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“Perfect.”
They called in an order to Ellen’s and ran by the movie kiosk outside the Piggly Wiggly while they waited for their order. When it was ready, they returned to her place and settled in for a long, lazy evening together.
The food was good and the movie was funny. They curled up together on the couch to watch it. It was such a simple thing for them to do—the kind of thing a normal couple would do on a night in without giving it any real thought. And yet, for Pepper, it felt like more. It felt like Grant was supposed to be in her house all the time. It was as though he had been installed as a permanent fixture in her house during the renovations.
And she liked it that way.
The house was nice, but it seemed a little cold and solitary without him there. For a long time, her life had been compressed into such a tiny space that she didn’t notice how lonely she really was. Now that she had use of every square foot of her home, it was easier to see the empty places that Grant helped to fill. It was a scary thought, one that bothered her more and more as they spent time together. It shouldn’t be a problem. She should be happy that she was falling for a great guy, but there was a gorilla in the room that only she could see. She just knew that at some point, that big hairy ape of a secret would crash in and ruin everything.
That left her a choice: keep her distance and protect herself, or go with it and enjoy every moment she could to the fullest.
She couldn’t stop this thing they’d started. Their relationship was picking up momentum, rolling downhill and taking her along for the ride. She didn’t want to get off of it, either. Pepper wanted Grant. She wanted to be able to throw all caution to the wind and give herself to him. The more time they spent together, the more she saw through his bad-boy façade. She pushed him to be himself. It seemed like letting some of that go made him happier.
She supposed the decision was already made. The battle was lost, future heartache be damned.
Snuggling against Grant’s chest, Pepper sat up and leaned in to gently kiss him. He was healing well, but she was still careful about what parts of him she touched.
“How are you . . . feeling?” she asked with a seductive curl of her lips as they parted from his.
Grant’s gaze met her own, a heat lighting the blue depths of his eyes. “Better every second. Unless you want to dress up in a sexy nurse costume, then I’m feeling poorly.”
Pepper laughed and placed her palm softly against his cheek. “Sorry, no nurse costumes.” Her fingers sought out the top button of his shirt and worked down until his hard chest was exposed. “But I can give you a very thorough sponge bath.”
Grant groaned at the thought, his eyes closing for just a moment as her fingertips strayed across his chest. “There’s only one problem with that,” he said. “I’d have to let go of you and there’s no way in hell I’m doing that. Not tonight, not ever.” Lifting his head, he pressed his mouth to hers and punctuated his bold words with an equally bold kiss.
Pepper leaned into him, sensing a difference in his touch. There was a demand in his kiss, a claiming of her. He’d just said he wasn’t letting her go and she could feel that in the way his fingertips pressed into her flesh and his tongue thrust into her mouth. She was his.
They shed their clothes as best they could without separating or brushing against his bad arm. Despite his injuries and the tension of the last week, there was a drive in them to come together. After potentially losing him in that accident, she wanted to touch him, feel him inside her again. When he pressed into her welcoming body, Pepper felt them slowly merge into one. She clung to him, their bodies perched precariously on the length of the living room sofa, as
they rocked together.
Every thought, every worry seemed to fade away as Pepper lost herself in Grant. She rode the wave, reveling in his touch as every gasp of need was somehow amplified. When their climaxes hit, they hit together, holding tight to each other as the pleasure surged through them.
As the last of the energy drained from her body, she collapsed against Grant’s chest. Lying there with his heartbeat pounding in her ears, she realized they’d just made love. Not just sex. It was real, it was raw, and she could already feel it slipping through her fingers.
The bright beams of sunlight came through Pepper’s bedroom window and right across Grant’s eyes, pulling him out of a deep sleep. With a grumble, his eyes fluttered open and he looked around. Pepper was curled up beside him on her side.
He stretched, rolled over to press himself against her back, and gently placed his bad arm over her waist. Leaning in, he nuzzled at her ear with his nose.
She made a soft sound of protest and wiggled against him as she reluctantly woke up. “Good morning,” Grant said with a voice rough from sleep.
“Good morning,” Pepper replied as she rolled onto her back to look at him. Her auburn hair was wild, a bright contrast to the pastel yellow pillowcase. Her eyes were squinting as she adjusted to the bright light and there were pink marks marring her pale face from smashing her cheek against the pillow.
She was a mess, and the sight of her made his chest tighten. Grant wanted to scoop her into his arms, hold her close and never let go. He’d meant what he said last night. He was amazed at just how quickly Pepper had gone from an object of desire he chased to someone he needed every day just as surely as he needed oxygen. When he got hurt, she was the only one he wanted by his side. And he wanted her there every day.
Maddie had been stunned by his confession the other day that Pepper might one day be a part of the family. In the moment, so was he. And yet the words had leapt from his mouth because it felt so right. The idea of him going back to prowling the bar for a lady to entertain him for the weekend was extremely unappealing. Pepper had ruined him for other women.
And yet, he was worried. Pepper, for all her smiles and kisses, didn’t seem to be as invested. He didn’t know what secret she was keeping, but he could tell it was eating at her. He could feel her hesitation in their interactions and he couldn’t help but think the two things were related. Things between them started changing after Valentine’s Day and her visit with her mother. He could tell she was still attracted to him, but that wasn’t enough. She was holding back, afraid to fully give in to their relationship and he was certain whatever she was hiding was the cause of it.
Grant wasn’t sure how to be in a relationship that hovered in limbo while they both waited for the other shoe to drop. They needed to get past this if they were ever going to work out as a couple.
Pepper looked over at the clock by the bed stand and his gaze followed her. It was just before eight. “What time do you have to be at the salon?” he asked.
“A little before ten. That’s when my first client comes in and I need to clean up from last night’s late walk-in appointment.”
“Mmm . . .” he said thoughtfully, drawing his fingertip along her bare collarbone. “That’s very inconsiderate of him. Perhaps he can make it up to you by buying you breakfast.”
Pepper smiled. “I think that’s a good start.” She leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips. “I’m going to hop in the shower if you’d care to join me.”
