Page 19 of Lovers at Seaside
She knew they existed in a bit of a bubble here on the dunes with his friends and family, a world away from her real life. But she liked this bubble. She felt more like Polly tonight than she had in a very long time. Even more than when she was holed up in her house. Maybe even more than when she was with Bert, because Bert would have had serious issues with her leaving the house in the shape she had tonight, and Grayson had encouraged it. She wondered what Bert would have thought of the way Grayson had kidnapped her. She happened to love it, despite worrying about being spotted without her Parker face on.
The girls laughed again, and Parker realized she’d had Grayson on her brain again. He was talking with the guys, paying close attention to everything Jamie and Pete were saying. She liked seeing him in his world, with his friends. It was easy to see how important they all were to each other.
“How long are you in town?” Sky asked.
“I’m not sure yet, probably a couple of weeks.” She wasn’t in a hurry to rush back to California, which was surprising to her, given her tendency to keep herself too busy to think. She knew Luce would have contacted Phillipa to let her know she was okay, but she made a mental note to touch base with her agent after wrapping up her visit with Abe.
“Oh, good! Maybe you can visit me at my tattoo shop in Provincetown,” Sky said excitedly. “I’d love to introduce you to my friend Lizzie. She owns the flower shop next door.”
“That sounds like fun.” Parker wondered if Sky sensed how much it meant to her that she wanted to introduce her to her friend.
“Will Grayson be here that long, too?” Jana asked.
I hope so.She looked at Grayson, and the seductive look in his eyes told her he did, too, but she didn’t want to appear possessive over a man who wasn’t really hers. “I guess that’s up to Grayson,” she finally answered.
“Well,” Bella said with a smirk. “Based on the smoke rising from that side of the table, I’d say he’s staying however long you are.”
Parker’s pulse raced at the thought of Grayson’s friends recognizing what she’d felt all along.
“Maybe he and the guys can get together and we can have a girls’ day or something,” Jana suggested.
“Yes!” Jenna said, and immediately launched into a discussion about potential outings.
“Careful,” Leanna said to Parker. “Bella will have you married off before you even leave the Cape.”
“Hey, I just call it like I see it,” Bella said. “I can’t help it if I’m always right.”
Grayson squeezed Parker’s shoulder, and in that moment she realized she’d made a mistake. She’d thought she was the only one who could read the interest in his eyes, but his gaze held all the confirmationanyoneneeded.
“Dance with me?” Grayson didn’t wait for an answer as he rose to his feet, bringing her up with him, and sliding an arm around her waist.
There was barely room to move on the dance floor, but she didn’t mind. She wound her arms around his neck, her fingers playing over his skin as they gazed into each other’s eyes. She felt like she’d been waiting for this moment all her life. To be looked at the way Grayson looked at her, like he saw more than just a pretty celebrity. He made her feel special, precious, and cared for, when he checked in with her so often.
“Are you as okay as you appear, or is this an act?” His eyes held a tease, but she heard the seriousness of his concern in his tone.
“I’m not a good enough actress to fake how happy I feel,” she admitted. “I needed this.”I needed you.
“My friends can be a little intrusive. By the time we leave, they’ll all have your phone number and will bug you the whole time you’re in town.”
His hand moved to the base of her spine, bringing their bodies together. He didn’t move his body in an overtly sexual way, or leer like other guys often did. This didn’t feel like a prelude to an expectation of more. Grayson moved sensually but carefully, as if he was enjoying their connection as much as she was and was in no hurry for it to end.
“They’re wonderful. So that would be okay with me. And your brothers and sister are really great.”
“They’re pretty cool,” he said casually, but she’d witnessed the way he lit up when he was teasing Pete and Hunter and how serious he became when their conversation turned to their father and worries of him working too hard. He’d gone just as serious when he’d asked Sky about her tattoo business, as if he were analyzing her answers, making sure she’d made good decisions.
She wondered if he’d kept tabs on Sky with calls, texts, or emails when he was traveling for CCF, reminding her again of all he’d given up for his brother’s relationship.
“You’d like my other brother, Matt,” he said. “He teaches at Princeton.”
“You mentioned him in an email over the holidays. You’re lucky to have so many people who love you. I don’t really have that type of group to fall back on. I have Luce, my PR rep who also happens to be a good friend, but she has so many clients and she lives half the time in New York, so we don’t see each other that often.”
“I think you’ve gotthemnow, too.” He searched her eyes, and she wondered if he could see her holding on to that offer with hope that it was true, or if her burgeoning emotions for him were blocking sight of it.
“I can only imagine how hard it’s been going through this alone,” he said, holding her a little tighter. “When I lost my mom, I was terrified that I’d forget things about her. So I closed myself off, thinking I needed to focus all my energy on remembering her. Eventually I realized I could never forget her. She’d been too big a part of my life. I see traces of her in everything I do and say and feel.”
“You really do get it.” Her voice cracked with emotion. She couldn’t imagine Grayson being afraid of anything, but the fear he described was so real for her, she knew he must have experienced it firsthand. “It’s hard knowing Bert’s no longer a phone call away.” They were barely dancing now, lost in a world where only they existed.
“I really like you, Parker. You’re funny, and smart, and trying so hard to be brave in the face of losing the person you loved most. We spent months getting to know each other, and I wish I’d known about Bert so I could have been there for you sooner. But I’m here now, and I want to get to know you better and be here for you. If you’ll let me.”
