I blushed. A rush of embarrassment flooded my sex-filled brain. All I could think about now was him.Him inside me.
“You’re my world, Tate. You’re everything to me, and all I want to do is wake up next to you in the morning. Being around you is like being on top of the highest building in the world. I don’t want to just be a part of loving you, I want to get lost in it. I want to be more than your first kiss. I want to be your last.”
My knees felt weak, and my heart slowed until I was sure it would stop beating. I placed a hand on the cold tiled wall to steady myself. My body was light, and my eyes were heavy with tears.
“You’re my world too, Griff, and I’ve loved you for a lot longer than I ever realized.”
After bathing me, he carried me to bed where he wrapped himself around me, his cock fitting perfectly in the curve of my ass. Our skin was touching, my back to his chest, and yet it felt like we were miles apart. All I wanted to do was sew myself to his skin so we would never be apart again.
CHAPTER 38
TATUM
PRESENT
The sound of banging at the door jolted Griffin awake, his body tensing as his arms instinctively tightened around me, pulling me closer. I could feel the muscles in his chest flex, and my breath hitched for a moment.
“Expecting visitors?” I whispered, my voice thick with sleep as I tried to keep the unease from creeping into my words. Whoever was at the door would have had to get past the front desk,unless they had a gun. But how would they even know to find us here, in the penthouse? He was a Major League Baseball player, of course. I mentally scolded myself for not thinking more clearly.
“Tate, we’re safe here,” he murmured, his voice still laced with the remnants of sleep. His lips brushed the shell of my ear with a soft, reassuring kiss.
I laid there, still trying to shake off the lingering sense of dread, my mind racing with thoughts of the door.Who could it be at this hour?My heart continued to pound in my chest, but Griffin’s words echoed in my ears, calming me, even if just a little.We’re safe here.I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to find somesense of normalcy in the moment, but the thudding on the door wouldn’t stop. It felt like it was growing louder, each bang sending a ripple of tension through my body.
Griffin didn’t hesitate. He shifted beside me, his muscles moving in fluid motion as he slipped out of the bed. I blinked, my eyes still adjusting to the dim light of the room, as he grabbed his discarded boxers from the floor.
“Stay here,” he said, his voice low, but firm, before he moved toward the door. I didn’t protest. There was something in his presence that made me feel like he was the one who could protect us both. I watched, still in bed, my body frozen under the soft, cozy blankets, as he stepped across the room, his bare feet barely making a sound against the cool hardwood floor.
I watched through the crack in the door, holding my breath as I pulled the shirt Griffin had peeled off me last night over my head. It felt soft, still warm from his body, and I quickly slid into the boxers he gave me. The fabric was loose, the waistband sitting just above my hips, and I tugged them into place with a quiet, shaky breath. My heart pounded in my chest, thudding louder in my ears with each second that passed.
I edged toward the door, pressing my back against the cool wall as I tried to listen in on the conversation taking place in the hallway. The door was slightly ajar, just wide enough for me to peek through without being seen. I clutched the doorframe, my fingers digging into the wood, hoping no one noticed the small movement.
I saw Griffin standing at the door, his posture rigid, and for a split second, I caught the intense look in his eyes. It was a mix of confusion and determination, but there was something else, something I couldn’t quite place.
The knock came again, this time more insistent, followed by a muffled voice I couldn’t quite make out.
Griffin opened the door. The dim light from the doorwayspilled in, revealing the figure standing on the other side. My breath caught when I saw him clearly.
It was Dustin.What was he doing here?
My stomach twisted into a knot. I hadn’t told Dustin what happened yet, but he seemed to know already. He was looking past Griffin, his eyes immediately locking onto me. The desperation in his face was unmistakable. He was absolutely frantic to see me.
“What the hell is going on, Tate?” he demanded, his gaze flickering back to Griffin before returning to me. “Are you all right? You’re—” He stopped, his eyes narrowing as he looked me up and down as if he was just piecing together the scene in front of him. “You two are fucking now?”
My cheeks flushed, my heart racing again, but this time for a completely different reason.I didn’t know what to say.
Griffin stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest, his jaw tense. He didn’t say anything, but I could feel the unspoken words hanging in the air between the three of us.
Dustin’s gaze moved between us again, his brows furrowing deeper with each passing second. Then it clicked. His eyes widened slightly, and his expression shifted. Something shifted in him. He was not angry. He was furious.Protective.
“What the hell happened, Griffin?” Dustin said, his voice colder now, a sharp edge to it. His tone had completely changed, and I could see the shift in his body language. His muscles tensed, like he was ready to go after Griffin at any moment.
“Dustin, it’s not what you think,” Griffin said calmly, his voice holding steady, but there was an intensity to his words that made me think he was holding back.
“Don’t,” Dustin snapped. “Don’t tell me that. I know my sister. And I sure as hell know what kind of guy you are. And I know how she feels about you.” His gaze swung back to me. “Tate, tell me youdidn’t?—”
A flush of shame crept up my neck, but I swallowed it down. This wasn’t about Dustin’s opinion. It was about me and Griffin and what we’d done, what we were becoming. But Dustin wasn’t having it. He stepped forward, his eyes flashing with a protective fury I’d never seen before.This was all new.
“You don’t get to tell me who I can and can’t date, Dustin. Don’t forget you and I are still rebuilding our relationship because you left me and Mom. How did you even know to come find me?”
