94. Chapter 94
“Your dad wanted you kids to enjoy yourselves. Of course there’s no penalty for taking your time.”
Graham could hear the smile on Whitlock’s wrinkly mug. He’d called for ammunition—a clause or condition that they weren’t allowed to draw things out. It was his only leverage against Jase taking an extra day.
He didn’t mention that they were driving separately, though.
“This can’t be what Dad wanted,” Graham argued.
“I know you’re anxious to cash in, but rules are rules, and enjoying the trip a little longer isn’t breaking any. Take the day and have some fun, for goodness’ sake,” Whitlock said. “Don’t call me again until you’re done.”
The attorney hung up and Graham tossed his phone on the bed.
“You’ve got to let this go,” Helen said, sipping orange juice from a small glass, her breasts perky and distracting through one of Graham’s white T-shirts. She’d been watching Real Housewives of some-city-Graham-didn’t-care-which for the last hour.
“What’s their angle?” He rubbed his beard, missing the curly strays that no longer wrapped around his fingers.
He’d been trimming it almost daily now and smoothing it with cedar-scented oil Helen had found at a tourist shop in Lake Havasu City, her subtle nudge to clean it up or cut it off.
“I can’t stand thinking they’re having a laugh at my expense. Ha-ha, this whole thing is hilarious.”
“Some things haven’t changed,” Helen murmured.
“What’s that mean?”
“You’re the youngest child,” Helen pointed out. “You think you’re the center of the universe.”
He feigned injury and shock. “You mean, I’m not?”
She sighed and turned off the TV. “I honestly can’t tell if you’re serious.”
“Dead,” he said, borrowing her threat from Saul’s.
If she caught the reference, it didn’t show. “You ever think taking one more day has nothing to do with you? Because I can think of a few other reasons,” she said with a bite of the bagel he’d brought her, toasted and covered in cream cheese, from the continental breakfast bar.
“So can I. I’m trying not to entertain them,” Graham said. “Jase swore he wouldn’t touch her.”
“You trust him?”
Did he trust Jase alone with any woman for five minutes? Overnight?
He let out a frustrated sigh that pinched in his chest and insisted, “She’s smarter than that.”
“Sure.”
Just in case, he should text her.
Except Lindsey wasn’t his problem anymore. If she really was stupid enough—
“What are you doing?” Helen asked.
“Texting Jase,” Graham said.
Helen pulled him into bed. “Let it go.”
“Just a minute,” he said. Coming up with new threats took time.
“Graham”—Helen pried the phone from his fingers—“let it go.”
“I can’t believe you’re not upset about this.”
“If she’s with him then she’s not with you, and that’s all I care about.”
“We could finish today. I’m ready for this to be done.”
“Me too. But Jase has his new bike—”
“Which is still super weird, right?”
“—and he wants to play. Big deal. We’re in California for the first time, and we can do whatever we want.”
“Whatever we want except end this.” Graham squeezed her thigh through the comforter. “I thought you were in a hurry. When did you stop caring how long this takes?”
“When I looked in the back seat and your ex-girlfriend wasn’t in it.” She kissed the tips of his fingers. He remembered her licking them clean in Austin. She nipped the end of his pinky and some of the tautness left his face. “We used to make love all day.”
“We did.”
“I’d distract you on the phone with my hands.”
It was hard to stay mad once her fingers found his cock.
“And my mouth.”
“Helen,” he gritted out.
“Today we get to pretend we’re on vacation.”
“This isn’t a vacation.” If he said it once, he’d said it a thousand times. “When this is done, I’ll take you on vacation.”
She put his pointer finger in her mouth, drawing an erection out as she sucked down the length. “We’re two lovers, newly engaged, enjoying a beautiful day.”
A needy groan caught in his throat looking at her. Really looking. At those eyes full of desire, those cheeks flushed with heat. She turned on like a switch.
And he was bitching about being forced to spend a day in bed making up for lost time.
He traced his damp finger down the center of her neck to poke between her breasts.
“You used to wear my shirts to clean house,” he said, marveling at her nipples pebbling through the thin fabric. He pressed one with his fingertip.
“And nothing else,” she reminded him.
Graham set the plate with the half-eaten bagel on the bedside table and reached beneath the comforter.
“Fucking hell,” he said. She was naked from the waist down.
Helen leaned back on her arms with the look of a satisfied house cat and let him feel the heat between her legs.
“We have all the time in the world today,” she said.
“Okay.” He nodded, descending over her loveliness. “I know how we’re going to spend it.”