crunching phase, and now we’re entering the loopy phase of this trip.”
“Indeed, we are. Oh! Look outside! The sun is setting.”
She runs out to the glass door overlooking the lake, facing west. It’s a clear evening, and there are bright pink and orange hues mixed in with the blues and grays of the bleak winter sky.
I stare at her from behind as she sways her hips back and forth.
I think it’s this moment when I realize that I’ll never have enough of this woman as long as I live.
She threw the word love around, and, well—
She twists her body and smiles at me. “What are you looking at?”
“I just love this.”
“What do you love about it?” she asks sweetly.
The same Red Lemons song comes on that we heard at their concert.
I grab hold of her hands and waist.
“Shut up and dance with me, Waters.”
“Yes, sir.”
We dance naked and there’s no one around to watch or witness this moment but us.
Maya lays her head on my chest as we sway to the beat.
“Are we crazy?” she asks. “Dancing naked? Considering making a porno?
It’s so sweet, so playful yet with a hint of sexy.
My grandfather once told me we shouldn’t measure the moments in life by how much money we make. Instead, we should wonder how much we would repay to re-live a moment when we’re old and gray.
Well, I tell you what.
If I’m ever a rich man, I’d give it all away if there were a way to do this moment over and over.
Because this is the moment I fall in love with Maya Waters.
“Grant,” she spins around. “When are you going to show me your ultimate fantasy?”
“How about right now?”
Her pupils dilate. “Right…now? Well, what does it involve?”
“Why don’t you come into the bedroom, and I’ll show you?” I take her hand.
“You don’t have to be afraid to do everything with me, Grant. Because I want it all with you. I trust you completely.”
“Should we like…come up with a safe word or something?”
She laughs. “If I want you to stop, I’ll say ‘Albuquerque.’ How’s that?”
“Perfect,” I say, and kiss her on the lips. “Follow me.”
28
Grant
The sun is down, and it’s dark outside. The red owl tiki lights are all that shine in the room.
Red. The color of the afterglow. The color of passion and love.
Not that Maya can see, either way.
Since she’s blindfolded and naked.
I tighten the last restraint around her left ankle, the last of the four cuffs that wrap around her wrists and ankles. One of the four is even a keepsake from the time we almost got taken down to the police station.
She squirms in place. “Grant. What are you going to do to me?”
“Why? You scared?”
“Not scared.”
Lies.
I can practically hear her heart pounding double time.
“Why can I see your pulse pounding through your neck, then?”
“Dammit,” she murmurs.
With a finger, I tip her face toward me.
She smells like arousal and this morning’s vanilla shampoo.
“My little Maya. The first thing you need to know about the Grant Special—what we’re about to do—is that you must always tell me the truth. There will be no lies between us. Do you feel close to me?”
“Of course.”
“Good. I agree. And we’re not about to disrespect that by not being honest with each other, are we?”
“No, sir.”
“Sir. I like it. Keep calling me that.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Here’s the thing, Maya, I’ll tell you anything you want to know. I believe in full transparency. If you really want to know something, I’ll tell you. Is there anything you want to know?”
Her mouth opens like she’s about to speak, closes, then opens again. “Have you had your ultimate fantasy before?”
I’m insulted. She thinks I…what? I’m running some rehearsed routine on her?
“Don’t ask a question if you don’t want the answer. Because I will tell you.”
“I do want the answer.”
“No, I’ve never done this,” I breathe.
“Oh.”
I run my hand along a few strands of her hair. I can see that pleases her.
“Thank you for asking me what was on your mind,” I add.
I’m glad she’s being honest with me.
Truly.
But it’s not lost on me that she doesn’t know how much she’s mine.
After being my special plaything for however long this goes, I think she’ll get the idea, though.
She adds, “Did you make it up when we were in the truck just to mess with me because I teased you about the ‘Maya Special’?”
“I only gave a name to what I’ve thought about doing to you a thousand times.”
“Why didn’t you just say so?” she asked.
“I thought some