“Yeah, hi.” She sounded off. Out of breath? Or…tipsy? “Um, are you free? I was wondering if you could stop by. I’d, um, like to see you.”
Something inside his chest rolled and flipped. His mind flashed to the sight of Faith’s gorgeous eyes flooded with desire, her lips red and plump from his kiss. And his cock went from interested to let’s go.
“Really?” His overly eager response made him cringe a little, and he yanked himself back down to earth. “I mean, you’re not just messing with me?”
A beat of silence hung before she filled it with a hasty, “Yes, really.”
Excitement burst through Grant in one hot explosion. A reaction he had absolutely no control over. He tilted his face toward the sky and pumped his fist with a silent Yes. Then pulled himself together, tossed his towel aside, and told her, “I’ll be there.”
“Great.”
“And Faith?”
“Yeah?”
“Normally, I prefer red, but on you, pink. It’s your color.”
A moment of silence, then, “Pink.”
“Yeah.” The thrill bubbling through his blood at the thought of her in something sexy and skimpy and pink rivaled a goddamned hat trick. “Be there in fifteen.”
He disconnected and reached for the bathroom door.
A knock came from the entry to the guesthouse, followed by, “Grant?”
He cringed at the sound of his mother’s voice and leaned on the door handle. “Yeah, mom. Taking a shower.”
“Sorry, honey. I wanted to tell you that Patrick came in early. And Shawn’s going to be delayed. Do you think you could come up to the house for a drink before you turn in? Patrick’s interested in the landscaping barrier you put in the planting beds out front. Says he’d like to use it at his house and had some questions.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whispered, then said, “Actually, I promised Dwayne I’d meet him to talk about some team strategy tonight. Can you tell Patrick I’ll catch him tomorrow?”
“Oh.” She sounded disappointed and Grant braced for her incensed anger. “All right.”
When she didn’t say more, Grant said, “Thanks.”
“Sure.” Pause. “Honey, I just wanted to tell you that your dad and I really appreciate all you’ve done around the house this past week, and despite our rough start, it’s been so nice having you home.”
Ah fuck. He rubbed his face, so not in the mood to deal with this. Nor did he know what to say. Based on years of experience, he wasn’t ready to jump into expectations. “Thanks mom. I’m glad.”
“Tomorrow maybe we can sit down with your schedule and see when we can all make it to one of your games.”
He dropped his hand, lifted his head and stared at the door. “Really?”
Okay, that wasn’t what he’d meant to say out loud, but...really?
“Yes, really. Say hello to Dwayne for us. We’ll talk to you in the morning.”
When the door closed, Grant shook his head and muttered, “Who was that and what did she do with my mother?”
But he only wondered for a second, because he had someone very special waiting on him.
Grant splashed on a little cologne and dressed in jeans and a tee, and was out the door in two minutes flat. He shrugged into his park on the jog to his SUV parked in the drive and headed toward town.
With edgy alternative rock shaking the car and his mind spiraling through what would be his first time with Faith—feeling her, tasting her, hearing her, experiencing her—Grant was primed and pumped when he took the steps to the store two at a time and found the front door open. He stepped into the darkened store to the familiar tinkle of a bell and the rasp of his own quick breath.
He was just about to call for her when Faith’s voice floated up from the basement. “I’m down here.”
Grant frowned. “Um, okay…”