Page 22 of One Night in My Rival's Bed

Grayson came up behind me and placed his hands on the tops of my shoulders. His touch was warm and grounding, and I was grateful for it as my world was still spinning on its axis.

‘I’m sorry you had to find out this way.’ His voice was deep and full of compassion, and it made it harder for me to find my dislike of him. But did I dislike him at all now? If his explosive kiss hadn’t been enough to flick the switch on my feelings, his care and consideration over the last few minutes was enough to send me into emotional territory I had never been before. Not even with my ex.

I turned in his hold and looked up into his concerned gaze. ‘You weren’t going to spell out my father’s wrongs, were you?’

His mouth twisted in a rueful fashion. His hands remained lightly on top of my shoulders, and I did nothing to move away. ‘It’s hard when those we love and admire the most let us down.’

‘Your father too, huh?’

Grayson gave a grim movement of his lips. ‘I was always closer to my grandfather, to be honest. My father wasn’t and isn’t reliable. He promised and didn’t deliver. My grandfather, on the other hand, was honourable and true to his word.’

My gaze drifted to his mouth seemingly of its own volition. ‘I’m sorry for thinking such bad thoughts about him all this time.’

Grayson smiled a lopsided smile and gave my shoulders a gentle squeeze. ‘You were a kid. You believed what you were told. He wouldn’t have held it against you.’

‘I wonder why my mother allowed me to believe my father was betrayed so badly by your grandfather. I mean, she didn’t have the most loving relationship with him. They fought all the time. But after he died, it was a different story. He was the most amazing husband in the world, blah blah blah.’

‘Most mothers like to protect their kids from uncomfortable truths,’ Grayson said. ‘Grief can stir up a host of emotions, guilt being one of them.’

There was a beat or two of silence. A silence so intense I could hear the rustle of his shirt as he lifted his hand to my face. His fingertip stroked the curve of my cheek, and I shivered in reaction. What was it about his touch that put my senses on high alert?

‘You’re touching me again.’

‘So I am.’ His finger travelled down to my mouth, and I let out a soft gasp of pleasure as his finger brushed across the surface of my lips. ‘Would you like me to stop?’

‘No.’ My voice was soft and breathless, and my self-control was missing in action. I moved closer to him at the same time he moved closer to me. Our bodies collided with a combustible impact I felt in every cell in my flesh. Scorching heat flashed through me, lighting spot fires in my blood. Our mouths came together in a desperate kiss, a kiss that spoke of primal yearnings that were no longer under control. His tongue met mine and the bottom dropped out of my stomach. His tongue was insistent, as urgent and passionate as mine. I could not get enough of his taste. I could not get close enough to the hard contours of his body. My blood was boiling with lust and there was nothing I could do about it.

‘You have to tell me to stop.’ Grayson’s voice had a rough edge that sent another shudder ricocheting through my body.

‘Maybe I don’t want you to stop,’ I said in a husky whisper, sweeping my tongue across his lower lip. ‘Maybe I want you to make love to me.’

He held me in a tight grip, his fingers almost biting into the flesh of my upper arms. ‘You’d agree to a one-night stand?’

I linked my arms around his neck, pressing my lower body to the burgeoning heat and hardness of his. ‘Maybe one night won’t be enough for you.’ I injected my tone with flirty playfulness but inside I was praying he wouldn’t settle for one night, that he would want more than a casual encounter. Not a long-term commitment by any means, just a little fling to scratch the itch, so to speak. And what an itch it had become. It was a fever in my blood and, if his hard body pressing against me was any indication, it was raging in his as well.

His eyes blazed with longing and my self-esteem rose a few notches higher than it had ever been before. Had anyone looked at me with such raw naked lust? Had anyone made me feel more desirable? More beautiful and feminine? Not in this lifetime.

‘One night. I can’t promise more than that.’ There was a hint of regret in his tone, and it made me even more determined to get him to change his mind.

I toyed with the ends of his hair at the back of his head, my chest pressed tightly against his. ‘Then we’d better make the most of it.’ I pressed my mouth to his but within a heartbeat he took control of the kiss. His lips crushed mine beneath his, the passion firing between us like highly flammable fuel. My spine turned to liquid and my insides coiled tight with need. His hands came up to frame my face, his lips still moving against mine with molten heat. His tongue commanded entry and I opened to him, my lower body tingling at the anticipation of welcoming his intimate invasion.

‘God, I want you so bad,’ he groaned against my mouth, his hands going to my hips, holding me close to his arousal.

‘I want you too.’ I was barely capable of speech, my breathing was so hectic, my pulse off the scale.

Grayson dragged his mouth off mine and grasped my hands in his, holding me apart from his body. ‘Not here. I want you in my bed.’

I had almost forgotten we were still in the dining room with the remains of our dinner still on the table. I waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the table. ‘Shouldn’t we clear up first?’

‘Later.’ His mouth came down firmly on mine and I was left in no doubt of his priorities. Clearing up after dinner was clearly nowhere near the top of his list of must-do tasks.

I barely remembered how we got to his bedroom on the next floor. Our journey passed in a blur of kisses and caresses that made the blood sing in my veins. He shouldered open the door of his bedroom and I followed him inside. He allowed me a few moments to glance around at the luxurious furnishings, not to mention the king-sized bed with its snowy white linen and array of pillows.

‘Nice bedroom,’ I said.

‘It does the job.’

I arched a brow. ‘For sleeping and sex?’

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