Read Gray's Domain: Purgatorium Series, Book Two for Free Online

after that snow day that Daphne started folding like a dying rose further and further into herself as she erected thorns.
    Brock turned over on his back and pulled her in for a kiss. His lips were trembling beneath hers, and when she opened her eyes, she saw him gazing at her with tears in his eyes.
    “Brock?”
    “If only you knew how much I’ve missed you.” His voice cracked. “I thought I wasn’t ever going to get you back.”
    She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her cheek against his chest, unable to meet his eyes. Here he was confessing his unending love for her, and what was she doing? She was planning to scare the living daylights out of him.
    Brock slipped his hand beneath her t-shirt and returned the back-scratch. His nails softly caressed her skin, making her aware of how tense she had been as she relaxed the muscles in her shoulders and neck. Taking in a deep breath, she relaxed into his chest and closed her eyes. A sigh escaped her lips. Maybe she wouldn’t suggest the picnic after all. This felt so entirely wonderful, and she hadn’t realized how tired she was. A nap in Brock’s arms as he gently scratched her back sounded heavenly.
    “ Mmm,” she purred. “Don’t stop.”
    Sometime later, her body twitched and woke her up. Had she really fallen asleep?
    “You okay?” Brock murmured in a sleepy voice.
    “Yeah.” She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. She’d been asleep for twenty minutes. “You hungry?”
    He lifted his arms above his head and stretched the length of his body. She watched the muscles on his arms and chest with fascination. He made a sexy, stretching sound in his throat, bringing a smile to her face. She still wasn’t sure what to do about the picnic.
    Then she realized her scarf was off-center, exposing part of her bald head. She jumped from the bed and went to the bathroom mirror to fix it.
    “What’s wrong?” Brock called.
    “Nothing,” she lied. “Why don’t we go have a picnic?”
     
    On their way to the bluff, they ran into Daphne’s parents sunbathing on loungers by the pool. Her mother had a book in her hand and her father was watching the gulls soaring overhead.
    “Hey, you two,” her father said when they approached. “Where are you off to?”
    “We’re going for a picnic,” Daphne said.
    “Sounds fun, honey,” her mother said with a smile. “This turned out to be a nice retreat after all, didn’t it?”
    Daphne couldn’t prevent the grin from crossing her face. “It sure did.”
    “Have fun, sweetheart,” her father said. “We’ll catch ya later.”
    With the blanket draped over one shoulder, Brock led Daphne up the wooden steps to the boardwalk, but instead of descending the steps to the beach, they took the bridge to the bluff. She noticed another couple picnicking in the opposite direction—on the hill of yellow poppies on the other end of the bridge. She didn’t recognize them, though.
    Brock started to spread the blanket on a flat spot.
    “Over here,” she said, pointing near the large boulder. Her heart was racing, and she hoped Brock couldn’t see her fingers twitching with excitement.
    “The view is better from over here,” Brock said.
    “But I want to lean on this rock,” she said. “I’m still worn out from all I’ve been put through on this island.”
    The guilt card was well-played, and Brock yielded to her will. She smiled as she unloaded the snacks and sodas in her arms and helped him smooth out the blanket. Then they made themselves comfortable. She leaned her back against the boulder, trying to hide her nervous excitement. He lay with his head in her lap and started on his sandwiches. Her Diet Coke can fizzled to life when she popped the tab. The sound made her jump.
    “What?” he asked, looking up at her.
    She leaned over and pecked his lips with her own. “I’m just excited to be here with you.”
    They talked of trivial things for a while as they gazed out to sea, Daphne wondering the whole