Chapter 4
By the time they arrived in Punta Cana, it was late afternoon. Evie was relieved to hear that Grey had arranged for transportation from the airport and had a driver waiting for them. Being rich had its perks she supposed, and after a nearly six-hour flight, she was damn happy she wasn’t about to be stuffed onto a bus full of people, stopping at every resort along the way until they reached their destination.
The drive had been short and uneventful. When they reached their modern resort, located on the east coast of the Dominican Republic and nestled into a secluded tropical forest, she made a beeline for the washroom, changing into a sundress instead of the jeans she’d worn on the flight while Grey checked them into their room.
When she returned from the washroom, with her bright yellow Kate Spade purse in her hand, she found that Grey had changed, too. Now wearing a white cotton T-shirt and beige shorts with flip-flops on his feet, he looked so unlike the man she’d known while working with him. “You know,” she told him with a smile, “vacation life suits you.”
“I’m glad you approve.” He winked and then motioned his finger in a circle. “Give me a little spin.”
She grabbed the ends of her dress and spun around, her sandals squeaking against the marble floor.
“Beautiful,” was all he said before planting a quick kiss on her cheek. “Our bags are being delivered to our room shortly, but how about we go and have a look around while we wait.”
She nodded and smiled, and he took her hand, leading her past the reception desk. She’d have to stay on her toes. It’d be easy to forget that she and Grey weren’t actually together. Holding his hand didn’t exactly feel unnatural or awkward. They strode beneath a thatched roof covering the lobby, but there weren’t walls enclosing the main entrance. The hot breeze carried through, smelling of the ocean and the lush tropics. Sweat dripped down her spine as they walked side by side down the palm tree-lined pathway in between the pool and the rooms on the left.
Soon, they passed the main pool, where the music blasted throughout the air, and everyone in the area looked either drunk or on their way to getting there. In only a few steps, the music faded, and instead of young partygoers, there were families and a quieter atmosphere.
She smiled at the children splashing around in the pool. Regardless of the reasons that had brought her here, she was in paradise, the blistering sun beaming down on her, reminding her that she was no longer in Seattle. “It really is quite beautiful here,” she said, glancing at Grey.
He smiled and nodded. “It is that.”
She noted a change in his smile, something that made him appear more relaxed than she’d ever seen. From the first day she met Grey, he’d always seemed uptight and intense…an alpha. Today, there was something in his eyes…something soft and tender, and undeniably intriguing. Again, that surprised her.
A sudden beep had her reaching into her purse. She grabbed out her phone, took one look at the screen, and sighed. “And there goes our relaxation.”
Grey chuckled. “It’s from Holly, I take it?”
“It’s the wedding itinerary.” She gave him a quick glance, and when he gave her a bored, flat look, she studied her screen again.
Wedding Weekend Itinerary
Friday, June 5th
7:00 p.m.: Rehearsal
8:00 p.m.: Rehearsal Dinner
Saturday, June 6th
9:00 a.m.: Breakfast
1:00 p.m.: Bridal Party Lunch & Spa Day
2:00 p.m.: Groomsmen’s Golf
Sunday, June 7th
3:00 p.m.: Seth & Holly Tie the Knot
“Looks like we have a busy weekend ahead of us,” Evie finally said, looking up at Grey again while stuffing her phone back into her bag.
Grey tossed an arm over her shoulders, starting to walk again. “We’re in paradise. I’m sure we can make the most of it.”
The sly way he said the latter told her that he intended to make sure of it. She couldn’t fight back the heat scorching through her. Maybe that was Grey’s power over women. He had this innate ability to reach down into what made a woman sensually awaken and tap into it, unleashing her desire. Hell, maybe that’s why he didn’t have long-term relations. This intense chemistry was the very thing he fed on.
Before she could figure out if she were on to something, a high-pitched scream blasted through the air. “Evie!”
Holly, a blond-haired beauty with big, round, blue eyes and freckles spattering her nose rushed forward. “Oh, my God, you’re here.” Not a second later, Evie was surrounded by Holly’s flowery-scented perfume, wrapped tightly in her arms. “Can you believe how amazing this place is? It’s like all my dreams are coming true.”
“They totally are,” Evie said, returning the hug. Back in the day, Holly was that teenage girl who had a box under her bed filled with all her ideas for her future wedding, right down to what shoes she’d wear.
After a good hard squeeze, Holly backed away and gave her classic beaming smile. Evie felt the touch of love slide through. Sure, she had friends in Seattle, but no one knew her like Holly did. They had so much history between them, it was like no time had passed since Evie had last seen her. A small part of Evie relaxed, realizing that her worries were for nothing. Evie returned the smile, realizing for the first time that she’d moved on from the past. She’d thought it might hurt to see Holly, but nothing about seeing her childhood friend hurt. In fact, Holly felt like home.
Within mere seconds, Holly’s bright eyes slid to Grey. She offered her hand. “You must be the surprise guest that Evie told me about last night.”
“Yes, that’s right, I’m Greyson Crawford,” Grey added with a voice so seductive it even rose goose bumps on Evie’s arms. “You, however, can call me Grey.” He took Holly’s hand and kissed the top, keeping those devilishly sexy eyes on her. “Thank you for allowing me to join Evie.”
Holly giggled, her cheeks flushing pink. “Oh, of course, any boyfriend of Evie’s is a friend of mine.” She pulled back her hand and grinned at Evie now. “Besides, I’m just so happy to hear that Evie is dating again. She didn’t exactly mention you, which was why you coming here was a bit of a surprise.”
“You know our Evie here, she’s too polite to be a bother,” Grey smoothly said, causing Holly’s smile to widen. “But I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t,” Holly said and then spun around and called, “Seth, look, Evie’s here.”
When Evie spotted Seth turning around to face Holly, her heart leapt up into her throat. The anger towards Holly and Seth might be gone, but Evie’s heart still reacted to the boy she’d once deeply loved. He was her first boyfriend, first lover, first everything.
Evie swallowed back the sudden emotion while Seth slowly approached as if he had all the time in the world. Tall and lean, Seth was, and always had been, the cute guy every girl wanted.
“I admit, she appears to love you,” Grey said softly into Evie’s ear, dragging Evie away from Seth.
“I told you they weren’t horrible people,” Evie whispered.
Grey’s eyes stayed glued to Seth, watching his every step, but then he glanced down at Evie and gave an easy smile. “I’m not convinced of that yet.”
Right as Seth reached them, he regarded Evie first. He had warm brown eyes that were so easy to get lost in, and a cute dimple when he smiled. His hair was cut short on the sides and spiked up top, but a little on the messier side than when she’d been with him. “Hi, Evie,” he said.
“Hi.” She smiled, and Grey slid a possessive arm over her shoulders.
Silence fell over them. Evie nibbled her lip, watching men do their sizing-up thing by staring each other down. While Seth was standing a bit taller, Grey was, in fact, taller than Seth by an inch, though his posture was relaxed, hand dangling over Evie’s shoulder.
“Congratulations are in order,” Grey finally said, breaking the awkward silence. “It looks like you’ve got the setup for quite a beautiful wedding.” He offered Seth his hand. “Greyson Crawford.”
Seth returned the handshake. “Good to meet you. Seth Atkinson.”
Even Evie noticed the handshake seemed a little firmer than necessary, and she gave a nervous laugh.
“So, now that we’re done with introductions,” Holly said, sliding her arm into Seth’s. “I need to know all the details since Evie’s been so tight-lipped about you. How did you guys meet?”
While Evie could’ve gone into some elaborate story, she figured sticking as close to the truth made sense. “Grey contracted me to design the interior of one of his new high-rises.”
That grabbed Seth’s attention. “You’re a developer?” he asked Grey.
“An architect, actually,” Grey replied, sliding his fingers gingerly over Evie’s shoulder, and she shivered with the rising goose bumps.
Seth’s eyes narrowed slightly, and for that Evie was grateful. Now, more than ever, she realized that having Grey here, during this moment in her life that could have been emotionally taxing in every way, was a spectacular idea. She wasn’t the third wheel. It was about them, not her.
For that, she’d always be grateful to Grey. She leaned into him, hoping he could tell that she appreciated him. “You should see the work he’s done in Seattle,” she said honestly, not stretching the truth here. “It’s stunning. He’s very talented.”
Grey’s mouth twitched. “Ah, angel, believe me, my work only shines because of you.”
Act or no, his flattery brought out her smile.
“Awwww,” Holly said, leaning her head against Seth’s arm, smiling from ear-to-ear. “You guys are so cute.”
Seth cleared his throat, ran a hand through his hair. “Well, ah, I should probably go and meet my family.” He reached into his pocket, taking out his cell phone, glancing at his screen. “Yeah, they’ll be here soon. I need to meet them in the lobby.”
“Oh, yes, right, back to wedding stuff,” Holly said, dropping a quick kiss on Seth’s mouth and then sliding her arm into Evie’s. “If it’s all right, Grey, I need to take your sweet Evie here to the seamstress to make any last-minute fitting changes to her dress.”
Evie doubted she’d need them. She’d sent all her measurements to Holly right after she got engaged, and her weight hadn’t changed that much in a year.
“I don’t mind at all,” Grey said, slowly dropping his arm from Evie’s shoulder. “I’m sure the bags have arrived at the room anyway, so I’ll get us settled in while you go off and do your lady things.” He set his gaze on Holly next, giving her those sensual eyes of his. “Bring her back to me soon, all right?”
“I’ll do my best to have her back in a jiffy.” Holly giggled, clearly affected by Grey’s charm.
Hell, even Evie was affected right down to her bones. She stared into the warmth of his smoky eyes, heat pooling low in her body, her breath hitching. The way he commanded her with a single look was staggering. It made her want to see what he looked like aroused. And get to all the not nice things he’d promised.
Holly went to stride away, keeping her arm gently tucked in Evie’s.
“Not just yet,” Grey murmured, snatching up Evie’s hand and tugging her into him. “I can’t ignore that look, angel.”
Like no one else was around, he sealed his mouth across hers. His hands came to her face, holding her tightly, his fingers slowly moving to tangle in her hair. His lips were soft and teasing…until they weren’t. He angled her head, deepening the kiss. Her knees went weak, her body went limp, and she became hot and wet in all the right places.
When she moved closer, needing more, he sensually chuckled and backed away. “Enjoy the dress fitting, Evie. I’ll see you later.”
She reopened her eyes and slowly exhaled the breath she’d been holding, watching his back as he walked away.
“Good Lord,” Holly exclaimed, sliding her arm into Evie’s again. “You two have some serious chemistry going on. You said you found him at work?”
Evie finally blinked and managed, “Actually, I think it would be more accurate to say that he found me.”
“How sweet is that?” Holly said with a whimsical sigh. “Isn’t that sweet, Seth?”
Seth nodded, eyes on his phone. “Ah, yeah, I gotta get to the lobby.” He leaned in and kissed Holly’s cheek. “Text me when you’re done with the fitting.” His gaze slid to Evie. “See ya later.”
“Bye.” Evie smiled.
While Seth turned left on the path, heading back to the lobby, Holly and she began strolling the opposite way.
“All right,” Holly said, waggling her eyebrows. “Now that we’re alone, I can officially tell you how gorgeous Grey is.”
Evie laughed and nodded. “He is that.” With the heat he’d created still burning up her body, she wanted nothing more than to get this show on the road. “Do we have anything before or after the rehearsal later tonight?”
Holly drew in a deep breath before addressing Evie again. “Okay, so after the fitting, we’re going to meet up with my family for a drink at five, if that’s okay? My cousins and parents are dying to see you.”
“That’s cool,” Evie said, “And then after that?”
“Nothing until the rehearsal at seven o’clock.”
Evie smiled. Then sex.
* * *
A little less than two hours later, after Grey had ventured out to see more of the resort and enjoy a couple of beers at the bar while watching the football game on the big screen, he finished hanging his suits in the closet when Evie returned to the room. He couldn’t help but smile at the heat still lingering in her eyes. Heat that he’d planted there purposely, hoping it would only grow as they were apart, her mind imagining all the things he planned to do to her.
He was glad to see that his plan had worked nicely.
The second the door shut behind her, she frowned, scanning the large, lavishly decorated, modern living room with bedroom and walk-in closet to the left, while the marble bathroom was to the right. “This is not part of the block of rooms that Holly put on hold for the wedding,” she stated.
“Yes, I know,” he said lightly, hoping she wouldn’t be as annoyed as the first-class plane ticket had made her. “When I arranged to be added to your room yesterday, I upgraded us. I thought we deserved something a little nicer for our weekend.”
She took another quick look around the room, not bothering to hide her surprised expression at the luxury surrounding her. He’d chosen one of the nicest suites. Yesterday during his search of the resort on the internet, he’d looked at the photos of the honeymoon suite first, but the room, while nicer than the standard rooms, wasn’t suitable for his plans for Evie this weekend. And the presidential suite was available for their stay.
She finally sighed and looked at him again. “Do I even want to know how much this room cost you?”
He regarded her carefully, assessing her mood. “Will you object to staying here if it cost more than you think I should pay?”
“Yes.”
He turned away, taking his shoes out of his suitcase. “Perhaps it’s best not to tell you then.”
“Grey,” she said, sternly enough that it warranted a look back at her. “You don’t need to do all this for me.” She waved out to the room.
“This is the lifestyle I’m used to, Evie,” he told her, dangling his shoes off his finger as he gave his speech. “It has nothing to do with you or using my money to buy you. I have the means to stay in this room, and I would even if I were vacationing alone.”
She watched him with skepticism but eventually gave up with a slight shrug. “Well, I can’t say it’s not gorgeous.” She moved to the balcony and stepped outside. “Holy shit,” she called a few seconds later. “Have you seen the view of the beach from here?”
He chuckled and entered the closet to place his shoes beneath his suits. While he hadn’t done this to impress her, he didn’t mind that it did. When he reentered the room, he found that she’d placed her suitcase on the king-size bed next to his. He watched her, curious about what drove an obviously strong and sweet woman to support people who’d betrayed her. Was her heart broken? Did it make her unable to see them for the dipshits they were?
Determined to learn more about this woman, he leaned his shoulder against the wall, watching her opening her suitcase. “Can you indulge me in a little Q and A?” he asked.
“Maybe.” She flipped the lid of her suitcase open.
“Are you still in love with Seth?”
Her eyes snapped to his, guarded. “Why do you ask?”
“I need to know what I’m dealing with here,” he said simply.
She stared at him, pondered, and then obviously decided she trusted him enough to tell him the truth. “The young version of me still loves him, and always will. Seth was a part of my life for a long time. All my memories from my teenage years have him in them.”
“What about now?” This, he needed to know.
She gave him a smile, crinkling her eyes. “I’m not that young girl anymore.” With her point made, she moved past him, dresses in hand, and entered the closet.
He stayed put and called out to her, “If that’s the case, then why are you here to see them get married?”
“That’s a complicated answer,” she called from the closet.
“Make it uncomplicated.”
“I wish I could, but it is entirely convoluted.” She exited, grabbed all her high-heeled shoes, and returned to the closet.
“All right,” he said, not ready to give up just yet, desperate to understand this about her. “Tell me this, then: why in the hell haven’t you ever told them that their being together hurts you?”
“First,” she said, exiting the closet and returning to her suitcase. “I’m not hurt about them being together. Upset a little, but not angry, at least not anymore.”
He frowned, not understanding. “There’s a difference between upset and hurt?” Women were so complicated.
She placed her overnight bag on the bed, and that’s when Grey noticed the sexy nature of what was in her suitcase. He withheld his smile, not wanting her to see how much her lingerie pleased him. She’d gone to a lot of effort to look pretty for him for this weekend, and he appreciated that.
“Of course, there’s a difference,” she said, forcing his attention back to her. She picked up said lacy items and placed them in one of the empty drawers of the dresser near the closet. “Hurt is broken. Upset is bothered.”
Good and all, but something didn’t add up. “If you’re simply bothered by their relationship, then explain to me why you cried when Holly sent you the picture of her here at the beach?”
She shut the drawer of the dresser then turned to face him, expression hard. “Our deal doesn’t mean we need to cross emotional lines, and that really isn’t any of your business.”
He grinned, loving the fight in her. In a world of women who would give him anything he wanted, here was this fiery woman who made him work for it. He liked that about her. “Fair enough,” he said, switching strategies, “but answer me this: why did you come here to witness their marriage, knowing it would be hard for you?”
“Because I won’t let them change me,” she said matter-of-factly, placing her hands on her hips. “I was a good person before them and loved hard, deeply, and honestly, and I’ll be that same person after them.”
He liked that about her, too; however… “But they are not good people.”
Suddenly, her expression changed, a sly smile crossing her face. “You know, for a guy that’s said not to be the one-woman type, you sure are protective.”
She’d meant it as a joke, but he felt that defensive heat flare through him. No matter how many lovers he had, he’d never purposely hurt a woman, nor would he ever. His rules had always been clear, not allowing for any misunderstandings.
“Protect you?” he repeated with an arched brow. “No, angel, I’m here to support you.” He took the few steps forward to close the distance, and he watched her lips part and cheeks turn pink when he took her chin in his hand, forcing her lust-filled eyes to meet his. “Let me be clear,” he stated firmly. “If you were mine, truly mine, and I wanted to protect you, the last place you’d be is here surrounded by these fucking horrible people.”
She rolled her eyes yet didn’t move away from his touch. “You think they’re horrible people, but I’m telling you, Grey, they’re not. Both Seth and Holly are kind, unique in their own ways, and I know they both care about me.”
Grey’s arched brow rose higher. “I think we’re going to have to disagree on that fact.”
Her eyes searched his, and whatever she saw in his expression softened hers, showing how tired and stressed she was. “It’s just three days. That’s it. Three days of…”
“Wretched people,” he finished.
She laughed softly, the mirth warming her eyes again. “No, it’s three days of feeling a little emotionally exhausted, then I go back to my life, and they go on to live theirs. I mean, really, before they got engaged, I hadn’t seen either of them in years. Yes, Holly and I talk all the time on the phone, but after I moved to Seattle, and throughout the years, life got in the way, and we never had the time to see each other. So, I do this for them this weekend, and then life returns to the place where I don’t have to watch them being happy.”
He kept her face in his hands, unable to let her go. While, yes, he felt the desire to protect her. Evie was strong and clever, and she didn’t need him to. “And that’s good enough for you?”
She nodded. “It has to be.”
He watched her, trying to understand her position in all this. Sure, he got that she was a good person, and wanted to be the type of woman that did decent things so good things came back to her. But being on the outside looking in, he’d be tempted to say that she was far more brokenhearted than she knew. And that all of this, her even coming here to the wedding, came from a pain somewhere deep inside her where she felt like she owed these two people something, not the other way around.
He also reminded himself that he wasn’t there to help her emotionally. That wasn’t the deal they’d made. He was there because he wanted to fuck this stunning creature. And maybe that purpose solidified even more now.
“Well, then, from the way I see it,” he said, sliding his thumbs across her cheeks. “It’s a good thing I’m here, not only to play the part of the boyfriend but also to put a damn smile on that pretty face of yours.”
Her breath hitched, pupils dilated, and he loved how easily he got to her. It tempted him to see how hot he could make her. He dragged his finger across her lips and enjoyed how she stayed there, patiently awaiting his next move.
“Remind me of the itinerary plans for this evening,” he said.
She licked her lips, voice breathy. “I have the rehearsal in a little less than an hour, and then we’ve got a dinner to attend at eight.”
“A little less than an hour of free time, hmmm…” He lowered his hands to her hips and gently pushed, sending her backward until her back pressed against the wall. She gasped a little, a beautiful sound he intended to make louder.
“Why?” she asked.
He firmly dragged his finger across her bottom lip, consumed by her pretty mouth and how touching her like this was a total on button for her. “Because I’ve been promised something, and I’d like to claim a taste of it now.” He slid his hand to her neck and ordered, “Spread your legs for me, Evie.”