Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Bonny

I'm not sure how I managed to stay at Grayson's place for so long after I let him do all the naughty things he did to me. He has such a potty mouth too. Who would have guessed that dirty talk is such a turn-on for me? Well, as long as it comes from Grayson. Any other person and my uterus shrivels up.

And having to do the walk of shame in front of my mom was the icing on the cake of embarrassment I had to eat on Sunday. It also didn't help that Lolly called me and told me she heard I stayed the night with him from someone in town. Some people might think Grayson said something to someone, bragging or talking shit, but I understand it's just small towns. People love something to talk about and I guess me and Grayson are their new favorite thing to gossip about which might be a sticking point for him since he probably isn't used to it.

It doesn't help that I overheard my own mother talking to someone about us when I came in from playing outside with Tandy before dinner. "Yep, you heard right. She stayed the night."

At first, I thought she might be talking about someone at the hospital where she works but then she goes on.

"You make sure that snotty, self-centered Ann knows it too. I can't wait to see her when she finds out her darling little troll isn't going to get him."

"Oh my God! Mom!"

"Oh shit, Andy, I got to go."

She hangs up and turns innocent eyes my way.

"Why, hello dear, I didn't notice you standing…"

"Mom, tell me you didn't." I normally wouldn't interrupt my mom, but...how can I not?

"Didn't what dear?"

"Did you tell your friend Andria that I spent the night at Grayson's… to make Ann jealous?"

"No. Of course not. What kind of person do you take me for?" I start to breathe a sigh of relief but it's too soon because she continues, "I told her so she can tell everyone because all of the nurses at the hospital have a bet on who he will ask out and I put a lot of money on it not being that awful girl of hers."

"Mom!" I don't even know who I'm living with anymore. "You didn't!"

I can tell by her face she did.

"And what's going to happen when everyone finds out this isn't what you've made it out to be, what happens when he starts dating someone else? Mom, you shouldn't have told…"

She laughs - she actually laughs at me - and gives me a friendly shove. "That man isn't going to date someone else, child."

"How do you know that?" I make sure to emphasize the ‘you' in that question, so she understands I'm not going to take her just feeling it as a rational answer.

"Because when I spoke to him, you could just hear it in his voice."

My heart plummets to my feet. "You talked to him?"

"Actually, I guess, you could say he talked to me since he called me last night to tell me you were with him."

"He called you?"

"Yes, honey. He thought I would worry if you didn't come back home and didn't want me to think you had wound up in some ditch. He was worried about Tandy if someone wasn't here to watch her as well. He even told me he didn't have a problem if I wanted to drop her off at his house if I needed to. He is the sweetest thing in the world really."

I'm not sure how I feel about him having a full-blown conversation with my mother, but it's absolutely precious that he was willing to have Tandy come over if she needed to. My lips tilt up before I realize my mom is studying me like a sample under a microscope.

Instead of saying anything, she just gives me a knowing smile and starts back on dinner. It doesn't get any better the next day when he is waiting for me outside the shop. He barely lets me step out of my car before he walks over to me. I am shocked that he takes me in his arms and kisses me right there in front of all the stores and businesses without a care in the world.

"I missed you last night."

What the hell? "Um…too."

It comes out as a question instead of an assured response like his. The truth is I did miss him. I did think about him… all night long after daydreaming about him all day.

"You called my mom?"

He looks confused for a few seconds before he answers me, "Oh yeah. You mean Saturday night. Yeah, I got worried about Tandy not having anyone to watch her so I decided I would check in with your mom. Hopefully, you don't mind. I used your phone to find the number."

Not so much when he was worried that Tandy would be by herself or that it would put a strain on my mom. My mom's words about him telling her to bring Tandy over if she needed to come back to me and the same smile fights to break across my face.

I pick at one of the buttons on his shirt so I don't have to look at his reaction when I ask my question, "Did you really tell her she could bring Tandy over if she needed to?"

"Yeah. Of course." His hands come down to rest on my hips. "I know how important your mom and Tandy are to you. I would never try to jeopardize that or try to usurp your love for them."

Well, damn. How the hell are you supposed to not fall in love with someone who says that? So, I tell him the truth, "I thought about you all night."

When I glance up, I see a huge smile stretch across his face. "Yeah, what did you think about?"

I can't answer him because of all the naughty things that popped up in my head.

He tilts my chin up, so I have no choice but to meet his eyes, "Were you thinking about what I did to you in the bed, bunny?"

"Yes… and other things that you, um, mentioned while we were there too."

"Oh, you were thinking about how much I want to eat you."

"Oh my God, Grayson!" I put my hand over his mouth and glance around us to make sure no one was close enough to listen to what he said. Thankfully no one is out this early. He throws his head back and laughs while my face lights up with a blush.

He grabs me by the wrist and starts pulling me towards his office. "You have to open or make something today before the other girls come in?"

"No, not really. I like to meet Candy when she gets here so we can go inside together."

"When does Candy get in usually?"

"Where, um, are you taking me, Grayson?"

He doesn't answer me but asks me once again, "When does Candy get here?"

I glance down at my phone before I answer him. "Um, she should be here in the next fifteen or twenty minutes. She's staying with Lolly this week, so it takes her a little while."

"She doesn't have a place to stay?"

"No, she has the apartment upstairs but we're fixing it right now and we all worry about the paint fumes and stuff." I don't doubt he would have offered a solution for Candy if he thought she didn't have a place. He's just that kind of sweet person.

"So…about fifteen minutes?" I give him a nod as he opens his door and pulls me inside the darkened room. "Good, that gives us just the right amount of time."