Page 39 of His Build
Any remaining sleepiness shot out of her as self-doubt made her heart hammer in her chest. She clutched the sheet up against her chest as Graydon clapped the phone back on the table.
What had she done? What hadtheydone?
Graydon turned to face her. When he saw her eyes were open, he grinned.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Morning.” Her voice was more prim than she’d meant it to sound.
She needed to get him out of here. She had to work with Graydon for the next—
Lucy’s rambling train of panic was cut off by Graydon swinging his body over hers. He rested his weight on his elbows, then leaned down and kissed her. When his lips touched hers Lucy’s whole being flooded with the heat of it, washing everything else away. She felt like she was floating, like they were whirling around together, melded into one person.
So it wasn’t just last night.
When he finally pulled his lips away from hers he stared into her eyes. Then he slid down a few inches and pressed his forehead to her chest. She ran her fingers through his hair, wanting to stay here, just like this, all day.
But Graydon’s phone buzzed again. He growled.
“You better get that,” she said.
“Do I have to?”
“Come on,” she said, laughing. He groaned and rolled off of her, sitting up against the headboard. He peered into the screen.
When he turned back to her, his expression was apologetic. “Chris again. You’re right, I better get this or he’s going to disown me.”
He stood up and answered the call. “Hey Chris,” he said, giving her a wink before turning around and facing out the window to the lake.
The little look he gave her sent a burst of fireworks off in her belly. But on its heels was a shadow. She was losing control. Lucy dug her fingers into her palms, trying to quell her runaway hormones. Unbidden, her mind replayed the whole night they’d had together: the first time he’d touched her, when she thought she was going to lose her mind if she didn’t feel him inside of her. The hours spent lazily making love in this bed and the shower. Their late night skinny dip.
Graydon, standing stark naked like a god in the middle of her motel room, leaned over and picked a towel up off a chair, wrapping it around his waist. “Chris, one sec.” He stepped out onto the balcony.
If Graydon weren’t here, Lucy would have gone straight down to the lake. It was her go-to for clearing her mind. But she couldn’t do that with Graydon standing out there on the balcony. She was too exposed. And what if he joined her? How could she think with him next to her in minimal clothing? She barely had a handle on herself when he was around her fully dressed.
She got up and went into the shower instead.
Turning the water on as cool as she could stand it, she lathered herself up, trying and failing not to remember the last time she was in here. Graydon, pressing her up against the tile, the sensation of him entering her from behind.
For a single moment, she allowed the surge of feeling to spread between her legs… and in her chest. Then she gripped the faucet, her heart pulsing.
What are you doing? Since when do you let a guy get in your head like this?
She’d lost herself to him last night. She’d have given him anything he asked.
And she did. As they’d lain there, her head curled into his chest, she’d told him about how she’d grown up with her mom and stepdad and sister, and how she’d wanted to get away from her hometown as fast as she could. She’d loved the countryside where they lived, but life with her stepdad had been oppressive. And her mother hadn’t stood up for herself because she thought the only way to have a complete life was to have a man in it. Even if it was Stan.
She turned off the shower.Remember that, Lucy? The whole reason you don’t do relationships?
But this wasn’t a relationship. This was just a physical interaction. That’s all. They had to work together for another few weeks, then she was going home to New York.
The reminder of this loosened the tight feeling in her chest a little. This was just a fling, that’s all. Exactly what she had wanted. She didn’t have to worry about getting too close—she was going to be leaving soon enough.
By the time she was toweling off, she was back to feeling okay about having Graydon in her room again. Hell, if it was early enough, maybe they could have another roll before it was time to get to work. But when she peeked around the door of the bathroom, her room was empty.
Her heart dropped.
Lucy stepped out and looked around, in case he she had somehow missed him.
