“He’s just always in a bad mood,” Wyatt explained as he turned to his side and pretended to close his eyes. With that, I knew the conversation was over. Knowing it wouldn’t do any good to push, I gave him a quick kiss goodnight and went to my room to get ready for bed. I was exhausted and didn’t even bother doing the dishes in the sink. After changing into my pajamas, I heard the faint sound of a motorcycle engine. My heart fluttered with hope when I thought it might be Griffin. I went over to my window and peeked outside, and sure enough, his bike was parked at the end of the driveway. A smile slowly crept over my face when I saw him walking towards the house. I slipped on my silk bathrobe and rushed out of the room.
When I opened the front door, I found him waiting for me on the front porch. Under his cut, he wore a long sleeve black t-shirt that hugged him tightly across his chest showing just a hint of the defined muscles of his abdomen and a pair of faded blue jeans that hung low on his hips. My breath caught when my eyes locked on his, making it difficult to speak. I knew so little about him. He was a mystery to me, existing in a world of danger I couldn’t begin to comprehend but it didn’t matter. I was trapped in a spell unable to control my body’s overwhelming reaction to him. I’d never known anyone like him. An intimidating strength radiated off of him making it almost impossible to imagine that there was a softer side to him, but it was there. I’d seen it, felt it, and I couldn’t stop myself from being drawn to it, drawn to him.
“How’s he doing?” he asked. The faint scent of his cologne drifted around me, luring me to step closer to him.
“I don’t know anymore,” I confessed.
“He’s a smart kid. He’ll be able to see through all the bullshit.”
“I think he already does… he just isn’t telling me about it. How did you know something was wrong?” I asked.
“Wyatt called me… told me his dad was drinking and yelling at Mrs. Daniels,” he explained.
“Michael was threatening her, saying he was going to get her fired… I don’t know what I’ll do if we lose Mrs. Daniels. She’s so good with Wyatt, and she’s the only thing that makes those visitations tolerable.”
“He won’t lose her,” he said with confidence.
“I’m not so sure. Michael keeps twisting everything around,” I explained.
“He won’t lose her. Trust me.”
I had no idea how he could make a promise like that, but I believed him. I felt certain that he would do whatever it took to make sure Wyatt wouldn’t lose her. The worry I’d been holding onto slowly began to diminish, and I whispered “Thank you.”
He stepped closer reaching for my waist as he pulled me towards him. He held me tightly against his chest the warmth of his body surrounded me and I found myself longing for more. I slowly lifted my head from his shoulder and looked up at him, searching his face for some sign that he felt the same way. His eyes filled with lust but he hesitated. There was an agonizing silence until he brought the palm of his hand to the side of my face, gently brushing his thumb across my cheek. He slowly lowered his head, pressing his lips against mine as he kissed me tenderly. At first, his touch was soft and gentle, but it quickly changed to something more. A deep growl vibrated through his chest while his fingers tangled tightly in the back of my hair, pulling me closer as he took complete control of the kiss. His tongue brushed against mine and the world around us melted away as we got lost in each other’s arms. There was no doubt that something was building between us, and my feelings for him triggered something inside of me that I didn’t expect… a consuming need for more. Without warning, he pulled back, looking at me with an expression I didn’t quite understand.
“Momma,” Wyatt called out, and we both froze. It was like a bucket of cold water had been tossed over us while we silently listened for him to call out again.
Griffin took a step back and said, “Go see about him.”
I quickly adjusted my nightgown and robe and rushed back inside the house. Wyatt was waiting for me in his bed when I walked in.
“Momma, my head hurts,” he whined.
I placed the palm of my hand on his forehead, checking to see if he had any fever. “You don’t feel warm. Hold on just a second and I’ll get you something for your headache.”
After I gave him a dose of pain reliever, I sat on the edge of his bed and waited for him to fall back to sleep. Once I was certain that he was sleeping soundly, I headed to the porch. I eased the door open and was pleased to see that Griffin was still there waiting for me. He stood there silently staring at me and I instantly felt awkward. I didn’t know what to say to him.
Chapter 10
Stitch
?
Over the years, I’d been with more women than I could even begin to count, but until tonight, I’d never felt so consumed by a woman. Her touch. Her mouth. Her hot little body pressed against mine. Fuck. I wasn’t prepared for how good she felt in my arms, like she was meant to be there, and I didn’t want to let her go. Truthfully, it scared me, scared the hell out of me. We were from two different worlds, but I wanted her more than my next breath. I hated the thought of leaving her, wanted nothing more than to take her back in my arms and show her how much I wanted her – but I’d have to wait.