Page 130 of Getting Down to Business

“What’s going on?” she asked him and got an incoherent mumble for an answer. “Come on, big guy. Let’s get you home. You reek.”

“I don’t want to go home if she’s there.”

“Who’s she? Me?”

He blinked and then let out a sigh. She guessed that was all the reply she needed.

“Look, I know you’re upset, but I can’t leave you outside all night where people or things will piss on you. So get up and come home. Don’t be a baby.”

“I am a baby. No, I’m worse than a baby, I’m a teenage girl. I’m all about feelings and shit,” he slurred while attempting to stand.

“Feelings really suck, don’t they?”

No answer.

He was able to walk, though he was leaning heavily on Alyssa’s offered shoulder.

After the first half block, she realized walking was going to take too long and she hailed a cab. The first driver took one look at Grayson and kept going. The second one didn’t seem as selective, but frowned as she maneuvered him into the backseat.

“He’d better not get sick in my cab,” the man threatened.

“I think he’s okay. It’s not far. Just two blocks.”

Two blocks later, she shoved at Gray until he woke up again. She tugged him out of the cab. She’d never seen him so bad off and wondered what he had been drinking.

“Were you doing shots?” she guessed.

“Yeah,” he told her. “A whole bunch of them.”

“I see.”

He groaned when the elevator moved, and for a moment Alyssa thought it was all over. He took a deep breath and reached for the wall to steady himself. When the door opened on their floor, they stepped out.

Alyssa opened the door and Gray headed straight for the sofa.

“Oh no, you don’t. We need to get you out of those clothes and cleaned up first. Someone pissed on you.”

“Did I piss on me?” he muttered, looking down.

Alyssa hadn’t considered that possibility, but studied him again.

“I don’t think so. Not that it would matter. You still need to get cleaned up first.”

She guided him to the bathroom and helped him with his clothes while she turned on the water.

“It’s very ‘roary’ in here,” he said, making her laugh at his made-up word.

“Come on.” She helped him get the offending pants off and tossed them toward the trashcan. Then she pulled down his boxers and assisted with his socks while he managed to get his shirt partway over his head. “Here. Let me,” she said, pulling it back down and undoing the buttons before pushing it off his shoulders.

She glanced down at her denim shorts and T-shirt and decided to go in with him to help, worried he’d drown otherwise. She washed his hair and lathered up the soap, paying special attention to the offending leg. As she stood up, she saw he had taken notice to her bending down in front of him and his body had responded to her closeness.

He made a strangled sound as she stood and turned him to rinse. He slumped back against the wall and hung his head.

“Why can’t you love me, Liss?” She didn’t know what to say so she said nothing. “Please just love me the way I love you. Everything would be so much easier if you could love me. Why…?” He faded off as he leaned his head back against the wall. Water dripped from his nose, lips and chin as he squeezed his eyes closed. “I wouldn’t ever hurt you. Please, Liss?”

In that moment, she didn’t see him as the guy she was trying desperately not to fall in love with to save her heart, but as the man who already had her heart, and wanted to give her his own in return. Grayson was safe. It was that simple. The fear washed away and the answer was easy.

“Okay,” she whispered and leaned up to kiss his wet lips. Water poured all around them as she let her feelings for him well up around her like the steam in the small room, comforting and warm.