Merry Misunderstandings

Dangerous

Vivienne POV

“Stupid Grayson!” Vivienne grumbled as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. After the whole cockroach fiasco, the rest of the day had gone pretty smoothly. Her day at least. Grayson was having more trouble trying to rid his side of the little creatures, while pest control did their best to make sure all of them were removed.

Vivienne did feel slightly guilty though. She shouldn’t have used live creatures; now they were losing their lives because of her. Poor cockroaches. They didn’t ask to be pawns in her game of sabotage. Next time, she’d think of something less alive—and less likely to make her feel like a murderer.

She sighed and flopped back onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. It wasn’t like she’d meant for them to get hurt… but what had she expected? They couldn’t just coexist with his guests. Pest control didn’t have a rehabilitation center for wayward bugs. The thought almost made her laugh, but it quickly faded into another groan. “Stupid, stupid Grayson.”

After work, she’d gone to her room for a quick shower and an outfit change—something less business-y. She quickly redid her makeup, giving herself a once-over in the mirror.

Why did she care what she looked like? It’s not like this was a date. She hated Grayson, and the feeling was mutual. Right?

Vivienne fiddled with a stray strand of hair before stepping back and shaking her head. It wasn’t like Grayson would notice what she wore. He was too busy glaring holes into her or barking orders at pest control. This wasn’t for him—it was for her. Right?

She straightened, her jaw tightening. Whatever. Dinner was just another part of their stupid truce.

As she walked into the B&B restaurant, Vivienne couldn’t help but notice Grayson by the bar, chatting with the female bartender. God, he was handsome, though—she had to give him that. The way he leaned casually against the counter, his smile charming enough to melt glaciers.

For a fleeting moment, Vivienne wondered what it would feel like to have Grayson’s attention focused solely on her. To have him turn on that charm, to see if it felt as intoxicating as it looked.

She quickly shook herself out of the thought. Nope. Not happening.

She approached him with a smirk. “Trying to get another victim in your bed?”

The bartender’s smile faltered, and she quickly stepped away, busying herself with other guests.

“Cockblocker,” Grayson muttered, his sneer turning into a look of surprise as he finally took her in.

“What? Is there something in my hair or something?” she asked, smoothing out her ponytail with a touch of self-consciousness.

“No,” Grayson said, his eyes scanning her from head to toe, lingering just a moment too long. That slow, cocky smirk—the one she both hated and couldn’t ignore—curled his lips. “It’s just… you know, your hair in a ponytail really makes your face stand out. Brings out those little hamster cheeks you’ve got.”

“I hate you,” Vivienne bit out, glaring at him. “Now let’s eat so I don’t have to keep looking at you.”

Vivienne led the way to one of the vacant tables, blatantly aware that Grayson was staring at her ass as she walked in front of him. She looked behind her, wanting to embarrass him by busting him in the act. But Grayson’s eyes smoothly moved from her ass to her face without as much as batting an eyelash. A bit taken aback, she turned back around, ready to take a seat.

When he tried to pull out her chair, Vivienne slapped his hand away.

“Don’t confuse yourself, Grayson, this isn’t a date,” She drawled, taking a seat with a huff and hiding her face behind a menu.

“Oh, I’m not confused, just manners, but if you don’t want me to be a gentlemen, I won’t be.” He said, following her lead and taking a menu of his own.

“Perfect. Just treat me like one of the guys,” She spoke from behind her menu. “This is a good opportunity for us to taste the food though,” she added, since they’d just rearranged the kitchen staff.

“Hmm, yeah, sure, dude,” Grayson answered, making Vivienne roll her eyes.

“I think I’ll take the stake with some fries and the mushroom sauce,” Grayson smiled as the waitress took his order.

“Could I have the pasta with shrimps, please?” Vivienne asked, handing her menu to the waitress.

“Wow, would you look the rack on that girl?” Grayson whistled between his teeth as he ogled the waitress leaning over one of the other tables to clear it’s plates.

“Rude,” Vivienne grumbled.

“I’m just doing what you asked. Treating you like on of the guys,” He chuckled. Vivienne couldn’t wait for this little dinner to be over. Being close to Grayson was too much for her. After a few minutes of quiet, there food arrived.

Vivienne immediately dug in, surprised as to how good the food was.

“This is really good,” Vivienne said, humming with pleasure every time she took a bite.

“Do you…want to be alone with your dinner?” Grayson asked, with that cocky grin again. Vivienne decided it was time to get to know the competition a little. Maybe there was something she could use to her advantage.

“Have you been here long? I mean, since coming back after college?” Grayson looked up from his plate, before nodding.

“I came back two years after I finished.” He answered vaguely, not expanding.

“And you came back because….?” She asked, waving her hand in the air.

“Just cause,” He shrugged.

“Just ‘cause’ doesn’t really explain much.” Vivienne raised an eyebrow.

“It’s really not a big deal.”

“Mm,” Vivienne hummed, eyeing him warily, “You came back because your parents made you, didn’t they?” She chuckled. It was meant to be a joke, but the look on Grayson’s face made her give pause.

Grayson’s smirk faltered for a second, but he quickly masked it, leaning back in his chair. “Your interest in my life is very flattering, Vivienne, but it’s really not as complicated as you think.”

Vivienne tilted her head, her curiosity piqued despite her irritation. “No? You don’t think your whole ‘man of mystery’ routine is a little... childish?”

His eyes sparkled with amusement as he leaned in closer. “Hey, I’m just treating you like one of the guys. Isn’t that what you asked for?”

Vivienne’s jaw clenched as she glared at him. “Yeah, well, I didn’t mean for you to treat me like I’m one of your drinking buddies. I’m starting to think you’re not actually capable of having a normal conversation.”

Grayson’s grin deepened, clearly enjoying her reaction. “I’m just being myself. Can’t help it if I don’t sugarcoat things.”

Vivienne was ready to snap back when a thought occurred to her. She could use this moment to challenge him and see if he could back up his cocky demeanor.

“You know what? You have this whole confident attitude about you, but I’m wondering if it’s just some kind of cover. You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?” She grinned, but as she did, she caught a flicker in Grayson’s eyes—something darker, sharper. It made her pulse quicken, and her stomach twisted.

The teasing edge that had been in his voice suddenly faded, and his gaze grew intense, locking with hers. For a moment, the air between them thickened.

“Are you sure?” His voice was low, a husky quality creeping into it.

Vivienne’s heart skipped a beat, her mind flashing to that one night they shared—the heat, the whispered words, the way he made her feel things she couldn’t quite name. His presence had always had this effect on her, but this was different. This wasn’t just play anymore.

She pushed the thought away, shaking her head.

But Grayson leaned in, his eyes still locked on hers, and the words tumbled out with a quiet, deliberate confidence that sent a shiver down her spine. “You know, Vivienne, if you want to settle this, why don’t you come to my room for one hour? We could work through our frustrations... take a trip down memory lane.”

Her breath caught, the invitation hanging in the air. It wasn’t a question, it was an offer—one laced with familiarity and temptation. Vivienne’s chest tightened at the thought. The last thing she wanted was to be the one to cave in.

His eyes didn’t leave hers, watching her closely for any sign of hesitation.

She felt the weight of his words, the pulse of desire rising sharply against the walls she had so carefully built. God, how easy it would be to give in.

She blinked, her body momentarily betraying her thoughts. No. I won’t do this.

Vivienne finally leaned back in her chair, her voice tinged with both annoyance and something else—something she didn’t want to acknowledge. “And what? You think I’m going to just follow you to your room and let you ‘get it out of your system’? You’re delusional.”

Grayson’s smirk deepened, the challenge clearly lighting up his eyes. He raised an eyebrow, as if daring her to take the bait. “I think you’re curious, Vivienne. You want to see if I can back it up.”

Vivienne fought the flare of heat in her chest, but her heart was pounding, her pulse racing. This was dangerous. “I’ll pass,” she said, her tone steadier than she felt, masking the way her body betrayed her.

Grayson’s grin only grew, teasing her further. “Fine,” he said, his voice laced with amusement. “Guess you’re not as brave as you think.”

“Guess not,” Vivienne shot back, standing up. She needed to get out of here before she did something stupid.