Page 17 of Grayson’s Challenge

Grayson punched the call button for the elevator and waited, tapping his foot impatiently. So much for all his hard work trying to impress Samson and Cain. If he’d known what the two were planning, he would have never bothered taking over responsibility for the New Year’s Eve party.

When the elevator door opened, he jumped in and rode down to the parking level. He left the elevator and caught a glimpse of Orlando sitting in his Hummer, waiting for the garage gate to lift, so he could leave. Apparently, Grayson wasn’t the only one leaving the party early. He hurried to his car, an Audi R8 he’d purchased only three months earlier, and got in. Moments later, he shot out of the underground garage and merged into heavy traffic on Mission Street.

He took out his cell phone and opened the call app to find Mona’s number. He punched it and let it ring.

“Hey.” Her husky voice sank deep into his chest, and made him feel better instantly.

“Babe, I’d like to see you.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now.”

8

Grayson stopped his car outside an Italian restaurant in North Beach, where Mona was already waiting for him. Before he could get out of the car and open the door for her, she had already opened the passenger door and jumped in.

“Hey,” he murmured. He leaned over and kissed her. “You look great.”

She wore a red cocktail dress and a matching jacket over it. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her face was beautiful without the help of make-up, just like the night before.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be free this early,” she said, while he put the car in drive and merged into traffic. “What happened to your family thing? The party? It’s not even midnight yet.”

He grimaced. “Long story. But let’s just say I stood up to my father, when it was clear that he was manipulating me. I told him to stay out of my life.”

Mona sighed and slid her hand onto his thigh, a gesture he welcomed. He put his hand over hers, squeezing it.

“I guess I’m not the only one who has an overbearing father,” she said. “He constantly tries to tell me how to live my life.”

Grayson cast her a sideways look and smiled at her. “Welcome to my world. Is that why you’re in San Francisco over the holidays? To get away from your family?”

She looked out of the window. “Basically. Though it’s hard to escape them for long.”

He understood all too well. “How about we don’t talk about our families anymore tonight and just pretend they don’t exist?”

She smiled at him. “I think that’s a brilliant idea.”

She moved her hand up his thigh, and Grayson sucked in a breath. “If you’re trying to check whether I’m already hard, let me save you the trouble. The answer is yes.”

A soft chuckle rolled over Mona’s lips. “I love a man who gets hard so quickly.”

He took his hand from hers and reached over to her. He gripped the seam of her dress and pulled the fabric up, before sliding his hand onto her naked thigh. Slowly, he moved it upwards.

“You wouldn’t by any chance be checking if I’m already wet, would you?” she asked coquettishly, but didn’t stop him.

“Oh, I know you’re already wet. I can smell it. I just wanna get a head start on making you come.” He brushed his hand against her panties, then slid his fingers under the damp fabric. When his fingers connected with her sex, Mona sucked in a breath.

He moved his hand lower, and dipped it to her drenched pussy, bathing his fingers in her juices.

“Oh babe, you need it really badly, don’t you?”

“I do,” she said, her voice breathy, her pelvis tilting up to give him better access.

“Tell me: were you thinking of me after you left this morning?” Grayson asked and slid his wet fingers upward to her clit.

Mona gasped. “What if I was?”

He chuckled and turned onto his street. “Then I would tell you that I was thinking of you too. In fact, when I took a shower earlier, I couldn’t help myself and imagined you were there with me.”