Page 43 of (Un)Rivaled

“Devyn,” I groaned, continuing to torture myself. “Fuck, baby.”

Her eyes flared to life at my words, as if emboldened by the sound of her name on my tongue. She stepped forward, closing the door behind her. Her eyes never left my hand, watching as I stroked myself closer and closer to the edge.

“You like what you see?” I croaked out.

“You’re…” She swallowed, looking up to meet my gaze. “You’re a masterpiece, Gray. The kind not even the best artists could get right.”

“Nothing compared to you,” I grunted out. “You have no idea how fucking sexy you are. I’m going to come just by looking at you. You don’t even have to touch me, and I’m losing my fucking mind.”

“Show me.”

My eyes flared at her words, and she stepped even closer to the glass. Even with the panel between us, I feltthe heat in her eyes, could sense how turned-on she was. Her tongue darted out as she licked her lower lip.

“Show me, Gray. Make yourself come, and scream my name when you do.”

Fuck.That simple command snapped the band inside me, and I exploded, roaring Devyn’s name as I painted the wall between us. By the time I finished, I could barely hold myself up, dropping my forehead onto the glass.

It took a moment for my heartbeat to slow, for my eyes to focus back on the room surrounding me. I was ready to pull Devyn into the shower with me, to give into this tension between us.

But when I looked up, the doorway was empty, the pocket door having slid perfectly back into place. It was like she’d never been there, nothing more than a figment of my imagination. However, when I stepped out of the shower and pulled my towel around my waist, I could smell her perfume lingering in the air. Maybe I hadn’t imagined her after all.

TWENTY-TWO

After being trapped inside the house for four days, I was officially losing my mind. I’d never done well with feeling stuck, especially now that it meant sharing a space with my husband. The husband I watched touch himself the other day, demanding he say my name as he came.

I waited until I heard Gray exit his room and head down to the basement before I made my move. I grabbed Elsa’s leash and shushed her as she excitedly yapped, all too happy to frolic out in the snow for a little.

As soon as the winter air nipped at my exposed skin, it felt like I could finally breathe. I wanted nothing more than to take the truck and drive into town. This would be the perfect moment to confide in Calla; I needed someone to set me straight. But then again, she was the biggest hopeless romantic; she’d be convinced Gray and I were meant to be. Scratch that plan. Calla was the last person I should talk to right now.

I walked down the driveway with Elsa, and any dreams of leaving came crashing to a halt. The plows had apparently come through, but they’d piled the snow up in front ofour only exit. Perfect. Gray only had a couple of shovels in the garage, and it would take me hours to dig out all this snow. I was trapped for at least another day or two.

“Shit,” I whispered as Elsa tugged my arm, wanting to go further on our walk. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming, girl. Just trying to figure out why the universe hates me so much.”

I couldn’t lie— watching Gray stroke his dick with my name on his lips was the hottest thing I’d ever seen. It took everything in me to stay on my side of the shower wall, wanting nothing more than to see what those strong hands could do to me.

I meant what I said— the man was a masterpiece, the kind artists would sculpt to immortalize. Tight muscles covered his frame, all with deep cuts and grooves. It was the kind of fit that showed Gray knew how to move his body, fluid enough to play the sport he loved but strong enough to toss me over his shoulder and have his way with me. Once I got past his muscles, I noticed the tattoos covering his arms and chest. Those were all new. The last time I saw him shirtless, he’d barely had his half-sleeves, outlines of a forest covering his wrists and forearms. And while I couldn’t make out the designs through the steam and condensation, I wanted to know every single one.

And his cock… I swallowed at the thought. It was thick and long and looked like it would be so heavy in my hands, the kind that would leave the most incredible ache after a night together.

“No,” I snapped, hitting my forehead with my hand. This had to stop. I was supposed to be in town to find out more about David, to figure out why he had documents with my town’s name on them. But being in proximity to Gray was making me forget my mission.

At least Gray had been true to his words and given meplenty of space. Even though we were inhabiting the same small cabin, our paths barely crossed. Gray spent most of the last two days in his room or in the basement, which I hadn’t bothered to check out before he arrived. From the sounds of clunking weights and other machinery, I assumed there was a gym and maybe some kind of shop down there. Curiosity almost won out this morning, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, too mixed up about my feelings for Gray.

All he wanted was a chance.

And that scared the hell out of me.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. Despite how much he hurt me in the past, I still liked being around Gray. He made me feel like a better version of myself—like my faults weren’t flaws, but something to admire.

As Elsa tugged me back toward the house, apparently done being cold and wet, I tucked my lip between my teeth. I mean, we were technically married. Would it be the worst thing to give in to this heat between us?

Yes, Devyn. Yes,it would. Remember the last time you started thinking this way, and Gray abruptly changed his mind, leaving you reeling for years?

And now, it would be so much worse if things soured between us. Would I have to leave town?Definitely. And then there were our friends to think about. Gray was an integral part of our social circle, arguably bigger than me. He was their friend, whereas I was just Calla’s sister, tolerated for her sake. It would be a simple decision on who to kick out of the group and who should stay.

And if those reasons weren’t terrifying enough, letting Gray in would mean I’d have to tell him about my investigation into David, something I promised a long time ago I wouldn’t do. Would he even hear me out? Would he understand my need for vengeance against the man who’d tried totake everything from my family? I had changed a lot in our years apart, no longer the naive girl he once called his best friend.

He wants to know this version of you.

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