Until You (Off-Limits)

I’m still smiling hours later, my heart racing. “Wow, that feeling of floating and flying, it was insane.”

Grayson laughs at me and shakes his head. “All you did was lie on your belly,” he says, looking amused.

I side-eye him and cross my arms. It was obvious Gray wasn’t new to indoor skydiving. All of those flips he did… It was crazy. I can’t believe how good he was. I had no idea he was an adrenaline junkie. There’s so much about him I don’t know and I’m enjoying discovering new sides to him.

“Come on,” he says, grabbing my hand. He interlaces our fingers, and I smile up at him. He does this a lot… grabbing my hand like that. Does he even realize he’s doing it?

Brad never used to hold my hand. We always walked side-by-side, like the strangers we were. Gray isn’t even mine. He never will be, yet he treats me better than Brad ever did.

“Table for two, please?” Gray asks as he leads me into a bar with a truly astonishing view, his hand tightening around mine.

The waitress barely notices me, she’s far too busy checking Grayson out. A twisted sense of satisfaction courses through me when her gaze pauses on our joint hands. She looks at me then, and I wonder what she sees. Do I look like I could be his girlfriend?

She seats us outside, our table giving us an unobstructed view of the beautiful skyline. It’s stunning, but it pales in comparison to the view from Grayson’s living room. When I glance back at him, he’s already looking at me. His gaze makes my heart skip a beat. I’ve known Gray for years, yet it feels like I’m only just getting to know him.

He barely takes his eyes off me as he places his order, and he’s got me feeling flustered. This feels a lot like a date, even though I know it isn’t.

I’m distracted as I order a cocktail, my eyes lingering on Grayson’s T-shirt. He really does look good in it, and I can’t help but remember what he looks like without it. Those well-defined abs, his arms. I swallow hard and bite down on my lip. The way his body felt underneath mine, so strong and big. My mind fills with images of him on top of me, sinking deep inside me. What would it be like to be with him?

“What?” he says, his eyes twinkling.

I blush, realizing I’ve been caught staring. I shake my head and smile. “Nothing,” I tell him, praying my expression doesn’t give me away. “Today was just perfect, that’s all.”

“I’m glad,” he says. “Today is the most fun I’ve had in a while, too. If not for you, I’d likely have spent all day working.”

I look at him with raised brows, a question I don’t want to voice coming to mind. Since I’m a sucker for punishment, I decide to ask anyway. “You’d really have worked all day? Surely a man like you has a hot date every week.”

“A man like me?”

I nod, my cheeks flaming. “You know… intelligent, hot, CEO of an amazing company.”

Besides… he must do. He disappears for a few hours every Sunday. Sometimes he stays away all day, and sometimes he’s back within hours. It’s obvious he’s seeing someone, and the thought of it makes me uncomfortable. I try my hardest to ignore it, but the way I see Gray has started to change. The feelings I have for him… they’re far from sisterly.

He grins at me and leans in, his forearms on the table. “Most people just think I’m some sort of nerd. Besides, I really enjoy my alone time. I don’t go on dates very often.”

I bite down on my lip, instantly feeling bad. “I’m sorry, and thank you for coming out with me today. I’m already asking so much of you by staying at your house, and now I’m taking up your time. I wasn’t really thinking.”

I shouldn’t have asked him to entertain me, when he already does so much for me. I know what it’s like to need a bit of time to yourself, just to recharge before you’re able to tackle another week filled with socializing. It must be even worse for Gray, since he has so many employees he oversees.

He shakes his head and reaches out for me, his hand settling on top of mine. “Don’t be sorry, babe. I had a great time today. I like hanging out with you, Aria. I like having you around. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

I stare at him, trying to assess his sincerity. I’ve gotten so comfortable with Gray over the last couple of months that I might be overstepping unknowingly. It doesn’t even feel like it’s been such a short amount of time. It feels like I’ve always been with Gray. I’ve never experienced this with anyone else. I’ve never felt so comfortable so quickly.

“How have you been enjoying living here? Do you enjoy Cali?”

“It’s been great, thanks to you. I’m not sure I could have even gotten through my first few weeks here if you hadn’t been there.”

Gray’s expression falls and he looks away. “Are you still thinking about Brad? He isn’t worth your time.”

I shake my head and look down. I was heartbroken when I walked into my apartment to find Brad in bed with someone else. I thought I’d never get over it, and while the pain is still there, it isn’t tied to him. It’s the deception that hurts me, that plagues me. It’s the betrayal of trust that broke me.

“No,” I tell Gray. “I won’t lie to you and tell you it doesn’t hurt anymore because it does. But you’re right… Brad isn’t worth my tears. He’s not worth my time. I’m not even sure I loved him, you know? I don’t miss him. I’m just hurt he cheated on me. I hate wondering where I went wrong, why I wasn’t good enough.”

Grayson tenses, and I know he’s about to try and reassure me, but I don’t want him to. I don’t want empty compliments or attempts to make me feel better. “Did you know?” I ask him. “Did you know he wasn’t right for me that night you came over for dinner?”

Gray looks away. “I didn’t know he was cheating, no. But I did think you could do better. I’ll always think that, Aria. In my eyes, no one will ever be good enough for you.”

I stare at him with wide eyes, wondering if there is any truthfulness to his words. He can’t mean that… can he?

Everything about Grayson confuses me. When I’m around him, I don’t feel broken. I feel like he sees the real me, every single part I keep hidden… He sees it all, and he makes me feel like I have nothing to be ashamed of. When I’m around him, my heart isn’t hurting.

Ash has that effect on me too, but it’s mostly because he doesn’t know who I am, because I get to show him the best sides of me. Grayson, on the other hand… he sees me, the real me, and he never makes me feel like I’m not enough, or like I’m too much.

He doesn’t even realize how much he affects me, and it’s best that he doesn’t. I don’t want to burden him with my fractured soul. It’s not his responsibility to put me back together, yet that is exactly what he’s doing.

It isn’t what he signed up for, though… And I’d better remember that.