Page 62 of Mr. Edwards

“It’s not exactly what I had in mind.”

This is turning out to be harder than I anticipated. My fingertips move up to ghost his jaw. “I’m sorry, okay. This isn’t easy for me either.”

He nods like he understands, but I know he doesn’t. It’s only a matter of time before Grayson gets tired of my baggage, and that makes the uneasy feeling in my stomach intensify. It’s the reason Roxy could never hold down a man. Men will only put up with a woman’s drama for so long before they label them hard work.

He wraps me in his arms, pulling my face into his chest. I release a contented sigh when he places a kiss on my hair. “I can’t begin to understand what’s going on in your head, but just having you here is a step in the right direction. I can’t ask for more than that.”

Drawing back, I gaze up at him through my lashes. There’s a kaleidoscope of emotions mirrored back at me. It makes a warmth spread throughout my body. It’s a lookthat says so much. The intensity has me eventually diverting my eyes because it unnerves me.

“Hey,” he says, grasping my chin and bringing my gaze back to him. “Are you okay?”

“Uh-huh… it’s just the way you look at me sometimes,” I admit.

My eyes drop down to his neck, and I see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows hard. “How do I look at you?”

Like I’m the center of your universe.

My gaze flickers back to him, and his expression hasn’t changed. “Just like that,” I answer pointing to his face as my teeth run nervously over my bottom lip.

His smile grows, making his dimple pop. He reaches up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“Can you be a little more specific, sunshine?” I shake my head, making him chuckle. “It’s a good look though, right?”

“Definitely good. It gives me the warm fuzzies.”

“The warm fuzzies? Wow, that’s some look.” His hand moves down to cup me between the legs. “Here?”

I slap it away. “You have a one-track mind.”

“I’m just trying to understand what that look does to you.”

“In here,” I say, grabbing his wrist and laying his palm over my chest. I’m never this vulnerable with people, I have an intense fear of rejection, so putting myself out there isn’t easy for me.

“Yeah?”

“Uh-huh.”

He squeezes my boob, and I roll my eyes. He’s such a horndog. “You should keep me then because no one else can look at you the way I do.”

“Is that so?” I say, grinning.

“You heard what my granny said, I’m a keeper.”

“Hmm, I think your granny is a tad biased.”

“No way, she was just stating the obvious.”

“Right,” I say, biting back a smile; he’s so full of himself. “I’ll give it some serious thought then,” I tease, leaning in to nip at his bottom lip.

His hand comes down, swatting my ass. “You better keep me, wench.”

There’s a renewed sparkle in Grayson’s eyes as he cups my face, brushing his lips with mine… once, twice, three times.

“Good night,” I whisper against his mouth. If I don’t put an end to our hallway rendezvous, we’ll be fucking again in no time, and neither of us will get any sleep.

He sighs, getting the hint. “Okay, good night.” He places another soft kiss on my lips before releasing me, and taking a step back. “You know where to find me if you get scared of the monsters under your bed.”

He chuckles to himself as he turns to walk away, and I’m glad his back is to me. If it wasn’t, I’m sure he’d be able to see the terror his statement just inflicted.