Chapter Nineteen

We greeted Steven and his wife and were seated; the conversation began to flow but my mind kept going back to the kiss.

The way he grabbed me, the feel of his soft lips pressing against mine sending tingles across my whole body, for just a second it felt like he wanted to kiss me for more reasons than calming my nerves.

“So, Genevieve, where is the wonderful Mr Maddox taking you on your honeymoon”.

The sound of Eliza’s voice rings and I am instantly back in the room.

“Oh well we have not really decided yet, but I’ve always wanted to go to the Maldives, the clear sea and quietness is very desirable”.

I am being honest with my words I could think of nothing better than being taken to an island and left to read or explore it would be pure bliss.

“Oh, Gen, that sounds lovely. So, what do you say Greyson are you going to take her on her dream getaway?”

Eliza’s voice is soft and playful I watch as she carries the conversation with such ease, the way she leans into Stephen without realising showing her affection for him in the smallest of ways.

She is confident, Sexy and so sure of herself. I wonder to myself what it would be like to be that way. I am reminded of how it felt to be pushed down and berated and to make it all worse it was by someone who I thought would protect me always.

I feel my shoulders tense and back go stiff as memories I long hoped to forget to seem to resurface in the back of my mind.

“Excuse me for one moment, I need to you the lady’s room”.

I push away from the table Greyson’s eyes on fixed on me as if he is asking if I am okay, I give him a small nod and head to just get some air.

Once I am back in the right mindset, I look in the mirror straightening out my blouse and smoothing down my skirt before heading back to Greyson.

As soon as I step out of the door, a man’s chest is in my face, his hand gripping my arm pulling me to one side.

“Well, well well what do we have here, has sissy decided to play dress-up”.

Mitch lifts my hand and stares at the ring on my finger.

“I wonder what you had to do to get him to give you this Gen. What was it did you suck I’m off for some quick money and then blackmailed him into making you his wife”?

His vile words resonate through me like shards of glass.

“Mitch”

I try to move past him, to get away from him but he blocks me in with his arms.

“Where do you think you’re going Gen, I thought I told you never to reappear and yet here you are, I saw you at the party too with that blond guy is that the poor soul who has the displeasure of marrying you”.

“Mitch, just leave me alone. You got what you wanted from me you, you got the company I moved to the Other side of the world what more could I possibly have to give to you”.

He laughs and moves his arms, folding them over his chest but I do not try to move there would be no point it will just make it worse.

“I just don’t want you getting the wrong idea’s Gen, just because your back from the pit doesn’t mean you can now suddenly stake a claim on what isn’t yours”.

Back from the pit. He means the pit he put me in the downward spiral he sent me crashing onto never extending a hand to help but constantly feeding the fire.

“Go away, Mitch”.

I step forward to move but he pushes me against the wall and entraps me once more.

“Or you’ll do what Gen”.

I feel like I am young all over again facing a demon under the bed, my demon was always Mitch and right now I’m just as scared of him as I was back then, so I squeeze my eyes shut.

I stay silent and the seconds feel like hours before I hear a familiar voice.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing”.

The shadow of Mitch over me disappears and I open my eyes to find Greyson between the two of us.

“Who the hell do you think you are talking to my wife?”

Mitch’s eyes widen at the words wife and he looks between the two of us, the realisation of who it is I am actually married to now dawning on him.

He softens his expression and extends a hand.

“Mitch Hudson, I’m Gens brother. Nice to meet you”.

Greyson does not shake his hand rather retains his glare on Mitch.

“Gen and I were just catching up weren’t we, it’s been some time since we last saw one another”

Mitch Glares at me signalling me to agree with him or something much worse will happen knowing just how dangerous my brother can really be.

“Yes, Mitch and I were just catching up, I’m sorry I took so long”.

Greyson’s hand reaches for mine.

“Come on Gen we should get back”.

I do not say goodbye but Greyson nods as we pass. The rest of the lunch feels awkward between us, but we keep our smiles on for Steven and Eliza both of whom seem oblivious to the atmosphere that now surrounds Greyson and me.

We say our goodbyes and head back to the car, I stare out of the window not saying a word the memories of my kiss with Greyson long gone, now replaced with the thought of my brother here in New York.

“Greyson where are we going, work is the other way?”

I turn to him, but he has that firm stone look on his face and he does not respond, twenty minutes later we are back at the apartment.

I follow behind him through the door wondering why we have come back home. He moves to sit on the sofa and motions for me to sit to.

I take a deep breath playing with my hands out of nervousness, not really understanding what is going and I could see his jaw clenching in the car on the way home.

I am shocked however when he does speak and his voice is calm and soft, he looks at me like he cares actually cares about me.

“Genevieve, I know we haven’t known each other all that long but when I saw you against that wall today you were scared”.

I do not say anything but wait breath held for what is coming next.

“Your brother Mitch is bad news, isn’t he?”

“Yes Greyson, my brother has no limits to how low he will go to get what he wants”.

“From the way he had you pinned against the wall; he obviously wants something now. So, what is it?”

Part of me wants to tell him, to let him know exactly what Mitch is capable of however reciting to your new husband *I am fairly sure he wants me dead* isn’t exactly ideal and besides I’m not even sure I trust Greyson.

“It’s nothing he was just being himself; he likes to make me feel small is all”.

I shrug it off as if’s it nothing the second I do; I see the shadow in Greyson’s eye.

“You agreed when you said yes to this that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt the company image, this seems like one of those times “

The hurt I suddenly feel takes me by surprise, I am once again reminded of what this is all really about. Normally I would get angry, but the memory of the kiss still lingers, and I just feel deflated.

“Nothing he will do will hurt your image Greyson”.

As I relay the words, I hear the monotonous tone of my voice filling the air.

“I’m sorry he has reappeared. I will deal with it”.

I turn away from him and head to my room, wanting to be away from him. Praying he did not sense my sadness, falling for him was one of his rules and every day I get closer and closer to breaking it.

I shower and change into some jeans and a hoodie with the intention of going back out its barley 4 pm, heading into the sitting room I put my shoes on and head for the door grabbing my coat ad scarf on the way past, that sinking deflated feeling still sitting with me.

“Gen wait”.

I do not turn to look at him, but I do stop.

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“I guess “

I open the door and he follow closely behind I notice that he has put on some more relaxed clothes and is wearing a baseball cap.

Standing beside him in the lift I try to not look his way, but it is lying if I tried to tell myself he did not look really good right now, I scan him from head to toe wondering what he is playing at.

“Greyson”

He looks at me for a moment then looks away.

“I guess I’m just interested to see what my wife does when she is not with me”.

“Sadly, I don’t do anything interesting I usually just walk to clear my head and maybe get food”.

He places his hand on his stomach.

“Food sounds good right now”.

I cannot help but let out a small giggle.

“Greyson, we ate lunch just over an hour ago”.

He laughs too and the tension between us disappears. Once outside we walk through the park not saying much but enjoying being outside in the crisp air.

We reach a little stall and Greyson insists on buying Hot chocolate for us both.

“You know this reminds me of being back in London, my mum and I would do this in the winter, walk and then find cute places to sit and drink hot chocolates “

I smile at the memory and the realisation hit of how much I miss her, so I take in a deep breath a suppress that feeling back down, enough is going on today I do not want to add to it.

Finding a bench, a take a seat, Greyson close to me. We still have not said much but tone another, but the moment is still nice.

“Gen I”.

He seems to trail off and stops talking.

“Are you going to finish your sentence or are we playing a guessing game?”

I nudge him with my elbow and throw him a soft smile.

“Gen, I’m sorry about earlier”.

I almost choke on my drink. Did he just say sorry?

“Sorry for what?”

“For what I said about hunting the company, I didn’t mean it I was just frustrated you wouldn’t tell me the truth about you brother, I thought it would force you to tell me but as soon as I said it, I realised that kind of shit won’t work on you”.

“You are correct it will not”.

I take a sip of my drink and avoid his stare.

“Look. When you’re ready to talk about your brother I’ll be here okay?”

He turns my head with his finger under my chin to look at him, I cannot help but stare into his eyes, it seems everyone around us has melted away and it is just him and I at this moment.

He pulls away abrupt, the pulls out his phone.

“I also bought you a gift to say both sorry and thank you”.

“Sorry and thank you?”

“Yes, sorry for earlier and thank you for helping me seal this deal with CVH global”.

He hands me his phone and my jaw drops.

“Is this for real?”

“Yes, we leave tomorrow morning “

I drop my hot chocolate and throw my arms around him; he does not reciprocate at first and then I feel his arms snake around my waist.

“Greyson you really didn’t have to do this.

We break apart and I take my hands from around his neck, but he does not move his arms.

“I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to and besides it’s your dream honeymoon isn’t it “

“It is, how did you arrange this all so fast”.

He winks at me.

“Being a Maddox does have its perks, Gen”.

The sudden realisation dawns on me that I have absolutely nothing to wear on this trip.

“Greyson I. I can’t go”.

I see the confusion in his furrowed brow.

“I don’t have any clothes for this type of holiday”.

He stands up taking my hand in the familiar warmth washing over me.

“Well, we have time now let’s go get you some, it’s not like you will need a lot you’ll be in swimwear most of the time”.

He winks at me and drags me towards the exit. We head to several shops outside of my budget and I pick up and put things down.

Every time I get to the counter however Greyson as picked up the stuff and give it to the woman and he insists on paying for it.

We arrive home late and begin to pack my suitcase when Greyson heads to bed, climbing into my bed a few hours later it somehow feels empty.

As though he sensed my thoughts there is a knock at the door.

“Gen, did you want to erm “He runs his hand through his hair.

“Did you want to sleep in my room?? I know it’s weird but last night was one of the best nights I’ve had in a while”.

I stare at him without a response.

“I promise won’t try anything I just like the warmth”.

He extends his hand and I take it without hesitation as I follow him back to his bed.