Free Not Planning on You by Sydney Landon Page B

that sound?”
     
 With a smile, Gray asked, “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”
     
“I believe in equality, slick, get used it to.”
     
Gray turned on the television and found the game for her. He walked over to his own suitcase and removed some fresh clothing. “Do you think you will be ok for a few minutes while I take a very cold shower?”
     
Suzy smiled at the rueful expression on his face. Her gaze automatically dropped to the crotch of his jeans, and her eyes went wide. There was no hiding the outline of his arousal, and Suzy had to fight the urge to moan. “Um…yeah, you do seem to have a big problem there.” Wiggling her eyebrows, she continued, “I’d love to help you with that; I was a girl scout you know. I learned how to use a big stick to make fire.”
     
Gray threw his head back and laughed until tears came to his eyes. This little slip of a woman continued to surprise him. She’d looked so small and fragile just moments ago, and now she sat in the bed with mischief dancing in her eyes, and she practically glowed. She was trying to take the guilt away that she knew he’d felt at her pain. “That’s great to know baby, but my stick already catches fire every time you’re near.” With one last look, Gray walked to the bathroom and left the door cracked to hear her if she needed him.
     
 
     

Chapter Nine
 
     
Gray stood in the shower, gritting his teeth as the icy jets of water blasted his over-heated skin. He hadn’t been kidding about the cold shower; he was so consumed with need for Suzy that he’d barely been able to leave the room. The reality of feeling her against him had been much more than any of his fantasies. Her tongue had tasted of pure honey as it hesitantly sought his, twirling around him as if finding a long-lost lover. His palm still tingled from the feel of her firm, breast straining against it. If not for her cry of pain, he wasn’t sure when or if he’d have been able to get control of himself. He’d always known there were hidden depths within her, he just had no idea how hot they burned.
     
After toweling off, Gray looked through the suitcases that Nick had dropped for him earlier. Normally, he slept in either boxers or nothing at all, but tonight that would be dangerous. He was grateful that he kept a pair of lounge pants to wear around the house in the evenings. He pulled them and a t-shirt on. He toweled his hair enough to get by without digging through some suitcases for a dryer.
     
Reluctantly, he pulled his cell-phone from the front of the toiletries bag where he’d stored it earlier. He had turned the ringer off, afraid that Reva would go on one of her mad calling sprees. Sure enough, there was a string of missed calls from a number he recognized as hers. He had to talk to Nick tomorrow to see if he’d found out anything. He was so tired of dealing with the whole mess. His life was finally going just as he’d hoped, and Reva could send it all crashing down. He could handle her messing with his life, maybe he even deserved it. He’d not allow her to cause Suzy any more pain. Reva would find out just how ruthless he could be if she threatened someone he loved.
     
Gray packed his phone away and went back into the bedroom. Suzy’s eyes were bare slits as she struggled to hold them open. She plainly wanted to watch her game, but sleep was doing its best to claim her. He walked over to the bedside and smoothed the hair off her brow. “Baby, why don’t you let me turn this off so you can get some sleep?”
     
With a tired smile, she touched his arm and said, “ Mmm , ok. I’m so sleepy.”
     
Gray reached for the remote and clicked the television off. He’d thought he would sleep on the couch, so he’d be close enough to help Suzy if she needed him during the night. As he was walking away from the bed, Suzy’s whispered, “Gray, please stay with me.”
     
He walked back to the bedside and said, “Baby, I am. I’m going to be right