Page 37 of Gray

Gray scoffed. “You see me as a precious little thing that needs protecting. Like a child. But I have news for you.” He poked my chest. “I’m not as fragile or sweet as you think I am, Mason Hawk.”

“I don’t see you as a child who needs protecting,” I said, my gaze sweeping over him. His soft features and wild blond hair kick-started my heart, as did the gentleness in his warm brown eyes. Dark blond lashes kissed the tops of his cheeks when he blinked. “But you are pretty damn precious. Not gonna lie.”

Gray’s frown faltered, and he poked my chest again. “Don’t play cute with me. This is a very serious discussion.”

“Yeah? So why are you smiling?”

“I’m not,” he said, his smile growing.

“You just lied to me. Wow. I feel so betrayed.”

A giggle burst from his lips, and he slapped his hands over his mouth. His voice was muffled as he said, “You didn’t hear that.”

“Oh. But I did. I have super hearing.”

He lowered his hands and put them on his hips instead. “Are you mocking me? ’Cause if you are, I’m gonna have to kick your butt. I don’t care if youarethe hottest guy I’ve ever seen.”

“The hottest guy you’ve seen? Now you’re just trying to flatter me.” And it was working. Goddammit.

All the sass left him as his lids got heavy, and his breathing kicked up a notch. “I’m gonna do something, ’kay?”

“That’s questionable.”

He grinned as he closed the gap between us. Then, he rose up on his tiptoes, threw his arms around my neck, and kissed me.

The tension left me in a sharp exhale through my nose as his scent of vanilla wrapped around me. His lips were soft against mine and his breaths just as soft.

What wasn’t soft? My damn cock. It strained against my zipper, full and aching.

Gray pushed me down on the bed and straddled my hips, brushing his tongue along the seam of my mouth in a teasing caress. I pushed my hand into his hair and deepened the kiss, loving the softness of the strands between my fingers. It was the perfect length for grabbing on to.

“This okay?” he panted against my mouth.

I answered him by crushing our lips back together. My heart knocked against my rib cage so hard the echo of the beats resounded throughout my entire body. The rush of blood in my groin created a delicious ache that had me lifting my hips off the mattress, grinding against him for much-needed friction.

Gray moaned and rolled his body.

My head spun. I’d had a lot of random hookups in my life—most of the time I never even knew their name. I preferred it that way. It made things less messy for when I left town. Kissing, fucking, I wasn’t new to any of it. But this with Gray? It felt different.

Hefelt different.

The intensity of the kiss suddenly softened, and his lips slowed before stopping altogether. He slumped against my chest, and his muscles twitched before he went lax in my arms. As if all his strength left him. The softest of whines left his throat. It tore at my heartstrings.

“Gray?”

“I’m fine. Just…” He was like a sack of potatoes on top of me. Unmoving. Dead weight.

“Sleepy?”

“Mhm.” A slow breath left him. “Can’t… move.”

Ignoring the throbbing in my cock that had been hoping for a happy ending to the hot and heavy make-out session, I gathered him in my arms and sat up. He clung to me as I stood from the bed. Holding on seemed to be the only strength he could manage.

Maybe it was a blessing in disguise. If we had continued, we would’ve fucked. And Gray wasn’t the type of guy to just fuck and leave. A casual screw wouldn’t be enough.

Enough for him or for me?

I didn’t let myself think on the question.