Chapter Thirty-One
Half an hour later, Jennifer sat at her computer and tried to concentrate on what she was doing.
Fatigue pulled at her, making everything harder, and the headache that started this morning intensified.
Her head snapped around when her office door opened and closed abruptly.
Her heart dropped when Grant stood leaning against the inside of the door with his arms crossed over his chest.
Grant watched the color leach out of her face, and sadness seeped into her eyes that he never wanted to see again. “Do you want to tell me why you haven’t picked up your phone last night or today?”
Jennifer turned her chair to face him and gripped her hands tightly together on her lap. “I didn’t want to talk to anybody last night.”
“Why?” he snapped.
It hurt to look at him. He was so handsome, so she turned her head away. “I waited for you last night for several hours. I called and texted, and nothing. Only when I called your office did I talk to someone.”
Grant was still confused, but at least she was talking to him. “I see. Who exactly did you talk to?”
Jennifer shrugged as tears burned her eyes. “I didn’t recognize her voice.”
“And what exactly did she tell you?” He kept his tone relaxed and his eyes blank.
Jennifer bit her lip to hold back the tears that stung her eyes. Her heart dropped at the cold and void of any emotion in her eyes. “It doesn’t matter, Grant. I’m at fault. I should have never pushed you into something you’re not ready for.”
Seconds ticked by while Grant stood with crossed arms and stared at her. “We’ll deal with that bullshit later. What did this woman say?”
Jennifer’s stomach twisted at the angry tick in his jaw. “She said you were busy and then...”
“Then what?” Grant intoned harshly.
Jennifer flinched at the sharp tone of his voice. “Then I heard you in the background telling her to hurry up.” She raised her gaze and quickly lowered it at the fury he no longer tried to hold back from his eyes.
Silence descended. He stared at her, and she stared at her hands.
Grant ground his teeth together and held himself still when he just wanted to yell and pull her over his knees for believing any bullshit that woman spewed. “So, let me see if I got this straight. I’m assuming you didn’t get my message about a meeting and that I would stop over later?”
Jennifer’s head jerked up, and she shook her head.
“I didn’t receive your calls. I left my phone in my office because I needed to concentrate on the meeting.
When I finally got time to look at my phone, I saw your messages and called you immediately.
You didn’t answer, so I kept trying. I drove to your place, expecting you to be there.
You weren’t there, of course, so I started to really worry.
I drove by here and didn’t see your car, the place was dark.
I saw your car outside just now. In the daylight, I could see you parked on the side of the building by one of the garages.
You never do that.” He walked to her and squatted beside her chair, ignoring her flinch.
“Jennifer, look at me.” His tone brooks no argument.
Her gaze jerked up and met his.
“Do I have it right so far?”
Jennifer shrugged. “I don’t know, I wasn’t there, and I sometimes park back there.”
An angry rumble rushed from his throat. “Jesus, woman, you’re making me nuts.”
Jennifer used her toes to move her chair back from him, stopping when she heard a low growl come from him. “Grant, listen. We don’t need to go into this. It’s none of my business what you were doing. We’re not a couple, really.” Her voice rose as her desperation climbed.
Grant’s eyes darkened dangerously. “What the fuck just came out of your mouth?”
Jennifer flinched.
Grant sighed, tugged her up, sat down, and pulled her onto his lap. He lay one heavy arm over her lap to keep her seated, and his other hand went to her back.
“I’m sorry I yelled, baby. I’m trying to figure out how to get through to you.
” He held up a hand when she opened her mouth.
“No, you need to listen to me. I wasn’t going to tell you until it was done.
I’ve been trying to sell most of my businesses.
Do you know why?” He continued when she shook her head.
“Because of you.” There were other things he was trying to wrap up that had to do with the Good Knight Society cases.
He had to travel for a few of them and would continue in the future, but he couldn’t be away from Jennifer for long periods of time, nor could he take her with him.
Jennifer paled and gasped as tears slid down her cheeks. “No.” She was horrified. “Why would you do something like that?”
“Because I want to spend as much time as possible with you, and I can’t do that with the size of my company, so I’m selling off most and training someone to manage most of the rest. I’ll have my hand in it but will delegate more.”
“But why?” she said as she tried to swallow back the tears that kept falling, but it was impossible. Her emotions were in an upheaval.
“I know I’m happiest when I’m with you.” Grant wiped the tears that flowed down her face.
“Shhh, baby, this is a good thing. I should have done it years ago. I was working sixty- to eighty-hour weeks, and I don’t need to.
I have more money than I could spend in ten lifetimes.
Why shouldn’t I semi-retire if I can and spend time with my favorite person? ”
Jennifer’s fingers dried her face as silent tears continued to fall. “I don’t know what to say.”
Grant gripped her thigh as his hand at her back rubbed soothing circles. “You don’t have to say anything.”
“Is that why you’ve been preoccupied lately?”
“Yes. I didn’t want to make a big deal of it, because somehow I knew you would feel guilty or take it the wrong way.” He smiled for the first time in hours at the blush that overtook her complexion.
“Let’s get back to last night. The guy I hired to manage my holdings is named Peter Sorenson. Around four, I asked Peter’s assistant, Vanessa, to call you, and you didn’t get that call, correct?”
She shook her head and flinched when he bit out a swear word.
“So, you had no idea I was going to be much later.” He waited for her nod, then continued. “Next, you called my office, and Vanessa said what, exactly?”
“She said you were too busy to come to the phone.”
“And? I want to hear everything she said.”
“And that she knew all about me. She also said you needed her and she had to go. Then ... then I heard you in the background telling her to hurry. But it was the suggestive way she said it that upset me.”
“Goddamn it. That bitch. She’s gone as of now.”
Jennifer straightened in his lap. “No, Grant, you can’t fire her.”
“You bet your sweet ass I can and I will. I ignored her flirting because I figured she was Peter’s problem, and I wouldn’t be around much longer. But now, I don’t want that bitch within a mile of you.”
Jennifer leaned against him, slipped one arm around his neck, and started to cry. “I’m so sorry, Grant. I’m causing so much trouble.”
“Christ, woman. You didn’t do anything, and if I hear that shit come out of your mouth again, I’ll assume you’re begging me to spank your sweet ass.”
A laugh burst out of her as she wrapped her arms tighter around his neck.
He speared his fingers through her hair and tilted her head back to take her lips hard, adjusting her head to deepen the kiss. When they were both breathing heavily, they broke apart. “I’m assuming you didn’t get much sleep last night either, did you?”
She shook her head and tucked it under his chin.
“When can you leave?”
Jennifer looked up at his handsome, masculine face. “I could leave now. Kari is here until closing.”
He stood them up, leaned down until his face was even with hers, and pinched her chin.
“Good. I’m taking you home, and you better be ready because I will have you under me within seconds.
And then I’m going to spend a long time inside of you, showing you exactly how I feel about you and who you belong to. And only then will I let you sleep.”
Jennifer pressed her mouth to his and looked him straight in the eyes. “Good. I need you. It feels like it’s been a week since I had you deep inside me, and right now I need that more than anything.”
Grant growled, cupped her shoulders, and pressed his forehead against her. “Babe, you’re killing me here. It’s touch and go to see if I can make it home with you before I have your panties off. Don’t push me on this.”
Jennifer hesitated until a low warning rumble pushed her forward. She took a cautious step back, shut down her computer, and grabbed her purse before they walked out of the office.
“Kari, I’m going to head home. Call if you need me, but if not, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jennifer said on her way past the front desk.
Kari’s eyes were wide with curiosity and unanswered questions. “Absolutely. You couldn’t have gotten any sleep here last night.”
Jennifer bit her lip when Grant growled at her from behind. She wouldn’t be surprised if she had Grant breathing down her neck for a while.