Thinking about it now made me blush, and I crossed my legs under the table, trying to stop the throb that began between my legs. If a kiss had made me feel that way, I wondered what it would feel like if we stumbled further down that forbidden path.
A few hours were simple to waste away in the lab or at Sal’s in the ring, but with Matthew, it dragged, and I was glad to finally arrive home and put an end to the evening.
“I really hope you enjoyed the night,” he said as we got inside.
“It was… nice.”
“You’ll let me take you out again?”He sounded so hopeful that I didn’t know how to decline.
“Matthew,” I started gently.
“We make a good team, Quentin. I just want to show you it doesn’t always have to be at work.”
What would be the harm in agreeing to another date? He might not have thrilled me, but Matt was polite and had a decent job. He put his foot in his mouth at times, but he treated me well enough.
“Okay,” I said eventually. “We can do this again.”
“I need to get in early to discuss some things with Gareth, so I’m going to call it a night.”
“Thanks for tonight.”
“You don’t need to thank me.”
There was an awkward moment as we stood in the hallway. In a film, you might have expected us to share a goodnight kiss, but in reality, I just nodded and slipped past him to walk into the living room. The night hadn’t warranted even a brush of lips. Maybe next time.
I jumped when I saw Grayson lounging casually on the sofa. He closed the book in his hands and sat up slowly.
“For fuck’s sake, Grayson.” My heart hammered away in my chest.
“Not joining him upstairs?” he asked spitefully.
My jaw twitched as I tried not to rise to the bait.
“Well,” he asked expectantly, arching an eyebrow. “Did you enjoy your date?”
I slipped the bag from my shoulder and kicked off my heels, dropping to my actual size. “Yes, actually. I did.”
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Of course, you are,” he persisted. “How can you enjoy a date, even with that idiot, when you’re in love with someone else?”
Of all the arrogant things Grayson said, assuming I was in love with him, had to top the list.
I looked up to give him a piece of my mind, but the words were lost when I saw he had a small velvet box in his hand. As he snapped it open, the colour drained from my face and the ground fell away from beneath my feet. The interior of the box lit up and illuminated a white gold band that hosted a pear-shaped diamond nestled in deep green velvet.
“Quite the ring, Scott,” Grayson said, peering down at it. “I wouldn’t have thought it was your style, but you’re full of surprises.”
He adjusted the box, so the light caught the rock.
“You’ve been in my room,” I whispered, eyes never leaving the ring.
The memories all flooded back, pressing down on my lungs and my heart in the most violent way.
The brain was a fascinating organ that worked to protect you. Mine malfunctioned at the worst times. We maintained a love-hate relationship where it usually won and pulled me under the current of misery.
“I wanted to know what kind of person I’m living with, considering we can’t seem to have a single civil conversation,” Grayson mused.
