Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Reese
I blink awake to the sound of movement, sheets tugging lightly at my side. Griffin’s already up, shirt half-buttoned, boots on the floor. He glances over, catches me rubbing my eyes, and his expression softens.
“What time is it?” My voice is thick with sleep.
He leans down, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to my lips that sends warmth curling through me. “Five,” he murmurs against my mouth. “I was trying so hard not to wake you.”
“Five?” I groan, tugging the blanket higher. “That’s practically the middle of the night.”
A low chuckle rumbles in his chest as he straightens. “Stable work doesn’t wait. It’s early mornings, long days. But it’s okay. It’s all going to be worth it in the end.”
“You’re working so hard,” I whisper, watching him tuck in his shirt.
He shrugs, easy but determined. “That’s an understatement. I’ve got a busy couple of days ahead, but I’ll find time for you.” He bends to kiss me again, softer this time, like he’s reluctant to let go.
When he finally leaves, the door clicking shut behind him, I flop back into the pillows with a giddy little squeal. My fingers trace over my skin, remembering every place his hands touched last night. I didn’t know I had nerves there, but damn if he didn’t bring every inch of me to life.
God, I can’t wait to tell Piper. She’ll scream right along with me. I want to shout it from the rooftops: I’m falling in love with Griffin Topete, and he’s everything.
Still buzzing, I slide out of bed and into the shower, humming under my breath. By the time I towel off, the world feels scrubbed clean, wide open with possibility. I settle at my laptop, pulling up emails while sipping my first cup of coffee.
And then I see it—my quarterly 401k statement.
For years, I’ve scrimped and saved, watching that number slowly climb. Careful. Responsible. Always telling myself it was for someday.
But staring at the balance now, a wild thought takes root. I could cash out part of it, help Griffin start his business.
The idea sends champagne bubbles fizzing through my veins. He wouldn’t have to worry about Portland, or Lauren, or leaving. We could stay here together.
Normally, I’d never consider something so rash. But Griffin feels like the greatest gamble I’ll ever take. Isn’t love the only investment that matters?
I take a deep breath. The next time I see him, I’ll sit him down and talk about it. He has a business plan, and now I do too—one that doesn’t require the promise of a marriage.
Although if I’m being honest, I’m not exactly opposed to the idea. Not with someone like Griffin.
On my way to get dressed, I catch sight of myself in the mirror, cheeks flushed, eyes still shining from last night.
“Reese Topete,” I whisper, then snort and roll my eyes at my reflection. “Get a grip, girl. Don’t scare the man off already.”
Still, the smile lingers. Deep down, a tiny part of me wonders—maybe, just maybe —it isn’t such a crazy thought after all.
The scent of coffee and warm pastries hits me as soon as I step into the breakfast bar. It’s cozy, a little rustic, with a spread of muffins, fruit, and eggs set out for guests and staff alike. I’m still glowing from last night, still humming under my breath as I grab a plate.
Too bad the glow doesn’t last.
Sabine slides up beside me, her perfume sharp against the steam of coffee. With a little hip-check that nearly sends me into the buffet, she grins. “Ooh, somebody got lucky last night.”
I bristle but force a smile. “Are you referring to yourself or to me?”
She laughs, low and knowing. “Don’t play coy, Reese. I saw Griffin leaving your room at the crack of dawn. Walk of shame, anyone?”
Heat crawls up my neck. “That’s really none of your business.”
“Oh, honey.” Her voice drips with condescension. “Don’t take it the wrong way. I hope he made you see God.” She leans in close and arches a brow. “Especially since your sister lined him up for you.”
The fork clatters from my hand. “Excuse me? What are you talking about?”
Sabine waves a manicured hand, casual as anything. “I don’t know if it was serious or just a joke, but…” She gestures vaguely toward me. “What does it matter? You got laid, you had your orgasms. End of story. And trust me, sweetheart—around here, everyone knows how good he is.”
Her dismissive words sting as she hands me back my joy in broken shards.
Desperate for balance, I reach for some fruit, but Sabine refuses to back away.
“Sabine, stop with your bullshit,” I hiss. “I know how you are. You love stirring the pot.”
She tilts her head in mock innocence. “Believe what you want. But I heard them talking about it. Loud enough for half the diner to hear, honestly. Maybe they should take their business elsewhere if they don’t want people to know.”
“You’re lying.”
She shrugs, popping a grape into her mouth like this is her morning entertainment. “Am I? Then go ask your sister.”
With that, she walks away, leaving unease as my new breakfast companion.
I carry my plate to a table, determined not to let her ruin my mood. That’s what Sabine does. She takes the shine off everything.
But as I stir cream into my coffee, a memory careens into focus, making my stomach twist. That night at the bar, when Piper announced that I’d never been laid properly and then told Griffin he was the man for the job.
Stop it, Reese. Don’t spiral. You’ll talk to Piper, and she’ll tell you it’s nothing. Just Sabine’s jealousy at play. Griffin is a good man. He’d never hurt you like this, and you know that.
But then a tiny voice hums in the corner of my mind. What if you’re wrong? Again?
I scrape the rest of my untouched breakfast into the trash and storm down the hall toward my sister’s room. Since Piper didn’t have a client last night, I know exactly where she’ll be.
Time to sort this problem, so I can continue basking in the glow of several orgasms, courtesy of my handsome cowboy.
Sure enough, when I knock, there’s a muffled, “What?”
“Open the door, Piper.”
A moment later, it creaks open. She’s standing there with a sleep mask shoved up over one eye, hair a mess, Chowder draped across her arm like he belongs to her. “What the hell time is it?”
“Seven.”
She groans. “Why are you bothering me? Why aren’t you in bed with Griffin?”
My chest twists, but I don’t take the bait. “What exactly did you and Griffin agree to that day at the diner?”
Her brows pinch. “Huh? What are you talking about?”
“That day you were discussing my sex life—my lack of a sex life.” My voice shakes, but I push through it. “What agreement did you two reach?”
She blinks, too slow, too groggy. No slick deflection, no witty dodge. Just a little tell—her lips part, close again. “Oh…”
“Piper,” I snap. “Don’t bother lying. I already know when you’re about to feed me a line of bullshit.”
Her shoulders sag against the doorframe. “Fine. We talked about it. I said I felt bad for you.”
The words punch through me. Wrong thing. Instantly wrong. And we both know it.
“You felt bad for me?” My voice rises, sharp. “What the fuck does that mean?”
Her eyes widen. “Reese, that’s not what I meant?—”
“Because Vander was an asshole? Because he cheated? So what, your grand solution was to buy me a fucking orgasm? Buy me a man for the night?” Fury and humiliation twist together until my throat feels raw. “Is that how you see me? Some pathetic charity case?”
Piper shakes her head quickly, panicked. “No! That’s not?—”
“Don’t,” I cut in, my voice breaking. “Don’t you dare .”
The words taste like acid, burning up my tongue. In the space of a heartbeat, it all comes crashing down.
Not only did Piper think I was some frigid loser, but Griffin must have too. That must be why he tried so hard to wring every ounce of pleasure out of me—poor little Reese, can’t get herself off, better make sure she sees God at least once in her life.
A pity project. A stinking karma point.
“Fucking Sabine,” Piper mutters under her breath, her fingers gripping the door frame. “You know how she is, Reese.”
The words lance through me like a blade between the ribs, and a jagged laugh bursts out of me. “Don’t blame this on Sabine. She didn’t come up with this plan. You did. And Griffin accepted. So don’t stand there acting like this is anybody else’s fault.”
My stomach lurches. Suddenly, every moment with Griffin feels staged. And worse, I can’t shake the thought that Sabine wasn’t the only one who heard them talking that day in the diner. That I’ve been walking around as some pathetic inside joke.
Piper’s poor, frigid big sister. Tangled Vines’ charity case.
And maybe that’s why Griffin never let me touch him. He figured I couldn’t get him off. Better to keep the control, better to keep the pity illusion intact.
Frigid. Too much work. Not worth it.
The words echo, cruel and familiar, in my mind.
What a performance, Mr. Topete. No wonder you’re the star attraction.
No surprise he’s suddenly busy for the next two days. No wonder Lauren appeared like a perfect little escape hatch. He probably couldn’t wait to crawl back into her bed and away from the sad disaster his friend’s sister dumped in his lap.
God, I was going to clear out my 401k for this son of a bitch. Move heaven and earth for him. And all of it—it was nothing. Just another job. Just another well-practiced act from a man who’s done it thousands of times.
I’m humiliated, seething, seconds away from either bursting into hysterics or ripping one of those damn cow horns off the wall and goring my sister right in the boob.
“Reese.” Piper’s voice cracks as she reaches for me. “Please calm down. I think the world of you. So does Griffin. You must know that.”
I laugh, hollow and sharp, as tears sting my eyes. “The only thing I know, the only thing,” I grit out, my voice cracking, “is that you’d both better stay the fuck away from me.”
I yank Chowder out of her arms, hugging his warm, sleepy body to my chest like armor. “This is my cat. My life. And I want you to stay the fuck away from both.”