Page 42 of Grant’s Flame

I traced some designs into the center of his chest while taking another deep breath. “Well, first…I know I haven’t been easy to deal with lately, and I’m sorry about that.”

“Rio. You have good reason to be on edge.” He started rhythmic strokes up and down my back, soothing me beyond measure. Would there ever be a moment when the man didn’t know exactly what my body, mind, and soul needed? God, I hoped not. But this was about more than my stress levels right now. This was about me confronting the ways they’d made me act out.

“You can’t keep making excuses for me,” I asserted. “At some point, I have to take responsibility for myself and my actions.”

“I like taking care of you. I wish you would understand that. It feeds my Dominant nature.”

“I do understand that. But taking care of a few everyday needs for me is one thing. Enabling me to live in denial about a mental health problem is another thing altogether.” I watched him with a fixed stare until he answered. After he gave a gentle nod, I was more comfortable moving into the more practiced part of what I’d wanted to say. I didn’t want to give him a lecture, and I certainly wasn’t interested in blaming him for anything. For the first time in my life, I had some clarity on the way I was feeling and what was going on with me. It was essential to share it all with him if he was going to continue to be in my life.

“Sometimes when you care about someone, the hardest thing you ever have to do is sit off to the side and watch them hurt—or even worse, to hurt themselves.”

He pushed out a meaningful breath. “Yeah. I understand that.”

“I know.” As I said it, he took my hand in his. I paused to smile. Such a small action, but the silent display of his support meant so much. Once again, I was infused with new courage to go on.

“But as we both know, a person has to be ready to see a problem for herself.” I smiled coyly in his direction while using that particular pronoun. “And until she’s at that place, she may be blind to what everyone can see. But then, one day, something clicks into place, and she moves into the light. The place where she realizes she needs help. But more than that…that she really wants it.”

I stared back at him over my shoulder for a couple beats, hoping like hell he was hearing what I was trying to say. I got my answer in the most perfect way, as he lifted our joined hands to his lips and kissed our knuckles where they came together.

“Whatever you need from me, baby, I’m here for you. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met by far. If anyone can rise to a challenge and conquer it, it’s you. I also know you’re not a quitter. So even if there is tough work ahead? You’ll do that too. I believe in you, Blaze.”

My voice faltered when I tried to speak, and I could actually feel my chin tremble. “Th-Thank you,” I finally managed to whimper. I turned fully and climbed onto him like a little bear cub. I just needed to be enveloped in the haven of this man’s arms. I was scared to death of what was wrong with me, and feeling Grant all around me would give me the comfort and strength I craved.

While I cried into the crook of his neck, Grant quietly rocked me in his lap. When I finally exhausted the very last tear and sniffle I could possibly produce, he leaned back to get a better look at me. After surveying the damage, he grinned that charming but devilish grin I had come to enjoy so much.

“Uh-oh.” I narrowed my watery gaze, waiting to see what had the man smirking.

“What, uh-oh?” he asked, affronted that I seemed suspicious. He did, however, produce a handkerchief from a pocket somewhere and handed me the convenient white linen cloth.

“Nice try, Twombley. Don’t forget, I know you as well as you know me, and that grin”—I stabbed my index finger toward his smug smile—“usually means trouble.” I sat forward on his lap but only moved about six inches before he stopped me and hauled me back against his chest.

Grant pressed a wet, lingering kiss just below my ear, and I shivered when the cool night air met the dampness on my skin. “Where do you think you’re going?” he growled against my flesh.

“I just figured you’d want to get up.”

“Oh, baby,” he groaned. “Can’t you feel it?” He ground his cock up into my ass as if answering his own question. “The only thing I’m interested in getting up?” He thrust his hips up into my bottom again before finishing his comment. “Already is. The question now is…what shall we do about it?”

Chapter Nine

Grant

Three days later, we were strolling through the palm-lined streets of Honolulu for the last time. Our port of call would soon be in our wake, and we’d be cruising home toward Los Angeles. Many boxes had been checked off the mental list of things I wanted to accomplish on this getaway, but a few essential items remained.

Each time I thought I finally had an opportunity to address one of the issues left unspoken, we were either interrupted by the crew, fell into bed in a tangle of lips, tongues, and naked body parts, or simply fell into bed from exhaustion. After Rio’s night of self-discovery on the bow of the boat, I started to suspect the brat was doing it on purpose just so she wouldn’t have to deal with more hard topics.

The woman blew my mind that night—even though I always knew she possessed the bravery to face her fears. Shit…most of the time, it felt like I believed in her more than she believed in herself. However, the stars aligned just right for her self-empowerment that night or some sort of cosmic dribble like that. The end result was what was worth celebrating. The cherry on top of the personal growth sundae? Rio came to all the conclusions on her own. Nothing was forced by me or anyone else.

Hearing her finally admit she needed professional help lightened my mood more than I thought possible. By the next morning, I was even ready to call Bas and Abbi and apologize for being such an irritable ass lately—until Rio saw the number I was dialing and snatched my phone from my hand and refused to give it back. Little did she know, sticking my device down her tiny sleep shorts didn’t provide much of a deterrent. More like a challenge I was ready and willing to accept.

And conquer with a victory flag flying at a very stiff full mast. Silly girl.

“What are you Mr. Smiles about?” Rio asked, bumping her shoulder into my side as we walked. I used the moment as an excuse to sling my arm around her shoulder and keep her body close as we ducked under the awning of a little jewelry shop.

“Just thinking about some of my favorite memories from this trip.” I made sure to capture her gaze before finishing. “I’m happy we got to spend this time together and away from LA.”

She tentatively rested her palm on my chest and smiled. “I am too. Thank you for risking so much to do this.”

It was such a tender moment for her. For us. None of her usual smart mouth comebacks or bitter comments to cover her discomfort with dealing with emotions. The public display of affection, however small it was, was an unexpected surprise too.