32. Andi
Chapter 32
Andi
G riffin clamps his hand over my mouth, his lips against my ear when he tells me, “Everyone’s awake. You need to be quiet.”
Then he nips my earlobe at the same time he tweaks my nipple. Unfair.
My moan is muffled, and he catches me around the waist as I bend over, needing to hold on to something that isn’t his forearm.
It’s been a week and a half since I crashed Grace’s talent show and had a long talk with Griffin. I explained how I need to go back to Los Angeles while Dahlia records her album, but West Chester is my home. I don’t plan on ever leaving it or him and the kids for long periods of time without a plan. He didn’t say much other than to put me on my back and go down on me for a very long time until I promised him that I’d sell my car while I was out in California. Because “that piece of shit is getting replaced ASAP.”
He made a very convincing argument.
Though I didn’t need three orgasms, it did prove exactly how much he really wanted me to get rid of my Jeep.
I’ve spent every night in our bed and every day relaxing with Dahlia, walking around downtown, introducing her to my friends, and writing songs. We even had an impromptu concert when Griffin invited his family over for a cookout. While he grilled up hot dogs and hamburgers, Dahlia and I performed our favorites, then closed with Grace and the new song she’s been working on, “Hey Lover”—the first song I ever learned to play. The one Dahlia covers at the end of every show.
It’s been exactly what I needed.
“Yeah, I got you. I know what you need,” Griffin murmurs, setting me on all fours, pushing my knees apart with his own as he rolls on a condom. “Head down on the bed, baby. Stay quiet.”
I lay down my cheek and extend my arms above me to hold on to the edge of the mattress. Behind me, Griffin groans as he runs his palm along my spine, tracing the curve of my butt, sinking down to press his fingers against my entrance. I’m wet from the two orgasms he provided this morning, waking me up with his mouth between my legs. He’d already worked out and had breakfast. Now, he smears my desire all over my pussy and inner thighs, molding his hand to me for a long moment.
I love when he does that. Claims me. Without words, he lets me know that I’m his.
But he takes too long, and I shimmy my hips, pushing back against him. His laugh is gruff. “So impatient.” He feeds his cock into me, slowly working in one inch at a time until I’m full and panting. He bends his big body over me, sliding his left hand up my arm to lace our fingers together while he finds my clit with his right, his fingers circling with the exact right amount of pressure. I whimper, unable to move, simply taking it. His weight and heat, it’s all so overwhelming. Too much, yet not enough. I think I might accidentally suffocate trying to get him closer, but he’d never allow that to happen.
Always careful. Even when he breathes heavily against my ear, his damp chest against my back, pinning me in place. “You always feel so fucking good, but I can’t wait to take you bare.”
His words send chills racing over my sweaty skin. For a man of few words, he knows exactly what to say when we’re together. Especially when he wants to get me off. Nothing feels quite like the pride in his voice when he makes me come and praises me for it.
In one of our discussions this last week, we’d talked about how neither one of us wanted any more kids besides Logan and Grace. Since we’re committed to each other, we don’t have to use condoms, save for the birth control, and he’d happily agreed to get a vasectomy. Griffin being Griffin, he already called to make the consultation appointment.
He rolls his hips, setting off another wave of pleasure, and he reminds me to be quiet again as I orgasm one more time. I bite my lip, stifling my sounds, and I feel him nod, his stubbly jaw like sandpaper against my temple. “Attagirl.” He shifts up, eases off my clit to hold my hips, both hands gripping me hard. “Atta-fucking-girl. Always so good. So sweet.”
He takes off, snapping his hips in quick succession, and I have a difficult time getting air into my lungs, trapped under him, being wonderfully used. Because even when Griffin is rough with me, fucking me like he’s a little out of his mind, I know he’s doing it because he wants me out of my mind too. He wants me to stop thinking and feel all the things I’d always been afraid to feel during sex. He wants me to be dirty and playful and filthy and his perfect girl.
“That’s my perfect girl.” He sucks in air through his teeth, a sign he’s close to coming, his pace faltering until he stutters to a stop and falls on top of me for a few seconds. He kisses my temple and pulls me to his chest.
His heart beats steadily beneath my ear, a comforting rhythm that matches my own. We lie like that for a while, his fingers combing my baby hairs, mine lightly scratching over his hard pectoral muscle. Honestly, the man is 80% protein shake. Water? Never heard of it, unless he’s forcing me to drink it.
“You packed up?” he asks after a few seconds, and while I pretend to hate this game, it’s actually my favorite. The one where he makes sure I have everything anytime I leave the house.
“Yep.”
“All the information about your car saved on your computer?”
“Yes, Captain.”
He tugs on a few strands of hair as a reprimand. “It’ll make it easier for you when you go to sell it.”
“I know. I know.”
“Do you have your plane tickets printed out?”
That has me lifting my head. “No one does that anymore, Grandpa.”
His hand lands a sharp smack on my ass, and I squeal in surprise. Rolling so he’s on top of me, he kisses me hard. As if it’s punishment.
I wiggle underneath him, fighting a bit, and he pretends he’s not a former Navy SEAL, allowing me to thump his shoulder twice before he holds both of my wrists down on either side of my head, bracketing his knees around mine so I can’t move.
I smile.
So does he.
Then he rubs the tip of his nose against mine and kisses me once, softly. “You’ve ruined me.”
“Good.”
He huffs a chuckle. It sounds like he smoked ten packs of cigarettes last night. “No remorse whatsoever for turning me into some kind of simp for you?”
I shake my head. “You love it.”
He glares at me as if he doesn’t love it, giving in after a few seconds. He kisses me again, this time sweeping his tongue into my mouth, teasing me with short strokes interspersed with longer ones and scrapes of his teeth. He eventually lies next to me, his head propped up on his hand. “I’m going to miss you.”
I turn on my side, matching his position. “I’ll miss you too, but I’m looking forward to all the fun we’ll have.”
He rolls his eyes. “Yeah. Waiting in line for three hours for a ride that’ll take three minutes.”
“Hey, you had fun at Hershey.” When he refuses to answer, I poke him. “Admit it. You can’t wait to buy matching Mickey ears and get your picture taken in front of the castle.”
He sighs, grumbling. “I’m not wearing Mickey ears.”
As soon as the kids are done with school, the three of them are hopping on a plane to come to LA so we can spend a week exploring Southern California, including a visit to the Happiest Place on Earth. And he’s absolutely going to be sporting Mickey ears with me.
As big as he is, he’s no match for me.
Although I am no match for his alarms. His watch beeps, and he taps it, telling me, “Time to get up.”
“Noooooooooo.”
“Yeeeeeeeees.” He scoops me up from the bed and carries me into the bathroom, where he starts the shower. He remains all business even as I try to convince him to get under the spray with me, but he reminds me that I need to be at the gate three hours before boarding, and if I don’t get moving, I’ll be late. That’s when I tell him this would all go much faster if he came in here to wash me.
He doesn’t fall for it, and I have to finish showering on my own to the tune of Griffin’s delightful warnings.
“Twelve minutes!”
“Five minutes! Your breakfast is ready!”
“One minute. Get a move on, Andi!”
I throw my backpack over my shoulder and make my way downstairs to learn he filled the rental up with gas last night and loaded our bags already. Griffin hands me a to-go bowl of oatmeal with berries and a drizzle of maple syrup.
“Protein,” I say at the same time he does, earning a stark eyebrow raise. I kiss a grin into his lips then tug on his hand, leading him outside, where Logan and Grace are chatting with Dahlia.
Over the last ten days, my best friend has come to learn why I love my family so much, and I’ve come to understand that I don’t have to sacrifice one dream for another; they just might look different than I thought they would.
Dahlia offers hugs to everyone then ducks into the car to give me time. I start with Logan, kissing the top of his head. Before he can turn away, I catch his elbow, whispering, “I know you’re staying up late playing video games. If your dad figures it out, I doubt you’ll be able to beat him in a footrace to the garbage can. He’ll throw out your Switch.”
His face drains of color, and I let him stew for a moment before I wink, letting him know Griffin won’t be finding out from me. “Be good. I love you.”
“Yeah, okay,” he says quietly then backs up. “Love you too.”
And hearing the kids tell me they love me will never get old. Never.
I hug Grace, squeezing her tight. “I can’t believe next time I see you, you’ll be a middle schooler.”
“Not officially,” she says into my shoulder.
“Yeah, officially. You’re done with elementary school in two weeks. As soon as you walk out of that building, you can say, ‘I’m in sixth grade.’”
She shrugs in agreement, and I kiss her cheek. “Love you.”
“I love you too.”
For the first time, the word Mom floats through my mind. They’ve never had a woman in their life to call Mom, and even though I’ve only known them a few months, I don’t plan on going anywhere. And…maybe, somebody, they wouldn’t mind calling me Mom. I wouldn’t mind.
In fact, I’d really love it.
I finally turn to Griffin, covering my eyes from the sunshine as I peer up at him. He pivots, so the sun is at my back, and this man…
Too good.
Too perfect.
And all mine.
I hook my hands into his T-shirt. “So, this is goodbye, huh?”
“For now,” he says, palms bracketing my face.
“We should probably say something else instead of goodbye.” I lift my shoulder in question. “How about so long?”
He exhales like I’m exhausting, though he can’t help himself and joins in. He clucks his tongue with a thought. “Farewell?”
I gasp, throwing up my hands, saying in singsong, “ Auf wiedersehen, adieu !”
He doesn’t get it, so I sing the famous song from Sound of Music . Dahlia joins in, and I hold my hands at my chest like I’m in a choir.
He remains unamused and waits until I finish my musical theatre performance to plant his hands on my waist, lowering his forehead to mine. “I don’t know what I did in my life to deserve you, but I swear I’m not gonna stop trying.”
That I believe, and I wrap my fingers around his wrist. “I love you, Captain.”
“I love you, sweetheart.”
He kisses me tenderly then lifts his dark gaze to me, those eyes that stunned me on a rainy day in March. He rubs his thumb over my lower lip and lets a smile loose. “I’ll see you soon.”
I nod, and he steps back, watching as I open the passenger’s side door, blowing kisses. The kids wave, but Griffin goddamn Stone catches one of my kisses, grins, and presses it to his heart.
I toss my head back to laugh.
Stones do crack.
And I never stood a chance against the good stuff hidden on the inside of mine. All the love and loyalty and feelings .