Lauren nodded slowly as she processed everything Grey had just said. “I liked it too. I would be lying if I said that I’m not attracted to you, and I’m not looking for this to be anything serious, but I don’t want to compete with a ghost. I don’t want to be with you, and know that you’re thinking about her.”
The left side of Grey’s mouth quirked up in a small smile, and she shook her head almost sadly as she reached up to tuck an errant curl behind Lauren’s ear. She lingered in the touch for a moment before she let her hand fall away. “It wouldn’t be like that.”
Lauren sighed. There was an openness in Grey’s expression that told her it was the truth, but she was still not convinced that this was the smart thing to do. For as much as she enjoyed kissing Grey, and for as much as she was sure she would enjoy doing more than just kiss, she did not want to do anything that would hurt her in the end. “So what do you want to do?” she asked, leaving the ball in Grey’s court, trusting that she would make the decision that was best for her.
Grey’s smile widened as she leaned in and captured Lauren’s lips in a slow kiss that simmered with relief and possibilities. “Whatever we want,” she murmured as she pulled away. The sound of excited voices had her looking up toward the back deck, and she sighed as she spotted three little tow-heads bounding into the salon.
“We’re baaaaaaaack!” Peyton and Max sing-songed, swinging t-shirts over their heads excitedly and slashing at the air with plastic pirate swords. “We got shirts and swords!”
“Me too!” Reid echoed, jumping up and down and waving his prizes in the air.
Grey took a discreet step away from Lauren, who was running her hands through her hair to try and put herself back together, and smiled at the boys. “Lemme see ‘em!”
They both listened intently as the boys rehashed their entire trip ashore, including an animated discussion of whether or not the bearded man they saw in one of the stores was a “real life pirate!”, and Lauren smiled when Will and Kim ushered the boys toward their rooms to get ready for bed. “Are you guys going to want a nightcap and dessert or anything?”
“If it’s not too much trouble, that would be great.” Will tipped his head in thanks. “The boys ended up hogging the sundae we got to share at the restaurant.”
“That explains their energy,” Lauren chuckled. She waved at him to go after the boys, and turned toward the fridge. The small of her back felt heavy with the weight of Grey’s eyes on her, and she sighed as she pulled the fridge door open. “You know, I can feel you watching me.”
“Really?” Grey smirked and glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were alone as she sidled up behind Lauren. She ran a light finger down Lauren’s spine and chuckled softly at the way Lauren twitched under the playful touch. “Can you feel that too?”
“Yes.” Lauren let out a shaky breath as she leaned back into Grey. The chill pouring from the fridge stood in stark contrast to the heat coming off the woman behind her, and she shook her head. “And I really need you to stop that now.”
Grey’s eyes fluttered at the roughness in Lauren’s tone, and she could not resist leaning in to brush a soft kiss across her cheek. “Are you sure about that?”
“Go give your mom a kiss goodnight,” Will’s voice carried through the salon.
“Unfortunately,” Lauren whispered. “We are not alone, and if you keep teasing me…”
A wolfish grin pulled at Grey’s lips. “What?”
Lauren shuddered as the many possibilities of what she could do flashed through her mind. “Grey,” she said, the brunette’s name a warning. “Please? I need to make this dessert for Will and Kim.”
“Fine.” Grey nodded as she backed away. “Later?”
“I’m shakin’ my hiney!” Peyton sang at the top of his lungs. “I’m shakin’ my hiney!”
Grey and Lauren turned to find him standing in the middle of the salon in his Spiderman pajamas, wiggling his little ass and grinning like a maniac.
Lauren laughed and reached out to give Grey’s hand a gentle squeeze as Will swept the hiney-shaking boy into his arms and “flew” him into his bedroom. “Later sounds wonderful. Maybe when we’re alone?”
“Yeah,” Grey sighed and shook her head, not even bothering to try and hide the longing she could feel burning in her gaze. “Later.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THE SOUND OF the sliding doors to the salon closing drew Lauren’s eyes away from the plate she was busy drying. It was impossible to keep from smiling when Grey turned toward her with a playful grin, and she took a deep breath as she forced her attention back onto her work. Although her eyes were on the plate she was drying, she was acutely aware of Grey’s presence, and her pulse picked up speed with every quiet footstep that approached her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end when Grey stopped behind her, close enough to feel the warmth of her body, but just far enough away to not be physically touching. An expectant shiver rolled down her spine when Grey’s hand landed lightly on her hip, and she licked her lips as she set the plate in her hand down and turned to look at Grey.
Grey wrapped her other hand around Lauren’s waist and stepped into her so that their hips were pressed lightly together. She dipped her head to let her lips hover tantalizingly over Lauren’s, and smiled at the sound of Lauren’s breath catching. The last two hours had been torture, forcing herself to play the attentive hostess when all she wanted to do was pin Lauren to the nearest surface and kiss her until they were both completely out of breath. “So…is it ‘later’ yet?”
The feeling of Grey’s breath against her lips kick-started Lauren’s idling libido, but she did her best to not let that show as she gave a small, noncommittal tip of her head. “It is later, yes. And I’m quite tired.” She feigned a dramatic yawn, stretching her arms over her head and pushing her chest out toward Grey. “Was there something you needed?” She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the absolutely flabbergasted look that flashed across Grey’s face when the brunette pulled back to look at her.
The small twitch at the corners of Lauren’s lips told Grey that she was messing with her, and she smiled as she dropped a quick, friendly kiss to Lauren’s forehead. “Nah, I’m good. See you in the morning,” she said as she stepped away from her.
Should have known she’d call me on it,Lauren thought as she reached out and wrapped her hand around Grey’s bicep, pulling her to a gentle stop.
Grey smirked and stepped back into Lauren, closer this time, so that she was pressed flush against her. “Was there something you needed?”
Lauren shrugged playfully. “I don’t know. I feel like there’ssomebodyI should be doing, but…” She let her voice trail off as Grey let out a bark of laughter, and grinned. “Do you have any idea who that is?”
