Page 109 of Royal

“Ah! Yes.” Naomi pointed at Kyler. “I watched that one. I thought you looked familiar.”

“Don’t you just want to slap them?” Brysen plopped down between Luke and Naomi, holding his fourth cocktail. “They’re so cute I could barf.”

“Just barf that way, if you do,” Naomi said, pointing at Luke.

Luke had a silly grin on his face, completely plastered and oblivious to what was going on.

Gideon walked over, pulled a chair from the next table over, and sat with us.

“About time you joined us,” Declan told the large blond.

He scoffed and drank more of his water. He was a man of very few words. Even fewer than Phoenix, which was saying a lot.

Brysen stumbled over to Gideon and put his arm around the bigger man before falling in his lap. Gideon grunted and looked at him.

“Hey there,” Brysen said, wiggling his eyebrows. “So…do you come here often?”

Declan laughed and then coughed to cover it when the bodyguard flashed him a glare.

“Your seat is over there,” Gideon said, gently pushing Brysen off his lap.

“But that’s no fun.” Brysen pouted.

I had told Kyler in the past that I could definitely see Gideon and Brysen together, but Kye had shaken his head and said no. One, he didn’t know Gideon’s type. And two, they would’ve butt heads way too much. Brysen was small, but he took control in all things. He and Gideon might’ve been interesting in theory, but in reality? It would never happen.

As the beginning notes ofThe Night We Metby Lord Huron started playing over the speakers, I smiled. It was such a sad song but was one of my all-time favorites.

Grayson stood and offered me his hand. “Come on.”

“What?” I stared at his hand before moving my gaze back to his face. “Really?”

“I owe you that dance, remember?”

My heart skipped a beat. He’d come so far in the past month. The Grayson I used to know was still there, but he’d grown up. Big time. A lump wedged in my throat, and my eyes watered.

Not trusting my voice, I nodded. Butterflies swarmed my stomach as I slid my hand into his and walked with him to the empty spot beside the table to dance.

Grayson placed a hand at my lower back and entwined our fingers, pressing his body close to mine. His dark hair was combed back, and his eyes were a little glassy.

We started to sway to the melody, and I felt eyes on us. But nothing else mattered in that moment except for Gray. There could’ve been a hundred people around us, and all I’d see was him.

“I can’t believe we’re actually dancing,” I said, my face hurting from how much I’d smiled that night. “Almost like we’re a real couple.”

“There’s noalmostabout it, Charming,” Grayson responded in that sexy, gruff voice of his. “I’m yours. Tonight. Tomorrow. Forever. As long as you’ll have me.”

He kissed me, soft and slow, our bodies swaying from side to side. There weren’t words to tell him how I felt. None of them would ever be enough.

“I love you,” I said, staring into his eyes and lifting a hand to his short beard. “And I love this. Never shave it off, ‘kay?”

His handsome face broke out into a smile, and my heart nearly burst from my chest. Grayson was good at smirking or giving half-smiles. On occasion, he’d grin. But seeing him smile so openly like that turned me to mush.

“I’ll love you until the sun dies,” he said before lightly pressing his lips to my temple. “And long after it.”

“When did you become so sentimental?” I teased.

Gray stopped dancing and cupped my cheek. “Since I almost lost you. Nothing scares me more than that.”

Our lips met again and again, neither of us rushing the moment. We’d wasted countless moments over the years, letting past heartaches keep us apart for way too long.