Chapter Four – Grayson
Grayson finished picking up the toys scattered across the living room and glanced up to where Arabella was reading to the children. Both of them were wedged in firmly beside her, studying the pictures in the book. He couldn't stop himself from smiling as he took in the sight. She looked so natural, so at ease. He really had made the right choice. She was able to easily read the children and give them what they needed.
He knew he probably should have hired a live-in nanny long before, but he had convinced himself that he could do it all – watch after his children and change the world. Life had other plans, though, and once it became clear that Henry's health was deteriorating . . .
But now he had Arabella. She had handled Olivia's tantrum earlier that day with a lot of grace. Even though she had suffered some minor burns – nothing worse than a sunburn – she didn't run away screaming like he expected her to. He had wanted another Shifter for the children's nanny, but Arabella seemed to be the most qualified option. And with good reason, as it turned out.
Grayson joined them, putting Hudson on his lap. His weight made the couch sag toward him, pulling Arabella closer to his side. She shifted slightly, adjusting herself but her warmth remained. Olivia crawled over her to wedge herself between Arabella and Grayson. He kissed the top of her downy head.
Arabella finished the story and smiled at them. Grayson’s heart gave an unexpected flop and he looked away. Her light, floral scent made him want to bury his face into her hair and drink it in, but he couldn’t do that in front of the children.
Still, these feelings that were developing in him when he was around her . . . it was a sign. Christine had been gone for a year. It was time for him to move on and find someone new. Goodness knew there was no lack of Dragon women who would love the chance to be romantically connected with him. He hadn't wanted any of them. It had always felt like a betrayal to Christine to even think about being with another woman. With Arabella, though, everything just fell together. Making love to her just felt right. As much as it still ached to think of Christine, thinking of another woman no longer felt like a betrayal.
"Well, I think it's time to start supper," Arabella said, putting the books aside. "Do you want Daddy to read to you, or do you want to play with watercolors?"
Olivia wiggled away from Grayson instantly. "Water! Water!"
Hudson clapped his hands and pointed at Olivia. "Yup!"
"Okay, then. Daddy, can you set them up to paint while I get the food going?"
Grayson grinned and opened his mouth to comment on her calling him 'daddy,' but a quick glance at the twins told him that it was a bad idea. She must have known what he was thinking, though, because she gave him a quick slap and shook her head, a fetching blush rising up her cheeks.
She hurried to the kitchen while he spread out some newspaper and got the children's watercolor books set out. When they were fully engaged in it, Grayson went to the kitchen. It was an open-concept area, separated by a large island, so they could still see the children.
"Need help?"
"Nope. I'm good." Arabella gave him a quick look. "You know, this is the first time I've seen you in anything other than a suit. It suits you."
Grayson laughed at her pun and shrugged. "I wasn't always rich. I made my billions on the stock market. I've got a good head for numbers and such, but I was away from home a lot. When the mine opened . . . Well, our house was directly upstream from it. It's amazing that the children survived long enough to be born given what happened. Sometimes I think it was Christine's sheer determination to keep them safe that killed her. She suffered a lot more damage than she should have while they escaped without harm."
"Dragons can do that?"
"Our women can. We're not sure exactly how it works. But anyway, since I'm rich now, I might as well actually do something for others, right?"
"Good," Arabella replied, pulling some chicken from the fridge. "You know, when I took this job I thought you were going to be one of those people with a house bigger than you needed with servants to cook and clean and do everything for you. I hate that sort of person. The one who can afford to have caviar every night and then whines about paying taxes."
"I do, too." Grayson leaned against the counter. "That's why I decided I was never going to be like one of those people. That's not to say I don't have caviar every night, but I don't whine about paying taxes."
"Ugh, did you really just do that?" Arabella shook her head. "When I was a kid, I lived in this dingy little place that ought to have been condemned. My parents both worked and they couldn’t afford to pay for somebody to watch after me, so I was on my own. Spent a lot of time playing video . . . " She trailed off and sucked her lips between her teeth. She bent her head and threw the chicken in a frying pan, avoiding eye contact.
Her sudden silence surprised Grayson. He wanted to ask more about what her childhood was like, but it was clear she didn't want to talk about it. He wasn't going to press for her to share something she wasn't comfortable with. They were closer now, but it was a new closeness and he didn't want to jeopardize that.
Olivia and Hudson both got up and wandered away from their paintings. Hudson pointed and grunted and Oliva nodded. They joined hands and tottered from the room, Olivia talking a mile a minute.
"How is your friend Henry doing?" Arabella asked.
"He's doing pretty good right now. Dragons can heal from a lot of things. He was badly poisoned where we used to live, but, with regular treatments and dialysis, things are getting better. His kidney function is improving, which is good."
"Good. I'm glad. It's good that dragons can recover from these sorts of things."
"Partially. I doubt he'll ever have his full strength back."
Arabella glanced at up him. She opened her mouth, then shook her head and went back to her work. She dumped some leftover rice from the previous night in with the chicken and then added some sort of sauce. She then added some carrots and peas, mixing it all together.
Grayson frowned. It smelled good, but visually it left much to be desired. "What are you making?"
"It's a family recipe," she said. "Chicken rice wraps. The kids love it. Here, have a try."
She scooped up a little on her spoon and blew on it before holding it over to him, keeping her free hand beneath it. Before Grayson could assure her that he was sure it was going to be lovely, she pressed it against his mouth. Her fingers brushed his lips and Grayson had the urge to taste them instead of the food. Sparks of electricity passed between them and both of them froze. The heat from the rice wafted over Grayson's face.
He took the spoon and tasted the dish but his mouth was hardly working. His heart hammered as he stared into Arabella's eyes. Her pupils darkened and she moved a little closer.
"Do you like it?"
"Uh . . . Yeah." He put the spoon down and beat a hasty retreat. "Great. Good. But, uh, I don't think we should be doing this. I mean, considering our positions."
"Doing what?"
Grayson shifted on the spot, suddenly flustered. Of course she didn't know what he was talking about. It wasn't like he was a mind reader. He was probably reading too much into innocent actions. Yes, they had made love earlier that day, but it had been out of the blue. It didn't mean that they were going to be together for the rest of their lives. He reached to loosen his collar but remembered he wasn't in his suit and there was nothing to loosen. He shrugged.
"Nothing. Forget about it."
"No, tell me." She moved forward again, her voice lowering. "Were you thinking of kissing me again?"
Grayson laughed, embarrassed. "Something like that."
"Oh. Well, then. Yeah, we really shouldn't." Arabella’s eyes flickered to his mouth. Her tongue flicked over her lower lip.
He couldn't stop himself. He seized her around the waist and pulled her tight against his body, bringing his lips to hers. They were soft, warm, and tasted like berries. Grayson groaned as his inner fire blazed wild. He spun her around, pinning her against the wall. She dug her hands into his hair and he grasped her wrists, pinning them above her head. She was just as eager as he was, proving it by thrusting her tongue into his mouth. Excited to have a repeat of that morning, perhaps?
A deep groan emanated from his throat, but a sudden ringing interrupted them. Grayson pulled back as though he had been shocked. Arabella's cheeks were flushed and she ran a hand through her hair, panting slightly.
"I . . . need to take this," Grayson grunted, frustration rising within him. What was wrong with him? Saying that it was inappropriate and then kissing her like that? Maybe he had taken too long to think about dating again. His hormones were taking over.
"What?" he snapped as he opened the phone.
"Mr. Alexander," a timid voice said. "This is the Redfern General Hospital. You are listed as Henry Landon's emergency contact."
Ice flooded his veins.
"Mr. Landon was brought in with severe kidney and liver failure," the voice continued. "We've stabilized him but—"
"I'm on my way," Grayson said. He hung up the phone and turned to Arabella. "Henry's in the hospital. Tell the kids I'm sorry I'm missing dinner. I don't know when I'll be back."
Arabella nodded, her eyes wide. A rush of gratitude filled him. He almost kissed her again. But that wasn't going to happen. Instead, he grabbed his keys and dashed to the flight platform, praying Henry was going to be alright.