Page 66 of Smooth Talk

He grips my hand, and rocks against it, growling again. “Stay. They can come back later.” The knocking starts up again this time even louder, as if they can hear our conversation and are just refusing to go away. Gray sighs, knowing he’s not going to get his way. Ignoring them isn’t an option.

“If it’s Beverly or a Jehovah’s Witness, you can tell them where they can go. If it’s a member of my family, you can give them the polite version of the same message.” He huffs out a laugh at himself. Adorable. I’m busy laughing with him until I look through the peep hole. What in the actual fudge is she doing here? I’m not thinking straight; it’s the only explanation for what I do next.

“Presley?” I ask opening the door a crack. It’s then that I notice how red and puffy her face is. Her eyes look watery and her hair is a mess. She’s wearing yoga pants and an oversized tee shirt. I can’t imagine this girl has ever stepped out of bed looking like this, let alone her home. Yet here she is, looking like her dog was run over by a car. Does she even have a dog? Probably not. “Are you okay?”

She stares at me for a minute, clearly confused. I think she’s about to turn around and leave, but then she takes a deep breath, “Is… Is Grayson here?”

“He is, would you like to come inside?” I widen the door, taking a step back to allow her admittance.

“Thank you.” She takes a few shaky steps and stands up against the wall as I close the door. Her behavior is odd. She’s obviously sad, but also… scared? Maybe even a little angry. With Bev’s stories of the wild antics of Gray’s past flings running through my mind, and the cray-cray vibe Presley’s giving off, it’d be wise to not turn my back on her. I guide her through the kitchen and ask if she wants to wait in his office while I get him. She walks down the hallway without me.

It’s weird that she’s here in the first place, but it’s almost as if she knows where she’s going. Like she’s been here before. Gray said I was the first woman in his house, other than family. Did he lie? Forget? Does he consider Presley family? Did he bring her here during their ‘more-than-platonic’ phase? The question grates my nerves and sends jealousy spiking through my system. I take a deep calming breath. Whatever her business is with Gray, she’s keeping it to herself. If it’s something I need to know, I will soon enough. If she’s been here before, I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. I won’t allow myself to blow things out of proportion. Not when I don’t have all the facts. I’m turning over a new leaf. One where I don’t overreact and run scared. I trust Gray. He loves me; I love him. He wouldn’t betray me. We’re a team. In it to win it.

When we get to the office, she lets herself in and closes the door behind her without a word. So weird. Deep breath. I walk the few short steps to the master to find Grayson lying on his side on the bed, without a stitch of clothing on. The sight momentarily throws me. I mean, completely, full force, throws me right back into Lustlandia, until he opens his mouth, bringing me back to reality. “I hope you kicked whoever that was to the curb. I mean, what kind of asshole keeps knocking? I’m obviously busy.”

Right, I answered the door. There’s someone here other than us. Someone preventing me from jumping on the perfect peen express. Someone waiting for him in the room right next door.

“Not exactly,” I say quietly. Reading me immediately, he rolls off the bed, walks to me and cradles my face in his hands; the concerned look on his face soothes my anxiety. Whatever is about to happen, we’ll get through it. Together.

“What happened, baby? Who was it?”

“You should get dressed. Presley’s waiting for you in your office.” His face contorts in confusion.

“What the fuck is Presley doing here? How does she even know where I live? How did she get in?” My thoughts exactly.

“I’m assuming you’ll find out soon enough.” I make my way over to my overnight bag and start pulling out clothes to wear home; I’ll shower when I get there. I have a feeling they’re going to need some privacy for whatever talk they’re about to have.

“You’re running again? Before you even know why she’s here; you’re just going to leave me. Again? I thought we talked about this. We were past this. We’re in it together?” I look up from my bag into his eyes and see hurt reflected there. That is not my intention at all. I hate that I’ve made him question us. I walk back over to him placing his cheeks in my palms.

“Grayson, I’m not running. I have to be home for Harper in an hour. And after the work out you gave me last night, I really need a shower.” That gets me a small smile. “I just thought you’d want some privacy for whatever conversation y’all are about to have in there. I trust you. I trust us. I love you. We are a team. Anything we have to face, from here on out, it will be together. But there is somewhere else I need to be right now. I can come back over after I have Harp, if you want, or you can come to my place after Presley leaves, and we can talk about everything then. I promise you; I’m not running.” My words seem to ease his mind.

He leans his forehead to mine, letting out a deep sigh. “Sorry, I just saw that damn bag in your hand, and it brought it all back. I do want to see you later. And finish what we started,” he smirks. He turns to jam his legs in the jeans he was wearing earlier. “Do you see my shirt anywhere?”

“Maybe you should stop throwing it away rockstar-style every time you take it off like you’re on a stage or something.” He smiles brightly at me. God, he’s beautiful. That dimple is lethal, but I love being on the receiving end of it. I love that I can make him light up like that. That he trusts me enough to drop the mask and let me in.

“What can I say? You make me feel like performing,” He grabs my hips, pulling me into him. His shirt remains on the floor, forgotten, as he kisses me, “to the best of my ability, every damn night.” That smirk is so dang sexy. It’s almost enough to make me forget we have a guest.

“Cheese ball,” I huff out, so it’s not so apparent how much he turns me on. I must be completely transparent though. His eyes darken, as he cups my butt with his big hands pulling my body even closer than we were before.

“You love my cheese, Sweet Cheeks” he breathes into my mouth before kissing me again. I really do. I love everything about him. I pull away before either of us can deepen the kiss, and things get really out of hand.

“Call me later?” He nods. “Okay, I’m just going to freshen up in the bathroom really quick before I head out.” He leans down for one more kiss after pulling his shirt over his head.

“I wish you could stay.”

“Me too. Call Cannon for reinforcements if you need them,” I say with a wink and walk through the door. “Good Luck.”

I hear him grumble about what happened the last time I told him that. It was yesterday. I’d said it before his interview. Afterward, he’d shown me just how lucky we both were. Are. I’m hoping for an encore tonight. I giggle. He leans back into the bathroom, while I put my toothbrush in my mouth, to kiss the top of my head. “I’ll call you in a bit. Love you.” I nod and mumble, ‘you too’ as best as I can with a mouth full of minty foam.

I giggle again as I apply a coat of mascara and lip gloss. My mom was right, I am happy. I pull my hair into a messy bun and swipe on some deodorant. Just because I haven’t showered today doesn’t mean I need to look like it (or smell like it for that matter). I’m so blissed out I practically skip down the hallway. Maybe I should holler one last goodbye through the door. I press my ear close to see how appropriate my timing is and immediately regret that decision. My head whips back like I’ve been slapped, and I practically sprint out of the house. WTHeck? I can’t wrap my head around what I just overheard. Not while I drive home or while I shower. Not even after my mom asks me if everything’s all right when she drops off Harp. Nope, I still don’t have a grip. I won’t have one until I talk to Grayson. Maybe I didn’t hear Presley right. The doors in his house are thick and she was hard-core balling her eyes out. But I could’ve sworn I heard those two words right. Two little words that wield the power to send all my hopes for the future crashing down around me.

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