Fate (The Edge of Forever) (10 page)

“I guess living with a bunch of vampires, there wasn’t a big opportunity to learn.” His hands wrapped around my waist. “I’ll show you. Let me make you dinner tonight.”
 

I trailed my hands up his chest, coming to rest on his shoulders. “I would love to,” I frowned, “but I can’t.” He raised a questioning brow. “My mother sort of freaked when I didn’t make it home last night. If I’m not home before she wakes, she’ll send out a search party.” He laughed. “I’m serious. I wish I wasn’t.”
 

He shook his head, still wearing a humorous smirk, and then he kissed my forehead. “Alright. Not tonight, but I’m keeping you for the rest of the day.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Locked up here,” he whispered against my neck, before placing a kiss on it. My heart started to race. “Just you and me.” His warm breath fluttered against my ear, just before he took my earlobe in his mouth. My relaxed feeling was dissipating fast. Closing my eyes, I slid my fingers into his hair. Grayson pulled back laughing lightly against my neck. My eyes shot open. I shoved against his shoulder, pushing him away. He was taunting me. I turned to leave. Before I was out of arms reach, Grayson grabbed my hand and spun me into his body. His lips pressed against mine. He didn’t push it deeper, he just kept it constant until I relaxed in his arms.
 

He broke away first. I inhaled deeply, “Fine, but I’ll have to take a shower before I go or leave early enough to take one at Shawn’s, because they’ll smell you on me.”
 

He smiled, “Not a problem. You’ll shower here. I don’t want to let you go until I absolutely have to.” His arms tightened around me. I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heart. “And by the way, I love that you smell like me,” he whispered before stepping away from me. “Let’s go make something to go with your toast, because if I don’t get you out of here now,” he leaned into my ear speaking quietly, “I’m going to throw you back in the bed and take you again and I don’t want to hurt you,” he sighed. “After last night, we probably shouldn’t have done it so soon. You need time to heal.”
 

I lifted my head, looking straight into his gray eyes. “I heal
very
fast.” I pulled him to my lips and all his concerns melted away.

When we finally left his room, breakfast time had passed. We dressed, and headed into the kitchen. Grayson made us sandwiches. Starving, we sat the bar, inhaling our food. I turned hearing Grayson chuckle.
 

“What?” I asked.
 

He shook his head continuing his laughter. “I was just thinking that if today is any indication of the future, I maybe have to buy supplement bars or start a high calorie diet, otherwise I’m going to wither away with you around.” My brows crinkled in confusion. Grayson looked at my face then elaborated. “We haven’t left the bedroom in over fifteen hours. We almost missed two meals...”

I cut him off, “We had dinner last night and part of those fifteen hours were spent sleeping.” 

Grayson cocked his eyebrow at me. “We had an early dinner and we didn’t spend a whole lot of time sleeping.”
 

I averted my eyes to my plate, trying to hide the flush on my face and the grin spreading across it. “Are you saying you didn’t enjoy it?” I asked lightly, before turning my gaze back to him.
 

“No!” His eyes widened with humor, “I’m saying that we need to be responsible and break for meals. I’ll need to keep my energy up.” I laughed loudly at him.

Afterwards, we laid on the couch together trying to watch a movie, which we were ignoring. I was turned facing him while we just gently kissed each other.

Around
 five o’clock, I decided it was time for a shower. Grayson jumped in with me, insisting I needed help washing my back. I ended up pressed against the shower wall with Grayson taking me from behind. I giggled afterwards with him still buried inside me, his chest pressed against my back his arms resting on either side of me. 

“What?” he whispered.
 

“I’m supposed to be washing you off of me. Not adding more to it.”
 

He laughed too. “Sorry. Seeing you naked, dripping wet like this... I just couldn’t control myself.”

As we were drying off, Grayson’s phone rang. Wrapping himself in a towel and looking incredibly sexy, he strutted out of the room. After I finished dressing in the same clothes from the night before, I followed after him. I paused in the doorway when I heard him talking to someone.

“Have the schematics sent to the office so I can see them Monday… No… Is it time sensitive...? Alright then, have it emailed to me.” Grayson turned seeing me standing there. He gave me a sexy grin, letting his eyes rake over me. That look made my insides quiver and I knew I needed to leave before I found myself under him again, I also knew that if that happened, I wouldn’t make it home before my mother woke. Then she really would send a search party out for me. “Email me the rest of the details. That will be all.” He hung up the phone and started towards me.

I held up my hand. “Oh no you don’t.”

“What?” he chuckled.

I shook my head, taking a few steps back. “I may be new to all this,” I gestured back and forth between us, “but I know that look will only led to no good.”

“Oh Gaby, it will definitely be good.”

I groaned internally. I wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms, but I had to keep reminding myself that my mother would wake soon.

“Relax, baby. I know you have to leave. I’m not trying to start anything. I just want to kiss you goodbye. Okay?”

I thought about it and nodded. I wanted to kiss him even if it wasn’t going to lead to something. Closing the distance between us, Grayson’s arms wrapped around my waist, clutching me to his chest. My hands tangled in his hair, anchoring me to him while his tongue slipped past my parted lips. We stood at the door kissing for a few minutes before I finally broke away.

“Can I call you tonight?” I smiled at his question. We just spent almost twenty four hours together and he still wanted to call me. I nodded. Then I turned and headed toward the elevator.

By the time I got back to the nest, I barely had time to change before the vampires started awaking for the night. I blurred to my room, stripped completely naked, and redressed in jean shorts and a gray tank top. Shoving the clothes I wore at Grayson’s in the closest, I had just plopped into bed before my mother stormed into the room. “Where the hell were you, Gabriella?” My heart was already beating heavy from the fury of anger she had whirling around her. I took Shawn’s advice and began thinking about my time with Grayson, which really got my heart pumping. 

“It was late, so I crashed at Shawn’s,” I said matter-of-factly.
 

“Neither one of you answered your phones. I was worried.”
 

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t planning on staying. I just passed out.”

She sighed, her anger cooling in her face. “It doesn’t happen again, or you don’t work anymore. Understand?” I nodded. “Good. Now when was the last time you fed?” Her voice was calmer. I shrugged. “Come along then.” Holding her hand out to me, I took it and followed her, grateful for the reprieve.

***

I was back in my room an hour later, lying in my bed, willing my phone to ring, when there was a knock at the door. I took in a calming breath, really not wanting to see anyone. It had taken a while just to free myself form my mother’s worrisome grasp.

“Come in.”

The door swung open, revealing Anton. 

He took a step over the threshold. “You had us all worried last night, Gabriella.”
 

“Sorry,”
 I said with as much sarcasm as I could muster. I knew I was being immature and childish, but I thought perhaps Anton would get the hint that I wasn’t interested and leave me alone and perhaps seek out Ava. No such luck. Anton made his way to my bed. Sitting down at my feet resting his foot on his knee, I looked over at him quizzically. Then I sat up as close to the headboard, which was being blocked by pillows. 

“
I
was worried about you,” he whispered. “I was sure something had happened.” He laid his hand on my thigh. I flinched and scooted a little further away. Anton eyes darkened but made no move to touch me again. 

“Well as you can see, I’m fine.”
 

His lips pulled at the corner. “Why do you resist me, Gabriella? You know I desire you. I could give you the world.”
 

“I’m good. Thanks though.” His eyes were scanning my face, when Bubbly by Colbie Calliat, rang through the room. His eyes darted to my cell phone. My heart raced, it was Grayson, but instead of excitement, panic washed over me. I grabbed the phone quickly hitting the silent button. Anton’s eyes fixed back on me. His face darkened with an unknown emotion.
 

“Are you going to answer that?” He asked snidely. I shook my head, clutching my phone to my chest. His eyebrows quickly scrunched and just as quickly relaxed. Lightning fast, he grabbed my arm, the one not holding the phone, pulled it to him. He ran his nose up the inner side up to my elbow, breathing me in. My heart pounded in panic, then he released me and at human speed he stood and walked out of my room casually closing the door behind him.
What the hell was that about?

Chapter 5

A lot of Firsts 

I was lying naked across Grayson’s warm chest. After the vampires had settled for the day, I left to climb into bed with Grayson. I had never found a chance to call him back after Anton left. I had been so worried Anton suspected something and I wasn’t going to risk him hearing my call to Grayson.

Grayson had graciously forgiven me, twice. My head was rising and falling with his gentle breathing. His heart pounded against my ear while his hand lightly strummed up and down my back.
 

“Shawn wants to meet you,” I blurted, breaking the peaceful silence. I felt Grayson adjust to look at me. I lifted my head, resting my chin on his chest. “He says he needs to give you his seal of approval.”
 

He took a deep breath, “If it’s important to you, then of course.”
 

I smiled. “It is...he is...and well, there is something I should tell you before you meet him. It’s not a big deal.”
 I tried to wave off my uneasiness.

“Is he a vampire too?”
 he said with a crooked grin.

I shook my head. “I hang out with him in the sun.”
 

He rolled his eyes. “That’s right and you’re the only vampire that can go in the sun.” I nodded. “Okay, then what?”
 

“Well I already told you he’s gay.”
 

“That’s not a problem for me, Gaby. I’m secure.”
 

I giggled at his comment before speaking. “He’s also a werewolf.”
 I crinkled my face, waiting for the blow of emotions.

He fingers paused in their strumming. “A werewolf?” I nodded slowly. He exhaled then shrugged. “Alright,” he said like it was an insignificant detail, and then continued strumming his finger against my skin, like nothing that was said was out of the ordinary. I think Grayson was slowly realizing that there was a lot more to the world we lived in than he originally knew, and he seemed to take it all in stride without missing a step.

***

Monday came all too quickly. My time with Grayson Sunday had been cut short. I had to excuse myself Sunday afternoon to be at the nest for the weekly delivery. A short while later, the vampires awoke, and I could find no excuse to leave, at least not one that would work.
 

I was putting my bag in my desk drawer when Rachel came around the corner.
 

“So, how was your weekend?” She asked with a knowing grin.
 

“Good...” I drew out, not sure why she looked so chipper for a Monday.
 

A huge smile spread across her face. “It must have been, what with that display of flowers you got this time.”
 

“What?”
 I asked confused.

“Break room.” She pointed over her shoulder to the break room.
 “Lucky,” she muttered. “I wish a man sent me flowers after he got a free ride on the magic carpet.” I looked at her, my eyes bulging out of my head. Rachel saw the look and elaborated. “The card.” She spoke like it was obvious.

I rushed out of my chair to the break room. On the table sat a beautiful vase full of white calla lilies. I read the card attached.

Gaby,

Thank you for sharing this weekend with me.

I look forward to many more Firsts.

Grayson

“Did I mention, I read between the lines,” Rachel said standing in the doorway. I turned glaring at her. I could not fathom why she thought she had the right to read my card. Of course, I knew Rachel was nosy and couldn’t stop herself from intruding in on other people’s lives, especially when I was dating a big name like Grayson Alexander.