Page 47

Greyson

We arrived at the masquerade ball we’re hosting for a charity that supports underprivileged kids to get the hockey gear they need almost two hours ago, and I’ve stood in the corner watching Lilly for almost half of that time.

The way she sways across the dance floor so gracefully, and the way she tilts her head back, belly laughing at something one of the girls said—it makes my heart swell.

The cool evening air from the open window beside me was doing nothing to calm my racing heart, and I could feel my hands becoming clammy. The anticipation of what the night would unfold was almost unbearable, and every passing second felt like an eternity.

I shouldn’t be nervous, I really shouldn’t . I’ve been on dates before—maybe too many. But for some reason tonight felt different. Maybe it’s because I’ve got genuine feelings toward Lilly…or maybe it’s something else entirely.

Fuck! I don’t know. All I know is that all goddamn day I’ve been a nervous wreck to the point Chase h ad to calm me down earlier because I was hyperventilating.

We were here at the venue making sure everything was going to plan, and when I looked around as the event planners we hired began to decorate, all I could think about was Lilly and how we’d be in this exact room dancing later tonight, and I came over shaky, sweaty, and I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.

Chase had to sit me down and teach me how to breathe again. It was like my body was betraying me and I couldn’t control it. The anticipation, the fear, the excitement—it was almost too much for my body to handle. And now standing here, watching her dance, I’m still a mess.

When I first saw her tonight, I was blown away. I knew Lilly was gorgeous, but this…had I died and gone to heaven? Because she was a literal angel standing before me.

The lilac dress she has on framed her curves perfectly, and the cleavage. Oh fuck. There’s no denying that I’ve been sporting a boner most of the evening since I saw how fucking phenomenal she looked.

I couldn’t seem to focus on anything but her. And the way she’d catch my eye every so often with those sparkling eyes, so big, so bright, and so fucking blue. And that smile on her face…oh Lord. That smile is what could bring me out of a coma—a coma I feel like I’m currently in because I can’t seem to move.

Chase nudges my shoulder and knocks me from my trance, I blink, shaking my head, trying to regain a little conscious before I’m looking at Lilly again.

“ Fuck .” I hiss under my breath, my eyes locking onto hers .

So fucking beautiful.

Like out of this world beautiful, there really are no words in the dictionary to describe her beauty.

I truly have died and gone to heaven, haven’t I?

And why is my heart hammering so hard against my chest?

I can see from the corner of my eye Chase sending me an amused look, but I ignore him, my focus solely on her as she dances.

Her cheeks flush as she giggles at something Payton says, and my heart picks up speed again.

Chase mutters something beside me, but I don’t hear—all I can hear is my own heartbeat in my ear.

Bum , bum … bum , bum …

My eyes glance toward the masked guy who walks up to the girls, and my fists clench beside me as my girl laughs at something he says.

That jealous emotion has been activated…again like it was a few days ago when I walked into Jinx and saw her laughing with that guy. And before I know it, I’m ripping the mask off my face and striding toward her like I’m on a mission—and I am. A mission to show every fucker in this room that she’s mine.

My heart picks up more speed as I gain on her. Am I having a heart attack? Because that’s what it fucking feels like. It feels like my chest is going to explode at any moment. And what if it does?

What if I die before telling her how I really feel?

I straighten, tucking my hands in my slack pockets so she couldn’t see how much they’re shaking. Too much is the answer. I’m itching out to touch her, to feel her smooth skin against the roughness of my fingers. To just feel her.

Fuck it. If she feels my hands shake, I don’t care. Gripping her neck, I turn her to face me and kiss her with so much force that I almost knock us off our feet. She’s taken aback at first, but she kisses me back with as much force as I am with her, her hands snaking in my hair and gripping at it making me groan.

I’m out of breath—my lungs are begging for just a sliver of oxygen, but it won’t happen. Not yet. I need her lips on mine for eternity. And if that means taking my final breath with her lips attached to mine, then so be in, I’ll die a very happy fucking man.

“Well, hello to you too.” She giggles once we break away from the kiss.

I smile, my thumb tracing the nape of her neck. “Can we go somewhere?”

I need to tell her how I feel, no keeping it to myself anymore. I’m an honest person, I hate not telling the truth—and keeping this secret from her, it’s been killing me.

And I wanted five minutes alone with her, away from everyone else. I wanted five minutes to admire her without every other fucker here doing the same.

“Where?” She asks.

Away from everyone else.

“I just want to talk to you.”

She chews at her lip, nodding before leaning in and telling Payton and Callie she’ll be back soon, then she grabs my hand, interlocks our fingers—and I have no doubt in my mind she can feel how hard they’re shaking right now.

“What did you want to talk about?” She stops as we walk out of the double door s into the large corridor.

“Not here.” I shake my head, pulling her along until I push open a room I know is empty.

Pulling her in, I push her against the door as I close and lock it behind us before my lips are on hers, once again. Gripping her hips, I push her against the door more, making her gasp into my mouth, giving me the perfect opportunity to slide my tongue in and devour her.

Our tongues swirl against the others, each fighting for dominance, but I win, like always. Her hands grip my shoulders while my hands push further down, landing on her ass and squeezing, making her squeal. But she doesn’t stop kissing me, if anything, it makes her hungry for more. And I love the fucking power I have over her.

“Greyson.” She moans into my mouth, her hands sliding across my chest.

Pulling away from her, my chest heaves up and down as I bring my hand up and pull the mask she’s wearing over her eyes and rest it on her head.

My eyes lock into hers, and I’m blown away—as every other time my eyes land on her. The room is dimly lit, the only light source coming from the moon in the sky, cascading a sliver of light onto the floor.

“You’re so fucking perfect.” I whisper, brushing my thumb over her cheek bone.

More than perfect.

She’s fucking everything.

She blushes, leaning into my touch. “You’re perfect too.” She whispers.

I just stand there, staring at her—admiring everything about her from the little freckles across her nose, to the way her eyes twinkle, and how her chest heaves up and down from the intense kissing we just done.

Fuck, how did I get so lucky to have her in my life?

“Hey, are you okay?” She asks, concern lacing her voice as she drags a soothing thumb across my cheek.

I take a deep breath in, my heart hammering hard against my chest. “The lines have blurred.” I confess.

She looks at me confused, her eyebrows knitting together. “What do you mean?”

“Us,” I say, gesturing between the two of us with my hand. “This whole fake dating thing…the lines have blurred for me.”

“Grey—”

“The lines blurred a long time ago, and I’ve been trying my fucking hardest to hold it together, to not blurt out how much I fucking like you.” I continue, my chest feeling lighter as I admit the truth.

“Grey—”

“But every second I spend with you, I get more sucked in by everything you do—everything you are,” taking a deeper breath, my heart hammers harder against my chest. “And I’m falling in love with you, Lilly Jackson.”