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Chapter 1
2 weekslater...
Harlow
Are we supposed to be doing this?” I asked quietly as Texas grasped my hand in his and tugged it, leading me out of the house. Semi-cool air assaulted my face as we moved across the patio. I looked up as dark clouds rolledoverhead.
“You’re worried about him,” Texas said sharply as we headed towards the pool house that Knix had started constructing while we were away at LanderUniversity.
“He doesn’t want to see me,” I replied quietly, trying to keep the hurt out of my tone.Not that it did much good,I realized when Texas glanced over his shoulder at me, his gaze softening as he rubbed a thumb over myknuckles.
Almost as soon as we had returned from Lander, Grayson had mysteriously moved into the pool house. At first, I wanted to ask why—it just seemed so sudden—but after the guys explained a little bit about his mother, I didn’t want to press him for too manydetails.
“He just feels a little guilty,” Texasstarted.
“For what?” I interrupted. “His mother? She’s crazy. That’s not his fault. No one blames me for my mom’s cancer. How can he think that I blame him for his mother’s stalkertendencies?”
“I agree,” Texas said as we stopped right outside the double-paned glass doors at the side of the pool house. “But he doesn’t understand that. Just talk to him.” Texas released my hand and reached to unlock the doors. He slid one side open—the door making hardly any noise as he moved it with expert stealth—and pushed methrough.
“Is Marv okay with this?” I hissed in a whisper, trying not to be heard. Grayson was most definitely home, and I didn’t want to upset anyone—or be turned away yet again. I glanced over my shoulder, but the unpainted living room was dark. He must have been in the bedroom, Idecided.
“Marv suggested it,” Texas assured me, closing the door in my face and waving before turning away. Asshole. But he was right. I did need to talk to Grayson. He had been avoiding me for the last few weeks. He hadn’t gone out unless it was to go somewhere with one of the guys—usually Knix or Texas. Sometimes, he came home smelling like grease and sugar. I had the sneaking suspicion that he’d been working at Alex’s. I knew his mother couldn’t touch his trust fund and neither could he until he was twenty-one, so, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was working. A part of me, on a deeper level, wondered if it was so he could feel useful...or so he could work himself intoexhaustion.
I tiptoed further into the small house. It was only half finished, the outside done to perfection, but despite the uncompleted mini-kitchen and unpainted walls—Grayson had moved in and let the rest sit as it was, half-unfinished. A part of me wondered if Knix had anticipated this or if this pool house had been for a different reason. I had no proof to back up the idea that Knix had known about Grayson—he had been just as skeptical of him a few weeks ago as everyoneelse.
“Grayson?” I called out into the pool house, uncertain. The closer I got to the lone bedroom at the back of the living room and small hallway that held an unfinished laundry room and mudroom, the more I could make out the distinct grunts coming from there. They sounded particularly painful, which made me speed up. I stepped into the doorway. “Are you—” I cut myself off when I realized what he wasdoing.
Grayson’s face was sweaty and red as he jerked his entire body up using the pull-up bar attached to the doorway into the walk-in closet adjoining the somewhat small bedroom. He pulled up several more times, holding his breath and then grunting when he lowered and releasedit.
He dropped down to the ground and I watched on trembling legs as he turned around and bright blue eyes met my gaze. “What do you want?” hesnapped.
I stared back at him, my eyes following the rivulets of sweat sliding down his skin. Dressed in only a thin pair of basketball shorts, Grayson grunted when I didn't answer and padded around me, heading for the hallway. As he passed, my nostrils were filled with the smell of him—the rich, dark, masculine scent of him. In the kitchen, the sharp sound of plastic ripping made me jump. I turned and moved back, following the noise again until I stood at the counter as Grayson opened a new container of protein powder. Ifrowned.
"Why are you working out so much?" I asked. It seemed like a safe question. Not exactly the reason Texas had shoved me into the lion's den and left me to pull the thorn from its paw, but it woulddo.
Grayson grunted somethingunintelligible.
I stepped closer. "What?"
He sighed, putting down the cap from the container and turned to meet my eyes. "Because it gives me something to do," hesaid.
"Why don't you get a job?" I offered helpfully. Grayson had redirected his eyes back to scooping out the white powder into a water bottle, but when I spoke he glanced to the side and raised a brow. I flushed. "I mean, I know you're going out with the guys and all that,” I said quietly. Something I had also been meaning to ask him about, but perhaps not immediately important. “Maybe you could, I mean, I could helpyou—"
Grayson finished filling his bottle with what he needed and re-screwed the cap on the container. "Don't worry about me, Babydoll," he said, interrupting my awkward diatribe. "I'mfine."
But that was just the thing..."You don't seem fine," I admitted, worrying my bottomlip.
Another grunt, followed by a shove as he crammed the protein powder container into a cabinet, was my answer. I huffed and as Grayson moved to step past me, I reached out and put my hand on the bulging muscle of his bicep. Blinking, I stared down at it, squeezing slightly. Holy hell had he started to pack on the muscle. A couple of months ago, he’d been just as muscular, but in a more lean, lithe way. Now, I could feel the muscles hardening under his skin. He had definitely put on some weight since he moved in and none of it was fat.Could anyone really pack on this much in two weeks?I wondered. Or had he been working out before he moved in too? He coughed to catch my attention and smirked when I flushed. Snatching my hand away, I clasped them both behind my back to keep from reaching for himagain.
"You need to get out," I stated. "You're always in here or with the guys. You need to get out and go dosomething."
"Are you offering to take me out, Babydoll?" he asked, the one side of his mouth still lifted. The way it curled even more, however, made the question more sardonic than genuine. I found myself meeting his gaze with a seriousexpression.
"As a matter of fact," I said, tipping my head back, "Iam."
His smirk disappeared, followed by a rise of surprise across his features. "You're serious? Adate?"
My heart jumped. I hadn't exactly meant adate, but I guess...whatever got him out of the house. Texas was worried about him and even Marv was being nice to him. The guys knew how I felt now. They had accepted Grayson—for the most part. "Sure," I answered. "A date. Tonight. Be ready at seven pm. You and me, we're goingout."
