Like clockwork, I got nervous, and words started spilling out of my mouth.
“So I would suggest this as your first bite,” I said, picking up one of the egg souffles from my table of goodies. “It’s a little more like something you’d have for breakfast, but that’s the fun of a free food buffet. You don’t have to follow the usual rules.” There were already quite a few people from town mulling around the long table, helping themselves. I smiled to see their faces light up and their hurried exclamations to friends and family. So far, so good.
“And you prefer breaking the rules, do you?”
God. Why did every word out of this man’s mouth take my mind to the dirtiest places? I cleared my throat. “Some of them. Like the one that says hitting a guy in the head with your purse makes for a bad first impression.”
He raised his fingertips to touch his cheek where it was still swollen but healing well. “If you were going for unforgettable, you succeeded.”
And just like that, I was blushing while imagining Greyson and I hand-in-hand, skipping through a field of flowers in the backyard of our house with the white picket fence. “So,” I said, rushing to change the subject. “How is it going with your grandfather’s inn? I heard you were trying to help him tune the place up, right?”
He took a bite of the souffle, and my eyes locked on his mouth. I imagined those full lips doing some very dirty things to me and had to tear my gaze away. He made a sound from deep in his throat, smiling as he nodded his head.
“Fucking delicious. Damn.” He looked at me with sudden intensity, as if he was about to say something. Then he looked back down to the souffle and took another bite.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“The inn is going to be some work,” he said once he finished chewing.
Very descriptive, Greyson. I wondered if he was being intentionally secretive. “So what do you do? Back home, I mean.”
“I run a company that flips hotel chains, basically.”
“Oh, I’ve never heard of that. So it sounds like your grandfather is in the perfect hands.” My eyes trailed to his big hands and toned forearms. Did every inch of this man have to be so freaking perfect?
Molly came running up with something cupped in her hands. “Daddy! Look!” She opened her hands and revealed a big slimy toad. “I named her Penelope. Can I keep her?”
“Sure. But we’ll need to stop somewhere and get her a toothbrush on the way home,” Greyson said.
Molly giggled, lighting up her whole face. “Okay. You hear that, Miss Penelope?” she asked in a sweet little voice. “We’re going to clean those teeth up.” She wandered off, still talking to the frog.
I felt myself swoon a little. God. He was so good with his kids, too. Was this man sent as some form of divine temptation? “Should we tell her frogs don’t have teeth?” I asked.
Greyson smirked. “I’m just hoping she doesn’t smush it in her sleep.”
“Oh God, you’re going to let it in her bed?”
He shrugged. The amusement in his eyes faded a bit and his expression dropped. “Divorced parenting is tough. When you have them, the pressure’s on to be as fun as you can.” He laughed softly at himself, as if feeling suddenly ridiculous for talking to someone my age about things like divorce and parenting.
I licked my lips. “So how long are you in Fairhope again?”
“Three months.”
“And then you go back to…”
“D.C. I live just a few minutes from my ex there, so it makes the shared custody thing a lot easier.”
Questions burned on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to ask if he was on good terms with his ex. Did they still want to work things out? Were they still attracted to each other? And there I was being nosy and needy at the same time. This kind of thinking was exactly why I needed to stay far away from Greyson Ashford and focus on my future.
I finally felt my attention pull away from the conversation. That was when I realized my friends were standing just a few feet away pretending to help set up the table while they eavesdropped. I fiddled with a plate of deviled eggs while I shot them the evil eye.
I expected Greyson to wander off, except I felt his presence beside me. I didn’t turn to face him, but I noticed his brother watching intently. There was a goofy smile on his face, and I found myself wondering what the hell was going on, exactly.
One minute, Greyson had seemed completely uninterested, and then he’s suddenly putting in so much effort to talk to me? I was just being paranoid, though. I was standing near all the food. He was probably just hoping I’d offer him some more to eat.