AllFreeNovel
Share Us
∞∞∞
Gray could officially go fuck himself. I was moving in with Brenda, my newfound bestie. Her cookies? Nothing short of a religious experience.
And the kicker? Brenda was cool as fuck. She found my sailor’s mouth endearing and even threw down the gauntlet for a round of dirty Scrabble. Yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like.
To top it off, she sent me packing with a towering plate stacked with a second batch of cookies—specially baked for Gray.
I may or may not have been polishing it off as I mulled over the intriguing tidbits Brenda had generously dished out about the man in question.
“Well, you can tell your boyfriend he has my stamp of approval when it comes to you,” she casually tossed out, her words carrying a warmth that lingered in the air as she laid down the letters “C” “N” “T” and “S” perpendicular to my earlier move of “Bullcrap”.
I choked on a half-eaten chunk of chocolate. “Swuse mwe?” I coughed.
Brenda chuckled. “Oh, please. I keep up with the times,” she sniffed indignantly. “I’m well aware that Grayson swings both ways. And between you and me, you’re a far sight prettier than that insufferable bimbo he started bringing around last fall. I swear she made golden retrievers seem intelligent.”
“I think you’ve got the wrong idea, Bren. I’m not dating Gray.”
I left out the little predicament about my living situation. Instinct told me she’d extend an invitation for me to stay with her, and for reasons I’d rather not scrutinize too closely, the idea of abandoning the spare room next door tightened a knot in my gut.
Brenda didn’t believe me though. She just smirked and said, “Yet.”
Before I could contemplate that response further, the abrupt slam of the back door’s fly screen interrupted my thoughts, signaling Gray’s return. Caught off guard, I glanced guiltily at the lone remaining cookie and decided my best course of action was to discreetly dispose of any evidence of the baked goods. My mouth would make an excellent hiding place. However, before I could complete the covert operation, a thunderous voice bellowed from behind me.
“Drop it right now, Colton, and step away from the cookie!” Gray’s authoritative command rang out.
I swiveled in my seat, shooting him an indignant look. “That’s right,” he glared at me. “I ran into Brenda on my way inside, and she informed me there was a high chance a certain pint-sized boy was stealing my cookies.”
“Hey, fuck you. I’m a normal size. We can’t all be behemoths like you.”
“Normal size? Pfft, for a six-year-old maybe,” he teased.
“I’m five-foot-three,” I lied. “Totally average!”
“Riight,” he drawled. “And I’m a Rhodes scholar.”
Okay, you asked for it, Gray. I was already busted, so I guess that meant I didn't have to be subtle about eating the last one. Theatrically, I slowly brought the cookie closer to my lips without breaking eye contact with Gray.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” he warned in a hushed tone, taking a deliberately slow step in my direction, as if fearing any sudden movements might push me over the edge.
Grinning, I licked the entire diameter of the bread-and-butter-plate-sized cookie. “Ooops,” I said coyly. “Guess it’s mine now.”
But Gray didn’t play by those rules. He lunged for me, and before I could blink, the offending sphere of chocolatey goodness was halfway into Gray’s mouth. With his mouth full, he grinned at me, chocolate smeared between his front teeth. Swallowing, he informed me, “It’s cute that you think I’d be grossed out by you licking my cookie. That was one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen.”
Those words coursed through me like ice water, instantly setting me on edge. Gray’s towering presence pressed a little too close, stirring a disconcerting awareness that went beyond mere platonic intentions. My body stiffened, a reaction not lost on Gray, who promptly scrambled away.
“Shit, sorry! I promise I didn’t mean it like that,” he rushed out.
I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes. Miraculously, I had momentarily forgotten about the decision I’d made earlier that day. “It’s fine, I know the score,” I replied, the truth of it lingering in my acknowledgement. But, summoning up the courage to look him in the eye as I said it proved to be an entirely different matter.
“Hey, look at me, Colton,” he requested. When I shook my head, pretending to have an intense interest in my cuticles, a single finger brushed under my chin, gently lifting my gaze to meet Gray’s stormy blue eyes.
His expression was one of devastation. “I think I’ve messed up. I thought I’d made myself clear last night, but obviously I haven’t. If you don’t want anything to happen between us, then it won’t. You have my word, Colt.”
“Uh-huh. Guess I should go pack my shit then,” I muttered, already rising from my chair. Maybe my earlier act of kindness would earn me some goodwill with Brenda, and she’d let me stay at her place tonight. Only, before I could take a step, Gray’s large palm closed around my forearm.
“Please don’t leave. Look, I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable. I promise, I’ll back off. We can just be roommates; it’s all good.” He flashed a tentative smile my way.
I mostly succeeded in suppressing my growl of frustration. “I can’t be your roommate. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t exactly have any money to pay rent.”
