No matter what, Trey didn’t deserve the hand he’d been dealt in this case. He needed to be completely exonerated.
Gryff wouldn’t accept anything less. His lover needed a clean slate. And he was the one that could give it to him.
Gryff’s long legs were cramped in the back of the cab. Being alone in the back seat, he twisted enough to stretch his legs a little more. Trey and Rayne had taken another cab together since they planned to go celebrate.
Even though Gryff was just as relieved as them, he didn’t feel in the mood to celebrate with them. He had other things on his mind.
When his phone chirped, he figured it had to be Rayne or Trey begging him once more to come join them.
He looked at the screen. Grae.
Well?
Gryff responded. Charges dropped. File closed.
Possible civil suit? Grae asked.
Doubt it. Those witness statements were solid gold. If so, we’ll deal with it.
There was a long pause before he got another text from Grae. With the length of it, Gryff realized why.
The Bulldogs’ owners will be pleased. He might not be ready in time for preseason, but he’ll definitely be ready for September, then the journey to Super Bowl Sunday. At least he’ll be out of your hair now.
Gryff read the last sentence again. He’ll be out of your hair now.
That reminded him of the conversation at his older brother’s home where Grae stated he didn’t want to sit across from Trey at the Thanksgiving table and see him eating their mother’s sweet potato pie.
It must have reminded Grae, too. Now it’s guaranteed he won’t be at Thanksgiving dinner. Game in Seattle that day.
Shit, he thought. They saved him from jail, only to be put back on the roster as the starting QB, which meant what he feared... Trey would soon be on the move.
But that wasn’t a risk, anyway. Right? Like I said, explore, figure out what you want, then scrape him off.
Gryff didn’t have to answer to anyone else but himself. Especially not his older brother. But still, Grae must have a reason to keep mentioning that Trey should only be temporary and not forever.
Gryff didn’t answer.
Right? came the next text.
While Gryff stared at his phone wondering whether he should bother answering, his phone rang. Somebody had become impatient. He swiped his finger across the screen and reluctantly put it to his ear.
Before he could even get out a greeting, Grae jumped all over him. “Please tell me you’re going to scrape him off now. He won’t be your client anymore and he’ll be busy with this upcoming season. You don’t need him in your life. Believe me. He needs to concentrate on being the best damn quarterback out there. Please don’t fuck that up.”
Gryff’s eyebrows knitted, and he frowned. “Are you saying I’ll distract him?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. Sex tends to do that. He’s got a real shot this year to slide that ring on his finger now that this mess is behind him. Don’t take that away from him or his teammates.”
“If they don’t make it to the Super Bowl, it won’t be because of me, Grae.”
“Good to hear. Break it off soon.”
“You assume there’s something to break off.”
Grae got quiet on the other end of the line.
The hairs on the back of Gryff’s neck rose. “What do you know?” he asked softly.
“Only what you told me that day you were at my house.”
“Bullshit.” Gryff’s jaw tightened. “Gia?”
“Her…” Long pause. “And Trey.”
“Trey?”
“He came to me for some advice.”
Gryff pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned his head back against the backseat of the cab. “What kind of advice?”
“The kind that makes me think there may not be scraping any time soon.”
“Big brother—”
“Little brother,” Grae countered.
“I got it under control.”
“Sure you do. He’s not a stray kitten you get to keep.”
“Of course he’s not a fucking stray kitten.” Gryff closed his eyes as a rush of anger rose, and so did his voice. “Why can’t I keep him? Who are you to say what I can and cannot do? This doesn’t affect you one iota.”
Gryff heard Grae’s whisper. “Holy shit.”
He ignored him. “You do not dictate my sex life. Nor my love life.”
“Fuuuuck.”
“Shut up,” Gryff grumbled.
“You’ve got it bad, you stupid shit. Bad. And, you’re right, this doesn’t affect me personally but it might affect the team. I’ve already explained that.”
“I don’t give a fuck about the team.”
“No, I’m sure you don’t. But Trey does. And if you care about him, you’d realize just how important this season is to him.”
“To the team,” Gryff corrected.
“Them, too. He’s been jonesing for a Championship win. This is the team to get there. He is the QB who can get them there this season. Don’t fuck this up for him. He may not act like it matters, but it does. And it will matter in the end. Down the road, it will matter to him if he loses this chance. He’s had a fucked-up life. Let him have this. He’s getting to the age where things can go south easily. If it isn’t this season, it may not be ever. Do you get what I’m saying?”
Gryff gritted his teeth. “Yes. I get it.”
“Good.” Grae said softly. “Good. Now let him go. Find someone else. Or just stick with that woman attorney of yours. Concentrate your energy on her.”
Gryff rubbed at the sharp pain in his chest. When he went to answer his brother, he realized his phone had gone dark. His brother had hung up on him.
Damn it. He tucked his phone into his suit jacket pocket and scrubbed his face with his palms, then blew out a breath.
There was a shitty saying out there that went something like: if you loved something set it free…
If meant to be, Trey could come back to them after he reached his dream.
Grae was right, neither Gryff nor Rayne should do anything to keep Trey from achieving his goal. They might hold him back without meaning to.
In the meantime, Gryff could move forward with Rayne, because there was no way he would let her go.
He would do whatever he had to do to keep her.
That he could guarantee.
Chapter 14
Gryff set his coffee mug down and contemplated the woman who leaned her hip against the counter, arms crossed under her breasts, a spatula in hand, and some eggs frying on the stove.
She wore another one of his T-shirts. This one fell mid-thigh, her smooth legs bare, her painted toes wiggling on the tile floor. Her hair appeared wild but sexy as it fell around her shoulders and down her back.
She stared back at him with a slight curve to her lips.
Her wearing his shirts had become a habit when she stayed over. One he didn’t want her to break since he never would have thought a woman could look so good in a man’s T-shirt.
But she could pull it off. Especially since her pebbled nipples pressed against the worn cotton.
“Do you think he’s awake yet?” she asked.
Gryff tilted his head and listened. He heard nothing but the sound of butter and eggs sizzling in the frying pan.
Gryff answered, “No. If the smell of the bacon in the oven hasn’t woken his ass up yet, he may not wake up any time soon.”
“Yeah, bacon is his downfall.”
“That’s why I keep five packs in the freezer now. The man can pack away his pork.”
She chuckled at the double entendre, then said, “We could always spend the night at my condo. We don’t always have to be here, you know.”
“I like you guys here.”
“We like to be here, too.” She smiled. “Obviously.”
He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest, and pressing his lips into her h
air. “I like you wearing my shirts.”
“They’re comfy.”
“It’s sexy.”
She twisted her head enough to peek up at him over her shoulder. “Really?”
“You can’t feel how sexy I think it is?” he whispered in her ear.
“Hmm. I just thought you were excited about the bacon.” She sighed softly when he brushed this thumbs over her nipples. “We don’t want breakfast to burn.”
“Rayne, I need to discuss something with you.”
“I’m curious about something, too.”
“What?”
“Trey calls me ‘baby.’ Why don’t you?”
Gryff blinked. “Do you want me to?”
“It’d be nice if you… Never mind, Boss.”
“So, you want me to give you a special nickname. From my lips to your ears.” Gryff grabbed her hair, pulling her head back to drop a big, fat, sloppy kiss on her lips. “Doll.”
She elbowed his stomach gently. “No.”
He nuzzled the hair by her ear and breathed, “Lover.”
She giggled. “No.”
“Sweetie.”
“No!”
“Mommy.”
“Ugh!”
“Oh yeah. That’s my favorite. You know you want me to call you Mommy.”
“Don’t you dare!” she cried out and pulled away from him to flip the eggs over and turn the burner off.
“Oh, yes, Mommy.”
“Gryff, that’s just—”
He burst out laughing and moved away to grab his coffee, taking a healthy swig. “Don’t worry, I won’t be calling you Mommy in bed. Or anywhere else, for that matter.”
“I’m deeply relieved. Could you imagine you calling me that in one of our meetings at the firm?”
“I just wonder if someone would have the balls to question me on it.”
“Dani would.”
“Probably.” He leaned back against the kitchen island. “But seriously, I need to discuss something with you.”
“The eggs will get cold.”
“I know. Sorry. I don’t want to put it off any longer.”
Her eyebrows knitted and her expression became cautious. “What?”
“I know you haven’t been an associate at the firm very long. But you’re my best.”
“Then why haven’t I moved up to being a senior associate yet?”
Damn. “Rayne, you haven’t even been with me—” He shook his head. “My firm for a year yet.”
“Is that one of your requirements?”
“You know it is.” This had been explained to her during the hiring process. She was just busting his balls.
He hoped.
“Okay,” she answered and shrugged.
“But, I have something I want to propose.”
Both her expression and her body stilled.
Maybe it was the wrong word to use, but it wasn’t far off the mark.
“I want to make you a partner.”
“What?” she whispered, her eyes getting wide.
“I want to make you a partner,” he repeated, more firmly.
“You don’t have any partners.”
“If anyone knows that, it’s me.” He laughed awkwardly. Suddenly, this discussion wasn’t going as smoothly as he’d planned. Not that he had given a lot of thought on how to approach Rayne with the idea. He had decided he wanted to make Rayne partner for a variety of reasons. But, he hadn’t expected her to be…shocked.
“Boss, I mean… I’m flattered. But, won’t it look a bit odd if suddenly the newest associate, not to mention the youngest, who isn’t even a senior associate yet, is offered a partnership?”
“It’s my firm, my decision.”
She made a noise. “I’m well aware of that. Don’t you think everyone will say it’s because I’m sleeping with the boss?”
“They know your record.”
“They aren’t going to care. My record might make me a senior associate, then maybe down the road a partner. And I’d need a buy-in. I—” She blew out a breath and shook her head. “I don’t think I can afford a buy-in.”
“Rayne—”
“No, Gryff. Don’t you dare say I don’t have to buy in.”
“I wasn’t going to say that.”
“We would split the profits, the bills, the headaches… I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
“It’s a commitment, that’s for sure. But speaking of commitments—”
“Gryff,” she whispered, a pained look on her face.
“For fuck’s sake, let me get it out first before you make a judgement about what I’m going to say.”
She blinked. “Sorry.”
He sucked in a breath, staring at her pink polished toes. “I hear your concerns about making partner. I have a solution to that problem.”
“What?”
He leveled his gaze at her. “You could...” Marry me. “We could...” Get married. He swallowed hard. Fuck. “I want you to...”
“What? What, Gryff? What are you trying to say?”
He braced himself for what he was about to say. “Marry me, Rayne.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“If you become my wife, then it won’t matter what they say.”
“What?” she repeated, looking a bit dazed.
He straightened. Not surprisingly she was in shock. He felt a little shocky, too. He just proposed to someone he had known less than six months, offered to make her a partner in a business he worked long and hard to make the best, and only…only just started an intimate relationship with a couple of months ago. And even with that, it was an unconventional one, since it wasn’t only the two of them.
He was someone who, once he knew what he wanted, went after it. And he wanted Rayne by his side. As a partner in business, a partner in life.
“Are you aware of what you’re asking… offering… I… uh…”
“Yes, I’m pretty aware of what I’m proposing.” He certainly was well aware of it. He wasn’t taking it lightly, either.
“You want her for your wife?”
Ah, fuck. Gryff closed his eyes and groaned softly. This was not how he wanted Trey to find out.
He turned toward the entrance to the kitchen to see Trey standing there only wearing a pair of long, loose shorts. Every muscle in his body appeared tight. His jaw clenched. His fingers curled into his palms. His mouth nothing but an angry slash.
“Trey,” he said softly, now regretting bringing this up to Rayne before Trey knew his intention.
He meant to talk to him about it.
Sure he did.
He didn’t mean to ask her this morning, either. Something switched in his brain as he watched her putt around his kitchen making them breakfast in his T-shirt.
When something looked right, felt right, it was right.
He hadn’t meant to blindside Trey, to hurt him. Though, the other man was seeing it much differently.
He stalked into the kitchen and came toe to toe with Gryff, who stood his ground, even though he felt the anger emanating from Trey’s body.
“What the fuck, Gryff? Am I going to be frozen out of this relationship? Am I going to be reduced to a side piece?” He laughed bitterly. “Damn, maybe even not that.”
Trey slammed both his palms into Gryff’s chest before stepping over to Rayne. He pointed a finger in her face, his own face a mask of fury. “You marry him, I walk.”
“Trey,” Gryff said softly, trying to keep his own anger at bay. Watching him get in Rayne’s face didn’t help.
He understood the hurt, the pain he felt. He would have felt betrayed, too.
“No, Gryff. That’s some underhanded bullshit right there. Wait. Maybe you want me to walk. Maybe that’s what this is all about. You want her for yourself. Fuck! I’m such a stupid ass. I should’ve seen it coming.”
“I didn’t mean to cut you out.”
“Right. So, you two have a nice little ceremony, have someone marry you while this fool,” he ja
bbed his thumb into his chest, “sits in the audience and watches? Cheers you on? Throws bird seed at the end? While you two shove wedding cake into each other’s mouths, I should be lucky to catch the crumbs? Fuck that. Fuck that, Gryff. And fuck you.”
He spun on his heel and took two strides before stopping and shooting Rayne a look. “And fuck you, too, if you say yes.”
Then he rushed out of the kitchen, leaving them both in stunned silence for a moment.
Finally, Rayne gave Gryff a wide-eyed look. “Shit.”
He agreed. Shit is right.
Trey’s head felt like it was about to blow off of his neck. Totally explode like a rocket into space.
He threw his duffel bag on the bed, pulled out a clean pair of jeans, socks, and a T-shirt, then shoved some dirty clothes back in.
Fuck this place. Fuck Gryff. And fuck the fuckery that he heard downstairs.
He fucking proposed to Rayne. Fucking proposed to her.
Trey stiffened when he heard Gryff’s heavy footsteps approaching. Without turning around, he said, “You fucking want to marry her.” He did his best to keep the tremor out of his voice, but he failed.
“Trey,” Gryff said softly.
That was all he said. He had no excuses. No explanations. He probably didn’t know what to say.
Trey took a shaky breath and shoved his clothes deeper into the bag so he could zip it shut.
He wanted to punch the guy. He really did. But he didn’t need to get into more legal trouble. Not that Gryff would call the cops. If Trey popped him one, Gryff should acknowledge he deserved it. Because he did.
Instead, Trey sliced him with his words, wanting him to feel the same pain he felt. The same heartache. “You know, we fuck when you’re not around. Did you know that? Did Rayne ever tell you? You won’t mind your wife fucking another man?”
Silence greeted him for a moment, then he heard Gryff move closer. Close enough he could feel the other man’s body heat. “I’m not trying to cut you out, Trey. I meant to include you in this decision.”
“See? Decision. The correct word would have been discussion. Not decision.”
A Daring Desire (Dare Menage Series Book 4) Page 16
