“Hey,” I murmur softly. Awkwardly.
He tips his chin up at me in response.
“He’s going to be okay,” I say, hopefully convincingly.
Boone scrubs a hand over his mouth a couple of times before his glassy gaze meets mine. “I hope so,” he replies, his voice cracking with emotion.
31
Boone Stanton
It’s after one in the morning, and I can’t sleep. I’m not all that surprised, given everything that happened tonight. After Colt got out of surgery and the doctors came and told us he made it through okay, his mom and dad sent us all home for some rest, since the nurses wouldn’t let any of us see him tonight. I still don’t know the full extent of his injuries, but I do know whatever it is, probably took him out for the rest of the season. He’s going to wake up, find out what happened, and be absolutely fucking gutted.
I’m just happy he’s alive. The way that bull stepped on him, it easily could’ve killed him. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as scared and helpless as I did watching one of my best friends get trampled. My head is a mess tonight, and I can’t get it to quiet down. Unwanted thoughts run rampant. Replaying the accident. My stomach is in knots, and I know in the morning, when I’m able to actually see him in the flesh, I’ll feel better. Being in the rodeo, we’re all aware of the risks. It’s carved into our brain the dozens of ways a ride can go wrong. We all get it…but seeing ithappen, and to somebody you’re so close to, is a whole different type of reality check.
Shoving the comforter off my body, I swing my legs over the bed, sitting up, until my feet hit the cold, hard floor. Maybe some water and fresh air will help clear my head and allow me to get some sleep. I pad down the stairs and into the kitchen, where moonlight spills in through the window over the sink. Getting a glass out of the cupboard, I fill it up with water, sipping on it with my ass perched up against the counter and my mind racing a mile a minute.
As I’m finishing my water, the floor creaks, and when I turn my head toward where the noise came from, I see the door open to Grady’s room. It’s dark, but I can make out his tall form coming into view. Standing with his shoulder rested against the doorway, he crosses his arms over his bare chest. The silence between us is heavy as my heart squeezes in my chest. After a few tense beats, he uncrosses his arms, puts one foot in front of the other, and he wanders into the kitchen. Reaching into the cupboard, he grabs a glass, filling it up with water, and he comes to stand directly in front of me.
With his gaze locked on mine, eyes cloudy with sleep, dark blonde hair tousled every which way, he brings the glass up to his parted lips, and he takes a drink. And then another. The more he drinks, the drier my mouth becomes. The heat from his body radiates over to mine, me in a pair of low-slung pajama pants, him in nothing more than his boxers.
“How are you?” he asks, voice a simple whisper into the night, lips slick from the water and the way he just wet them with his tongue.
I set my empty glass in the sink before gripping the edge of the counter with my hands on either side of my body, my ass still resting on the edge. “Worried about Colt,” I admit honestly, my voice equally as quiet.
He nods with understanding, moving to set his glass beside mine. When he rights his position, he takes a step closer to me.
“He’s going to be okay,” Grady offers.
His proximity sends goosebumps all over my flesh. My skin warms, pulse kicking up a notch. “You don’t know that.”
“No, but we have to think positively for him.”
He’s right. I know he’s right, but it’s just so easy to think the worst when you don’t know anything. All I really know is that he made it through surgery. That he’s alive. The state his body is in? No fucking clue.
Grady holds my gaze, taking one last step toward me, putting him nearly flush with my body. Then he slides his arms around my middle, pulling me in for an unexpected hug. Instantly, my arms wrap around him too, holding him close to me as he buries his face in the crook of my neck. His breath is hot against my skin, the moment surprisingly tender and somehow exactly what I need. Grady’s chest rises and falls at a steady pace against me, and after a few moments, my breathing matches his, our bodies in sync.
His nose nestles around the side of my neck, below my ear, along my jaw. It’s gentle, but I feel it everywhere. Hands splayed on my back, his nails rake gently across my flesh in a way that sends a spark down my spine. Warmth floods my body as I rest my cheek against the side of Grady’s head, inhaling the sweet scent of him.
“Grady…” I whisper his name. To my own ears, it sounds pained. The comfort he’s bringing me in this moment just by holding me is more than anything I could’ve asked for. Despite the way we left things, he’s still here, somehow knowing exactly what I need.
I feel his lips press down on my neck, the touch soft but firm. He moves from one spot to another, kissing his way across my throat until he gets to the other side. My breath catches whenI feel his teeth tug on the lobe of my ear before his tongue flicks out, gently soothing it. His lips then lead a path past my collarbone, down to my chest, peppering the wide expanse with his affection. My breathing is coming out in heavy pants now, hot, rapid puffs of air spilling past my lips, tingles spreading across my body.
Can he feel how fast my heart is beating?
Does he know it’s all for him?
Grady pulls back, his eyes dark and hooded, hand coming up to cup the side of my face. “I’m sorry you’re stressed and worried. Will you let me comfort you in the only way I know how?”
I swallow thickly, my tongue feeling twice the size it should be inside of my mouth. The insinuation is clear, but it’s more than a little shocking coming from him, especially after everything he said. But like hell am I going to remind him of that now when he’s offering himself up to me on a silver platter.
Right and wrong simply do not exist in this moment.
Whether he should or shouldn’t be, Grady is a person I find solace in. Find comfort in. I can’t explain it, nor would I even want to try. I nod in response to his question, and he leans in, sealing his lips to mine. Grady’s hand slips back, fisting the strands of hair at my nape as he parts his lips, letting my tongue dip inside. A sigh that feels like the weight of a thousand pounds escapes me, and he swallows it down. He tastes sweet on my tongue.
All too soon, he pulls back, but before I can argue, he reaches down and takes my hand in his, leading me toward his bedroom. Any warning bells that should be going off right now as we pad across the floor with only the moonlight lighting the way are silenced. My racing mind is suddenly quiet, and I relish that feeling as we cross through the threshold to his room. As I shut the door behind us, I’m also closing out the entire outside worldas I do it. It’s just me, him, and whatever we’re about to share together that matters right now.
I need this.
