Chapter 22
Cori
“I cannot believe it,” Lena said. “Seriously. I mean, I am so happy for both of you. But I honestly didn’t think it would happen, you know?”
I laughed and took a sip of my coffee. “Why?”
“I don’t know. You and Joel just broke up, and Grant has been on the sideline for so long…” She shrugged. “I just didn’t think it. And when you called me? Girl, I need more details after what you told me about how that dick dumped you. How was it?” Her eyes were practically glowing.
I flushed with warmth. Made even warmer because of the cup of coffee I was curled around in Deja Brew. We were waiting for Grant to come pick me up. Because I had another appointment at the Pearson Ranch, and especially after last time, I wasn’t going alone.
Not to mention the fact that we couldn’t stay away from each other. Every moment that we hadn’t been at work, we’d been with each other. Mostly in bed. With me pinned under his body in the most delicious ways.
Grant was everything I wanted and more, taking control when I wanted him to and backing off when we both needed it. I loved sinking into that heat and that place where I didn’t have to decide anything. Especially since I still hadn’t actually made a decision about the trust. One more thing that was hanging over my head.
“It was…amazing.” That was a totally inadequate way to describe it. “Every second that I spend with him, I recognize how awful everything with Joel was. From the sex to how he treated me. I don’t miss him. At all. And Grant—” I cut off, unable to stop my smile. “He just makes me really happy.”
Lena squealed, jumped up, and danced in a circle before nearly tackling me in a hug. “I am so freaking happy for you! And okay, I want details, but I’m not going to force them from you. I just really need to know, given I have the same…curiosity. Would I like it?”
“Hell yes.” My response was immediate. “If you have a person who wants it too? Treats it seriously? I can’t imagine that you wouldn’t. Because it’s awesome.”
She smiled. I knew she was thinking about Jude, but I didn’t say anything. I had no way of knowing if that was something he was interested in, but for Lena’s sake, I hoped he was. If the two of them ever managed to come together in any capacity.
No wonder she hadn’t expected Grant and me to move forward.
“That’s good,” she said. “Good.”
“I hope it happens for you.” Lena’s eyes focused behind me, and my skin tingled. “He’s behind me?”
“Mm-hmm.”
I turned, and the overwhelming happiness that swept through me hit me like a wave. It felt like I was radiating sunshine as he came toward me. He was moving stiffly—something you wouldn’t notice if you hadn’t completely memorized the way he moved. But he was still smiling at me, too.
I hadn’t even realized that I’d stood to meet him until he’d reached me and was kissing me hello, not bothered at all by the fact that Lena was right there or that anyone could pass and see us. Our friends knew about us—there was no hiding it—but we hadn’t done anything in public.
There was a fraction of a second when I worried what people might think about me suddenly being with someone new. Then Grant slipped his hand behind my neck, moving me so he could kiss me deeper, and any concerns I might have had melted away under his tongue.
Last night, his pain had been growing. And instead of the intense, deep sex we’d been having, it had been soft and slow. Somehow almost deeper. No control or rope, just the two of us getting lost in each other.
“Hello, beautiful,” he whispered when he let me go.
I could feel how pink I was, and I didn’t care. My fingers were gripping his shirt for dear life. Behind us, there was a sound, and I looked to find Lena staring at us, hands over her mouth to keep in her excitement.
“Hi,” I whispered back.
“Ready to go?”
“Almost. Let me put this coffee in a to-go cup.”
He released me so I could do just that. “Hey, Lena.”
“Grant,” she said with a grin. “Good to see you.”
“Is this the part where you tell me that if I hurt Cori, you’ll come after me?” he asked. I heard the amusement in his voice.
“Oh, I don’t need to tell you that,” she answered. “Because if you’re asking, then clearly you already know.”
Grant laughed. “Fair point.”
I pushed the lid onto the coffee cup and went back to them. “All ready. I’ll see you soon, Lena?”
“You better,” she said with a grin.
Honestly, she was probably hoping I’d give her more details. And I was tempted. But I didn’t just want to tell people about Grant and me without asking how he felt about that. What we’d done together was too intimate for me to treat it carelessly.
His truck was parked outside, and he opened the door for me. I heard the small sound he made helping me up into the cab. “Are you okay?”
His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “My pain is high today.”
Oh no. “If you can’t go, I can reschedule.”
He reached up and brushed his fingers across my cheek. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“That’s the thing,” I said. “We’re together now. I get to worry about you.”
Smiling, Grant leaned up and kissed me again softly. “I’m okay. I promise.”
Right now, going to the Pearson Ranch was the last thing on my mind. It took effort to pull back from him and let him shut the door. And I hated that I saw the pain in the way he walked. Even if he said he was okay, it was clear that he was suffering.
But he took my hand across the bench seat when he cranked the truck, and we started the drive. “I know you’re okay, but is there anything I can do to help? With the pain?”
“This is helping,” he said, squeezing my hand. “Being with you helps.”
Pleasant warmth built in my stomach. I scooted closer to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. We hadn’t talked much when he came back yesterday. I knew he’d gone to see one of his doctors, but I didn’t want to pry either. We were together, but not yet to the place where I could just ask what his doctors said about his injury.
I liked being close to him. It was so comfortable that I nearly fell asleep on the way to the ranch. I opened my eyes as we were pulling in under the metal sign with the Pearson logo.
“Wow,” I said.
Grant laughed softly. “You fell asleep.”
“Must be someone keeping me up at night. Wonder who that could be.”
“I mean, I could stop that.”
I sat up. “I didn’t say that. I’m awake.”
“You’re making it very hard not to turn the truck around.”
“Do it.” I looked over at him. “Believe me, I won’t complain.”
He pulled the truck to a stop near the stable. “Do what you need to do, and then we’ll go home.”
“I like the sound of that. Do you want to stay here? For the pain?”
He hesitated. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“I can come straight back to you if I’m not,” I said, grabbing my bag.
“Longer than twenty minutes, and I’m coming to check. For my own peace of mind.”
Leaning over, I kissed him. “I’ll be back in nineteen.”
It might take longer than that, but there wasn’t any reason I couldn’t come back to the truck and check in. Both times I’d been in this stable since my encounter with Joel had been tense. I would be ready for a breather.
I wasn’t here to see a particular horse; this was just one of the regular checkups where I walked the stable and checked anything I saw that bothered me. Or if a single horse needed attention, I would give it a look. Mr. Pearson hadn’t specified anything, but a stable hand waved me down when he saw me inside. He’d been around for a while—I was pretty sure his name was Gene. “Hey, Doc.”
“Hi there.”