“Like I can do anything. Like I used to feel a long time ago.”
He draws me into him, holding me tight. Twisting me so I sit on his lap, he embraces me in the middle of the studio. “You matter more to me than I thought possible,” he breathes. “I didn’t realize it until I watched you walk out today and it hit me: all the things my brothers said were true. This thing between us isn’t easy, yet I can’t imagine not doing it. Spending time figuring it out doesn’t feel like a potential waste of time. It feels like the only option because I can’t replace you with something else. I don’t want to,” he adds vigorously.
I pull back and look at him as his phone chirps in his pocket. “You can get that if you need to,” I say, needing a little breather anyway.
He takes out the device, looks at it, and holds it in the air between us. “It’s Vanessa. How would you like me to handle this?”
“With a restraining order?” I volunteer, hoping the escalation in my blood pressure doesn’t cause me to black out.
With a deliberate hand, Graham answers the call. “Hello?” He listens for a few seconds before speaking again. “If you think, for a second, that I’m going to listen to you after the way you treated Mallory today, you are crazier than I thought.”
He looks at me, his features softening. “We are nothing more than two people that share an awful memory.” He reaches for my hand and I place my palm in his, waiting with bated breath to see how this goes. “We never loved each other, Vanessa,” Graham says. “I’ve only been in love once. Once you know what that feels like for real, you know if you’ve felt it before. I haven’t. Not with you.”
My smile causes my cheeks to ache as I wrap my arms around his middle. My chest lies against his side, his arm pulling me in closer, as he begins speaking again.
“Try it and see what happens,” he says, his voice cold. “But if you bother me, Mallory, or anyone in my family, you won’t like the consequences.”
He stiffens against me. “Consider yourself on notice: you are not welcome on any Landry property. If I see or hear from you again, hell will break loose.”
His phone slides across the floor and lands against his jacket. I stand still, holding him, afraid to speak. I don’t know what she said, but I do know she got to him and that’s hard to do.
“I’ve wasted so much of my life because of her,” Graham mutters. “Not anymore.”
He lays me back against the mats, his body rolling with some unnamed emotion. My heart races as he lies on top of me, holding his weight off with both hands. “No one can just walk in here, right?” Lifting my shirt and the hem of my sports bra, he exposes my breasts.
“You’re going to worry about that now after you had me with your neighbor listening?”
He grins, melting my heart. “I told you, that was then, when you were just a beautiful woman I was enjoying. This is now.”
“This is now,” I whisper. I’m not sure what all that means, but I know hearing the words fall from his lips, pregnant with so much promise, feels like the best thing in the world.
Closing my eyes, I enjoy his kisses. I relish the way Graham makes me feel. Beautiful and wanted—sure. But it’s more than that. So much more.
6 months later
Mallory
“YOU’RE LATE.” I LOOK UP from the stove to see Graham entering the kitchen with a big smile on his face. Although he was supposed to be home two hours ago and lunch is now cold, I can’t even pretend to be mad at him.
He tosses his keys on the counter. They completely miss the basket he used to be so anal about hitting. “We decided to go a full eighteen holes.” Glancing around the kitchen, he takes in the cracker crumbs on the floor, egg shells sitting in a pile of dropped egg whites on the counter, and more dirty mixing bowls than one person should have while making a meatloaf.
His brows furrow for a split second and he stutter-steps before coming up behind me. Wrapping one of his strong arms around my waist and urging me backwards into him, he kisses my neck. “The kitchen smells good, but not as great as you.”
Kisses are dotted against my ear, down my neck, and across my shoulder. I’m on the cusp of telling him we’ll wait to mash the potatoes and taking a quick trip to the bedroom when the door opens again.
“Never fails,” Ford mutters, entering the kitchen from the garage. “I can’t go anywhere with my brothers now without some major PDA.”
“Jealous?” Graham laughs.
Ford doesn’t answer. Instead, he takes a baby carrot, dips it in a glob of ranch dressing, and pops it into his mouth. He crunches it much louder than necessary. “What’s for lunch? Dinner?” he tosses out, looking at his watch. “I don’t know what you call it this time of day.”
“Linner?” I volunteer. “I made meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a vanilla cake with vanilla icing.”
“It looks like what you made is a mess,” Ford teases. “I’ll just sit over here and wait for Graham to realize it.”
Graham kisses me loudly on the cheek, earning a groan from Ford.
“Really, G?” Ford gasps. “I think you’re stepping in a hunk of raw hamburger right now. That doesn’t needle your inner control freak?”
“I’ve learned to let go a little,” Graham grins. “Or maybe I’d just rather fight with her in a different room.”
Ford shakes his head, his hair now grown out a little. It’s more blond than his brothers and glows in the late afternoon sunlight. “You’ve all turned into pussies.”
Graham swats my behind. “I have no problem with that.” He moseys across the kitchen and takes a seat next to his brother. “Did you get registered for school today?” he asks me.
“I did!” I can’t keep the squeal out of my voice. “I’ll take a few classes this summer and should be set to get into the business school this fall.” Resting the spoon in my hand on a piece of paper towel, I nearly bounce up and down. “I’m so excited, you guys. I have to take another math class, though. Someone will have to help me.”
“I can tutor you in exchange for a few sexual favors,” Graham winks.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Graham laughs as Ford shakes his head. “The only bad thing about this is having to get a new Executive Assistant.”
“I’ll find you one,” I remind him. “She has to be smart and organized and not cute.”
“Send all the cute ones my way,” Ford snickers. “I’m getting to the point where I need help.”
“Good problem to have,” I note, turning back to the stove.
Graham gets up and swats me on the behind as he passes. “I’m going to grab a shower. Be out in ten.”
Watching him take his shirt off as he leaves the room, I can’t take my eyes off him. My heart is so full, nearly bursting at the seams with how much I feel for this man.