Perfect Embrace by Kaylee Ryan

Chapter 15

Laken

I’m sitting in my office while Jasmine handles the register and is working on putting away today’s shipment. I’m supposed to be working on this month’s financial report. Instead, I can’t stop thinking about Grayson. I haven’t seen him since he dropped me off at my place Saturday night. It’s Thursday. That’s five long days without him. We’ve been dating for a month now, and it’s been the best month of my life.

I might not have laid eyes on him, but I have talked to him. He calls me every night once the girls are in bed, and we talk on the phone for hours. We’re dating, but our actual dates are few and far between. That’s okay, because we’re getting to know one another on a deeper level.

There are also his text messages. Grabbing my phone, I pull up the one from this morning.

Grayson:Have a great day, beautiful.

My reply was a lame “you too.” If Grayson only knew that the blush he confessed—on one of our late-night calls—he loves so much was present this morning when I read his message. Who blushes over a sweet text message? Me, I guess. I crushed on Grayson hard in high school. As an adult, I still thought he was sexy as hell, but it wasn’t the same as when I was in high school. I was a young girl, and he was hands down the hottest guy in school, at least in my opinion. As an adult, he was just another gorgeous man, one who was untouchable.

It turns out I was wrong.

I would never have imagined that Grayson and I would be dating, then or now. However, when my phone rings every night at nine, I know it’s him. My heart flutters in my chest, and I’m giddy to hear his voice in my ear.

I hear the chime of the door, alerting us to a customer, and even that is distracting me. I just can’t seem to focus today. When I hear, “Where’s Waken?” it’s not just my face that lights up with a smile. My heart does as well. Harlow and Hayden Davis are a breath of fresh air and a welcome distraction from the numbers I’m supposed to be buried in at the moment.

Standing from my desk, I smile as I walk out of my office. “Waken!” the girls exclaim.

“Ladies, are you ready to pick out a book?” I ask them.

“We wanna tell you another story,” Harlow says.

“Yeah. It’s so good,” Hayden adds.

“Hey, Jackie,” I greet Grayson’s mom. I try to act as I always have around her, but it’s different now that I’m dating her son.

“Laken.” Is it just me, or does her greeting hold something new? I’m sure it’s all in my head.

“You want to join us?” I ask her.

“I think I’ll find myself something to read while I’m here.”

“Perfect,” I tell her. “Ladies.” I look down at the girls. “Shall we go to the reading corner?”

“Yay!” they cheer. Each girl takes one of my hands as they tug me to the plush green carpet.

I take a seat on the carpet, resting my back against the small array of pillows against the wall. The girls each take a side, and I’m surprised when they snuggle up against me.

“Once upon a time,” Harlow starts.

“—there was a bunny and a sheep,” Hayden adds.

Line by line, the girls retell their story. Well, I assume it’s a retelling. They could be making it up as they go. The imagination of a child is a wonderful thing. I don’t know how long we sit here, but I make sure to give them my full attention. Jasmine has the store covered, and honestly, I’m just too enthralled by the light in their eyes from creating their own story to worry about anything else.

“The end,” they say together.

I clap, and they both offer me huge grins. “That was so good. I’m so proud of you. Umpff!” I say when they both attack me, wrapping their little arms around my neck. I look up to find both Jackie and Grayson sitting in the area for adults. Both of them are watching me with the twins.

“Girls, guess what?” I ask, pulling my eyes from Grayson and his mom.

“What?” They let their arms fall from my neck and watch me with anticipation. “Look.” I point to Grayson, and they scream and take off running.

Grayson barely has time to stand before they launch themselves at him. I avert my gaze, giving them time to say hello. Taking my time, I stand and adjust the pillows before making my way to the register to check on Jasmine. I want to be in that back corner with them. I want to hug Grayson and feel his strong arms around me, but I hold strong. It’s not my moment. It’s theirs. Sure, maybe before we started dating I might have gone over to say hello, but now, well, things are different.

The bell chimes over the door, and I turn to see Lenora and my nephew, Trace. “Hey, you two,” I greet them. Trace comes to me and gives me a hug.

“We were out running errands and wanted to see if you wanted to come to the park with us.”

“Waken! You go to the park?” I turn to see the twins standing behind me with Grayson and his mom. I don’t know which one asked the question; I struggle when I’m not looking at them.

I drop to my knees. “I do. I love going to the park.”

“Daddy. Waken wikes the park,” Harlow tells Grayson.

“I’m Trace. What’s your name?” My nephew inserts himself into my conversation.

“My name Hayden,” Hayden tells him.

“I’m Hawow. We’s twins,” she explains.

“Dat means we wook awike,” Hayden offers helpfully.

“Daddy, can we go to the park?” Harlow asks Grayson.

“Looks like you have things handled here.” Jackie smiles at her son. “Laken, I’ll see you next week. Bye, ladies.” She waves to Jasmine and Lenora before rushing out the door.

I give Grayson a questioning look, and he smiles. “Set-up.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah, apparently Mom has been indulging in the MC Scoop lately, and she’s on board with… this.” He waves between us.

“I happen to agree with her,” Lenora chimes in.

“Daddy. The park?” Hayden asks.

“What do you say, ladies? You think you could use some company at the park?” Grayson asks, but his eyes are on mine.

“Actually, I just remembered I need to do… something. Can you watch Trace for me?” Lenora asks. She bends to Trace’s level. “Hey, buddy. Mommy forgot about a… meeting. Is it okay if you go to the park with Aunt Laken and your new friends, Harlow and Hayden?”

“Yeah!” Trace cheers.

“Perfect. Laken, call me later, and I’ll meet up with you. Have fun.” She waves over her shoulder and is out the door.

I bend at the waist, placing my hands on my knees to be closer to the kids’ faces. “Why don’t the three of you go grab a book and hang out in the reading corner for a few minutes?” I suggest.

“Okay!” They all three race off to find a book to read.

“Grayson, I’m so sorry.” I can’t believe my sister did that. She could have at least been subtle about it.

He chuckles a deep throaty sound that fills my store and heightens my desire for him. This is not the time for me to be feeling… that. Not with my nephew, his daughters, and my employee here for the show.

“It’s fine, Laken. My mom wasn’t exactly subtle. She called me and said she had errands to run that the girls couldn’t do with her. I know for a fact that it was a lie, but I didn’t mind. You know why?”

“Why?” I ask as he steps closer to me.

“Because five days is way too damn long to not set my eyes on you.” His voice is low, only for me, but I still glance over my shoulder to see Jasmine has moved to the front of the store, working on the display that I gave her full creativity for when she arrived earlier today.

“Sounds like you missed me, Davis.” I go for playful. I hope he doesn’t see how much I missed him too. I’m not even going to try and decipher why I miss him so much. The rapid beat of my heart tells me all I need to know.

“You wanna know what else I missed?”

“What’s that?” I ask, gazing up at him.

“Holding you close—the feel of your lips against mine. I’ve been replaying our last weekend in my mind. But seeing you… it’s like a kick in the gut… my need for you.” He takes a step closer. “When can I see you again?”

“You tell me.”

“Tonight.”

“The girls?”

“Come over after they’re in bed.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. Nine. They’re usually in bed by eight, but that gives some wiggle room in case they are fighting sleep.” He steps closer, putting us to toe to toe.

“What should I bring?”

“Just you, Laken. I just need you.”

“Okay.” I nod.

“Now, about the park. Are you able to go now?”

“You want to go with us?” I ask him.

“I do.”

“Here? In Mason Creek?” I raise an eyebrow in question, but there is a smile tilting my lips. We’ve tried to keep our dates on the down low, even though Tate always seems to find out.

“I have nothing to hide. Besides, it’s not like people in town don’t know we’re dating. The cat’s already out of the bag.” He shrugs like it’s no big thing.

“Yeah, I can go now. It’s almost closing time, so we’ll lock up fifteen minutes early.”

“No. Don’t do that. I’ll go hang out with the kids. You do what you have to do, and when you close, we’ll head to the park.”

“Thank you. I just don’t like to leave Jasmine here on her own. I know our town is safe, but I just would feel better if she’s not left alone.”

“That heart of yours, it’s bigger than the state of Montana.” He winks and heads to the back corner of the store to sit with the kids. He also leaves me swooning, wishing for time to speed up.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Grayson and I are on foot, headed a block over to the park at the town square. The girls wanted to hold my hand, and in turn, Trace decided the boys would stick together and reached for Grayson’s.

The kids run and play while Grayson and I sit back and watch. “You know, I really want to hold your hand right now.”

“Yeah?” I keep my eyes on the kids. “What’s stopping you?” It’s a challenge.

“My daughters.” It’s as if ice is thrown on our easy conversation, and my shoulders stiffen.

He moves closer. “That’s not what I mean, Laken. I want to talk to them. I’ve never brought a woman into their lives, and fuck, I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m doing. We’ve been dating for a month, and you’re all I can think about. I just don’t want to bring them into this, into whatever this is with us unless I know it’s the real deal.”

“It’s fine, Grayson. I understand. I told you. Those girls come first. I understand, and I accept that.”

“Then why the stiff shoulders?” As if he needs to confirm it, his hand rests on my shoulder. He massages for a few seconds before dropping his hand back to his lap.

“Nothing. It just sounded like that would never happen, you telling the girls.”

“Oh, it’s going to happen. I just want us to have a little more time together. I know they’re going to need to know about us. That sneaking around after bedtime and on weekends they stay with their grandparents isn’t what relationships are made of. I just want a little more time.”

“You have all the time you need, Grayson. I told you. I’m here when you’re ready.” I know this is a big deal for him, bringing me into the girls’ lives as someone other than the lady who owns the bookstore.

“That’s the problem. I feel like I’m ready. My heart and my body are telling me to jump into this thing with you and hope you catch me on the way down. My head, well, it’s telling me I need to take a little more time, not for me, but for them.”

I turn to look at him. “Then that’s what we’ll do.” I can give him time. As long as I know that he wants this to move forward, I can be patient so that the girls are eased into this transition.

“I really want to kiss you right now.”

“You can’t tease me like that,” I counter. The thought of just a simple kiss from this man has heat pooling between my thighs.

“Tonight.”

“Tonight,” I echo.

The kids play a little longer, and after they messily eat ice cream cones, we head back to the store to get our cars. Trace and I send the Davis clan on their way before heading up to my apartment to call my sister.

“Have fun?” she asks.

“We did. Trace is tuckered out. We got lucky both Hattie and Hazel were nowhere to be seen at Twisted Sisters. I was sure they would be there.”

“I’m on my way. Oh, and you might want to look at the MC Scoop.” She chuckles as the line goes dead.

Grabbing my phone, I pull up the app to see what Tate had to say this time.

More than just ice cream

Here’s the scoop. Our fire chief and bookstore owner were spotted out with the littles

in their lives. Ice cream and fun at the park. It looks like the relationship is blossoming.

Stay tuned for more growing details.

Tate is giving Hazel and Hattie a run for their money lately. Hell, for all I know the three of them are working together. It wouldn’t surprise me the way word travels in this small town.