Fate (The Edge of Forever) (21 page)

“You’re getting too used to the weirdness,” I said, as I made my way to the bar stool.
 

He chuckled at me. “Breakfast will be ready in a few.”
 

I took a deep breath letting the scent of vanilla fill my lungs. “It smells amazing.”

“Shawn dropped off your bags this morning,” he said making his way back to the stove.

“This morning? What time is it?”

“About ten thirty,” he paused from his task facing me. “You seemed exhausted, Gaby,” he looked at me with concern. “Each time I’ve seen you, you look...” He exhaled, shaking his head he turned back to preparing breakfast. “You haven’t been eating have you?”

“You know food has no nutritional value for me,” I joked.

Grayson’s expression showed he didn’t think it was funny. “Fine, feed then.”

I sighed. “No, Grayson, I haven’t. Not until last night.” I smiled suggestively. Grayson smiled in response.

“Speaking of feeding,” he placed a plate of food in front of me, “Shawn dropped off a small cooler with your clothes. I put it in the fridge for when you needed it.”

“I’m feeling pretty satisfied right now.”

Grayson chuckled taking his seat next to me. I looked down at my plate and smiled. He had made French toast. It reminded me of the first night I had spent with him when I couldn’t pull off French toast to save my life. I took a bite and it was delicious. We sat in silence enjoying the food and one another’s company.

After we were both finished, I stood and grabbed both plates, took them to sink, and started washing the dishes. It seemed only fair after Grayson did the cooking.

“You know,” Grayson walked up behind me slipping his hand around my waist, pulling me against his chest. He nuzzled into the side of my neck, whispering, “I was surprised to find you still in my bed when I woke. It hasn’t happened since the first time we were together.”

I dried off my hand before turning in his arms. “Would you like for it to happen again?” I ran my hands up his muscular chest.

“Very much,” Grayson’s hand slid down my back then slipped it under the shirt I was wearing, groping my ass.

“Okay,” I moaned.

His hand froze. “Don’t tease me, Gaby. I want nothing more than to wake up next to you every morning, if possible.”

I slid my hand up grasping the back of Grayson’s neck, pulling him down to me stopping just before my lips. “If you want me to stay the night with you, I will.”

His face knitted with confusion. “I thought... Your mother...”

I nodded. “I know. Something happened while we were apart.” I smiled. This was it. I was going to tell him about my arrangement with Anton, if that’s what you called being forced into dating someone. “I’m now considered an adult in the eyes of the nest. I don’t have to answer to my mother anymore.”

“So, you can stay with me?” he asked.

“Not every night, but...”

Grayson kissed me, silencing me. His hands on my hips lifted me on the counter, then busied himself undoing the buttons of my shirt. In an instant, I was naked and his mouth was on my body. My neck, my shoulder, my breast, he worshiped every available inch. With a groan, he stepped back shoving his lounge pants down, releasing himself, then his mouth was back on me. Without much effort, he slid inside me. I was lost in the emotions and sensations. Everything else forgotten, including the conversation we needed to have about Anton.

Chapter 11

Kiss to Save a Life

After a day of falling back into bed with Grayson, repeatedly, dinner was a welcome arrival. Grayson was finally going to show me how to cook and we were making spaghetti.

“Okay, so the first thing you want to do is to put water on to boil. Then you are going to start browning the hamburger meat.” Grayson gave the directions and I followed.
 

“But for your first time, we’re going to cheat,” he said holding up a jar of pasta sauce. “My mother’s side is Italian so I don’t do marinara sauce like this very often. It’s basically a sin.” He explained it was easier to season a pre-made sauce than to try to make it from scratch.

Once the meat was browned, Grayson went to open the jar. I tried my best to stifle a smile when I saw he was struggling. I grabbed the jar from him and with very little effort, thanks to my vampire side, I twisted the top off.

Grayson gaped at me for a moment.

“I’m sorry. Did I just emasculate you?” I spoke with a teasing tone, protruding my bottom lip giving him my best pouty face, not thinking that I very well could have done just that.

He grinned at me wickedly before smacking me hard on my ass. I yipped jumping forward. Vampire or not, it still stung, but vanished quickly. Forty five minutes later, we were sitting down to the first meal I had ever cooked, and it wasn’t too bad either. I guess Grayson was a great teacher. With full stomachs and sexually sated, we curled up on the couch together. Grayson held me tight against his chest, his arms wrapped around me under the blanket that was covering us. Each breath allowed his intoxicating scent to fill my lungs. The TV was on, but after the physically and emotionally exhausting day I had, and the extreme comfort I was experiencing, I soon was drifting off to sleep.

I woke just as Grayson was laying me down in his bed. I wrapped my arms around his neck before he could stand.

He chuckled, “I’m sorry, baby, did I wake you?”

“Mm, hmm.” I lifted myself up to his lips. Our kisses started out light when suddenly something snapped in Grayson. He groaned against my mouth, covering my body with his, settling himself between my thighs.

“God, Gabriella! I don’t think I will ever get enough of you,” he whispered removing the clothes that were separating our skin from touching. I felt my body fill with desire as his words sank in. And I was lost in him again.

The next morning, I sat on the bed wearing only a sheet, holding my cell phone.

“What are you doing?” Grayson asked. He was lying on his back, his arms behind his head with only the sheet covering from the waist down. He looked deliciously sexy.

“I want to take your picture.” I pointed the camera on my phone at him.

“Now!” He exclaimed blocking my phone with a swipe of his hand.

I giggled, “Yes, now. I won’t take anything inappropriate. It’s just...” I trailed off.

“What baby?” He sat up on his elbow.

I shrugged, “It’s just when we broke up... I realized that I had nothing to remind me of you. Nothing. Just my memories.”

“Gaby, I’m not going anywhere, remember?”

“I know, Grayson. It’s just something I want. I know it’s silly.”

Grayson studied me for a moment, then letting out a deep sigh he said, “Alright.”

“Really?” I gasped in disbelief.

“Baby, you just want a picture. It’s not like you are going to post it on Facebook or anything. Come on.” He grabbed my phone. Using the front facing camera on my iPhone, he took his picture. I giggled, wrapping my arms around my knees. Quickly, he turned the camera on me snapping a picture.

“No, Grayson. I look horrible.” I turned my face away.

“Gaby, look at me.” I kept my head turned. “Come on baby, look at me. I won’t take your picture. I promise.” I turned slowly towards him, my face buried in my knees. “You never look more beautiful to me than you do when you are naked in my bed.” I smiled. He slowly raised the camera and took my picture again. Yanking it from his grasp, I started snapping away.

We traded off, taking photos of each other. Then we started taking pictures together. I giggled, enjoying every minute. 

After lunch, it was time for me to leave. Sundays were the day the blood bank made their weekly delivery.

“When can I see you again?” He asked, watching me dress.

“Whenever you want. We could do dinner tomorrow.” I hated leaving, especially after not being with him for the last couple of weeks. I felt we had a lot of time we needed to make up for.

“Hmm...” He padded his way across the room towards me. “I was thinking.”

“About?”
 

“If you can stay overnight, I think maybe you should leave some clothes here. I can clear a drawer...” He trailed off.

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s just...” I cut him off with my lips, not needing to hear anything else. “I take that as a yes,” he chuckled.

“Yes!” I shrieked. I was thrilled. It felt like the last few weeks had never happened. Everything was just picking up where we left off.

“You’re so easy to please and there’s this.” He held up the spare key I had left in the mug by the door when I left him. “Just don’t give it back to me again, alright?”

I shook my head hastily.
Never gonna happen.
I had my taste of life without Grayson and I never wanted to experience that again. The only way he’d get the key back was if he asked for it. “Thank you. I love you Grayson.”

“I love you more, baby.” He kissed me on my forehead. “John will give you a ride home.”

“Grayson...”

“No arguing, Gaby. You can have him drop you off a block from your apartment, but I don’t like you wasting money on cabs when I pay for a full time driver.”

Seeing his resolve, I nodded.

He looked at his watch. “You better get going.”

“You trying to get rid of me, Mr. Alexander?” I teased.

“Absolutely not, Miss Carmichael. In fact, if I could,” he lowered his voice, “I’d throw you back in my bed and never let you leave.”

“I’m not sure that would be a good use of my talents, Mr. Alexander,” I teased. I was enjoying the game we were playing.

“Oh, but that is where you’re wrong, Miss Carmichael. You are very
talented
in that area, like so many others and I can find many uses for those talents.”

I giggled. “It’s tempting,” I slid my hands around his neck, “but you’re right. I gotta get going.” I gave him a chaste kiss “but I’ll see you tomorrow for dinner.”

He nodded, “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Alright.” I kissed him again before leaving.

John met me downstairs. He held the door open for me to climb in the car. I gave him the address a block from the nest and we took off. After a few moments of silence, John broke it.

“Might I speak frankly with you, Miss Carmichael and trust it not get back to Mr. Alexander?” He asked. His eyes met mine through the rearview mirror.

“Of course,” I said with all seriousness.

John sighed. “I have been Mr. Alexander’s driver for many years, and know far more than I care to divulge, but in all that time I have never seen him care for any other woman the way he does for you.” I smiled softly as he continued. “When you left him, I’ve never seen him that miserable. He loves you very much. I’m just trying to say, that I’m glad to see you both back together and please don’t hurt him again.”

I smiled at John’s protectiveness over Grayson. “Leaving Grayson was a mistake, John, one I have no intention of repeating.”

He nodded. “Very good.”

We were quiet the rest of the drive.

***

Wednesday night, I was lying in my bed on the phone with Grayson. After Sunday, I hadn’t been back to his apartment. I was too worried that with my new found freedom, I’d be enticed to stay the night. Yes, I was allowed, but even being allowed, I didn’t want to trigger the suspicion of anyone, least of all Anton.

“What are you wearing?” Grayson whispered suggestively.

I giggled, “The same thing you saw me in earlier.” I was wearing a white long-sleeved button up shirt with a short black vest that seemed to hug my breasts, with black pinstriped slacks and closed toe gray heels. “And why are you whispering?”

“I’m still at the office,” he sighed, “and I don’t want Ms. Giles to hear me talking dirty to my girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend slash party planner,” I corrected. 

He chuckled lightly. It was one of my favorite sounds in the world. “My mistake.” He let out a deep breath, “I wish I was coming home to you tonight.”

“Me too,” I whispered curling into myself. I wanted to spend every night with him, it just wasn’t possible. I still had to keep his safety in mind.

“I wish I could see you tomorrow, but I have a late business dinner. How about a double date Friday? Lunch and dinner, where you spend the night and possibly the weekend with me?”

I still hadn’t told Grayson about my plans with Anton. The longer I put it off, the harder it was to tell him. It would seem like I had been keeping it from him. Which wasn’t entirely the case, I just wanted to tell him the right way and I just hadn’t found my moment, but now I was running out of time. “Sounds perfect.” I needed to tell him now. I had to see Anton tomorrow. Anton had already made a point of stopping by my room to remind me. “Grayson...” I started, but the words wouldn’t form past the lump in my throat.

“Oh shit!” He seemed oblivious to the fact I had been trying to say something. “I forgot I have something Saturday. I have to go to brunch with some fancy restaurant people and I’m looking at buying their chain across the state, but after that, I’m all yours. Hang on.” I could hear the rustling noise of him covering the phone. “Hey baby, I gotta go, but I’ll see you Friday, just meet me at the office. I’ll try to call you later. Bye Gaby.”