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"Not all heroes wearcapes."
I laughed—a full-body, shoulders shaking laugh. Grayson's grin shone through and I found our fingers clutching at each other even when the waitress returned with our drinks. My mouth hurt from how much I was smiling. So, I didn't want to end it, but I knew I had to because there was a point to mystory.
"I just want you to know," I said, keeping Grayson's hand in mine with a tug when he sensed the shift in the atmosphere between us and moved to pull away again. "I'm here for you. I understand. I may not get everything completely because it's not all the same, but you're not alone anymore. You have me now, and the guys. We’re a team. We’re a family.” I believed that with my whole heart. When my family hadn’t been either able or willing to help me—though sometimes, I still thought about Michael and wondered where he was and if he was doing okay—the guys had beenthere.
Grayson's mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but his brain hadn't quite caught up with the emotions spreading across his face. So, he just sat there, holding my hand from across the table looking awkward for the first time since I had met him. I found that this awkward, vulnerable side of Grayson was somehow way more attractive than the asshole he'd been before. But then again, maybe I had sensed it beneath the facade. Because, even back then, there had been something about him. An innocent villain. I choked on a laugh at thatthought.
"What?" he finally managed tosay.
I laughed again. "Nothing," I lied, shaking myhead.
He narrowed his eyes at me and then stood abruptly, dropping my hand and making my laughter stop. I gazed up at him, wondering what the hell he was about to do. Grayson's hand appeared in front of my face once more, held out like a peace offering, but also as achallenge.
"Dance with me," he said. It wasn't a question, but I reallyreallywish it had been. At least, if it were a question, I could have said no. As it was, I simply stared at his hand with a rising horror andpanic.
"I can't dance," I said, eyes wide as I gaped up athim.
"You danced on Sweratt Island," he said, reminding me of the outdoor soiree. "The guys even told me you danced when you visited NewYork."
"That was—I was—it was different," I managed to say. That had been when I was focused on something else—missions and thoughts and other things. I hadn’t been the one leading. There was no one here dancing. I glanced around. Here, there was nothing to stop me from thinking about all the ways I could trip or fall. There was nothing stopping me from focusing on Grayson's hard, muscled body. My eyes slid back to it—covered as it was in the button down shirt and nice jeans hewore.
He smirked, reaching down for my hand when he realized I wasn't going to offer it freely. I grimaced as he pulled me to stand beside him and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Don't worry, Babydoll. I've gotyou."
I held my breath as he walked me to a section of the rooftop where the tables had all been pushed to the side. The couple sitting at the bar turned their eyes towards us and the woman awwed before turning back to her partner. Heat rose to my cheeks as Grayson took my waist and pulled me closer until I was flush against him, my breasts smashed against his chest. I looked up into those blue eyes of his, falling into the depths as he took my other hand. We began to dance, swaying softly from one side to the other as the music swirled around us. Soft, lilting notes and beautiful lyrics that I couldn't hear over the sound of my racingheartbeat.
Grayson's eyes held within their depths so much emotion, ranging from pain-filled to hungry. That hunger caught my attention because all of it was fixated on me. It made my chest rise and fall rapidly, my breath catching in my throat, struggling to break free as we moved across the floorboards. Leaning close, I tucked my face against his chest. I needed a respite from those eyes of his, from the emotion in them, from the way he was making my skintingle.
"Harlow." Grayson pulled back as the song came to an end and tilted my face up. A feather light kiss touched the corner of my mouth, making my legs go weak and my abdomen clench. He held me up without effort or complaint, keeping me in his arms for another momentmore.
"Grayson..." I whispered his name, afraid that if I spoke too loud it would break the spell that was undeniably over us. A spell that kept us locked in a cocoon and would probably drive me slowly mad with all of this need and desire pulsing between us. Before I could say anything more though, Grayson pulled back and looked over my shoulder—shattering that spell and bringing us back toreality.
