Page 28 of Grayson’s Challenge

“I’m gonna shove a stake up his ass! Fucking bastard!” Monique cursed. “And I thought he was on my side! That lying, conniving little prick! Wait until he gets here. I’m gonna—”

“Monique,” Grayson interrupted. “Does that mean you regret the last two nights?” He stopped at a red light and looked at her. “Do you regret having made love to me?”

She inhaled, her eyes widening, her chest lifting. Her lips parted, but she didn’t say anything. Did she really have to think about whether she regretted having slept with him?

“Damn it, Monique, that should be a simple Yes or No answer.”

“It’s complicated,” she finally said and looked away. “Now that I know who you are, I’m not sure who the person I slept with really is. It was all more clear-cut when I didn’t know your name.”

“It shouldn’t be complicated. I’m still the same person. I wasn’t pretending to be anybody else the last two nights. When I was with you, I was myself. Maybe even more so because I didn’t have to live up to anybody’s expectations of what Grayson Woodford should be like.”

~ ~ ~

Monique looked into Grayson’s eyes and contemplated his words. Didn’t she have the same motives for hiding her identity, because she didn’t want to be seen as just a spoiled princess, but a woman with normal wants and needs? A woman who wanted a man to love her for herself, not for the trappings of her heritage.

“Would you have slept with me if I’d told you my real name in that bar?” she challenged.

When he didn’t answer immediately, she scoffed. “See, it’s not as clear-cut for you either. You were prejudiced against me too, and didn’t want anything to do with me either. Don’t deny it!”

“But that’s changed!” he claimed.

Behind them, somebody honked, and Grayson stepped on the gas and crossed the intersection.

“Why? Because we had sex? It changes nothing.”

“It changes everything.”

“How so? We’re still in the same boat. Our families set us up. And neither of us wants to be told who to date. Particularly not by their parents. You can’t possibly be happy about the situation we’re in.”

They’d just reached the entrance to an underground garage. The gate opened, and Grayson drove in.

“And what situation is that?” Grayson asked bluntly.

“Having to hide from everybody that we had sex.”

Grayson glared at her, obviously not liking her remark, and pulled into a parking spot. He switched off the engine.

“Why would you want to hide it? Are you ashamed of being with me?”

She opened the car door and got out without answering his question. She didn’t have an answer for him, at least not one that she could articulate. Inside her, different sides were warring with each other. On one hand, she’d enjoyed being in Grayson’s arms and wanted more of the same, on the other, she was afraid that their power dynamics would change, and suddenly, she would be the weaker partner. Could somebody with Grayson’s reputation ever see her as an equal partner? Wouldn’t they constantly fight about who would have the upper hand?

She marched to the elevators and punched the call button. Grayson was at her side a moment later.

“I asked you a question, Monique.”

“I heard you. I can’t deal with this right now.” She needed time to figure out how to proceed with Grayson. Had he still been Gray, the stranger from the bar, the decision would have been easy. But Grayson Woodford came with baggage. “I need to concentrate on rescuing our fathers. Everything else has to take a back seat.”

The elevator opened, and she stepped inside. Grayson followed her, swiped an access card and pressed the button for the top floor. When the doors closed, he turned back to her.

“If that’s how you want to play it, fine. But this conversation isn’t over. Not by a long shot.” He pinned her with his eyes. “Because I’m not ready to give up what was between us the last two nights. We’re good together. You can’t pretend that we’re not.”

At the intense gaze he lashed at her, a shiver ran down her spine, and she was glad that she wore a warm sweater that hid the goosebumps on her skin. Yes, they’d been good together in bed, but that was no guarantee that they were good for each other outside the bedroom.

13

Upon arrival on the top floor, Grayson headed for Thomas and Eddie’s office, his mind still on his conversation with Monique, who walked next to him in silence. For the first time in his life, he wished he wasn’t Grayson Woodford, heir to the Scanguards empire. He wished he was just a regular vampire hybrid Monique found attractive. But he was who he was. He couldn’t change that. All he could do was change Monique’s opinion of him, so she would see the man beneath the façade, the man she’d made love to.

The door to Thomas and Eddie’s office stood open. Thomas and Eddie were sitting at their desks, staring into multiple computer monitors. Both wore casual clothes, attesting to the fact that they’d already returned home after the party, when they’d received the news about the kidnapping.