Last Resort (The Grayton Series Book 1) (19 page)

“
It makes sense.” She tried to smile.
 

“
I suppose.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I found some land on the edge of town. After driving by it, I went to my grandfather and asked him to release my inheritance. I showed him a business plan that I had written up.” He shook his head. “Damn if the old man wasn’t proud of me and gave me his full cooperation. Even told me that if Dad gave me any problems, to talk to him. It’s the first time in my life that I truly felt like part of the family.” He leaned back and looked out her window at the dark courtyard. “My father found out, somehow.” He shrugged his shoulders again and looked over at her. “That’s the conversation you interrupted. Thank you for that, by the way.” He smiled.
 

“
How did he take it now that you’ve had a chance to talk to him?” she asked.
 

He shook his head. “Pretty much the same as he did the first time we talked about it. Although, I did get a chance to explain myself a lot further. There was a moment I thought he understood, but…” He shrugged his shoulders. “We’ll see how it goes.”

She looked down at their joined hands, not sure when she’d started playing with his fingers. “I’m sorry. I know how hurtful parents can be.”

He smiled at her and pulled her closer. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone else.”

She tried to pull back, not sure if she wanted to hear what she knew was coming next. She’d been trying to put if off for so long, even knowing she couldn’t stop it from coming.

“
No,” he said lightly. “Don’t pull away.”
 

When she hesitated, he took advantage of her hesitation and tugged on her arm until she sat across his lap. She found herself looking into the deep rich pools of his eyes, transfixed by the tenderness she saw there.

“
Cassey, I’ve never felt this way for anyone else. My whole life I’ve waited and wanted someone like you to come along. I know this started out as just a convenience, but we can’t fool ourselves any longer. We’ve become so much more, and I want our relationship to continue to grow.”
 

“
Luke—” Her hands went to his chest, trying to hold him back, trying to hold what she felt back as well.
 

“
No, don’t say anything just yet.” He pulled her close. “Let me show you how I feel. Let me be with you tonight. I just want to be with you.” He leaned his head down and took her lips gently.
 

In the couple of months that they’d been together, there had been plenty of passion, speed, and desire. But this was the first time she’d felt tenderness and love so strongly. She didn’t quite know what to do with the desire that built up. It was different than any other she’d ever felt.

No one had ever shown her this much love, ever.

W
hen she reached for him, he knew she wanted speed. Why had he never realized that she had been avoiding intimacy? Oh, sure, they’d had sex plenty of times, but he realized he hadn’t shown her true tenderness and that’s what he wanted to give her now.
 

He knew it was going to kill him, going so slow, but he was willing to suffer if it meant showing her how he felt.

Gathering her up, he carried her towards the bedroom. He smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. When she started to object, he took her lips again in a slow kiss that caused him to stop in the hallway. His arms shook with desire, and he tried to keep himself in check and slow himself down.

When they finally made it into the bedroom, he slid her down until she stood in front of him. His hands ran over her subtle curves until she moaned and started tugging at his shirt and jeans.

Taking her hands in his, he backed her up until her knees hit the bed. “I’m going to make love to you all night,” he whispered into her ear.

Her head fell back as her eyes closed. Bending down, he placed soft kisses along the column of her neck, running his lips over her heated skin until he felt tiny bumps rise all over her skin.

“
Please, Luke.” She tossed her head back up and grabbed his hair.
 

How could he have known that driving her crazy with tenderness would only make him want to show her more? He smiled at her and stepped back, shaking his head.

“
My way, remember? Remove your clothes for me.” When she started to yank the top over her head, he stopped her. “No, slowly.”
 

She groaned and shut her eyes. “You’re killing me.” He smiled and when she just looked at him, he could see the desire burning in those clear eyes.

“
Do it,” he said
quietly
. She began to move, taking her shirt up inch by inch, exposing the soft skin underneath. He watched in amazement as her breasts came into view. His breath hitched and lodged in his chest.
 

“
You are beautiful beyond words.” He took a
step closer, but she shook her head.
 

“
I’m not done.” She smiled and, at that moment, he realized he’d lost control of the situation. She slowly started to pull her skirt down her legs in an erotic striptease. Next, she slid her bra straps down her shoulders and then reached around and unhooked it, tossing it on the floor beside him. Her smile grew as she cupped herself, moaning and tilting her head back as she ran her fingers over her skin.
 

“
Tell me how it feels,” he said, staring at her, watching her every move. He realized he would have gladly done anything for her at that moment. All she needed to do was ask.
 

“
Soft.” She smiled at him. “Warm,” she moaned.
 

He watched as she slowly moved a hand down her ribs and her flat stomach until she reached her silk panties.

“
Yes,” he moaned, “touch yourself.”
 

She looked into his eyes and nodded to him. “You’re turn.”

Now it was him who was rushing to remove his clothes.

“
No,” she broke in, “slowly.”
 

His fingers shook as he flipped open button after button. It was driving him mad watching her fingers run over her skin. When she started to peel off her panties, he stood in front of her with only his socks and boxers on.

“
Wait.” She held up her hands and nodded to him. “Your turn.”
 

“
What?” He blinked a few times.
 

She ran her hands over her chest. “Now you.”

He chuckled. “Somehow I don’t think it has the same effect.”

“
For you, maybe.” She smiled.
 

He shrugged his shoulder and ran his hands over his chest, following her motions. When she reached her sex, he smiled. “This I can do.” He dropped his boxers and heard her breath catch.

“
Beautiful,” she whispered.
 

He stepped closer to her, reaching out for her. He cupped her face in his hands as he laid his lips gently on hers. “So soft,” he said as he ran his hands down her sides. “You smell like flowers and taste like honey,” he moaned as he ran his mouth over her skin.

Slowly, he laid her back on the bed until she looked up at him, her gray eyes going darker. “Cassey…” He felt the words clog in his throat. Instead of speaking, he moved above her as her hands reached for him.

“
I know.” She closed her eyes and he thought he saw a tear roll from the corner of her eye to the mattress below.
 

After torturing himself by running his hands slowly over her, he slid into her, and said the words he’d been wanting to tell her.

 

Cassey’s head was spinning. She’d slowed her breathing down but still felt too lightheaded to open her eyes. What had Luke done to her?

“
You okay?” Even just the richness of his voice sent waves of desire through her body.
 

Realizing she didn’t trust her voice, she nodded and squeezed her eyes shut tighter. When she finally opened them, it was to see Luke smiling down at her.

“
What?” she asked, trying to sit up. He held her in place and shook his head.
 

“
You can’t avoid it, you know.”
 

“
I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She tried to push him away, but he just laughed and plopped his full weight on her, pinning her to the mattress.
 

“
Ugh! You weigh a ton.” She tried to shove him off as he laughed. “Get off.”
 

He was laughing harder now. “Not until you promise me you won’t avoid it.”

“
Stop,” she squealed as he buried his nose in
her neck and started nibbling on her. By the time he pulled back and looked at her, she was laughing too hard to say anything.
 

“
Do you promise?” he asked and before she knew what she was doing, she’d nodded in agreement.
 

“
Perfect.” He jumped off the bed and pulled her up with him. “I’m starved,” he said as he started tugging her towards the kitchen.
 

“
Luke,” she squealed, “clothes first!” He just laughed even more.
 

After making some quick peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, they retreated back to the warmth of the bed and talked. She was avoiding having the conversation and did everything she could to distract Luke from talking about the three words he’d mentioned less than an hour ago.

“
You’re stalling,” he said, setting his plate aside. “You’re talking about everything but what needs to be said.”
 

He was right. She couldn’t deny her emotions any more. But then she found something that took his mind off the conversation completely.

“
Oh,” she said, taking the last bite of her sandwich. “I’d almost forgotten. I’m supposed to invite you to Spring Haven for Thanksgiving this Thursday.” She smiled when she noticed his eyes go blank. “My Aunt Julie is the best cook in the county.”
 

“
Thanksgiving?” He got a funny look on his face and she wondered if she’d made a mistake asking him.
 

“
Yes, you don’t have to—”
 

“
I’d love to.” His smile grew and he reached for her. Setting her plate aside, he slid them down until they fit tight together.
 

“
You’ve mentioned your aunt and father, but haven’t spoken much of your mother. Mrs. Grayton?”
 

She sighed and was thankful the conversation had turned. “Elizabeth Grayton was the strongest woman I’ve ever known.” She rested her head back against his shoulder and enjoyed the feeling of his fingers combing her long hair away from her face. “When I first met her, her cancer was in remission. It took several years for it to come back and for her to pass from it.” She smiled slightly. “Never once in all that time did I see that woman complain or frown. She didn’t shed a tear or get angry at her circumstances.”

“
I’m sorry,” he said, lightly.
 

She nodded. “That woman taught us more about suffering and patience than any other could. One of the reasons the Graytons took us all in was because of Elizabeth’s and Mark’s own childhoods. It’s the reason all of us devote as much as we can into the home that Roman has built, the reason he has continued on with our family’s dream.”

“
Everyone sounds wonderful. Since I’ve already met Marcus and Cole, I can’t wait to meet everyone else.”
 

She laughed. “You’ll regret those words.”

Less than a week later, she was sitting around the large maple dining table, surrounded by a bunch of crazy people, and laughing harder than she had in a long time. Her brothers were a constant source of entertainment. She could hardly remember a time that the three of them had been together that they hadn’t had her smiling like a loon.

Of course, Luke was right there in the middle of it all. Not only did he look like he fit in, but he sounded and acted a lot like her brothers as they joked with her Aunt Julie and her father about one thing or another.

“
You really didn’t do that, did you?” he asked, looking over at her. She’d lost track of their conversation minutes before when she’d been transfixed by the way Luke was smiling. He looked like he was really enjoying himself.
 

“
What?” She felt her breathing quicken and quickly took a sip of her wine to cover the anxiety.
 

He leaned closer to her, his smile getting bigger. “Run from here to the middle of town, wearing nothing but a hula skirt and coconuts.”

She glared at her brothers then closed her eyes, remembering. “Yes, but it wasn’t my fault,” she said as everyone burst into laughter. “They locked me out of the house and bet me that they would do all my chores and be my own personal slaves for a whole month if I did it.” She tried not to laugh. She’d been thirteen and had just enough pride to not want to lose a bet. She smiled, remembering seeing her brothers do her every bidding. They’d been great sports about it, and since they and Marissa had followed her the entire way, they had a wonderful picture of the five of them standing in front of town hall, her brothers’ arms around her shoulders as she wore the hula skirt and coconuts from her school play.