by Marie Meyer
“I actually want to keep this one around, Griff.” Thor scowled. “Not scare her away.”
I pressed my hands to my chested and gasped. “I’m offended,” I mocked. “I would do no such thing.”
Thor waved me off. “Not you, Jill. She’s not ready for the guys yet.”
I smiled. “I can’t wait to meet her. I’m sure she’s great.”
“Come on, Bean,” Griffin said, heading toward the steps. “As much as I love hanging out with my barely clad roommate, I’d much prefer spending my time with you.”
I let Griffin lead me up the stairs. “It was nice to see you, Thor. Good luck with Harper,” I called over my shoulder.
“Thanks, Jill. I miss seeing you here all the time. Griffin’s a cantankerous motherfucker when you’re not around!” he shouted from the kitchen.
When Griffin and I got to the top of the steps, he let go of my hand to open the door to his room. Inside, his king-size bed took up most of the space, but there was still room for a floor-to-ceiling bookcase. Griffin had always loved to read.
As kids, he and I used to spend hours hanging out in each other’s bedrooms. He would sit down with a book and not move until he finished. I wasn’t ever much of a reader, but I would slip away into a fantasy world of my own—a place where my drawings would come to life. I would pop back to reality when I heard the snap of his book. He’d look up at me through a messy crop of dark tangles and smile, ready to tell me all about the world he’d just visited.
I stepped over piles of clothes and scribbled-on papers as I walked to the bookcase. “Read anything good lately?” I asked, brushing the spines of the books with my fingers on my way to the bed.
“I just started Gardens of the Moon. Great book so far,” he said, flopping onto the bed, kicking his boots off. He patted the bed, silently asking me to join him. “I’ve been thinking.”
“Uh-oh,” I joked, scooting closer to him.
He lifted his arm and I snuggled in. “I know. Scary, right?”
“Thinking about what?” I looked up at him.
“When you’re home from school, you should stay here.” His face was serious, all signs of joking gone.
“Griffin…” I balked.
“Don’t ‘Griffin’ me,” he interrupted. “You don’t have an excuse now. When you’re home on breaks, you can stay with me, and summers, too.”
“Okay.” I gave in without an argument. Griffin was right; the only excuse I’d had for not taking him up on his countless offers to move in with him was the fact that he’d always had a girlfriend.
Besides, living with my sister served a purpose. I’d endured Jennifer all these years for two reasons: one, it allowed me the luxury of saving most of what I earned during the summers, when I worked at Sew Good; and two, I had nowhere else to go. It didn’t make any sense for me to pay for an apartment in Illinois when I would be living in Rhode Island for most of the year.
“Okay? Really?” He jerked around, pulling his arm from behind my head.
“Ouch!” I yelled, rubbing the back of my head after it smacked against the headboard.
“Oh, shit! Bean, I’m so sorry.” He pushed my hand to the side and rubbed the injury with his gentle hand.
I laughed and let him baby me. “Yes, I’ll stay here.”
Still rubbing my head, a wide smile split his face in half. “I can’t believe you didn’t put up a fight. You always put up a fight.” He gently laid my head back onto the pillow, and planted his hands at my hips, pulling me slowly down the bed, before he straddled me. “You’re always so stubborn.” He smirked, dropping his voice an octave.
I sucked in a deep breath, and held it for a second. Griffin’s hands gripped my waist. I felt the heat from his charcoal eyes as they roamed over my face, down my neck, over the swell of my chest, until they rested at his hands on my body. “Sometimes you make things so hard,” he whispered, locking his gaze back onto mine.
“Oh, really?” I rocked my hips back and forth, slowly.
One of his eyebrows pulled up as he lowered his head to my ear and spoke softly, “Most definitely.” He wrapped his muscled arms around me, pressing our bodies so close, I could feel exactly how hard I made him. Damn that’s hot.
His breath caused my body to quake with pleasure, and I closed my eyes, savoring each reaction.
His lips pressed lightly against the skin just behind my ear, working their way unhurriedly down my neck. I tilted my head and arched my back, giving him better access. When his lips met the collar of my bulky sweater, he sat up brusquely. My skin felt cold in his absence.
“This damn thing has to go.” His voice rumbled low and deep in his chest. Without a second thought, the hem of my sweater was in his hands and he was yanking it over my head.
I flopped back onto the bed wearing only a sheer, lacy cami on top…and no bra. It left little to the imagination. With each breath, my breasts swelled over the tops of the plunging neckline. Griffin’s eyes flashed, drinking me in.
“Better,” he whispered, admiring me beneath him. With one hand at my waist, he trailed his palm over the curve of my chest with the other, bringing it to rest on the other side of my waist.
His hands continued their languid path to my hips as he bent down, trailing his nose along the same line he’d just kissed. “You smell so good,” he murmured, inhaling. “Like flowers…and the ocean.”
I was ready to strip off every shred of clothing between us. My chest rose and fell rapidly, begging for his touch.
Unwilling to wait any longer, I had lifted my hands up, ready to tear his shirt away, when he grabbed my wrists and pinned them over my head. A wanton smile lingered on his face just before he lowered his body onto mine, claiming my mouth with his.
A low growl resonated in his chest as our lips pushed and pulled against one another. He kissed me hard and swept his tongue into my mouth.
His kiss was like a bolt of lightning crashing into me. The electric current spread through my body so quickly, I felt as if I were going to combust. My heart thundered in my chest. God I want him.
Griffin let go of my wrists and sat up just a little, never taking his mouth from mine. He slid his hands down the length of my arms, skimming over the scar that trailed down the underside of upper forearm to the crook of my arm…the place where I’d cut myself so badly it almost ended my life. But, here I was…living…feeling…wanting.
When his hands continued downward, stopping on my breasts, I gasped. “Griffin,” I moaned, licking his lips as I slid my tongue into his mouth. He tasted so good.
He made his way to the hem of my cami, working his hands beneath the material. I was sure he could feel every one of my imperfections, but he didn’t seem to care. My usual self-consciousness melted away with his touch, leaving my body screaming for a level of intimacy I’d never wanted before…not until him.
I longed to run my fingers over his sculpted body. Greedily, I moved my hands to the bottom of his shirt, not wasting any time pulling at the fabric that stood in my way. My hands smoothed up the ridges of his abdomen, gathering the t-shirt as I went. A deep growl resonated in his chest and he sat up. Reaching behind his back, he yanked the shirt over his head and fell back on top of me, slamming his mouth back to mine.
I dug my fingernails deeper into the wings of the griffin on his shoulder blades each time he plunged his tongue into my mouth. My brain ceased to function, reducing me to a jumble of fiery nerve endings and desire. “Griffin,” I breathed at his ear. “I want you.”
His mouth left mine and kissed up my neck, his breath hot on my skin. “Yes,” he groaned into my ear, before he caught my earlobe between his teeth and bit.
Holy hell.
My body trembled. I couldn’t breathe. His hands made quick work, moving toward the waistband of my jeans. He easily flicked the button open and slowly drew the zipper down. With his tongue wildly caressing mine, I was just a body consumed by the sensations this beautiful man evoked from me.
I dragg
ed my hands down his massive shoulders, to his lower back, then cupped his ass in my hands. That was all the motivation he needed when he pushed his hand into my unfastened pants.
I gasped. The need for him to touch me reached a fever pitch. His hand circled over the outside of my panties, particularly his thumb. I raised my hips, needing more.
“Jillian,” he said against my mouth. “You’re so wet.”
“Griffin,” I moaned. “Touch me…please.”
His fingers stilled their relentless movement and he growled and pulled away, rolling off of me.
What the fucking hell?
Panting, I sat up on my elbows and looked at him. He was lying on his back, his arm thrown over his eyes, trying to slow his breathing. A small pang of rejection threatened to put a dent in the armor guarding my heart. “Uhh…” I trailed off, not knowing what else to say.
Griffin pushed himself onto his elbows, giving me a guilty smile. “Damn,” he exhaled. “I’m sorry, Bean. I got carried away.”
I scrunched my eyes in confusion. In my opinion, we hadn’t gotten carried far enough away. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked defensively, the dent in my armor becoming more pronounced.
Hearing the indignation in my voice, Griffin pulled himself all the way up, and took my hands, forcing me to do the same. Situating himself so he sat directly across from me, he kept hold of my hands and looked me in the eye. “Jillian, you have always been the most important person in my life. It would destroy me if I did something to hurt you.” Tenderly, he placed both of his hands on my face. His penetrating stare didn’t just dent the armor guarding my heart, it hacked it to pieces. With just a look, he was obliterating my heart’s only defense. “I’m not going to rush this.” He shook his head.
I nodded, speechless.
Griffin smiled reverently and leaned his forehead to mine. “You and me,” he breathed. “I’m not going to mess us up. We’re forever. And when the time is right, I plan on being with you in every way possible. And that’s a promise.”
I smiled and happily took that promise, wrapping it around my vulnerable heart.
Chapter Twenty-One
My eyes opened. Sunlight streamed through the window and glared off the white walls, making it far too bright to sleep. I glanced to my side and saw Griffin still peacefully zonked. The rhythmic in and out of his breathing made me smile. Once I had agreed to stay with him during my time away from school, he’d insisted that our living together begin immediately. I couldn’t tell him no on the last night of my break, even though I had none of my things. Regardless, there was no other way I wanted to spend my last night of Winter Break.
I lightly brushed my hand across his forehead, returning a wayward strand of hair to the side of his face. Watching him sleep, I saw traces of the little boy I’d grown up with, but time had turned him into the man that held my heart. Stubble shadowed his strong jawline and I fought the urge to run my fingers over his face. I didn’t want to wake him.
I glanced at the clock on his bedside table: 7:30 a.m. Why was I up? After Griffin’s honorable stance, we’d slowed things down and eventually ended up talking well past three in the morning. I couldn’t even remember the topic of our conversation before we both passed out in his bed. Our first night of cohabitation hadn’t ended in any fireworks, but it had been perfect nonetheless.
Before climbing out of bed, I pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. He stirred and rolled onto his side, giving me the perfect time to slip from beneath the covers. His room was freezing. Even though Griffin’s t-shirt resembled a muumuu on me, it did little in the way of providing warmth. I tiptoe-ran across the hall and into the bathroom, hoping Thor hadn’t come home last night. The cold linoleum beneath my feet sent shivers through my body, and I hurriedly finished my business, running back to the bedroom. Griffin hadn’t budged.
My clothes from yesterday lay crumpled in a heap on the floor. I dressed in haste, slipping on my jeans and sweater, desperate for warmth. If eighteen hours of interstate hadn’t been staring me in the face, I would have slipped back under the covers and made Griffin keep me warm. Our timing really sucked. Not taking into account our twelve-year friendship, our relationship was technically only nine days old. We still had so much to learn, and we’d have to do it with 1,124 miles between us. I prayed the semester went by quickly; summer couldn’t get here fast enough.
With a heavy heart, I walked around the bed and knelt in front of him. “Griffin,” I whispered. “Griff.” I brushed his cheek with my fingertips, and he roused.
“Hmm,” he replied groggily, rolling onto his back. Even though I was too far away to make out the words, my eyes zeroed in on his tattoo, specifically the tiny drop bearing my name. A thrill went through my body, knowing I was a permanent fixture on his.
I hopped back into bed beside him and kissed his forehead. “Good morning.”
“What time is it?” he groaned, kicking the blanket from his legs.
“Quarter to eight,” I replied.
Griffin sat up and had his arms around me in an instant. “Good morning,” he said, kissing the top of my head.
His warm body felt marvelous. “You’re making it very difficult to leave.”
“Don’t. Go back tomorrow,” he said, holding me tighter.
“I can’t,” I groaned. “It’s going to take me two days as it is, and classes start on Monday.” I ran my hand along the planes of his chest.
“This fucking sucks.” He sighed, leaning his head back against the headboard.
“Tell you what,” I said, patting my name. “Why don’t I get packed up at Jennifer’s, and I’ll come back here before I head out? You can get cleaned up. I’ll be back in an hour, and we can say good-bye then.”
“It’s better than having to say good-bye now, I guess.” He kissed my hair again.
I turned and stretched to give him a quick kiss, but Griffin pulled me on top of him, leaving our bodies flush. His lips pressed hard against mine while he tangled his hands in my hair. I felt his tongue brush against my lips, and I opened my mouth a little wider, inviting him in. My hands moved from the stubble of his chin, up his neck, and into his hair.
Griffin’s hands slid down my back and cupped my backside forcefully. A small gasp fell from my lips, and I shimmied in his hands. He moaned, guiding my body in rhythm with his hands and mouth. I could feel his need growing stronger. Then he slowed down, moving his hands up to my neck, kissing me softly before he pulled away.
I opened my eyes. “Something wrong?” I teased, out of breath.
His chest moved up and down rapidly. “Oh, trust me,” he smiled wickedly. “Nothing’s wrong.” He held my head between his hands and kissed me lightly, one more time. “Promise me something,” he asked.
“Anything,” I said, sitting back up.
Griffin rested his hands on the tops of my thighs, moving his hands up and down their length. “That you’ll wake me up like that every morning.”
Still straddling him, and still feeling how much he wanted me, I shimmied. “I’ll do better than that,” I promised.
Griffin growled and pulled me back down, kissing me hard one more time before he rolled on top of me and stood up, leaving me panting on the bed. “I’ve got a cold shower I need to take,” he said, staring at me. “Go get your stuff from Jennifer’s house, and get your ass back here. I don’t want you making most of that trip in the dark.” He held his hand out for me, and I grabbed hold while he yanked me off the bed.
“All right,” I groaned. I retrieved my purse from the floor and headed for Griffin’s bedroom door. Griffin opened the door and I followed him out.
Once we were downstairs, Griffin wrapped his arms around me, holding my back to his chest. He traced feather-light kisses from my shoulder all the way up my neck. His warm breath tickled my ear and it took every ounce of my restraint not to turn around and push him onto the couch.
“’Bye, Bean,” he whispered in my ear. My body shivered in response. “See you
soon.”
I turned around and faced him. His features burned with desire, making him look even hotter. “See you soon,” I said quietly.
* * *
Jennifer’s house was still quiet, which meant the twins were still asleep. I went to my room and pulled a clean pair of jeans and a hoodie from my suitcase. I zipped down the hall for a quick shower before I packed up my things.
Packing was quick and easy. I stuffed some pajamas into the suitcase, not even bothering to fold them. My art supplies, portfolio, and new sketchbook were safely stored in my messenger bag. My duffle bag was full of leftover scraps from my New Year’s dress.
I carried the three bags out to the car and went back in the house. I felt like I needed to tell Jennifer I was leaving—not that she cared—but it made me feel better.
I found her in the kitchen standing over the stove. She spent most of her time cooking. I wondered if cooking was her way of coping with stress…or pain…or sadness. I really knew nothing about my sister. There was a small tug at my heart. I wished we were closer. “Um, Jennifer?” I said, stepping farther into the kitchen.
“Mm-hmm,” she intoned, not even turning around.
“I’m heading back to school now.” That got her attention. She looked over her shoulder, in my general direction.
“Is the room put back the way I had it?” she asked, concerned.
The sound of the sautéing vegetables nearly drowned out her voice. “Yeah. I’ve got all of my things out.”
“Good.” She looked back to her pan, moving the food around with a spatula.
I looked down at the keys in my hand, flipping them around on my index finger. “I won’t be staying here anymore, Jennifer.”
She sat the spatula down on the counter and turned around. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’m going to stay with Griffin.”
She scrutinized my face. “Griffin’s begged you to stay with him for two years. What changed your mind?” It was a fair question, but what floored me was how genuine she sounded. Maybe the hug I’d given her last week really had worked some magic.
