Shame on You

“I thought you needed rescuing,” I say in a mocking voice, just like his the previous night. “I don’t need you, or anyone to rescue me. And I definitely don’t need you or any man to kiss me because he feels sorry for me.”


I watch as the lightbulb finally clicks on and the humor in his eyes gets replaced by something fierce as he stalks toward me. I quickly move backward until I bump up against the counter and have nowhere else to go. Griffin puts his arms on either side of me on the counter, caging me in.

“Let’s get something straight here,” he tells me with a firm voice. “I have never felt sorry for you. When I kiss you, it’s because I want to, not because I have to. I saw the look on your face last night. You felt like shit next to that girl. You’re too much of a stubborn hard-ass to feel like less than you are around anyone. Especially someone like her.”

His eyes bore into mine and butterflies flap manically around in my stomach. Why is it so hard to stay mad at this man?

Without giving it a second thought, I grab the front of his shirt with both of my fists and haul him toward me, crashing my lips against his. Right now, I don’t care how bad of an idea this is. No one has ever said anything like that to me before and meant it.

Griffin immediately pushes his tongue past my lips and I moan into his mouth when I taste him again. He grabs onto my hips and effortlessly lifts me up onto the counter. My legs immediately wrap around his waist and my hands fist in his hair as he swirls his tongue through my mouth and pushes his hips between my legs. I can feel his erection again, just like last night, but this time, the hardness of him is right where I want it, pushing against the ache that formed as soon as he spoke those words to me. His hands slide around to my ass and he pulls me closer to the edge of the counter. I instinctively thrust my hips against him and it’s his turn to groan.

It’s been far too long since I’ve felt this needy. Every inch of my body is on fire and I can’t stop pushing my body against him. Jesus, he feels so good between my legs, sliding himself against me. I’m ashamed to admit that if he keeps this up, I’m probably going to have the fastest orgasm known to man. Or woman. His lips leave mine and he makes a trail of kisses across my cheek and to the side of my neck as he grips my ass and moves me against him. The tip of his tongue traces the edge of my earlobe before he tugs on it gently with his teeth.

“Fuck, you taste good. I’ve wanted you like this for eighteen years,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my neck.

Whoa. The fuck?

My hands, which are still locked in a death grip in his hair, tighten hard enough to pull some strands out as I yank his head away from my neck and stare angrily in his eyes.

“What did you just say?”

He tries to move back toward my lips, but I stop him, pulling on his hair even harder until he yelps. “Ouch! Easy on the hair!”

“Tell me you did not just say what I think you said!”

Griffin sighs and bows his head.

Holy shit. He’s serious. How did I not know this? And why the hell am I just finding out about this NOW? I thought the whole “go on a date with me” thing was just to bait me. Why the hell am I suddenly regretting all of the years I wasted with Alex when I could have had Griffin? SHIT! NO! He’s a friend. A friend who can kiss like a god and almost make me come on my father’s kitchen counter. We need to talk about this. This is serious business. I’m not ready for serious business. Why am I even questioning myself?

“So I guess this means you ARE dating?” my father asks from the kitchen doorway.

“GAAAAAAAAH!” I scream in frustration as I push Griffin away and jump down off the counter.

“Yes,” Griffin replies calmly.

“We most certainly are NOT dating!” I yell at Griffin.

“Just a matter of time until I catch McFadden,” he tells me with a grin.

“I’m going to wipe that smile off your face when I catch him and punch you square in the mouth!” I shout back.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, and I don’t care. I just came in to get the dip,” my father replies with a longing look toward the Crock-Pot resting on the counter right next to where I had been close to orgasm. Griffin wanted me for eighteen years and never said a word about it until now.

SHIT!

“Am I interrupting something?” Paige asks as she enters the kitchen and sees all of us standing here.

“NO!”

“Yes,” Griffin and I state again at the same time, causing me to growl in frustration.

“I think they’re dating. I just want my dip. Tell her to give me my dip, Paige,” my dad whines.

“Did you lose the bet?” Paige asks me in confusion.

“What bet?” Dad asks.

“Griffin bet Kennedy that if he finds McFadden first, she has to go on a date with him,” Paige informs him.

“I’ve got ten on Griffin,” Dad tells her, reaching for his wallet.

“DAD!”

Griffin laughs as he leans against the counter and folds his arms in front of him.

“I’ll take that bet, and raise you twenty,” Paige replies.