And when it was over, pleasure still washing over her, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, whispering sweet words in her ears.
It felt like heaven and hell had collided and made a whole new world just for them.
A world she never wanted to leave.
Chapter Eighteen
It was a beautiful day. The hazy sun had beaten its way through the wispy clouds, leaving behind a cerulean blue sky that stretched for miles above him. Gray was kneeling on the roof of his father’s house to assess the damage, taking photographs of the holes that he’d send to the Johnson brothers for their advice when he heard a car pull into the driveway.
He didn’t turn around at first. Mostly because he was used to people coming and going. Aunt Gina’s friends, Becca’s old schoolmates, and the occasional visitor for his father. And he’d noticed that Tanner still had everything delivered here – even his online shopping. Funny how home always had that pull on him.
“Hey,” a female voice called out a minute later. This time he turned, pressing his foot down to keep his balance on the camber of the roof. The sun was so bright it still hit his eyes in spite of the shade his hard hat provided. He blinked and lifted his hand.
The car in the driveway was a sparkling silver Mercedes. And standing next to it was the last person he
expected to see.
“Ash?”
She smiled at his instant recognition. “I heard you were back in town. I thought I’d come say hi.”
For a moment he thought about telling her he was busy – which he clearly was – and send her away. But he knew without a doubt that Aunt Gina had already seen her, and would give him hell if he didn’t show any hospitality.
“Give me a minute,” he called out. “If you go around the back, Aunt Gina’s in the kitchen. I’ll meet you there in a few.”
Her smile faltered a little. “Oh, okay.”
As she walked around the side of the house, Gray let out a sigh. He’d been riding a high all morning on memories of last night. His father had bitched him out about the pipes creaking throughout the night and he hadn’t given a damn. It was like listening to a bird chirping to him. He was too busy thinking about the way Maddie’s body had felt so goddamn soft and enticing to care what his father had to say.
But now her sister was here and it was like she was holding a needle, ready to puncture a balloon. He’d have happily gone a hundred years without seeing her.
When he walked into the kitchen, pulling his hard hat off and ruffling his hair, he saw her sitting with Aunt Gina, the two of them sipping sweet tea. They were leaning over Ashleigh’s phone, flipping through pictures. Their heads lifted to look at him as his feet stomped against the floor.
“There you are,” Gina said as he kicked his boots off and left them on the mat. “Ashleigh was showing me photos of Grace and Carter. I can’t believe how much they’ve grown. Have you seen them?”
“I saw a picture at Maddie’s house.”
Ashleigh blinked. “You’ve been to my house?”
Damn. He had absolutely no idea what Maddie had said to her sister about him – if anything at all. Were they supposed to be friends? Acquaintances? Enemies?
“She helped me out at church a couple of weeks ago. I went to thank her.” He leaned casually against the door, taking Ashleigh in. She’d always taken care of her appearance, but there was an expensive sheen to her she hadn’t had before. Like somebody had airbrushed her in real life, taking away the interesting features and blemishes that made her human.
That made him think about the cluster of freckles on the back of Maddie’s neck that looked like the big dipper. He’d kissed his way down them last night, making her shiver against him. Her ass had been pressed against his groin and it had sent a jolt of pleasure right through him.
“I heard about that. Typical Maddie, making you jump over fences.” Ashleigh unleashed a smile. “She gave Della Thorsen such a fright. You’d think my sister was still a teenager, not twenty-five-years old.”
“I’m thirty-one,” Gray pointed out, his voice deep. “If anybody was leading anybody astray it was me.”
Ashleigh’s smile faltered for a second. “Well thank you for protecting her. She’s still so young in many ways. I guess that’s what comes of never really leaving home. Not like the two of us. She’s never been wise in the ways of the world.”
Was she talking about Maddie Clark? Smart-mouthed, sharp as a knife, and never knowingly taken advantage of?
“I don’t think she needs my protection.”
“No, she doesn’t.” Ashleigh took a sip of the sweet tea. “Actually, while I’m here there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.” She slid her eyes to Aunt Gina. “Alone, if that’s okay. Maybe we can take a walk in the yard.”
Gray took a deep breath. He’d rather be up on the roof listening to his father bitch than talking to his long-ago ex, but from the way Aunt Gina smiled, he knew that wasn’t an option. “Yeah, sure.”