Page 27 of Promising You
“So how do you know you’re safe? Or how does your dad know? Maybe these people are planning to do something toyouand not Lilly.”
Garret leans over and kisses me. “They’re not going to do anything to me.”
I’m not convinced. I don’t know what Garret’s dad is involved in, but I don’t like the fact that he has enemies or people looking to punish him for what he did to Sinclair. They could easily target Garret. Lilly’s locked away in her house all the time. She’s safe. It would be way easier for them to do something to Garret.
“You want to watch TV before bed?” Garret asks.
“Yeah, okay.” I snuggle beside him as he turns on the TV.
He finds a movie to watch and I try to focus on it, but instead my mind keeps imagining bad people trying to hurt Garret. After an hour of that, I force myself to stop thinking about it. I can’t keep assuming bad things will happen. It’s what I used to do and I’m trying to change that about myself. Everything will be okay. Garret will be okay. When we get in bed later, I keep telling myself that until I fall asleep.
* * *
The next daywe sightsee but cut our itinerary down to just a few tourist spots. I’m worried that Garret’s overdoing it. I don’t want to make his injury worse or make him run around New York City when he’s in pain. That night, he offers to take me to Rockefeller Center again to see the tree, but I insist we stay home. As much as I’d love to see the tree, I’d rather have Garret rest and get better.
Thursday morning I wake up to the feel of kisses on the back of my neck and Garret’s strong arm around my waist. “Happy New Year’s Eve,” he says softly.
“What time is it?”
“Nine. You can go back to sleep if you want.”
“Then why did you wake me up?”
He laughs. “Purely selfish reasons.” He slips his hand under the hem of my pajama shorts. The feel of his warm hand moving along my lower abs instantly wakes me up.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I say, innocently.
“I’m a guy. And it’s morning.” He tugs me closer against him and I feel what he’s referring to. “And you’re freaking hot and right here next to me.” His warm breath tickles my neck. “You smell good. You feel amazing. What can I say? I had to at least try.”
I yawn and adjust my pillow. “I think I’ll just go back to sleep.”
“Damn. Seriously?” He sighs. “Okay.”
He sounds so disappointed it makes me laugh. I flip around to face him. “I’m kidding. You know I won’t turn you down, especially since I have to go without you all next week.”
He eases me down on my back and starts kissing me, then stops suddenly.
“Hey. Why’d you stop?” I sound annoyed but it’s only because I was really liking his kisses.
He has this huge smile on his face, which I find extremely sexy, especially combined with his tousled morning hair. “I love you. So freaking much. You know that, right?”
I nod, smiling. “Yeah. I know. I love you, too. Now are we going to do this or what?” I sit up a little and rip my shirt off, tossing it on the floor.
He laughs. “And I thoughtIwas the impatient one.” He tosses the covers back, then leaves kisses along my stomach as he slips my shorts off. I close my eyes, arching back to stretch a little.
Even if I wasn’t leaving on Saturday, I still wouldn’t turn him down. I love this way too much. In fact, I wish he’d wake me up like this every day.
* * *
Later that morning,we go out for an early lunch, then pack up our things and head to the hotel in Times Square. The streets are already packed with people waiting to see the ball drop. It’s a cold, windy day and a light sleet is falling. Everyone on the street is bundled up in coats, hats, and gloves. Standing out there all day and night does not look like a fun way to spend New Year’s Eve.
“Are you ready?” Garret asks as he slides the key card into the door of our hotel room.
“Ready for what? I’ve seen a hotel room before.”
But it’s not just a hotel room. He opens the door to a massive suite. We walk into an open space that includes a kitchen, a small dining area, and a living room with a long couch and two chairs. Across from the couch is a wall of windows that face Times Square, giving us a perfect view of the ball drop tonight. Off to the side is a master bedroom with a separate sitting area near the window. Next to it is the biggest bathroom I’ve ever seen. The bathtub is almost as large as a hot tub. The shower could fit at least five people in it.
“Garret, this place is huge.”
