yourself.”
A rush of adrenaline lurches through my stomach. “Honestly, Mom, Grant and I came close to crossing the line…you know, from Friendsville straight into Benefits City last week. If our night hadn’t come to an abrupt end because of the cops, who knows where we would have ended up?”
“Um, the cops?”
I tell my mom about the drinking ticket, and I can tell she’s cringing a little and holding back. But she still trusts me fully, and that’s a good thing.
I’ve always been one-hundred percent open with my mom, and it feels good to talk it out.
“Maya, I’ll always trust you to do the right thing. Just because I tell my clients they need to wait a year before entering another serious relationship doesn’t mean that’s what you need to do. I know you love with all your heart. But for goodness sake, you’ve been talking about Grant forever. Enough already. Either make a move or stop pining over him. And be careful, please? Did the ticket go to my address or your father’s?”
“Dad’s address, I think.”
I swallow, realizing I gave my mom the wrong impression about how much I cared for Jude, but no need to straighten her out there. She’s right-on about Grant…I cannot stop thinking about him.
“Shouldn’t he make a move, though?”
“Why?”
“He’s the guy.”
“Maya, I’ve raised you better than that. It’s the twenty-first century, for goodness sake. Guys don’t have to make the moves anymore. If you want to make a move, you make a move. Stop puttering around. The good ones—and from everything you’ve told me, he’s one of them—don’t stay single for long.”
“Thanks, Mom. Well, on that note, I better go and get ready for the night. He’s probably out at some party…I’ll try to meet up with him.”
I hang up with my mom, and as I tighten my robe I hear some heavy footsteps walking down to the bathroom.
Damn. I thought I had the place to myself. Not to mention the fact that this place only has one shower.
I bring my shower bag with me, and as soon as I open the door, steam pours out of the bathroom.
My heart speeds up when I see Grant standing here, leaned against the bathroom sink, shaving.
“Oh, hey there,” he says.
His low voice shoots chills through my body. I blink once or twice. Is his jaw always so flexed? A white towel is wrapped around his lower body, and I catch my eyes before they stare at a certain part of his anatomy in the mirror, pressing against the white towel knotted low on his waist. Electricity rips through me.
“Hey,” I try to say nonchalantly, ignoring the bass drum of a heartbeat I have at the moment. Like I didn’t almost orgasm in the bar without him even touching my clit. I’ve been on edge all week because of that experience. “Thought you’d be out on the town by now.”
“Yeah, the guys all headed out to the Alpha Z house, but I had some reading to catch up on so I’m lagging behind the rest of the crew tonight.” He turns to me, leaning back, and I can see every ridge of his abs, along with all of his upper body.
“Oh. Yeah, me too,” I reply. “I just got back from the meet a little while ago.”
“You okay?” Grant asks, then he says something that causes me to do a doubletake, “Do you like good meat?”
I snap myself out of my daydream. Focus, Maya.
“Um, excuse me?” I bite out.
“I said, did you have a good track meet?” Grant repeats what he asked. For a second there I had a space-out moment.
I deflate like a balloon. I’m so nervous right now I can’t even concentrate on the words he’s saying. “Yeah, I, uh, came in fourth for the two-hundred-meter dash, so that was great.”
“Nice bod.”
I cock my head. “Can you repeat that?”
“Nice job. At the meet? Are you…feeling okay?”
My head pounds with an anxiety. No man has ever made me feel this off my game.
Right now, I just need to get away, get behind a door—or a shower curtain. Am I really going to be this bold?
“Did you shower yet?” I ask, ignoring his question, and fighting my heart palpitations.
“Nah,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows. “I was just about to jump in.” He takes one more swipe of his face, and he cuts himself, and a little blood appears on his cheek.
“Dammit.” He growls loudly, and throws his disposable razor out, then splashes water on his face. His nostrils