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“No, I don’t. Not for a second,” I say, a shiver rolling up my spine.
“You look cold,” he says. “Come here.”
And so he moves closer, tucking me into his side, his arm behind me over the back of the cushion. I look down at my bare thigh pressed against the gray fleece of his joggers, feel the warmth of his bare chest through my thin T-shirt. I allow my eyes to rake over his abs, to appreciate the way the grooves and valleys of his muscles shine under the soft glow of the porch light. He is all chiseled perfection, with the perfect amount of body hair that makes him look like a man.
And I ache to run my fingers over him. I want to trace a finger over every line and valley, then run my fingers further down the trail of hair that disappears into his sweats.
He squeezes me so I’m even closer to him. To anyone on the outside looking in, it would seem like we are a couple, enjoying each other on a warm summer night. The truth is so much more complicated.
But I have to admit, this feels so good.
We fall silent for a short while as his foot rocks us gently back and forth, the sound of the waves in the distance crashing against the rocks. Eventually Grayson breaks the silence.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the moment you showed up here on Haven,” he says softly.
I draw in a shaky breath.
Grayson, on the other hand, is solid as a rock, not moving, waiting for me to say something. I sit up, turning to face him, and I can see from the unwavering look in his eye that he wants me to give in to him. To give in to the attraction that is always there between us, floating in the air, lying at the surface. And I want to.
But we can’t.
We are forbidden.
We would upset someone who means a lot to both of us.
I find the strength to pull my hand from his and stand, pointing a finger from me to him. “You know why this can’t happen.”
I take a step towards the house, but one is all I get before Grayson grabs my hand, then stands and pulls me closer into him. My skin blazes where his fingertips touch me, one hand on my forearm, the other on my hip. I drop my eyes to the ground, knowing if I take one look at his bare chest so close to mine, all bets are off. I won’t stand a chance.
“Look at me, Sierra,” he says, his voice thick like honey. The gold and green flecks in his brown eyes stare back at me. “I’m tired of fighting this between us. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life and I think you want this too.”
“It doesn’t matter what I want, Grayson…” I inhale sharply as his hand cups the side of my jaw, my eyes momentarily closing at the feel of his hands on me in a possessive way. I keep them closed, savoring the way I feel when his thumb traces my bottom lip, then the edge of my jaw to my ear, like he’s studying every inch of me.
“We can’t be together,” I manage, my voice powerless, weak.
“I don’t care.”
“My brother will.”
Both of his hands grip my jaw, tilting my chin and forcing my eyes to meet his. His expression is heated, intense. It’s the same look he gave me earlier in Jake’s kitchen. A rush of heat floats down my spine, and a blip in my heart rate follows when he says…
“Weboth want this, sunshine, and that’s all that I care about.”
Sunshine.
His voice is rough and husky, but then he whispers my name like a plea, and I am done.
Grayson lips part, and I close my eyes, ignoring every voice inside my head that warns me not to do this. And I surrender, wanting his lips on mine almost as badly as I want my next breath. Another rush of heat covers my whole body this time as I wait for his lips to seal to mine.
He leans in, his mouth so close that the slightest move by either of us would give us the relief we both need. I ache everywhere.
It feels intoxicating.
My adrenaline surges.
I’m powerless to fight this any longer.
All the air rushes out of my lungs when his lips brush lightly over mine. I want to taste him again. It’s been so long, and for a little while I did remember how he tasted— like lime and sugar —but after a few months, that memory faded. What I never forgot was the way his mouth felt sealed to mine. His lips, soft but demanding, making me forget about every other kiss before and every one that would come after. Grayson ruined me for anyone else.
