24. Griffin
Chapter 24
Griffin
You Have A List?
I pulled into Lennon’s parking lot and hopped out of my truck. I headed up the walkway, surprised when she rushed through the doors. Her hair was down, and the curls looked like she belonged on the beach. As did her hip-hugging cutoffs and the off-the shoulder sweatshirt in a sunny yellow.
“God, you’re gorgeous.”
She had a rolling suitcase behind her and one of her ridiculously large bags over her shoulder. I hurried to her and took the suitcase.
“Thanks, but you do not look like you’re going to Miami.”
I laughed. “Don’t exactly have board shorts and linen pants in my wardrobe for the orchard.”
“Guess we’ll be buying you some clothes.” She bumped my arm with hers. “You really don’t have to do this, you know?”
“I do.” I twined our fingers together. “If it’s important to you, then I do.”
She frowned but she nodded.
If she wanted to make a life in Miami, I wasn’t going to close us off to a future. If she let me.
I knew she assumed that Miami would be a deal breaker. While I loved the orchard, I needed her more.
The real test was if she needed me too.
I tucked her bag into the back of my truck, using a bungie cord so it wouldn’t fly all over the place on the highway. She climbed into the passenger seat and my mouth watered at all the leg she flashed.
She tipped my sunglasses down. “You checking me out, ace?”
“That I am.” I smoothed a hand up her thigh. “Summertime Lenny is gonna take me out.”
“Wait til you see the bikini.”
“What a way to go.” I shut her door and went around to my side.
“So, are we cozy in coach?”
I arched a brow. “I think not.” I took off toward the airport. “Only first class for your fine ass.”
“Last minute tickets?”
When money wasn’t an object, it was easy to get tickets, but she didn’t need to know that. “So, tell me about this place.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, then pulled her sunglasses out of her magic purse and put them on. “It’s right on the water, near the foot traffic on the beach so it would have a lot of access. There are also two major hotels within walking distance as well as a dozen more by share ride. Optimal placement.”
“And yet you didn’t jump on it?”
She was quiet, toying with the strap of her bag. “I think maybe I needed to see it, so thanks for this.”
“You’d have gone down on your own.”
“I don’t know.”
I reached over and covered her hand. “If it’s not right, doesn’t mean something else won’t be in the future.”
“You’re right.” She gave me a small smile before she looked out her window.
The drive was quiet, but it wasn’t a heavy silence. She obviously had some things to think over.
While we were on the highway, a motorcycle zoomed through traffic, passing us on her side. She sat up with a start.
“Asshole,” I muttered. “Giving motorcycles a shit name when they pull shit like that.”
“You ride?” She turned in her seat.
I nodded. “I have a few bikes. I’m more of a cruiser than the guy looking for speed like those.”
“On my way home a chick on a Ducati blew me off the damn road.”
“And you didn’t say something first? Jesus, Lennon.”
“It’s late spring and the days have been sunny. Of course, the tops are down, and the motorcycles are out. They were just...”
When she trailed off, I glanced over at her. “What?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Obviously, it’s something.”
She shrugged. “It just felt personal. Then I saw the same girl in my building. At least I’m pretty sure it was. She crawled up my ass on Mitchell Road—you know the winding one to my apartment.”
My fingers tightened on the wheel before I forced myself to relax. There were tons of shitty people in the world that liked to show off on the road, especially those who went for speed.
“You think they went for you on purpose?”
“No.” She huffed out a breath. “I don’t know. I sound freaking crazy.”
“No, you don’t.”
“She was sitting in the common room with her stupid helmet on. I don’t know. It just seemed weird.” She huffed out a breath on a half laugh. “Like she was proud of herself or something. Maybe she doesn’t like Jeeps.”
“Or she’s got a screw loose.”
“Even better.” She relaxed back and propped her sunglasses on top of her head. “It’s feeling like the universe doesn’t like me very much the last few weeks.” Then she turned to look at me. The bruise along her face made my chest ache. “Except for you.”
“Now that’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me.”
“Don’t get used to it.” She pulled her sunglasses back down, but there was a little smile on her face.
Getting to the airport and through check-in was a pain in the ass, since it was the middle of the day. By the time we got on the plane, I could tell Lennon needed meds and a nap.
I let her sit near the window and she was asleep before we took off.
Good thing since the flight got delayed and we sat on the tarmac for an extra hour. I checked in with Kain and Justin letting them know we were heading out of town.
Kain:
Don’t come back married, asshole.
I’m not going to Vegas.
Kain:
Miami is just as dangerous. Rum drinks and good sense are in opposing supply.
You should probably warn Lenny. I’m probably going to marry her.
Kain:
You’re crazy. She’s too smart for that.
Probably. Still gonna keep her.
Kain:
Did you tell LeeLee?
No. But I will. She’ll give me just as much shit.
Kain:
Because you deserve it. Have a good time.
Will do. See ya in a few days.
I glanced over at Lennon. Saying it to Kain made it more real. I knew I was in trouble with this woman from the moment I saw her. I just didn’t think it would be forever trouble.
I rubbed the palm of my hand down my thigh, annoyed that it was a bit wet.
Since my band had broken apart, I’d been at a loss with what to do next. Finding my family had been the one true goal I’d had, but now I just might have found my future.
If she didn’t shut me out.
Lennon had been alone for a damn long time. What if she preferred it that way?
It wasn’t like she’d lied to me when we started this...whatever it was between us. She’d been up front about the fact that she might be leaving and none of that had to do with me.
At least at the start.
I reached over and pushed a curl out of her face just as the captain announced we were finally taking off.
I buckled in and read a book on my phone through the flight. I’d never been good at sleeping on a plane. My body instantly went into adrenaline mode, thanks to my days on the AIRRs team. Even if it had been ten years ago, there were certain things that never left a body.
As we flew over Miami, the sky was already pinkening into sunset.
I lightly shook, Lennon and she pushed my hand away. “No.”
“Sorry, darlin’. The captain will—” The announcement cut me off. “See?”
She sighed and stretched, her eyes heavy-lidded as she fumbled for her shades that she’d tucked into her front pocket. “What time is it?”
“Time to get off this thing.” I stretched out my legs in the aisle for a moment so I could get the blood circulating again. Even if we were in first class, my body wasn’t made for it.
She pulled out her phone and gave me a quick look.
“You slept through our delay.”
“Oh.” She sat back. “Sorry about that.”
“You needed it.”
“Thanks.”
I laughed. “Now you’ll be ready to party all night.”
“Unlikely—well, never mind there. I would actually like to see a few places tonight if you’re up for it. It’ll be too late to look at the property tonight, but not to check out the nightlife around where I might be located.”
“I’m good.”
“Thanks, Griffin.” She gave my hand a quick squeeze.
I simply nodded, then I braced for the landing. Definitely not my favorite part of a flight. Lennon was cool as a damn cucumber.
She reached over and covered my hand that was Velcroed to the arm of my seat.
I closed my eyes when the wheels touched down and flipped my hand around to lace my fingers with hers as we bounced once and then smoothly decreased speed. “Nothing bothers you, does it?”
Lennon laughed. “I fly a lot.”
“So do—well, did I.”
“Baby,” she said, but she did give me one last squeeze before detangling our fingers to get our bags together.
I’d rented a car for us already, and it was ready when we deplaned. When she saw the car in the spot, she gave me a delighted laugh. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
The locks chirped open on the sleek Mustang. “Only convertible they had.”
She trailed her fingers over the cherry red color. “Works for me. Can I drive?”
“No.”
“Oh, c’mon.”
“Nope, you can enjoy the ride. Princess treatment for the next few days.”
“Fine.” But she didn’t really sound upset about it.
I loaded our bags into the trunk and put the address into the GPS for our hotel for the next few days. It was near dinner time and the air got thicker the closer we got to the ocean.
When I turned onto the road for our hotel, she whipped her head toward me. “You didn’t.”
“Princess treatment.” I pulled up to the valet and got out.
“Mr. St. James. Welcome to The Setai. I’ll have your bags brought up to your room.”
Another valet had opened the door for Lennon. She gave me a stern look as she hurried around the front of the car. “You could have told me.”
“Better seeing that look on your face.”
“And I wouldn’t have worn cutoffs and a ripped sweatshirt,” she muttered under her breath.
“Who cares? Every man is staring at you and wishes they were me.”
She shoved me, but she couldn’t hide the smile as we went to the front desk. The concierge didn’t blink an eye at our appearance, and we were on our way into an express elevator for the ocean view suites. Living at the orchard didn’t give me much opportunity to remind Lennon I had money.
It didn’t overly matter to me, mostly because I’d left behind the struggling days a long time ago.
I opened the door with our keycard and our bags were already inside. I let Lennon go ahead of me and she gasped as she hurried to the windows, then she opened the back door to our private deck and dropped her bag on one of the chaise lounges. I tossed my wallet and card on the table as I followed.
My tongue practically rolled out, cartoon-style as she whipped off her sweatshirt to show off she already had her bikini on. She was leaning on the railing, looking out on the ocean when I moved out behind her, resting my hands on the railing on either side of her. I brushed my nose along her neck. “You steal my breath on a regular basis, but here?” I drifted down to the sensitive skin between her shoulder and neck. “You deserve all this and more.”
She leaned back against me. “I don’t need this,” she said as she looked up at me, “but I don’t mind the princess treatment sometimes.”
I trailed my fingers across her midriff and up to the scrap of a triangle over her breast. “I’m not sure I can handle you in public wearing this.”
“Wait til you see the bronze one.” She sucked in a breath as I snuck under the black material and groaned when I tugged on her nipple.
My other hand went to the snap of her jeans and tugged them over her hips. I crouched to let them hit the floor and swore. String bikini was the word. All her coffee and cream skin was on display. I couldn’t resist a bite of the flesh between her thigh and ass, sucking hard enough to bruise.
She leaned on the railing with a hiss. “Griffin.”
I licked the skin then I moved up to follow the thong of her bikini before rolling down to land with her shorts. “Our first sunset has one hell of a view,” I stood up, speaking against her neck.
“It sure does.” She drew in a sharp breath as I cupped her from the front, slipping two fingers inside of her. She straightened and lifted a hand to grip my hair. The other had a death grip on the railing.
“So warm.” I nudged her hair away so I could look over her shoulder to see my hand on her skin. The ocean roared beneath us and the sky was streaked with every pink and orange hue imaginable. “Think anyone down there has any clue that I’m about to fuck you up here?”
“You want someone watching us?”
“Do you want it?”
I stroked her deeper and she flooded my hand. “Maybe you like the idea.”
“Maybe I just like the ocean air,” she said tightly as her thigh quivered.
Her head fell back against me, and she cupped her breast with my other hand then she tugged at her nipple under the silky material. She rolled her hips in time with each stroke of my fingers until a strangled whimper escaped.
“Come for me, Lennon.”
Her breaths came faster, and her fingers gripped tighter in my hair. “I want to come with you first.”
I groaned, rubbing my cock against her ass. “You first.”
She reached back with her other hand for my fly. “Nope.” It was an awkward angle but each brush of her fingers against my shaft made me growl against her neck.
I was about to pick her up and bring her inside where I knew there were condoms in my bag, when she arched. “Bag. Behind you.”
I slipped out of her warm cunt and we both groaned. She was hanging onto the railing with both hands and I backed up a few steps to the lounger and grabbed her bag. I stuffed my hand inside, laughing when I felt the jumbo box.
Then I stepped out of my jeans and my shorts and my shirt, then I suited up before I moved back to her. I wrapped an arm around her, smiling into the kiss against her shoulder as I crouched enough to ease inside her.
She went on her toes, her hands braced on the rail when I dragged her back to take me again and again. Every muscle in my body burned at the angles since she was nearly a foot shorter than me, but it didn’t matter. All I wanted was her. When I heard my name on her tongue, I knew she was close.
I lowered my hand to where we were joined and circled her clit as I drove into her one last time.
The pinks and oranges had faded to purples, and they wavered in the distance as the clasp of her body pushed me into orgasm. I pressed my forehead into her shoulder as I held her tight against me and the ripple of hers ended in her cries. I held on even as my own thighs burned from the position until we were both panting and leaning on the rail.
“I don’t think the railing was meant for this.”
I laughed and pulled out before drawing us both back. We stumbled and landed on one of the loungers. She laughed and turned in my arms to straddle me a hairsbreadth before she nailed me in the balls.
Both of us were breathless as we collapsed against the coral-colored cushions.
“Guess I can check that one off my list.”
“You have a list?” I laughed as she rested against me, her head on my chest.
“Don’t you?”
I trailed my fingers up her back to bury in her hair. “I’d be happy to keep checking off yours.”
“I just bet.” She was quiet a few moments. “But I think we can work with that.”
I only hoped that meant more time with her.