Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 115763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
My heart breaks for Griffin, which is something I never thought I’d say or think or feel about the stone-cold man but is absolutely true in this pivotal moment.
“Dominic Lee, I have never been so disappointed in you as I am right now,” I reply evenly, totally seriously, and absolutely disgustedly. “If you know anything about Griffin, have ever had one real conversation with him the way a friend would, I want you to think really hard about what you just said and what you’ve done tonight.”
I’m channeling every bit of Mom that I can, from the glare to the stance to the frown shaping my lips. Dropping the sprayer hose, I beeline straight to Griffin. Grabbing his cheeks in my hands, I force his eyes to mine, pulling him down until he’s nearly nose to nose with me. His skin is wet, chilled by the water, and there’s bruising blooming beneath both eyes from his clearly reinjured nose. “You are a good man. Deep inside that fortress of a heart, you care. And I see that in the way you protected me tonight. I see it in the way you let my asshole brother—”
“Standing right here,” Dominic interjects.
Ignoring him, I forcefully repeat, “The way you let my asshole brother beat you to a pulp in some stupid attempt to punish yourself. And you are worth everything. Friendship, love, family, friends. I deserve the best, and I think I’ve found it.”
Dominic snorts in disbelief, but Griffin is locked onto me, listening intently and absorbing every word.
“If you kiss her . . . cross my cock and swear to balls, I will kill you right here, right now.”
He won’t. I wouldn’t let my brother kill Griffin. And not only because Talia and I wouldn’t get our security deposit back. But because I’m in this thing. Earlier today, I was reeling. Hell, I still am, but for entirely different reasons. Because I see the way Griffin is trying so hard to respect Dominic while also wanting me with every fiber of his being. And he left a damn hockey game—twice!—for me. If that’s not an indicator of how important I am to him, I don’t know what is.
And I’m sure Dominic won’t kill me—partially because he loves me, but for sure because Mom and Dad would have his ass. So I make the move, lifting to my toes and pressing my lips to Griffin’s. I can feel him holding back, the tight grip on his restraint returning, and when he doesn’t fully give in to me, I crack open one eye to find his eyes opened fully as he looks past me. My lips still pressed to his, I ask, “Is he mean-mugging you?”
“Mm-hmm,” Griffin answers, not moving away.
I let go of his face, sliding one hand behind my back to flip my brother the middle finger. I don’t know what Dominic does, but Griffin chuckles against my lips and then kisses me properly. His arms wrap around my waist, and he lifts me, my feet dangling in the air as he stands to his full height. His lips soften, melting against me as he leaves gentle smacking kisses across my mouth.
The surrender we both make to the moment settles something in my soul. Things are going to be okay . . . eventually. They have to be. Unfortunately, like all great things, the kiss is over too quickly, but probably not fast enough for Dominic, judging by the furious look on his face when I turn around.
“How long?” His eyes cut from me to Griffin.
“A couple of weeks,” I answer.
At the same time, Griffin grunts, “Five long years. For your ungrateful ass.”
I press my lips together to hide the smile trying to lift them. Rushing to explain the latest turn of events, I say, “For me, it’s a couple of weeks with this whole ring fiasco, and Griffin helping me with it.”
The mention of what brought us all here tonight is another cold-water damper and kills my smile.
“What’re you doing with that?” my brother asks. Dominic is a doer. He needs a mission, and I think for a long time, I’ve been his number-one mission. Protect Penny. Not that I needed his protection. And he thought he was doing that by fighting Griffin. I don’t think he’s done with that mission, but sensing he’s losing the battle, he’s retreating to fight again and win the war. He won’t, but I’ll gladly take the momentary reprieve of focusing on another mission where I could use his help.
“Hiding?” I suggest unhelpfully.
“Yeah, no. That’s not good enough,” Dominic declares.
“Well, I’m open to suggestions. What’cha got?”
But Dominic doesn’t look to me. He turns to Griffin. “What have you been doing?”
Griffin grabs a hold of the back of his neck and cuts his eyes toward me. His voice is rough in that way that says he’s ashamed of something when he finally says, “There’s a little more to the story that you don’t know yet.”