Page 52 of Until You

He lowers his face to mine, and for a second I think he might kiss me, but then he turns his face to the side, his lips brushing against my neck. He leans in further, pressing a kiss to my throat, and a soft moan escapes my lips.

I want him closer. I want my hands in his hair and his lips on mine. But before I can do something we’d both regret, he pushes away from me. He rolls onto his back and stares up at the ceiling for a second before rising from his bed. I swallow hard at the sight of his clearly outlined erection. Feeling it was one thing, but seeing it is something else entirely. He’sbig.

Gray walks to his bathroom, and I sit up, flustered. He pauses in the middle of the room, turning just enough to look at me. The way he smiles puts me at ease, and I relax back into his pillows.

“How about I make you omelets for breakfast?” he asks, grinning. “I’ve been perfecting my recipe for a while now.”

I nod, unable to keep the smile off my face. This happiness… I’ll hold on to it just a little longer. Just a few more days. I want a few more days of Gray looking at me like that; his eyes filled with affection.

I don’t know how he’ll respond if he finds out who I am, and for now, I don’t even want to think about it. Besides, he’s got more than enough going on already. A few more days… that’s all I’ll take.

38

Gray

I lean back against the wall, out of sight. Riley has been chatting up Aria for a while now, and whatever it is he’s asking of her, she seems to be agreeing.

Riley is grinning when Aria rises to her feet, and I tense when she grabs her handbag.

“Where are you going?”

She tenses when she hears my voice behind her. Her eyes roam over my body, taking in the suit I’m wearing today. That look in her eyes… the attraction, it sets me at ease.

“Grabbing coffee,” Riley says.

I look at Aria, trying to read her. Is she going on a fucking coffee date with Riley? “Great,” I murmur. “I can do with one.”

She looks startled, and I wonder if she actually wanted to go out with him. She looks beautiful today in that summer dress, and I wonder if she wore it for Riley. Am I interrupting something here?

I close the distance between Aria and me, and I breathe a sigh of relief when she smiles.

“Let’s go,” I say, placing my hand on her lower back.

Riley looks annoyed to find his plans disrupted, but I don’t give a fuck. I see the way he looks at Aria. Not on my fucking watch.

“Oh boss, we wouldn’t want to intrude on your busy schedule,” Riley says, and I ignore him.

Instead, I lead Aria out the door, taking in her every move and expression. She seems a little nervous, and I want to know why.

All I’ve been able to think about all morning is the way we woke up together. The way she pushed her body against mine, the way her curves felt… I was sure she wanted me. Yet here I am, watching her smile at Riley as though he’s the only person in the world.

I’m annoyed by the time we reach the quaint little diner she wanted to go to. What the fuck am I even doing here? Aria hasn’t spoken a word to me, and it’s clear I’m intruding.

“Gray,” she says, her eyes finding mine. “Wanna share a caramel macchiato with me? They always make me feel sick, but I really want one.”

I smile. I can’t help it. It’s something so small, yet it makes my damn day. I see the way Riley tenses, and a petty part of me revels in it.

“Sure,” I say, reaching for her. I brush a strand of hair out of her face, and the way she smiles at me makes my heart skip a beat.

Riley falls completely silent as we search for a table, and I ignore him as I pull Aria’s seat out for her. She sits down next to me, and I wrap my arm around the back of her chair.

Riley clenches his jaw, and I recognize the helplessness in his eyes. I should feel bad, but I don’t.

“So, how do you two know each other?” Riley asks. “I knew you personally hired her, but considering how good she is at her job, I figured it couldn’t be nepotism. But maybe it was.”

Aria tenses, and I tighten my grip on her chair. She looks down at her coffee, trying to hide her expression. But she’s an open book to me.

“Does it matter?” I ask. “Why do you care how she came in, so long as she does her job? Come to think of it… didn’t she fix the mess you left us with? The months of delay, who fixed that?”

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