“Why?”

“Because I say things I shouldn’t. And I get carried away.”

“I like when you get carried away.”

“You know what I mean. I talk a lot, and I let people I like in quickly. I forget other people are different.”

“I’m definitely different.”

“I know.” I took a breath. “And I get that we just met. I know what we’re doing isn’t real. It’s just been a while since I’ve had this much fun with someone. I like you. I want to know you.”

“Same.”

That made me feel better. “Really?”

“Yes. And you’re right. I’m not . . . used to letting people in, or allowing someone to get close to me. I generally push people away who try.”

“Why? Sorry.” I shook my head. “I did it again. It’s like my mouth just shoots out words before my brain gets a chance to stop it. But I swear, I’m only asking because I genuinely care about the answer . . . and about you.”

He was silent a moment. “My one serious relationship—with Kayla—ended badly.”

“And it hurt?”

“Yeah. It did.”

I opened my mouth to ask another question, then thought better of it and closed my lips.

“It’s okay. You can ask.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well, I’m getting a little impatient to get my hands on you, but I’ll give you three more questions to make up for being a jerk.”

I smiled. “Thanks. Three’s good.”

“Okay, shoot.”

“Were you in love with her?”

He lay back and put his hands behind his head. “Felt like I was.”

“Why did you guys break up?”

“That’s a long story.”

Falling to my side next to him, I propped my head on one hand. “I love long stories.”

“Of course you do.” He inhaled and exhaled, slow and deep. “Before I enlisted for the second time, we talked about getting married and starting a family when I got out. I asked her to wait for me, and she promised she would. But she didn’t.”

I bit my lip. “That must have hurt.”

Griffin kept his eyes on the darkening sky as he spoke. “When I came home, I bought a ring. My dad loaned me some money, and I put a down payment on a house. I started working long days at the garage to be able to afford it all. Then she finally got the nerve to tell me she’d fallen for someone else while I was away.”

“Oh.” My heart ached for him.

“There was more to it than that, but you get the idea.”

I swallowed hard. His life lessons and rules made more sense now. No wonder he never wanted to rely on anyone but himself. He didn’t trust anybody to keep promises. He never wanted anyone to have the power to hurt him again. He’d set his heart on things—a marriage, a home, a family—and wound up alone.

He looked over at me. “Was that three?”

“No, that was only two.”

“Are you sure? I feel like I’ve been talking for an hour.”

“I’m sure. But you know what? I’ll let you off the hook for the third one.”

“Good.” He reached for me, and this time I gave in and let him pull me on top of him. His fingers slid into my hair, and he lifted his head so his lips could meet mine. The kiss was sweet and tender and easy, and I felt myself melting for him. It made me so happy that he’d felt safe enough with me to open up a little.

I picked up my head. “Wait, I changed my mind. I want to ask one more question.”

He groaned. “What?”

I scrambled to sit up, straddling him with a knee on either side of his hips, my hands on his chest. “What did you think of me the first night we met?”

“Hmm.” He ran his hands up my thighs. “I thought you were beautiful. I thought you were a little bit crazy. And I thought you were probably one of those really book-smart people who have zero street smarts whatsoever.”

I nodded. “That’s fair.”

“And I felt protective of you.”

My eyebrows rose. “You did?”

“Yeah. I remember watching you get out of your car and walk toward me in that big white dress looking so lost, so confused, and my gut instinct was to—sorry—rescue you.”

“No, I think it’s sweet.”

“Then I remember when you walked out of the garage later that night, carrying your suitcase, I kind of wanted to go running after you and bring you home with me, just to make sure you’d be safe.” He paused. “But of course, when I did bring you home with me, I started to think about things that were not safe.”

A laugh bubbled up in me. “I did too.”

“Oh yeah?” He put his hands behind his head again. “So now I get to ask you. What did you think of me that night?”

“Hmm.” I ran my palms over his chest. “I thought you looked like a movie star. I thought you were strong and quiet and manly. I sensed you were a good person.”

“You must have, since you spent the night about three feet away from me.”

I shrugged. “I felt safe with you.”

“You are safe with me,” he said quietly.

I lowered my head and slanted my mouth over his, remembering the way I’d looked at him the night we met and wondered what it would be like to be kissed by him, touched by him, desired by him. The kiss grew deeper and more intense, our hands wandering, our bodies straining against clothes. He pushed the skinny straps of my sundress off my shoulders, and I slipped my arms from the dress completely. He groaned as he brought his mouth and hands to my breasts, his cock bulging in his jeans. Weaving my fingers into his hair, I rocked my hips above it until I was panting and bursting with need.

“Should we go?” I whispered.

“No. We won’t make it home.” He flipped me onto my back and lay beside me, reaching beneath my dress and stroking me over the damp cotton of my panties. “I want you right here. Right now.”

I undid his jeans and slid one hand inside, grasping his hot, hard length with one hand. “You can have me.”

He wasn’t as rough with me as he’d been last night, and we didn’t get naked or play games or whisper dirty things to each other. But it was every bit as intense—more, even—without having a role to play.

It was just me, wanting to get closer to him.

And him, choosing to let me.

Fourteen

Griffin

Early Sunday morning, I met Cole in front of his mother’s house for a five-mile run. We jogged the first mile without speaking, letting our bodies warm up, our muscles work out the kinks.

Although I had to admit, my body had been feeling pretty fucking great the last few days. I might have been getting less sleep, but I was having the best sex of my entire life. From the first time on my couch, to the storytelling in my bedroom, to the bed of the pickup truck, to last night after dinner . . . I’d taken her to DiFiore’s, an Italian restaurant owned by an uncle of Moretti’s. It was a little pricey, which was why I didn’t go there too often, but Blair had mentioned how much she liked Italian food, so I splurged for a Saturday night out. She must have appreciated it, because we’d barely made it inside my apartment before she jumped up on me. Her back had to be killing her today, the way I’d slammed it against the thick wooden door.