“Nothing?” I looked at him in surprise.
“I thought we could take a walk, find a place to eat, have a drink, talk.”
“That sounds lovely.” I don’t think I’d ever used that word before—lovely. That’s what being with him was like. It was sweet, comfortable, exciting, fun, full of anticipation giving way to hope and maybe even love.
“I wanted to surprise you, but sometimes the best surprises are the ordinary.”
“Nothing is ordinary with you.”
He looked at me as if studying me, measuring my words, the meaning behind them. “You’re remarkable. You’re like finding a gem in the water. I coaxed you out of the mud, scrubbed you clean to find the shining jewel underneath that no one saw or ever took the time to discover.”
His words exploded in my chest, sending bright shimmery sensations fluttering through my body.
“I didn’t mean that in a bad way—”
“No. I knew what you meant. I don’t think anyone’s ever said anything more beautiful. You’re a romantic, you know that?”
He winked, an easy smile on his face. “First, I’m a charmer, then a romantic.”
“You’re that and more.” I wanted to ask if he was like this with Lorelai, but I didn’t. It would ruin this perfect moment with the sun setting in oranges and reds behind his head. People walked past laughing and talking, but there was no one but him and me. Our hands swung a little, my heart light, my mind clear.
He squeezed my hand. “You’re good for my ego.”
“I could say the same for you.” I tilted my face toward his, feeling relaxed, happy.
He smiled down at me. “What are you in the mood for?”
“Can we eat by the water?”
“There’s only one place for that.”
I smiled. “Then let’s go there.”
We walked to the only restaurant where you could eat on the patio overlooking the water. When we were seated, I said, “You promised you’d bring me here.”
“I keep my promises.” His eyes never strayed from mine, his hands clasped together as he rested on his elbows.
My breath caught. “You’re too good to me.”
“You are under the mistaken impression that I’m good for you when you are better for me. Before you came into my life, I was struggling. I wasn’t sure I was the right choice for Declan. I couldn’t even think about work or what I should do with my life.” He held my hand on the table between us.
“And now?” I was mesmerized by the soft stroking of his thumb over the underside of my wrist. It sent shivers down my spine, making it difficult to draw a deep breath.
“And now I know I’m the right choice for Declan. I’m investing in Morrison Rebuilds and I’m working on new software.”
“You are?”
He smiled. “I’ve never been more focused. This software could be better than what I came up with before.”
“That’s amazing, Griffin. I’m so happy for you.”
The waitress stopped at our table. We placed our order for food and drinks.
When she left, I asked, “I didn’t realize you were working with Cade on Morrison Rebuilds.”
“Yeah, we talked at the Kids Speak fundraiser. Then I met him for lunch last week. He’s going to show me one of his projects.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about him being friends or business partners with Cade. It brought him farther into our circle, raising the stakes if things between us didn’t work out. “I guess I thought you didn’t want to partner with anyone anymore.”
“I can’t go through life not trusting anyone because of what Lorelai and Damon did. Besides, I won’t be his partner. I’ll be a silent investor. I give him money, but he chooses how he uses it.”
He talked about Cade and his business, then what he was working on. I nodded and smiled in the right places but something was niggling my brain. Was it the fact he’d seemingly gotten over what had happened to him? Could I do the same? Could I let go of the past forging a new path with Griffin?
My heart swelled in my chest, emotion welling in my throat that I could leave the past where it was meant to be, that I could move on a lighter, happier person, open to whatever life had to offer.
“Are you okay?” Griffin paid the bill, then stood, waiting for me so we could leave.
“Yeah.”
When we were outside, Griffin paused by his car. “Did you want to come back to my house tonight?”
“I don’t have my car. I need to leave early tomorrow morning.”
His eyes were steady on mine, lowering his voice, he said, “I’d like you to stay.”
I tilted my head. “I know Declan’s at his friend’s house, but are you sure that’s a good idea? What if Declan found out, or he isn’t okay with us being together? Is it too much too soon?”
“I spoke with Declan, told him we were dating. I’m not sure how much he understands, but he said he was okay with it.”
I felt almost giddy at the idea he’d spoken to Declan. It was a sign that Griffin was serious about us. He wasn’t stringing me along, or hiding me like a secret, he was all-in with me, and I needed to be the same with him.
I wanted to stay overnight. I wanted the peace that seemed to settle over me when I was with Griffin. “Okay.”
He opened the passenger side door, waiting for me to get inside. We drove in silence with Griffin glancing over to smile at me every few minutes as if he couldn’t believe I was here.
I wanted to reassure him. Tell him I was in this as deeply as he was but I was afraid I wasn’t. I wanted to be with him. I longed for what I’d never had but something always seemed to hold me back. I wasn’t sure I was as strong as he was.
He parked in his garage, leading me through the house to his bedroom. He turned to face me. “I need to call and check on Declan.”
“Okay. I’ll use the bathroom.”
He leaned closer, breathing the words across my mouth, “I’ll be right back,” then he kissed me on the lips, lingering for a few seconds before pulling away. His eyes held a promise of more to come.
Smiling, I went into the bathroom, removing my jewelry, washed my face, and took off my clothes. I vowed not to bring any of my worries or fears into the bedroom tonight. I’d give in to whatever I was feeling.
When I came out of the bathroom, Griffin sat on the edge of the bed. His gaze drifted slowly from my bare toes up my body. “Avery?”
I moved between his legs, his hands automatically rising to touch my hips lightly as if he was afraid to hold me in place, he was uncertain I wanted to be here. “I want this. I want to be with you.”
Griffin’s expression morphed from uncertainty to relief as he tugged me closer, kissing my stomach, nuzzling my breasts before sucking one nipple into his mouth. The grip on my hips tightened, his fingers digging into my skin. I welcomed the bite, the slight pain, the knowledge he wanted me too. I spread my legs as wide as I could with his legs bracketing mine, begging for his touch, his lips lower.
I gave over to the sensations, his breath on my breasts, his lips on my nipple, trailing kisses to the other before sucking it into his mouth. He lifted me until I straddled his hips on the bed, his hard cock nestled between my legs with nothing but his shorts between us. With one arm holding me in place, he caressed my breasts, licking and sucking, while I writhed in his lap seeking more friction, a sense of rightness and contentment settling over me.