The virgin thing came screaming back at him, drawing him up a step. Was it fair to push her to give him something she’d been saving...for a man her parents were forcing her to marry?
Then again...if Gray ruined her, he’d make her an outcast. Ruin her chances with anyone else in her world. If and when she took her place with her family.
There were plenty of fun things to do in bed with a woman that didn’t include penetration. He moved his hands from her neck and cupped their palms together.
“Okay, Miss First Date. Let’s see how much you can make those people laugh.”
And laugh they did.
So they wouldn’t slip, he and Sabine revealed who they were and what they did for a living in L.A. Just left out the part that she was hired to bring him back to New York.
Shockingly, Jay and Cindy hadn’t heard of Grayson. or A Day to Die which had gone to On-Demand after a week.
Sabine wowed them with her PI work. She fascinated him with stories about her other jobs.
“How did you get the creep ex-boyfriend to give you the dog back?” Cindy asked about Sabine’s best friend back in L.A. who’d started as a client.
“People dun’t expect me to be quick. They see all this.” She stood and roamed her hands across her body. Not seductive, but to suggest she saw herself as an enormous woman. Gray didn’t see her that way. At all. She was utterly perfect for him, size-wise. With other women, he felt like he could break them in half. “I just distracted him and yanked the pug right out of his arms.”
“A pug! I love pugs,” Cindy said, cooing.
“Zoe is a feisty little lady. A real diva,” Sabine said and let go of a soft whine, sounding like she missed her friend and the little dog.
He’d get her a dog. A pug.
“Is your work dangerous, Sabine?” Jay asked.
Shit. Yeah, is your work dangerous, Sabine?
She snuck him a look and he wondered if she was saying in her head: if falling in love with the wrong guy was dangerous...
“Nah, my brothers run a similar business in New York. I did office work, but those brats loved to talk and boast. I heard enough to know what I’m doing.” Another look.
She knew what she was doing?
Making him fall in love with her?
Because, fuck, he was slipping down that slope. Falling over that edge. That tickle in his heart was damn unfamiliar. Admittedly, his reaction to women had always been a foot or so lower. No. Sabine thrilled every inch of him.
Was she falling for him, too, though?
An hour later and after more small talk, more laughs, more PI stories, Jay stood up to stoke the rest of the fire to keep it burning instead of adding another log. “Grayson, pretty bold bringing a woman to the middle of the woods for a first date.”
Grayson looked around. “I’d hardly call this the middle of the woods.”
Except, Jay had picked up on something, he and Sabine hadn’t considered when they made up their lie.
“And you drove straight here? From L.A.?”
Ooops.
He squeezed Sabine’s hand. “We stopped in Vegas. This is like a first date marathon.”
“Then it’s like ten dates, really,” Cindy pointed out.
“We’re taking it slow. Getting to know each other,” he added.
Cindy scoffed. “That must be your superpower, not...” She cleared her throat and stood. “I need another glass of wine.”
“I messed up,” Gray whispered in Sabine’s ear. “I didn’t consider how it would look coming here from L.A.”
“I liked Cindy’s answer. It means we passed First Date Go when we left Vegas.”
He liked it too, gave him permission to crank this game with Sabine into high gear. He couldn’t take it anymore.
“This was great. We appreciate it.” He leaned forward to shake Jay’s hand. “Tell Cindy we said good night.”
“Nice talking to you. And good luck.” Jay shook his hand back.
Gray steered Sabine back into the tent and closed the flap, sealing them in.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” He followed Sabine as she ambled into the bedroom area. “Hypothetically, how far would you go with a man on a tenth date?”
Her eyes grew wide. “I’m no babe in the woods and The Bachelor is my favorite show. I know what happens on a third date.”
“Good. Then I’m way behind.” He kissed her. Deep and wet, taking her down his scary road with him.
She took his kisses like she’d been crazy and pent up,