Chapter 9 #2
“It’s not,” Griffin said, now driving even faster. “But I really need to think this through. It’s not fair to ask you to keep putting up with this charade. I thought it would be just a one-and-done thing.”
“Me too,” I admitted.
The idea of him leaving Emma and Jude high and dry didn’t sit well with me, but what was the alternative?
He was right, this didn’t make any sense.
If we tried to keep this up for two days, they were bound to catch on that something was off.
That would surely hurt his deal more than simply being a no-show.
At most, Jude would think Griffin was a busy man or someone who wouldn’t keep his word.
We didn’t talk much on the way home. I was too busy thinking about the pros and cons of getting out of the commitment.
Griffin groaned as we arrived in front of my house. Marshall was pacing in front of it.
“What is that douchebag doing here?” he asked.
“No clue. Look, thanks for bringing me home.”
“Nonsense, I’m getting out with you.”
“What? Why?” I asked.
“Because the second you realized he was here, you practically withdrew into yourself.” I was surprised he’d noticed this. He was right, too, and I hadn’t even realized it.
“That’s because I don’t want to talk to him.”
“Then let’s make sure he won’t bother you again.”
“What are you talking about?”
Before I realized what was going on, he got out of the car and came over to my side. I opened the door, but he grabbed the handle from outside, then took my hand as I stepped out of the Range Rover.
Marshall jumped down from the porch, looking straight at us as we came closer to the house. “What’s he doing here?” he asked, pointing at Griffin.
“The question is, why the hell are you here?” Griffin asked. He put a possessive arm around my waist, tucking me into him.
“You’re not serious,” Marshall said. “You’re really dating this braggart?”
“Shut your mouth,” I said. “You’ve got no right coming here.”
“My name is on the deed.”
“Then talk to her through your fucking realtor,” Griffin growled.
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
“You’ll find that I can, actually, because I’ll do anything to keep you from annoying her or hurting her again. You’ve done more than enough.”
Marshall cocked a brow. “How long has this been going on? All this time you’ve been gouging my eyes out for breaking up when you’ve had someone on the side?”
Griffin stepped right in Marshall’s face.
“You’re a lying piece of shit. Don’t you ever dare talk to Phoebe like that again.
You may have dated her for years, but you didn’t know how to respect her, how to appreciate her, how to treat her like a real man does. She’s mine now, so stay the fuck away.”
Marshall looked shell-shocked, but the bastard recovered quickly.
“Oh, really?” he challenged.
“You say one bad thing about her, and I’ll knock your teeth out. Get the fuck away from us, and don’t bother her again. You have a realtor, communicate through them. Otherwise, if you want to reach Phoebe, you go through me.”
Marshall looked at me. “You’re going to let this controlling bastard take over?”
Those words snapped me out of my shock. “You don’t get to ask anything about my life or say one bad word about Griffin. Get the hell away from me.”
Marshall shook his head and then walked right past us to a brand-new Mercedes parked across the street.
He looked at the Range Rover, and even though I couldn’t see his eyes, I knew they were full of rage.
He was forever jealous of the things he didn’t have.
Now that he didn’t have me anymore, he didn’t want anyone else to either.
Tough luck, buddy.
“You’re shaking,” Griffin murmured once Marshall reached his car.
“I’m just… I can’t believe he’d show up here.”
He touched beneath my chin and brushed it with his thumb. “Do you trust me, Phoebe?”
“Yes. Why?”
He captured my mouth the next second.
I immediately opened up for him, letting him do with me whatever he wanted.
He slipped his tongue into my mouth and gave me the hottest kiss I’d ever had.
My entire body sprang to life. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pushing myself up onto my toes and leaning into him.
He crushed my waist with both hands, pulling me tight to him, my breasts pushing against his chest.
Then he groaned, and the sound sent tendrils of heat through my body.
It was impossible to fake a groan. This kiss was turning him on just as much as me.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins at the thought.
I didn’t care if Marshall was looking. Frankly, I wouldn’t care if an asteroid fell next to us.
I just didn’t want Griffin to stop kissing me.
I was shaking in earnest now, but not because I was mad or angry. My entire body was throbbing. Energy pulsed through me like never before.
When Griffin pulled back, his breathing was ragged. His eyes were darker than I’d seen them before now. “Better?”
“Yes.” My smile stretched from ear to ear. “Yeah, much better.”
He looked over his shoulder. Marshall was rooted in his spot, staring at us. But the second he saw that we were watching him, he got in his car and drove away.
Griffin turned his attention back to me. “The way he talked to you… Fuck, I don’t even know how I kept from pounding his teeth in. He certainly deserves it.”
I was speechless. I’d kind of thought everything he told Marshall was for show.
“Did he treat you that way when you were together?”
I ran a hand through my hair. My curls were already undone. “Sometimes. Especially when things didn’t go his way. I thought that was normal, that I was supposed to lift him up. What does it say about me?”
“It tells me that you’re a very kind person and can’t always see when those around you don’t deserve you.” He pointed at the now-vacant parking spot. “But that moron, he definitely didn’t deserve you. Find someone better, someone who can give you everything.”
Why was I starting to want this “someone” to be a certain six-foot god with green eyes, like the man standing in front of me?
“Thanks, Griffin. That means a lot to me.”
Still looking at my mouth, he took a step back, putting both hands in his pockets. “So, listen, I’ll talk to Jude and get us out of it, okay? I’ll be in touch.”
“Sure,” I said even though I really didn’t want him to cancel.