Page 64 of Grant’s Blaze

Wiping my hands on a towel, I walked toward him and Elijah. Grant opened his arms, and I stepped right into his embrace. It was always a little awkward with the height difference, but we made the best out of the situation.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said while finger-combing my bangs off to the side.

“You are such a liar. But that’s okay because I needed to hear that.”

“Why are you saying I’m a liar? You wound me.” He put his hand over his heart like he was protecting the vital organ from damage. I expected Elijah to chime in at that point, ready with some remark that’d have me resisting the urge to punch him despite his willingness to drop everything to get here, but the man had been uncharacteristically quiet up to that point.

I sucked up my pride, peeking around Grant’s tall frame to say hello to the guy. He and I both knew we were never going to be best friends, but I could at least be cordial.

“Hi, Elijah. Nice to see you again. This is my head chef, Hannah Farsey.” I turned to where Hannah had been standing, but she was no longer there. I looked on the other side. Nope, not there either. I looked up to Grant, and he just shrugged.

“She the blonde? All-American-sweetheart-looking chick?” Elijah asked, and I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes at his rudeness. Why did everything that came from his mouth have to be so crass?

“What?” he asked incredulously. “What’s wrong with saying she looks like America’s little sister?”

“Did you see which way she went?” I figured I’d just move on to a new topic. “I’m going to clear everyone out of here, and then we’ll be able to talk a little more freely. Can you guys step outside with me for a quick second?”

I didn’t wait for their reply. I just squeezed between their large bodies and right out the side door that led to the parking lot. After I moved far enough from the building, I turned around to wait for Grant and Elijah. Thankfully they were right on my heels.

“Okay, I’m not going to tell you every detail of what happened here in the past twenty-four hours until everyone’s gone, but there’s good reason to believe someone has the place bugged in some way. I’m not really sure how much you even want to talk inside there.” I gestured back to the building with my chin. “Maybe when the lunch delivery crew leaves, I can send the rest home and we can go somewhere else too?”

The men looked at each other and had some sort of wordless conversation. No lie. It was like witnessing a telepathic discussion between two Vulcans from Star Trek.

“Okay, you two. What the hell is that all about? Do you have a secret handshake, too?”

They both grinned, and I knew that was a yes.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake. Are you going to teach it to me?”

Elijah answered immediately. “Umm, no. It’s only for the guys.”

But then the man blew my proverbial socks off. He actually winked and grinned, letting me know he was teasing.

Wait. What?

This guy had a sense of humor? I didn’t know how to process that information, but it didn’t really matter. Because while I was picking my jaw up off the ground, they both turned and headed back toward the building.

When Grant realized I wasn’t in tow, he dashed back to where I was rooted. Without a word, he dipped low, planted his shoulder into my belly, and hoisted me over his shoulder.

“Oh my God!” I laugh-shrieked. “Put me down, you—you—giant tree! Holy Christ, I think I’m going to get a nosebleed at this altitude.”

“Brat,” he chuckled and swatted my rear end.

“Hey, ow! That hurt.”

“I’ll kiss it for you later. How does that sound?”

This time, when his voice dipped to that sexier register that I loved so much, I let the sound zap me right between the thighs. I sighed as it bounced around like a pinball until I was ready to tilt.

“Promise?” I whispered as he brought me back over his shoulder to slide down the front of his body, never breaking eye contact with him as I went. More of the electric pinballs pinged through me, flying up and down my limbs now, as the man bent low and lovingly brushed his lips across the sensitive surfaces of mine.

“Always,” he uttered back.

Chapter Fourteen

Grant

Rank this right up there with trips to the dentist and having my taxes prepared. Yeah, that was fair. Oh, maybe scooping Robert’s cat box, too. I didn’t want to know what other bullshit had rained down on my brand-new girlfriend’s life because of my best friend.