IGNITE

thirty-seven.

‹ 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐧 ›

"Complaining isn't going to make this go any faster, Sunshine."

I glanced up from the shiny marble floor of whatever pretentious boutique we were in, scowling at Piper as she walked towards me, a plethora of dresses in her hands. Her lips were tugged up in a smug smirk, her eyes dancing, and her eyebrows lifted in challenge.

"That's easy for you to say," I grumbled, crossing my arms as I leaned back in the small, white chair the saleslady had insisted I sit in. "You actually get to do something."

Piper's head cocked to the side, her red waves spilling over her shoulder, her smile growing. "I'm sorry, how inconsiderate of me," she teased, her fingers moving to tap the tip of my nose. "Would you like to try on a dress, Greyson?"

"Oh, fuck off," I shoved her hand away, the movement playfully rough, and a giggle bubbled from her chest, the sound echoing through the store.

"Greyson, language, there are children present," she scolded, her eyes sparkling with humour.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head, but the smile on my lips betrayed me.

"Besides," she continued, glancing over her shoulder at the dressing room she had disappeared into what felt like a hundred times already. "Maybe I'll get stuck in a dress and I'll need my big, strong man to help me get out." Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip, her gaze raking over me, and she leaned closer, her fingers trailing along my jaw, her breath warm against my skin.

My pants seemed to grow painfully tight.

"If you think you can behave," her lips brushed against mine, and I could smell the mint gum she was chewing. "And stop being a brat while I shop."

I scoffed, pulling away. "Fine. I'll play along," I cleared my throat, willing my cheeks to stop warming. "But only because I want to."

"Mhmm," she hummed, the sound full of doubt, and I flipped her off as she walked away.

"Children, Greyson!"

Piper spent the next several hours dragging me from boutique to boutique, trying on every dress in sight, and I was beginning to struggle with ignoring the hoard of men that seemed to follow her every move, their eyes lingering a little too long, their gaze a little too heated.

I was trying not to be possessive.

I was failing.

"Greyson," her voice was sharp, and my eyes snapped from the middle-aged man with the wandering gaze to her.

"What?" I asked, my tone a bit too clipped.

"What do you think?"

Her dress was simple, a tight, white dress that clung to her every curve, following the dip of her hips and the softness of her stomach. The top was low-cut enough to set my mouth dry, and I swallowed, my pants suddenly too tight.

"Well?" Her hands smoothed down the fabric, her gaze nervous, her teeth digging into her lower lip.

"Fuck," I breathed, my gaze darting back to the man, and his eyes widened at the dark look I shot him. He quickly averted his gaze, pretending to examine a rack of clothes. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, Piper," my gaze once again returned to her, and her lips tugged up, the corners curving upwards as she grinned.

Her eyes landed on something behind me before meeting mine again, something apprehensive swimming in her gaze. Following her line of sight, I watched as a group of men in the waiting area of the boutique watched her, their gaze raking over her curves, and heat coiled in my gut.