Turbulence (11 page)

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“I. Can’t. Do. It.”

Greyson put his fist against his mouth to keep from laughing
at Avalon. Her arms trembled with the force of her effort as she attempted to
lift the bar from her chest for the bench press exercise.

“You’re fine. There are not even any weights on it.” She was
just lifting the bar and he was behind her as a spotter.

“It’s too heavy.”

Greyson lifted the bar and put it back on the rack above her
head. This was exactly why he told her she needed strength training. She was
small, but she didn’t have to be pathetic. Someone might think twice about
messing with him, but Avalon was ripe for the taking. He was putting an end to
that.

She sat up, rubbing her hands together. “Can’t you just
teach me the punches and kicks and stuff like Amelia did?”

“Amelia and I have different techniques. I’m supplementing
what she taught you. You need to build muscle. You can’t even lift the bar. I
gave you a light one: 15 pounds.”

“I’m just not strong, Greyson. I won’t ever be like Amelia.”

“Of course you won’t. You’re you and I’m quite fond of that
fact. Anyway, Amelia is a machine. Get up. Time for squats.”

She wrinkled her nose but followed him over to the rack of
dumbbells. He was looking forward to this part and was glad they had the
workout room in the farmhouse because Greyson couldn’t say he wouldn’t have
went crazy if he caught other men checking her out in her body-hugging workout
gear. And he knew without a doubt they’d gawk at her.

“Grab two five pound weights. Stand with your feet hip-width
apart and hold the weights out with your arms extended. Then squat like you’re
going to sit. Got it?” She nodded. “Good. Do that for about five minutes.”

It was difficult focusing on Avalon’s technique when all his
eyes could zero in on was how great her butt looked in those fitted pants when
she squatted. Greyson bit his lip to keep from taking her down on the mats and
having his way with her.

This abstaining thing was harder than he thought it would be
and it had only been a week since he swore he wouldn’t try to have sex with
her. He never had a reason to hold himself back before. Women tended to throw
themselves at him and when he was done with them, he threw them back. On to the
next fish in the sea.

Avalon wasn’t the love ‘em and leave ‘em type. That didn’t
mean he didn’t want to do very intimate things to her all day every day.

“Okay.” She glanced over her shoulder, her face beautiful
and flushed. “I’m done. What’s next?”

Greyson slipped his hands around her waist. She smelled so
good, like vanilla and fresh perspiration. He never felt this need before to
constantly be around a woman, to hold her and touch her. He brushed his cheek
against hers.

She giggled. “That tickles.”

“My facial hair? Do you want me to cut it?”

“No. I like it. It suits you, but if you want to cut it,
I’ll do it for you.”

Greyson usually only shaved when he remembered, which meant
he tended to always sport facial hair. “I’d like that. As long as you do it in
the nude,” he added.

“Greyson!”

“I’m kidding. Time for pushups.”

She spun around in his arms. Her black brows squeezed
together to form a single one. “Pushups? My arms feel like jelly and my legs
are tired.”

“Good. That means what you’re doing is working. On the mats,
Avalon.” He cocked his head. “Unless you want to be on top of me. I surely
wouldn’t mind it.”

Avalon dropped down to the floor quicker than a person with
a fatigued body should have been able to. “Does everything have to be sexual
with you?”

“Yeah. Pretty much.”

He got on the floor with her to do pushups. She only managed
to do one the regular way before having to put her knees down for extra
support. They had a lot of work to do before Greyson would be satisfied with
her fitness level in terms of strength and endurance.

Running a mile would probably take her forever. That’s why
he planned to get her up in the wee hours of the morning every day to complete
it until her finish time hovered around the ten minute mark.

If the time ever came where she was accosted, fighting and
self-defense were good when it was necessary, but he preferred her not to have
to do those things. If she was able to get the hell out of dodge and find him,
that would be even better.

Chapter 11

Avalon didn’t sleep over at all during the weeks that passed
no matter how much Greyson asked. His womanizing past was pretty much to blame.
Though a big reason, it was not the only one. She had yet to tell her
grandmother about them. He wasn’t even allowed to come over to the cabin when
Veeva was there.

When they spent time together, it was usually during
workouts or when he managed to pull her away from her household duties for
brief periods in order to steal kisses and whisper things in her ear that made
her blush.

Avalon was growing on him. It was not love, of course. Never
love. Yet Greyson was extremely fond of her. Tonight, he had a surprise for
her.

He walked into the farmhouse. Avalon was putting away the
last of the dinner dishes. After he’d told her how much he loved her hair, she
had taken to wearing it in a single braid down her back, instead of atop her
head in a knot or bun.

Avalon twisted around upon hearing him enter. “Do you need
something? I think there is one last slice of pie left in the fridge.”

“Don’t want pie. Can you come with me?”

“Umm, sure.”

He grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs and to the
locked door of his bedroom. His pulse quickened with nervousness. Never had he
worked this hard to please a lady in his life.

“Before you go in, don’t feel any pressure. I’m not
expecting anything.” He unlocked and pushed open the door and pulled her in.

She froze beside him, taking in the room. Since him being
with other women in here bothered her, he decided to remedy that.

“You got a new bed,” she uttered in awe.

“I got a whole new bedroom set.”

The set was still dark, but not black like he tended to lean
toward. Dark brown wood. The comforter was green and blue with some type of
funky design on it. The lady at the store said it was both manly and feminine,
something for a couple.

“When did you do this?” She ran her hand over the comforter.

“This past weekend.” She had weekends off and he made up an
excuse as to why he couldn’t see her. “I even got someone to come in and
cleanse the room, including the carpet. I want you to feel comfortable in
here.”

“Oh, Greyson.” Avalon threw herself into his arms. “You
didn’t have to do this.”

He shrugged as much as he could with her clinging to him.
“Just thought you would appreciate it.”

“I do. I really do.” She pulled back. “Does this mean you
expect me to sleep with you?”

He hated that was the way she perceived him. “Doesn’t mean
that at all. Just thought if you’d like to spend the night here sometimes that
you can. No one will be allowed up here except you and me, sunshine.”

She smiled. It was like the sun itself burst into the room.
“You are so different than I thought you would be.”

“You mean you thought I was a jerk, an ass, insensitive,
conceited… Should I go on?”

Avalon bit her full bottom lip. “I thought you were those
things, but you’re not.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, Lonnie Girl, but I am all those
things.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“That’s your prerogative.” Just because he had a soft spot
for Avalon didn’t mean he was changing his ways and becoming Mr. Congeniality.

Greyson walked into the bathroom and snatched a clean white
towel from the rack and a bottle of almond oil from the cabinet.

“Take off your dress and lay on the bed.”

She paled. “Greyson, you don’t have to prove anything to me.
You’re a jerk. I get it.”

“I’m not trying to prove anything. Just lay on the bed,
Avalon.” He sighed. She looked like she was afraid he was going to kill her. “I
want to give you a massage.”

“Why?” He couldn’t much blame her for being skeptical.

“Your muscles have to be tired. I’ve been putting you
through the wringer for the past few weeks. I just want to massage you. That’s
it. If you want it to go further then you give me the word. If not, that’s
fine. You’re in control.”

Avalon wrung her hands while she thought. He wanted very
much for her to say yes. The thought of his hands gliding over her body was
enough to make him need a cold shower.

She finally responded, “Okay, but just my back.” Greyson
could live with that. “Can you turn around?”

He gave her his back and heard a swish of soft material as her
dress slipped from her body. Then the bed groaned when she got onto it.

“All right. I’m ready.”

He turned back around. Though only the upper portion of her
body was exposed and she was flipped over on her stomach, Greyson had never
seen a more beautiful body. Her skin was so smooth and creamy that he felt
unworthy to touch it with his big, rough hands. That didn’t stop him, however.

Greyson sat on the bed, laid the towel over the lower part
of her dress and squeezed oil into his palms. The moment he started rubbing it
into her skin, a moan escaped her lips.

“Do you like that?” he asked her. Her muscles were tight.

“It feels so good,” she murmured.

He worked his way from her neck down to the small of her
back. By the time he was done, she was snoring softly. Greyson laughed to
himself. He had been told he had magic fingers, though the women saying it
hadn’t been receiving back massages at the time.

A part of him—a huge part—wanted to venture lower beneath
the dress that still covered the bottom half of her body. As much as it killed
him, he wouldn’t do it without her permission.

Even after he returned the bottle of oil to the bathroom and
cleaned his hands, she remained sound sleep. She had not mentioned staying the
night, but she looked so serene and content that he didn’t want to disturb her
by waking her up. She worked so hard for everyone else the majority of the day.
A little bit of rest was what she needed.

Greyson didn’t usually sleep this early, but he pulled off
his shirt and stretched out beside her.

----

Avalon felt a weight press onto her chest. She cracked her
eyes open. It was still dark outside, probably early morning. The last thing
she remembered was Greyson’s strong hands kneading into her stiff, sore muscles
before drifting off to sleep.

Falling asleep at his place wasn’t as alarming as finding
Greyson’s head nestled against her breasts. Her naked breasts! She must have
rolled over while she was asleep because her dress was still around her waist.

His warm breath tickled her flesh as he slept. Though the
position they were in was less than ideal, Avalon kind of liked it. It made her
feel closer to Greyson in a private sort of way.

His blonde hair had flopped across his eyes. His mouth was
opened slightly. Sleep gave him a rather tranquil appearance, instead of the
severity that always captured his features during waking hours.

Avalon ran her hand down his enormous bronzed arm. Greyson
probably had more muscle in one arm than she had in her entire body, though he
was trying to fix that with those brutal workouts he put her through.

He shifted, nestling her breasts. Avalon froze when his hand
grasped onto her right breast and squeezed. It wasn’t hard but just enough to
shoot an unfamiliar sensation between her legs. It frightened her.

She tried to move his hand. It only caused him to groan.
Something long and hard pressed against her thigh. She might have been
unfamiliar with the act itself, but Avalon knew what lead to sex. Greyson was
asleep, yet his body was very ready.

“Greyson,” she whispered. He rolled her nipple between his
thumb and forefinger. Goodness, it actually felt good. The next time she said
his name, it was more of a pant than a reprimand. “Greyson.”

Her legs scissors together against the heat between her
thighs. She was vaguely aware of him coming awake. That didn’t mean he stopped
what he was doing or that she wanted him to. Greyson applied equal attention to
her other breast. As he pinched both nipples, Avalon thought she’d scream from
how delightful it felt.

He rolled her over so that he was lying beneath her. She
looked down at him, saw the passion in his cocoa brown eyes, the sparkling
flecks of gold. Within that gaze, she also saw a promise that he wouldn’t hurt
her. She believed him.

Greyson kept his eyes on her as he guided her down to him and
took one nipple between his lips. His wet mouth sucking on such a sensitive and
private part of her thrilled her in a wicked way. He rubbed the other bud,
tweaking it with his fingers then kneading her breast. She found herself
grinding against the hard length of him to relieve the pressure of her core.

“Oh, Greyson.”

He switched sides, taking the other breast within his mouth.
It didn’t take long before a strong feeling built within her belly and flowed
between her thighs. Unexpectedly, Avalon cried out from the sensations and
allowed them to take her across a boundary she never dared cross before him.

She collapsed onto Greyson’s chest, her breathing labored.
It did not take long for reality to hit her. What did she just do? Avalon
rolled off him, turned her back and put a pillow over her head. She behaved
like a loose woman. What must he think of her?

“Avalon?”

“Don’t.”

“It’s okay, sunshine. You don’t have to be embarrassed. You
were beautiful.”

“I acted like a prostitute.”

He chuckled and pulled the pillow away from her, throwing it
to the floor. “No, you didn’t. Trust me. You’re nothing like a prostitute. Not
that I’ve ever had one.”

Greyson crawled to the other side of her since she refused
to look at him. She felt so exposed. Avalon crossed her arms over her chest.

He sighed. “Avalon, there is nothing wrong with what just
happened. There was no sex involved.”

There might have been if she hadn’t caught herself in time.
Then whatever relationship they had would have been gone. She wasn’t ready for
that. She was just getting used to being with Greyson.

“I don’t want you to dump me yet,” she said in a strained
voice.

Greyson brushed away strands of hair from her face. “That’s
what’s bothering you? Avalon, I have no plans of leaving you now or any time in
the near future. I like you more than I’ve ever liked any woman. Probably
because you do have morals. I respect that.”

“How can you respect me when I just… When I just…”

“Orgasmed?” he supplied with a smile. She winced and nodded.
“It’s a part of life, Lonnie Girl. As a matter of fact.” He lowered his voice.
“It gets me hot knowing that you can do that just from what we did. I’m going
to have to take a long, cold shower after this.”

He gestured to his lap. His manhood strained against his
jeans. Yet he made no moves to relieve it. She wished there was something she
could do and knew there was, but she wasn’t ready for that. She was barely able
to accept what just occurred.

“You don’t think badly of me?” she asked, still cautious to
believe his words.

He responded, “Of course not. Do you think badly of me?”

“No.”

“Well then, we’re in a good place. Come on. Get up. It’s
about five o’clock. Time for your morning run.”

Avalon groaned. She couldn’t catch a break.

----

“You need to tell her.”

“I am not.”

Telling her grandmother about Greyson was not happening
today. Avalon did not feel like being lectured on why Greyson was bad for her.
She finished wiping down the kitchen counters.

His lips pulled into a scowl. “You’ve been staying with me
every night. How long do you think saying you’re working late and need to sleep
over will work as an excuse? You’re going to slip up one day, Avalon.”

“You’re putting too much pressure on me.” Since their
intimate encounter they had grown closer but not close enough for Veeva to know
about the relationship. Definitely not about the things she and Greyson did
together.

Greyson crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at
her. “Are you ashamed of me?”

This conversation could not have been odder. It was like
their roles were reversed. It should have been her asking him if he was ashamed
of her. Avalon laughed to herself.

That frown of his got deeper. “I’m glad you see this as a
joke. For once, I’m trying to take a woman seriously and you throw it in my
face. Call Ross or Amelia to walk you home. I’m out of here.” He turned away
and stomped up the stairs.

Avalon rubbed her forehead. She was not ashamed of Greyson
at all. Who in their right mind would be? He was handsome, strong,
compassionate, and the leader of their people. And that’s what scared her.
Their relationship terrified her. At any second she expected him to tell her
things were over between them.

Telling her grandmother and being open about it in the
community would make their eventual breakup even harder to get over. People
would stare and whisper about her.

Greyson was the first man she ever cared about in a romantic
fashion. Yet, he repeatedly told her that he was not interested in being in
love or bonding. This relationship was a dead-end. Why make it harder by making
a temporary situation public?

After putting away the dinner dishes, Avalon called Ross to
walk her home. With the year already slipping into December it got darker
sooner. If you were out alone Greyson recommended calling a sentry for escort
or walking in a group. He was all about being safe lately.

With her wool coat buttoned up to the top, Avalon jogged
down the porch stairs when Ross came into view.

“Hey. Thanks for walking me home.”

“No problem.” He gave her a quick one-armed hug. Mind shield
was up. “Haven’t seen you much since Greyson switched my schedule to give me
time off to go to the community dinners. Though I like Bear’s food, I still
miss yours.”

“I make dinner nearly every day at the farmhouse. Why don’t
you stop by?”