Page 111 of PR Stunt

“Relax,” he murmurs, his lips just shy of my skin.

Relax? Relax? When his chest brushes against my back, it takes everything in me not to arch into it.

“Line it up,” he instructs, voice dragging over me like silk. “Nice and steady.”

I swallow, shifting slightly, but his grip follows, guiding my movements.

“Now pull back,” he murmurs.

I do. Barely. Because if I move even a fraction more, my back will press fully against him, and I don’t trust myself to come back from that.

“And then,” he murmurs, his grip steady, “you make sure to take it all the way, sweetheart.”

I release the shot. The cue ball strikes, but I barely register where it goes. Because all I can feel is him. We stay like that for a moment, turned slightly toward each other, the space between us nonexistent. We’re sharing the same breath, noses almost touching, every small movement stirring something magnetic in the air.

His gaze drops to my lips. I take a slow, deep breath, my chest rising against my tank. The air between us is thick. The edge of the table brushes against my chest, and I feel my nipples tighten beneath the thin fabric, a reaction I can’t hide. His gaze flicks lower, tracking the movement.

Grayson pushes up and strides to the other side of the table.

As much as we’re playing my game with pool, we’re playing his game all the time. Oh God. I’m doomed. What happens in Mexico stays in Mexico, right?

Yes, right. A giggle escapes me. Before I can spiral any further, the soft, dreamy strum of a guitar filters through the bar, “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer drifting in. I’ve had this song on every playlist since childhood. It’s impossible not to dance to. A squeal slips out before I can stop it, the tension from a moment ago completely shattered as I spin away from the table, dancing over to my margarita. I take a big sip and then grab my cue stick, lifting it to my mouth like a microphone, swaying to the beat.

Somewhere between twirling and dramatically belting the lyrics, I set my drink on the edge of the pool table so I can use both hands. Closing my eyes, I tilt my head back, completely lost in the moment, twirling, both hands holding the cue. By the time the guitar solo kicks in, the cue turns into a makeshift guitar, and I strum along with exaggerated passion, throwing in a little air drumming for good measure. When I finally look up, I point straight at Grayson.

He’s watching me, grinning, as he leans back against the table. I dance over to him, laughing as I rest my free hand on his chest. The song slows, the rhythm becoming soft and sweet. His palm slides to my waist, fingers pressing lightly into my back as I move the cue between us. I lock eyes with him, my smile daring to sing the last line together. And just before the final words, he exhales through his nose, clearly amused, but he joins in. Our voices blend together, the last words spilling between us.

Kiss me.

When the music fades, we don’t move. For a moment, it feels like we’re locked in our own little world, everything else fading out. His hand is warm on my waist, grip light but steady. I can feel the rise and fall of his chest, the brush of it against mine, caught in the lingering echo of the song. His smile shifts slightly. His fingers press more firmly against my back.

My pulse kicks up. My laughter fades into something quieter, my awareness narrowing to him.

His attention shifts between my eyes and my mouth. One beat. Then another. His fingers press against my waist, touch light but certain. His lips part. I bite my lip without thinking, and his gaze drops.

“Wanna get outta here?” His voice is low, thick with want.

My pulse jumps, the weight of the question settling between us. I nod, biting my lip again. Grayson steps back, his fingers catching mine as he moves, guiding me toward the door. When we reach the entrance, he pushes it open and holds it for me, his hand never letting go of mine.

I take the lead, stepping through first and feeling the humid night air wrap around me. As I cross the threshold, I glance back at him… And that’s when I hear it. A roar. A relentless drumming sound against rooftops and pavement. Not just rain. A wall of it. Sheets of water crashing down, pooling in the cracks of the cobblestone streets, bouncing off rooftops, rolling down awnings in thick streams. Grayson steps up beside me.

I tilt my face up, blinking as the warm, heavy droplets splatter against my skin. “Oh my God.”

It’s not just raining. It’s pouring. Grayson moves, strong hands gripping my waist, and in one smooth motion, he hauls me up and over his shoulder. A squeal bursts out of me, followed by breathless laughter as he takes off into the rain on the cobblestone path, his pace quick and sure, despite the wet stone beneath us.

“Grayson Cole, put me down right now!” I gasp, water soaking through my clothes instantly.

Instead, he spins, sending my damp hair flying as the warm rain soaks us both, drenching every inch of fabric.

I kick, half-hearted at best, still laughing. “I still haven’t forgotten about those promised threats!”

He chuckles but stops. He slides his hands to my waist, fingers pressing firm as he lowers me. My body drags down the solid wall of his chest, heat rolling through me with every inch of contact. One of his hands comes up, fingers threading into my wet hair and gripping the back of my neck. The other trails along my waist, fingertips skimming over the damp fabric of my skirt and then over the bare skin beneath it. My stomach tightens under his touch. I swallow. My lips part.

“Kiss me,” I whisper.

His mouth finds mine, nothing gentle about it. Not soft. Not tentative. Claiming.

A low sound escapes me, swallowed between us as I slide my hands up, fisting them in his shirt, needing something—needing more. His lips press harder, deeper, his body crowding into mine, tilting my head back with the sheer force of it. I rise onto my toes, aching to meet him, to match the heat building inside me. My body burns, but the rain cools my skin, streaming down our faces, slipping between our mouths, blending with the taste of tequila and salt.