Page 56 of Craving Francesca

“Frankie can talk to you when she gets home.”

Pause.

“Not my place.”

Pause.

“Probably not long.”

He set the phone on the table.

“Why’d you take the phone?” I grumbled.

“Because you were ready to tear her a new one for worryin’ about you, and I knew you’d feel like shit about it later.”

“You know me so well?” I asked defensively.

Gray watched me for a moment. “I know that you like taking shots rather than drinking beer, but you’ll drink beer if you’re tryin’ to pace yourself. I know that you wear shorts long past when the weather gets too cool for them. I know you change the oil in the Tahoe by yourself even though you could have it done at the club for free. You like restoring furniture or anything else made out of wood or metal. You spend most of your free time checking out garage sales and estate sales. You love antiques, the weirder the better, but you end up reselling a lot of them because they don’t go with thevibeof your house. You hold a grudge like it’s your job. It doesn’t matter how big or mean someone is, you’re incapable of keeping your mouth shut if you see something that pisses you off. You rarely ask for help—it makes you uncomfortable to the point that you keep secrets to make sure no one’s worrying about you. And you have a hell of a good poker face because you seemed to fool everyone but me for the past few weeks.”

“Okay—”

“I’m not done,” Gray said, cutting me off.

My mouth snapped shut.

“You used to have your belly button pierced at some point—there’s a scar left but no hole. You’ve got a tiny castle tattoo on your side just below your ribs. Your legs go on for fucking ever, which defies understanding because you’re not that tall. When you leave your hair down, you mess with it constantly, pushing it out of your face, throwing it over your shoulder, braiding it—but you never tuck it behind your ears. Your nose gets twice as many freckles in the summer because you’re out in the sun so much. You had orthodontia at some point because no one’s teeth are that naturally straight. When you’re kissin’ me, you can’t keep your hands out of my hair. Your legs fit perfectly around my waist, long enough to cross at the ankles with room to spare. When you come, every muscle in your body locks up.”

I held my breath as a blush bloomed across my chest and up my neck.

“You look at me like I could slay dragons,” he continued. “Even when you’re tryin’ to be cool, that look is still there. Can’t seem to help it.”

“That’s not—” I blustered.

Gray shook his head, letting out a huff of laughter. “Only reason I know all that isI’m already lookin’ at you.”

“Why?” I breathed, watching him closely. If he’d already noticed the way I looked at him, there was no reason to try and hide it anymore.

“Can’t seem to help it,” he replied, his eyes still on mine. “I looked up one day, and there you were. Fuckin’ with my head. A puzzle I haven’t figured out yet.”

“I’m not that hard to figure out,” I whispered.

“Woman, I could spend a hundred years with you, and I still wouldn’t figure you out.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Fuck no.”

Chapter 6

Gray

Ishould’ve keptmy mouth shut, but I couldn’t stand the look in her eyes when she’d realized that Myla had told everyone she was missing. She’d been almost frantic as she grasped for some way to spin the day without telling everyone the truth. After her nap, she looked much better than she had when I’d picked her up, but there was still something fragile about her, and I didn’t think it was from her appointment that morning.

I left her in the camper to get her stuff together while I cleaned up the smoker and made sure it was covered for the night. She wasn’t ready to go back home, but she was doing it.

I hoped Myla had sent everyone home by the time we got there. Frankie didn’t need the third degree from everyone and their brother. They could ask their questions later when she had the energy and backbone to tell them to go to hell if she wanted.

My phone rang as Frankie stepped out of the camper.

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