Layla shakes her head. “I don’t think so. You should see how that man stares at you,” she says wistfully.

“How does he stare at me?”

“Like you’re his reason for breathing.”

My eyes lock on Grayson as he peeks over his shoulder at me one last time before disappearing into the barn .

Suddenly, my chest is tight. I need to change the topic.

“If we want to talk about being smitten, let’s talk about Kieran with his tongue hanging out. What the hell was that before?”

She winces. “I know. That was harsh, right?”

“Justifiably funny is more like it.”

Layla and I walk and talk around the park, hoping to have someone notice and adopt Bambi. People smile at her and the cute vest but don’t approach.

How odd.

Maybe because we don’t have a volunteer shirt on? Although Layla now has a Safe Haven Trails hat on her head and still has that clipboard in her hand which, as I peer over, I realize she’s been busy.

Layla groans. “I have no idea where that came from!”

“It’s okay. I mean, all things considered, it ended with him saying he wants to marry you, so I don’t think you knocked his ego down too much.” I pause. “As a matter of fact, do it again.”

She rolls her eyes. “I did… He found me.”

Eyeing her, I note that her cheeks are a little flushed. I pull Bambi and Layla both to a stop. She’s trying to lie. I gasp. “Oh my fucking god, are you attracted to Kieran?”

Layla’s eyes widen. “No!” A panicked look overcomes her before she blurts, “Well, I mean yes! Obviously he’s conventionally attractive.” She wrings her hands. “I’ve been keeping tabs on the puck bunny sites?—”

“There’s puck bunny sites?”

“You have no idea. Anyways, Kieran is on them a lot, and I mean a lot .”

“That doesn’t surprise me. The man is a fuckboy.”

Layla nods feverishly. “I know, so tell me why he grosses me out but at the same time I want to lick his face?”

My jaw drops open. “Layla!”

She shrugs, holding up her hands in surrender.

“I know, okay? I know! That’s why I was mean.

I was hoping if I shut him down and ignored him the little stomach flips would go away, but then he just got smart with me and I don’t know why but that turned me on even more.

” She snaps her head up. “His eyes twinkled, Bella. Twinkled! ”

I can’t help it, I laugh at her outburst.

She stomps her foot, whisper-hissing at me, “This isn’t funny!”

“But it is,” I say around a chuckle.

“All this time I’ve been judging these women for sleeping with him and then crying about how he wants nothing more, and then here I am in the flesh with him and my body reacts the same way!”

“He is charming, I’ll give him that much.”

“I feel gross.”

My brow quirks.

Layla relents, “Fine, I feel gross that I don’t feel gross in his presence.” She licks her lips. “And it was…fun, teasing him. I’ve never teased a boy—no, man —before.”

I wink. “Fun, isn’t it?”

“I hate to say it, but I absolutely understand his sex appeal now.”

“At least you won’t be here much longer to fall under his spell.”

“I would never ,” she snaps. “I can admit he’s attractive but he’s slept with more women than I’ve even met .”

My phone rings, its shrill sound cutting off what I was about to say next. Taking it out of my bag, I realize it’s the hospital.

“Shit, Lil, sorry. I have to take this.”

She waves me off, bending to pat Bambi. “That’s fine, Bambi and I will be commiserating over dogs.”

Snorting, a smile is on my face until I remember who exactly is calling.

“Hello, Bella speaking.”

“Hi, Miss Stratford?” a young female voice asks.

“Yes, this is she.”

A ruffle of paperwork comes over the line. “My name’s Mary, I work in the financial department at St. Luke’s Hospital. How are you today? ”

My heart plummets. Did my wire transfer bounce? Has the price for the drug gone up?

“I’m well,” I murmur, too sick to my stomach to do polite small talk.

“Very well! I’m happy to be calling today to inform you that you were selected by an anonymous donor who has footed the bill for your mother, Mrs. Trisha Stratford, in full.”

Her cheery voice has my mind coming to a screeching halt. “F-footed the bill?” I stutter.

She’s talking as if someone just paid for my drink at Starbucks, not a bill costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Layla, hearing the utter disbelief in my voice, stands, worry lining her freckled face.

“Yes, that’s right, ma’am. The entire bill. It’s your lucky day, Miss Stratford. Congratulations to you and your mother! I’ll be sending over your copy of the receipt. Would you like that to be sent via email or physical mail?”

“Email,” I hear myself say, but all I can focus on are those two words.

Footed bill.

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