her face in his hands. “I’m begging.”
“Not good enough.” She met his unguarded gaze, left her own pain undisguised.
“I’m...I’m so damn sorry, Bailey.” He rested his forehead against hers.
Looking at him proved too hard. An overwhelming need arose, a need to believe in him. Trust him. She wanted the kind of security that chased phantoms from dark corners. The kind of blind faith that never withered, only strengthened. He could give her all of it. Probably. Thoughts and feelings bombarded her. In the end, finding hope proved too hard. “‘Sorry’ isn’t enough.”
Lips brushed her cheek, feather-light. Tentative. Seeking.
“Don’t do this to me,” she repeated. Her voice shook almost as hard as her heart.
“I want you, Bailey.”
She slowly opened her eyes. “And right there, that want will always be between us. Because I need more than that.” Funny thing was, she would have settled for “want” hours ago. Not anymore.
Pain decorated his face, only one part of an emotional collage. “I...” He dropped his hands.
“That’s what I thought.” Whirling, she started for the door, the crowd parting before her as if they were stage curtains lifting for the final act. How appropriate. She looked back at Seth, never slowing down. “I quit.”
Unforgiving fingers gripped her upper arm. “Get your hands off me, Seth.”
“I don’t want you to ever call another man’s name,” that voice growled in her ear. “Ever.” He tried to turn her around.
Griff. She couldn’t move.
He stepped in front of her and bent his knees to get below her downturned face. “Fine. I’ll come to you. Again and again, Bailey. It’s always been you.”
His hard mouth crashed into hers, fierce and unyielding. The kiss lifted her up and swept her away against her will. He tasted like fine whiskey, smelled like sin, felt so right. Griff. Her arms went around his neck.
He picked her up, encouraging her legs around his waist.
A deafening cheer went up from the crowd she’d all but forgotten.
Breaking the kiss, he looked at her. “I need you, Bailey.”
She buried her face in his neck, the ache in her chest filled with bitter regret.
“Come upstairs with me?”
“I can’t.”
He set her down very slowly. “I don’t understand.”
“I have to feed,” she whispered, shame burning in her cheeks. “You said—”
“If I said I found a way around that? Would you come with me then?” His voice had taken on a detached distance she hated.
“Yes.” The word was hardly out of her mouth before he grabbed her hand, hauling her through the bar, down the hall and into his private elevator.
Griff pounded on the close button. “C’mon, c’mon.” The doors closed and the car began to rise. Then he rounded on her, a wild look in his eyes. “I sent you away because I couldn’t see you go through this, couldn’t watch you feed and die a little every day. I swear I didn’t know until late this afternoon that we could be everything to each other. You have to believe me.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “Why check now?”
“I had no idea it was possible. And why now? You. Feeding from you and how I felt afterward. But it was you.” He ran a shaking hand across his chest and gripped his shoulder. “I spent lifetimes looking for you. Letting you go isn’t an option. Not really.” He dropped his chin and snorted. “Who am I kidding? It was never an option.”
“Yes.”
His head snapped up. “What?”
“I said yes. Before, out there. And now, in here. Yes, to all of it. Yes.”
“I need you, baby. Need and want. It’s always been both when it comes to you.”
Her trembling fingers worked at the buttons on her shorts.
He mirrored her motions with hands that shook just as badly.
They finally stood before each other, brutally bare in every way.
“C’mere.”
Taking his hand, she stepped into his embrace. Those familiar, capable arms lifted her again. This time, he hooked them under her
“Not good enough.” She met his unguarded gaze, left her own pain undisguised.
“I’m...I’m so damn sorry, Bailey.” He rested his forehead against hers.
Looking at him proved too hard. An overwhelming need arose, a need to believe in him. Trust him. She wanted the kind of security that chased phantoms from dark corners. The kind of blind faith that never withered, only strengthened. He could give her all of it. Probably. Thoughts and feelings bombarded her. In the end, finding hope proved too hard. “‘Sorry’ isn’t enough.”
Lips brushed her cheek, feather-light. Tentative. Seeking.
“Don’t do this to me,” she repeated. Her voice shook almost as hard as her heart.
“I want you, Bailey.”
She slowly opened her eyes. “And right there, that want will always be between us. Because I need more than that.” Funny thing was, she would have settled for “want” hours ago. Not anymore.
Pain decorated his face, only one part of an emotional collage. “I...” He dropped his hands.
“That’s what I thought.” Whirling, she started for the door, the crowd parting before her as if they were stage curtains lifting for the final act. How appropriate. She looked back at Seth, never slowing down. “I quit.”
Unforgiving fingers gripped her upper arm. “Get your hands off me, Seth.”
“I don’t want you to ever call another man’s name,” that voice growled in her ear. “Ever.” He tried to turn her around.
Griff. She couldn’t move.
He stepped in front of her and bent his knees to get below her downturned face. “Fine. I’ll come to you. Again and again, Bailey. It’s always been you.”
His hard mouth crashed into hers, fierce and unyielding. The kiss lifted her up and swept her away against her will. He tasted like fine whiskey, smelled like sin, felt so right. Griff. Her arms went around his neck.
He picked her up, encouraging her legs around his waist.
A deafening cheer went up from the crowd she’d all but forgotten.
Breaking the kiss, he looked at her. “I need you, Bailey.”
She buried her face in his neck, the ache in her chest filled with bitter regret.
“Come upstairs with me?”
“I can’t.”
He set her down very slowly. “I don’t understand.”
“I have to feed,” she whispered, shame burning in her cheeks. “You said—”
“If I said I found a way around that? Would you come with me then?” His voice had taken on a detached distance she hated.
“Yes.” The word was hardly out of her mouth before he grabbed her hand, hauling her through the bar, down the hall and into his private elevator.
Griff pounded on the close button. “C’mon, c’mon.” The doors closed and the car began to rise. Then he rounded on her, a wild look in his eyes. “I sent you away because I couldn’t see you go through this, couldn’t watch you feed and die a little every day. I swear I didn’t know until late this afternoon that we could be everything to each other. You have to believe me.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “Why check now?”
“I had no idea it was possible. And why now? You. Feeding from you and how I felt afterward. But it was you.” He ran a shaking hand across his chest and gripped his shoulder. “I spent lifetimes looking for you. Letting you go isn’t an option. Not really.” He dropped his chin and snorted. “Who am I kidding? It was never an option.”
“Yes.”
His head snapped up. “What?”
“I said yes. Before, out there. And now, in here. Yes, to all of it. Yes.”
“I need you, baby. Need and want. It’s always been both when it comes to you.”
Her trembling fingers worked at the buttons on her shorts.
He mirrored her motions with hands that shook just as badly.
They finally stood before each other, brutally bare in every way.
“C’mere.”
Taking his hand, she stepped into his embrace. Those familiar, capable arms lifted her again. This time, he hooked them under her
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