Jeff appears shocked and looks from Grant to me and raises his hands, backing away. “What the . . . ? Sorry, Miss.”
I’m still registering what he just said. Pure vitriol rises in my throat. As Grant turns around to face me, I cock my hand back as far as it can go and slap the ever-loving shit out of his face.
14
Grant
My head swings to the right as Leigh’s hand lands square across my jaw. The sting sets in a few seconds later and I open my mouth and close it again. I laugh. I had no idea she had it in her.
“You fucking bastard!” she yells as she pounds on my chest. “How dare you!”
I grab her arms to keep her from hitting me more, holding both wrists in my hands as she continues her assault.
“Enough, Leigh!” I shout, and it causes her to still.
“How much have you had to drink?”
“None of your business,” she grits out, pulling her wrists against my grip, but it doesn’t do any good. I tighten my grasp, pulling them closer to my body so we’re practically nose-to-nose.
“It is my fucking business. Stop acting irresponsible. Let’s go.” I spin around, keeping a hold of one of her hands, but she refuses to move. I turn back around to face her.
“I’m not in the mood, Leigh,” I spit the words out at her and she jerks her hand hard, pulling herself free.
One thing Leigh hasn’t figured out with me is that I like to be in control, I don’t like to share, and I sure as fuck don’t like to be told no when I’m trying to help someone.
In past relationships, I was able to control my possessiveness because they weren’t as fiery as Leigh. They also didn’t drive me absolutely batshit fucking crazy with desire like she does.
“I’m not leaving.” She crosses her arms over her chest, stomping her foot like a child, and it breaks my resolve.
“Okay, fine, have it your way.” I take the two steps toward her, grabbing her around the waist and flinging her over my shoulder.
“What the hell, Grant?” she yells louder, pounding on my back this time. I reach up, pulling her dress down to cover her ass as people stare at the commotion.
“Why the fuck are you wearing this?” I mutter, swatting her ass as I walk across the bar, tossing several bills on the bar top before we head out. All the while, Leigh is throwing a tantrum, a string of expletives flowing from her mouth.
I walk around the corner where my SUV is parked, open the passenger door, and toss her onto the seat. She’s scowls, refusing to look my way.
“Look at me,” I urge as I reach around her and grab the belt, buckling her in. She turns her head away from me. I reach out, grabbing her chin and forcing her to meet my gaze. “That was really fucking stupid, Leigh.”
The ride home is silent. She sulks in the passenger seat, staring out the window as I grip the steering wheel, telling myself not to pull the car over and teach her a lesson right on the side of the fucking road.
“I want to go home,” she mutters when we pull into my underground parking garage.
“You’re staying here tonight. We’re going to talk in the morning.”
She pulls out her phone, fumbling to open a rideshare app. It struggles to load with the lack of service, but I reach over and grab her phone in case she gets lucky.
“Hey! Give it back!” She lunges across the console, but the seatbelt jerks her back. I yank mine off, shoving my door open so hard it almost hits the wall I’m parked next to. I wouldn’t have cared at this point; I’m beyond pissed.
I slam the door, marching around the truck and flinging her door open. I reach inside to unlatch her belt.
“I am not yo—”
I slide my hand behind her neck, gripping the base along with a majority of her hair, and pull her forward roughly.
“Let me make this perfectly clear: I’m going to take you upstairs and you’re going to take a shower and go to bed. We will discuss things in the morning when you’re sober and can behave like an adult. But if you insist on behaving like a child, I’ll treat you like one and punish you. Understood?” I’m practically gritting my teeth, the words coming out harsh and enunciated, but it gets my point across as she slowly nods her head.
Once inside, I grab a glass of water and two Advil, instructing her to take them and drink the entire glass. While she does, I walk to the bedroom, placing her phone in my bedside table so she can’t run off with it, then I turn on the shower to warm it up.
I return to the kitchen, taking the empty glass from her and placing it in the sink.
“I just don’t understand,” she mutters, rubbing up and down her arms.
“We’ll discuss everything in the morning, but tonight, you behaved stupidly and I put an end to it.” She opens her mouth but I cut her off before she can speak. “Come on, shower’s ready,” I say, reaching for her. This time she doesn’t pull away, and she allows me to lead her to the bathroom.
The room is filled with steam. I step inside and close the door.
“What are you doing?” She eyes me.
“Turn around.” I don’t answer her. I just wait for her to obey me. She can see my patience is wearing paper-thin. She turns around slowly. I brush her hair to the side, sliding the zipper slowly down her back. It falls effortlessly to the floor, pooling at her feet. I unhook her bra, sliding the straps down her arms before letting it fall to the floor as well.
Her arms shoot up to cover herself, but I catch them before she can. I glance down her body, her pert nipples standing at attention as goosebumps prick her skin. I run my hands slowly up the inside of her arms before softly cupping her breasts. A small hiss escapes her lips as her eyes flutter closed and her head lolls to one side.
“You can hate me all you want, but you can’t deny what’s between us,” I whisper as I plant a soft kiss to her shoulder. I only allow myself to linger for a second longer, leaving one last kiss on the nape of her neck before stepping back and reaching for the waistband of her black lace thong. I drag it down her thighs, at which point she steps out of it and glances over her shoulder at me.
I don’t make eye contact. I know if I do, I’ll be buried in her so deeply in a matter of minutes, I won’t be able to control myself. I reach around her, opening the glass door of the shower and placing my hand on the small of her back to usher her inside.
Once she’s in the shower, I step into the closet to place a clean set of pajamas on the counter before heading to one of the other bathrooms to shower myself. I take my time, not wanting her to feel like I’m looming over her . . . at least that’s what I tell myself. The reality is, she’s feeling hurt and vulnerable right now, and with the last look she gave me, she’s looking for comfort.
By the time I’ve showered, checked through my email, and had some water, I head back to my bedroom to find Leigh snuggled under the blankets. I pull off my shirt and climb into bed behind her. Her breathing is already deep and heavy. I wrap my arms around her waist, burying my nose in her hair as I pull her body against mine.
The sun is barely up when my alarm wakes me. I reach for Leigh, but her familiar scent and warmth are nowhere to be found. I crack open my eyes and stare across the bed in the darkness to find her small body curled up on the very edge of the bed. Normally I go for a run and a workout in the morning, but we need to talk, and there’s a good chance she’d vanish while I’m gone.