Chapter Eight
THE NEXT MORNING Parker awoke without the weight of grief making it hard to breathe. This she was sure of, because the tightness in her chest had begun much farther south. She was filled with need just thinking of the way he’d kissed her last night. Hours of exquisite, languid kisses, on her neck, her face, her shoulders, her ears. He’d licked and sucked and kissed every inch of her skin from her shoulders up, never once going lower, and by the time he left she was boneless and numb and on the verge of release. And through it all he’d said the sweetest things, making her feel special and cared for. Even more so—she’d felt treasured and cherished, like she’d pretended to feel in some of her roles. She closed her eyes, remembering how it felt to have his weight bearing down on her, his mouth on her skin, his words floating around her. She wanted to feel his strength and passion with nothing between them. She’d felt all of him last night, and now, as she remembered just how good he felt rocking against her, she pushed her other hand beneath the sheets. It had been a long time since she’d pleasured herself, and even longer since she’d been with a man. It only took a minute before she felt the tease of pleasure just out of reach. Gritting her teeth, she was almost th—
Woof!
Her eyes flew open. Christmas was sitting on the floor with his snout on the bed, watching her. Really? She closed her eyes, trying to get back into the game, but now all she could hear was Christmas breathing instead of the sound of Grayson kissing her. She opened one eye.
“Go lie down,” she coaxed.
He whimpered. She closed her eyes, hoping he’d go lie down. He whimpered again, and she reluctantly opened her eyes. Ugh! She righted her panties and threw off her covers, no match for his sad puppy eyes.
“I haven’t had an orgasm in months, and you pick this second to ask to go out?” She went downstairs and let him outside, and by the time she returned to the bedroom, the moment had passed. She needed a very cold shower. Ice cold.
Arctic.
She might need to take two.
She showered and dressed and put on her Parker Collins face, thinking more clearly than she had in weeks—and sexier than she had in…ever. She hadn’t realized how consumed she’d become in wallowing and holing up. Bert wouldn’t have wanted that. She didn’t want it, and she was ready to finally take a step forward. With the plans Grayson had drawn for the railing, she went out to the yard where Christmas was chasing birds from one end of the bluff to the other. Glad you’re happy. Orgasm killer.
The sun shone brightly, warming the early-morning air. Parker spread the plans out on the patio table and marveled at Grayson’s talent. The railings he’d designed were bold and unique, like him. He went with an oceanic theme of sea grass and fish and twisted metals that gave the effect of waves carrying the fish up the stairs. She never would have thought to have living creatures on a railing. He had such sharp vision, and he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind or challenge her thoughts. Or kiss me until I’m numb and boneless and make me feel so very cherished it scares me.
She lifted her eyes from the designs, unable to focus on anything more than how he’d made her feel last night. She walked to the edge of the yard and watched a young family playing on the beach below. These feelings couldn’t be real, not after just a few days. Could they? She knew those months of emailing counted, too, but it was still fast, wasn’t it? Or was she in such a state of grief from losing Bert that she was misplacing her emotions? She’d never been one to have fleeting emotions, but she knew how fleeting emotions could be for others, and she didn’t want to read more into Grayson than she should. She worked in an industry where nothing was valued beyond what it could do to further a person’s career. Where things and people were equally replaceable. She’d seen it in her professional dealings and in her personal life. The guys who asked her out fell into three categories. Those looking for eye candy. But pretty isn’t special. Pretty is genetic. Men who wanted a quick lay. Wrong girl for that. And then there were the guys who wanted to use her as a stepping-stone for their careers. Having their pictures taken with her made them the daily dish, and hot gossip brought exposure. She could usually spot those guys a mile away. The few guys she’d actually dated had been what she called the Great Pretenders. They’d slipped through her radar, eventually showing their true colors.
And then there was Grayson.
Grayson obviously thought she was pretty. She saw it in his eyes, heard it in his voice, but he didn’t seem to give a hoot about her celebrity status, and that made him even more appealing. Sex had never been on her priority list, but Grayson’s kisses were as hot as sex. And he practically oozed sexual prowess. Yup, she was definitely thinking about sex. A lot. He was right; other thoughts were going to have to battle for her brainpower today. But it was more than their kisses that made her feel so deeply connected to him. It was everything he did and said. It was ten months of falling for his thoughts, building a foundation, without the distraction of jealousy, or materialism, or press.
Her eyes drifted over the inky water, a feeling of bliss settling around her. She watched the children playing along the shore, their parents smiling and holding hands. Her thoughts returned to Grayson and how happy he’d been last night with his family and friends, reminding her again of how much he’d given up to take the assignment with the foundation.
Christmas woofed and darted toward the driveway, where Grayson was pulling in. She had to stop herself from sprinting over, too. The Grunter’s Ironworks logo on the side of his truck brought back his remark about being a lowly steelworker and tripped up her heart. He was obviously kidding, but the truth was, a lot of people in the entertainment business dismissed those who weren’t in the industry. It had always infuriated her, but she knew there was no changing people like that. That was the heartrending reality of the industry.
Grayson stepped from the truck and knelt to love up her boy, smiling as Christmas lavished him with slobbery kisses. She’d hated leaving Christmas behind when she was on location. But film sets didn’t always make for pet-friendly environments. Especially big attention-loving dogs like hers. Watching Grayson shower him with attention without a care about his dog breath, slobbery kisses, or getting fur on his clothes made her heart swell. She didn’t care what anyone else might think about his profession. She liked Grayson’s world, and boy, did she ever like him.
I’m here now. This is my real life, and I’m going to live it.
Christmas trotted happily beside him with an enormous bone hanging from his mouth, making her feel even fuller.
“You brought my boy a present?” She wound her arms around Grayson’s neck and kissed him.
“Mm. I brought you something, too.” He leaned in for another smoldering kiss, leaving a trail of goose bumps in his wake.
“You sure did,” she said dreamily.
Christmas pushed his head between them, obviously not done with Grayson yet. Grayson laughed, framed the dog’s face with his big hands, and kissed his snout. “I need a minute with your mom, buddy. Go eat that treat.” He held up a scroll of design paper. “More ideas.”
“But I love the fish. They go perfectly with the property.”
He unrolled the new designs over the old. “I thought they went perfectly, too. Although”—he cocked a brow—“it’s not like you not to ask for a dozen changes.”
“I haven’t looked at them that closely yet.”
His arms circled her waist. “Why do you always insist on making so many changes?”
“I don’t know,” she fibbed. “I guess I tweak them until they feel right.” Or until I got to read so many of your emails I felt sated.
His eyes narrowed. “And here I was hoping you’d say you were doing it so we had more time to interact.”
“You were not.” Her confession was on the tip of her tongue, but she worried he wouldn’t believe it after he’d nailed her so perfectly.
“I’d hoped.” Before she could respond, he said, “I had many long, lonely hours last night to think about you.”
“Same.” Her cheeks flamed with the memory of fantasizing about him this morning. “You definitely fulfilled your promise.”
He leaned in for another kiss. “Wonder what tonight’s promise will be?”
She could think of about a dozen promises she’d like to hear—all involving nakedness.
“Better get that look off your face before someone snaps a photo and posts it with a caption that says, ‘Sexy Actress Drools Over Hot Artist.’”
“That’s why I like you. You’re so modest.”
“It’s embarrassing sometimes,” he said seriously. “How much you gawk at me.”
She swatted him, earning a deep, sexy laugh.
He pointed to the designs. “Focus.” Eyeing her with a heated look, he mumbled, “Man. You’re killing me.”
“Sorry. Wait. You kissed me.”
“Right. Sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath.
She loved seeing her in-control man flustered, the way he continually flustered her.
“I was thinking about our talk last night.”
“And you decided a woman stuck between two worlds isn’t really what you were looking for?” She said it lightly, though the worry was real.
“Not even close.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I realized you need roots. Thick, stable, unbreakable roots.” He turned to the designs, tracing the lines as he spoke. “I’m thinking about tree trunks, like these, as balusters, with roots curling under the edge of each riser. See the twisted limbs winding up the staircase? We’d use those as railings, with thinner branches, a few leaves, and if you want, a bird or two thrown in for Christmas between the risers and the railings. It would be free-form, not uniform.”
Roots. He’d really heard everything she’d said last night, and she was deeply touched that he’d thought of her boy when he was designing such a focal point of the house.
“I really love this idea.”
“I thought you might.” He pointed to the drawings again. “I thought you could carry the same theme along the railing that spans the walkway overlooking the living room. I envision a mix of metals, with roots hanging over the edge of the wood, and maybe we create one large tree between each span, framed with decorative wooden posts to match the floors upstairs. We might have to get my buddy Blue to handle the woodwork; he’s an excellent craftsman. Or you can keep the traditional railings you have upstairs, of course.”
“No, this is so much better and more meaningful.”
“You sure? I know you’ll have plenty of changes, and that’s okay.”
“This house feels lonely inside. I hoped that would change when the foundation took over and kids started using it. But now I can see what’s missing. It was built with all the highest-quality products, but it wasn’t built with heart. It’s not a home. It’s a house. How did I miss that?”
“You were thinking of giving the kids the best.”
“But this…” Her eyes moved over the gorgeous drawings. “This is the best. These designs are perfect just as you’ve drawn them. With a bird or two for Christmas.”
“Ah, a tweak.” He leaned in for another kiss. “I’m glad you love them, but I’ve been working with you for long enough to know that tomorrow you’ll change your mind. So why don’t we set them aside for a day or two and then revisit them?”
She slid her finger into his belt loop and tugged him closer, realizing for the first time that he’d worn a polo shirt instead of a T-shirt. She wondered if that was for the sake of her image, since they were visiting Abe at the resort again today, which seemed like a very Grayson thing to do. With that in mind, she decided to change out of her expensive slacks and blouse before they left and into something more casual. He’d put in so much effort already. Now it was her turn.
ON THE WAY to Brewster, Parker and Grayson talked about their impending visit with Abe. Parker was determined to try to get through to Abe, and Grayson was equally determined to make sure she left Abe’s room just as confident as she was when she arrived. He wasn’t about to let the old man make her feel bad. Not now. Not after last night.
Not ever again.
She reached for his hand as they walked into the resort and flashed a smile that wasn’t practiced or fake. He knew the difference now, which surprised him. When had he started noticing those things? By simply reaching for his hand and publicly claiming their relationship, she eased a worry he hadn’t even realized he’d been harboring. It was one thing to kiss in a dark bar, and a whole different ball game to hold hands in the light of day at a posh resort where everyone dressed to the nines and acted like they were made of money—and he stood out like a sore thumb. Grayson had debated wearing slacks and a button-down shirt, but he wasn’t into pretending he was something he wasn’t. He’d worn a collared shirt, a step up from his normal T-shirts, but that was for Parker, not for these hoity-toity people.
As they crossed the lobby, Grayson had no way of knowing if the men ogling Parker recognized her, or if they were simply admiring the beautiful blonde in the sexy little sundress. The dress that stopped a few inches above her knees and made him want to run his hands up her luscious thighs. He’d been pleasantly surprised when she’d gone inside in her fancy slacks and blouse and returned in the dress, acting a little less rigid, even more flirtatious and, it seemed, more comfortable in her own skin.
“Love you in this dress,” he said as they waited for the elevator.
She blinked a few times before answering, as if she were weighing her answer.
“Thanks. I wore it for you.”
That made him feel good. They stepped into the elevator, and when the doors closed, he folded her into his arms. “Your heart is beating so fast. Nervous?”
“Yes, but I think it has more to do with you than Abe.”
“Sweetheart, that’s the best kind of nervous.” Conscious of her lipstick this time, he kissed her cheek, and when she made a sound of appreciation, he kissed her again, kissing his way over her jaw to the sensitive skin just below her ear. She rubbed against him like a cat, purring as he devoured her sweet, tantalizing nape. The sexy sound vibrated through her chest to his.
“More,” she whispered.
He sealed his teeth over her neck and gave it a little suck, remembering how it had driven her out of her mind last night. She clutched the sides of his head, forcefully holding him in place as he kissed and sucked and took his fill. Her feminine scent beckoned him, and he quickly lost himself in the murmurs she made.
“More,” she said again.
He glanced at the elevator. Six more floors. He had to have more of her. He dropped his hands to her thighs, squeezing as they slid up her trembling legs beneath her dress.
“Grayson,” she whispered.
“Hm?” He eyed the control panel, acutely aware of how little time they had, and ran his tongue from her shoulder up the smooth column of her neck.
“Nothing,” she said hurriedly. “Don’t stop.”
No chance he was stopping now. He grabbed her—Bare butt? Hot damn. He’d been dying to touch her last night but had known she needed a different type of intimacy and tenderness. But now she clung to his head, whispering, “Yes, yes, yes,” as he touched her. Now she wanted this as much as he did. He put his mouth beside her ear, whispering erotic promises. The sounds she made fell somewhere between a whimper and a plea, making him wish they had all day to themselves.
He touched his forehead to hers, trying to regain control. Her nails dug into his biceps as he sucked her neck.
“Grayson, Grayson, Grayson.”
“You’re so beautiful, baby.”
Eyeing the control panel, he debated hitting the stop button, but their visit with Abe was too important to Parker to blow off for self-gratification.
Two more floors.
“Later,” he reluctantly choked out. One more floor. “I don’t want to mess up your pretty lipstick, but I want that sexy mouth of yours.” He framed her face with his hands, holding their mouths a breath apart as his tongue dipped into her mouth and swept over hers. She jumped right into the seductive game, meeting every stroke of his tongue with a slick of her own and driving him out of his mind.
When the elevator stopped, he pressed his lips to her forehead and said, “Oh yeah, baby. You’ve got a naughty side.”