Chapter 6 #2
Grant’s expression darkened. “I’ve got more than visuals saved up, darlin’.” My cheeks were burning as he signaled the bartender once more. “Was actually makin’ sure you were okay.”
“Okay?”
“You know exactly what I’m talkin’ about.” He cocked his head, eyeing my diamond bracelet. The same one I’d worn the first time I’d met him.
“I’m fine.” I lifted my wrist and shook it until the jewelry rolled down my forearm. “Satisfied?”
“Only a little bit.”
“Well try for a lot a bit.”
“If that’s what you need tonight, then I’m as willing as before to help you believe somethin’ that isn’t true.” Shot glasses slid in front of both of us, along with a glass of water for me. Grant thanked the bartender, then raised his glass. “Take this with me.”
I sighed and raised the shot glass. “Tell me somethin’, Grant.”
“Anythin’.”
I downed my shot, giving me ample liquid courage. Right as he shot his back, I asked, “What do I taste like?”
His eyes darted to mine, shifting to a look I might’ve seen before, but it sure looked hungry, and raw, and new in this lighting. As his empty glass hit the wooden top, a smirk lifted the corner of his lips. “Peaches, darlin’. You taste like a goddamn dream.”
“Peaches…” I repeated, then propped my elbow on the bar and rested my swirling head on my hand. I rubbed my glossy, peach-flavored lips together. “So, we only kissed?”
He chuckled. “Not quite.”
“Hmm.” I drummed my nails along the bartop.
“You don’t remember?”
“Was it something memorable?”
He chuckled. “Want me to go into detail?”
Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes. “No.”
He leaned in close, those stunning eyes of his flashing down to my lips, like he knew peach gloss was coating them, before meeting my eyes again. God, is it hot in here? “You sure?”
“No. Wait. Yes? Shit.” I swiveled and reached for my clutch, pulling out my lipgloss. Something had to occupy my mouth, or it was going to land somewhere on this man in the next thirty minutes.
Grant pulled back, swiping a thumb over his bottom lip. “You know I’m going to want to lick those lips clean if they taste as good as your pussy, right?”
“Grant!” A young red head in a white bodycon dress slammed herself into him, pulling his gaze from the beet-red color of my cheeks.
“Tallulah.” Grant was scowling when she released him. “Where is Hayes?”
“Yeah, ’bout that.” Tallulah propped a hand on her hip, the crooked arm decorated with tattoos of mechanical gears and tread marks.
I didn’t know who she was, but paired with the long wingtipped eyeliner, piercings dotting the length of her visible ear, and heterochromia, she looked like a badass.
“He told me you told him to keep me from doin’ stupid shit, which is funny because you know how much we don’t get along.
” Her brow arched as she waited for a reply.
“He’s the only one who’s managed to stop you before.” Grant exhaled and motioned between the two of them. “By the way, this is my sister, not some—”
“Hookup?” Tallulah finished, grinning back at me as Grant pressed a fist to his mouth, puffing his cheeks, pretending to vomit. “Nice to meet you.”
“Sophia,” Grant supplied, folding his inked and corded arms over his chest, stretching his T-shirt. “Was kind of in the middle of somethin’, Tallulah. Why don’t you go find Hayes.”
“What if I wanna chat with—”
“Tallulah,” Grant groaned. “Not now.”
I watched the exchange with tipsy fascination, believing I’d heard the name Hayes before, but wasn’t entirely sure. Was I still applying lipgloss?
“Fine.” Tallulah’s hand fell from her hip.
“Only, I dunno where he is.” She shrugged.
“When I came out of the bathroom, he was standing right there like some damn guard dog, and when he asked what took me so long, I told him.” Grant glared at her until she continued.
“Okay, I told him some guy had checked out my ass and catcalled me a lil, so I had to go ask some of the ladies in the restroom for tape to hold my dress down.”
“What a pig,” I muttered before putting my gloss away and sipping on my water, noticing a slight unsavory taste to it, but shrugged it right off. Clearly I’d been drinking bottled, straight-from-some-glacier water for too long.
“Right?” Tallulah agreed, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
“Jesus fucking hell.” Grant straightened in his seat and searched the room. “What guy?”
“Dunno. Some asshole. Hayes made me point him out, and I haven’t seen either since.”
Grant nodded like that was normal. “Good. Can I trust you to stay here until he gets back?”
“Here, as in right here with you two, somewhere in Roland’s, or Alliston, in general?”
Grant pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. “Tallulah.”
“I don’t need anyone watchin’ me.”
“Yes, you do,” he replied sternly.
Tallulah rolled her matte red lips in. “You’re here. You see that I’m here. That not good ’nough for you?”
“No. Go find him. Check outside in the back.”
“But—”
“Go. Now.” His sister rolled her eyes and walked toward the exit sign in the back. With her gone, his focus was back on me, and the words he’d said before his sister came up to us spun in my tipsy head.
“I…um…I like her. I think?”
His lips tilted up on one side. “Most girls don’t.”
“Well, Grant.” I smacked my over-glossed lips together. “It’s a good thing I’m not a girl then.”
“No. I suppose you aren’t.” His knuckles grazed his jawline. “Where are you stayin’ tonight, darlin’?”
“Lyra’s.”
His brows shot up. “Don’t think that’s a good idea unless you like hearin’ the walls shake all night.”
“Oh.” I bit down on my lip and searched the dance floor.
Right as I started searching harder, shifting in my seat to peer over heads and past people, Grant said, “Pretty sure they went to the back office together. Might be in there awhile.”
Right. “I have a hotel room just outside of town. Guess that’s where I’m heading, then.” There’d be time to see Lyra in the morning. My flight wasn’t until tomorrow night, anyhow.
He eyed something on the bartop. “You drive that red car of yours here?”
I hesitated, rolling my lips in. Finally, I shook my head. “No car. I”—I yawned, pressing the back of my hand to my mouth as my eyes grew heavy—“Sorry. I…I don’t know why I’m so tired.”
“Probably shouldn’t be driving even if your car was here, then.” He pointed at my mostly empty glass of water. “Done?”
I nodded and rubbed my temples, avoiding my makeup. “Are, um…are there any taxis in Alliston?”
“Don’t need a taxi.” He stood and reached for my hand, pulling me from the barstool, my bones feeling just as heavy as my eyes. “I’ll drive ya, darlin’.”
“Hmmm. Sounds nice.” I swayed, and the lights blurred. Grant didn’t seem fazed, only gripped my hand tighter as he pulled me through the bar.
“C’mon, Peach.” His voice crept into my ear as his hold moved from my hand to the small of my back. I leaned into the touch, finding my legs too difficult to move. “I’ve got ya.”
One second, I was steadying myself in his arms, the next, I was lifted from the ground right outside of Roland’s, the red neon sign upside down as I hung from his shoulder. My eyelids fluttered as my tongue became too sticky to say a word.
“You’re alright. You’re alright. Everything is gonna be alright,” Grant said, but his words were slow and dragged out, like we were underwater.
His hand pulsed over my thigh as more words I couldn’t make out rattled over my ears, and then, everything went black.
Grant
Kidnappin’ a girl I’d been internet stalking for months wasn’t exactly how I saw my night goin’ a few hours ago. If she had given me a chance that night when this fixation started, if she had just stayed a little longer the morning after and cleared up a few things with me first before leavin’, I…
Nah, I still would have ended up here, with her in my truck headin’ back to my house. Maybe it would have been willingly, but I saw the look of avoidance she gave me when I started askin’ questions, and the way she was already trying to head back to her hotel to leave the next day.
Over my dead body would she go back.
Somethin’ wasn’t right, and if she wasn’t going to tell me, that meant I’d have to get it out of her using other means.
My fingers hadn’t stopped squeezing the steering wheel of my Betsy since I started drivin’ home, listenin’ to the soft breathing sounds escapin’ Sophia like she was actually at peace.
There was a soft tilt to her lips that eased some of the pit formin’ in my gut, and I couldn’t help the twitch in my lips every time I looked over at her.
She was so fucking beautiful. Truly, the most gorgeous woman I’d ever laid eyes on.
There was a subtle pout to her bottom lip that had been teasin’ me since that night we spent together that I hadn’t stopped picturing tasting.
And that damn lipgloss she was applying at the bar was enough to drive a man mad.
Maybe that was what finally pushed me over the goddamn edge.
“We’re almost there, Peach. Almost there.
” I glanced at her soft frame all curled-up against the door.
Gorgeous as all get out. “I know you’re gonna be real pissed when you wake up, but I hope one day you can forgive me.
” I knew she couldn’t hear me—she’d been out cold since I asked what hotel she was stayin’ at, seconds after I buckled her in.
I reached for her hand to take it in mine, smoothing my thumb over the surface before pulling back and shaking my head.
“One day, this will make more sense for the both of us.”
I took a deep breath as I pulled into my driveway, lettin’ out the air that filled my lungs real slow. “I know my place ain’t much. Nothin’ like you’re used to, anyhow. But I can guarantee you, nothin’, and no one inside, is goin’ to hurt you.”
My chest tightened as I recalled what I’d seen that night, the things I learned about Sophia Pierson that others seemed to have no fuckin’ clue about.
I got her from the truck, carrying her bridal style into my house, into my bedroom…
onto my bed. The sweet scent of peaches filled my sheets as she rolled into them comfortably.
I’d give her a few hours of comfort before preparin’ for the storm that’d inevitably come when she woke up. I closed the door behind me, headin’ into the room beside mine to check in on June.
“Hey there, darlin’,” I cooed, reaching into her tank and stroking the top of her pale yellow head.
My albino ball python eagerly lifted up toward my arm, lettin’ me know she wanted to be held.
June slithered up my arm, reaching for my shoulder as I went back into my bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed, listening to Sophia’s breaths.
June flicked her tongue in the air, sensing Sophia’s presence.
“She’s a real live wire, like you used to be.
Remember them good ole days when you hated bein’ held?
” June slithered down my other arm, her head fitting between my thumb and forefinger.
I stroked her scales, sighing as I looked over the woman curling in closer to my side, like she gravitated toward me, just as I was to her.
June moved closer toward Sophia, her tongue taking in her scent before slithering over her arm.
My snake’s head turned back to me, her tongue flicking out more and more, like she was testing our scents together.
I settled June back over my shoulders, my gaze stayin’ fixed on Sophia like she’d changed the very air I breathed in my own home.
I’d been waiting for her to come back, watching from states and miles away, hoping for the day when she’d step foot into Alliston Springs again.
Only, I couldn’t see any marks on her flawless skin.
Maybe I was just crazy, and creatin’ somethin’ in my head gave me a reason to keep this woman sheltered inside my home, by my side.
But it sure did feel right with her next to me.