One Day (The Private Club #3)(12)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“No one’s touched me so reverently before.”

“I don’t know why not.” I smiled back at him weakly. “You’re perfect.”

“We both know that’s not true.”

“Well, your body is pretty darn perfect.”

“I wish I were perfect in other ways.” He looked at me wistfully. “I’ve never wished for a different life before now. My philosophy is life gives us what we can take and we have to make the best of it. But somehow with you, I wish it had been different. Maybe if my life had been different from the beginning, I’d be a different man now. A better man.”

“Why do you wish you were a better man?” I asked with my heart in my throat.

“Probably for the same reason you wish I were a better man,” he answered astutely.

“I don’t even know you.” I shrugged and stared at the pool. The water was such a calming and beautiful blue. The serenity of the setting belied the churning of the hurricane in my heart and stomach.

“I guess sometimes you don’t have to know someone very long to know you like them.”

“Or dislike them,” I quipped back.

“I wonder how things would have been different if we’d met in a different setting,” he continued.

“What sort of setting?” I looked up at him, wondering what he was thinking and feeling inside.

“Like a grocery store.” He laughed. “If we’d bumped into each other at Whole Foods, or maybe even Trader Joes. You’d be buying a French baguette and some brie. I’d be buying a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio or maybe even a cabernet.”

“And then what?” I asked breathlessly as he stopped.

“You have to take off another piece of clothing before I continue.” He nodded at me and I rolled my eyes, but I still removed my pants and shoes off. He watched me with narrowed eyes then, surveying my nearly naked body with eager lust. “Beautiful,” he muttered as he looked back into my eyes. “I’d look at you as you bumped into me and I’d wonder—”

“Who said it was me bumping into you?” I interrupted.

“I’m not clumsy.”

“Neither am I.”

“Like I was saying… As you bumped into me”—he grinned at me then—“I would see how beautiful and witty you were and I’d think to myself, ‘Maybe we could pair our wine and bread together.’”

“That’s what you would say?” I laughed, feeling young and happy at our banter. “You’d say, ‘Let’s pair our wine and bread together’? To a girl you just bumped into at the grocery store?”

“No, that’s not what I’d say.” He cocked his head and stared at me with a sly smile. “If you want to know what I’d say, please take off another item of clothing.”

“Fine.” I rolled my eyes, but inside I was shivering with excitement. I looked down at my body in consideration for a moment and then took off my bra. Greyson’s eyes dilated as he stared at my naked br**sts, and his fingers reached over to cup them gently. He took a step towards me and I moaned as I felt his hardness brush against my legs.

“I would say, ‘You have beautiful eyes.’” He looked down at me as his fingers gently rubbed my ni**les. “I would say that I had a bottle of wine, but no bread and cheese. I’d give you a sweet smile.” He looked at me. “Much like this. And I’d ask if you’d like to go on a picnic.”

“A picnic?” I asked and then gasped as his fingers pinched my ni**les.

“Of course. A cutesy picnic in Central Park.”

“I can’t see you on a picnic in Central Park,” I laughed, and he smiled back at me.

“Well, this is if I had had a different life. If I’d had a different life, I’d love picnics in Central Park.”

“I see.” I hoped he would continue with his story.

“So then I’d wait for your answer. I’d hope your answer would be yes. Then maybe I’d buy some chocolate-covered strawberries as well, but I’d hide them until later on the date.” His eyes glittered at me. “I wouldn’t want you thinking I had any ideas.”

I laughed. “But of course you’d have ideas.”

“Well, of course I would. That much of me wouldn’t be different.” He chuckled, and as I stared at him, I realized how young he looked in that moment. How carefree. My heart stilled as I realized that this was the Greyson I wish existed.

“And then what?” I prodded him, needing him to continue.

“And then…” He pulled me closer towards him. “And then we’d go to the park. I think I’d take you to Midtown and we’d go in around West 50th.”

“There’s an entrance there?”

“There’s an entrance near there, I’m sure.” He shrugged. “And we’d sit on the green grass and laugh. I’d tell you some jokes and show you some magic tricks.”

“How old are we in this dream?” I raised an eyebrow at him, and he smacked my bottom. “Ow.”

“Listen.” He pulled me closer to him. “Then we’d lie back and stare at the sky and the birds.

“Hopefully it’s not a grey day,” I mumbled, and he smacked my butt again. I yelped at the touch of his hand against me, but he only smiled.

“At some point, you’d realize that I was utterly attractive and desirable and you’d reach over and kiss me.”

“Actually, I think I’d be waiting on you to kiss me.”

“Well, I think you wouldn’t be able to resist me and you’d reach over and kiss me lightly.” He leaned down. “And then you’d kiss me like this.” His lips touched mine and he pressed them down lightly and gave me a sweet kiss before pulling back. “And I’d be sitting there thinking, ‘Wow. What happened?’”

“Uh huh,” I whispered breathlessly.

“And I’d be hoping you’d do it again.”

“Yes.” I looked up at him, wanting to feel the softness of his lips on mine again.

“Yes, you would?” He stared into my eyes, searching for an answer, and I nodded.

“Yes, I would do it again. All over again.”

His lips crushed down on mine again, but this time they moved with deliberate speed, as if they were on a mission. His tongue entered my mouth, and I reached up and grasped the ends of his hair. His chest hair teased my br**sts and his fingers massaged my back as we kissed. I felt his c**k pressed up against my stomach and I pushed myself against him harder. Our bodies were both slightly cold, so I pushed into him harder so that we could build up our body heat.