The house is silent as I head downstairs, deciding that caffeine is the only thing that will get me through this day. Caffeine and at least another three showers to slough off my skin.
Too lost in my head, I don’t immediately notice that the kitchen is occupied.
“Riley.”
I nearly jump out of my skin at his rough rasp, finding Grayson hunched over the kitchen island with a mug nestled between his hands. His dilated pupils and exhausted-looking eyes are on me, though.
“I, uh, didn’t think anyone would be up.” My eyes bounce back and forth between his. “Have you been to bed yet?”
He shakes his head. “Knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”
“Same.”
At my admission, shadows creep across his face. I haven’t seen him since he left with Royce last night, and honestly, my memory of him coming to my rescue is fuzzy. One minute, I was locking myself away in my inner sanctum, and the next, I heard his voice in my ear, bringing me back from the beyond with an alternate version of my mantra.
His eyes scan over me before returning to my face. “What can I do to help?”
My throat bobs at his question, and I wrap my arms around myself to stave off the chill at the reminder of last night. “You already did it,” I say in a hoarse voice. “Y-you got to me in time. I owe you a thank?—”
“Don’t fucking thank me for that shit,” Grayson barks loud enough that I flinch.
He catches it, his shoulder dropping as he exhales. “Fuck. I’m sorry. Just… don’t thank me for not fucking being there.”
“But you were there.” I swallow roughly as the memories threaten to pull me under. “You were there when it mattered.”
Grayson’s entire body shudders at those words.
“I was still too fucking late.” Coming around the island, he stands before me, looking at me with such a pleading expression. “Tell me what I can do to help.”
The answer comes to me in a split second of insanity. “Touch me.”
He flinches as though slapped, and, yeah, I imagine my request sounds ludicrous. Maybe I’ve finally snapped. Lost my marbles somewhere on the office floor of Lux.
Now that I’ve said it aloud though, I realize that’s what I need. I need to not feelhishands all over me, and the only way to do that is to replace them with someone else's.
“What? No. I—Logan. You should ask Logan. He’d be gentle with you. Take care of you. He’d be able to stop. I?—”
“I don’t want Logan’s gentle touch. Sweet and caring… that’s not what I need right now. I need someone to tear me apart. To rip me to shreds so I can put myself back together without the feel of him inside me.” I sniffle, getting overwhelmed.God, I just need him out of me.“I can’t ask Royce. Not with his past. It would be too much for him.” I glance up at Grayson, begging. “Which leaves you.”
He’s frozen before me, face etched in agony.
“Please,Grayson.” I don’t give a shit if I’m begging. My sanity is unraveling, and if he turns me down, I’m certain I’ll lose the last scraps of it that I’m clinging to. “I can feel him on me.” I scratch at my skin beneath the hoodie. “He’s all over me, and I don’t know how to get him out.” I hiccup over the words, scratching harder at my skin. The feeling is unbearable and growing worse by the second. “Please.I need to get him out, and I don’t know any other way.”
“Riley,” he grits, restraint scraped raw. “I’m not capable of being gentle when it comes to you.”
“I don’t want gentle, Grayson. Bite me. Mark me. Fucking exorcise me. Just. Get. Him. Out!Please,” I tack on in a desperate whisper.
The plea has barely passed my lips before he pounces, his lips slamming against mine in a brutal kiss that knocks the air from my lungs and leaves me suspended.
His tongue forces its way past my lips, harsh and bruising, just like I wanted. Like Ineed.
“This what you wanted, Tempest?” Grayson growls against my lips. “For me to lay waste to this tempting body of yours. To irrevocably mark it as mine so no guy will eventhinkabout touching what belongs to me.”
God, is that what I wanted? I don’t even fucking know. I just know I needmore.
“Answer me.”
“Y-yes,” I say breathlessly.
