Chapter Fourteen

Wet

Mandee

I wake up in an unfamiliar bed, in the dark. My hair is wet. Soaked, actually. I’m thirsty. So thirsty. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and look toward the only light around—the moon.

I’m at Phoenix’s cabin at Falcon’s Landing.

Oh God, I threw up.

Oh hell, it was on Gray.

I walk out of the bedroom and hear a noise in the corner. Phoenix is giggling.

“Shh,” Gage warns her. “You’ll wake up—”

“I’m awake. Where’s the light? I need—”

“No light!” Phoenix shouts, and I hear what I assume is clothes.

Gage grumbles something under his breath as I blindly make my way to what I hope is water.

The light brightens the cabin, and I close my eyes, expecting it to hurt them.

“You okay?” Phoenix’s asks, coming up beside me.

I look at her and nod. “I threw up?”

“Yeah, you did.” She giggles. “Then passed out.”

“My dad upset?”

“He was already gone. Janice cleaned up the mess inside. Grayson took care of your drunk ass and was going to bring you back. I took over,” she says. “Always the responsible one.”

“Your dress is inside out,” I tell her as I walk toward the kitchen and grab a glass.

“It is not,” she argues.

Gage laughs. “It is.”

I see a light on next door at Mags’ place and wonder if Grayson is there.

“Why don’t you two take off and finish up. I’ll be fine.”

“Gage knows we planned to have a gir—”

“Planned for me to stay coherent.” I laugh as I fill the water from the faucet and take a drink.

“I should stay. What if you get sick again?” she asks.

“Lucky for me, you, and Gage, I am feeling much better than I deserve. Just tired,” I tell her.

“You sure?” Phoenix asks.

Before I can answer, Gage says, “She wouldn’t say so if she wasn’t.”

I look at Phoenix and whisper, “Go fix your dress.”

After a quick hug, I ask the question begging to be asked. “How did I get in here and cleaned up?”

“Gray—”

“Bathed me!”

Phoenix laughs. “No, that was all me.”

I feel my face turn red and look down.

“You’re beautiful,” she says, rubbing my arm.

“Awkward,” I whisper.

“I wanted to cop a feel, but—”

I bust up laughing. “Oh, my gosh, Phoenix.”

“Let’s roll,” Gage says from the door.

Another quick hug and she’s gone.

I finish my water while looking out the window. Leaning in closer, I try to see if he’s in there. I see nothing.

Chewing on my nails for a few seconds, I decide on whether to go over and knock or not. I may have blacked out, but I know darn well what I agreed to...again.

I hurry to the bathroom and look in the mirror. Then I see my phone plugged into the wall and look at the time. It’s one in the morning. Do I really care what I look like? I mean, I threw up on his feet and he said such hot, sexy things even after that.

I grab my bag, pull out my toothbrush, and brush my teeth. Then I primp, just a little, very little, because I want so badly to make sure tonight doesn’t end...tonight.

Fortunately, my toiletry bag made it here. Unfortunately, my overnight bag is missing, which gives me few options of what to wear. Very few. Phoenix is tiny. I am not.

Digging through her closet, I find a Falcon Construction tee-shirt that thankfully wasn’t her size and throw it on over nothing, because I have no bra. It hangs off me like a dress, so I knot and tie it at the side. Then I grab a maxi skirt I have seen her wear before, so I know it’s not form-fitting. Plus, it’s cotton.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror, I inspect myself. I certainly don’t look wonderful, but I look okay. I’m sure I will look even better in the dark.

I consider putting on my underwear, but the fact that he hates black and...ew, I wore them all night, I choose not to. Therefore, I just shove my feet in the only option available—my cowgirl boots—and head out.

With each step, I think of all the things my mother told me I need to do to be the best woman I can be.

Be brave, be bold, be beautiful, because you are, I tell myself as I picture her. Don’t let opportunities pass by, and if they do, never give up hope that it won’t present itself. When it does, take it.

Standing at the door, filled with courage and thoughts of my mother, I knock. A few moments later, I knock louder. A few more moments, I open the door and walk right in.

I hold my head high and walk into the dark bedroom, but it’s empty.

When I walk back out, I notice my bag, and as I bend down to grab it, I hear his voice.

“I fucking know. I’ve always fucking known. You may be able to lie to her, but you can’t lie to me, old man.”

“You’ll give me the respect I deserve and keep your mouth shut,” the man hisses. He has a slight accent. It’s his father.

I feel horrible that I am overhearing something I shouldn’t, but I have no idea what to do. Do I leave, stay, hide?

“You named your guitar after her?”

“It’s fucking Glory, not Gloria. Your English slipping, old man? Too much time spent with your other family in Portugal? How many kids do you and the man who raped your son’s daughter have now? Five? Ten?” Grayson slurs.

“You’re a stupid boy, Grayson. Stupid and weak. Always have been. Your brothers, they are growing up, moving on. You never will.”

“You fucking ruined the boy in me, but you will not break the man I am.”

“Man?” His father laughs. “Man?”

“I’m more man than you’ll ever fucking be. I keep this secret because the others nearly destroyed them. I keep this secret because I love them! That’s what a fucking man does.”

“Boys run and hide,” his father spits at him.

“Like you? You run, you hide. You leave a business in the hands of your adopted son to bear the burden while they all think you’re retired and traveling. Reality is, you’re not only running DeFalcon still, it’s supporting your other family. You’re no man. A man wouldn’t leave his son to struggle personally while professionally killing himself for you, you fucker, when all he really wants is to be here, to live.”

“That was your mother’s doing. She threatened to expose Alicia and my children to three boys who didn’t know up until they were forced to. She insisted I hide it from Gage and you two.”

“Sure she had a damn good reason,” Grayson snaps.

“You’re to keep your mouth shut. Your mother and I both think it’s best for all involved.”

Grayson’s laugh is filled with a mix of malice and pain. “Get the fuck out of here before I knock your ass down, old man.”

“So, you’ll leave this alone?”

“How the fuck am I supposed to face them if I do? I’m not like you, thank God.”

“You’ve known for years”—he laughs at Grayson—“yet you’ve said nothing.”

“I said nothing because she was free of you. I said nothing because they couldn’t handle it. I said nothing to protect them. And now I say nothing because they’re happy, finally fucking happy, and you...you come back! Fuck you, old man. I hope you rot in hell, because I think this is even more sick than you fucking an eighteen-year-old girl when you were married. I think that fuck who broke Garrett—her father—did it to hurt you. Your son paid for your sin and you did nothing?”

I want to go to him. I want to walk past him and beat that old man. I want to, but...Oh God, Grayson.

“That’s right, motherfucker. Walk away. Keep walking, too, and don’t look back because, when I do tell them, you’ll wish you were dead.”

I hear a crack then a groan. Then I hear footsteps.

Nervous he’s coming in, I look around for a place to hide, but I don’t want to hide. I want to tell him I am sorry, so sorry, yet I’m afraid he will push me away.

I will tell him I promise to keep this secret, too, and I will.

When the footsteps get farther away, I hurry to the window to see where he’s going. He’s walking down the driveway, the dirty road, toward Gage’s house.

I fight the fear of rejection, fear of pushing him away further. I made a promise to him that it was just sex. Now knowing he’s the man my mother sent, the man who, at my most desperate and hurt moment gave me hope, I want more than sex. I want to give him back what he gave me.

I stay far enough behind him that I can see where he’s going, following him, but also giving myself the ability to give in to fear and turn back.

When I see him stand on the edge of the dock, lighted by the moon, squat down and fist his hair in frustration and pain, I walk faster toward him, wanting to give him the same hope he has unknowingly given me for years. Then he stands, kicks off his boots, pulls off his shirt, and tosses it aside.

I stop when I see his beautiful, broad, muscular back as he bends then drops his pants and dives into the water. When he finally surfaces, I watch him swim farther and farther out.

I should go back, let him have this time, but what if this is the only second chance I get with him? Is it selfish? Maybe. But it certainly doesn’t feel that way.

It just feels right.

I bend and take off my boots. Then I pull the maxi skirt up, tie it just above my knees, and sit on the edge of the dock. I slowly put my feet in the water so not to disrupt it or take the calm it gives me when I know it’s healing ways are needed for him.

That beautiful man, Grayson Falcon.

As he floats closer and closer and I think he may see me, my instinct is to run, but something keeps me there.

When he stands in the water up to his chest, the moon’s light framing him, I am sure he sees me. Then, as he gets closer and closer, I see his eyes fixed on mine. He stops when he is a foot from me.

“You were passed out and your guard dog was outside your door. What are you doing down here?”

I should lie, but I want to be honest with him, so I tell him the truth.

“I woke up thirsty.” I hear that noise, a growl, escape his chest and have to refocus. “I told them to go, that I was fine. Then I went over to find you.”

“Why?”

I swallow back fear and find my brave. “Because I can’t stop thinking about you.”

His eyes leave mine, then rake down my body as I continue.

“I heard your fight,” I tell him.

He looks up again, and now his eyes look angry.

I continue, “I won’t tell.”

He huffs. “Because you want to fuck me.”

“Because, Grayson, before I wanted you, I wanted to be your friend. Now...now I want that even more.”

He scowls. “Because you pity me.”

I shake my head. “Because you sang to me and gave me hope. You sang ‘Halleluiah’ in the woods, on a day I was desolate. Because you sang Travis Tritt’s song, which gave me hope the day she died. Because you know my secrets, and I know you’ll keep them. And I know yours and want you to know I’ll do the same.”

He looks me over, no doubt trying to figure out if I’m being sincere.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I whisper.

“I want to fuck,” he says through his now clenched jaw. “You still up for that?”

I nod. “Yes, but if you want to talk first—”

“No,” he says, closing in on me, looking me over and rendering me unable to say a word. The way he looks at me is like no one ever has before.

He grabs my ankles then moves his hands up my legs slowly as he looks into my eyes. When he reaches my knees, I take in a quick breath. He moves his hands up my thighs, and I can’t breathe. Next, he moves them around and slides them under my ass, gripping it tightly.

“Fuck,” he groans.

When his hands leave me, I am almost embarrassed.

“I-I—”

I stop when he grips the hem of my shirt and lifts it up, exposing me completely. For a moment, I consider how he may not like the way I look.

“Fucking fuck,” he says as he cups my tits. “Damn, Mandee, fucking damn.”

“I’m...I’m—”

“So fucking beautiful,” he mumbles as he surrounds my breast with his mouth. He begins licking my nipple, tugging, groaning...

Beautiful. He’s beautiful, and he’s making me feel the same.

He has my other breast in his hand, his calloused thumb moving back and forth across it.

“Gray.” I nearly stutter his name as I tangle my hands in his thick, silky hair. “Oh, God.”

He sucks harder, causing me to push against his mouth and whimper when the heat caused by what he is doing spreads to my core.

“Christ,” he groans as he pulls on my nipple with his teeth then lets it fall from his mouth.

Before I can blink, he takes the other in his mouth while moving his hand down my body until it’s at my waist where he pulls the skirt down. I let go of his hair and place my hands on the dock, lifting myself so he can continue pulling it off.

When he steps back, my breast pops out of his mouth, and I grab them and squeeze because the near pain without his hands and mouth on them is unbearable.

“Jesus, Mandee, don’t stop doing that,” he groans out as he pushes my legs apart and kisses my thigh.

“You don’t have to...Oh, God,” I gasp, gripping the end of the dock as he splits me with his tongue, entering me while gripping my thighs and pulling them farther apart.

I don’t know how or when, but I am on my back, legs over Grayson Falcon’s shoulders, him squeezing my tits, pinching my nipples, licking, sucking, nibbling on my core. My hips move of their own accord. My voice...The sounds that escape me are not me, but they are, and I am hearing them for the first time.

I don’t care what I look like, what I sound like, because his hands are everywhere, squeezing, moving, touching me everywhere. His words...Oh, God. His words of pleasure, praise, and the noises he makes dance with mine in the dark, under the light of the moon, wild, passionate, and pleasure-filled. I am lost in it all, floating in feeling, my head spinning, and I am undeniably and totally wasted.

“Beautiful,” he groans as he licks up my body, pushing himself out of the water.

“Please don’t stop,” I beg, plead, speak words I have never spoken before.

“Just getting started,” he says as he stands then straddles me and takes off his boxers.

I sit up, wrap my hand around it, and then immediately take it in my mouth.

“Sweet thing, you do not have to—”

I suck hard, taking him in as deep as I can and making him hiss.

“Fuck yes.”