Page 5

CHAPTER 5

Grayson

The familiar whirring of my car door locks sounded in my ears, mingling together with the warmth of Henry’s palm against my back. I could feel his heat through the silky fabric, and something about it made me feel relaxed. Relaxed enough that I wanted to curl against said warmth, but I was far too drunk to garner the control I wanted.

I’d fucked up. Royally. That was apparent. I said I’d stop for just one drink, but one turned into two, two turned into three...

It wasn’t that I wasn’t having a good time, but watching my sister and her fiancé, and even Lacey and Lane—the most annoying couple on the face of the planet—I couldn’t help but feel like a fuck up.

Why couldn’t I have a boyfriend who was head over heels for me?

Why were the men in my life always too afraid to come clean about who they were or just looking for a fuck around guy?

Why did I always fall for men who would shove me under the bus the first chance they got?

Was I that much of an asshole?

Henry helped ease me into my passenger seat, my head rolling back against the headrest. I groaned as the self-loathing thoughts permeated my brain. His hand slowly slid across my waist as he fastened me in. I couldn’t help but stare, with him up so close, noticing the finer features of his perfect, almost innocent looking face. The urge to reach out and run my hand through his dark hair was prevalent, and just as I moved to do so, he pulled away and I dropped my hand. He patted my seatbelt with approval, before shutting my door. It seemed like forever, the moment of pause between his shutting my door, and him getting in the driver’s seat, and I half wondered if he had changed his mind, and decided he was going to leave my drunken ass here.

When he folded himself into the driver’s seat, I couldn’t help but notice the curve of his ass fit nicely, almost as if he was made for it.

As if he was made for me...

I shook the hazy thoughts from my brain, resting my head against the headrest as I closed my eyes, my intoxicated thoughts making themselves known despite my best intentions.

“Do you ever just feel like... like everyone else is on some set path that you don’t have access to?” I said, completely not expecting Henry to respond to the words of a drunk asshole like myself.

“Yeah, I, uh... feel like that a lot, actually,” he said quietly. For a moment, we just sat there in the silence, and it was... nice.

But my idiotic mouth wanted nothing more than to fill the space.

“It’s just, this wedding... it’s... it’s exhausting.” I sighed, opening my eyes. Upon doing so, I noted Henry was staring at me, his hands gripping the steering wheel.

I raised my eyebrow at him in question, noting the blush that crept into his cheeks.

Blushing Henry in the front of my Porsche was not a bad sight.

In fact, it only aided in my inebriated thoughts of fantasy as I imagined myself straddling his lap, my ass backed up against the steering wheel, grinding myself against him. Biting those perfect lips and watching those cheeks pinken from my touch.

My cock twitched its approval of such a situation, but I was also dizzy and did not think I could make the move with enough sophistication at the moment as the room was still spinning.

“I can imagine, being as you’re actually in the wedding party,” he said.

“That’s not... that’s not what I meant.” I sighed. “It’s exhausting having to watch my younger sibling get her happy ever after, when I can’t have the same thing.” I forced myself to look away from the beautiful man in my car, if only because I feared with the uncharacteristic vulnerability I was expelling at the moment, I would fall over the edge and dive into woe is me territory.

Poor little rich kid, boo fucking hoo.

I did not pout over anything, or anyone for that matter. I was Grayson Sanderson. I was an absolute fucking diamond, and I knew my worth.

Henry spoke up, his voice even and smooth, like hot chocolate.

“I know the feeling. Not because of my sister. I mean, it’s like everyone else I know is off getting married and having kids, and buying houses, and I’m just like... I just want a stable job and a boyfriend and like, maybe a cat or something, you know?” Henry said, letting out a sigh.

I turned to look at him, feeling an almost magnet pull, a kindred spirit of sorts. I did know. I knew exactly how it felt to be the black sheep, to be the one off the beaten path. Or maybe it was the several martinis I’d had, making my stomach flip.

Either way, I had the strangest feeling that maybe, just maybe there was someone who understood me for once. And that was tempting. Too tempting, to fall into hope.

“You’re easy to talk to, you know that?” I said, feeling my heart catch in my throat.

Henry coughed as he broke my gaze, turning on the car.

“We... we should probably get you home,” he mumbled as he backed us up, and headed out onto the road.

My shoulders slumped as he looked away, hiding from my words. I got the feeling pretty little Henry didn’t get praised enough where it mattered.

Fucking pity.

“You, uh, do you still live at home with your parents, or...”

Shame fell over me immediately at his question, even though it wasn’t meant to be derogatory in any way.

My sister had moved out with Aaron pretty much as soon as they’d graduated. I’d moved out too, for a few years, but after mom had hip replacement surgery, I’d moved back to help her out around the house, and just never left. Even though I knew I could anytime, if I wanted.

Maybe I was waiting for the right man to come in and rescue me like a sad princess or something.

God, what is fucking wrong with me?

I meant to say ‘yes’ like a normal person, but instead all that came out of my mouth was, “I don’t have a home,” like I was some bridal vagrant.

“Well, how about you stay with me then? For tonight, I mean. It’s late, and you can figure out your next move in the morning?” He rushed the words, and I watched his jaw tense while he stared on at the road.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was flirting with me, but I knew the truth.

He was just being a Good Samaritan. Any man would have done the same, right?