608 Alpha Ave - Adriana Locke Page 0,3

promise instead of a cautionary tale, makes me pant.

“Just let her ask you some questions,” Garret says. “What’s it for, anyway? A college paper or something?”

“Not exactly,” I say warily. “It’s so I can understand men, actually.”

Garret laughs. “Well, hell—if Grayson is going to act like a dipshit about this, I’ll answer your questions for free marketing assistance.”

Grayson grins and faces me again. “Yeah, Haley. Ask Garret your questions.”

His eyes sparkle because he knows. He knows the questions I need answered are for him.

Garret is a great guy. He’s polite and kind and has a great work ethic. He’s also super attractive. But he’s not Grayson.

Grayson is rough and grumpy. He’s raw. He’s roguish and irritable, and that makes him … perfect.

It doesn’t help that he’s the walking advertisement for the word man with his beard and muscles and—gah!

“Look, Garret,” I say, choosing my words carefully, “you are so sweet to offer. But I don’t think—”

“What?” Grayson smirks. “You don’t think what, Haley?”

I level my gaze at Grayson. “I don’t think your brother is rude enough to answer my questions honestly. But you are.”

Grayson’s chest rumbles as he holds back a chuckle. “Fair enough.”

“I’m offended. I think.” Garret looks confused. “I can answer questions about men. I am one.”

“That you are. You’re a nice one, Garret. But your brother over here can give me insight that you can’t.”

Garret nods knowingly. “Oh, so you need asshole insight?”

“Yes.”

Grayson rolls his eyes. “She needs a real man’s input. She wants to know how we think. Why we fuck the shit outta women like Natalia.”

At the sound of her name, Garret’s eyes avert to the red-lipped queen at the other end of the bar. “Oh.”

“Wanna explain that?” Grayson asks.

Garret looks back at me. He almost looks … sullen. Definitely nervous. “You’re right. Grayson is perfect for the job.”

I laugh at his expression.

Grayson gets to his feet and takes his wallet out of his back pocket. It’s brown leather and looks like it’s been through the wringer. He takes out a few bills and slaps them against the counter.

“There ya go,” he says. “I got yours too, Garret.”

“Thanks,” Garret says, tipping his bottle back again.

I bite the pad of my thumb. “So, we have a deal?”

Grayson grins. “Nope.”

And out the door he goes.

Two

Grayson

Well, son of a bitch.

I wait until I’m in the parking lot of Fireside before I adjust my cock.

“Why do men only react—really react— to thongs and red lips and … and … and long, dark hair that has more body than my actual body?”

If she only knew …

“Hey, wait up!” Garret’s voice echoes through the valley. “Grayson!”

“I hear ya,” I mutter before stopping next to my truck. I turn to see him jogging across the pavement. “What do you want? I have shit to do.”

“Oh, the hell you do. You’re just being a pain in my ass.”

I rest my forearms on the side of the truck and wait for him to reach me. Once he does, he’s slightly out of breath.

“You need to spend more time in the great outdoors and get your ass in shape,” I tell him as he comes to a stop. “That couldn’t have been twenty, thirty yards.”

“You better remember who you’re talking to. I’m not Haley and half-scared of you and half …”

He doesn’t finish the thought, but we both know what he was going to say.

Haley Morgan wants my dick. She’s wanted me since the day we met at Cherry Tree Coffee Co. a couple of years ago. I’m not one of those guys who remembers everything about a woman—I’m not Ed Sheeran, after all—but that day is imprinted in my brain.

The flush of her cheeks as she slammed into me. The way her bright yellow tank top hung low, debuting a pair of full breasts threatening to spill over the cups of her lace bra. The curve of her hips in her faded denim shorts, and the way her green eyes flashed when they met mine.

I also, distinctly, remember the feel of her body against mine and the short conversation we had while I was holding her.

I remember all of that. But what I recall the most is walking away and knowing that Haley Morgan would be off-limits.

Forever.

“You better be scared of me,” I tell Garret. “Hell, you can’t even run across a parking lot.”

He grins as he slings his arms over the far side of my truck and faces me. “I feel like I missed something back there.”

“Hmm.”

Garret rolls his eyes. “I know the