“Um, yeah. I am.” He lowered his hand to me, not taking apart the pillow fort that surrounded me, and pulled me up into his arms and set me down gently on the heavily carpeted floor.
Grim led me to the table. He had a large bowl of what looked to be stew. He kept most of my meals light throughout my sickness. My stomach could barely keep anything down. A combination of being sick, tired, and having too small of a stomach made it hard to eat.
Without skipping a beat, he pulled me into his lap. I didn’t flinch at the movement, but instead leaned into him while he put a napkin on my shirt.
I chuckled, which earned a lip curl in return.
“I think I’m well enough to feed myself now,” I politely argued.
He grunted. I had noticed the different pitches of the series of grunts that left his throat. They meant something, and I was soon going to figure out what his grunts meant. From what I could tell, this grunt meant, “I know you can, but I’m going to do it, anyway.”
Not wanting to argue, because this scene had become far too familiar, I let him feed me bite by bite. Of course, he fed himself in between, and the sharing of utensils caused me to blush.
“You won’t be able to do it forever, you know?” Thoughts of leaving Grim struck me hard, but I had to prepare myself.
I wouldn’t be able to stay in the safety of his apartment forever. If I was at risk of someone from the cam girl operation finding me, I would just bring trouble to him and his club. That is, if they were even looking for me. They may have thought I died along with the others.
“Can to,” he muttered.
“Grim, I can’t stay here forever. As much as you have done for me.” My eye twitched in annoyance.
I felt the anxiety bubble from within. “I can’t. I’ll never be able to repay you for your kindness—for taking care of me.”
I began scratching my arm, he put the spoon down and covered my hand with his.
“I-I’ll put you and your friends in danger. And Delilah, she’s so nice. I don’t want those evil people to bother what you all have going on here with your friends.”
“Do you not like it here?” His chest growled.
I bit my lip, staring into him. His dark eyes, intense but not frightening in the slightest made my insides clench. My body flipped a switch at the dark stare and the allure of something dangerous. I was extremely attracted to him.
I wanted him.
God, this was insane. I had been used as an object by men and women. Not once had I ever felt this. Was this what all people felt when they were turned on? Because I’d never had it, not once.
The more I told myself I had to leave, the more I wanted him. An unidentifiable pull coursed through me telling me to stay and not let him go.
“Don’t lie to me, Journey.” Grim’s chest purred.
His finger pushed away my tangled hair. The heat of his breath traveled down my neck as his head drew closer.
Standing, I pushed myself away from him, backing away, and my legs hit the back of the couch behind my knees. I fell onto it, grabbing the pillow and holding it tight to my body. I couldn’t think straight when I was near him.
He stood in his wrinkled jeans. His Adonis belt was a path straight to the enormous bulge in his pants. I wondered what it looked like? Was he big, like, all over? I’ve seen a few, but the way his package was bulging, I’m sure it would be bigger than any I’d ever seen.
My nipples tightened, the pillow the only protection to hide them from his peering eyes. Holy hell, I felt so much better after being sick. It was a whole new rush seeing him stalk toward me. One hand landed on the arm of the chair, the other beside my head as he bent over, giving me the perfect view of his rippling abs hovering over me.
Good. Gods. I’m going to get the couch wet.
I gulped.
“I…really like it here,” I whispered. Not daring to speak any louder for fear my voice would crack.
“Then you will stay here with me,” he purred. “I will keep you safe, clothe you, feed you. Isn’t that what a female wants?” His chest vibrated. I could see the slight tremor in his chest.
Was it what every girl wanted?
Yeah, no, it wasn’t. There were many women that wanted the freedom, the independence to do what they wanted. To go out into the world and make something of themselves, yet those women, they weren’t me. I had been trapped for a long time, forced to do horrible things. Lived on the bare minimum, never knew when I would be fed, have a warm bed, if I would be alive the next day, never protected. Never loved.
