Tainted Attraction

12/ The Meet and Great.

------A/N - I apologise for taking so long to publish this. Having taken a year out of my studies due to worsening anxiety and depression, I've faced an up hill battle with trying to get back to uni in time for the January semester. The university also cut me off from my free Word, which hindered my writing an editing process. I hope you all understand and still have time for Tainted Attraction. ------

His hand reached across the short space between us, intertwining his fingers with mine. I knew I shouldn't have let him. But the desire to feel his hand, the warmth, the mere touch of his skin on mine was overwhelming. When I first saw him, he was busy tapping away at his phone, but it had been abandoned, left redundant in his hand. He took a step closer as he looked me up and down, drinking me in. His eyes lingering over my curves in the same way they had that night in the dimly lit club. If that wasn't enough to send my heart soaring, it was his scent which washed over me, piercing my skin that seemed to monopolise my mind. Despite the fact I'd unapologetically worn his shirt countless times since the morning I left him, choosing to revel in his scent for as long as possible, I'd simply forgotten how amazing he'd smelt in the flesh.

"How did you know I lived here? Did you come to find me?"

His voice was urgent and demanding, but I couldn't detect anything other than surprise from it. I was relieved, but still the worst was yet to come. My mouth flopped open, but I was unable to speak. It was like all the various scenarios that had coursed through my mind, all the speeches I'd managed to prepare had disappeared from memory. I was dazzled. That was it, Grey had dazzled me. I could have relished in this moment all day long, my hand cradled in his, gazing into the sparkle of his eyes like I was the single most glimmering thing in his vision.

The door behind him slipped open, and Shelley came into view. Every inch of her breathtakingly beautiful, and his equivalent in every way. Stature, beauty, style, wealth. It crushed me. Taking a step back, his eyes must have caught onto the panic squirming through mine. I watched his face transition into confusion, and pain as his brows furrowed together, lines patterning his forehead. Just like that, the reality swung back, like a swing smacking me square in the chest. It was gone, the moment was over snatched away in the blink of an eye.

"Babe, you left your watch."

I'd never heard Shelly sound so endearing and sweet. That's probably how she'd won over a guy as sweet and caring as Grey. I wondered in that moment whether he'd even seen the nasty side that she seemed to save for me. My heart ached for him if he was too treated like that.

"Genie. I told you to meet me at five, why are you early?"

"Genie?"The name left his lips like a curse. I watched the realisation dawn on his face, slithering into horror and disdain.

"You're Michelle's sister."

I forced a small smile on my face, my cheeks fighting the movements as if they'd been set in concrete. I had no option but to admit to the dark truth that had been eating away at me, accepting the grim fate I'd allowed myself to plunge into.

"Yeah, I am," I admitted sheepishly.

I watched as she crossed the hall, gripping onto Grey's arm affectionately, her face illuminated with their contact. Pulling him around to face her, she latched the expensive Rolex onto his wide masculine wrist. But what had stunned me more was that his gaze hadn't left me. Even with Shelly wrapped around his waist, his eyes lingered, unwilling to veer away. I could feel my cheeks pinking up, betrayed by the emotions swelling inside of me. I dropped my gaze to the floor, unwilling to witness any more of the affection practically oozing out of her.