Page 43 of Never Always
I look away, embarrassed at my childish outburst. “No.”
“Good. Now let’s reset.”
I let go of my doorknob.
He lays both hands beside my head on each side of the door. “Do you still have that glow stick in your bathing suit top?”
Panting from his proximity and from the fact we’re in an open hallway where anyone could come out and see him pressed against me. “Yes.”
His hair tickles my nose as he teases the stick out from under my damp shirt. When it’s in between his teeth, lighting his mouth yellow, he says, “Open the door now.”
“How can I resist such charm and suave determination?” Reaching behind me, I turn the doorknob and Grange swoops in with me, locking it as soon as he can.
I can’t even look at the glow stick without thinking about the dark pool water with the lights whirling around as I watched him swim by. I lose my breath at once. The beauty of it. The gesture. Corrick Granger focusing on making me happy. A sharp shiver shakes my body.
“Warm shower?” he asks, pulling the stick out of his teeth and tossing it on the sofa.
My response is a dash to the bathroom to crank on the hot water. I pull off my clothes and step in before Grange enters my bedroom. He’s shirtless when he appears in front of the steamed glass. My hands are busy soaping my hair, as I tick through the bullet points for my discussion about kissing when he strips off his pants and opens the door to join me.
At the sight of his naked body, I lose my train of thought. “You are terribly distracting,” I mutter, rinsing my hair.
Grange grabs my rib cage, placing a thumb on each of my nipples. “Not nearly as distracting as your tits.”
I flinch as his touch skirts too close to my armpit. “Ticklish, are you?” he says. “What else don’t I know about you?”
“Is that a real question?”
He cradles my face in his hands and forces me to look at him. He has to be cold, I’m hogging the entire shower head. I adjust it so it’s hitting him as well. “As opposed to a fake question?” he lobs back, pulling nearer so his hard-on is pressing against my stomach.
I swallow hard. “Give me some direction here. Are we talking about hidden talents, awkward habits, or dirty family secrets?”
Grange runs his hands down over my shoulders and clasps my hands in his. “Anything. I know one of your hidden talents already, you tug on your ear when you’re nervous or contemplating something, and Tennyson isn’t your legal name.” His smile transforms into a smug twitch. “A SEAL always does his homework if you’re wondering about the last one.”
I widen my eyes. “You did a background check on me?”
He grins, then says, “Do you like Lord Tennyson then? Is that why you chose to go by it instead of your legal name?”
Yes.
“No. I just liked it better. Suited my personality more than the other.” Running my palms over his sculpted chest, I lean in so we’re both under the water, and so I don’t have to think about the name Scarlet for another second. “Anything that happens underwater doesn’t count. Your words. Not mine.”
His blue eyes are molten as he licks some of the warm water off his lips. That’s all I can take, I lean in to kiss him, and he cocks his head to the side. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what? Your dodgy excuses?”
Instead of replying, he opens the shower, grabs my towel off the hook and jogs out of the bathroom. As soon as I step out to follow, I hear the doorbell, and then Grange’s low voice whispering to someone at the front door. My robe, the blue fuzzy thing I’ve had since I was sixteen is the closest thing I have to a towel, so I throw it on and dart around the corner. Ariel and her mass of tangled curly black hair is perched in my doorway, body language conveying her desire for Grange.
“I’m sorry I interrupted,” Ariel says, finally meeting my eyes. “Wasn’t sure who I could turn to.” Her brown eyes flick to Grange’s bare midsection and I can’t help my reaction even if it deems me the rudest Southern woman in the world. I exhale a long breath and give her the look. She’ll know what it means.
“I didn’t know I’d find you here, Grange. Didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” Ariel is a liar. I can literally feel the falsity bouncing off her words. “My boyfriend and I got in a fight. He got mad and stormed off.” Ariel looks left. At the flowers by my fireplace. Then right, surveying anything she can see before going on. “He didn’t threaten me or anything, but I didn’t want to be alone. Tennyson, you’re the only other woman I know in our building, so I figured I’d see if you were home. Or if you wanted to go swim?”
Grange steps back, away from her, holding the towel tight that’s barely covering his junk. What’s he going to say to this or is he going to defer to me? He looks back at me, ocean eyes deep and confused. “Ah, listen. Tennyson and I have plans tonight.”
Ariel looks crestfallen, wrapping her arms around her body. She has scratch marks on her forearms and it immediately puts me on alert, concerned for her wellbeing.
I step forward. “Are you sure you’re okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” She sees where my gaze is focused and tugs her sleeves down.
“Of course he didn’t. What kind of person do you think I am? I wouldn’t stay with someone who abused me. It was a verbal interaction. I just wanted someone to talk to. It was nice talking to you that night at the pool.” Instead of looking at me, she’s staring at Grange’s dick. “You two serious?”
