AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My cheeks heat.
Sierra: Again, not too exciting… athletic shorts and a tank and my hair is a mess.
Grayson: Good God, Sierra. Do you have any idea what that image does to me?
Sierra: It doesn’t take much with you, does it?
Grayson: Not when it comes to you.
He ends the text with a fireworks emoji. The heat in my cheeks deepens. The texts he’s been sending me all week have gotten flirtier and flirtier, making it hard for me to remember why we shouldn’t be texting in the first place. Whatever thisthingis that has developed between the two of us… I have to admit it’s a lot of fun. I also have to remember that I shouldn’t be encouraging any type of relationship with Grayson, secret or otherwise.
I sigh, sending one last text before setting my phone down and getting back to work.
Sierra: I better get back to it. Night, Gray.
Fifteen minutes later there’s a knock on my door and when I open it, Grayson is standing on my porch in a light blue T-shirt that clings to his hard chest, a pair of board shorts hung low on his hips and flipflops. His hair is a tousled mess, like he’s just woken up from a nap. I stare at him, my heart dipping in my chest.
“Grayson,” I say, wondering if he can tell my pulse is thumping like a bass drum. Bright orange and pink rays from the setting sun cast a warm glow across half of his body, doing nothing to lesson how gorgeous he looks.
“Hey, beautiful.”
Exhale… that feels good, hearing him call me beautiful.I realize how happy I am to see him.
I watch his eyes dip lower, my body heating under his gaze as it roams to my lips, down to my tank, then to my legs. He shakes his head, smile wide. “Geez, Sierra, if I knew you looked like that, I would have been here a long time ago.”
This man.
“Seriously, Grayson, you are ridiculous.” I look down at myself, suddenly self-conscious of the old, worn-out tank I’m wearing and the fact that my hair is in desperate need of a wash. I brush a few loose strands from my face in a feeble attempt to make myself look more presentable. But if I look like a disaster, Grayson doesn’t seem to notice. He smiles, lighthearted and playful like he always is.
“No more renos tonight,” he announces, taking the screwdriver I’m still holding and setting it down on the entry table.
“What? Why?”
“I’ve missed you, Sierra.”
My heart squeezes in my chest. His words don’t come as a complete shock—that night on my porch it was pretty clear Grayson wanted to take things further— but Iamsurprised it feels this good to hear him say it. I have spent way too many hours this week thinking about Grayson, and now that he’s standing in front of me, I know exactly what I want.
A repeat of that kiss.
My God,it was a great kiss. I am positive I’ve never been kissed like that before, and every fiber of my being wants to feel that way again. His eyes search mine. “I want to take you somewhere.”
“Oh really? Where are we going, Grayson?”
I’m not sure why I even bother asking. The way he’s looking at me right now, I think I would go with him just about anywhere. But he doesn’t need to know that. I cock my head at him, eyes narrowed.
He smirks as if to saycan’t you just work with me here?“We’re going paddle boarding, like we talked about.”
“Right now?”
“Right now. And don’t bother arguing, Sierra, because I know you want to come with me.”
I rest my hands on my hips. “Is that so?”
His brown eyes glimmer under the evening sun. “It is. You’ve missed me just as much as I’ve missed you.”
“What makes you think that?” I ask, even as a shiver passes over my skin.
“I can’t be the only one who’s been thinking about that kiss all week,” he says, looking at me with a sudden intensity. “At least, I really hope I’m not.”
