***
Paige
The heat is divine. I can feel the sweat beading on my skin. Some people don’t do well with heat, they complain for that one day in the summer when the sun actually comes out in the UK. I, on the other hand, love it, need it, crave it. I’m currently lying on a bench in the spa's sauna, soaking in the heavenly warmth, wishing I had a sauna at home. The heat doing things to the aches and pains my body is feeling, aches caused by the man who has claimed me as his. My man. A grin splits across my face. The conversation from last night playing over and over again in my mind, his words on repeat. Telling me he wants me, needs me, that he’s falling for me.
“What are you smiling about?” I jump, not having heard Chloe come in.
“Nothing,” I say. Not ready to talk to her about Gray yet, sure she wouldn’t understand.
“Why do you look like the cat that got the cream? Scrap that, you got the mouse as well. What’s going on?”
“My friend gets married tomorrow. Can I not be happy for her?” I ask, hoping she’ll buy it.
“Of course you’re happy for me. But that”, she points to my face, “is not ‘my friends getting married tomorrow’ happy. That is 'I got laid, I got laid good' happy. So, spill.” Before I even have a chance to open my mouth she continues.
“No wait. Let me guess. Who could it even be? I can’t think of anyone single here that you’d like. I know it’s not Chris.” I laugh at that. “It’s got to be someone that works here.” She’s mumbling to herself, thinking it through. "Is it someone that works here?” Again, I have no chance to answer before she’s speaking again. “No, that’s not it. You’re not a fling girl.” I was willing to be, I think to myself, I would have accepted anything from Gray. She freezes, her gaze locked on mine, eyes narrowed. “No,” she mutters to herself, “can’t be.” But her gaze doesn’t move, her brain processing the thoughts that run through her mind at a ridiculous rate.
“Are you fucking Grayson?” I choke, full on cough up a lung, choke.What the fuck?How the fuck did she get that? We’ve spent barely any time outside the room together. There’s no way anyone could work out from last night that we’re together. Well, obviously someone could, Chloe could, because she has.
“What the fuck, Chlo?” I gasp, still spluttering from inhaling my own spit the wrong way.
“Holy shit!” She shouts. “You are! What the hell, Paige? Gray? Even when I said it, I didn’t actually believe you were, but you are, aren’t you?”
“How?” I demand, no other words coming to mind.
“No,” she points at me, “you tell me how. How the hell do you end up fucking a guy over double your age?”
Well, fuck it, here goes. I explain how we met on the plane, the room mix up and how he’s been staying in my room. I tell her everything.
“Holy shit,” she breathes. “Grayson Stone, is one dirty mother fucker.” She fans herself. “I can’t believe he said he’s going to marry you! Paige, this is huge.”
“I know. I should be freaked out right? I mean it’s way too fast.” So why aren’t I? Why does nothing about Gray and I feel wrong? Why, after two days does the thought of marrying him not scare me?
“Of course it’s too fast,” she laughs. “You don’t tell someone you’re going to marry them and give them babies after two days of knowing them. The question you need to ask yourself is; do you care?” She moves closer to me, taking my hands in hers. “People are going to talk, Paige. There’s a crazy age gap between you, he’s my Dad's best friend and things are moving ridiculously fast. All of that will get people talking. But do you care?” She pauses, looking at me, really looking at me. “Let me ask you this? Are you happy? Does Gray make you happy?”
“So happy,” I whisper. I don’t have to pause to think; don’t have to take a moment. The answer comes immediately, as clear as day. Gray makes me happy, happier than I have been in years.
“Then there’s your answer. Nothing and no one else matters,” she squeezes my hands.
“You’ve taken this surprisingly well.”
“Probably because I’ve known him my whole life, so I can vouch for him. He’s a good man, you’re not telling me some stranger wants to marry you; knowing him actually works in your favour,” she laughs. We both sit back, enjoying just being with each other.
Chapter 9
Paige
“Abso-fucking-lutely not!” He demands.
“Gray,” I cry, “this was always the plan, you can’t throw your toys out of the pram, because you don’t like it.”
“I am not throwing my toys out of the pram, Paige. But I will not spend the night without you. Go to Chloe’s lodge, spend the evening with her, do your thing. But when you crawl into bed, it will be my bed, my arms. No one else’s,” he grits out. Wow, he is mad, like really mad.
“Babe, you’re being ridiculous. It’s one night.”
“It’s not one night, it’s not any night. You will sleep there,” he orders, pointing at the bed in our room. “I have you for four nights. Four nights, Paige, before we have to go home. Before work, life and everything else will steal your time from me. When I won’t get youtwenty-four-seven, don’t ask me to spend one of those nights without you.” Well. What exactly am I supposed to say to that? I can’t say no to him, not after that little speech. Not sure I could say no to this man anyway, speech or not. I cup his stubble roughed jaw in my hand, raise up on my tiptoes and place a kiss to his lips.
“Okay. I’ll come back,” I whisper into his mouth. He groans, capturing my mouth with his, never being able to let me lead for long. My dominant man. His arms wrap around me, squeezing me close to him.
