AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Whatever she’s seeing in my eyes seems to put her at ease, because she smiles at me, a hint of satisfaction in her gaze. I raise my hand to her face and brush her hair out of the way. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” I whisper.
Aria grins and rises to her tiptoes, her lips finding mine. When she kisses me like that, I fucking lose it. I lift her into my arms and push her up against the window, eliciting a moan from her. The way her hands move over my body, the way her nails graze over my scalp as she buries her hands in my hair, deepening our kiss. Yeah… fuck.
She pushes her hips against mine, grinding up on me as I kiss her, and I know I need to be inside her. “I need you,” I whisper, and she nods.
The type of desperation I feel doesn’t allow me to carry her to our bedroom. Hell, I don’t even manage to get us fully undressed. Instead, I shove my underwear down and hers aside, loving the way she squirms when the tip of my cock presses up against her.
She moves on top of me, trying to get me in deeper, and I grin as I pin her against the window. “You want this cock, huh?”
“Please,” she says, her eyes glazed over with lust.
I chuckle as I push the tip in, loving the way she wants me. My girl… yeah, she’s the one. She’s perfect in every fucking way. Shewantsme. I don’t need to worry about forcing my desires on her. She wants me as much as I want her. “You want more, baby?”
Aria pushes against me, and I grab her wrists, pinning them above her head. She stares me down, her eyes filled with passion, her lips half open.
I look into her eyes as I slam into her, watching her eyes fall closed in delight. Fucking hell. “Always so wet and tight, Nyx,” I whisper, holding her by her hips as I fuck her slowly, deeply, never taking my eyes off her.
“I love you, Grayson,” she says, and I grin as I increase the pace, thrusting into her the way I know she likes. I watch her every expression, every sigh, every moan. Yeah, she wants this as much as I do.
I listen as her pants get quicker, her moans higher, and I shift her in my arms, fucking her at an angle I know she can’t resist. I watch my girl come all over my cock, taking me right along with her.
Aria and I collapse against each other, and I carry her to the sofa, lying down with her on my chest. She pulls the blanket she bought for the sofa over us, and I wrap my arms around her, trying to calm my raging heart.
Aria pushes up against my chest to look at me, and I bury my hand in her hair. “I really thought you didn’t want me, Gray,” she whispers. “I thought you didn’t know how to tell me that you were done with me, that maybe you feared harming your friendship with Noah.”
I shake my head and cup her cheek, my thumb brushing over her lip. “Baby, I’ll always want you. I won’t lie to you and say I’m no longer scared because I am. I’m terrified I’ll hurt you, but I’ll work on that. I… I’ll go see a psychologist, Ari. I know my issues are all in my head, I know it. I’ll get better. I’ll do anything to make sure I don’t break your heart again. Anything.”
She nods and presses a kiss to my cheek before lying back down in my arms. For her, I’ll go to the ends of the world if need be. The issues I’m facing… they can’t affect her. I need to make sure of it.
68
Grayson
I stare at the tombstones in front of me, feeling surprisingly nervous.
“Are you sure you want me here for this?” Noah asks. I glance at him and nod. There’s no one I’d rather have with me right now.
Since Aria had a few weeks off between projects, we decided to spend a couple of days with Noah. Coming back here as her boyfriend has been different, to say the least. Thankfully, it hasn’t been overly awkward, but joining her in her bedroom at night has been a little awkward. I can tell it makes Noah uncomfortable, but he’s been supportive. Much to my surprise, learning about my past hasn’t changed his mind about letting me be with Aria. In fact, it changed nothing for him.
I clear my throat and wipe my clammy hands on the jeans I’m wearing. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Grant,” I say, my heart racing. “I’ve never had the honor to meet you, but it feels like I have, because that’s how well your children keep your memory alive.”
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, unable to calm my nerves. “I’m here today to thank you for bringing into this world the two people I love most. Noah has been my best friend for well over a decade, and Aria… well, your daughter… she’s the love of my life. She’s beautiful, astonishingly intelligent, humble, and she has a heart of gold. I can’t tell you what she sees in me, because I ask myself that question every single day. I’m well aware that I don’t deserve her, but for whatever crazy reason, she’s chosen to be with me. When times got tough and I wasn’t sure I’d make it through, she stuck with me. She is, quite honestly, the best thing that ever happened to me. And I know… I know I’m not good enough, but I’m working on being better.”
It took me a few weeks to get into it, but I actually look forward to sessions with my psychologist now. I’m not sure how long it’ll take me to be completely sure I’m not as harmful as I think I am, but I’m getting there, slowly but surely. I’ve gotten far enough to know I won’t ever hurt Aria, and she’ll always be safe in my arms. I haven’t been able to change the way I see myself, nor have I managed to quieten my father’s voice completely, but I’ll get there.
I straighten my shoulders and inhale deeply. “I guess what I’m saying is that I’m here to ask for your blessing. I love your daughter beyond reason, beyond measure. I always will. I didn’t know feelings this pure existed until her. All I want to do for the rest of my life is show her how amazing she is. Every day, for as long as I live, I’ll do everything within my power to make her happy. I’ll cherish her and never stop appreciating all the little things she does. I’ll support her dreams and I’ll always be there to catch her when she falls. I’ll be everything she needs me to be, for as long as she’ll have me. Hopefully, that’ll be for the rest of our lives. So here I am… asking you for your daughter’s hand in marriage. I want nothing more than to make her my wife.”
Noah drops his hand to my shoulder, his eyes suspiciously watery. “Mom, Dad,” he says. “Grayson is the best person I know. I can’t think of a better man for Aria, and I know you’d have loved him if you were still around. Hell, you’d probably have loved him more than you love me. He’s just that type of guy. I truly wouldn’t want anyone else as my brother-in-law. I know you’d approve of him, so I’m giving him your blessing on your behalf.”
I look at him in gratitude, and he smiles, clapping me on the back. “I see the way you treat my sister, Grayson. I see how you look at her. You think you don’t deserve her, but you do. You two are perfectly suited for each other, and I’m happy you found each other. The two of you were always meant to be. I could see it long before you did.”
I look down, humbled by his words. “Come on,” he says. Noah presses a kiss to his palm and places his hand on the tombstones before turning toward the exit. “We’d better hurry if we want to make it home before Aria does.”
I nod and follow him out, nearly walking into an old lady with a dozen flowers in her hands. I steady her, my hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Are you okay?”
“All good, sweetheart,” she says, pushing the flowers in her hands against my chest. “Here, you take these. I was just about to throw them out,” she explains, tipping her head toward the small flower shop behind her. “You look like you have a lady that’d love them, so you have them.”
I stare at the flowers, wide-eyed. Ariawouldlove these. “Thank you,” I murmur, nodding gratefully. She grins and walks back to her shop before I can even offer to pay her for the flowers, and I turn to Noah, finding him staring at me in shock.
