13
Granger
My chest feels tight, a pain erupting along my heartstrings as I picture all that agony blooming in her wide blue eyes. I think that’s going to haunt me for a long time. We didn't talk the whole way home, and the moment we walked inside my condo, she said thank you in a low whisper without looking at me. Then she locked herself in the spare bedroom and didn’t come out for the rest of the night. I paced and cleaned the kitchen the whole night, not knowing what to even think. By the time I went to bed, I was bone tired and drained, but sleep didn’t come. My gaze was on the ceiling the whole time as I wondered if I should go back to her father’s house and beat the shit out of him. Or should I have gone to Kat and cuddled her, telling her it’s going to be okay? I think she needed her space to work out everything in her head, but I was practically crawling up the walls, knowing she’s been hurt emotionally and physically.
I’m here for you, Princess. I’m going to make sure you are never hurt again.
My own thoughts are a toxic clusterfuck. What the fuck can I do for her? How do I take down her father without ending up in prison? I realized in that moment, while I overheard how her father talked to her, that I never knew what real anger felt like until I saw him lay his hands on her. It took everything I had in me to not charge at him and beat him until he was bloody. Mixed feelings spiral through me—burning rage and yet all the fucking pride in my Princess for standing up to him with courage. She's so strong, graceful, and just fucking perfect, it almost scares me. She's becoming my everything, and I've only known her for a short while. I told myself that I would never tangle myself with another woman, but she's not just any woman…she's my motherfucking Princess.
I rub my hand down my face and sit up in bed with a stretch. I glance at the clock to see it's five AM, and my body wakes up like clockwork, same time everyday. I have to get to hockey practice, and I’m determined to try to fix my team. My yawn stops mid-air as I drag my body out of bed, because the smell of blueberries with something sweet permeates the air. I’m in the kitchen in seconds with my nose guiding me, and I have to keep blinking to make sure I’m seeing things right.
The granite kitchen island is filled with baking supplies from one end to the other and over three dozen blueberry muffins still piping hot. Kat hasn’t noticed me yet, but I sure as hell notice her. How could I not? Never have I fantasized about a woman in my clothing baking in my kitchen, but I am now. Her hair is a wild beautiful disaster in a bun on top of her head with tresses escaping down her swan like neck, and her eyebrows are pinched together in a frown of concentration as she whisks more batter in a bowl. I’d have to be blind to not notice her wearing only my shirt with no bra, since with every movement of the whisk, her breasts jiggle, and I have to adjust my growing hard on in my grey sweats to conceal my desire for her. She has all the right fucking curves, and I want to grip them in my palms and watch her eyes dilate with pleasure. I lean against the doorframe, probably—most definitely being a little creepy watching her, but I can’t stop. She really does capture my attention and holds it without trying. Am I picturing her stripped naked on my counter as I slowly kiss my way down the soft skin on her belly, nibbling with her gasping each time my teeth stink in a tiny bit so she can feel me, until I spread her legs wide open and feast on her tight fucking pussy? Maybe. Most definitely.
Maybe I need to get the fuck out of here before I just do that.
“Jesus! Granger you scared me! What are you doing up? I hope I didn’t wake you, I couldn’t sleep. I bake when my brain won’t shut down. Blueberry muffin?” She comes around the island and stands in front of me, looking delicious as fuck with a muffin in her hand inches from my face. A man can only take so much before he breaks, but I’m trying my hardest to hold back. I don’t think she would want me that way right now anyways.
Fucking hell, Granger, pull yourself together. She doesn’t need you for that, she needs a friend.
I repeat that chant until it sticks and clears my desire for her, then shift my focus to the treat she holds under my nose. Leaning forward, I bite into the top of the muffin while looking at her and groan out loud, because it tastes just as sweet as she probably does. Her blue eyes darken, her pupils expanding with lust, and she bites her bottom lip while staring at my tongue as it swipes at my lips to wipe the crumbs off.
With her looking at me like this, I know she wants me as well. At least her body does, but I don’t know where her head is at. Fuck if I’m being honest, I don’t know where mine is either. I can’t picture her sinking her claws into me, to keep me trapped and lie to my face. She's not like that, but my mind keeps going back to that, because betrayal really does cut deep and that shit stays with you, making it hard to trust anyone. My walls have been so high since Victoria and the games she played with me, but maybe they don’t have to be. Maybe I’m staring at the one girl who can slam her way through my walls because she’s that tough.
Christ, I really like her.
“Naw Princess, I was already awake. I’m supposed to go to practice soon. Are you going to skate before I hit the ice?” I ask as I take the muffin from her hand and shove it in my mouth with a big grin, chewing with my cheeks stuffed.
She chuckles while shaking her head and goes back around the counter to start putting the rest of the muffins in a container.
“I’ll clean up in here. Don’t worry, it’ll be squeaky clean. You don’t mind if I go with you? I need to skate something fierce,” she says without looking at me, and I get it, I really do.
She said she needs to skate, not want, and I know it helps her think while releasing everything inside. I do the same thing when I’m chasing the puck to score a goal. It’s a need that blocks everything else out.
“Yeah, we can go together anytime, since we’re heading to the same place. Don’t worry about making a mess because damn, women…these are fucking fantastic.” I wink and enjoy watching her blush at the compliment.
I have to keep giving her those compliments, because I’m really liking it when her cheeks flush. I’m about to break down the shell she’s put around herself and wait with open arms, because this girl needs me—probably as much as I need her.
I start to head back towards my room to shower and change, but I can feel her gaze on me, so I look over my shoulder to see her sweeping her gaze up and down my body unhurriedly. She was totally just checking out my ass. I clear my throat and watch in amusement when her head whips up and she looks anywhere but at me. I mean, I can’t blame her for looking. I’ve literally worked my ass off to get these glutes. Hours of working out and training has my body fit for playing hockey. Also, I can’t even count how many times my eyes have lingered on her body.
“Hey, Princess?” I wait until she looks back at me with a question in her gaze once I turn back around to face her.
“Yes, Captain?” she says all sassy. I think she’s trying to cover up her embarrassment from getting caught checking me out.
“You know you can talk to me about anything okay?” I tell her, letting her know when she’s ready to talk…I’m fucking here waiting.
“You know, you aren’t as bad as they say you are,” she says with laughing eyes. I don’t care what anyone says, but if it makes her look at me like that, I’ll wear that shit like a badge with my chest puffed up.
“What are they saying?” I smirk, knowing rumors around college can be over the top and made up half the time.
“That you walk around campus like a grumpy ass and you have tons of women lined up to be with you. I don’t think you're an ass.” She’s trying not to laugh when my smile widens, I don’t even fucking know the last time I’ve smiled this much.
“Are you saying I’m grumpy? As for the other thing, I don’t want any other woman…I have you.” I stare into her widening eyes, and her mouth pops open in shock. “It’s a good thing you're my fake girlfriend, to keep the ladies away.” I spin around with a chuckle just when she starts scowling.
A muffin smacks me in the back of my head just before I make it to the hallway, and now it’s my turn to be in complete shock as my body slowly turns around to see her smiling innocently at me. She bats her lashes as she takes a bite of a muffin.
“Did you just throw a muffin at me?” I ask, my brows raised to my hairline.
“Of course not, but if I did, it would be my fake girlfriend duties to keep you on your toes. I’ll be ready in thirty minutes.” She winks—fucking winks at me as she walks past me on hurried feet while I stand in the hallway with my mouth gaping open like an idiot.
