Page 45 of Now and Forever
Again, Golden reminded herself not to feel too guilty for disturbing these kind people in the dead of night as she climbed the stairs behind the men. She was certain Grayson would compensate them nicely.
"You will have the entire top floor to yourselves," Maurice's heavily accented voice cut through her worries and refocused her attention. "This is the living area. I have already started the fires for you," he beamed as he led them down a small hallway, passing by several closed doors.
They stopped at a door at the end of the hall and Maurice opened it to reveal a living area. With a few comfy couches facing a TV, a wall of books, and a large table and chairs, the real focal points of the room were the large twin fireplaces on either side of the room. On each side, the fire blazed bright, warming the room wonderfully.
"Please sit and relax, I will bring dinner up shortly," Maurice gestured to the sofas with a big smile before turning to look at Grayson. He said something in French to him and Grayson nodded and replied with something as well.
Once Maurice was gone, Grayson turned to her with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't think the weather would turn for the worse."
Sitting down on the surprisingly plush sofa, Golden slipped off her jacket and her cap. Running a hand through her short curls she smiled at Grayson. "It's okay, it wasn't your fault. I was only scared for a second."
Taking off his own jacket, Grayson sat next to her and gave her a long look. "A second is too long."
Golden's heart swelled. Unable to maintain his gaze, she looked down shyly at her lap. Since waking up on the jet, they really hadn't had a chance to talk. The memory of his lips roughly pressing against hers sizzled through her senses, making her lips suddenly feel dry.
Feeling him watching and waiting, Golden looked up and sucked in a breath at the raw need glowing in his expression. She should say something. It felt like she should say or do something, anything, to take the pressure off her heart.
Above them, the lights flickered and the house creaked as a howling wind sounded outside the windows.
Grayson stood up. "Wait here."
Golden watched him leave and waited for the door to shut behind him before she scrambled to take out her phone. Ignoring the numerous messages from Carter and some from Lydia, Golden typed furiously to Gaige.
Me: Your father kissed me on the plane. I don’t know what to do! I'm losing my mind!
Her knee bounced in impatience as she waited for Gaige to respond. What time was it in New York? Wasn't it technically aday behind there or something? Golden sat there glaring at the screen willing it to change.
Finally, three dots appeared. She nearly fainted in relief.
"Thank God," she whispered. She desperately needed some advice on how to handle this.
Gaige: Thank fucking Christ, it's about time. What do you mean what should you do? You've been obsessed with him for over six years. Kiss him back or get naked, you pick. Just do something.
Golden could've screamed. Standing up, she paced toward the fireplace and glared back at the screen rereading the text. This wasn't helpful. She neededrealadvice. Like, what was Grayson thinking? Could he be serious? Or was he teasing her? What if she did follow Gaige's advice and Grayson gave her a horrified look in return because she misunderstood? A pain spasmed in her chest just at the thought.
The door opened, and Grayson walked in. Sticking her phone back into her pocket she tried to school her features.
For a brief second, his blue eyes flicked to her hands where she shoved her phone away, before looking away. "Maurice says the storm is bad and there is a good chance the power might go out," he informed her as he sat back down on the couch. "However, there is a backup generator for some of the lights. Between the fireplaces and the generator, we should be comfortable."
She came back to the couch to sit beside him. "As long as I'm warm, fed, and -" she paused for a moment, considering her next words. "and with you," she whispered looking down at her feet, "then I'm perfectly fine."
The room's atmosphere shifted abruptly, a palpable tension crackling through the air like a storm about to break, making every breath a sudden difficulty.
Beside her the couch shifted and Golden startled at the sudden puff of warm air on her ear. "Lucky for you, I can hear Maurice coming up the stairs with the food now," he murmured with an audible smile.
At a loss for words, she watched Grayson get up and open the door for Maurice who was wheeling in a cart full of food. Choosing to focus on Maurice's explanation of his wife's cooking instead of Grayson's suggestive words, she watched as he laid out each dish. From gratin dauphinois to sausages covered in a buttery wine sauce and a beautiful layered vegetable dish covered in cheese, Maurice set each one on the table along with a bottle of wine before bidding them both goodnight.
Golden looked desperately at Grayson. "How many people did she think she was cooking for?" She whispered.
Even Grayson gave the full table a dubious look. "Well, we know we won't be hungry."
Golden laughed and pulled out a chair. For a brief moment, she thought she would be forced to eat in awkward silence as they both skirted the elephant in the room but thankfully Grayson spoke first.
"So, tell me the truth," Grayson began as he cut into a sausage. "On a scale of abysmal to godawful, how would you rank Lombard's new short story he submitted?"
Golden burst out laughing. "Oh dear Lord, it was so very bad."
Dinner progressed with their usual lighthearted banter, completely erasing the earlier tension. They traded stories aboutthe awful things they had read in the proposal pile, and she felt so comfortable in his presence that she even found herself telling him a funny story from Juilliard. There was a warmth that existed between them when she talked with Grayson, a warmth she had never experienced with anyone else. Like a cozy blanket on a cold night, he had always made her feel perfectly safe and accepted from the moment she met him.
