Page 27 of Griffin (Stone Brothers #5)

TWENTY-FIVE

GRIFFIN

A n early morning knock was followed by my phone buzzing. The phone was closer than the front door. I sat up groggily, combed my hair back with my fingers and picked up my phone. It was Shay.

"I'm at the door."

"Be right down," I texted back.

I grabbed my jeans off the floor and headed down shirtless and barefoot.

Theo and Crusoe had both drank a lot the night before, and they were still in bed.

I reached the door and opened it. Heavy fog had covered the whole coast, and cold fingers of it came in with my visitor.

Shay was bundled in a sweater and jeans.

She shot inside without a greeting. "He's home.

He was supposed to be gone another week, but the fucker showed up last night at ten demanding to be fed.

" She paced the entry as she spoke. She twisted her hands together either to warm them or from nerves or maybe a bit of both.

"I wasn't ready for him to be back. I had all this courage and bravado and the speeches, all the silly speeches I'd been practicing in my head and now that he's back, it's gone.

How am I going to do this, Fin? He came in last night like a maniac. 'No eggs! Don't want eggs!'"

I let her finish. When she finally paused, took a deep breath and said hello, I broke our big rule and walked straight over and pulled her into my arms. There were no tears. Only tension. Her entire body was wound tight, but she relaxed as my hand smoothed over her back.

"Shit, I've missed standing in your arms." Her words came out on a whispery sigh.

"This is where you belong, ballerina. Right here. In these arms."

She lifted her face, and I held my breath for a second, taking in the beauty in front of me.

I would have done anything to take away the pain I saw there.

Shay's lips pressed against mine, and that was it.

The whole fucking damn broke. In seconds, we were devouring each other, scrambling urgently to get closer.

We came up for air just long enough for me to grab her hand and lead her upstairs.

I closed my bedroom door and pulled her back into my arms. Our mouths slammed together, and my hands grabbed eagerly at her sweater.

We parted only long enough for me to whip it off.

Still kissing, we shuffled as one hot, needy mess toward the bed.

She fell back on it with a giggle. I laughed and landed on top of her.

The frenzy, the fucking unstoppable passion, paused for a moment.

I leaned on one elbow and caressed the side of her face with my free hand.

"I'm here for you, for all of this. I know you wanted to get through this shit alone but fuck that. You've been alone long enough, Shay. He's dangerous. You shouldn't have to do this by yourself."

She curled her hand around the back of my head and pulled my mouth back down to hers for another long kiss. We scooted into the middle of the bed. I pulled off her shoes and jeans and dropped my pants on the floor. I stretched out on my side next to her.

"Every inch of you is so fucking hot." I dragged my fingertips down the skin between her breasts and down along her belly. She shivered as my hand got closer to her pussy. Her thighs parted in invitation.

I moved my hand down between her legs, and my fingers caressed her. "Hmm, hot and wet, ballerina. Guess you want this."

She half-giggled, half-moaned. "Been thinking of nothing else all week."

"That makes two of us." I rolled down over her, and she instantly wrapped her long legs around me. She sucked in a deep breath as I slid into her. She lifted her ass off the mattress to meet my fast, hard thrusts. Her fingers dug into my shoulders as I pumped into her.

"Yes, Fin, fuck!" she cried out as her pussy tightened around my cock. It brought me right to climax.

I held her beneath me and stayed buried inside of her until our breathing and pulses finally cooled, like the air in the room. I rolled off to the side and brought her along. Shay nestled against me. Her breath warmed my skin.

"Sorry I came in here like a raving lunatic," she said softly.

"I'm not sorry. And like I said—we'll get through this. Emphasis on 'we.'"

It wasn't easy pulling ourselves out of bed, but after making love once more, we got dressed and headed down to the kitchen.

Crusoe was up feeding Rosco his dog food. "Big dummy refused to let me sleep late. Kids. Avoid 'em if you can." Crusoe sat down at the table behind a plate of toast. It was pooled with melted butter.

"Theo still in bed?" I asked.

"Nah, he went on a bike ride. Said if he sat around the house any longer with his bum ankle, he'd either go crazy or become so soft and fat, he'd start looking like a marshmallow.

I let him know it was too late to keep away the crazies and that he was actually starting to get a sort of snowman shape thing going. "

Shay chuckled as she sat at the table.

"You're always good for a confidence boost, Cru." I filled the coffeepot. "Toast?" I asked Shay.

"Sounds good but not quite so much butter," she said scrunching her nose toward Crusoe's plate.

Crusoe picked up the toast. The butter dripped onto his shirt as he took a bite. "Hmm, messy but very nourishing."

"Yes, butter has its own nutritional food group cuz it's nourishing." I grabbed two cups out of the cupboard.

Rosco finished his bowl of food, walked over and laid his head on Shay's lap. She stroked his ears. "Well, hello, I heard you weren't letting Dad sleep this morning."

"Nope and now he's gonna need a walk." Crusoe wiped his face, got up and whistled. The dog spun around and took off after him.

Shay and I sat at the table with coffee and toast. "I could make eggs," I said. "I think we have some."

She shook her head. "No, toast is fine." She took a few bites, then sighed. "What should I do?"

"Want me to tell him?" I asked.

"No, definitely not. And last night he said we were going to move again.

I have no idea what prompted it, but—I don't know.

Something is up with him, and I think that's what really has me off balance.

That and the fact that he showed up last night.

No warning, just came in demanding dinner.

Then he settled in front of the television, and I didn't have to interact with him much after that.

I'm lucky he's easily distracted by screens, like a six-year-old.

I know he followed that woman, the travel influencer who was murdered.

The news was covering the arrest of her partner.

Gee, who could have seen that coming, eh? "

I got up and grabbed the pot of coffee for refills. "Actually, they had to let him go. I saw the news alert as I got into bed last night. It turns out he was in the hospital for three days with some kind of gnarly food poisoning. Not a cool alibi but a pretty solid one."

"I'm surprised. My money would have definitely been on the boyfriend."

I reached over and took her hand. "Stay here while he's home."

Shay smiled. "Sounds dreamy but no, I'm going to go home and see what kind of mood he's in this morning.

He's very changeable. When the right time and mood present themselves, I'm going to tell him that I'm filing for divorce.

I can do this. I think I just needed some fortification, and I got that here. "

"Well anytime you need 'fortification' I'm your man. But seriously, Shay. I'm worried."

"I've made it this long with the asshole. I'll be fine. I've learned a lot of survival techniques living with Tate."

"Knowing that you have to use survival techniques doesn't make me feel any better."

"It'll be fine, Fin. I've got this. I'm actually hoping that after all this time, with the way things are between us, that he'll be relieved that it's over."

"I hope that's the case but keep your phone nearby. I'm just a call away."