But this shit with Katie and Matt considering staying in Fairhope opened new doors. They were doors I wasn’t quite ready to explore yet. I tried my best to shut my brain down while I drove. I just needed to fuck her out of my system. This only felt like such a dilemma because I was riding on three days of pent-up desire. I’d go to her place, fuck her, and then think about this again when my head was clear.
I gripped the steering wheel harder. And I’d hope to hell that my clear head would see a way out of this.
34
HARPER
Several hard, impatient knocks came at my door. I knew it was Greyson before I even opened the door. He rushed in as soon as I did, swallowing me in his arms and kissing me fiercely.
“Somebody didn’t cheat,” I muttered against his lips.
“I need you,” he growled.
I nodded and moaned softly into his lips. I wanted him to take me tenderly again. I wanted some subtle hint that we were moving toward something and not just skidding sideways with no direction. But he kissed me with feral intensity. My body responded, heat blossoming as my sex clenched in anticipation. A distant corner of my mind still longed for his softer touch, but I knew I’d teased him into this. I liked that he was so uncontrollably hungry for me after only a weekend.
His stubble brushed my cheek as he kissed down to my neck, his broad hands gripping me with stone-like strength. He walked me back to my bed, then pushed me down and flipped me over so my ass was sticking out for him. He roughly pulled down my jeans and I heard him fumbling with a condom wrapper.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “I’m still on the pill.”
Greyson met my eyes but said nothing as he slid the condom on and took me roughly from behind. He didn’t even bother taking all my clothes off. I tried to smile, as if it was because he was just that excited. But something felt different this time.
He pumped into me, his body pounding against me rhythmically. I looked over my shoulder and saw his eyes were shut and his forehead was furrowed almost like he was in pain.
“Hey,” I said, reaching out for his stomach to stop him. “Hey!” I said louder, giving him a slight push.
He stopped suddenly, looking at me with a slightly stunned expression. “Was it hurting?”
“No, I want to know what your deal is.”
“Right now?”
“Yes, right now.”
“But I–”
“Greyson,” I warned.
He licked his lips, then pulled his jeans back up over his erection and sat beside me on the bed.
I pulled my pants up as well and sat beside him. “Why are you using condoms again out of nowhere? Did I do something?”
“No,” he said. “I just thought we’d been reckless. If there was an accident…”
I felt coldness wash over me. What he said made perfect sense, but it was as if he was sticking his arm out and shoving me away with his words. “Right,” I whispered, lowering my head.
“I have to go back home after this, Harper. We’ve both known it was going to end that way. I’ve let myself make more out of this than I should’ve lately, and that’s my mistake. I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t have to end that way. We’re capable of compromising somehow. If you wanted it to be more than just sex, it could be.”
“No, it can’t.” His voice was stiff.
My lips quivered, but I forced myself to be strong. “That’s stupid, Greyson. We could at least try something long distance, if nothing else.”
His jaw ticked. “I think this has all been a mistake. I still think you’re the best person to run the restaurant, so I hope you and your friends will still take the job. But I think you and I need to cut things off before this gets any harder than it already will be.”
“What?” I choked.
“If we keep doing this, you’ll end up thinking it’s something it isn’t. It’s better this way. We can cut things clean before you start working the restaurant. There won’t be any conflicts of interest. It’ll be cleaner that way.”
“It’ll be cleaner? Greyson, look at me and tell me you don’t feel something here. Look into my eyes and tell me this isn’t special. Please,” I added.
He stared down for a long time. “When I first saw you, I decided you were too young for me. Then my brother talked me into a stupid bet at the Night of Lights. If I didn’t get a date before I left, I agreed to stay six months instead of three. But I couldn’t afford to stay that long.” When he finished speaking, he lifted his eyes to meet mine, and all the meaning of what he’d just said sank in.