Chapter Six
Griffin
My house felt different with Lila in it.
Smaller somehow, like her presence had shifted the very air.
I'd lived alone for so long that having someone else move through my space—touching my things, leaving traces of her floral scent on my couch—should have felt invasive.
Instead, it felt right in a way that scared the shit out of me.
"Your guest room is upstairs, second door on the right," I called out, carrying her bags up while she explored the main floor. "Bathroom's across the hall. Towels are in the linen closet."
"Thank you," she said, appearing at the bottom of the stairs. Her dark hair tumbled loose around her shoulders, the golden hour sunlight streaming through my windows turning the strands to silk. "This is a beautiful house, Griffin."
"Thanks." I set her bags down in the guest room, trying not to picture her spread across the queen bed, those dark eyes of hers heavy with desire. "I'll be downstairs when you're ready."
What I didn't mention was that I'd be pacing like a caged animal, fighting the urge to march back upstairs and show her exactly how beautiful I thought she was.
An hour later, the sound of heels on hardwood made me look up from the beer I'd been nursing. And fuck me, the sight of Lila descending my staircase nearly brought me to my knees.
She'd chosen a dress in deep emerald green that hugged every curve of her body like it had been painted on.
The neckline dipped just low enough to hint at the swell of her large breasts, while the hem hit mid-thigh, showing off legs that went on for miles.
Her hair fell in loose waves over one shoulder, and she'd done something to her eyes that made them look even more mysterious.
"Christ," I breathed, setting my beer down before I dropped it.
Heat crept up her neck. "Too much?"
"Not enough," I said roughly, moving toward her like she was a magnet. "You look fucking incredible."
The curse made her smile, and something predatory stirred in my chest. "Language, Mr. Rhodes."
"You haven't heard anything yet, sweetheart."
The air between us crackled with electricity, and for a moment I thought about saying to hell with the fundraiser and carrying her back upstairs. But Captain Doyle was counting on us, and I'd never let my crew down.
"We should go," I said reluctantly, offering her my arm.
The community center had been transformed.
Twinkling lights hung from the rafters, poker tables dotted the main floor, and a makeshift bar served drinks in plastic cups that somehow looked elegant in the dim lighting.
The auction items Lila had arranged so perfectly were displayed along one wall, already drawing interested bidders.
"Hot damn," Rex said, appearing at my elbow and staring at Lila. "Griffin, you lucky bastard."
"Hands off, Donovan," I growled, wrapping an arm around Lila's waist possessively.
"Easy, boss," Rex laughed, raising his hands. "Just admiring your good taste."
Sabine appeared with Captain Doyle, both of them cleaned up for the occasion. "Well you sure clean up nice, girl,” Sabine said to Lila.
"Aw, thanks," Lila replied, taking in Sabine's crisp button-down and dark jeans. "You all look great too."
The evening passed in a blur of poker games, auction bidding, and drinks. Lila charmed everyone she met, her laugh ringing out over the music as Rex regaled her with increasingly outrageous stories. But every time another man approached her, something dark and possessive coiled in my gut.
"You're scowling," she said, appearing at my side with two drinks.
"Am not."
"You are. Like someone's trying to steal your favorite toy." She handed me a whiskey, her fingers brushing mine. "Relax. I'm here with you."
The words hit me harder than they should have. Made me want things I'd convinced myself I didn't need.
"Want to play some poker?" I asked, nodding toward the tables.
"I should warn you, I'm terrible at cards."
"Perfect. I like winning."
But as it turned out, Lila was full of surprises. She might have claimed to be terrible, but she had a poker face that could rival professionals and a wicked sense of strategy that had her winning hand after hand.
"Beginner's luck," she said innocently, raking in another pot.
"Bullshit," I laughed. "You've been hustling us."
"I may have picked up a thing or two from Bowie over the years."
"Remind me never to play cards with your brother."
The night wore on, and the crowd began to thin.
The auction had raised more money than expected, and Captain Doyle was grinning like he'd won the lottery.
But all I could focus on was the woman beside me, the way she threw her head back when she laughed, the little shiver that ran through her when my hand found the small of her back.
"Come on," I said finally, when the last hand was played. "Let me show you something."
I led her outside, past the parked cars to a trail that wound up the hillside behind the community center. The night air was cool against my skin, and Lila's heels clicked softly against the stones.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"You'll see."
The trail opened onto a rocky outcropping that overlooked the entire valley. Foxfire Valley spread out below us, neon signs painting the night in blues and reds, while above us the sky was a canopy of stars unmarred by city lights.
"Oh my God," Lila breathed, moving to the edge. "It's beautiful."
I watched her instead of the view, the way the starlight caught in her hair, the wonder on her face. "Yeah," I said quietly. "It is."
She turned to find me staring at her, and something shifted in her expression. The playful woman from the poker table was gone, replaced by someone softer, more vulnerable.
"Griffin," she said, and my name on her lips was like a prayer.
I closed the distance between us in two strides, backing her against the smooth rock face. "I've been wanting to do this all night."
My mouth found hers, and Christ, she tasted like whiskey and promises. She melted against me, her hands fisting in my shirt as I deepened the kiss. Every rational thought fled my brain, replaced by pure need.
"Fuck, Lila," I groaned against her lips. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"
"Show me," she whispered.
That was all the invitation I needed. My hands skimmed down her sides, feeling the way she trembled under my touch. When I reached the hem of her dress, I hesitated, giving her a chance to stop me.
Instead, she pulled me closer. "Please."
I slipped my hands beneath the silky fabric, groaning when I felt the lace of her panties. "You're so fucking soft."
Her breathing was ragged now, little gasps that drove me wild. I hooked my fingers in the waistband of her panties and tugged them down, letting them fall to her ankles. The cool night air made her shiver, or maybe that was my touch as I parted her thighs.
"Griffin," she moaned when my fingers found her center, already slick with arousal.
"That's it, baby," I murmured, working her with slow, deliberate strokes. "Let me hear you."
She was responsive, so fucking responsive, arching into my touch as I worked her higher. When I slipped a finger inside her, she cried out, the sound echoing off the rocks around us.
"More," she gasped, and I obliged, adding another finger and feeling her clench around me.
"You feel so good," I growled, pumping my fingers in and out while my thumb continued to rub her clit. "So tight and wet for me."
She was close, I could feel it in the way her body tensed, hear it in the desperate little sounds she was making. When I crooked my fingers just right, hitting that spot that made her see stars, she shattered, crying out my name as she came.
But I wasn't done with her. Not even close.
I spun her around, pressing her palms flat against the rock. The position put her ass against my aching cock, and I had to grit my teeth to keep from coming right there.
"I need to be inside you," I said roughly, unzipping my jeans with hands that shook. "Tell me you want this."
"Yes," she panted, pushing back against me. "God, yes."
I freed my cock, stroking it once before positioning myself at her entrance. She was so wet, so ready, that I slid in easily, both of us groaning at the sensation.
"Fuck, you feel incredible," I said, gripping her hips as I began to move.
The position let me go deep, and I felt her inner muscles flutter around me with each thrust. She was making these little sounds that drove me wild, pushing back to meet each of my movements.
"Harder," she gasped, and I lost what little control I had left.
I fucked her against the rocks, the sound of skin slapping against skin mixing with our ragged breathing. She was so responsive, meeting every thrust, her body welcoming me like she was made for this, made for me.
When I reached around to stroke her clit, she came again, clenching around me so tight I saw stars. The sensation pushed me over the edge, and I buried myself deep as I emptied inside her, her name on my lips.
We stayed like that for long moments, both of us struggling to catch our breath. When I finally pulled out, I turned her in my arms, needing to see her face.
Her eyes were soft, sated, but there was something else there too. Something that made my chest tight.
"That was..." she started.
"Yeah," I agreed, pressing my forehead against hers. "It was."
We straightened our clothes in comfortable silence, and I helped her find her panties in the darkness. When we were decent again, I pulled her close, not ready to let go.
"We should probably head back," she said quietly.
"Probably." But I didn't move, and neither did she.
Above us, the stars wheeled in their ancient patterns, and for the first time in years, I felt something shift inside me. Something that had been locked away since the day I understood that everyone you care about eventually leaves.
Maybe Lila was different. Maybe this time, I could let myself believe.
"Griffin?" she said softly.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For tonight. For all of this."
I kissed her forehead, breathing in her scent. "Thank you for letting me show you my world."
As we made our way back down the trail, her hand in mine, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything had changed. That whatever game we'd been playing was over, and something real had taken its place.
Something that scared the hell out of me and made me hope for the first time in a long damn time.