Chapter 19
nineteen
GRIFFIN
H e needed to get away from her.
Right now.
Before he crossed the line and things got complicated. Before they did something they both would regret.
He would never forget the way she looked, with the last remaining rays of sunlight caressing her beautiful face, as if the sunbeam bent itself around her to illuminate all of her to him, revealing the delicate curve of her neck and the sparkle in her eyes.
He’d never been more in awe of her than when she showed her vulnerability to him.
Who am I to her but a complete stranger?
Never mind how he knew the way she tasted when she came apart on his tongue. It was nothing compared to how she’d let him peek inside her fragile heart. A heart she kept protected behind walls built by life’s harsh lessons to protect its most tender parts .
He could tell she’d been through so much in her short life, too much, in his opinion. Her eyes held a guarded look. Or how she always seemed to hold herself at a proverbial distance from everyone, as if she didn’t want to get close for fear of losing them.
How he got so lucky to break down her walls, he’d never know.
Was she even aware she’d let me in just a little?
Which brought him to the problem at hand. He couldn’t afford to get close to anyone. Things never ended well. He didn’t have the time for the complications that came with relationships. He was content with his life. He didn’t need anything more than what he had: his shop, his dog, and his house.
Anything else was unnecessary. Frivolous. A slippery slope he’d dare not risk.
Why am I fighting this urge to claim Quynh as mine?
He hadn’t meant to kiss her. He only invited her out for a walk because the thought of her being alone made something inside of him ache.
He hated the idea of her being alone. The grumpy old cat of hers was probably shit for company. Pickles didn’t count.
So, he’d asked her to join him on his evening walk with Rover. He didn’t think anything could go wrong. It wasn’t like it was a date or anything.
It was clearly a terrible idea .
As they made their way back, having walked about half a mile around the lake, he fought the urge to shove her against a tree and kiss her senseless again, to show her what it’s like to be his.
Hell, he’d definitely entertained thoughts of stripping her out of her tight, ass-hugging leggings and fucking her right up against a tree. Or bent over in the grass.
She’d probably look amazing spread out beneath him in the grass, too. Really, he wasn’t picky. He’d take her in any position.
When his cock started pressing urgently against his zipper, he knew it was time to go.
He’d set a relentless pace to get back to his house while urging his cock to calm down.
Rover followed slowly behind them, practically dragging his paws on the way home.
The sooner they got back, the sooner they could go their separate ways.
He’d pack her some dinner he’d left warming in the oven, walk her back to her place, then run back to his home like a nervous teenager with his first crush.
A cold shower was also in his future to take care of his raging libido.
He should probably consider talking to his doctor about this. It could not be normal for a man his age to have so many erections in such a short span of time. The last time he’d been this horny was in his prime. Unfortunately, it was at least a decade ago .
Now, in his early forties, he didn’t exactly get excited at the sight of just any beautiful woman anymore.
These days, he was more interested in what was between their ears than their cup size. He supposed this was a sign of maturity.
While his experience with being in a relationship was based on a much younger, much more careless person, he didn’t have much luck in that department either.
Living and working in a small town also limited his options.
The rare occasion he’d have female company would only happen if he sought it out.
Maybe every couple of months, he’d have business out of town.
He’d end up going down to the hotel bar for a drink to wind down.
It wouldn’t take long before a brazen woman approached him.
Though the conversation was brief, he always made sure his intentions were clear.
He was only ever interested in a one-night stand, and he made sure his partner was on board.
They’d usually have another drink or two before heading up to her hotel room.
Once things were over, he’d cleaned up and left. No strings attached. No emotions. No kissing.
Those were the rules he’d set.
He wasn’t a selfish lover. He made sure his female companion always came first before he found his release. Before Quynh, though, he’d never had the urge to taste anyone.
Which was a mistake, clearly. Now, he couldn’t get the memory of how she’d tasted out of his mind. Or the sweet noises she made when she came.
What would she sound like stuffed full of my cock? Would her breath hitch when I breach her entrance with the tip of my cock? Would she scream when she came with me buried deep inside of her? What would my name sound like on her lips when she broke apart?
Fuck .
Now there was no way to hide his massive erection straining against the zipper of his jeans. He quickly shrugged out of his coat and folded it, bringing the fabric across his lap as they rounded the corner to reveal his back porch.
The sight of his house in the distance filled Griffin with relief.
It was the home stretch now. Griffin looked over his shoulder to find Quynh walking at a more sedate pace.
Rover trotted next to her with his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.
The adorable traitor kept her company instead of sticking to his side.
She was much better company, and Rover hated when their walk was over, oftentimes spending the next hour pouting in his dog bed.
He waited for the pair at the walkway, ignoring the way his heart seemed to clench at the sight of the happy pair.
Quynh seemed so relaxed and content. He couldn’t help but wonder what her life was like back in the city.
Griffin knew she wasn’t dating anyone seriously, but it didn’t mean she was single.
Though, after last night, he sure hoped there were no other males in the picture.
Griffin’s fist clenched beneath his coat at the thought of another male in her life. He should not be this possessive about someone who was bound to leave him behind when she went back to her big city.
“Come on.”
If his voice sounded louder than he wanted, he blamed it on the wind. He turned his back and went inside the house.
By the time the happy duo made their way inside, Quynh was wiping her shoes off on the mat. She moved to slip her sneakers off when he barked at her to keep them on. Her hands went up in front of her as if she had been caught doing something wrong.
“No need to take them off.” He lifted his arm to show her the warm dinner he’d placed in a Tupperware container. “I made you some dinner.”
Quynh’s smile fell as she saw the container.
Her eyes shuttered, cutting him off to her emotions.
She nodded curtly as her lips rolled together.
Slowly, as if to defy him, she slipped out of her sneakers and picked them up in her hands.
He watched as she carried them down the hallway, walking past him with her head held high, her vanilla scent almost smacking him in the face as she moved away from him.
He felt a punch to the gut. He hadn’t meant to hurt her by rushing her out of there. It was for the best. They couldn’t spend any more time alone and still be friends.
Do I want to be her friend?
Fuck if he knew what he wanted.
One thing he knew, though. The way her face looked when he’d basically told her to get out of his house made his stomach hurt.
He didn’t like the way her eyes had dimmed when she’d seen the dinner he’d prepared for her to go, even though he didn’t want to send her mixed signals and have her stay for dinner.
Something snapped. Watching her walk away from him made him irrationally angry.
Tossing the offensive container on the counter, he marched down the hallway.
“Quynh,” he growled at her back.
She picked up her pace, ignoring him, as she tried to put on her shoes with jerky movements.
He heard her curse under her breath as he rounded on her.
“Quynh, stop.”
She didn’t stop. If anything, she renewed her efforts to leave.
“Thank you for the walk. And dinner. It was very nice of you.”
She had both shoes on and went to open the door, but before her hand could turn the knob, Griffin was on her.
He yanked gently at her arm, pulling her away from the door, and backed her up against the wall. He kept his body from touching hers, knowing the contact would snap his barely leashed control. It would drive him crazy. He needed to be sane and not act like a complete caveman right now.
Her chest heaved with her heavy breathing.
“Look at me,” he commanded in a low growl.
She refused to look at him, averting her gaze by looking over his shoulder.
“Quynh, look at me, please.”
Griffin watched in horror as her bottom lip quivered.
Gently, he gripped her chin until her eyes met his. He cursed at the tears she was holding back.
“Fuck. Quynh, I’m sorry.”
He rested his forehead on hers as he shook his head from side to side.
“It’s fine.” She sniffed.
It clearly was not fine. Griffin was being an insensitive ass.
“No, really, I appreciate it. I’ll just get out of your hair.”
She made to move away. He reacted instinctively, pinning her body against the wall with his. His arms braced on either side of her head to effectively box her in.
“You are not leaving here like this.”
His control was hanging on by a thread.
She looked up at him. All traces of her tears were gone as if he had imagined them. Instead, her eyes sparked with defiance he’d missed. Her jaw was set at a determined angle as she glared at him.
“Or what?”
She challenged him to action. His control snapped.
His hand gripped the back of her head, twisting her hair around his fist as he slammed his lips to hers.
Her shocked gasp was like music to his ears.
It left her wide open for his assault as his tongue delved into her dark heat and wrestled for control.
Their tongues dueled for dominance, and the other hand moved to grip her around her waist, sliding down to grip her outer thigh in a bruising hold.
She tugged at his hair as if to pull him away but changed her mind at the last second. Instead, she used his hair to direct him on how she liked to be kissed.
Griffin was simmering, barely restrained from erupting. He was like a wildfire, scorching everything in his path. He never felt so out of control before.
Quynh was like a cool thunderstorm, bringing vital rain to temper his fires and bring life back to the scorched earth. Her lips were like a balm to his soul, her touch both calming his nerves and igniting the fire inside of him. The fire threatened to consume her if she wasn’t careful.
He broke the kiss abruptly, yanking his lips away and letting their panting breaths fill the space between them. Griffin gripped her thigh tightly, which crept up to cradle his hip at some point. He wasn’t even sure if it was his doing or hers.
“We shouldn’t do this.” His voice came out in a husky rasp.
She shook her head, agreeing with him.
“No, we shouldn’t.”
She withdrew from his touch, and the thought made him burn with rage. No, they shouldn’t be doing this, but fuck if he didn’t want to.
He halted her retreat by gripping her other thigh in his hand, hoisting her up so she was eye level with him. Her eyes widened in surprise as her arms wound themselves around his shoulders.
“Fuck it.”
He was going to take what he wanted. And right now, all he wanted was the woman in his arms. Consequences be damned.