Page 90 of You First
“Without a doubt.”
Gray felt a surge in the most masculine part of his anatomy at the searing look in her eyes.
“Glad we cleared that up.”
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, he lay in bed, running over the events of the day. His last chapter was almost finished. Just a few pages to go. If he felt well enough, he could knock them out in an hour or so and start on revisions. If Jude truly was able to quick turn the edits, they might actually meet Meredith’s deadline.
Meredith’s deadline.Gray smiled. Had he been half that together at nineteen or twenty?
Hell, no.
But she was a powerhouse. And despite the fact that she claimed he intimidated her, she didn’t have any problem laughing in his face when he acted like an ass.
Yet, she’d cried in his arms. Over him! He tucked away the bittersweet memory and the feel of her in his lap. Despite the news that his tumor had grown — faster than Dr. Cates expected — the day hadn’t been all that bad. He was almost finished with the book; he’d made a definitive decision about the surgery, and Meredith was by his side.
His only real regret was that he’d felt rotten during dinner. Healthy, Gray would have eaten all of his steak and the rest of hers. Of course, none of his suffering had dimmed the pleasure of watching her enjoy the meal.
He loved sharing things with her. If he had more time, he’d show her everything he loved. They could travel. Paris was a favorite, but what would it be like to take her to the Loire Valley in the springtime? Hand in hand, they could explore every inch of the best chateaux, get lost in the hedge maze at Chenenceaux. Taste wine and eat baguettes by the river. In a garret room at Le Manoir Les Minimes, they could stay up late and sleep even later…
But if he only had two weeks…
Without a second thought, Gray resolved to call André in the morning.
Just as the peace of this decision settled over him, Meredith slipped into his bedroom.
“Hey,” she hoarse-whispered, coming around the foot of the bed and sitting beside him. The covers pulled tighter around him with her weight, and he could feel the curve of her hip against his. He may never have her in a hotel room in France, but she was here with him now, and Gray was grateful for every minute.
“Hey,” he echoed, reaching for her hand and smiling with satisfaction when she didn’t hesitate to give it to him.
“Your mom and dad are getting a room at the Hilton Garden, and Bax is going to stay the night.”
Great.
“Apparently, my days of living alone are over.”
She gave a little shrug. “They’re just worried, Gray.” She watched him a moment, almost weighing her words. “Bax and your dad will go back to New Orleans in the morning, but your mom is staying.”
“Oh, Jesus.”
Meredith squeezed his hand. “I knew you’d say that, but there are worse things. Trust me.”
At the look on her face, Gray stifled his objections. Meredith hadn’t told him much about her parents, but when the topic of family came up, he could read the pain in her eyes. He’d seen it first on their one outing to Academy and the same look had passed over her countless times in the weeks he’d known her. The look made him want to find her parents and grab them by their throats. Shake them. Shame them.
“Anyway, we’ve worked out a sort of schedule,” she continued. “She’ll stay here while I’m at school, and I’ll come back in the afternoons. On nights when I can’t stay, she will.”
Gray felt a check of surprise. “You mean Mom’s not insisting on moving in?”
Meredith’s lashes lowered, and she brushed a lock of hair from her face. “Um… no… She said that she wanted you to have your privacy,” she explained, blushing deeply. “I think seeing us at the front door was… a factor.”
His chuckle sounded wicked, even to him. “Somehow, I knew kissing you then was a good idea.”
Rolling her eyes, she grabbed both of his wrists and held them gently by his sides. “Well,” she said, leaning forward. “Kissing you now is going to pale by comparison.”
She touched her lips to his with three quick kisses and drew back.
“That’s all I get until tomorrow?” he asked, giving her his best look of devastation.
She pursed her mouth to keep from smiling, but her look was unyielding. “Yes. Your whole family is still out there, and I don’t want them getting the wrong idea.”
