I nod slightly in response, the movement only perceptible to him. He clears his throat, and suddenly all eyes are on us at the far end of the fire pit. I can feel my cheeks heating.
“Spencer and I are going to have to call it a night,” he says, his voice cracking slightly as he attempts a casual tone.
“Aw, boo.” Ally pouts. “It’s still so early.”
“I’ve got an early morning tomorrow morning, and Spencer is tired from her trip back to Heartwood,” he lies. A sorry excuse. I flew back yesterday and I feel fine, except for the pulsing between my legs and the feral need to climb Grady.
“Sure, okay,” Ally concedes, but Mason, Hudson, and Jett are eyeing us both with suspicious glares and knowing smiles.
We excuse ourselves, Grady leading me by the hand around the front of the cabin and not waiting a single second to pull me into him. He grips my chin with his forefinger and thumb, tilting my head back to look at him.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he growls. “I’m going to need you to sit very still on the back of my bike tonight, or else I’m not going to be able to control myself.”
A cheeky smile spreads across my face.
“No promises.”
He brushes his lips across mine before whispering against my mouth.
“I don’t want to have to punish you when we get home.”
Heat radiates through me again, and Grady is now striding with motivation and purpose towards his bike.
Once we’re on, I only wait until we’ve turned onto the main road before I reach down from where I’m holding his waist and run my hand flat along his length, pressing against his jeans.
Over the rumble of the motorcycle, I feel more than hear him groan, and he twists his hand on the throttle to accelerate.
When we pull up to the house, Grady is the first to jump off the bike, and he comes around behind me, lifting me off the bike with ease, and carrying me right to the front door.
“Don’t we need to be married before you carry me over the threshold?” I say with a giggle.
“Oh, don’t worry, Rebel,” Grady says as he pushes the door open with his foot, “I fully intend on marrying you.”
Before I know it, he’s carried me up the stairs and straight into the bedroom we share, the one he decorated for me.
He lays me down on the plush duvet and climbs over top of me, resting on his elbows on either side of my head.
“Fuck me like—” I start, but he’s cut me off with a finger on my lips.
“Tonight, I’m going to fuck you like it’s the first time of many. I’m going to fuck you like we get to do this every day for the rest of our lives, and I’m not going to take one single second for granted. I’m going to savour every moment.”
His lips meet mine, and my mouth opens for him, our tongues rolling together. Like they’ve done this a million times before. Like they’ve had practice. But the feeling that blooms in my chest is not one that I’ve ever felt before. Complete and utter abandon. Because I am safe. Grady makes me feel safe.
He makes love to me, and when we finish, I fall asleep nestled in the crook of his arm, in the room that I always fell asleep imagining would one day be mine. I no longer have to imagine it.
The life I always dreamt of is mine.
I’m home.
SPENCER
ONE YEAR LATER
“Spencer,did you send me the list of contestants for the cocktail contest?” Eleanor asks, poking her head up over the wall of my cubicle. Below her are pictures I’ve hung on the half-wall that forms my workspace. Some of them are of Grady and me, others are of me with Ally and Hazel. In all of them I’m smiling bigger than I ever have. I’ve smiled a lot this last year, and I have deeper crow’s feet to show for it. I love it.
“Should be in your inbox right”—I click the enter button on my keyboard with a dramatic flair—“now.”
“Love it.” Eleanor gives me a thumbs up. “I can’t believe how many more people signed up this year.”
