Page 21

CHAPTER 21

Henry

I curled closer to the warmth that surrounded me. The air smelled faintly of lavender and sage, a most relaxing scent. I fell into that scent, into the pit of warmth. I hadn’t felt so relaxed in awhile, and certainly not since Grayson showed up the other night.

Grayson...

His name filled my consciousness, along with thoughts of his perfect lips, of his dark, inviting eyes, and that dead-sexy smirk he was always wearing. I shifted my position closer to the fire, groaning in satisfaction. I could feel the head of his cock brushing against my ass, and I let out a deep groan as I arched my back, seeking more of the friction.

My own cock was already alert and aware, no doubt reeling from my sexy dream state. Warm fingers slid over the waistband on my pajama pants, a leg threading through mine as he pulled me closer.

I didn’t want the dream to end, but my alarm broke the veil of ecstasy.

I reached out instinctively to shut it off, and then I realized in absolute horror, I wasn’t asleep, and I certainly wasn’t dreaming.

My hand hovered over my phone as my gaze settled on a hand across my stomach, and I felt the vivid, sizeable hardness pressed against my ass.

“Oh my God,” I said as I scrambled out of Grayson’s hold, smacking my alarm much more harshly than I meant to.

“Oh my God, I am so sorry, Grayson. I—”

“Good morning to you too, Henry,” he grumbled as I threw myself out of bed.

I quickly tried to readjust myself, embarrassment flooding me. I looked at Grayson, fueling up another apology, but all my speech left me when I noticed Grayson’s gaze roving over me, stopping right where I was holding my—

“I’m not a... morning person,” I stammered.

What the fuck?

Grayson laughed, the sound smooth and warm, showcasing his perfect teeth as he sat up, the covers sliding off of him to reveal his perfectly defined chest.

“Could have fooled me,” he said, his gaze flicking back up to my reddening cheeks, then back to my hands still awkwardly shielding my noticeable erection from him.

“It’s not... I didn’t mean to—”

Grayson ran his hand through his dark hair. “Please, don’t be embarrassed. We’re both adults.”

Yeah, single adults.

Who are supposed to be starting fresh!

And not making things awkward!

I was acutely aware that I was once again, making things awkward, but I couldn’t help it. It was like my damn superpower or something.

I swallowed harshly as I looked back at him. “I need a shower,” I mumbled. Clearly with all the blood rushing to my cock, my brain was not working at full capacity.

“Henry...” He sighed as he let his head fall back against the headboard.

I turned around, making a beeline directly for the shower, if only for the space to breathe, to process what had just happened.

Grayson and I... spooned.

Granted we were probably asleep when we gravitated toward one another, but still...

I’d awakened with Grayson’s arms around me and his cock pressed against me, and I didn’t hate it.

In fact, I kind of liked it, if I’m being honest, but I didn’t have time for romantic revelations at six thirty in the morning.

I turned the water on, relieved by the crisp, cool sensation. I braced myself for the shiver, knowing it was most certainly what I needed to wash away all the embarrassment and the desire swirling inside of me like a hurricane.

I quickly washed my hair with the shampoo provided, which smelled like lemongrass and cedar and was actually quite invigorating. After I’d finally finished up, I grabbed my towel, and headed for the main room, doing my best to avoid staring at shirtless Grayson in his boxers , looking like an Esquire magazine spread.

But I was weak, apparently, because the moment I came out to see him, his perfect ass on display, standing there like a Greek Adonis staring at a paper in front of a literal cart of breakfast items, I froze.

Cue Henry Popsicle Mode.

“What—”

“Breakfast is served,” Grayson drawled.

“Apparently, my sister had a spread delivered to all our tents this morning,” he said as he looked up from his paper.

“Oh, well... that’s kinda nice, actually,” I said as I turned my back to him, fishing out a pair of underwear, cargo pants, and an olive green shirt.

“No doubt to make up for the fact we are horseback riding at eight in the morning,” he grumbled.

“Horseback riding?” I asked as I pulled on my shirt. I could feel Grayson’s eyes on me, and I fought to turn around and meet his gaze.

“Did I stutter?” he asked, his voice dark and smooth.

I turned around, weak to fight my own impulse to find him only inches away from me. There I stood in my shirt and my fresh pair of boxer briefs, acutely aware of his disheveled hair, of his looming, sexy stare, and the visible outline of his cock.

How was this man still single?

He was quite literally, all the things fantasies were made of.

What flaw did he have?

Because as far as I could see or discern, there were none.

Grayson was confident, sexy, and more than sure of himself. But he was also candid and vulnerable, and mysterious.

He was everything a prince charming should be.

And he was so close I could touch him. That I could kiss him, if I wanted, and I wanted to, but...

Did he want me to?

Despite his flirtations, and his drunk pass at me the other night, he hadn’t made a move to confirm such things. In fact, he’d only done the opposite and insisted on a “fresh” start. But then it seemed every time the curtain came down...

I wasn’t sure if I’d purely imagined the attraction between us, or if it was something that truly was reciprocated. But I wasn’t capable of voicing my wonders out loud when I didn’t have a full grasp on the reality myself.

“No, you did not,” I said, my own voice dropping an octave, my gaze falling to his lips.

All it would take is one small move. One step forward and I could slide my hand over his hip, or run my fingers through his hair.

One gentle tug and I could pull him toward me, toward my lips.

But I was afraid.

Of what I wasn’t certain.

“Shower’s all yours,” I said, my voice steady as I flashed my gaze from his perfect pout to his intense amber eyes.

Grayson smirked as he handed me the itinerary, and I watched him walk away from me, sliding his boxers off just before he hit the door so I could get just the slightest glimpse of his bare ass.

While the move was careless, as undressing for a shower was a normal action, his move felt deliberate.

It was almost like he wanted me to see him, like he wanted to taunt me with his perfection.

Look at what you can’t have because you’re too fucking scared.

I grunted as I adjusted my cock, turning away from the sight in favor of breakfast.

The sun shone through the hexagonal windows like beams of heaven, lighting up the champagne flutes full of champagne and orange juice, no doubt, across the array of bear claws and croissants and pastries with fresh fruit.

I wasted no time as I dug into the cream cheese danishes and fresh strawberries, watching the light cast rainbow prisms on the inside of our dome as I waited for the bane of my literal existence.