Chapter 60
Lyss grinned, slowly making her way to Gray. Clad only in a pair of boxers, she’d forgotten what she was going to say when she first saw him. Dear Lord please make the boxers disappear didn’t sound right.
“I have a proposition for you,” she said, coming closer to him.
He leaned on the kitchen island, his gaze dropping to her chest. She was sure her hard nipples were visible through the thin fabric. Instead of going to her room and putting on her own clothes, she’d decided to go against her instinct for once in her life and seduce the sexy tiger.
What he’d said earlier, about needing a woman and some kids, she’d thought about it for a while and decided she could help him. Though she tended to be too nice with guys and allowed them to overstay their welcome, she’d come to the conclusion that Gray needed help. And she’d give it.
Already he treated her so differently than most of the men she’d been with. He listened. Not just nodding and faking it, he actively spoke and asked her about herself. He’d fucked her brain-dead. That alone was enough to drop her to her knees and beg him to let her stay as his sex slave for life.
Looking at Gray, her stomach flipped flopped and her heart clenched with all kinds of new and strange emotions. Nothing she’d ever experienced before.
He frowned, his gaze sweeping down to where the shirt ended and then back to her face.
“What kind of proposition?”
“So you know how you said you need some babies?” She’d always wanted kids. In fact, her urge to procreate was the reason she’d gone to Mrs. Wilder in the first place. She’d gotten tired of the losers and wanted to find her own long-term happiness.
“Yes...” His voice sounded hesitant.
She stopped a foot away from him, lifted a hand to his naked chest and ran a nail down to his belly button. Christ almighty the man was hot. He sucked his breath in and her pussy throbbed anew.
“I can help you out with that.”
“You want to have my cubs?”
Yes, please. She wanted his cubs, bears, puppies, whatever he wanted to give her. With the way he was staring at her and licking his lips she’d probably settle for as little as a kiss, but she really did want to help him out. Why? She just did. Maybe she was stupid like her mother said and allowed herself to get into situations where men took advantage of her, but her entire life she’d always believed in giving people the benefit of the doubt. Right now she felt Gray needed someone to be there for him. She knew she could be that someone. At the same time, she could get her own wishes fulfilled.
“Why?”
She blinked, not expecting the question.
“Um, you need someone to do it? We have great chemistry and I’ve been wanting children for a while now.”
He turned away from her, suddenly giving her his back and she felt a stab of rejection at his movement. He turned around to face her so quickly she was caught off guard.
“You’d do that for me?”
She grinned. He sounded so skeptical. Like he couldn’t believe it.
“Yes. But you have to understand I’m getting something I want out of this too.”
“We’ll need to take you home, get your stuff. Move you here full time.” He started throwing out a to-do list so long she wondered what the hell happened. One second he was quiet and thoughtful and the next he was moving around the island to the kitchen table. He picked up his cell phone and started to dial a number.
“Um, Gray?”
“You’ll live here with me obviously.” He continued talking and texting and then glanced up at her. “My bed is large.”
Okay. She figured that by his stating he wanted someone long-term and going to the PDA that he was also looking for love. Her only hope was that the chemistry and connection they experienced would grow into something more meaningful in time. Already she wanted to be close to him. It was not just sex either.
There was something about him that tugged at her heart. She wasn’t sure if it was the fact he seemed so lonely or the amount of responsibility he had to carry all on his own. Whatever it was, she wanted to help him carry the burden.
“Gray, I have a job,” she said, hoping he’d slow down the flying texts she saw him sending. She was pretty sure they were all about what they’d just decided.
She knew this was getting deep for her real fast. Being a romantic at heart, she wanted Gray to be her one. Her heart told her he was. That she’d finally found the love she’d been searching for, but she wasn’t stupid.
Things had to develop with time and communication. She’d been open and honest with what she wanted with him from the first. He’s used few words, but she’d gotten the gist. He had to be searching for a person to love too, or why else would Mrs. Wilder have sent her to him. She knew what Lyss wanted.
He stopped and stared at her as if she’d grown another head.
“You don’t plan to continue that, do you?”
Excuse me?
“Uh, yeah. That’s how I pay my bills. Not that I live paycheck to paycheck or anything. I’m really good at saving money.” She grinned. “And I suck at shopping for myself so I never do it.”
“But you’d have to travel to your office. Anything can happen to you on your way there or back.”
She shook her head.
“You’re growing a little paranoid there, Kitty man. Don’t get your tail in a twist. I’m sure stuff is not as bad as you think.”
He marched to her, his eyes somber and dark. A grim expression covered his features.
“You don’t understand. Tigers can be vicious.”
She nodded.
“I’m sure.”
“No. You really don’t understand. When my father first announced he was going to move on from being pride leader of Elder Prime, things went into chaos. Some of the younger, stronger pride members decided they’d take us out and take over.”
“What?” she gasped, her hand flying to her chest. Her heart pounded hard with fear for him. Who cared that she’d met him a handful of hours back? She’d already become attached to keeping him alive.
“My brother was the first target,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, hushed tone.
She couldn’t stop herself from throwing her arms around him and giving him a hug. The desolation in his eyes dug deep into her heart and plowed holes there.
“Tell me what happened.”
He dropped his head on her shoulder and inhaled sharply.
“I don’t think—”
She pulled back and stared into his eyes.
“Don’t think. Just talk to me. If we’re going to do this, I need to know you. Your life. Your family. I need you to open up.”
He drew her toward the dining table and sat on a chair, pulling her on his lap. This was the first time a man had done that. What would normally be seen as a sexy move was somehow intimate this time. She sat on his lap with his arms tight around her waist.
“Dustin was fast with his mouth. He’d gotten one of the women in the pride pregnant and told everyone he’d sealed his place in line as pride leader.”
She gulped, her stomach churned knowing the worst part of the story was coming.
“What happened?”
He probably didn’t realize how he tightened his hands around her waist, pulling her closer.
“We found Sandra dead in their cabin and Dustin down by the river.”
“Oh my God!” He’d lost a sibling. From the sounds of it his only one. She didn’t think. She threw her arms around his shoulders and pressed her face to his neck.
“I’m sorry. That’s terrible.”
He pulled her back and stared into her eyes, his gaze filled with pain.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you.”