WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE.

CHAPTER 9.

“We shouldn’t be doing this, Emilia,” He whispered in my ear, running the tip of his nose against my skin until he buried his face in the crook of my neck.

“Are you scared Grayson? You shouldn’t talk so big if you won’t take action,” I dared to say, not knowing what overcame me but I pushed myself against him further. 

“If we start now, I won’t stop till I’m done with you,” Grayson started moving his hand again, going up my hardened nipple that poked through the dress. I was partly happy I didn’t wear a bra but another part of me also regretted it because Grayson threw the strings over my shoulders, the dress automatically falling down to my hips exposing my chest to him. 

“Good. I expect you to live up to your words,” I said looking at him but he was focused on my breast, he licked his lower lip subtly but not subtle enough for me to miss it. 

“Careful now, you might just get addicted,” He mentioned which had me rolling my eyes but god damn I didn’t have it in me to stop this. If he were to stop now I’d have to find somewhere to rub it off myself. 

“This will be good, right? To get it out of our system?” I asked, surely this was the same thing he was thinking. We had to get this out of our system, it’s clearly been looming over us for a while now. Since that one night in the club. I should’ve never spoken to him. 

“To get it out of our system, yes,” He confirmed, pinching my nipple. I bit back a whimper when he did so. His rough fingers over my skin made me want to moan. “What’s your safe word?” He asked which made me frown. I looked over at him, raising a brow at the man. His deep green eyes full of lust when he looked back at me. 

“I don’t have one,” I admitted. I never needed one before.

“You’ll need to think of one,” He told me. I watched as he slipped his free hand down to my panty. I immediately looked away from our reflection, shyness just now taking over. “Look in the mirror,” He barked order. Usually I didn’t like being told what to do but in this setting it was all so different, like I wanted him to treat me like this. Bark orders, treat me roughly. I opened my eyes again and looked in the mirror, watching as he squeezed my right tit. It fitted perfectly in his large hand. 

“I- I don’t shit-” I gasped when I felt his cold finger sliding against my slit. “Coconut, We’ll use coconut,” I said randomly. I wasn’t even sure where I came with it but I knew it was a good enough word.

“Fitting,” He chuckled. His deep chuckle sent shivers down my spine. “Now Emilia, when was the last time someone touched you like this, hm?” Grayson asked as he started to kiss the colom of my neck, it didn’t take him long to find my sweet spots. He kissed the spot under my ear, swirling his tongue only making it harder for me to breath, to comprehend what was happening. 

“I don’t-” I was about to say when he glared at me, pinching my nipple. “Two months? Three?” I answered and he just hummed to it. 

“This dress is beautiful but right now it’s in my fucking way,” Grayson complained and pulled the dress over my head then threw it to the ground. I looked at the mirror again, now I was dressed in nothing but the blue panties I had. Grayson looked at my reflection, smiling to himself as his eyes took in the sight in front of him. 

Grayson tipped my head back and leaned in to kiss me again, this time a more passionate kiss whilst his hand was wrapped around my throat his other trailed down from my breast down my navel and dipped into my panty again. I moaned against his lips, not caring how strained my neck felt right now. Grayson pulled out of the kiss and tugged me by my throat to make me look into the mirror. 

“Look at yourself Mia, you’re about to see yourself come very soon,” He smirked, his finger tracing circles around my clit. His hand around my throat applied more pressure as he started moving his hand faster and faster. I got so, so close but he just removed his fingers from my clit. I glared at him through the mirror. 

“Patience, shortcake, didn’t think I’d give it to you so easily, did you?” He asked with a wicked smile on his lips. “Tell me Mia, did you ever fantasise about me, hm?” His question made my cheeks burn. I had. I had several times even whilst playing volleyball all I could look at was him and his perfect body, imagining it on top of me or beneath me. I still haven’t figured out which I’d like better. “The more you talk the faster these fingers move,” He thrusted two fingers into me rather slowly, I clenched his fingers tightly only relaxing when he whispered to ‘relax’ in my ear. 

“I- Yes, I have,” I admitted, there was no reason in hiding it anymore. This mad had kissed me, seen me naked and as of right now had two fingers pumping into me at a much more appreciated pace. 

“Where?” He then asked, pressing himself against me again. I could feel his hard cock against my back, only making me even more curious to know how big he was, what he looked like. What he tasted like… What was he doing to me? I didn’t even enjoy giving oral, of course I still did it because I like my partner happy but Grayson, he made me think about it over and over right now. 

“In- in your office- on the desk,” I answered, closing my eyes and letting my head tip back into his chest. Grayson sure was a man of his word, his fingers started pushing into me faster, the palm of his hand rubbing against my clit so perfectly. This was better than when I had to pleasure myself. Whatever ‘getting it out of our system’ meant for us, sure would be the death of me. 

“You dirty little whore,” He laughed then pressed a kiss to my neck which slowly went up to my neck. “I’ll admit though, I imagined you in the office too. On your desk and taking my cock in your mouth like the good little whore you are,” He whispered in my ear, letting out a soft breathy moan just for me. The image he painted me made it hard for me to not push his hands away and drop down to my knees but I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to come soon. 

“Fuck Grayson-” I moaned loudly when he curled his fingers, the tips brushing that special spot no one ever reached. 

“Sir, you address me as sir,” He corrected me, squeezing my throat in a way I never thought would please me. I wanted more, I wanted everything this man had to offer me and I wanted it now. 

“Sir-” The word came out breathy as he was still choking me. 

“Tonight I’m going to ruin you, shortcake, no man will ever be able to make you feel what I’m about to make you feel,” Grayson moved his hand from my throat to my breast, kneading it. “Your voice will be hoarse from all the screaming, your pussy sore from being worked all night long, but you can take it right?” He asked, looking at my reflection. I too stared at myself, I was at this man’s mercy, I’d beg to come if he’d stop. But Grayson didn’t stop, no he only moved his finger faster, his other hand rolling my nipples between his fingers. 

“You’re a hard working woman,” He whispered into my ear as his fingers brushed against my g-spot once again, the tension that had built up in my lower stomach was about to burst. “That’s it Mia, come for me,” That was all I had to hear. I let go and came all over his fingers, a wicked smile on his lips as he forced me to look at myself as I came, his fingers still pumping in and out of me but at a slower pace. This was even better than what I was able to give myself. 

WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE.

CHAPTER 8.

We all stood and looked at the menu. Grayson and I stared at the menu a little longer than the rest, they already knew what they’d be getting. You could see they were used to these kinds of things whereas Grayson and I weren’t exactly used to it. From what I’ve heard he can be a bit of an introvert but again, the pandemic changed a lot of people. Some of my friends all just turned into these wild party animals after the restrictions were lifted and then you had Mia, Mia who loved hanging out with her friends and going out but just not partying plus the same Mia who was a little too focused on her job that caused her friendships to all breakdown. Stupid, stupid- I was nudged by Makani who then stole my attention and smiled at me. 

I turned back to the menu and realised which thought had just lost when I got distracted by Grayson.

“Uh, I don’t think we’ll be able to order from here,” I said nervously, feeling bad we invited them here but at least there were two other food trucks. 

“What’s wrong?” Vivian asked, her blue eyes now focused on me but I caught her stealing glances at the giant next to me. 

“Grayson’s allergic to shellfish,” I pointed out. Grayson looked at me a little surprised with a slight smile on his lips. The food restrictions were tough in the office, one was lactose intolerant, one was allergic to strawberries and then you had Grayson who was allergic to seafood. 

“Oh wow, that sucks,” Vivian pouted as she looked at Grayson. 

“You’re really missing out here,” Makani added in a funny manner. 

“So I’ve been told,” Grayson sighed, probably tired of hearing about it all his life.

“The food truck right next here has great barbecue,”Makani pointed to the bright green truck. 

“The best!” Vivian practically squealed.

“You’ve got to try their burgers too,” Makani sighed lovingly, the memories of the burger probably making an appearance in his mind. 

“Only the crispy one though,” Vivian seemed strict about that. Grayson and I looked at each other for a moment. Makani and Vivian were strangers yet they went along as if they had been working for years. 

“Ok… Got it,” I noted. 

“Ok so we’ll buy food and meet up at one of the tables right?” Grayson asked, looking around. There weren’t many free tables left but surely we’d find one soon.

“Correct,” Makani confirmed, moving one step closer as the queue moved along. 

“Where are you going?” Grayson asked when I followed him to the green truck.

“I’m not a fan of seafood, so I think I’ll be basic and get some crispy burgers,” I admitted, not ashamed at all. Everyone in my life knew I wasn’t one to explore food. I stuck to the basics unless it came to dessert. Then I didn’t mind trying something extra. 

We split up in two and went ahead and bought our food. Once again I noticed Grayson wouldn’t let me pay for my food which was sweet but also made me feel terrible. I tried paying but he beat me to it. We were waiting for quite a bit but that was okay, Vivian and Makani too needed to wait on their food. After what felt like eternity due to hunger, we were finally given our food and rushed to one of the colourful, wooden tables. As we sat down we noticed how it kept getting busier and busier, we had chosen the right time to come here. Had we come any later there might’ve been a chance we wouldn’t find a seat. 

“Ok, that took longer than I would’ve wanted to wait,” Vivian rested her food on the table then took a seat next to Makani which was when I realised Grayson and I sat right next to each other.

“The food is worth it,” Makani took the can out of Vivian’s hand when she struggled to open it and opened it for her. 

“So Vivian this is Mia,” Grayson cleared his throat and properly introduced us to each other. 

“Nice to meet you on a less competitive ground,” I laughed and shook her hand when she extended it. 

“Sorry if I was hard on you. I like to win,” Vivian’s red lips curled into a smile. Red lipstick was great on her, and stood out on her porcelain skin. 

“I noticed,” I laughed awkwardly. “Oh this is Makani,” I pointed to the man next to her. Makani immediately smiled showing the dimple he had. 

“I’ve seen you a few times before,” Vivian said as she looked at Makani with a thinking face. 

“I think I’ve seen you too,” Makani hummed and smiled at her. Grayson and I turned to look at each other and raised a brow at one another before shrugging and turned back to the view in front of us- Makani and Vivian who were still staring at each other for a moment before I cleared my throat and Vivian looked at Grayson then at me. 

“So how do you two know each other? A couple or?” Vivian then asked, pointing between the two of us. 

“A couple?” I looked over at Grayson who burst into laughter with me. His hand falling down on my thigh as he laughed neither of us realised for the first few seconds. I didn’t say anything about it and neither did Grayson. I wonder if he even noticed. 

“God no,” Grayson pulled his hand away to pick up his bottle of water. Even on vacation he refused to drink soda. Grayson was very much against sodas, beers, and any carbonated drinks. 

“You don’t deserve me,” I reminded him and rolled my eyes then turned to the food in front of me. We were given several packets of sauces to add to the burger. I looked at the BBQ sauce and immediately opened it up to put in my burger. 

“It’s the other way around…” Grayson scoffed and picked a hot sauce to put in his. 

“We work together, This is actually a work trip we won because of our competitiveness,” I began to explain to Makani and Vivian who then nodded and understood. 

We all ate our food, enjoyed the night breeze and each other’s company. Makani and Vivian got along much better than Grayson and I, which was funny. They only just met. At some point Vivian and Makani had to leave, unlike us they weren’t on vacation and had jobs to get to in the morning. We said our goodbyes, Makani and Vivian parting ways. I looked over at Grayson who stared at the string of lightbulbs that lightened the place. 

“Are we going home?” I asked when I saw him getting up. He collected his phone and tucked it into his pocket then gathered our used basket and napkins and threw it into the bin like a good civilian. 

“Do you have room for dessert?” Grayson asked, looking at the maps on his phone. 

“Always,” I retorted as if it’s a fact of mine he should’ve known already. Grayson just smiled then shook his head and started walking away from me, “Then follow me.” He stopped with his back turned to me but still waited till I was next to him before walking again.. 

Grayson led the way to a cute little dessert shop. I might’ve lost my mind when I saw the variation of desserts there and I would definitely be coming back here for some more dessert quite soon. For now Grayson and I settled for Chocolate Haupia Pie, the sweet lady behind the display told us this was a must try so we each bought a slice then took a taxi back to the hotel. 

When we arrived at the hotel I plopped down on the couch and waited for Grayson so we could have our dessert. I watched Grayson, the living space and bedroom was all in one big room anyways. He slowly unclasped his watch and rested it on the nightstand along with his rings. He then removed his shirt and threw it on the bed, slowly running his fingers through his curls.I watched as his back muscle moved, his bulky arm even more visible now that he was curling it. Fuck. Grayson turned around and walked over to me, sitting down right next to me. 

“Not used to seeing a little skin, shortcake?” Grayson asked when he caught me staring at his chest so fucking embarrassing. 

“Any reason you like stripping?” I rolled my eyes and stared back at my phone but all I could see and think about was his body. Since when did I get the hots for Grayson Solace? Has it been that long since Erick that it’s now started to cloud my mind? 

“It’s hot Mia, I’m sure you find that too so go change,” Grayson rolled his eyes too and shoo-ed me away. “I’ll look away,” He even promised. 

He wasn’t lying, it was really hot tonight. Even outside with all the fresh breeze I was still very hot. I walked to the front and settled the room temperature a little lower now that I knew Grayson had it hot. I returned back to the room and grabbed a pair of shorts and a white t-shirt to change into and walked to the mirror. I glanced over at Grayson who was facing the other side of the room with his gaze settled on his phone. 

I reached around for the knot I made of the ties around my nape and tried to undo it but I struggled with it. I made the knot so tight that I couldn’t undo it now. I cursed silently- or so I thought. Grayson must’ve heard and looked in my direction. “Do you need help with that?” Grayson asked, already getting up and walking towards me.

“Yes, Mr. Solace,” I answered, the name slipping out.

“What did I tell you about calling me that?” He asked sternly. Grayson was positioned right behind me, his fingers brushing against my nape as he started to unknot the tie. I looked at him through the mirror only to see his gaze was fixed on me too, our eyes met for a moment. 

“What did I tell you about calling me shortcake?” I replied, wanting to add more sass to it but with him so close and it being so hot I forgot how to properly do that. 

“That’s different,” Grayson shrugged and rested his hands on my shoulders. Us standing this close to each other only reminded me of how much taller he was. 

“How so, Mr. Solace?” I asked, raising a brow at him. I watched as his lips twitched. Grayson leaned closer to me, his hips pressing against my back, hands slipping from my shoulders down to my hips. 

“Do you get hard when I call you shortcake?” He leaned over to whisper in my ear. 

“I-” My cheeks got heated, his brutal honesty did that to me. Hearing him say those words should’ve made me angry but instead… I felt turned on. 

“Didn’t think so,” He scoffed but a glint of amusement played in his eyes when he realised I wasn’t moving or cursing at him. “Or maybe, just maybe it gets you all hot and bothered. Being called something exclusively by me,” He continued, trailing one hand up my stomach and stopped right at the valley of my breast. 

“Grayson,” I whispered, his name sounding more like a plea. 

“Sorry I don’t know what-” Grayson began to apologise but I cut him off. “Don’t stop, unless everything you’ve told me up until now was just you bragging,” I rested my hand firmly on his, keeping him from removing it. 

“I don’t brag Emilia, I could show you-” Grayson’s green eyes stared back into my brown ones, his hand moving to my breast in a painfully slow pace.

“Show me then,” I dared. I don’t know what overcame me but I wanted it, I wanted whatever this man thought he could do to me, whatever he believed he could make me feel.

“Do you know what you’re asking for?” He asked darkly. 

WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE.

CHAPTER 7.

Chapter 7.

Mia’s point of view…

Fuck, I kissed Grayson. This wasn’t meant to happen, but I couldn’t help but to enjoy our kiss. His sweet taste on my lips, his large hands spreading warmth over my skin under the cold water. The feeling of his stubble rubbing against my skin which I weirdly enjoyed. After the break-up with Erick I hadn’t been with anyone. Even whilst I was with Erick I was never kissed like this before, a kiss that has me wanting more.

I only pulled away when I needed to breathe, “Grayson…”

“Mia, you kissed me,” Grayson’s lips parted his eyes still on my lips before meeting with my eyes.

“I’m so sor-” I began to apologise, but got cut off by his lips on mine again. I ran my fingers through his curls, tugging him closer to me as our lips moved in sync. I felt him nibble on my lower lip, a smirk formed on my lips. He seeked entrance and I easily denied him. Grayson groaned against my lips, he squeezed my ass harshly causing me to whimper and before I knew it his tongue slid over mine, starting a battle I was bound to lose the moment it started. When he finally pulled away he placed a kiss on my lips then moved his hands from my ass and rested it on my hips.

“We uh we should get out now,” I muttered, avoiding looking him in the eyes, knowing I’d drown in them the moment I entered that trance. It’s one thing I really hated about him, how gorgeous his eyes were and it wasn’t fair.

“Mhm, it’s dinner time,” He removed his hands from my body and started walking to the shore.

“Should we talk about it?” I wondered. I was assured it wasn’t normal to kiss your co-worker, much less the one you hate.

“I’m thinking of a food truck that Viv raved about,” Grayson slipped on his slippers and took his white shirt that he had previously lent me. I loved that shirt so much only because it smelled exactly like him, sandalwood and warm amber. It was a sweet yet manly scent that always filled the room the moment he stepped in- it didn’t help that the offices were all small, the perfect type size for one worker per office.

“Viv, great,” I rolled my eyes without thinking and walked along with him.

“Are you jealous, Emilia?” Grayson teased, looking at me with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“You wish,” I shoved him in the chest and walked past him.

“You wouldn’t mind if I invited Viv then right?” Grayson wondered, easily catching up to me.

“Do you mind if I invite Makani?” I knew since the moment Grayson met Makani that he did not like him one bit. I didn’t understand why. Makani was a nice dude and perhaps during dinner he can realise that.

“By all means, go ahead,” He shrugged, shutting off once again.

That was all I needed to hear. I’d most definitely ask Makani once we’re at the hotel and I could find my phone. Our feet collected more sand which we rinsed off by the faucet outside the hotel, now I understood why the faucet was there. After we washed our feet we went up to our room and I launched to the bed for my phone.

‘Sup?’ I texted.

‘Hello doll’ He replied rather quickly.

‘Have any plans for dinner?’ I asked, walking to the mini fridge near the front door.

‘Uh none, what’s up?’ He replied. I smiled and immediately asked, ‘Care to join Grayson and I? I’ll text you the address’

‘Sure, can’t wait!’ Makani replied. I grinned and opened the soda, taking a quick sip of it then rested it on the table and ran to Grayson who was last seen in the bedroom area.

“Grayson-” I called only to be scared for life. Just as I stepped in the room he finished wrapping the towel around his naked lower half. I technically didn’t see anything but had I been one second earlier I would’ve seen his member.

“Goddamnit, Mia!” Grayson was startled by me, his hands turning into fists in the white towel. “I-uh- What’s wrong?” He let out a breathy exhale.

“Nothing, I just came to tell you Makani will be joining us,” I stuttered, looking down at my painted toenails.

“Great, I was just texting Viv,” Grayson then threw his phone onto the bed.

“Dressed like that?” I raised a brow at him. Things weren’t looking good for him and we all know I’d never turn down a chance to tease him.

“Perhaps she needs some motivation,” Grayson winked at me, those pink lips curling into a smirk.

“Gross, where do they keep the bleach? My ears need some,” I screeched and buried my face in my hands.

“I’m kidding, we work in IT don’t you think I know these things are permanent,” He rolled his eyes and walked to the shower.

“Thank goodness,” I mumbled and searched for an outfit in my suitcase. I should probably unpack but I was still too lazy for that. I noticed Grayson hadn’t done so either. Perhaps if I unpack first I can claim this room and he can take the next one once there’s a free room.

“Okay before I hop in the shower I need you to choose the activity for tomorrow. We go on this cruise boat that takes us snorkelling and afterwards we’ll have a sunset dinner on the same cruise boat. And option two is road to hana tour where we’ll be able to swim as well but at this waterfall,” As he spoke he had taken my unlocked phone to type in the locations on my phone and showed me pictures of both activities. Both of which I wanted to do so badly.

“Do I have to choose?” I whined.

“I want to do both but you can pick which one we’ll do tomorrow and we’ll do the other the day after tomorrow,” He shrugged. I grinned, perhaps he should be picking all the activities. He seems to have good things planned.

“I pick…. Cruise boat first,” I decided. The cruise and snorkelling sounded like a ton of fun plus I wasn’t ready to go hiking- just yet. Volleyball tired me out, this was different than in highschool then again I was also a bit younger there wasn’t I?

“Good, I’ll see if their reservation can be made then,” Grayson walked back to the bed and took his phone before going into the shower. I wish I could judge him for taking his phone to the bathroom with him but I was just the same.

I left the room and sat on the balcony, legs on top of the railing as I scrolled down my social media. After a good 15 minutes I heard the water stop and two minutes after I heard a tapping on the glass door. I turned around and saw Grayson in his towel. Water dripping from his hair down onto his damp skin, down his rock solid abs, all the way down that stupid v-shape I only ever saw on photos. I got up and walked back inside.

“You can go shower,” He walked back. My eyes set on his muscled back. Why couldn’t he be like most geeks at our office? Where did he even find the time to workout? And since when did I like muscular backs?

“You didn’t think to dress decently?” The words left my mouth without a second thought.

“You’ve seen me way less when we went swimming,” He pointed out, which was essentially true. His swimming trunks were a bit shorter than the towel around his waist. But the fact that he was completely naked under the towel just made it weird.

“It’s different,” I muttered and grabbed my towel, entering the cold, cold shower because this man was as weird as they came.

“Whatever Emilia, I’ll go change,” He walked off to the hallway, the only place that we could properly change in. The toilet room was too small and had a small mirror whereas the hallway had a mirror for the wall. The table by the hallway was covered in our toiletries.

When I finished showering I announced I was coming out of the bathroom and Grayson told me he’d wait for me in the lobby. I did my best to be as fast as possible. I settled for a blue sundress and adjusted the thin straps so it wouldn’t fall over my shoulders constantly. I did my usual body care routine only with some extra sprays of perfume then put on my sandals, took my purse and was out the door.

When the elevator door opened I saw Grayson on one of the couches in the lobby, sitting with one leg over the other, talking on the phone. When his eyes met mine he ended the call and stood up straight. This man in casual clothes will be the death of me. His messy hair will also be the death of me, Grayson Solace will be the death of me but not in the way I had always imagined. This vacation was slowly getting to me and I wasn’t even here for three days.

“You look… Lovely,” Grayson commented, checking me out openly as if it was something we always did.

“You don’t look too bad yourself. Red suits you,” I admitted. Red was beautiful on everyone but Grayson? He owned red, especially when the shirt fit him just perfectly to show off the body he had.

We decided to take a taxi to the place as it was not within walking distance for us. Grayson mentioned something about renting a car but I was too busy staring out the window to properly listen to him plus the taxi driver played the music a little too loud.

Just as we arrived we saw Makani and Vivian walking towards us. Vivian wore this navy maxi-dress that flowed behind her perfectly with the wind, her black hair styled in a tamed ponytail, she even put on some casual jewellery. Her overly floral scent filled my nose as she came to hug Grayson. I stepped aside and went to Makani. Without a single word spoken Makani pulled me in for a hug too, my nose coming right in the crook of his neck. His soft, oceany scent taking over Vivian’s.

“Come on, let’s go order,” Grayson took my hand and led the way to the food truck. 

WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE.

CHAPTER 6.

Grayson.

I followed her around, she walked as if she knew the whole island on the back of her hand but I hadn’t commented on it. Instead I just listened to her as she told me small facts about whatever plant, flower or animal we came across. I was 99% sure she purchased a book on these beings not too long ago. I think I saw the lobby had one and thinking about it made her seem so adorable for it. 

“Stand there,” I told her when she was telling me about the Hawaiian Hibiscus. Mia raised a brow at me, clearly needing a bit more context. “We have to take photos as proof,” I explained to her. She frowned, resting her hands on her hips. 

“Proof of what? Live? Are you kidnapping me?” Emilia asked, her brow arching more. I stared at her for a moment, wondering if she was being serious whether she really saw me as a monster or not. Her lips curling into a smile, she was teasing. 

“Emilia-” I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. 

“Take joke, maaan,” Emilia gently slapped my upper arm, her dainty fingers wrapping around my bicep. 

“Photos for the office to add to albums and I suppose as next year’s motivation so smile wide to convince the others this is the best thing that ever happened to you,”I explained and took out my phone to take a photo of her. 

“This good?” Emilia asked, flashing all of her teeth in the smile she put on. I’ve seen her genuine smiles before and what she was giving right now was nothing compared to them. 

“Your normal smile is prettier, no teeth thank you,” I looked over at her. Emilia let out a sigh and dropped her hand from her sides, her lips curling into a soft smile, the summer breeze through her hair brought it over to her right, fitting perfectly as she was angled more to the front right, one hand on her knee. I took a photo then gave her a thumbs up and put my phone back in my pocket. 

“How was it? Can you send it to me?” She asked and started walking again, leading me into this small open air cafe. 

“The photo turned out decent,” I shrugged off. Lie, they were perfect. If we weren’t in a rush to get brunch I could’ve stayed there all day taking her photos. Emilia opened her mouth for a moment then just cleared her throat and started walking again. “I’ll send you it yea,” I added. 

We arrived at the open air cafe she had been talking about, I looked around as I sat down. The place was a little busy, we got lucky there was still a table for two left. It wasn’t the best table at all means, we had the view of the road however it didn’t bother Emilia. She was just happy to be at this place. 

After we both placed our order I remembered to send her the photos from before. I watched as her phone received my message, my contact name popping up. ‘Green eyed Devil’ 

“Seriously?” I blurted out. 

“What?” She looked up at me innocently, her chipped nails tapping on the screen of her phone. 

“Green eyed Devil?” I raised a brow at her, watching as she shook her head with a smile on her lips. 

“You are a devil, Grayson, don’t deny it,” She winked at me and leaned over to boop my nose. 

“Me? Such a sweet angel?” I gasped, only entertaining her more. 

“An angel? With the things leaving your mouth I highly doubt it,” Mia was quick to say, amusement playing on her smile. 

“I suppose you’re right. The things this mouth does at night has people worshipping me instead,” I shrugged without even thinking. Ever since last week I had been unable to control my mouth when it came to our conversations. 

Mia went completely silent. Her mouth once again opened to say something but she decided to swallow it instead. My smirk remained intact as I watched her look around instead. The waiter came around with our food. After it all I knew one thing was assured, I’d be coming to this place again, very soon even. This time I’d make a reservation for table three, the table with the best view. 

After our brunch we went back to the hotel and changed outfits so we could go play volleyball. Makani had invited us, well Mia but since we had a score to settle she told me to come with as if I’d let her go alone with Makani. 

We were back to back in the room as we changed into something more appropriate for the beach and volley. I put on a navy swimming short that came down to my mid thigh and opened the buttons of the white shirt I wore. I found it enough and turned around, forgetting to ask first. The first thing I saw was Mia bent over, dressed in the shortest jean shorts I have ever seen, her smooth thighs on display. God damn when she stood straight I saw her back had a tiny navy string there from the bikini she wore. 

Was it even appropriate for co-workers to see each other in such little clothes? I’m pretty sure neither of us has seen each other like this. She turned around and looked at me from top to toe before clearing her throat. 

“Ready?” I asked as she fixed her ponytail then nodded at me. 

By the time we got to the beach half of our water had been consumed already and we still needed to go through the whole volleyball thing. 

“Makani, hey,” Mia walked towards him, leaving my side. 

“Mia, great you came,” He grinned, wrapping his arms around her and holding her in a tight hug. 

“Don’t we have a game to play?” I cleared my throat, everyone around us already nodding. We all got divided, Makani and Mia were on the other side of course along with a few other people. I was playing with strangers, but they seemed to know what they were doing. 

I had a rough start but soon enough it turned better. This raven haired lady named Viv, was one of the best players I’ve ever seen. Our team work had us constantly making points to the point I could see smoke coming out of Makani and Mia’s ears. I noticed midway through the game Mia kept struggling with the bikini she wore. I decided to pause the game and handed her the whote button up I wore.

Soon enough we noticed the sun was beginning to set and decided to stop playing, there was no way Mia’s team could make a comeback. She had officially lost but still she was smiling, smiling with that douchebag Makani. 

“You were on fire Grayson!” Vivian grabbed my biceps, a huge smile on her face. I turned around to look at her and smiled too. 

“Thank you Viv, you did great,” I smiled at her. Vivian was a bit taller than and didn’t need to look up and strain her neck. She was dressed in some jean shorts and a red bikini top that was tied up quite well considering the amount of moving we had to do during volleyball. Her porcelain skin turned a little red from the sun, thank god for sunscreen which Vivian had been applying after every round. 

“Are you here on vacation?” She then asked, adjusting the straps of her bikini then ran her fingers through her hair. 

“Something like that, yeah, you?” I wondered. I could tell she wasn’t from around here so perhaps she too was on vacation? 

“I’ve been sent here for my job for a few months, I’m supposed to head back to San Fran though,” She replied, catching me by surprise. 

“Oh, we’re from San Francisco,” I watched as her face lit up at that. Sure it was a big city but still we were a lot closer if we ever wanted to meet up- not that I was interested but Vivian sure was.

“Then perhaps once I’m in town we can meet,” She chirped. She sure was a happy person, she made me think of sunshines.

“Sure,” I shrugged. Vivian seemed like a nice person. Since the pandemic I haven’t exactly made new friends and I didn’t have many to begin with anyways.

“I can show you around the island,” Vivian offered, giving me her phone to put my contact info into.

“I’ll keep that in mind, have a great day Viv,” I handed back the phone after putting in my number. I turned to Mia and saw her standing quite close to Makani who was laughing and leaning in closely to Mia. 

“What now?” I cleared my throat, standing next to Mia now. 

“Beach, come along,” Mia poked my shoulder. “Are you joining us Makani?” She wondered, looking at him with hope in those chocolate-colored eyes of hers.

“Sorry Doll, I can’t,” Makani pouted, his eyes focused on Mia as she removed the shirt I lent her. 

“No worries, see you around,” Mia shrugged and led the way to the beach which wasn’t too far from where we played volleyball. We left the shirt and slippers at a random spot then rushed towards the water.

“Doll?” I looked over at her. Mia’s face changed when she felt the cold water under her feet. 

“Shut up, Mr.You-were-on-fire,” She shoved me gently into the water. 

“Oh don’t be jealous, you’re still the only woman who makes me want to jump in fire,” I dragged her with me, causing her to almost fall down. 

“Aw how sweet,” She rolled her eyes and stood on her feet by herself. “Wait, is that a Metallica reference?” She asked. 

“Perhaps,” Of course it was, I also knew it was also her favourite band which impressed me when I first found out two years ago. 

“You’re full of surprises, Solace,” Mia muttered, swimming further and further into the depth. The water now pooled around her neckline whilst for me it was at my mid chest. 

“Of course I am,” I hummed, following behind her. We stopped once I couldn’t feel the sand under my feet anymore. Now she was keeping herself from drowning by moving around. 

“We came at the right time,” Mia’s eyes were focused on the sight of the sun slowly setting down. “The sunset is so beautiful,” She hummed. If she wasn’t in the waters right now she’d most definitely take a photo for her instagram stories. She had a whole separate story archive with just sunsets. 

“Mhm,” I hummed, unable to peel my eyes away from her. “You know I won at volley right?” Her head turned to me immediately, her dazzling daze now turned into a glare now. 

“It wasn’t fair,” Mia pouted. 

“Hey, you had one person extra,” I reminded her, looking as she took a hold of my hands. Her small hands rested in the palms of mine. 

“If that even counts as a person, he was so short,” She rolled her eyes. I couldn’t help but laugh hard at her words. 

“He was taller than you,” I reminded her. Mia opened her mouth to say something but soon accepted her defeat and instead said, “Whatever, you won.” 

“Of course I did, you know what that means right?” I pulled her closer to me, helping her stay up. She’d be no use for me if she drowned plus she’d ruin my vacation…

“You pick our activities for the next few days,” She sighed dramatically. 

“Yes I do, now tell me what you hate doing,” I teased. Though I knew deep down I’d pick activities she’d like. I couldn’t spend time with someone whilst they’re not enjoying themselves.

“I hate you,” She glared at me. Cute.

“Hate is a strong word easily confused with love shortstack, do you mean that?” I asked, a smirk on my lips. 

“Of course I do,” Mia splashed water into my face, the salt water in my eyes causing me to groan.

“Splash me again and there will be consequences,” I warned, my grip on her a bit tighter now but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Same consequences like this morning,” She leaned over to whisper into my ears, the hairs on my neck stood up at her warm breath on my skin.

“Mhm,” I hummed, watching as she pulled away. Her eyes staring straight into mine, a sweet timid smile on her lips before she ruined it all by splashing more water into my face. Mia laughed and broke free from my hold and attempted to swim away. I grabbed her by the waist to stop her from swimming away. Her legs wrapped around my waist without a second thought. My hands slid up from her waist to her sides, one cupping her face. Her eyes were set on my lips for a moment as her own lips parted. Before I knew it Mia’s full lips were moving against mine. It took me a minute to register what was happening but once I caught on I kissed her back with just as much passion. One hand slipping to the small of her back to hold her close to me. Mia hummed into the kiss, one hand fisted in my hair as the other gripped my bicep. 

“Grayson…” 

WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE.

CHAPTER 5.

Grayson’s point of view. 

Emilia was saved by the waitress who came and took our order. I decided to lay off the flirting and teasing for now. We enjoyed a peaceful dinner with a short conversation shared between us. I hated looking at her, I was scared of getting lost in those honey brown eyes, I was scared I’d cave in. I still remembered the first day I saw her. 

Three years ago…

I crossed my arms, staring at the lines of codes on my screen. So much for being a full stack developer. This was only so hard because it was Prem’s start up, but damn I never thought I’d get bored of a computer screen. I looked over at the front door when it opened. A short lady stepped in. I looked down at her black boots, slowly sliding my eyes up the black tights she wore under the white and black plaid skirt. She tucked in her black turtleneck under the skirt. Her dark brown curls came all the way down to her waist and well taken care of. Her lips were a natural shade that went with her tan skin. Our eyes met and fuck those are the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen. Those honey brown eyes showed such innocence and excitement I couldn’t quite figure out. What caught my attention was the lion pendant around her neck. Something about it drew my attention. God, I hoped she was a client. Only she wasn’t, she turned out to be an intern put under my surveillance ruining my thoughts. I could never hit on an intern. Both our jobs required me to be professional which is exactly what I was but somewhere along the line she turned out to be quite sassy and I came to realise I did not like that behaviour. 

“Hello? Grayson?” I heard her call my name and snapped out of the trance I was in. I took the last sip from my water. There may or may not have been a special deal tonight on drinks. Mia and I did the dumb thing and caved in, trying their four special cocktails which I knew would soon make see hazy but at least I’d be going straight to bed after this. 

“Hm?” I hummed and watched as she ate the slice of pineapple, completely finishing everything we had on our table. 

“I asked if you’re ready to go? I’m a little tired,” Her heavy eyes focused on me and only me. 

“Oh yes. Go ahead, I’ll take care of the bill,” I motioned for her to leave and looked around to see if I could find the waitress to ask for the bill.

“You don’t have-” She was about to protest but I wasn’t in the mood for that right now. The Frozen rum runner was finally starting to work. I was assured Mia nor me could walk straight if we were to get up. 

“Go to our room. I said I’ll take care of it,” I narrowed my eyes on her, my tone demanding which made her nod and look away from my eyes. 

“Lunch is on me then,” She decided. 

“Sure,” I shrugged, already knowing by the time tomorrow comes I’d play this same game again. 

After paying off the bill Mia and I got up. Just as expected, she was wobbling- we were wobbling but it appears I had a better balance than her. She almost stumbled over but I caught her by her waist, pulling her into me. 

“Easy there, shortstack,” I whispered into her ear and helped stand up straight, then reached for her hand and laced our fingers together without thinking and guided the both of us to the elevator.

Mia and I stared at the elevator, waiting for it to come down to us. A woman joined our side and looked at us. “Did you press the button already?” She asked, Mia and I both looked at each other and laughed when we realised we had been waiting for five minutes already without ever pressing the button. I reached over to press the button in within a minute the doors opened.

When we got to the room we were reminded again of our sleeping situation but I couldn’t be bothered. I kicked off my shoes at the door and walked to the bed. Mia stared at me, hands on her hips, “I have to shower…” 

I let out a groan. “I’m too wasted to wait outside. I’ll just sleep and face the other side,” I decided, already taking out a pair of sweatpants to change into. I was surprised when I didn’t hear her object. I changed in the toilet, slipped on the sweatpants and collected my previous outfit. I threw it onto the table then dove straight into bed. I turned around by accident and saw her in the shower behind the foggy glass wall- thank fuck she was showering with hot water. I almost became sober at the sight of her naked silhouette. The condensation stopped right above her breast. Her collarbone and face were to be seen quite clearly. I closed my eyes- this was so fucking wrong. I hasilty turned to face the other side. The alcohol in my system put me straight to sleep. 

—

When the next morning came around I felt a slight headache working its way. I was about to turn to my left when I felt something on my arm. I opened my eyes and saw Mia had found her way to me. Her head on my chest, the curls sprawled all over my arm and chest, one of her legs and arms draping over my body as if I was some teddy bear. When I subtly made a sound, hoping she’d get off she instead snuggled closer, burying her nose into the crook of my neck. I turned to look at her, her sweet scent overpowering. She smelled like coconuts and vanilla, so fucking sweet I couldn’t help but to take another sniff. I felt her soft skin flush against mine, I looked down and noticed she was dressed in just a pair of flimsy shorts that rode up her body the position she was laying in and a tank top with nothing else under. Ok, now it has officially been enough.

“Mia, it’s time to wake up,” I gently nudged her side but she didn’t bother moving. 

“Noooo,” She groaned, shutting her eyes tighter and clung onto me. 

“As much as it boosts my ego to see you cuddle me, I think we better get up and get ready,” I whispered into her ear, goosebumps rising on her skin when she came to realise what had been going on. 

“I- Ew, get off from me,” Her eyes shot open, those honey orbs shooting daggers at me. 

“You’re the one laying on top of me,” I reminded her, looking down at our position. There was nowhere for me to move. She was not only on my side of the bed but she was also on top of me. ‘My side of the bed’ as if we had discussed this beforehand. 

“Oh my god, why are you not wearing a shirt?” She gasped when rolled over to the other side, taking a bit of the blanket with her. 

“Are you getting distracted, shortcake?” I smirked when I caught her gazing off at my torso constantly. Thanks to the gym for giving me this teasing point. 

“Very inappropriate,” She scolded as I tugged the blanket back to my body and held it over my body. I raised a brow at her words then chuckled and said, “Inappropriate would be you pressing your body against me like I’m a teddy bear when you’re dressed in the thinnest clothes.” 

She grew silent and her eyes avoided looking into mine. Yup, she had nothing left to say now. Mia suddenly had the urge to take the blanket from my body and before she could pull it away completely I grabbed it and re-adjusted it. I wasn’t in the mood for sharing a blanket. Especially right now. 

“Let go of the blanket will you,” She glared at me, tugging at the blanket but it was no match for my strength. 

“No,” I glared, holding it over my lower body that most definitely needed covering right now. 

“Grayson-” Mia whined, my name rolling off her lips so perfectly- fuck this was not helping me. “Oh my god, are you hard right now?” Her hands flew over her mouth as she looked at me with wide eyes.

“No,” I lied and moved around uncomfortably. 

“Then let go of the blanket,” She dared, still holding her end of the blanket and pulled it inch by inch but I put a stop to it before it left my body. 

“You might not comprehend what you’ll see,” I narrowed my eyes on her. There was a moment of hesitation. 

“I’m a big girl,” She decided. 

“Careful now, you might want a taste,” I tried everything I could to make her let go, shameless flirting was the last resort. 

“And you’d enjoy that very much. I was barely holding you and that happened,” A proud smirk finding its way to her face. 

“Don’t flatter yourself, some morning wood is quite common,” I informed her, though it wasn’t too common for me… She might actually be right but if I admitted she made me hard I would never live this down. 

“So this wouldn’t do anything? Would it?” Mia surprised me by resting her hand on my thigh under the blanket. Her hand slid up further and further over my sweatpants. “Grayson,” She called, holding the eye contact we made. 

“Dear to move your hand up one more centimetre and I won’t be responsible for what happens next,” I warned, but I should’ve known better than to dare her. Emilia never, ever backs down from a dare of mine. Her hand went up all the way, her fingertips brushing over my hardened cock when I grabbed her hand and pinned it above her head, moving my body to hover above her. I pushed my body down onto her, I looked down at her. My eyes scanned hers, there was a certain look in her face I couldn’t decipher yet, from up close I could see how long and dark her lashes were, her perfect nose bridge, the small scar on her left cheek that had been healing for over years. My eyes dropped down to her parted lips. I leaned down closer and closer till my lips hovered over hers and stopped right there. Emilia closed her eyes, moving her head up a little more. Little minx wanted this just as much as I did. 

Satisfied with the reaction I got from her I was about to pull away with a smirk on my face. “Don’t take my threats lightly next time,” I whispered into her ear then rolled off from her, sitting at the edge of the bed. 

“I’ll go ask for uh lemon water and some aspirins,” Emilia mumbled, clearing her throat as she got up and went to the phone by the door even when there was one right here by the nightstand. She seemed pretty flushed and a hint of embarrassment danced in her eyes as well. I let out a sigh and went to shower straight away. This glass wall made it impossible for me to take a ‘cold shower’ though Emilia should know better than to barge in. I still didn’t take my chances. 

—

After we had both gotten ready for the day and consumed what she called the trick to getting rid of a hangover we were finally ready to tackle the day. I grabbed my wallet and phone from my pants that had rested on the floor from last night then looked over at Emilia who seemed to be having a breakdown in front of the mirror due to her hair. I watched as she put it up in a messy bun and called it quits. 

“Ready?” I asked to which she nodded and opened the door for me. I looked down at my watch and noticed we had passed breakfast time about an hour ago. 

“Can we get brunch? I think I know the perfect place,” She wondered, hope in her eyes as she looked at me. 

WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE.

CHAPTER 4.

I opened the door to our suite, the first thing I saw were the condoms on the dresser by the door. Well shit that won’t be needed. The walls were painted a nice shade of off-white, the wall the bed was against had a wooden accent wall matching the wooden blinds design along with the dressers. There was an L-shaped couch not far from the bed, facing the tv on the wall. The couch looked very inviting, I wouldn’t mind sleeping on it if I had to be honest but the bed, oh my god it was so big and fluffy.

“That’s- nice,” He commented, my eyes going to the false ceiling above the bed that went in a little deeper. The ceiling was nothing but a mirror, the corner had dimmed red lights surrounding it. Holy shit. When I looked to the right I spotted the shower. The wall between was made of nothing but glass. We both noticed that then looked over at each other.

“Just a week,” He took a deep breath to which I nodded in agreement. I walked past him and towards the balcony. It had the best view over the pool leading to the ocean.

“Should we unpack?” I asked, turning around to look at the giant.

“Shortcake,I think we should start making arrangements. That’s the only shower and I want to take one right now,” He walked back inside and kneeled down to his bag, digging in for what seems to be a towel.

“Now, now? Hold on, what did you just call me?” I frowned. I’m pretty sure I just heard him call me shortcake. He used to call me that in the beginning, to get under my skin and it used to work until I managed to mask it perfectly and pretend it didn’t bother me. Now he said it again and I couldn’t help but to be bothered by it. Just a few moments ago he was making fun of my height downstairs.

“I want that shower now, yes, so please pick your spot away from the shower and its glass wall, Shortcake,” He stood up, holding nothing but a pair of sweatpants, a towel and his showergel in his hand.

“Uh, I’ll change then I’ll leave the room,” I pulled out the first outfit I could find out of my luggage, one of my lacy bras falling out but I stuffed it back inside so fast my motions were blurred like when the flash would run, at least I hoped it was. I looked at the outfit I picked out, a blush-colored off the shoulder romper. Perfect for exploring I hoped.

“Where are you heading?” He then asked, leaning against the wall. His tall figure looked much better like that, shit.

“Oh I wasn’t aware you’re my dad,” I rolled my eyes and walked down the hall to the toilet. The only room with cement walls and a door that wasn’t seen through. Thank fuck.

“Emilia, This is a new place, I don’t want you getting lost and calling me scared ass fuck when I want to sleep,” Grayson followed me but stopped at the door. I could hear him right outside pacing around. I rolled my eyes, pulling the shirt over my head.

“You’d be the last person I’d call,” I was sure of it. Grayson would laugh at me and the chances of him actually helping seemed little to none. Thinking about it, if something happened to me during this trip he’d probably get away with it and get his Emiliana-free team like I heard him request but was denied. “Also how much do you sleep?” Judgement dripped from my tone as if I wasn’t a proud person who got a total of 10 hours sleep some days.

“A healthy amount,” He narrowed his eyes on me as I stepped out of the bathroom. His eyes went down to my toes then back to my eyes, almost as if he was approving my outfit. If he was I must’ve passed because he didn’t comment on it at all.

“I’ll be going then, try not to dream of me,”

“I’d very much not want any nightmares, shortcake,”

I decided to not say anything as I grabbed my purse and phone then left the suite. I took a deep breath and opened up my notes as I walked into the elevator. I had a whole list of things I could do whilst in Hawaii so I’d be searching for one of these things.

‘Get shave ice’ That seemed easy to do. I had already listed the best places according to google and some reviews. Perfect. Picking between the three was difficult, my first pick was a bit far and my second pick was at walking distance, obviously winning the battle. I enjoyed the summer breeze as I walked down the road. I looked around and soaked in the view of nature. Back on the mainland I’m surrounded by buildings and more buildings. Don’t get me wrong, I love the city, I’m a city girl but this break sure was refreshing. I’m surprised I haven’t caught myself running back to my laptop. Instead I was breathing fresh air, walking in the shadows of trees with the smell of tropical, salty air.

I arrived at ‘Vivi’s shaved ice’ . I frowned when I saw it looked more like a food truck- which I saw tons of already. It was near a beach and had a ray of colours painted in thin stripes all over. The pastel colours matched the stone bench sets. There were tons of people walking around, some enjoying shaved ice, others holding food from the other trucks or just holding their phones in their hands. I followed the line and kept staring at the menu. There were so many flavours I couldn’t even choose one right now.

“You’re from the mainland, aren’t you?” A man asked. I looked over to see a tall guy, not as tall as Grayson but still he must’ve been around 6’0. He was wearing a tank top that showed off his bulky arms and the tattoos that decorated them. His skin was tan going perfect with his dark brown hair and whiskey eyes that were strongly focused on me and only me right now.

“Am I that transparent?” I wondered. Surely it wasn’t that easy to tell us all apart, was it?

“Hm, kinda, but mostly I was just trying to figure out how to start a conversation with you,” He admitted, his lips curling into a smile, showing his cute dimples. His dimples reminded me of Grayson’s. Damn, he really clouded my mind, hasn’t he?

I cleared my throat and looked away from the gorgeous man and stared at the menu again then said, “Well… You could tell me which flavour is the best.”

“That I can do. I’m Makani, shaved iced connoisseur,” He extended his hand out to me, a smile forming on my lips. Gorgeous, muscular and funny? Not bad at all, Makani.

“Nice to meet you Makani, I’m Mia,” I rested my hand on his, watching as he brought his lips down onto it and pressed a soft kiss to it before letting go.

“Beautiful name. Now Mia, tell me, do you prefer sweet or sour?” He crossed his arms, staring at the menu with me.

“Definitely sweet,” I was quick to say. There was nothing better than sweets, I’ve always disliked sour candy unless they turned sweet.

“Yup, you were too good to be true,” He shook his head in disapproval which made me roll my eyes playfully. “The best flavours would be georgia peach which is basically strawberry and peach,” He then suggested, pointing to the board where the flavour was written.

I decided to try Makani’s combo. We continued to chat a bit longer, it turns out he prefers sour flavours and even recommended a few which I tried to memorise but truly after tasting the strawberry and peach I’d never want anything else. We walked together as we ate our shaved ice, the hot sand slipping between my feet and the sandals. I suddenly understood why half the people were either barefoot or carried their flip flops in their hands. I should’ve thought twice before putting on these sandals. Come to think of it I didn’t think the heels I brought would make much of an appearance during these three weeks.

Makani told me all kinds of fun stories from the Island as well as some recommendations on what I could try. I spent the following hour exploring the island a bit more, I already saw a restaurant I wanted to have dinner at, a cafe I definitely wanted to have breakfast or lunch at. I wondered if I’d be doing all these things by myself or if Grayson would join me. I snorted out loud at my thought. As if Grayson would even care about what I did. I decided to call it a day for exploring. My feet hurt already and I was ready to flop down onto the bed. On the way to the hotel I came across Makani again who then offered to walk me to the hotel. Just as we got to the lobby I saw Grayson by the desk dressed in some shorts and an olive colored shirt with a v neck, exposing his skin. My god, does he ever buy clothes that aren’t small on his body.

“There you are, Emilia,” Grayson narrowed his eyes on me, walking towards me in long strides. His whole demeanour I could tell he was still off.

“I thought a nap was supposed to improve your mood swings, Grayson,” I looked up at Grayson, his gaze was fixed on Makani and was giving him the judgy eyes for some reason.

“I guess I’ll see you around then, don’t hesitate to give me a call yeah,” Makani broke away from Grayson’s glare. He looked at me with a smile then pulled me in for a hug.

“I won’t,” I admitted, giving him a quick squeeze as we hugged then took a step back and smiled.

“The fuck?” Grayson’s words ruined the sweet moment I was having with Makani. “Who are you? Who is this?” He then asked, pointing to Makani. He looked at him then looked at me, his dark brow arched.

“Chill out Grayson, this is Makani, he’s from around here,” I shrugged off.

“Makani, it’s nice to meet you, Grayson,” Makani offered his hand but Grayson just looked at it.

“Wish I could say the same,” He muttered. His rudeness made me embarrassed, poor Makani. “Why are you talking to strangers?” Grayson lectured me as if I was a little child.

“I wasn’t aware you had a partner, sorry-” Makani began to apologise, clearly getting the wrong idea here. If he knew how we really were he wouldn’t make this outrageous assumption.

“He’s not my partner,” I was quick to say, Makani’s whiskey eyes holding more confusion than before.

“We’re co-workers,” Grayson muttered and turned back to me.

“Oh. I’ll be going then. See you around,” Makani was quick to say. It didn’t take a genius to see how uncomfortable he was with this conversation, I now wondered if he’d even reply if I texted.

“What is your problem?” I glared at Grayson, not caring if the people passing us in the lobby could hear right now. I was sick of his attitude and it was barely day one of this three week trip!

“My problem is that you’re practically telling strangers where you live,” He started walking to the back without bothering to look over his shoulder to see if I was following him. I took a deep breath and followed him to the back. He had a point, but Makani didn’t seem like a threat. He wasn’t busy or bossy or mean. He was respectful and not once tried to make a move.

“I met Makani when I went out for shaved ice and we chatted for a bit. He saw me walking by myself and offered to walk with me to the hotel,” I defended my actions. Grayson took a seat at one of the tables and pointed to the seat across him for me to take.

I looked around at the scenery, the sun was slowly going down. Orange wasn’t exactly my favourite colour but the way it painted the sky right now was just stunning not to mention the specs of gold and the slightest bit of pink in there. The trees as a sillhouthe reminded me of a painting. I looked at the table and in the middle there was a card that said: Reserved-Solace

The table he reserved was the one with the best view. Grayson’s gaze was on the sunset, the golden glow on his face made his green eyes stand out even more. My eyes followed the sharp edge of his jaw. Pure perfection which went to waste with his asshole personality. “When did you reserve this table?” I asked, slowly pulling the chair and sat across from him.

“Before we came here,” He pulled out his phone, staring at the screen as he ran a hand through his dark curls. Pathetic.

“So you planned dinner without checking with me first?” I pushed down his phone flat against the table, wanting him to look at me. He often held a long gaze or downright just refused to look at me as if the sight of me would make his stomach upset.

“You have no life, It was a safe bet,” He spoke so bluntly, somehow it hurts more to hear that.

“What if I made plans with Makani or someone else I met on the island, hm?” Was that above me? Yes, totally. I wasn’t known to make friends easily. It took me a month to warm up to everyone in the office and that was only because I knew I’d see them often. Makani is a total stranger and I was proud of myself for engaging in a conversation with him- he initiated it but it should count for something that I carried it on.

“Then I would easily find someone else to fill your spot, It’s really not that hard,” Grayson flashed me a cocky grin I wanted to knock away from his face.

“I suppose not, most people tend to go for redflags these days,” I shot back, mimicking his grin. His lips twitched a little and his eyes didn’t have that winning glow anymore.

“A red flag is this Makani guy who walked you to his hotel as if he didn’t have anything to do with his life,” He shrugged and picked up his phone, doing god knows what on it.

“God, you’re so negative about everything,” I sighed, sliding down in my chair a little. Grayson was the type of guy who’d assume the worst when we’d launch a new feature, expecting over a 100 bugs even when we tested it thoroughly.

“Emilia, there are dangerous people out there and you need to stop being so trusting,” Hearing him say the words reminded me of my father’s words.

“Ducklin’, I need you to be careful out there ok? Don’t trust easily and you’ll do just perfect.” He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. A warm smile spread on his face, causing his wrinkles to make an appearance. He was still beautiful though, because he was my dad. My hero, my world, my everything. Those whiskey brown eyes always brought me comfort and strawberry cupcakes- I didn’t even like them but he thought I did and always brought me those every Thursday after work but I’d have it for breakfast because on thursday he came home when I was already in bed.

“How can you be so sure?” ten year-old me wondered. He always looked at me with such admiration in his eyes, I wasn’t ever sure what I did to deserve that look from him.

“You’re my daughter, you’re braver, smarter, stronger than I’ll ever be,” Dad winked and fixed the necklace around my neck. It was a family heirloom passed from my grandmother to my father who now passed it onto me.

“I don’t think I’m stronger than you,” I pouted. Just look at him! All muscles and I was well- 10 with only body fat and noodle arms that could barely carry a shovel without wobbling.

“No muscles but up here,” He tapped the side of my head. “This and this is what matters the most,” He moved his hand over my left chest. “Especially this,” He added.

“Are you sure?” Seems sceptical. To just follow my heart.

“I followed them and it got me the world’s perfect daughter, so yes,” He laughed. Oh dad. You always had your way with words, I can see how he scored mom.

“Are you still here?” Grayson waved his hand in front of my face. The warmth in my heart was replaced with cold hatred as the memory of my father fainted away.

“Mhm,” I nodded and tried thinking of what Grayson and I were arguing about. “Is this what dinner will be like with you full of your pessimistic self? Also are we always going to have dinner together?” I then asked, doubling the question as curiosity got the best of me. Dinner with him every night would surely take away one year of my life every week.

“We should discuss that today,” He decided and looked over at the blonde waitress who made her way over to our table.

“Call me when you’re ready to order,” She smiled at me as she placed the menu on our tables.

“Thank you,” I smiled at her.

“The shower will be the main issue. I shower twice a day everyday,” Grayson spoke as he scanned the menu. I frowned, twice a day? I showered twice a day too! Stupid couple suite with their glass wall.

“I do too…” I sighed and closed my eyes. The universe was just testing me. I’m sure there’s a huge reward at the end if I play nice. I kept repeating that in my head twice before looking back at Grayson.

“Well shit,” He cursed and pressed his lips together, getting lost in his own trail of thoughts.

“I swear I’ll kill Dima next time I see him,” I muttered under my breath. This was all Dima’s fault. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if he purposely did this, he always told me to be nice to Grayson but he wouldn’t actually go this far. Right? For us to share a couple’s suit is like telling both of us he hated us which he didn’t, he loved us but was stuck between us like a child whose parents are going through a nasty divorce. I had him Friday nights and Grayson Saturday nights.

“Pretty sure I might beat you to it,” He chuckled, the smile lingering on his face longer than usual.

“Well finally our interests align,” I joked and looked over at the sunset, watching as the sun disappeared under the water. “I call dibs on the first shower at night and last showr in the morning,” I was quick to say out of the blue.

“Of course you do…” He stared at me and let out a sigh. I’m surprised he accepted his defeat. He didn’t even bother fighting me on this and just gave me what I wanted.

“Back to my original question,” I circled back to the main point.

“Right. There’s an itinerary we don’t have to work with it but there are fun activities and as Prem said some he paid for us so I suppose we will stick together,” He skipped through the menu card.

“What’s written for tomorrow?” I wondered. I was finally tired and was hoping to sleep in a little.

“Nothing until dinner,” He showed me the digital itinerary on his phone. I had it on mine too but as of right now I was too busy and it would be a hassle.

“Good, we’ll go to the beach in the morning then and I have the perfect spot for lunch and it will be perfect,” I decided. After seeing the beach today I surely wanted to spend some time there- even with this heat that would ruin my hair. I frowned when I saw Grayson smiling, something so foreign. “Why are you smiling?”

“No reason… Just surprised to see you this excited for the beach,” He shrugged it off and broke our eye contact once again.

“I saw volleyball nets. We’ll play and I’ll beat your ass,” A smirk formed on my lips. Volleyball used to be my thing in middle school and highschool. I had only stopped because I didn’t find enough time to fit in all my hobbies and dropped it. It’s not like I had anyone cheering for my by the side after the age of eleven.

“Can you smash?” Grayson raised a brow at me.

“I’m the best at smashing,” I said, confidence dripping in my tone. I saw his sly smirk and my eyes widen. This dirty bastard!

“No doubt,” He laughed and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

“Grayson!” I warned but my cheeks started to feel hot. Thank god for being tan- I’d hate for my shyness to be given away with blushing. Staring at him now made me wonder if I’d be able to- perhaps I should just stick to serving. Smashing him would probably lead to my hand bleeding.

“You walked straight into that one,” He shrugged innocently.

“Gosh, your mind is so dirty,” I muttered. I was new to this side of Grayson and quite frankly I may or may not be enjoying it. He’s always so strict it began to make me wonder about some stuff… Was he pure vanilla in bed? Was he the type to just call it a day after he came- No, not according to what he said in the club but then again those are only words and we all know actions speak louder. Just like that Erick had promised me so much I was assured he’d be a beast in bed. He lasted a good three minutes with just reaching his pleasure and never bothering to help me chase mine.

“Baby, this is barely a fraction of it. You can say what you want but deep down you know you love it,” He winked, one side of his lips curling up showing off his dimples. Since when did I start liking them?

“I bet you like dirty talking, don’t you?” He continued to talk whilst I was stunned to comprehend what was happening. Was he lying? No, he wasn’t and I blame all those erotic novels for me sexual wants. 

WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE.

CHAPTER 3.

Chapter 3.

“Three week? Paid?” Priya repeated, realising Prem was serious about pampering his workers.

“Man, had I known I would’ve spent so much more attention to it,” Anissa pouted.

“Sadly, we all return back to the office Monday whilst these two get to go on their vacation,” Prem locked the tablet and rested it on the table then looked over at the winners with a grin on his face but clearly both of them were rather confused.

“Wait what?” Grayson still couldn’t wrap his head around it.

“I have an itinerary planned for you two but free to do as you please. I made sure most things you can get your payment back and spent it on other things,” Prem added. “Can I talk to you both privately though,” He already stood up, not giving them a chance to say no.

“Of course boss,” Mia got up and walked after Prem.

“Yes, sure,” Grayson took the last sip of his tea and joined the two.

Mia and Grayson both got up and followed him to the empty corner. Mia and Grayson stared at each other. Would they really go on a vacation for three weeks? A whole itinerary planned out for those two. As if they didn’t fight like cats and dogs unless alcohol was in their system it seems.

“I have one request. No fighting. I want you two to return as best friends by the end of this trip. This company needs you both, we achieved so much already and I can see us doubling, maybe even tripling even but I need everyone’s input for this without fighting constantly,” Prem lectured and looked between them both as they spoke. Grayson and Mia avoided looking into his eyes and looking at each other.

“Can we even afford to have us both away for three weeks, boss?” Grayson wondered, knowing they had big projects coming in.

“I wasn’t planning on two my best to win, now that I say that outloud I should’ve seen it coming though,” Prem admitted and laughed to himself. Mia couldn’t help but to smile. Being called one of his best workers sure made her head big. Nothing Grayson would say today could bring down her mood.

“Will you manage, sir?” Mia wondered, just to be extra sure about this.

“I will, don’t worry about it,” Prem assured them. “We go home today, you have the weekend to pack. I’ll have Dima send everything for your flights and reservations and you take off on Monday,” He informed them both, not even giving them the chance to turn this down.

Prem left the two by themselves and went back to his croissant. Grayson looked over at Mia.

“You lost,” He pointed out a slight smirk on his lips.

“One tiny little point made you win, Solace, besides we’re both enjoying the same prize, no?” Mia raised a brow at him, crossing her arms as she looked at the man. For a thirty year old, he sure was acting like a twelve year old.

~~~

Monday morning…

Mia spent the weekend packing her bags and getting ready for her vacation in Hawaii. She wasn’t even sure where she dug all of those swimsuits but they were there alright. She thanked the late-night shopping during the pandemic for her full closet that came in handy. She was dressed in a hoodie with her old college name fading from it and some black sweatpants. The perfect outfit for travelling. Once she arrived at the airport she spotted Grayson immediately and walked up to him.

Her eyes trailed up the man that was standing at 6’4. She wondered if his entire family was that tall or just him. She noticed how his dark beard was trimmed neatly, the sides faded- he just went to the barber for sure. She didn’t blame him though. First thing Mia did when she got back home was making appointments to the salon for waxing, nails and getting her brows tinted. Sadly she didn’t get to do her mani and pedi but she did already schedule an appointment at the spa in the hotel she’d be staying at.

Grayson raised a brow at her which made her snap out of her thoughts. She looked down at his extended hand.“Here’s your ticket,” Grayson handed her the tickets he picked up from Prem.

“First class? We’ve been upgraded?” Mia looked over at the ticket. She shouldn’t have been so surprised that Prem would go out his way this much.

“Yep,” Grayson pressed his lips together.

“I forgot how grumpy you are early in the morning,” Mia rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, looking around the airport. There were many different people around, she admired those who were travelling in shorts and tank tops. If she wore something like that she was assured she’d turn blue.

“That’s because you always come in late,” Grayson grumbled, checking the time on his watch. Her gaze went to the watch.

“One time. I came late once two weeks ago,” Mia rolled her eyes. She had been given so much trouble for being late that one time. She could argue and say it was traffic but it would still be her fault for not leaving the apartment on time.

“You should learn to come on time,” He stared straight into her eyes, the words spoken in such a raspy tone that made her hot inside.

Mia frowned a little at his words. Was he being serious right now or was he making a sexual joke? He totally remembered their conversation! Right now she wanted to board that plane just to jump from it without a parachute. Or perhaps push Grayson down… That didn’t sound too bad now that she thought about it.

“Emilia , let’s get going,” Grayson wrapped his fingers around her wrist and started walking. “It would be a shame if Prem spent this much just to go to waste,” He complains, stopping the cue that had already been formed.

“You’ve travelled before right?” He then asked which made Mia shake her head then nodding. “Which is it?”

“I have only travelled within the country, I have never been overseas,” She answered truthfully. She knew Grayson had visited many countries before. His instagram was proof of it- yes she had stalked him. When Emilia was ready to travel the pandemic had hit so it wasn’t until now that she got the chance to leave the country.

Travelling first class was much better than Emilia had expected. She laid back, crossing her feet over the other as she read her book. Emilia did her best to relax as much as possible with Grayson right next to her. She could feel his eyes on her and didn’t dare to look in his direction. She feared him bringing up their conversation. To her surprise she saw he too was reading a book with headphones on. She remembered that book! Was Grayson into romance novels? That’s something she never saw coming. He seemed more like someone who’d read horror or thriller. Grayson caught her staring and raised a brow at her. She quickly shook her head and buried her nose back into her own book.

—

Once the two arrived in Hawaii they got picked up and taken to the hotel. Emilia looked up at the name ‘Secret Mirage’ she then turned around and saw Grayson had already taken care of their luggage, all she had to carry was her own carry-on bag. She was surprised he wasn’t complaining.

Mia’s point of view.

Perhaps Grayson just wanted to check in already, it would explain why he was being so fast rather than taking in the island paradise we were currently in. I was already getting hot in the clothes I wore so I followed him inside to the air conditioned room. The woman and man at the door greeted us with flowers and a drink I couldn’t say no to. How could I? It was decorated with a piece of pineapple and a flower! Grayson’s grumpy mood sure was noticeable to the others but luckily it hadn’t affected anyone.

“Would it hurt you to smile once? We’re literally here in this island paradise for three weeks and we’re getting paid for it,” I nudged him, adjusting the lei around his neck. His nail lightly grazed his skin which got him to gaze down at me with a look on his face I couldn’t quite figure out yet.

“You’re right. I’ll cheer up after a nap and a swimming pool,” His green eyes softened.

“The drink or actual bath?” I was pulled aside gently by my arm so the man behind me could walk past me.

“Both seem like a fine idea,” He chuckled. Dear god, there it was again, that heaven made sound.

“I think I’ll join- actually I might settle for a virgin drink after last week,” I groaned. The thought of alcohol made me shudder- perhaps it was too early for me to think about it right now.

“Hm, that would be a good idea,” Grayson looked up. I massaged the back of my neck and stared at the view in front of me. It was nothing but a muscled chest. Come to think of it, he was way too tall, was it even normal? Even with my highest heel I could never compare.

“What were you fed as a child?” I blurted out, the words spilling out of me before I could even think twice.

“What do you mean?” Grayson frowned at me, his confusion reminding me of a cute little puppy. What the fuck? Why was I thinking of Grayson being a cute animal? He’s not supposed to be a cute animal, he’s more like a tarantula. Scary and dangerous- to me.

“How come you’re a giant?” I just went along with it. Might as well get the information for my future babies.

“Mia, you’re only 5’2, everything’s huge to you,” Grayson laughed, shaking his head. My jaw dropped at his words. How dare he!

“5’2.5,” I corrected him, which only made him laugh harder. This was the first time I heard him laugh this much and it’s no surprise it was directed at me.

“Emilia,” He warned, narrowing those stupid green eyes down on me that immediatelty made me feel much smaller than I already was.

“Fine, 5’2,” I rolled my eyes and gave in. I remembered my first day as an intern. I wore sneakers to the office. It was when we had our first heavy disagreement which was difficult to win when I had to keep looking up constantly ever since that day I started wearing heels and now three years in I could walk like a pro in it. See there are positive things coming out of this hatred, those who said it was a bad thing can suck it.

“Let’s get checked in,” He then said, walking over to the front desk and greeted the man behind the desk politely. He handled everything whilst I was still admiring the place. I already knew once this trip was over I’d miss it. I’d most definitely be visiting here again.

“I think there’s been a mistake,” Grayson frowned, holding one set of keycards in his hand and looking over at the man.

“How so, sir?” He asked, putting the phone back down. I came closer to listen to what was going on. Was Grayson going to be a Karen?

“There are two of us and only one room,” I frowned as Grayson said those words. One room? Oh god, he was right there has definitely been a mistake! Those two could never, ever share a room. She’d have to sleep with one eye open! Perhaps a knife under the pillow as well.

“That’s been booked, correct? A couple’s room,” The man repeated, reading the details from his computer screen fluently.

“No, we’re not- we are friends? Who wants separate rooms,” Grayson began to stutter, the tips of his ears turning red.

“What’s going on?” I asked, looking between the two men. Both Grayson and Ander looked at each other. Grayson bit down on his lip, I stared at his full pink lips. Gosh.

“There’s been a mistake, they say only one room has been booked for us,” He informed me. So it was real, we’d be stuck in one room? I was sure he didn’t want this just as much as I didn’t. Before I even got the chance to open my mouth and complain Grayson hushed me.

“I’m handling it, hold on,” Grayson immediately texted Dima and Prem. After going back and forth he came to find out Dima made a mistake and booked them one room when he meant to book two rooms.

“Are there any other rooms available?” I then asked. I didn’t mind having to pay for it myself, as long as Grayson and I didn’t have to share a room. I’m pretty sure one of us won’t make out alive.

“I’m afraid not. It’s a busy week,” Ander looked uneasy, shifting from one leg to the other. Poor dude.

“Next week then?” Grayson wondered. I looked over at him, did he really think we’d survive a week together in one room?

“There should be some open spots within the next week, would you like me to keep you in the loop?” Ander offered to which I nodded slowly, looking over at Grayson who squinted his eyes. He always did that when he was thinking, I wonder what he’s thinking about.

“Yes, for now we’ll share the room,” Grayson accepted the keycards again and handed me one of them.

“It’s a couples suite, there’s a large couch I assume,” I waited for him to follow me along.

“Oh how sweet, you’ve offered to take the couch already,” Grayson’s lips curved into a well known smirk. It’s the one I had to deal with when defeated.

“Mhm, didn’t expect you to be a gentleman,” I rolled my eyes and walked off as if I knew where we should be going. I knew one thing though, we both needed to be in the elevator. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, sharing a damn room with Grayson Solace for a week would really test my patience and bring my tolerance much higher. I already knew I’d have a hard time because Grayson doesn’t make anything easy.