Inevitable - Kristen Granata Page 0,21
respond to the chemo, so the doctor gave her less than six months to live. I spent all my time with her, wanting to soak up as much of it as I could. I was too scared to leave her, even for an hour, because I didn’t know if it would be the last time I’d see her. So, I stopped fighting. I quit.”
My chest aches in the same hollow spot Eric left when he died. Graham knows grief as well as I do. I reach out and gently turn his face to look at me. “You didn’t quit. You put your mother first, which is what family is supposed to do.”
His glossy eyes mirror mine. “After she died, I couldn’t bring myself to fight again. I didn’t have it in me. I lost the spark. Nothing mattered if she wasn’t there to see it.”
“You can find things that matter to you now. Your mom would want you to.”
“So would your brother.”
Right again.
Opening up to Graham is effortless. The more we share, the deeper I want to go. He’s been planted like a tree inside me, his roots entangling and twisting around my heart. And that’s dangerous.
“Okay, that’s enough of this mushy gushy shit.” I hoist myself up and brush the dirt and grass from my backside.
He leans up onto his elbows. “Where are you going?”
“To have some fun.” Kicking off my boots, I pop the button on my jeans and shimmy them down my legs.
Graham keeps his wide eyes locked on mine. I’ll give it to him, he has restraint. If the situation were reversed, I’d be eye-fucking every bare inch of his perfect physique. Even as I pull my shirt up and over my head, his gaze never wanders.
I spin around and unclasp my bra, letting it slide down my arms to the ground. Then I strut toward the river wearing nothing but a black lace thong and a smile.
Before I dip my toe into the water, Graham’s presence is behind me. My muscles tighten, tension coiling my stomach. He’s so close, yet he’s not touching me at all.
“The water looks cold.” His deep voice stokes the fire within me, his hot breath on my skin causing the hairs on my neck to stand up.
“Don’t worry, Big Guy. I know the cold causes shrinkage. I won’t judge.”
He chuckles. “Oh, I’m not worried about shrinkage.” He brushes past me, giving me the most glorious view of his smooth, broad back, and his round, muscular ass. Then he dives into the water.
After I scrape my jaw off the ground, I jump in after him and welcome the cool water that surrounds me. We pedal our feet to stay afloat, keeping the water level around our shoulders.
“Do you skinny dip with all your clients?” I flick water in his face.
“Only the pains in the asses.”
“So just me then?”
He smirks. “Yeah, just you.”
I circle him like a shark. “Can you teach me how to fight one day?”
His head tilts to the side. “You being serious?”
“Why not? You’re not going to be around to protect me forever.”
Why does that thought sting so much?
“Sure. I can teach you some moves.” Graham’s back goes ramrod straight. “Uh, Eva ...?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Please tell me that was your foot that just grazed against my leg.”
My stomach tightens and I shake my head. “What kind of animals live in a river?”
“I don’t know but I saw something once on Planet Earth about—fuck! It just touched me again.”
Something slides against my leg next and I scream. “It just touched me too!”
“Shit, what if it’s an alligator?”
“Don’t say that!” I lunge toward him and dive into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and clutching onto him for dear life. “What do we do?”
Graham throws his head back and laughs.
The fucker laughs.
“Is this a nervous thing? Why are you laughing when we’re about to get eaten by an alligator?”
His eyes squeeze shut and now he’s laughing harder. “I was just fucking with you. Nothing touched my leg.”
I growl and slap his chest. “You jerk! You scared the shit out of me!”
But his deep laughter makes me giggle, until soon I’m laughing right along with him.
And what a sight it is to see Graham belly-laughing. It pulls at something inside me, this aching need to make him laugh like this more often.
I’ve made my decision: Laughing Graham is much sexier than the scowling version.
As our laughter dies down, the realization of our complete and utter nakedness sets in. His strong hands