Page 22 of Please, Stay

Her lips tilted in a shy smile. “Fine. But it made me realize that I don’t want to be a spinster.”

He laughed, rose to sit sideways, and caught her around the waist with one arm. “I don’t think you’re in any danger of spinsterhood yet.”

“Not yet, no, but if I don’t try to live my own life, at least a little, then I won’t ever find someone.” She sighed and rested a hand on his thigh. Such a tiny touch that woke-up the rest of his body. She’d clouded his brain with her proximity. He hoped these signals meant she’d changed her mind about dating. He needed to learn everything about her before he left.

Risking it, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to the top of her bare shoulder. Vanilla. She always smelled like a sweet dessert. She shuddered but didn’t pull away. Her green eyes reflected a beautiful shade of emerald in the early morning sun.

“What do you want, Juliana?” Because he wanted what was sitting right in front of him, and every inch of his body agreed.

“I want a family.”

Oh.

He blinked, giving himself a moment until the fog that had clogged his brain parted. “A family?”

She nodded with wide eyes full of relief. “You know. A husband, house, children.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. Talk about a way to kick his desire in the kneecaps. Of course, she’d want those things. Did she think he was the one to give them to her? It didn’t matter how long they had, two weeks or two months or two years, providing her the family life she wanted was impossible.

He didn’t even own a damn house. Didn’t want one, either.

He turned back, facing the front of the motorcycle. “You don’t want to be late for work.” Her hesitation before climbing off sunk a dagger into his heart. She’d finally wanted something from him, and he had nothing to offer. He took his time starting the motorcycle up again, reeving it a few times.

“Grayson?”

Leaning back, he pulled on his helmet, barely making eye contact to avoid owning up to her questions.

“Will I see you later?”

The pain in her voice confirmed his new jerk status. He would hurt her worse by leading her on. “I’m not a good bet long term, Jules.” Confusion replaced the hurt in her face. “I have a few things to do today.”

He backed the motorcycle away from her before pulling off. His chest tightened. This was for her. He’d upset her today, but it’d been worse later if she thought that’s what he had to offer her. A future.

Dropping a gear when he hit the main highway, he pushed up the speed until he reached one hundred. Frustration slammed into him like the wind stinging his skin. He wanted the pain to dull his regret.

His life consisted of making movie after movie with his show filming for three months out of the year. His signature graced four contracts for film productions over the next three years. He didn’t have the luxury of one place to call home. Or a family. Until now, he’d have sworn he liked it that way.

But seeing the hurt on her face made him regret his lifestyle for a brief second. Made him wish that somehow, he could be the man she wanted.

8

“Idon’t know what I did wrong this morning.” Juliana paced back and forth in the kitchen of the diner. After changing back into her usual clothes, she’d shuffled through work, managed to make her dad smile twice and drink a heart-healthy smoothie, and was emotionally drained by her lunch break.

Becky loaded a tray of lunch plates, and Ms. Iris packaged several to-go orders at the counter next to her. Both women had insisted on a full rundown of her morning with Grayson. Lexi, Nash’s girlfriend, leaned against the door, nibbling on one of Becky’s muffins.

Juliana wrung her hands together. “The outfit worked.” She smiled at the memory of that look he’d given her. Strange that she’d seen him give leading ladies that same look in movies before. Being on the receiving end, knowing she’d caused it, pushed their relationship to a whole, unfathomable level. She was royally screwed.

“Did you talk before the ride?” Becky set her hands on her hips. “I told you to wait until afterward.”

“I did. We got back.” She stopped moving and crossed her arms at the sudden chill. “He sort of turned around on the motorcycle. He put his hand on my bare shoulder.”

“Told you.”

Ms. Iris waved her hand at Becky. “Hush now. First-hand gossip is the best. Go on, Jules.”

She took a deep breath. “He kept touching my shoulder and the top part of my back. I told him I’d visited Eliza and figured some things out.”

“Right,” Becky confirmed the explanation she’d told Juliana to use.

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