29. GraceTanner

TWENTY-NINE

GRACE

Thunder crashes right outside the window, jolting me awake. We're having a storm surge right now, and it's been causing the sea levels to rise. It happens here sometimes, so the harbor is always at risk of flooding. But the lighthouse sits on a bit of higher ground, so I thought I'd be okay here tonight. Now that the wind is blowing and the storm is raging, I'm not so sure.

I check the clock, seeing that it's two in the morning. I'm supposed to work at eight, but depending on the conditions, I may not be able to get to the boutique. I'm what you would call a questionable driver without high winds and heavy rain, so I'm definitely not chancing it if I don't have to.

I get out of bed, wrapping the comforter around myself because I'm only wearing an oversized t-shirt and a pair of thin panties. I pad out to the living room, flipping the light switch, but nothing happens.

"Fuck," I whine. The power must've been knocked out by the storm. I'm a little bit afraid of the dark, have been since I was a kid, so being here alone is not ideal. But as of right now, I'm safe, so I'm going to try not to panic.

I return to the bedroom, grabbing my phone from where it's sitting on the absolutely useless charging dock, and make my way to the couch. There's no way I'm going to be able to rest during this shit, so I may as well scroll the internet and start looking at pieces for our winter launches. Those orders will need to be made soon, now that the colder weather is moving in.

I try to busy myself, but every time the wind whips violently, the windows rattle and the foundation groans. I'm getting more anxious by the minute that the tide could reach the house. I don't know what I'd do if it flooded and I was alone.

I decide to turn off my phone because it wasn't fully charged before the power went out and I may need it in an emergency. Instead, I huddle under the blanket, trying to stop my body from trembling with unease.

A loud clap of thunder crashes outside, making me scream into the empty room. I clutch the blanket in my hands so tightly, that they begin to ache. I slam my eyes shut, holding my tears in while I try to think of something calming. Seconds later, the front door swings open, crashing into the wooden table behind it.

"Grace!" Tanner yells, closing the door before running over to me. He sits down, wrapping my shaking body in his arms. I immediately feel safe, melting into him as I cry.

"I'm here. You're okay," he whispers, rocking me gently as I try my hardest to calm down. Adrenaline is still flowing through me while he holds me tightly, burying his face in my hair. "I'm going to carry you out of here, okay?" he asks. "The harbor is flooding, and you can't stay. It's too dangerous."

I just nod because I'm still too panicked to make sense of anything. He wraps the comforter tightly around me, shoving my phone into the pocket of his sweatpants before he lifts me from the couch and walks over to the door. There's water everywhere, and as soon as he steps outside, I can hear how deep it is as his shoes slap against it .

I expect to be lowered into his Tesla, but instead, I'm lifted into the passenger seat of a large pickup truck. I'm still shaking as he pulls the seatbelt over my wrapped body and clicks it into place. He hurries to the driver's side, hopping into the seat and before I know it, we're speeding down the flooded gravel road. It's not until we've left the harbor and are getting on the interstate that I'm able to speak.

"Where are we going?" I ask, looking out the window.

"My house," he replies, making me turn abruptly in my seat, eyes wide as I stare at him.

"No, Tanner," I say, shaking my head. "Just take me back to the inn. I'll stay there."

He continues looking out the windshield, squinting as the wipers go a thousand miles an hour to combat the rain that's pouring down. "You're not going back into town. It's not safe. I'm taking you to my house until the storm passes, then I'll bring you back. I have a full guest suite. You won't even see me."

I consider the alternatives, deciding that he's right and I shouldn't be in Hope Harbor right now. My parents' house is on much higher ground, so they're probably out of the flood zone. But the lighthouse? I'm wondering if it will even make it through this one.

My heart squeezes in my chest at the thought. While I still have so much going on in my head as far as Tanner goes, I don't want to lose the one place in the world where I feel at home right now. I'm still trying to keep as much distance from my parents as possible without raising any suspicions. I have yet to even tell them the fake story Cash concocted because I'm too afraid that they'll be able to read me and figure out that something more is going on. It won't be that much longer before I can tell them everything he did and get back to my normal life. But for now, I have to do what I have to do.

I take my phone from the cup holder between us, opening the text app and telling Claire that I had to leave and won't be able to get to the boutique tomorrow. I'm sure she won't mind since I can do most of the ordering that needs to get done online. I set the phone back down, closing my eyes, sleep finding me quickly as the adrenaline rush I was having begins to fade away.

TANNER

Grace slept for most of the ride to Boston. I couldn't stop myself from stealing glances, admiring her face as tiny snores came from her exhausted body.

I watched the weather app all night. I knew there was a storm surge, and even though I told myself she would leave the lighthouse if she thought she was in danger, it's like I was being pulled to her. I was already on my way when the security app alerted me that the system had gone into battery backup mode, making me push the gas pedal all the way to the floor so I could get to her faster.

When I found her, trembling on the couch, my instinct was to pull her into my arms. So that's what I did. I know she was terrified, but it gave me a little spark of hope when she didn't push me away. I couldn't leave her there, especially seeing that the land was beginning to flood. Thankfully, she came willingly when I told her we were going to my place. Otherwise, I would have had to kidnap her. Over my dead body would she be staying somewhere she wasn't safe.

I pull up my driveway, seeing the house come into view. We haven't lost power here yet, but the wind and rain certainly aren't taking it any easier on us than they are on the harbor right now. I have my generator ready to go in case of an emergency, but I think we should be able to get through the storm without needing it.

I push the button overhead, watching as the garage door rises. I stay as quiet as possible as I pull in, getting out and rounding the front of the truck to where Grace is still out cold in the passenger seat. Call me a selfish motherfucker, but I don't want to wake her. I just want to be able to hold her close as much as I can. I miss her so fucking much, some nights there's a physical ache in my chest.

I open the door as quietly as I can, noticing that her leg is sticking out from under the blanket, all the way up to her bare thigh. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to get my bearings, because all I want is to lean down and taste her warm skin. This woman is everything to me, whether she realizes it or not, and the need to claim and own her is stronger than it's ever been with all the time we've spent apart.

I pull the blanket back over her, sliding my arms under her body and pulling her to my chest. She nuzzles her face into my neck immediately, pressing her lips against me while she tries to get comfortable. My cock thickens in my sweatpants because it's been so long since I was last touched like this. Touched by her . I only wish she was awake and doing it because she wanted to.

I somehow manage to open the door to my house without waking her. I would give anything to bring her to my bed right now, but I know that's not a possibility, so I continue toward the guest suite. Just as I hit the first stair, she lifts her head, looking straight into my eyes. I expect her to panic immediately, but she doesn't. It's like she's frozen, our lips inches apart, neither of us able to back away.

We just stay there, me holding her at the top of the staircase to my basement. Memories from the past flash behind my eyes and I move in just slightly, giving in to my body's natural pull to the love of my life. I can practically taste her as soft breaths puff against my lips, waiting for her to move the last few centimeters and put me out of my fucking misery.

I feel her stiffen as reality hits her, and I close my eyes, attempting to burn the memory of this moment into my brain before it ends. But I don't get the chance, because she kicks her legs, making me drop them from my grasp. I keep my other arm banded around her back as she slides down my body, only letting go when her feet are firmly planted on the floor and she pulls away.

We stand there for several more seconds, unanswered questions swirling in the air around us before she finally looks away.

"Sorry," she whispers. "I haven't slept well since the rain started."

"I know," I reply. Because I do. Grace isn't afraid of storms, but she's always terrified of the power going out and being left in the dark alone. Unfortunately, I couldn't get to her before that happened tonight, but she's here now, and I plan on leaving every light in the house on for her so she can rest peacefully.

I'm rewarded with a small smile as I put my hand gently on her lower back, leading her down the stairs. We pass the game room, and she peeks inside, taking in the large movie screen and video games lining the walls. As we move further down the hall, we approach the door that I have closed and locked. I don't say anything, trying to ignore it so she doesn't ask what's behind it, but unfortunately, I'm not that lucky.

"What's this room?" She asks quietly. I definitely can't show her, so I wave a dismissive hand, picking up my speed as we walk by.

"Nothing," I rush out. "Just storage."

I hate lying to her, but she's not ready to see anything inside those walls yet. Hopefully, someday she will be. But right now, I'm just trying to do everything I can to gain back her trust and friendship .

She drops it, continuing to walk down the hall until we arrive at the guest suite. I turn the knob, letting her enter before I follow, flipping every light switch on the panel to completely illuminate the entire space. She takes a few slow steps further into the main living area, her eyes ping-ponging around the room, taking it all in.

"Wow," she says. "This is bigger than my whole house."

I clear my throat, trying not to think about the fact that we're alone here. There's not a single soul for miles. "I had it built so my parents had a place to stay when they came to visit. I wanted them to have everything they needed right here."

She looks over her shoulder at me, and I swear I see just a small piece of the old Grace behind her eyes. "Thanks for letting me stay."

You can stay forever.

The thought is as natural as breathing. There hasn't been a single day since I moved in that I haven't wondered what it would feel like having her here. It was always just a fantasy, but now it's real.

And suddenly, it feels like home.