Layne
A WEEK AGO, when we returned from New York, Garrett was so excited to see Gracie, he asked if he could keep her for the rest of the week and weekend. How could I say no to that? He’d let me whisk her off to New York for the World Series without hesitation and endured the snow storm of the century here that caused us to come home several days late. The only good thing about the storm was that Gracie’s school was closed most of the week, so she didn’t actually miss much, and the Smoke brought home the World Series championship.
Plus, I needed to put in a ton of time at the bar. Candi did a great job while I was gone, but I needed to catch up on ordering and paperwork. I’ve put in fourteen-hour days the past few days, and it’s looking like tonight will be no different. I could really use a good solid eight hours of sleep.
I’m scrubbing down a high-top table when I hear the side entrance door open and shut. When I turn to find Bryant walking my way, my stomach flutters. I hope that feeling never goes away. I’m sort of becoming addicted to it.
He chats with my customers as he makes his way toward me, and I can’t take my eyes off him. He’s so gorgeous.
When he stops directly in front of me and smirks, I know what’s coming. Wrapping his arm around my waist, he pulls me to him, leaning down enough to press his lips to mine.
There are only a few customers left this evening, and all of them start snickering at the PDA happening.
I pinch his side, which only causes him to smile against my lips.
“What are you doing here, mister?” I ask him, pulling away from his lips and smacking his hard abs with the back of my hand.
“Can’t I come see my beautiful girlfriend? It’s been like a week since I’ve seen you.”
“You saw me two days ago. Stop being dramatic.”
“Felt like a week,” he grumbles.
“How’d your doctor’s appointment go?” I ask him, knowing he hates talking about his injury. I noticed as soon as he walked in that the sling is gone.
“He said I need to be easy with it, but I don’t need to wear the sling unless it starts bothering me again,” he mutters.
I’ve been chomping at the bit for him to get that sling off.
“That’s great news, babe,” I reply.
As I head back to the main bar, I notice as Bryant stops following me and is again talking to one of my customers. I watch as the man sets his half-full beer down, shakes Bryant’s hand, waves my way and walks out.
I watch in amusement as Bryant makes the rounds to each person, chatting with them, slipping them cash as he shakes their hand and then they walk out. One by one.
When the bar is empty, I’m finishing up wiping down the bar top as he saunters over to me, a smirk on his face.
“Looks like you’re pretty dead in here, baby. Why don’t you close early?”
“Me being dead in here doesn’t have anything to do with you bribing my customers to leave, does it?” I ask, trying to keep my face serious.
He presses his hand to his chest, feigning hurt. “Why, Layne Scott, are you suggesting I paid off your customers to leave so I could have you all to myself?”
My smile cracks. “Yes, Mr. Nash, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”
He makes his way around the bar, heading straight for me. Backing me up until I can’t move anymore, he doesn’t stop his descent on me until he has his hands on my hips, pressing me against the cooler doors.
“Are you almost done? Because I think we need to get out of here as soon as possible,” he questions, sliding his hands up my sides.
“Everything else can wait,” I basically pant. “Let’s go.”
He laces his fingers through mine and pulls me toward the door. We lock everything up and head to the parking lot. He doesn’t let go of my hand as we bypass my car and head straight for his.
“Is Gracie still at Garrett’s?” he asks without breaking stride.
“Yes,” I croak.
When we get to his car, he opens the passenger door for me but stops me from getting in.
“Will you stay with me tonight?”
I only nod, because my stomach is lodged in my throat.
He lifts an eyebrow and smirks. Bastard knows how much he affects me.
He places a quick kiss to my lips before ushering me into his car.
Half an hour later, we pull in front of his townhouse, and my eyes roam the area. It’s a cute brick building with a small white porch with pillars holding up a second-story balcony, which I assume is off the master bedroom. Nothing like what I imagined. I take note of the For Sale sign in front of the townhouse next door. Apparently Sarina figured it was time to move on to her next victim.
Opening the car door for me, he takes my hand and leads me in.
The living room and kitchen are one big area, separated by a huge island, a bar on one side of it. The furniture is masculine. Brown leather couches match the rustic look of the exposed beams in the ceiling. A large fireplace covers one wall, a hearth made of stone from floor to ceiling.
The kitchen is rustic, with an iron pot rack hanging over the island and more exposed wood through. It fits him.
“Bryant, your home is beautiful,” I tell him honestly.
“Thanks,” he chuckles.
“Can I give you the full tour later?” he mumbles against my skin.
Turning my head to the side to give him better access, I feel him smile against me.
He continues to kiss my neck and shoulder as he places his hands on my hips and steers me in the direction of the stairs.
Taking the steps slowly, my heart is going a million miles a minute.
When he flips the light switch on and a soft glow lights up his room, my eyes widen at the expanse of it. A California king canopy bed takes up a large portion of the huge room. I had no idea this place was so big. Everything about this room scream Bryant. Dark wood. Deep blue bedding with white accents. It’s masculine and classic.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper as he grips my hands in his.
“Baby, as much as I’d love to chitchat about my amazing interior design skills, I really don’t know if I can survive another second without laying you across my bed and—”
I don’t let him finish. I wrap my arms around his waist and press my lips to his firmly. His fingers find their way into my hair, and he quickly deepens the kiss.
Backing me up to his bed, his lips never leave mine. When the mattress hits the back of my legs, Bryant grabs my thigh with his good arm and hoists me up onto the tall bed.
It doesn’t take long before he’s stripped my clothes from my body and stands at the end of the bed staring down at me.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, rubbing his hand up and down my leg.
“Thank you,” I reply. “Now, please, for the love of all things holy, take your clothes off and get up on this bed with me.”
He chuckles but does what I ask. I watch in earnest as he slips his shirt over his head and starts to unbuckle his pants. Biting my lip, I almost let the moan I’m holding back go when his pants drop to the floor and he steps out of them, completely naked.
Someone should really write a song about how perfect this man’s body is.
Gently crawling up the bed, leaning his weight on his good arm and reaches for me with the other, running his hand up my stomach, between my breasts, and to my throat before cupping my cheek. Leaning down, he presses his lips to mine as he slides between my legs.
“You ready for your happy ending?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” I reply, pulling his lips back to me.
He takes his time, worshiping every inch of me. When his left arm starts to shake from holding himself up with one arm, I press him back so he’ll let me up.
“Lay down, Slam. I got this,” I tell him with a smirk. He chuckles as he flips over and lies back against the pillows.
I straddle his hips, and he immediately hisses when I settle over the top of his length, rocking my hips against him.
“Baby, if you don’t stop that, this is gonna be over before it starts,” he complains, his chest rising and falling quickly as he pushes his pelvis up toward me.
After taking care of protection, I lift up, letting him guide himself to me, before slowly sinking down onto him. Both of us still the moment he is fully seated. My eyes lift to his, and the look on his face almost makes my heart stop.
“I can’t believe I almost didn’t give this, us, a chance,” he whispers. Lifting his hand to cup my face, he runs his thumb across my bottom lip. “I was so stupid.”
“But we’re here now, together, moving forward,” I reply before lifting up and slowly sliding back down again, watching his eyes roll back before closing. Our rhythm is in sync, and it doesn’t take long before we are both out of breath and sated from our lovemaking.
When I curl up into his side, he kisses the top of my head.
“I’m falling in love with you, Layne,” he whispers against my hair. “And it scares the hell outta me.”
“I’ve already fallen,” I reply honestly before sleep takes us both.