Page 49 of Grant’s Heat

Rio collapsed beneath me, and after a few minutes, I got up to dispose the condom and wash up. I was back beside her soon, pulling the covers over us both. I could already hear soft, snuffly snores coming from her side of the pillow and chuckled. I knew I’d gone at her pretty hard, but I’d also hoped she’d fall asleep on her own for a change. Hopefully we could make it through till sunup without a night terror, and we could both get a solid block of rest.

Robert, the cat, came and settled between us on the bed and started purring. The soothing tone lent a calming soundtrack to my rioting thoughts. Before I knew it, I was waking up to nature’s morning light streaming in through the curtains.

Robert was stretched out where the sun’s beams crossed the bed near the footboard, and I quickly realized the damn black-and-white cat was the only pussy I’d be touching this morning. Rio was already awake and absent from the room.

Chapter Nine

Rio

“Ugh,” I moaned while pressing my thumbs into my eye sockets, trying to alleviate the pain. The ibuprofen I took when I first sneaked out from under Grant’s warm, gloriously naked body still wasn’t doing the trick on my pounding headache. I was getting too damn old for this kind of punishment after overindulging even just the slightest bit.

But my real indulgence had come after the shower guests left. Then the champagne I had carelessly tossed back, glass after glass, gave me the tenacity to finally reach for the brass ring—aka Grant Twombley.

Reach? Ha! The experience was more like cliff diving into a red Solo cup. The man and I had been flirting with sexual danger for far too long to have any semblance of control once a little alcohol untethered the albatross of guilt and loyalty to my deceased husband. After I said goodbye to those shackles, all bets were off on acting like a lady.

Oh, but the familiar burden was back now. It felt like an anvil around my neck. If I weren’t pulled down by the weight of guilt now, the repeated stings from the shame I was lashing myself with would be my undoing.

And still, the desire to crawl back into bed with him and do it all over again—right now—was strong enough to say fuck it all and just do it. Live in the moment and just feel good.

How could that be wrong?

Friends and family had been encouraging me to start living again. They wished I would find healthy ways to reclaim my life and move forward. Well, sex was a natural, healthy form of expression, right? After the night of revelation I’d just had with Grant, I could come up with a list of things I’d like to express to the man.

My ridiculous train of thought made me laugh out loud, breaking the silence of the empty kitchen.

“What’s so funny?”

I spun around like the gorgeous hunk had brought a string of lit firecrackers with him. After taking him in, my heart sped as if he really had. The man, standing half-naked and beautifully disheveled, had never looked more godlike. His scratchy, morning-after voice was just as perfect. The rough sound raced up my spine, filled my ears, and then sent its sultry impact down through my whole body.

“You’re awake!” I stated the obvious and turned to face him. It would’ve been impossible to miss the erection tucked behind his unbuttoned jeans. My eyes seemed to have their own agenda this morning, widening as I stared at his crotch and then licked my lips.

“Careful, girl,” Grant rumbled as he took a menacing step closer.

I could actually feel my heart rate quicken. When he took the second step in my direction and I smelled his familiar scent, I swayed toward him.

“What cologne do you wear?” I blurted out. “I love it.” I closed my eyes and took another deep sniff. As a woman who spent so much time focusing on culinary art, I was acutely aware of smells. So often they went hand in hand. There was an incredible combination of different trees and citrus in his cologne and something distinct I just couldn’t put my finger on. I closed my eyes and concentrated harder, really taking the challenge to heart.

When Grant spoke, he was inches from my ear. “What are you doing?”

“Smelling you.”

He chuckled silently. It was that sexy thing he did when his body laughed but no sound came out. I looked up to find his gorgeous ocean-blue eyes staring back down at me. Without warning, he lifted me by the waist and set me on the kitchen counter, aligning our faces closer. He tried to nudge his way between my legs, but I wasn’t cooperative with his mission.

A predatory sound came from the back of his throat before he said, “Let me get closer to you, Blaze.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“We both know it’s a terrible idea.” He thought for a second and grinned. “But it’s too late for all that. Now do as I say and spread your legs.”

The second time he pushed at my knees, I allowed him to arrange my thighs to accommodate his frame. Something about his deliberate movements and the quiet confidence in his tone had heat and desire instantly throbbing at my core.

A tight, needy moan escaped from my lips before I could slap my hand over them. Grant kept his stare fixed on me while he easily pulled my palm away from my mouth. He slid it down, resting it beside my hip on the countertop.

“Don’t hide from me. I love the sounds you make when you’re getting hot.”

“You…you do?” I croaked.

“Mmmm, I do.” He ran his nose along my jaw to my ear and then kissed me just under the lobe. God, it all felt so good. In a wild rush of thought, I imagined it wouldn’t take much coercing to have me right back in the guest bedroom, out of my clothes, and waiting for him to enter me any damn way he pleased.