Page 28 of Manhattan Heart

The surprised look on his face, with his two eyebrows crawling up high on his forehead, say it all. He stares at me, fighting a smile. “Baby-girl, I’m not dying.”

My belly churns from side to side with a tight claw hold.

“No death jokes, okay? I can make breakfast if I want to.”

I just hardly ever do.

I eat cereal and Gray always has toasted muffins or some fruit. Food is his domain or we eat out or order in. I have every food delivery app there is at the moment.

When I go to put a plate of egg whites in front of him, Gray reels me in and hugs me tight, stroking the back of my head. Comforting me again.

“My wife cooking, I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I think I should take a picture for your Instagram. Will you put an apron on?” He grins and I smack his shoulder, instantly regret it and I smooth a hand over his soft skin.

“Tell me honestly, did you sleep at all?”

“I had a line of coke; I don’t need sleep.”

That shit earns a wallop on my ass. “India.”

I sigh and lean into his shoulder, so close I can see the different shades of slate in his eyes.

This man is so beautiful that it sometimes hurts to look at him.

In some of my darker sessions with my therapist, I often question what I’ve done to deserve him. For a man as sweet as Gray to come into my life the way he did.

I seriously would never have put me with any kind and generous man and not Gray. But here we are, happy as fat lobsters with two gorgeous fur-babies speeding around the living room like demented puppies and he’s perfect.

Gray is perfect for me.

I’m betting all my shoes that I’m not perfect for him.

He has to deal with a lot from me.

I can have seven different moods all in one day and he takes them in his casual stride.

Gray and I are yin and yang.

On paper we shouldn’t work.

He grounds me and I help him fly.

“Fine, I didn’t do drugs.”

“I don’t like you not sleeping.” He pushes the hair back from my face, holding me hostage, searching out all my fake bravado like only he can.

“You thought I could sleep after that? Grayson, I’m not sleeping again.”

He frowns and kisses me softly. For once his lips don’t distract me and I pull back, leaving my arms on his shoulders.

“I have ways of making my girl sleep,” his voice is smoky and completely seductive. Any other morning hearing the sex in his voice, I would have been all over Gray like sap on a tree.

But not today.

He goes on nuzzling my cheek.

“Are you going to talk spreadsheets to me? Because that’s always a snooze-fest.”

“I have something more pleasurable in mind.” His lips move across my forehead, his hands slip down to my hips, holding me surely.

---