Page 9 of Against the Wall

“Careful there, princess. Inviting me into your bed for more than just a good time could have dire consequences.”

“Like what?”

He grinned a little. “Like maybe I won’t want to leave.”

I didn’t have a problem with that. Telling him that probably wasn’t the best idea, though. Grady had a look in his eyes like he’d be happy throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me off to the bedroom. Hell. The kitchen counter was closer. After breakfast, I put the dishes in the dishwasher and convinced Grady that it made more sense to take my parents’ SUV. I hadn’t been able to part with it after their deaths and still used it sometimes. My dad’s Corvette had been totaled in the accident that took their lives, and I’d put the insurance money into a savings account.

In the garage, I handed him the keys to the SUV and climbed into the passenger’s seat. He reluctantly got behind the wheel and turned the car on.

“Are you sure you want me driving this?” he asked. “It had to have cost a fortune.”

“It mostly sits in the garage, Grady. It’s fine. Really.”

He handled the car like a pro as he maneuvered the streets of the town. The grocery store parking lot was only half-full since it was still early in the morning. I slid my hand into his as we walked to the front door. The doors opened automatically, and we stepped into the cool interior of the store. I was reluctant to release Grady’s hand to grab a shopping cart. He seemed to read my mind and pulled me in front of him, caging me between his arms as he pushed the cart.

His lips pressed against my cheek and butterflies took flight in my stomach. As we tossed things into the cart, I spotted Bradley across the store. I tensed, wanting to turn around and run, but Grady steadily moved us forward.

“I see him,” he assured me, which made me wonder if he’d looked Bradley up on the internet at some point. How did he know who Bradley was?

“Can’t we just leave and come back later?” I asked.

“No running, princess. Besides, he needs to see that you aren’t alone. Might make him think twice about coming back around.”

I nodded, but I was still scared as hell.

It didn’t take long for Bradley to see us, and I was pleased to see both surprise and a hint of fear on his face when he saw Grady with me. He straightened and headed our way. I didn’t have any clue what to say to the man. He’d assaulted me, and because of who his family was, he was going to get away with it. Guys like Bradley made me sick, and unfortunately, they ran rampant in my world. Maybe I should give it all up and move into Grady’s bungalow with him.

Whoa. What. The. Fuck. Did I seriously just think of moving in with Grady after one night? Even I wasn’t dumb enough to think that would work. A guy like him would have multiple women ready to do his bidding. I didn’t kid myself into thinking I was something special. Just because he’d wanted me didn’t mean he wanted happily-ever-after with me. There had been no soft words between us, and I doubted there ever would be.

Bradley stopped his cart next to ours and gave me a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Good to see you, Madelyn.”

“You saw me yesterday.”

He cast Grady a nervous glance. “It was all just a misunderstanding, of course.”

Grady tensed behind me.

“So, you mistakenly hit me in the face multiple times?” I asked, feeling far braver than normal. I knew even if my mouth got me into trouble that Grady would protect me.

A flash of anger lit up his eyes a moment before he could control it. But it was too late. I’d seen it, and I was certain Grady had too. Bradley might portray himself one way to the world, but he was a vicious asshole underneath the pristine shirts and pressed slacks. You could wrap evil up and put a bow on it, but eventually the darkness would taint the outer wrappings.

“Is he the reason you denied me?” Bradley asked with a jerk of his chin in Grady’s direction.

Please don’t let Grady be mad at me. “Yes. We’ve been seeing each other. We’re even living together.” It wasn’t completely a lie. And while I’d known Bradley my entire life, we hadn’t been hanging out much since my parents died. I was almost certain he wouldn’t know that I’d been living alone all this time, unless someone had mentioned it to him.

Bradley paled a little. “Living together?”

Yeah, asshole, and he’s going to kick your ass if you come near me again.

“What can I say? It’s hard to deny the princess anything she wants,” Grady said, giving my waist a squeeze.

“The truck out front of your house yesterday,” Bradley stammered.

“I had an errand to run,” Grady said. Then he leaned in close to Bradley. “If you ever so much as darken her doorstep again, if there’s even a hint of your preppy stench near the place, I’ll make sure your body is never identified and all the pieces aren’t found.”

Bradley turned damn near green, stammered something unintelligible, and bolted out of the store, leaving his cart behind. I turned and looked up at Grady, wondering if he was angry with me for my deception. Technically, he had moved in with me, even if it was only temporary.

He studied me, his gaze unwavering, and I locked my knees. It was an intimidating stare. His eyes gave nothing away, no hint of anger, humor, anything. They were blank, almost as if no one was home. Then that gaze dropped and scanned my body before coming back up. Oh yeah, Grady was in there. And that look said he wanted in me.

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