Sacking the Quarterback (9 page)

The case started
to move faster once the cartel tried to take Tyler out. A shooting in front of civilians at a police station is a much more serious crime than some warning shots fired in an empty home. I sat with Tyler and the DEA agents while he gave his statement to them. Then I checked over the written report with him before he signed.

Grayson was on the phone with his father in another room. I didn't want to bother him, so I waved good-bye and left. I needed to be home to take a moment to collect my thoughts in the safety of my apartment. I wanted to take a hot shower and wash the day off me. Then I had plans to curl up on my sofa and drink a large glass of wine.

Besides, I thought that Grayson would want to be with Tyler right now. Someone tried to kill his brother today, and I know how important Tyler is to him. Talking to me about what happened between us last night is probably the last thing Grayson wants to do right now.

I was shot at today.

It feels surreal. I can't even think about what would have happened if Tyler and Grayson hadn't reacted as quickly as they did. Especially Grayson…when he threw me to the ground and put himself on top of me like that…he saved my life. And I haven't even thanked him for it.

Suddenly, there's a knock at my front door. I freeze with my wineglass halfway to my lips. I carefully put it down on the coffee table and get to my feet. I secure the belt on my robe since I'm naked underneath. Taking a deep breath, I tuck my damp hair behind my ears and quietly pad across the wooden floors in my apartment.

I've just made it to the hall when there's another knock.

“Mel, it's Grayson.”

My heart sputters to a stop.

He's here.

Moving quickly, I reach the front door, and after checking the peephole, I throw it open. His eyes lift to mine. He looks tired and his hair is messy, like he's been running his hands through it. But he looks hot. So very hot.

“What are you doing here?” I say, and I don't mean it to sound as harsh as it does, but it comes out that way because I'm surprised.

“I needed to see you. And I wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

“I'm fine.”

His gaze drops, and I realize that the belt on my robe has loosened a little when I rushed over, exposing my cleavage to him. Green eyes lift back to mine, causing shivers to break out all over my body.

The next thing I know, he's stormed through the door and slammed it behind him. Then I'm in his arms and his mouth is on mine.

“Grayson!” I gasp.

He swallows up his name with a kiss. Then he backs me up against the wall. His hands go to my thighs and he lifts me, putting himself between my legs. I wrap them around his waist and start kissing him back.

We're all tongues, teeth, and deep moans. There's nothing finessed about this kiss. This is happening out of pure need. Grayson's hand goes to his jeans. I hear his zipper pull down, and a condom package tear open. He stops kissing me. Lips still pressed to mine, he stares into my eyes, a question in them.

“Yes,” I say, more a breath than a word.

In one movement, he thrusts his bare cock up inside me.

“Oh, my God!” I cry.

He starts making love to me there, against my hallway wall, while he's still fully dressed and I'm wearing only my robe. The feel of him inside me…it's amazing.

He starts to move, his pelvis hitting my clit each time he hits home, driving me wild.

“You saved my life,” I pant between thrusts.

He pauses, staring into my eyes. “I did what anyone would have done.”

“No,” I say. “Not everyone would risk their own life to protect me.”

“I would never let you get hurt, Mel. Never,” he tells me, and I know he means it.

“Thank you,” I whisper, brushing my lips over his. “Thank you so much.”

Grayson captures my mouth again in a hot kiss, sucking my tongue into his mouth and making me moan. Then he starts moving again, driving into me harder with each thrust, making me crazy with desire.

My orgasm is quick, hitting me with a powerful force, and I scream out his name. He thrusts up inside me, once, twice, and then I feel him start to climax. He groans my name as he comes undone. We stay there, panting, trying to catch our breath. Grayson's face is pressed into my neck, his mouth soothing hot on my skin. My arms are wrapped tightly around him.

“I want you,” he says softly. His lips brush over the skin of my neck as he speaks. He lifts his head and stares into my eyes. “Not just this—sex—but
you
.”

“I want you, too,” I say breathlessly.

“No—that's not what I'm trying to say. You told me that I should always be myself around you, that you want to be with every part of me. And that's what I want. I want more. I want something good and real with you, Mel. When I woke up this morning and you were gone, I…felt empty. And I've never felt that before. Then I realized the emptiness was there because you weren't.” He cups my face with his big hand, threading his fingers into my hair. “I don't want to wake up like I did this morning, wondering where you are.”

“I didn't want to leave like that either, but I had to help—”

“I know. And I'm thankful that you helped my brother. But now this is about you and me. And I like you.”

“I like you, too. A lot. A whole lot,” I say with a smile, and it reflects in his eyes as they light up.

“So, we're doing this—you and me?” he asks softly.

“A…relationship?”

“Yeah, Mel, I mean a relationship.” He grins. “You and me together. I want you to be my girlfriend. And I'm not just saying that because I'm still inside you.”

My smile widens as I giggle. “Oh, well, I'm glad to hear it. But—”

“But what?” he says, frowning.

“Well, we haven't even been on a date, Grayson—unless you count trips to the police station and getting shot at on the street corner as dates.”

“Sounds like I better take you on a real one tomorrow, then. First thing in the morning, let's go out to breakfast. That can be date number one. Then lunch for date number two. Then dinner—”

“I get it,” I say, laughing. “But how about right now, you take me to bed and screw me until it's time to take me out.”

Smiling, he moves off the wall, carrying me with him as he starts walking down the hall. He presses a soft kiss to my lips, then whispers over them, “Take my girlfriend to bed and screw her all night? Yeah, I can definitely do that.”

I hear a
knock
at my office door, and then Grayson's beautiful head pops over the threshold. “You ready to go, babe?”

“Yeah,” I say, and smile at him. “Let me just finish this article—it's about my case.”

“It's in the news already?”

“Yup. I'm so glad that the world is seeing the great Benedict Cross, State Attorney, for the scum he really is.”

And all because of me. After the DEA had set the wheels in motion for Tyler, I approached Internal Affairs to report Ben. I couldn't sit with what I had heard him saying on the phone and what he had been trying to do to Grayson. What if he was going to target other arrested athletes in the same way?

As it turned out, Internal Affairs had been looking into claims about an illegal gambling ring, packed with tons of high-powered people, but they'd never had anything concrete to go on before. I worked with them to help bring it down, and Ben is no longer the state attorney. He's facing charges.

Grayson, Tori, and Matt suggested I run for his position, but I didn't want to. Instead, I've been busy setting up my own practice. After I'd met Grayson, I realized that I had my career goals set in the wrong place. Now I want something different. I don't want to be a big fish in a sea of sharks who are more worried about politics and publicity than justice. I want to be a big fish in my own little pond, helping out the little guys who wouldn't get help anywhere else. I'm happier than I have ever been.

Working on the other side as a defense attorney took a little getting used to, but it helps that I have the luxury of only defending clients I truly believe to be innocent. And Grayson has been such a huge help and support throughout the process. It was scary setting up my practice and going out there on my own, but slowly, my business is starting to build. Since my first case assisting Internal Affairs was such a big win, I'm hoping word of mouth will help me pull in a decent client base.

“I just got off the phone with Tyler,” Grayson says as he walks into the room and leans against the wall.

“Oh, yeah?” I ask. After Tyler had left, Grayson told me that he had slipped him a phone so he could call him. They were breaking the rules about witness protection, but I didn't say anything about it. My boyfriend can't let his brother go completely, and I understand that.

“How's he doing?”

“Really well. He has a job and he's dating someone.”

“That's awesome,” I say, and I mean it. Those weekly check-in calls from Tyler are everything to Grayson. He doesn't know where Tyler is living, but that's for the best. I don't want anyone going after Grayson, and the cartel would if they thought he had information on his brother.

The trial itself was hard on everyone, but thankfully, some dangerous people were put in prison for a long time due to Tyler's testimony. He managed to make it through that stressful period without any more attempts made on his life. We had minimal contact with him in the run-up to the trial, and when it was over, Tyler went into witness protection right away. The whole thing has been very hard on Grayson.

I look up at him waiting for me. His smile lights up his face, giving me butterflies in my stomach.

God, he's so gorgeous.

Sometimes I still can't believe I'm dating
the
Grayson Knight. I never was one for the jocks in high school. But I didn't know what I was missing out on back then. Serious stamina and lots of muscle, and in this case, a beautiful heart and mind.

“Ready to go?” I ask him. And for the first time, I notice that he's being awfully quiet. Maybe a little jittery. “You wanted to grab dinner out, right?” I ask him.

“Sure. But first…” He pushes his hand into his pocket and pulls out a key.

“What's this?” I ask.

“A key to my place.”

A smile breaks out on my face. “You're giving me a key to your place?”

“I am.”

My smile gets wider. Walking over to him, I curl my hand around the key, taking it from him. “Wow. This feels like a big step. A great step, though. Thank you so much. Do you want a key to my place?”

“No,” he says.

My smile drops. “No?”

He takes my hands in his. “I don't need a key to your place…because, well, I'm hoping that I already have one.”

“Okay…” Confused, I furrow my brow.

“Babe…I'm not just giving you a key to my place. I'm asking you to move in with me.”

Oh. Wow. An even bigger step than I expected.

“You want me to move in with you?” The words rush out of me, my heart quickening.

He smiles softly and says, “More than anything. Question is…do you want to move in with me?” I can hear the nerves clearly in his voice.

There's no hesitation in my answer. I part my lips and say, “More than anything.”

His face breaks out into the biggest and most beautiful smile I've ever seen. “Good,” he says, “because I love you and I think that we have something good going on here. And I can't wait to live with you to explore it.” Then he kisses me, and it feels like a lifetime of kisses to come. Grayson leans his head back, staring down into my eyes, and asks, “So. Are you ready to go home?”

Smiling, I hold up the key he just gave me and say, “Our home? Can't wait.”

Samantha Towle
began her first novel in 2008 while on maternity leave. She completed the manuscript five months later and hasn't stopped writing since. She is the author of
The Mighty Storm,
The Bringer,
and the Alexandra Jones series. She lives with her husband, Craig, in East Yorkshire, England, with their son and daughter.

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