Chapter 26
twenty-six
QUYNH
B right rays of sunshine peeked through the blinds.
For a moment, Quynh forgot where she was.
Last night, Griffin brought her back to his house.
She was completely emotionally drained from her visit with her father.
She’d wanted to collapse in his bed and curl up under his blankets for at least a few days.
Though he didn’t push her to talk, he’d silently prepared a hot bath.
He insisted she get in the hot bath while he cooked dinner for them. He’d given her an adorable frown when she’d tried to refuse.
“You’re not going to waste all that hot water, are you?”
It took more effort than it should have to get undressed, but it was worth it when she sank into the slightly too-hot water. She’d let the lavender scents from the bath bomb Griffin tossed into the bath soothe her senses as her muscles relaxed .
By the time Griffin came back to retrieve her for dinner, the bath water was barely lukewarm, and she fell asleep.
He shook her awake gently, having a giant fluffy towel ready to help her get out of the bath.
Wrapped up in the towel, she’d felt like a princess as he helped her get dressed in another one of his shirts and sweats.
Once she was fully dressed, he’d cradled her in his arms and carried her to the dinner table.
Quynh never felt so cared for before. And she was not complaining. It was a welcomed feeling after the emotional roller coaster of the past week. She never realized how lonely she was until she met Griffin. How empty her life was.
Dinner was delicious, as always. She marveled at how talented Griffin was. Not only was he a respected and successful businessman, but he was also an amazing cook.
How did I get so lucky?
She could get used to this. She could get used to him. For a brief moment, she imagined what her life would be like if she stayed in Willowbrook.
Can I stay here?
Pushing the thoughts away, she finished the dinner he had made of beef Bolognese. She was too tired to worry about anything else but the present.
Life seemed so much simpler this way, not worrying about the future but focusing on the present .
Later, after they’d cleaned up dinner, the sex was unhurried.
Tender. Building each other’s climaxes up slowly with gentle caresses and sweet kisses.
Each touch of the hand was an exploration of not just their bodies but their souls.
They came together, eyes clinging to each other as their climaxes peaked nearly simultaneously.
Quynh passed out before Griffin finished cleaning her up.
It was how she found herself this morning. Except something was different. There was a familiar furball curled up next to her head.
“Pickles?” She lifted her head to look around Griffin’s bedroom.
Where was Griffin?
She rarely woke up alone.
Rolling over, she looked around the empty bedroom for any sign of him. It was quiet throughout the rest of the house. She reached over to grab her cell phone charging on the nightstand table.
One new message from Griffin.
At the shop early this morning. Breakfast in the microwave. Your feral furball looks hungry. Hope he doesn’t eat your face.
Well, that explained how Pickles showed up at Griffin’s house. He must have gone over to the apartment and brought him back for her.
Her throat grew thick with emotion. She clasped a hand around her throat and tried to take calming breaths.
She was reading too much into Griffin’s intentions. He was very clear he was not and would not be interested in a relationship. Griffin was just a misunderstood grump who really was just a teddy bear on the inside.
Quynh tried to ignore the giddy feeling in her chest. The kind that made her want to kick her feet with happiness and grin like a lovesick teenager.
Her phone pinged with a new message. This time, it was from Ruth.
A single sentence.
What she saw effectively wiped the smile off her face, a cold dread rolling in and making her stomach drop.