Those shoes...fuck me. Yeah, those would be digging into my ass at some point tonight.
“You look unbelievable, Gracie,” I croaked.
Her skin bloomed with pink, and she flashed a smile that had only ever been directed at me. “You’re looking pretty good yourself, Mr. Kendall.”
With a grin, I sauntered into the room with a hand behind my back. Gracie’s eyes lit up when she noticed, and she bounced on her toes.
“Gimme!” She made grabby hands, and I laughed at her excitement. Gracie loved presents and surprises. It made life a lot of fun.
“This gift isn’t free,” I said, furrowing my brow and giving her a stern expression.
“I have to pay the piper, huh?”
I stopped when I was only inches away from her and shrugged. “If that’s what you’re calling me these days…”
Gracie giggled and closed the distance between us. “Seriously, though.” She frowned, trying to match my severe features. “Gimme.”
My head fell back as I laughed with pure joy. Gracie always did that for me. Brought happiness to every moment. Knowing what was coming, I didn’t bother to try to stop her when she reached around me and snatched the small box from my hand.
She held it in silence, staring at it with blue pools filled with apprehension.
“It’s not a ring, baby,” I sighed before adding a warning. “But it’s coming, so you need to get over this...whatever it is. You promised to say yes, and I’m holding you to it.”
Gracie opened her mouth but shut it at the sight of my steely gaze. Wanting to recapture the mood, I leaned in and brushed a kiss over her lips. “Mm, cherry,” I teased after pulling back. It was her favorite flavor of everything. “Open it,” I urged her.
She grinned and ripped open the paper, then flipped up the lid to the box. When she didn’t say anything, I couldn't help chuckling at her adorably confused expression. Inside the box was a key.
“Okay, I’m going to assume you didn’t buy me a car or a house because a, we can’t afford it, and b, I’ve never seen a key like this.”
If only she knew. We could afford a couple of nice cars and a very swanky apartment if that’s what she wanted. A sliver of guilt trickled through my veins at the reminder that I’d still not come clean with her about my education and job. But since it wasn’t the time to get into all that yet, I shook the thought off and refocused on the moment.
“It’s a key to a suite at The Royalton, Gracie,” I informed her in a low voice.
Her eyes flew up to mine, sparkling with hope as a giant smile spread across her face. “The Royalton?” she shrieked as she threw herself into my arms. I grabbed her ass and tried to keep us upright when her legs went around my waist, and she planted a hard kiss on my mouth. “Really?” she asked softly when she ended the kiss.
Gracie had been driving me insane with her attempts to convince me that we should have sex before we turned eighteen. I honestly didn’t know how I found the strength to hold out. But here we were, both virgins.
“Really,” I answered with a wink. “Your mom is going to help us sneak out later.”
Gracie beamed at me as if I’d just handed her the keys to the moon. I didn’t know what I’d done to be given such a rare and precious beauty, but I’d work every day to make sure I was worthy of her.
“Happy Birthday, baby,” I murmured before seeking out her lips for another kiss, this time taking it deep. A stupid idea because all the blood in my body drained to my dick, where Gracie’s hot pussy was rubbing against it. I began to back to the door, ready to shut and lock it when the clearing of a throat brought us to an abrupt halt.
“It’s a good thing I’m the one who came to fetch you two,” Penny, Gracie’s mom, said as I slid my girl down to stand on her feet. I positioned her in front of me to hide the obvious bulge in my suit pants. “If Jonah had come up…” She trailed off and rolled her eyes.
He’d had a talk with me long ago. One of the reasons I’d held out for eighteen was out of respect for him. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t kick my ass if he found me mauling his teenage daughter in her childhood bedroom.
“Thanks, Mom. We’ll uh…” Gracie snickered as she pressed her bottom against me, the little vixen. “We’ll be down as soon as Hudson can, you know, walk.” Then she doubled over with laughter, leaving me grumpy and Penny laughing along with her.
Once they sobered up, she pointed at Gracie with a grave frown. “Grace Carrington, your father is never, ever to know that I helped Hudson with your surprise.” We both nodded in quick agreement. “Good. Now hurry down before he comes up here and locks Grace in her bedroom after tossing Hudson out the window.”
2 Hudson
“This is…” Grace trailed off as she stood in the spacious solarium with three walls and a roof made of windows. “It’s just so romantic.”
I walked up behind her and slipped my arms around her waist, resting my chin atop her head. “You’re such a girl,” I teased, bringing her body snugly against mine.
“You’re such a boy,” she sassed back as she turned in the circle of my arms.
Bending down a little, I touched my nose to hers. “I love you, Gracie,” I whispered.
Her smile was blinding as she stared up into my eyes. “I love you too, Hudson. I can’t wait to start the next chapter of our lives.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Is that
