“Try me.”
He turns to me then, and the fire in his expression has my mouth drying. “You, Bella,” he says. “I needyou.”
My head rears back, my heart pounding furiously in my rib cage. My mind scrambles. Utterly scrambles and screams out in fear, telling me to abort as soon as possible. “Grayson, this is just an agreement?—”
He laughs, but it isn’t one of humor. “I knew you would say that.”
“Well, it is.”
“You’re lying to yourself if you think we’re just coworkers.” He stands. “You’re just not ready to admit it to yourself yet, but I’m a patient man, Bella, and I can wait.”
“Wait for what?” I stutter out, standing with him because sitting right now with my heart leaping out of my chest is agony.
“Wait for you to finally admit that this has never been fake.”
“Grayson, we have a contract?—”
“Fuck the contract, Bella!” He’s heaving now, his eyes so full of lust and heat, along with an emotion I can’t decipher it’s hard to step away. “We’ve kissed more in private than in public. This hasneverjust been a contract and you know it.”
I can feel indignation rising in my chest, can feel words forming on my tongue that I don’t want to say. I can practically taste the denial and protectiveness of my heart on my tongue.
Trying to swallow past the dryness in my mouth, I murmur, “This wasfake. We agreed that this was never real.”
“Then just keep pretending,” he breathes.
“What?”
“Keep pretending that what we have isn’t real, pretend that this is for practice. I don’t fucking care what you tell yourself to feel less fear butpretend,” he all but begs. He keeps stepping into my space until I’m backed against the desk. Placing his arms on either side of me, the raw hunger in his eyes is tantalizing. “I need you like I need air, Bella, and if you stop, I’ll cease breathing. So please, just keep pretending.” His eyes flick back and forth, searching mine, for what I’m not sure, but in the next breath, he’s placing his heart in my hands. “Pretend that you want me as badly as I want you, even if it’s just for one night.”
“You want me?” I whisper softly.
His chest heaves. “I have wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
My heart is hammering for a different reason this time. My heart that’s been locked away. But now, it takes a step forward, because all I see is sincerity. I can hear it in his voice, feel it sparking between us. I can see the unadulterated raw need for me in his entire body.
It’s utterly consuming him.
And being between his arms, bearing the full weight of his desire for me, I can’t remember why I have been denying myself of Grayson Crawford.
“This was never fake for me, Bella. I know you want me but if you need to tell yourself?—”
I’m moving before a part of me can stop this.
I lift my chin, fist his shirt, and drag his mouth to mine.
Chapter 51
Grayson
MOM
I just saw the fight
are you okay?
what did Chase say? Did he goad you about your spot on IceHawks?
GRAYSON
