“Luckily, James agreed to attend the wedding so that you can finally catch up!” Meredith cheers, clapping.
Kate at least appears slightly uncomfortable with their mom’s excitement and offers Jill an apologetic smile. “Come sit. You and Grayson are with Vince and me. I’ll introduce you to everyone on the way.”
Without another glance at the asshole with the pit vipers perched on his head and his dress shirt untucked like a slob, wefollow Kate toward the table. Those still sitting don’t sway from their conversation with Jill’s father, and I use the moment to press a too-quick kiss to her temple.
She tilts her head and meets my eyes, her chest turning pink. “What was that for?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to.”
It seems to be answer enough. Our fingers stayed linked through every introduction, and even when her father offers me his hand, I can’t make myself release hers. She continues stroking my knuckles as we take our seats, and I stare directly across the table at James.
It’s not the placement I was hoping for, but now that I think about it . . . it’s not all that bad.
7
JILL
“So,you’re Jill’s boss, correct?” Mom asks.
Grayson answers this question with the same confidence he’s had during the last thousand. From the moment we sat down, he’s had a target on his chest. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t prepared him for, and he hasn’t shown any sign of being annoyed. I wish I could say the same.
What started out as innocent enough enquiries into his life and his story has quickly turned into low-blow shots. He’s weathered them well, not so much as blinking when the judgment started. I’ve chalked that up to the confidence that I’ve witnessed him harness on multiple occasions.
Regardless of whether he’s in a tense meeting with the mayor or giving the small group of us in the office a spiel on workplace expectations, he wields this very specific type of power. That edge of authority that would have intimidated me if he were anyone else.
I can’t pinpoint exactly when I stopped thinking of him as this untouchable God and instead as my friend. All I know is that one day he was my boss with the sharp stare that had my kneesshaking if I were in his vicinity for too long, and the next, he was just . . . Grayson.
“Yes. She’s one of the best employees we have,” he replies smoothly.
At the end of the table, Dad nods into his glass of whiskey. “And it isn’t an . . . abuse of power for you to be together?”
“Great question, Howard. I was wondering the same thing. Surely, there must be some HR requirement for this sort of situation,” James says, joining in with a fast clap of his hands. It’s a lame attempt at agotchamoment.
Grayson doesn’t back down or stumble for words. He speaks with just as much conviction now as he did before the first course and it became a free-for-all.
“I wouldn’t consider it an abuse of power when Jill carries most, if not all, of it between us, regardless of my job description.” He places his hand firmly on my thigh, and I watch his face as he steals a quick look at me. There’s a tingle in my spine that makes me shift in my seat, far too pleased with his statement. “And HR doesn’t have a rule against workplace relationships. However, we’ve both been briefed on the expectations they have for us in order to keep the office a safe environment.”
“I think that’s great. Penalizing people for falling in love has always seemed cruel to me,” Kate states pointedly.
James’s following hum is heavy with annoyance. “I’m just looking out for our Jill. We don’t want her getting taken advantage of.”
I lean forward, my thigh muscle tightening beneath Grayson’s heavy hand. The wineglass I’ve been slowly drinking from is suddenly much too light as I take a long swig and set it down a bit harder than I meant to.
“‘Our’ Jill?” I snap, my patience disappearing with a flip of a switch. “You’re insane.”
Mom jumps to action, her gaze stabbing into me. “Oh, let’s not be hasty here. I don’t think James meant it negatively.”
“I think that’s the problem,” Grayson starts, gliding his hand to the inside of my leg as if offering me an anchor to hold on to. I take it, quickly covering his fingers with mine. There’s no warmth left in his voice when he focuses on James. “You’re overstepping. And while I’m fully confident that Jill has no further interest in you, I’m going to speak freely when I say that you need to back off.”
My head feels like it’s floating.
It’s impossible not to stare at my “boyfriend” as he calmly yet with an unmistakable sharpness levels my ex. Warmth swells through my middle before turning to molten fire that trickles down and down . . .
The pressure from his hand seems to crawl higher up my thigh as I wiggle. Suddenly, my dress is too tight, and I’m worried that I’ll sweat right through the thin silk. Opting out of wearing panties for dinner tonight was a conscious choice, considering how obvious they would have shown through my dress. But now, as I feel the wetness beginning to pool in my core, I’m well aware of what a mistake that was.
My throat tightens. If he moves his hand any higher, he might be able to feel the mess I’m making. Shit, I’m going to be soaked at this rate.
Grayson turns his head and meets my gaze. His eyes are demanding as they prod into mine. I swallow, and my throat bounces, telling on me. He’s too observant to miss the heat I can feel pulsing at my chest and up to the base of my throat. My arousal is intense, far more than it’s ever been. Given that we’re currently sitting at a table full of my family members, it’s not the ideal time to be going through this.
