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Huffing out an irritated breath, I rolled over to my side to check the time. The bright red light stated it was three o’ six a.m. Great, I was officially suffering from jetlag. Was Liam awake? I was almost positive he was. I mean, if I was having a hard time sleeping, then he probably was the same. Besides, wasn’t he going a little crazy without sex? I knew my mother had made the whole speech about no sex in the house, but we could sneak out and go somewhere else.
Restless and wired, I slipped out of my room and tiptoed across the hall towards Liam’s bedroom. The house was silent with only the hush of the centralized heating system to accompany the eeriness of the early Christmas morning.
Biting my lip, it took me half a minute to get to the door before I gripped the door handle and quietly slipped into his room. It was dark with no light to guide me inside. So I stood there awhile, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness before I started walking into the room. Liam was fast asleep, looking peaceful, curled on his side with only his boxers on.
Should I wake him up?I questioned myself, wondering if I was that selfish as to rob him of his rest. He had once confessed that travelling made his body clock go haywire, so for him to actually sleep when he was supposed to be sleeping was a good sign.
Defeated, the thought of retracing my steps back into my bedroom made me even more depressed. My legs felt heavy as I came out of his room. Instead of heading straight to where I had come from however I decided to wander downstairs and maybe make a quick stop at the bar so I could find something that would make me less agitated than usual.
The marbled tiles felt cool on my bare feet as I travelled along the hallway. For some odd reason, I found myself in the living room where everyone had gathered earlier that evening. The twenty-foot tree twinkled before me, giving the house a cozy, holiday vibe. The vanilla, peppermint and cinnamon smell lingered in the house, bringing lightness to my soul, making me feel right at home.
The house was dark, yet the bright lights were lit up all over the house, giving it a warm, glowing feel. Christmas was, after all, my favorite holiday, so I decided I might as well enjoy it because who knew what next year might bring.
It took me about five minutes to wander around the house before I reached the French doors that opened into the garden and towards the pool area, which only meant one thing… the pool house.
Last night, I had been tempted to go there, even stared at it from my window, wondering what it would feel like to go inside and have all those ghosts of my past embrace me, choking me with nostalgia. But tonight, nothing held me back as I made my way towards it, noting the steady beat of my heart as I dauntingly gazed ahead.
The door was unlocked when I pushed it open. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I opened the door, but I wasn’t expecting for it to lookexactlythe same. The living room was the first thing you saw upon entering his old domain. My eyes scanned the area from his video consoles to his music system, to his couch and the bright artistic paintings he randomly bought from the street artists.
However, what seized me entirely was the smell—it was allhim. The scent that I used to nuzzle and bury my nose into. It was a heady, potently sexy musk with a hint of sandalwood and citrus. Standing in the middle of the room, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, breathing him in as much as my lungs would allow it.
God I have missed this so much…
My body slightly trembled as the scent assailed my senses, awakening the deep, panging hunger that had been buried deep inside. It wasn’t the craving of sex, but something so much more. It was something deeper—raw and elemental. It was the smell of home.
Regrets pounded into my conscience bringing me down from the high I had been floating in a second ago.
I wasn’t quite sure what made me open my eyes, but something alerted me. And when I did open my lids, darkness still engulfed me. The only difference was the dark figure standing against the main bedroom door, biding time.
“Liam! Don’t you scare me like that!” I shrieked. “I went into your room earlier, but you were passed out cold. Did you wake after I left?” The hint of a smile could be heard from my voice as I started to walk slowly towards him. “I couldn’t sleep, and I thought you’d like to come and play—I need some release. It’s been too long—” My steps halted when he came closer to meet me.
Only then, with mere inches away, did I realize it wasn’t Liam buthim…
We stood there for a second. A minute. Maybe five. Maybe fifteen. I wasn’t so sure because time stood still for me the moment our eyes clashed. It felt like gongs were being smashed together, angels sang from the Heavens, a dam broke, a massive earthquake jolted my adrenaline rush, and that intoxicating feeling of love at first sight rolled into one. In that instant—in that one single moment when our eyes connected—I knew there would be no man who could bring me back to life like he could.
“Grey,” I finally uttered, sounding more of a choked out plea instead of a greeting.
His fiery eyes seemed cautious as if I was an opponent. He seemed caged, and the wordindifferentagain came to mind. His eyes remained on my face while my eyes dropped, worshipping his boxer-clad body and his honed muscles. His body was defined before, though now he seemed bigger. His body had ripped precision that left me wanting. One brush of my sight was enough to make my body hum like a hungered, wanton woman. Then something caught my eye…
His silver wedding band on his left hand broke my momentary lapse. Was Edith here, too? Fuck. Thank goodness I hadn’t said something idiotic. Because I was about to before I had seen that blasted ring on his finger.
“Goodnight,” I managed to say before I looked away from him.
“Don’t ever step foot in here again.” His voice was loud, threatening.
I spun around to face him. Confusion and hurt contorted my face as I stared at him in shock. “Excuse me?”
His eyes were hard. Ruthless.Punishing.“You aren’t welcome here.”
“Greyson,” I gasped. “Why are you speaking to me this way? I don’t—why are you acting like a total dick? I used to come here and you weren’t bothered by it. I was just curious. I wasn’t prying or going to steal anything. Fuck!”
“That was before—when I liked to chase sluts.”
The wordslutshung in the air as our eyes battled. I could hear the clock tick-tocking in the background before I blinked once. Twice. Then the psycho-bitch in me came out and launched at him.
“How fucking dare you call me a slut! You have no right.” I slapped him before he caught my other hand, caging me in before I used my body to smash against him, wanting to do damage as I used my elbows and feet and whatever I could think of.
Greyson was quick and far stronger than I was, though. I felt utterly defeated when he backed me up against the wall, holding both of my arms down as he breathed down on me like a dragon. If he blew fire, I knew I would be charred right then and there.
