10. Missy
Missy
T he next day, it’s time to return to my normal life.
I want to take Daisy with me to the diner like I always do.
But with the number of customers that come and go throughout the day, Dorothy and Russell convince me to leave her home with them.
They’re worried that Roulette and Jagger will show up and try to take Daisy.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared of that exact thing happening. With all the chaos that happens in the kitchen, it’s possible someone could slip into the back office undetected by Ernie, Lorna, or me.
So, I leave Daisy with Russell and Dorothy. They’ll watch over her today and keep her safe. I give her extra kisses and promise I’ll be home soon.
When Griffin drops me off at the diner, he makes me promise to call him when I’m ready to leave, so he can pick me up.
I agree, and he gives me a kiss, a steamy one that has my body temperature rising. I leave the truck before he can maul me right there in the parking lot.
I’m not sure if Ernie and Lorna would fire me for that, but they definitely wouldn’t appreciate me giving their customers a show. Not that Griffin would let me do that. He’s too possessive to possibly let that happen.
I’m only on for half a shift today. It was Ernie and Lorna’s way of easing me back into my work. It feels good to be back on my feet and in my regular routine.
I greet Ernie and Lorna, but my shift goes by too quickly for me to really chat with them. Around lunchtime, Audrey shows up. She doesn’t have Paisley with her today.
I called her after my date with Griffin. I told her all the details. Well, except for the steamy parts. I kept those for myself, but she could guess from what I did share what happened.
“How are you doing with everything?” Audrey asks.
“Good,” I tell her, my gaze bouncing around the crowded restaurant. I’m glad my shift is over as I settle into the booth across from her with my burger and fries.
“I haven’t seen anyone suspicious. I don’t know whether or not that’s a good sign. Maybe it means they gave up, or maybe it means they’re working on another plan. One with better odds of success.” I shiver at the thought.
“Don’t worry,” Audrey tells me. “You have the support of Griffin and Luke and the whole town. We protect our own here.”
I swirl my iced sweet tea with my straw, not looking up at her. “This town is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a family.”
“But?” Audrey prompts.
“Well, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.” I check to make sure no one’s paying attention to us. When I see that most of the patrons are busy with their own meals, I lean close and keep my voice quiet as I say, “How long after you met Logan did you know?”
“Know what?” she frowns.
“Know that you were in love with him.”
A soft smile lights up her face. It’s obvious she’s a woman in love. “I knew the moment I laid eyes on him, but it took me a little while to trust my heart. Once I did, I was really glad I listened.”
“I’m scared. It’s so fast. I wasn’t prepared to feel as much as I do for him.”
“And now that you’ve let him in, it feels like your whole world revolves around him,” Audrey says.
“Before, it was you and her against the world. Now, you have a protector, a provider, a man who is beside you, who will fight for you, who will do anything it takes to put a smile on your face. And that’s a lot. ”
I nod, relieved she knows how I’m feeling. “It’s not that I’m not grateful for Griffin. I am. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me and Daisy. I can’t help thinking, what if everything goes wrong?”
“When you’ve been on your own for so long, I think that’s a common question,” Audrey says.
“But what if everything goes right? What if you found the love of your life, and you marry him, and you have more babies together? What if you raise a family, and your life is filled with so much love and joy that you never even thought was possible?”
Her question makes me see the situation in a new light. I haven’t stopped to think about what might happen if it all goes right. It would be amazing if we got decades to spend together, loving each other and caring for each other.
“You’re right,” I admit softly. “I think this is new to me, and I’m learning.”
“That’s normal,” she reassures me. “But don’t let your fear talk you out of the best thing that’s ever happened to you. Well, the second-best thing.”
“She is the best thing, and he’s a close second,” I agree, thinking of my little Daisy. I can’t wait to get home and hug her again. This whole shift has been a lot harder without her.
With that realization, I start eating my burger. As I’m finishing it and about to call Griffin for a ride, I remember that I wanted to get my tablet and hair dryer from the rental.
I figure that Audrey can drop me off, and I’ll call Griffin from there. I seriously doubt the guys from that night are going to be back. It’s been days since anyone has seen them. Plus, it’ll be a couple of quick minutes.
“Can you give me a ride to my rental?” I ask. “I have to get a couple of things.”
The drive over to my place is filled with more girl talk as Audrey enthusiastically tells me about the book club in Courage County. Apparently, there are several book clubs here filled with women who love reading romance books.
“You’ll get some of the best inspiration in them,” she tells me.
I frown. “What do you mean?”
She gives me a grin. “Don’t you worry. I’m going to pass you this week’s book, and you’ll see what I mean.”
As we’re arriving, she gets a call from Logan about Paisley who has started running a slight fever. “I have to go. Will you be OK here?”
“I’ll be fine.” I wave her away and wait until she disappears to go into my rental house. Everything is how we left it. Other than the cardboard taped to the broken pane, I could almost think I imagined everything that night.
As I move through the house, I’m certain that I feel Griff’s gaze on me. But that’s not possible. He’s still at work. He couldn’t possibly know I’m here. Still, the idea that he might be watching me causes my cheeks to heat.
Since I haven’t been here in three days and Griffin has made it perfectly clear that I won’t be returning to live here on my own, I set to work in the kitchen.
It only takes me about twenty minutes to get the fridge emptied and cleaned.
Next, I attack the few dishes in the sink and take out the trash.
One everything is clean, I go to the bathroom, grabbing my forgotten hair dryer and my loofah.
I check the living room for my tablet. But I must have left it in my bedroom.
I find it on the bottom of the tiny bookshelf I salvaged from a local dumpster.
When I go to reach for it, I knock something over behind my plant.
Frowning, I reach for the small black plastic square. As soon as I spot the lens, I know exactly what it is.
My phone rings. I don’t have to look at the screen to know it’s Griffin. I accept the call but don’t say a word.
“We need to talk,” his voice is rough and deep, the way it was last night when he pinned my hands above my head and satisfied both of us.
I still don’t say anything. Fury has me holding my tongue. I’ve never been one of those people that explodes. My anger is the quiet, seething kind.
“Stay where you are. I’m five minutes away,” he instructs, and I hate that he’s telling me what to do.
I end the call without a word to him. I drop my phone and my tablet into my bag with the loofah and hair dryer. That’s when it clicks. If there’s one camera, there are more. I still have a few minutes before he gets here, so I sweep the apartment.
Two. I find two more cameras. One in my kitchen and one in the living room. All three of them are placed so he can see the entire room at a glance. It wasn’t in my imagination. He wasn’t just watching over the rental with the security cameras. He was also watching me inside my home.
The door flings open, and Griffin storms into the living room. His jaw is clenched, anger radiating from him. “What do you think you’re doing, running off without telling me where you are?”
I take a step back even though I’m not afraid of him. I bump into the wall. “You have the audacity to be mad? You were spying on me! Watching me in my private moments!”
“I’m obsessed with you, and I’m not apologizing for it.
” He crowds my space, letting me feel his need against my belly.
“I will never not be crazy about you. I’m going to spend the rest of my life watching over you.
Sometimes you’re going to know I’m watching, sometimes you won’t. But my gaze will always be on you.”
“You’re unhinged,” I say, my tone harsh even as I roll my hips against him. I’ve never been so turned on as I am right now. All my life I’ve wanted to be seen, and now I have a man who likes to watch me constantly.
His expression is a hard mask, and I know there will be no compromising on this with him. “If that makes me unhinged, then so be it. But you’re mine to look after, and I plan to look my fill.”
I groan his name and rub against him, seeking the friction I so desperately crave. He’s trapped me between the wall and his body. He could so easily take care of both of us right here and now.
He cups my face and forces my gaze up to his. “Tell the truth. Are you angry that I was spying on you or are you angry that the idea turns you on?”
My face flushes hot under his knowing gaze. “You’re bossy and controlling.”
He drops his head, his lips inches from mine. When he speaks, his breath is warm against my skin. “We agree on that. It’s not up for debate. Now be a good girl and answer the question.”
I moan, “I need you.”
He doesn’t make me say anything more. He can read me so well that he already knows how aroused I am.
Within seconds of my confession, he’s taking care of me with his lips, his tongue, his fingers.
He’s pushing me higher and higher until I’m hurtling into space.
I close my eyes as stars explode behind my lids.
My body is still quaking when he slips inside of me. He pins me against the wall, taking me hard and fast. The entire time, he’s growling in my ear, “You’re mine. You’ll always be mine. Mine to protect. Mine to love. Mine to watch.”
The last promise has my body spasming around him as he satisfies both of us again and again. In this moment, I know that whatever happens, Griffin is never planning to let me go. This cowboy stalker owns me, body and soul.