Page 54 of All Out of Love

“All work and no play?”

He nodded. “Something like that, yes.”

“Got cha.” Then she nodded too. “That’ll change.”

Grayson smiled at her boldness. “Oh yeah? Says who?”

“Says me.”

“Who’s you?”

She laughed. “I’m your lady, remember?”

When she said those words it warmed his heart so much that he grabbed her and fell backwards on the bed as he pulled her into his arms. She was on top of him still smiling as he stared into her eyes.

But his look was serious. “And don’t you forget it,” he said to her.

“Never,” she quickly responded to him, and then they both smiled and kissed.

But their reverie was interrupted when the grounds security chief buzzed in. Grayson sat them back up, holding Toya on his lap, as he pressed the nightstand button. “Yes James?”

“Sorry to disturb you, sir, but Mr. Marino has arrived.”

Just the mention of that name brought Grayson back down to earth. And his playful expression changed into a kind of resigned dread. “Thank you,” he said, and released the button.

“Get up,” he said to Toya.

“Who’s Mr. Marino?” she asked as she stood up.

“My brother,” he said as he stood up.

Toya was puzzled. “Your brother? But you told me your brother was dead.”

“He’s my half-brother on my mother’s side.”

That still made no sense. “Why didn’t you claim him when I asked about your siblings?”

“He doesn’t want to be claimed.”

That still didn’t make sense to her. “Why wouldn’t he want to be claimed?”

Grayson put his wallet in his back pocket and grabbed his phone. “Long story,” he said as he motioned for her to go in front of him as they made their way out of the bedroom.

But Toya wasn’t built that way. She was in love with this man. She had to make certain she wasn’t in love with a liar. She stopped walking and turned to him, her arms folded. “Give me the short version.”

He could see how sincerely she wanted to know. He never wanted to discuss it, but he knew he had to. “My mother was married to my father when she had him by another man. She hid her pregnancy as long as she could, and then she tried to pretend the baby was my father’s, but the timing didn’t add up. He didn’t leave her because he had his own bullshit going on, but he ordered her to abort the baby. She refused to do that, but when she put him up for adoption. He’s a couple years older than I am, but when I was a teenager and heard rumors about this brother I supposedly had, I reached out to him. I acknowledged him when nobody else in my family would. He appreciated that. And overtime he started viewing me as his only family. And in a lot of ways, I view him that way too.”

“You’re close?”

“Very.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me that when I asked about your siblings?”

“Because I was respecting his wishes. He’s not into my family the way I have to be. Frankly, he despises them immensely. My mother as well as my father.”

“But why is he here now?”

Grayson hated to say it. “Because we need him.”