“I think he’s a little biased,” I reply nervously.
“And this is my girl, Karina. Karina, this is Coach Hopkins,” Oliver introduces.
I look over at my best friend, and her face is bloodred. “It’s nice to meet you,” she says politely, offering him her hand.
“I hate to be rude, but we really need to go,” I tell them.
Griffin ignores everyone around us and bends his head to kiss me. “Good luck, babe.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you after the game. Coach Hopkins, it was nice to meet you,” I say, remembering my manners as Karina and I take our bags from the guys and jog off to the locker room.
CHAPTER 18
Griffin
By the time our flight lands, it’s late, and we’re both exhausted. We both dozed on the plane, but I’m more than ready to curl up next to her and fall asleep with her in my arms. I can’t stop my smile when I think about the fact that I get to do that very thing for the next four nights.
“Peyton, it’s so good to see you,” Mom gushes as she steps forward and pulls her into a hug.
“You too, Mrs. Anthony.”
“Anna,” Mom corrects her.
“How was your flight?” Dad asks, pulling Peyton into a hug as soon as Mom releases her.
“It was good,” we both say at the same time.
“Thank you for picking us up,” Peyton tells them.
“Of course, let’s get you home. I’m sure you’re both exhausted. Griff said you won your game today,” Mom says. She and Peyton walk ahead of us and chat about her game.
“This the only bag?” Dad asks.
“Yeah, I didn’t take one. I knew we were coming back tonight, and she’s only here for a few days.”
“That’s tough,” he says, taking Peyton’s bag and placing a hand on my shoulder. “We better get moving before we lose sight of them.”
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” I say as my feet start to move. “She’s here until Tuesday late afternoon, and I don’t plan on letting her out of my sight until then.”
“Oh, so I guess this is a bad time to tell you that your mother and I talked about it, and we think Peyton should stay in the spare bedroom.”
“What?” I stop walking to look at him.
“We think it’s best.”
I can’t believe this. They know what she means to me, and I’m an adult. We both are. If I want her in my bed next to me, that shouldn’t be an issue. Fuck that. No way is she sleeping across the hall from me. If I saw her every day, maybe I might let that go, but my time with her is sacred and limited, and I’m not wasting a fucking second. Instead of arguing with him, I pull my phone from my pocket and begin to look for a room for us for the next four nights.
“What are you doing?” Dad asks. “They’re getting ahead of us.”
“I’m booking us a room,” I tell him.
“What?”
“Look, Dad. I get it that it’s your house and all that, but I’m not going to have her sleeping down the hall when she can be sleeping in my arms. It’s not going to happen.” I don’t bother telling him that we’ve never, that I’ve never, had actual intercourse before in my life. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is her in my arms. I’ll do what I have to do to make that happen.
“Stop.” Dad places his hand over mine. I look up at him, and he’s smiling.
“What are you smiling about? You know how hard this is being away from her, and now you do this?” I’m pissed, and he knows it. His smile grows, and it makes me want to punch something. Not him, but something.
“I was teasing, Griff. Your mother and I know you’re in love with this girl. There’s no other reason you’d put yourself through this if you didn’t. We like Peyton, and your mom changed the sheets on your bed earlier today. It’s ready for both of you.”
“That’s wrong, old man.” I point at him. My shoulders sag as some of the tension drains from my body. Looking down at my phone, I was just about ready to hit the Book Now button. I contemplate doing it anyway to give us some privacy, but I want her to spend time with my family too.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think I was that convincing.” He laughs.
I slide my phone in my back pocket as we begin walking again. “We don’t joke about Peyton. Not ever.”
He nods, his lips tilted in a grin. “You remind me of me when I was your age. When I met your mother, I knew I would do whatever it took to make her mine and keep it that way.”
“You were in college, right?”
“Freshman year, just like you. Here we are all those years later.”
“Slowpokes!” Mom calls out.
I glance up to see Peyton smiling and laughing with my mom. Her eyes meet mine, and it’s as if her smile is reaching into my chest and squeezing my heart. I’ve never loved anything or anyone the way that I love Peyton. Now, I just need to find the courage to tell her and hope it doesn’t scare her away.
“Are you sure your parents are okay with us being in the same room?” she asks.
“Trust me. They’re fine with it. Mom even changed the sheets knowing you were coming,” I tell Peyton that same thing Dad told me at the airport.
“Okay.” She yawns. “I’m going to change and call it a night. I’m exhausted.”
“No clothes.”
“But your parents,” she counters.
“We’ll lock the door, but baby, you’re here for four nights, and I need to feel you next to me. I’ll let you sleep, I promise. I just want to hold you.”
“How am I supposed to say no to that?”
“You’re not.” I come around the bed and kiss the top of her head. “Go do what you have to do, but come back to me naked.”
“So bossy.” She turns to walk into the bathroom connected to my bedroom, but I grab her wrist to stop her.
“I will never force you to do anything you don’t want to do. If you really want to wear clothes, you can.” I swallow back the lump in my throat. I want to demand that she’s naked anytime we’re alone, but I don’t have the right. She’s mine, but she’s also her own person.
She turns and slides her hands behind my neck and peers up at me. “I trust you, Griff. I know you would never pressure me. In fact, I kind of like the way you get a little bossy. It shows me that you want me.”
“There will never be a day when I have breath in my lungs that I don’t want you. Maybe not even after that.”
“Thousands of butterflies,” she whispers.
“What?”
“That’s what it feels like in my belly when you say things like that. Thousands of butterflies.”
“Good.” I kiss her quickly and step out of her hold. “Go do what you need to do. It’s been too damn long since I’ve held you all night, and just so you know, we’re sleeping in tomorrow.”
She spins on her heels and heads toward the bathroom. I lock my bedroom door and shut off the light, bathing the room in darkness before stripping naked and sliding under the covers.