Griffin

by Marie James

  I stiffen at her words.

  “I want to go with you,” I confess.

  She smiles against my chest. “I don’t think you’ll fit in my carry on.”

  “Ivy.” I turn, forcing her to her back. She blinks up at me, the lights from the digital clock on my dresser casting a red shadow across her face. “Sorry, baby, but I won’t get any sleep if we don’t talk about this now.”

  “What is it?” She sits up, facing me with concern drawing her brows in.

  “I don’t want you to leave.”

  “I have to go to school, Griffin.”

  “Let me rephrase that. I don’t want to be without you.”

  “Then come with me to Rhode Island.”

  “Just like that?” I ask.

  “Just like that.” The smile she offers me makes my heart double in size. “Do you want to go?”

  “Try and stop me,” I tell her before dragging her under me and kissing her senseless.

  “What will you do in Providence?” she asks when we come up for air, and reposition ourselves.

  “Maybe Lawson will have a spot for me at the shop?”

  “You always liked working in the shop. I used to watch you from the gazebo.”

  “I know.”

  “You knew I was watching you?” Hope fills her voice, but I promised her I wouldn’t lie, and I don’t plan on starting now.

  “Honestly, baby, you were just a kid to me back then. I didn’t have any business even looking in your direction. Your father would’ve killed me.”

  “Gigi caught your eye more than once.” I hate the bitterness in her voice, but I’m grateful she doesn’t try to pull away from me. “And then you called me by her name that time in Jake’s…”

  I cringe at the reminder of how I treated her not too long ago. I pull her tighter against me.

  “People couldn’t help but notice Gigi. She demanded attention, and she got it. I’ll admit she had the ability to get that attention, even from me, but I knew exactly who you were when you stepped up to my table at Jake’s. I could never confuse the two of you, not even when you were toddlers. You always had this secret smile when we were kids.”

  “A secret smile?” She snuggles harder against my chest, and instinctively, my arm holds her tighter.

  “Yeah. You just always watched people with this happy look on your face. You always took pride in their happiness, never jealous of what everyone else had. That sweet little smile was on your face like you always knew that your happiness was coming, and you were just as happy to wait for it as you were to celebrate other’s joy.”

  “You make me sounds like a saint,” she muses against my bare chest. “I was not a saint. Far from it, in fact, there were days I cursed Gigi for being my twin. I’d watch you watching her, and wondered how I got the short end of the stick.”

  “Never once,” I begin before pressing my lips to the top of her head, “did I look at your sister and wonder what it would be like to spend time with her, sexually or otherwise.”

  “Not even the time you gawked after her at Delilah’s sixteen birthday party?”

  “Right before I left for the Corps?” She nods against my chest. “I remember wondering how your dad let her prance around nearly half-naked in a room full of horny teenage boys.”

  “He couldn’t control her. Not even then.”

  “No one controls Gigi,” I remind her.

  “False.” She smiles again. “Jameson has her under about seventy-five percent control.”

  “Only seventy-five?” I laugh at the idea of anyone getting that wild child under control.

  “I think she uses the other twenty-five percent to act up, so he spanks her.”

  “Maybe your dad should’ve been spanking her all her life.”

  “Ew.” Ivy pulls her head off my chest and stares down at me with her nose scrunched. “Don’t say stuff like that about my family.”

  She playfully swats my chest until I catch her hand. “I didn’t mean it that way, crazy girl.”

  “Tell me you love me.”

  She changes directions almost too fast for me to keep up.

  “I love you.”

  “Again,” she commands.

  “I love you. I love you. I love you,” I repeat.

  “I love you, too,” she responds.

  “Marry me?” I ask again.

  “So soon after talking about my sister’s daddy issues? Try again, handsome.”

  I laugh, lifting her hand up to my mouth before kissing the back.

  “I’ll work on the romance.”

  “Perfect,” she mumbles around another yawn. “Just think of something in your sleep. I’m so tired.”

  My fingers draw circles on her back as her breathing evens out. Today was one of the worst in my life having to recount to a total stranger about my weaknesses, faults, and fear. It was also one of the best. Not only did I finally tell the girl I never imagined would be mine that I love her, but I also got her father’s blessing to top it all off. Then that same amazing girl gave herself to me as she’d never done to a man. Things honestly couldn’t get any better than this.

  Chapter 40

  Ivy

  “Did they call you about the apartment yet?”

  “Not yet,” I answer Delilah as she hands me a frozen slush.

  “I still can’t believe Melissa just took off.”

  “She said she fell in love and was moving to Florida.”

  “She could’ve given more notice,” Delilah huffs. “Or at least taken out the trash before she left.”

  After she left here six weeks ago, Melissa avoided my calls and texts for a week before I sent Delilah to go check on her. When my oldest friend got there, all of Melissa’s things were gone, and the place was a mess. Delilah assured me it was just messy, not like it was ransacked and she had been abducted. It took my roommate another week before she got back to me. She apologized profusely but said Rhode Island wasn’t a fit for her any longer and Chad, a guy she met at the bookstore, swept her off her feet and was taking her back home with him to Florida.

  Thankfully, Delilah and Lawson packed up and cleaned the apartment. So now all of my things are in storage waiting for us to return.

  That’s right…us.

  Griffin wasn’t joking that night he said he wanted to come with me.

  I look up and watch as my man walks toward me. Without an empty sun lounger to sit in, he lifts me from the one I’m on and settles me on his lap. Public displays of affection have been something I’ve gotten used to over the last month and a half.

  “You smell like coconuts,” he tells me as he nuzzles his nose along my neck.

  Despite the heat surrounding us poolside, cold chills still cover my body from his attention.

  “It’s the tanning oil,” I whisper, still a little shy since I can feel what the smell is doing to his body.

  “So delicious.” He punctuates his words with a long swipe of his tongue up my neck. “But I know of something else that would taste better.”

  I groan at the suggestion, always ready to satisfy and be satisfied. We got lucky that I didn’t get pregnant the first time we made love. Heck, we were lucky it didn’t happen during the two weeks it took for me to get on birth control with how often we went at it. Still, go at it.

  “Look how amazing she looks,” Delilah whispers, angling her head toward the opposite side of the pool.

  My cousin Jasmine, adopted by my Uncle Dom before I was born, is talking to her dad, mom, and my parents.

  “She’s so mature,” I respond.

  Jasmine is almost thirty and recently came back to New Mexico from Arizona to take a teaching job at the local community college. We’ve never been close because the age difference put her out of the house before we were really old enough to understand what sisterhood is about, but we’ve always envied her. To us, even though she’s my cousin, she’s always been one of the adults, on a totally different level than us younger kids.

  “Hey man,
” Lawson says as he walks up. He shakes Griffin’s hand before picking Delilah up and plopping her down on his lap. “You ready for Providence.”

  “As ready as I can be, but Dr. Alverez has referred me to another doctor over there, so I think things will be great.” He wraps his arms all the way around my waist and holds me tighter. “Besides, so long as I don’t have to beat college boys off of her, life will be gravy.”

  Griffin has been seeing Dr. Alverez twice a week, sometimes up to three times when his anxiety ramps up. He’s made amazing progress, and it’s been over two weeks since he’s had a night terror. Still, I notice him looking around, assessing the level of danger we’re in when we’re around others. Right now it’s not so bad because he trusts everyone here on some level, but last week was difficult with some of the Cerberus guys around. Tug complimented my new bathing suit, and I thought Griffin was going to come unglued. I know that had more to do with his possessiveness than his PTSD.

  “Hey,” Cannon says as he drags a sun lounger toward our little group, uncaring that the scraping noise is loud enough to make my teeth clench.

  “Really, dude?” Griffin asks. “Pick that fucker up.”

  “Don’t want to spill my drink.” He lifts the hurricane glass to his lips and sucks hard on the bright red straw sticking from the top.

  Griffin growls when Cannon winks in my direction as he settles on the lounger.

  Much to my surprise, Cannon hasn’t mentioned Melissa once. When I spoke to her last, she even asked who I was talking about when I spoke about him and Griffin going somewhere together. I guess some people are just like ships passing in the night. They enjoy each other for a small period of time and move on. There’s no way that’s possible for me.

  I bury myself deeper against Griffin’s chest, so happy and content with my life. Next week we’re driving to Providence to spend my final year in school there. After that, the plan is to come back here. Lawson and Delilah are also making plans to return at the same time.

  “What are we doing tonight?” Cannon asks.

  I smile against Griffin’s chest, and he chuckles with knowing where my mind went suddenly.

  “Behave,” he whispers against the top of my head.

  “Says the man with an erection in front of twenty people,” I mumble only loud enough for him to hear.

  He grunts his agreement, and I love that he wants me all the time, since I feel the same way about him.

  “I say we go to Jake’s,” Cannon says after no one makes a suggestion. “Beyond the Lies is playing there, and I hear they’re pretty good.”

  “Beyond the Lies?” I ask, lifting my head from Griffin’s chest to look at his brother. “That may not be such a good idea.”

  “Why not?” Griffin asks.

  Delilah snorts. She already knows where my head is.

  “Kennedy Farmer is the drummer for Beyond the Lies,” I remind the group.

  “The girl that broke Samson’s heart?” Griffin asks.

  “She didn’t break my heart,” Samson says as he walks closer.

  I frown, feeling like a jerk for talking about him behind his back and getting caught.

  “She almost broke my dick once, but not my heart.” He stands off to the side, resting a palm on the back of Cannon’s lounger. “I think it’s a good idea, plus the band is actually pretty great.”

  “Is Kennedy the one with—?” Cannon holds his hands out in front of him like he’s holding two basketballs.

  “Oh, God,” I groan.

  “For fuck’s sake,” Lawson mumbles.

  “Yep,” Samson confirms.

  “A little respect guys,” Griffin warns.

  Cannon clears his throat trying to get himself under control, but Samson chuckles like a hyena.

  “Plus, I have it on good authority that a certain lady will be there tonight, and I want to make her jealous.”

  “Dr. Davison?” Cannon asks.

  “The very one.”

  “Dude?” I smile again when Griffin speaks up. “That woman doesn’t have any interest in you. Haven’t you learned that from the numerous times she has rejected you over the last month and a half?”

  “I’m persistent,” Samson says, his smile never wavering.

  “It’s creepy,” his twin counters.

  Lawson grunts in response, but I can’t tell which one he agrees with.

  “Hey,” Samson whines. “She’ll have to give in eventually.”

  “Getting a chick because she’s too tired to keep telling you no?” Cannon quips. “Classy.”

  The guys start arguing about what being a gentleman really means, so I just lay back on Griffin’s chest and listen, fully entertained by the men in my life.

  “I can’t believe we’re going to be away from this for another year,” I tell him softly when he presses his lips to my shoulder.

  “I’ll fly you home every weekend if that’s what it takes to keep you happy.”

  “You make me happy.” I turn between his legs, lowering my chin to his chest. “But I won’t object to coming back to visit at least once a month.”

  “Anything for you, baby.” He presses his lips to my forehead, and my eyes flutter closed, blissfully happy.

  THE END

  Wondering where Cerberus will take you next?

  Next in the Cerberus MC Series: Samson!

  Synopsis:

  Who says you can’t fall in love at seven years old?

  I know I did.

  The love I felt for my babysitter, Camryn Davison at such a young age transformed over time.

  By the time I was a teen that love turned into fantasies I knew would never come true.

  By the time I saw her again at twenty-one I was determined to make those fantasies a reality.

  If only she’d see me as the man I am now and not the little boy she used to soothe when I had nightmares as a child.

  She’s the only one that has an issue with our seven-year age difference, but I’m determined to prove to her that a younger man is exactly what she needs.

  Preorder your copy of Samson HERE!

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  Check what actually happened on the elevator between babysitter turned doctor Camryn Davison and college senior Samson Donovan.

  “Camryn?” I blink my eyes furiously as I stare into the metal box.

  Surely the woman of nearly every fantasy I’ve had since my very first erection isn’t standing inside the elevator frowning at me.

  “It’s Dr. Davison,” she corrects, and I’m struck stupid by the sight of her pale skin and the shimmery sheen of her golden-brown hair.

  “Y-you…h-hi,” I stammer like a love-struck idiot.

  I feel a shove at my back, and I know it’s Griffin urging me inside, but inside with her doesn’t leave enough room for all of us if you include the weight of the crush I’ve had on this woman since my early teens.

  “Hi, Griffin.” Her voice is like a balm to my soul even if she isn’t looking at or directing her words toward me.

  “Dr. Davison.” Her lips twitch at the greeting, and I’m seconds away from punching my friend just to prove to her that I’m the man she should be paying attention to, not him.

  Needing to get him away from her quickly so she can focus solely on me, I pull his appointment info from my pocket and press the button for the fourth floor.

  A heavy silence fills the elevator as we ascend, but in my mind, I’m counting down the seconds until we’re alone. I’ve dreamed of this day a million times. Okay, it’s been more like a fantasy, but an elevator is a new location I never imagined. Only this time, I won’t have my eyes closed when I whisper to her exactly what I’ve wanted to do to her for years.

  “Samson?” Griffin says when he steps off, and I remain in the car.

  “I’ll see you after your appointment,” I assure him as the doors close with him on the other side.

  Camryn sighs when I turn to face her. I’d press the emergency stop button on the elevator, but
I’m pretty sure it’s against the law, and I can’t woo her from inside a jail cell.

  “What brings you here?” I lean with one arm on the cool metal of the elevator wall, grinning when she rolls her eyes. She can play hard to get all she wants. The chase is fun, but catching her will be even better.

  “Work.” Her answer is short and clipped, but it still has enough attitude in it to make me feel like an idiot.

  She’s a doctor, of course, she’s at the hospital in an official capacity. The white lab coat she’s wearing makes me thicken in my jeans. I’ve only ever seen her in it in my fantasies.

  “What do you say you take the rest of the day off, and we go back to my place? We can play doctor there.”

  She snorts a laugh before she can stop herself, and I watch her lip twitch as she tries to regain control of her reaction.

  “You mean you want to go back to your parents’ house?”

  My smile falters, but I’m in control enough not to rub my chest since it feels like she just landed a blow right over my heart.

  “Look, I’m a obstitrican,” she says with annoyance lacing her tone. “That means I deal with pregnant women and babies all day. Why would I want to play with little boys when I get off work?”

  At first, I think she’s toying with me, but when she turns her head and looks me dead in the eye, I can tell how serious she is.

  “I’m not a little boy,” I assure her, but my bravado is slipping. I hate the feeling. I never had this sort of rejection at college. The attention I’m paying her right now has worked with many girls in the past.

  “Really? When I look at you, I see the eleven-year-old who stuck a crayon so far up his nose he had to be taken to the emergency room to get it removed.”

  “Great memory,” I tell her. “I have a few things we can play with to see if they get stuck.”

  “Grow up,” she says as she side steps and walks out of the elevator.

  I stand there, embarrassed but awestruck at the same time as the sway of her hips keep me mesmerized until the doors close once again.