All The Wild Ones | Wildfire Series

Grayson: Steady Beat

GRAYSON

Nessa was here.

Nessa was here.

Here, like here on my front step. I'd dreamed about this, but it had only ever been a dream. Julian told me she might show up, but I hadn't thought—I hadn't believed she actually would. I only dreamed about it.

Nessa had so many built-in barriers in her head, and even though I knew she could jump over all of them, I didn't know if she would do it for me.

She wasn't just here, though. She was here, and she was crying, and God, I didn't want to hear the apologies. Just the fact that she was standing in front of my house told me all I needed to know about how she was feeling.

And now, all I wanted to feel was her.

Thankfully she stopped trying to interrupt my kisses with words I didn't need to hear and let my lips cover hers as I picked her up, kicked the door shut, and walked us to the couch. Nessa settled perfectly into my lap, straddling it in a way that sent my pulse racing.

It wasn't the time to get turned on, but kissing her was a reminder of all the other times our lips had met. And when her lips had met other parts of my body. Shit. These lips were so fucking talented, and kissing Nessa was the jolt I needed to fully wake up. My coma had still gripped me for weeks, and now I was finally free.

"God, I've missed you," I groaned.

Missed every little piece of her.

Up until a few minutes ago, my heart had only half-healed.

Nessa sobbed into my mouth, and a tremor ran through her body. I felt it deep in my bones because it was precisely what was happening to me.

"Six weeks, Grayson," she cried. "I didn't know where you were for six weeks."

"Fuck, I know." My lips caressed hers. "It was one of the first things I thought of when I woke up."

Nessa, Nessa, Nessa, Nessa.

Her name had been on a loop in my brain for weeks.

She pulled back, giving me an assessing glance. "So it's true?"

She was so achingly beautiful, even with tears streaming down her face. Tears meant for me, and I couldn't handle it. I brushed my thumb over her face, getting rid of the moisture.

"That I was in a coma? Yeah, baby. It's true."

I wanted to tell her that I was sorry. I was so sorry for her leaving her. I was so sorry for being born with a broken heart, so sorry that once I finally found hers, mine failed me.

Nessa looked like she was about to break down again, so I swooped in for another kiss. And another and another until I was certain her tears had dried, and all she was thinking about was this right here—us. I wasn't giving us up. I didn't care if there'd been an intermission. We were picking up in the next act, and if she thought differently, then I was here to reassure her.

Her lips, the ones I kept brushing over, were mine. Her ass that I had gripped between my hands—mine. That sweet, sweet heart that she'd tried to hide from me—mine.

When she abruptly pushed back, I felt her absence so acutely.

"You're okay?" she asked, uncertainty in her gaze.

The concern was touching. It really, really was. But at the moment, I didn't want it.

Get the hell back here, Adler. I'm not done kissing you.