He exhales and drops his arms. He had a card in his hands that I hadn’t seen, with the way he was holding the door frame. “Dr. Tammy Manning is a therapist that Scott recommended. He said it’s who Harlow went to see after everything that happened with her ex.”
Anger irrationally bubbles up inside of me. Do I think I need therapy? Sure, I’ve been through a lot since my parents’ deaths. That’s not the problem; it’s the implication thatIneed therapy to fix what is going on between us.
Griffin throws up his hands before I open my mouth. “She also does couples counseling. They both recommended her, so I thought we could make an appointment.”
I nod my head over and over. Words still aren’t forming, but at least it isn’t because I’m trying to invent new uses for the F word.
“We need help, Baby Bird. I don’t want to keep burying my head in the sand and thinking that we’re going to be okay. I can’t risk us. I won’t,” he says.
I try to speak, but my throat is too thick. Clearing my throat, I try again. “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”
Without thinking, I reach for the card. Instead of passing it to me, he shoves it inside his pocket. “I’ll call and make the appointment. I’m pretty sure I made this problem; the least I can do is schedule the therapy for it.”
I open my mouth to argue. It’s not really fair to say this is his problem. If I’m being charitable, it isn’t all Liam’s fault either. It is certainly not mine.
“What’s churning in that pretty blonde head of yours?” Griffin asks.
I bite my lip. I’m so tired of fighting with him. At least not the kind of fighting that ends with us sleeping in separate beds. I shrug, because Griffin with a question is like a dog with a bone,neither would willingly give it up. The easiest thing is just to answer him.
“I was thinking that it isn’t really your fault.”
He opens his mouth to argue, so I raise my hand to stop him from speaking. “I’m not saying you aren’t partly responsible, but all three of us are. We’ve each had a part in this, and we need to face those things and fix them. Except, we really can’t let Liam have a place between you and me. We need to be okay whether he is or not.”
He nods his head slowly, like each dip helps him register a single word. “You’re right. Does this mean that I won’t have to sleep alone tonight, then?”
The change in his posture, the way he seems to grow, and the flash of the shallow divots in his cheeks immediately sends a jolt of lust through me. I’m mad at him, but also not. It’s a weird feeling, and I don’t like it. I want it replaced by something else. Griffin has always been able to distract me.
“Yes, Daddy,” I answer him.
His tongue comes out to swipe across his bottom lip, then the plump flesh pulls between his teeth. He watches me through heavy-lidded eyes. Taking a step into my office, he closes the door behind him.
“Does my Baby Bird need some attention?”
I dip my head to hide the growing blush on my cheeks. “Yes, Daddy,” I repeat.
He reaches behind his head and pulls his shirt off, exposing a broad chest, dusted with dark hair. His muscles haven’t gotten the memo that he’s ten years older. I think his dedication to staying fit is the reason that he is still able to do this job without constant pain.
“We’ll have to be fast, and you’ll have to be quiet. Do you think you can do that? It’s been a while since I fucked you on your desk.”
“I can be quiet,” I promise. It’s probably a lie, but he knows that. I need him too badly, and it’s been too stressful the last few days. His touch always melts away my tension.
Usually, I guess is more accurate. I want that right now, to put myself under his control and trust that everything would be okay.
Griffin chuckles, and it sounds deep and sinful. It promises ecstasy, abandon, and the escape I craved last night but couldn’t find.
I look down at myself and wish I wore more dresses. Griffin follows my line of sight, and his smile turns wolfish. His eyes slowly trail back up to my eyes, and I feel as though he’s already started to touch me.
He turns the lock on the door. “The clock is ticking. Charlie will be in soon. He and Scott took the kids to school this morning. My guess is we’ve only got twenty minutes before he strolls in that door. Maybe twenty-five if one of those scary Stepford moms corners him again. You should get up and strip out of those sexy jeans.”
I consider being a bit of a brat. I know we were just fighting, but there’s a part of me that wants to antagonize him more. Not because I want to make him mad, but because I want him to unleash everything on me. I need it, but we don’t have the time for it right now. Instead, I do as he demands.
Once I’ve stripped down to my underwear, I stop and stand in front of him. Griffin prowls behind me, puts his hand between my shoulders. With gentle pressure, he guides me down to the table.
I fold over and lay my cheek against the cool wood of my desk. Absently, I think how lucky it was that I’d come in and cleared off so many of the piles of work that had been on it when I came in.
My attention comes back to him in an instant when his hand spanks my ass. Griffin bends across my back to whisper in my ear. “You left me alone last night, and you just left me right now. I’ll deal with you being mad at me, but only as long as you are with me. I need you. I fucking burn for you, always have and always will. I know that I have a lot to make up for, but I’ve never been a fair man. I’m demanding, jealous, and possessive as shit. You are mine. I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll feel me for the rest of the day. If I have to, I’ll fuck you over and over so that I’m as deep in you as you are in me.”
A shiver runs through me. It’s been a while since he’s treated me as anything other than his queen. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. Griffin’s breeding kink tends to make him very worshipful when I’m pregnant or when I’ve just had a baby. I do miss this rougher side of him sometimes, though.
