“The night you gave it to me,” he smoothly corrected. “Don't let them taint a beautiful night I always think about. You called me upset, and I couldn’t function knowing how much Carter hurt you. I texted Chelsea for your address on my way back to Houston, and she called me angry with Carter. How he was still fucking her and now wanted to fuck over you. Believe it or not, I didn’t come to your hotel for sex. I wanted to be the friend I hadn’t been to you and just be there for you. But when I saw your beautiful face, eyes puffy, tears still falling, yet happy and full oflove for me when you opened the door, I had to have you. I had to show you the depth of my feelings for you.”
"It was better than I ever imagined," I whispered, briefly closing my eyes. Grey immediately took my clouds away that night when he unexpectedly showed up for me. The sacrifice he made to be there for me, and Iwasready to give him anything he asked. My heart, body, and soul.
Grey continued, “The only time we ever fought in seven years of friendship was over Carter and what I felt about him. I didn’t want to keep fighting you over a man you clearly wanted, no matter who or what he was doing. I would rather have you in my world as my friend than not speak to me because you couldn’t handle the truth about him. And I only thought he was the better man after the conversation on the beach, he and I had, when I could see that he loved you and wanted to be committed to you.
We almost threw hands at his place when I stopped by to see him. I felt guilty for leaving you. You chose me, and I let you down. I had to see if Carter loved you enough to forgive you for being with me. For a man to forgive a woman whom he believes cheated on him is a test of his strength or his weakness. I told him I was leaving school and that you would need him. That you loved him. More than me. Carter opened his door for me to leave and didn't tell me if he would be there for you. I didn't know what he decided until he showed up at our condo the day I left.” He jammed his hands back in his hoodie.
“Chelsea didn’t tell me she was pregnant for Carter. She told me she was pregnant right after I left Houston to prepare for the Olympic Trials. I asked if she needed anything or if she needed me to help in any way. She told me she could handle it. I thought Carter might have been possible, but Chelsea had been with several men that summer. Hell, she’d come on to me so strongly a couple of times that when she first told me she was pregnant, I had to remind my overactive brain that we didn’t actually havesex.” He shifted from foot to foot. “Can we sit and finish talking? Or is that too tempting for you?”
My eyes traveled over his body as I shook my head. “Just being here alone is way too tempting.”
His lips twitched. “Okay...tell me how I should move?”
“Stay right there. Moving closer definitely isn’t the answer.”
“Too bad for you, I don’t listen.” He walked past me and tugged on my hand. “We’re going to lie in my bed and talk. Pretend it’s the old days when we could lie next to each other, and sex wasn’t on your mind.”
I allowed him to pull me into the room that reminded me of our past. “My mind? So, was sex on your mind every time we were in bed together?”
He smirked. “Every single time.”
“I swear those crinkles around your eyes are so sexy,” I complimented, wondering if we could ever return to those friends, where all we needed was food and conversation.
“You mean wrinkles? My black already cracking.” He grinned harder. “Love how you romanticize aging.”
I popped his arm. “Stop making fun of me.”
“You hit hard.” He rubbed his arm before gesturing for me to sit on his bed. He kneeled before me when I sat and pulled off my heels. His hand rested on the back of my calf as he did it. I whistled internally. Grey had definitely become sexier as a grown-ass man.
“The same thing that Carter said later, after I slapped him twice.” I giggled. “You should have seen his face.”
“Um...do I want to know why you slapped him? You weren’t that woman back in the day.” He rose, and I had to force my eyes to look at his face instead of his crotch area that met my eye level, though he’d backed away when he rose.
“Because surprise...surprise...he was at the hotel with Chelsea.”
He immediately frowned. “The day after you and he talked?”
“The very next day. He called me like he was in Seattle when he never left the city.”
Grey head jerked back. “Fuck. Okay...maybe I am different from him. Why do you seem okay? That had to be devastating to catch them in the act.”
“Not in the act. They were together at the bar in the hotel. Turns out Chelsea is now in a lesbian relationship, and Carter gave them sperm so she could have a baby. He might be Uncle Carter, but that’s his baby.” I laughed at the slackness in his jaw and his stretched eyes. “I couldn’t wait to tell you because I knew you would truly get why this is all crazy.”
“Chelsea is with a woman now as much as she loves dick?” He headed to his bathroom. “Let me take a quick shower, and you have to tell me everything.”
“A shower right now?”
“You know I don’t get in my bed sweaty.” He tossed the remote at me. “Watch something. I won’t take long.”
“Don’t take one of your long-ass showers. I only have a few hours before I get the twins.”
“Ten minutes...fifteen minutes, tops.” Grey grabbed clothes out of his closet before he disappeared into the shower. I turned on the TV, flipping channels. After finding the truth about Elle, I didn’t expect him to be this cool with me. I settled onDiners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Ethyn and I had a running list of all the places we wanted to eat based on this show, and I needed to take him to one of the restaurants on the list—just a day for him and me. I’d been watching for a few minutes when the doorbell rang, and I looked toward the bathroom. Dread filled me. In the middle of the day, the only person who would stop by would be Tatianna. Then again, she was his fiancée. Wouldn’t she have a key?
I knocked on the bathroom door. “You have company.”
He cursed loudly, and I heard the shower turn off. Grey hurried out of the bathroom, wearing sweats, pulling on his t-shirt. “Stay in here, okay?”
“Tatianna?”
