Chapter Fourteen
Mal
Grayand I spent the rest of the weekend together. Every time I thought about leaving, I decided I didn’t want to. And she didn’t seem keen for me to go, so we just kind of stayed together, alternating which apartment we spent time in.
There was sex, yes, but there was also snuggling and watching tons of Christmas movies and talking about embarrassing moments and actually getting to know each other outside of sex.
The more I learned, the more I liked, and it was a real problem.
I was truly and completely fucked. I knew that from the moment our eyes met at the kink potluck. If I had any sense or self-preservation, I would have run.
That wouldn’t have worked, because I would have seen her again in the elevator, but maybe.
But since time travel still wasn’t a reality, I had to deal with the current state of affairs. Or liaisons, I guess.
I was falling, totally and completely for Gray Harris. She was just so bright and beautiful and fun and sweet and goofy. I wanted to crawl inside her skin. Even when I was literallyholding her in my arms, I wanted to get closer. Wanted to touch her more.
She still had work for a few days the following week, so I ended up having to be without her for those days. I spent them pretending to work, listening to Christmas records, trying to figure out what the fuck I was even going to give her for Christmas, and checking on Dandy. The night before she had to work, she’d very casually given me her door code, and I’d been so shocked that I’d blurted mine out without even thinking about what this meant for us.
It was basically like trading keys, and we still had only known each other for a few weeks. Panicked, I messaged Corinne asking her if it was too soon. She sent back an eyeroll emoji.
Corinne: Is this what “U-Hauling” means?
Mal: That would be if we moved in together. But doesn’t this seem like a big step for someone I’m not even technically dating?
Corinne: Love, I think you’re dating. The word you use doesn’t matter, the definition does.
Mal: You’re going to tell me to talk to her again, aren’t you?
Corinne: That’s right. Hey, my parents say hello.
We moved on to talking about her being home with her family in Boston and I braced myself to have another talk with Gray. The first one had worked out, so maybe this would too?
“I’m free!”Gray called out when she came into my apartment on Christmas eve afternoon. She’d been messaging me all day, counting down the hours to when she’d be free from work for the holiday.
“Hey,” I said, coming to greet her at the door. She’d already changed out of her work clothes and had put on the slippers she always wore.
“Happy Christmas Eve,” I said, pulling her into my arms for a kiss.
“Happy Christmas Eve.”
We held each other for a while, and I got to smell her hair and feel her melting into me and it was the best part of the day. I had really fucking missed her.
Gray leaned back but didn’t let go of me.
“Are you hungry, or did you want to just sit and chill for a little while?” I asked.
She seemed to think about that. “Is it weird that I want to get you naked immediately?”
My eyebrows went up. “Not weird at all, baby. I love giving you what you want.”
Chapter Fifteen
Gray
I wasin serious trouble because I was absolutely falling in love with Mal. If I hadn’t already. It was all very overwhelming and confusing and terrible and wonderful. I hadn’t experienced this intense pain and pleasure in my chest when I looked at someone before. Not even with Alina. Yes, I had loved her, but not likethis.
Nothing had ever been like this.
