Page 90 of The Innovator

“You were desperate to help your family, but I don’t want that.” Mom sighed. “House of LaRue is experiencing a transformation. That’s part of business. I don’t want its survival to be at the cost of my daughter’s happiness. It’s not worth it. Your dad wouldn’t want it either. He’d rather the brand dissolve.” She crossed her arms. “So, are things serious with Grayson? He’s a fabulous architect. I googled him, you know.”

I flicked her an amused look. “You did? And?”

“He’s an interesting man. I’d rather not comment until I meet him in person so I can determine if he’s a one-woman kind of man. My daughter doesn’t share. She deserves the best.”

Grayson’s past had been splashed all over the internet. Images could paint an ugly story. Those stories cast him as a shallow playboy who changed partners like he changed his tie. I had thought the same, but the man I’d come to know had so much depth, I’d almost drowned in it.

It surprised me he hadn’t gone after the tabloids for telling lies about him fathering a child with a social media influencer. But then again, I knew that once a lawsuit started, the paparazzi would only use the story for even more views. Gossip was a never-ending story.

A sense of protectiveness overcame me. “He’s not like that, Mom. He’s changed.”

Her brows knitted in contemplation. “Sometimes love makes you see things differently. Keepthissafe.” She placed a hand over my heart. “A real man who loves you will protect you at all costs. He won’t use you to gain anything.”

Mom knew Rafael had wanted the LaRue name to gain access to more wealth.

I understood my mom’s concern, which was why I was careful about revealing my heart to Grayson. I was in love with him. But I needed to keep that truth safe and tucked away for later.

Had I fallen for him because I needed someone during my weak moments? Or had I fallen for him because he was the only man who had opened my heart completely? I couldn’t tell for sure. What if he didn’t feel the same way? Dating someone and falling in love with them were different things. Love meant commitment. Was Grayson the kind of man who could commit to one woman forever?

I had to protect my heart. Safety held me in a protective cocoon, like a big coat keeping me warm. Unlike other men, Grayson had tugged on the sacred thread that kept me safe. The first kiss we’d shared was him yanking at the stitches, unraveling me like a garment opening at the seams.

Mom left for a spa treatment with some friends. I declined her invitation to join her. I wanted to take a warm bath at home.

My body ached, desperately needing a massage. I filled the bathtub with warm water, essential rose oils, and rose petals, hoping the self-care would relax me.

I stripped and stepped into the warm water, settling in. Leaning back, I stretched out my neck muscles, and my mind wandered to Grayson. What was Grayson doing now? I missed him so much. We’d only exchanged a few text messages since I left. I wanted to see him. In two days, I’d be back home.

Home in Providence. I considered it home already. What had been a temporary stay had turned into something more. Could I make it work? Living in Providence while overseeing LaRue?

Stop stressing. Focus on the bath.

A noise from outside the bathroom startled me. I stiffened, sitting up as my heart raced.

Who was in my apartment? I remembered locking the door when Mom left. As I prepared to get out of the tub to get my cell phone from the counter, the bathroom door swung open.

“Miss me?” Grayson stood in the doorway wearing dark jeans, a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and his dark hair all messy and sexy.

My heart rolled like a strawberry dipped in chocolate. It wanted to jump out of my chest and hop into his arms.

“What are you doing here? How did you get in?”

CHAPTERFORTY-SIX

GRAYSON

The past few days had been chaotic, and I’d never missed a woman the way I missed Natalie. After attending an opening ceremony for a building I’d designed for a movie producer in Los Angeles, I skipped the banquet and hopped on a plane to see my woman.

I walked over, sat on the bathtub ledge, and raked my eyes down her slick body, which was hidden by an abundance of red and pink rose petals.

Three candles flickered on a table beside the massive tub and gave off a sweet aroma. A book titledThe Discipline of Virtue and Moresat beside a bowl of crystals.

“My woman is reading the works of Descartes while naked in the tub. Makes me want to know what kind of kinky things she’s thinking about.”

Natalie cocked her head. “A woman needs to expand her mind to keep up with the ever-changing world ruled by patriarchal men who want to keep her down.”

“I’m not those men. The only ‘down’ position I want you in is where I can ravage you.” I flicked my gaze to the spot between her thighs covered with petals.

Though lust swam in her eyes, she didn’t retort, changing the topic. “How did you get in here? The door was locked.”

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