Grayson - A Scrooged Christmas Page 8

  “Fine! I’m reading,” I told him, a little breathlessly, which I was sure was not convincing at all. I thought maybe he would let it go at that and go back to bed, but not Grayson. He was a man who was used to getting what he wanted, and if his actions had been any indication, he wanted me.

  “In the dark? You must have night vision.” He chuckled, and even that was sexy.

  “Okay. I can’t fall asleep. I still haven’t gotten used to this bed, and I can’t stop thinking about what happened earlier tonight.” That was not it at all. The bed was like sleeping on a cloud wrapped in very expensive sheets.

  “If the bed is such a problem, you could share mine.” My willpower was hanging by a thread, ready to snap at any moment.

  “I’ll be fine. I’m just overly tired,” I said, hoping he’d take that explanation and go back to his room. No such luck.

  “Want to know what I’ve been doing?” That was a loaded question. I didn’t dare go there.

  “No!” I lied.

  My heart fluttered, and all my nerve endings tingled at the idea that he may have been pleasuring himself to the thoughts of me. I pressed my hand against the lace of my panties in hopes of getting some relief, but it didn’t work. I couldn’t stop thinking about what he looked like without his shirt. The way that tattoo hugged his body, the dips and ripples of his defined chest and abs.

  I wanted to trace those muscles with my fingertips, and kiss and lick that tattoo. My thoughts went to the thin line of dark hair that peeked out the top of his sweatpants after his early run. It was sexy and tempting in itself. It was like a treasure map that led to the land of pleasure, and I wanted and needed that pleasure. I was so worked up by now that I couldn’t hold back. I needed some relief, or I was going to combust and go up in flames. I slipped my hand into my panties and caressed my slick folds, sliding my fingers against my over sensitive nub. It felt so good. It was exactly what I’d been needing since the day I laid eyes of him. A low moan slipped from my lips. Damn! A dull thud sounded from the other side of my bedroom door, and I imagined Grayson standing there with his forehead pressed against the door with his thick cock in his hands, stroking it to the sounds of my pleasure.

  “I can’t stop thinking about the night I saw you in that tee shirt and lace panties. I’ve played it over in my mind a thousand times, trying to imagine what you look like naked.” That little thread of willpower was starting to ravel with every word that left his lips. “Thinking about what you’d taste like on my tongue.”

  I slipped my finger inside of me, pumping in and out as my juices covered my fingers and dripped on the sheets. I was close, and the fact that he was standing outside my door didn’t help me any, and when another moan slipped from my lips, the door handle rattled.

  “Can I come in?” His voice was thick with desire. I threw all caution to the wind and answered him honestly.

  “Yes,” I admitted with a whisper, the last of my resolve snapping like a twig.

  Within seconds, my door opened and he crawled into bed with me, naked and hard. Very hard. His muscular body covered mine, taking my mouth in a kiss of desperation and hunger while we both fought to get my panties off. Finally, they cleared my ankles and he threw them across the room.

  “I’ve wanted you for so long,” he whispered, kissing and licking his way down my neck and over my collar bone, leaving a trail of heat behind. My breath caught in my throat when he reached my abdomen and circled my navel with his warm tongue.

  “Oh God. Ahhh Oooh.”

  I couldn’t help but squirm as he placed kisses on each thigh, and when his tongue entered me, my hips lifted from the bed. I was no longer in control of my body. Grayson had total control. I was his to do with as he pleased.

  “I’m gonna come,” I gasped, fisting my hands in his hair in an attempt to break the connection.

  I didn’t want to come that soon. I wanted the feeling to last forever, but he didn’t budge. And when he fluttered his tongue against my clit, I fell apart. Kissing his way back up my body, his lips crashed against mine in another passionate kiss, and the taste of myself on his tongue was the most erotic thing I’d ever tasted.

  “You taste, just like I thought you would,” he said, his warm lips next to my ear. “Just like heaven.” He breathed, taking his time kissing that little place beneath my ear, the one that was a direct line to my clit. If he lingered there any longer, I’d come from that alone. Finally, he broke the kiss and moved his way down to my breast, groaning as he pulled one of my nipples between his teeth.

  “Graaayson,” I gasped.

  “I’ve pictured your nipples in my mind over and over, imagining they’d be the same color as your lips, and I was right. Beautiful, pink, and perfect,” he rasped.

  “Shit! That feels so goood,” I moaned as he pinched and rolled my other nipple between his finger and thumb. My body was like a live wire, sending little tingles throughout me.

  “Grayson.” My breath hitched. “I need you inside me,” I pleaded.

  He covered my mouth with his, his tongue slipping inside with a slow, sensual kiss as he entered me in slowly, one inch at a time. The feeling of him inside me was everything I thought it would be and more. So much more. My fingers dug into his hips as he began to move, slower at first.

  “You feel so fucking good. I knew you were made for me the first time I laid eyes on you,” he admitted.

  The tension inside me began to wind like a tight spring, ready to give way at any moment. I tightened my grip on his hips, wrapping my legs around him, urging him to move faster.

  “I’m coming!” I whisper-shouted, because at the moment, there was very little breath left in my lungs. Three more thrusts and we came together.

  “Aubree.”

  The sound of my name on his lips when he came shattered me. My heart burst into a thousand little pieces, because as much as we both wanted this, there was that nagging little voice in the back of my mind that he was not mine to keep. In one week, I’d walk away knowing in my heart that I loved Grayson Decker and there was not one thing I could do about it.

  GRAYSON

  When Aubree told me what Bridget Prescott had said to her in the restroom, I was furious. I knew she didn’t take it well when I turned her away in my office that day, but I had no idea she would take it to these lengths. I even denied that it was because of Aubree, but seeing the two of us together caused her to snap. Every year I have a dinner party for my clients, so before the invitations were mailed out, I asked Louise in marketing to pull Bridget’s from the list. She either didn’t follow through or Bridget came with someone else, and I intended to find out which.

  When I found Aubree in the fetal position in front of her door, a part of my heart cracked. She had worked her way into my heart without even knowing it. The heart that I thought was made of stone just like my father’s. I thought I would never be able to truly love or show affection, but she proved me wrong. What I’d felt for Aubree the past few weeks was confirmed tonight. I was falling in love with Aubree Layne.

  I lied there with her draped across my chest, running my fingers lightly through her hair, letting it fall strand by silky strand. She hadn’t moved once since the last time we had sex. We were both exhausted, but I couldn’t get enough of her, so I woke her two more times in the middle of the night so that I could make love to her.

  My friend Jake was right in what he told me that night at the bar. I could see now why he wanted to marry Margo and spend the rest of his life with her. He got it right, and I had it all wrong. I wanted it, too. I wanted that kind of love with Aubree.

  I managed to slide from beneath her without disturbing her sleep. I showered, pulled on a pair of running shorts, and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. I grabbed a large pan from one of the cabinets and placed it on the stove before taking the eggs, cheese, and peppers from the fridge. I mixed it all together and poured it into the hot pan. I felt her presence before she spoke a word.

  “Good morning.” She yawn
ed from behind her hand as I plated the last omelet. She looked like an angel standing there in the beam of sunlight coming in through the big glass windows.

  “Now there’s a sight I could get used to seeing.”

  A flush crept up her cheeks as she stood there in nothing but a pair of lace panties. Cupping her face in my hands, I leaned in and lightly ghosted my lips over hers. My chest tightened when she placed her lips on my tattoo, just over my heart. She looked up at me with wide green eyes and smiled.

  “I better go dress.” She grinned.

  “I think I like you just the way you are.” I grabbed her firm ass and gave it a little squeeze.

  “What if someone comes in? I’m not wearing a shirt.”

  “Neither am I,” I replied with a lopsided grin.

  “I thought you said you had a housekeeper. What if she comes in?” She paused a moment and dropped her fork on the table with a clang. “Or is she used to seeing half naked women in your apartment?” I could practically see the wheels turning. She thought I brought women to my home all the time. She couldn’t be more wrong.

  “Hey,” I whispered in a soothing tone, lifting her chin with my finger. “You’re the first woman that I’ve ever brought to my home. I’ve never wanted anyone in my private space until now.” Her eyes widened, sparkling with relief. “I kind of like having you in my space,” I admitted.

  Her mouth curved into a smile. “Hurry up and eat. I have plans for us today.”

  “I can’t. I mean, I already have plans today.”

  What the hell?

  “I’m not sure I like that.” I huffed. “What are you doing today that can’t involve me?”

  “I never said you couldn’t come. I just didn’t think you’d want to, with you being Scrooge and all that.” She pinned me with her emerald greens. “I’m going Christmas shopping, and then I promised my mom I would help her put the Christmas tree up, and somewhere in between all of that I need to go to the coffee shop and beg Morgan to give me my job back.” Her fists were now on her hips and a deep scowl was aimed at me. I was busted.

  “What gave you the right to call Morgan and tell him that I quit?” she snapped.

  “I wanted to offer you the position with my company full-time. I was going to wait until after Christmas to talk with you about it, but now’s good for me, if it’s good for you.” What the fuck was happening to me? Last I checked, I still had balls. I scratched them that morning. I’d always been a person who was in charge, and this little spit fire had reduced me to a puppy! I couldn’t let that happen. No fucking way. “On second thought, it’s not up for discussion. You now have a full-time job with my firm. End of story, and don’t give me any lip about it,” I warned.

  “Fine,” she snapped.

  “Fine? You’re going to just let it go at fine?” What am I doing? I’m just asking for more shit. For God’s sake, Grayson, keep your mouth shut.

  “Fine,” she agreed again.

  I slowly released the breath I’d been holding. I’d gotten my way. This time. I could hear my cell ringing from my bedroom. I made it just in time before it went to voicemail. Looking at the name on the screen, I should’ve let it go to voicemail.

  “Mother.”

  “Good morning, dear. I just wanted to confirm the time with you for Christmas dinner.” There was something in her tone that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. “Dinner will be served at 8:00, but we’d love for you to come early. We’re just dying to meet Aubree!” she said, with a little too much enthusiasm.

  “We’ll try, but I’m not making any promises.”

  “Grayson, would it kill you for once to be considerate and do this for me?”

  I laughed out loud. She’d never took into consideration my needs when I was growing up. My nanny was more of a mother than she was.

  “I don’t see what’s so funny,” she complained.

  “Yeah. You wouldn’t. I’ll see what we can do.”

  “Grayson, if . . .” she started, but I hung up.

  No way in hell was I taking Aubree to meet my parents any earlier than the scheduled dinner time. That would only give them more time to grill the both of us.

  ***

  AUBREE

  Holy shit! Christmas might have been my favorite holiday, but I hated the crowds. The ass bumping, elbow throwing that went along with it, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, there were never enough registers open. How in the hell did they expect people to stand in line for an hour just to buy holiday scented soaps? It was crazy!

  “Hi, Mom!” I shouted as I stepped into my childhood home. It was a two-bedroom ranch style house with vinyl siding that was in dire need of being cleaned, but my mom’s arthritis prevented her from doing a lot of things, and my dad worked every day in landscaping. Who could blame him for wanting to relax on the weekends?

  “Aubree, you look beautiful! This new boyfriend agrees with you,” my mother beamed with happiness.

  “Mom, he’s my boss. He’s not my boyfriend.”

  That would be wishful thinking. I couldn’t get too attached to that word or its meaning. Despite the way I felt about him, neither one of us had said the three little words, and while spending the past few weeks with him had been wonderful, in the end, he was still Grayson Decker, and so out of my league and out of reach.

  “I’m so glad you’re here!” my father grunted as he lowered the huge plastic tub of Christmas decorations on the floor. He wrapped his strong arms around me, and whispered in my ear, “I was so afraid she was going to make me help with the decorations. The woman is just too damn picky.” I couldn’t help but giggle.

  “I heard that!” my mother responded with a smile. Those two bickered at each other all the time, but it was a good humor type bicker. I hoped to have their kind of love one day, because I knew my father would hand her the moon if he could.

  “I’ve got you covered.” I winked.

  “Well, I’m glad. My damn back is killing me. I’m going to my recliner to watch football.” He grunted before walking out of the kitchen, leaving the decorating to us.

  “I don’t know how much longer he’s going to be able to keep the landscaping business.” Tears filled my mother’s eyes. “His back and knees hurt him so bad at times, he paces the floor. He’s even started sleeping in his recliner because it hurts him to lie flat on his back.” I had no idea my father was having health problems. I could just kick myself for not visiting and calling more than I did.

  “What has the doctor told him? Did they do x-rays or a scan?” I asked.

  “Honey, he’s taking an over the counter anti-inflammatory because the government issued insurance that we have doesn’t pay enough, and he says we don’t need those kinds of bills.”

  “Mom, you know that I’ll help any way that I can. He needs to get checked out. What if he has a ruptured disc or something like that? It would only get worse,” I pleaded with her, but she shook her head.

  “We’re not taking money from you. I should’ve never told you that.” She reached out and took my hand. “Please don’t tell him that I told you. It would upset him. He doesn’t want you worrying about us either.”

  I gave her a nod and forced a smile. I was going to have to find a way to help them.

  “Well, that’s the last of them,” my mom beamed as she stepped back and looked at the fake green Christmas tree they’d had for the past ten years. There were a few limbs missing, not sure how that happened, so we had to position the tree just right to hide the gaping hole.

  “Thank God!” my dad grunted. “I couldn’t hear half the game for all the chatter you women were doing. You’re like a bunch of cackling hens.” He huffed. My mom’s eyes moved to the T.V. and then back to my father.

  “Jim, that is the 2015 Alabama’s game. You’ve watched it at least ten times. You know how it ends!” she replied.

  “Yeah, well, it never gets old!”

  “Okay. That’s my cue to leave. I’ve got a few more stops to make. What time do we need to
be here Friday evening?” I asked, while giving them both a goodbye hug.

  “Let’s plan on eating at 6:00, but you’re welcome to come anytime.”

  My mom smiled, and that was when I really noticed the wrinkles around my mom’s eyes and lips. I guess I’d never really thought about it until now. My parents were aging. They had aged. I’d been too wrapped up in myself to notice, and I hated myself for it. I needed to be there for them more. I needed to make sure they kept doctor’s appointments, even if they put up a fight.

  “I’ll see you guys Friday. Love you!” I shouted on my way out.

  GRAYSON

  I took advantage of Aubree’s absence to do a little shopping myself. Even though I hated Christmas, the decorations and all that damn music, I would endure it for her. When I walked into that famous pink store known for their skimpy underwear, I was swarmed by women. Everyone wanted to help by offering their opinions, and some even offered to model some of the lingerie to give me an idea of what it would look like on.

  I turned them down. I didn’t need someone to model for me. I had a pretty damn good imagination, and I knew she’d be stunning in what I picked out for her.

  I mad one more stop and then headed for the office. The way Bridget Prescott treated Aubree had been eating at me, and I was ready to end it once and for all. I looked through my email file and sent a letter to every woman that I’d fucked in my office, letting them know that I was terminating their contract and referring them to a friend of mine on the south side that was more than capable of taking care of their accounts. I pressed send on the last one and collapsed back in my chair.

  I shook my head with disgust for the fact that I had slept with fifteen women in my office. Literally. No wonder some of the news articles accused me of being a man whore. They were right, and the proof was right in front of me. How had I let myself become this man?

  ***

  When Aubree stepped off the elevator and into the apartment, her hands were full of boxes and gift bags. She looked like a juggler at the circus, trying to carry it all. I rushed to her side.