Rm w/a Vu(38)

“Probably more than you’d like,” Greyston teases.

Toby smirks. “Watch it,” he threatens playfully. “I won’t hesitate to drop you.”

“All right,” I interject, faking a yawn. “I’m going to go back to bed before I’m asked to ref a wrestling match.”

“Have a good sleep, Juliette,” Greyston says softly, offering me a brief glimpse of his crooked smirk.

“Thanks. You, too.”

The minute I leave the kitchen, I hear Greyston quietly inquire about what we were talking about.

Toby laughs quietly before telling him that he was only asking how I felt about staying here alone and that he offered to help me out if I needed it. “Did you know she can shoot?” Toby asks jovially, bringing a smile to my face.

“I…no. But it doesn’t surprise me; her dad’s a cop.”

On that note, I continue up to bed in case they want a minute alone to say goodnight to one another. The minute my head hits the pillow, I’m out like a light.





Chapter 11



After leaving Greyston and Toby in the kitchen, I hadn’t gotten more than another three hours of sleep. Like the day before, the sun wakes me up, shining through the windows on my balcony doors, and I step outside to see Greyston enjoying his morning swim.

Not wanting to be caught watching him cut gracefully through the water, I retreat back into my room and decide to use my morning burst of energy on unpacking. Once everything is put away, I decide it’s time to change out of my pajamas and do a load of laundry. Having just heard on the radio that we’re in store for a record-breaking heat wave, I pull on my shorts from yesterday and a fresh tank top.

Laundry-wise, I don’t have much, but I’ve got enough for a small load of colors and an even smaller load of whites. I grab my basket and head down to the basement. I find the laundry room down the hall from a large and well-equipped home gym and turn on the machine while I separate my clothes, throwing my whites in first.

While my laundry cycles, I head outside to see Greyston still swimming. I walk barefoot to the edge of the pool and dip my toes in as Greyston swims by obliviously. Playfully, I kick out, forcing huge droplets of water to rain down on his partially exposed back. He stops in the middle of the pool, looking around until he sees me.

With a bright, toothy smile, he pushes his hair off his forehead. “Hey. Been up long?”

I shake my head and sit down so I can stick my legs in the water. “Not really. I actually just finished unpacking and throwing a load of laundry in.”

The lower half of Greyston’s face disappears beneath the surface of the water and he swims toward me. Once he’s next to me, he rests his arms on the cement pool deck and looks up at me. He’s so close to me that there’s not much water between his ribs and my calf. In fact, if I moved a fraction of an inch, my toes would probably graze the hem of his trunks…

I clear my throat, trying to refocus my attention on what I originally came out here to do. “I was going to make breakfast. Have you eaten?” I ask.

“Nope. I’ll finish up my lengths, and I’ll meet you inside in fifteen?”

Smiling, I pull my legs from the water, accidentally grazing the side of his thigh with my foot. His lips twitch before forming a smile, and he quickly pushes himself away from the edge of the pool. Away from me. I don’t take it personally; I shouldn’t have done what I did. I blame it on my apparent lack of self-control today.

“Cool. I’ll see you inside.”

Inside, I head to the fridge to search for something to make, eventually deciding on French toast. I grab everything I’ll need and begin my preparation. I’m just putting the last of six slices on when I hear the patio door slide open and Greyston’s bare feet pad across the slick tile. He’s right behind me—I can feel the waves of heat rolling off of his bare chest and across my back and shoulders. I take a shaky breath at the same time he inhales.

“Do you know how long it’s been since I had French toast?” he asks, his breath tickling my exposed neck and ear.

I open my mouth to speak, but I can’t; my voice is completely gone. It would appear that having him so close to me has forced me into a temporary state of muteness. So, instead of speaking, I shake my head, tightening my hold on the spatula to keep the tremble in my hands from being too noticeable.

He takes a few steps back, and I exhale through my lips quietly. “I’m going to go have a quick shower,” he announces. “I’ll be right down.”

“Y-yeah,” I reply, my voice having come back. “I’ll see you in a few.”