Page 61 of Silver Spoon Falls, Vol. I

FORTY-THREE

GRIZZ

If my little bookworm thinks I'm waiting three days to see her again, she's lost her mind. I don't even wait one. By the time she gets to work the morning after we make our date, I'm standing by the doors to the library, waiting for her.

"Grizz." She blinks up at me like she's staring at a mirage. "What are you… Do you need something?"

"Came to see you," I growl. Fuck, she looks edible today in her naughty librarian get-up. My fingers actually itch to pull the pins out of her hair to watch it tumble down her back. And that modest little white blouse is doing it for me.

Who knew prim and proper could be so fucking sexy?

"You wanted to see me?" The wariness in her expression melts away, replaced with a softness that hits me right in the heart. She's sweet as hell. Bet she doesn't even know how tempting that is for a man like me.

"Fu-I mean, he-I mean, heck yeah," I mutter, trying to mind my manners and my mouth when a mom with two little kids starts up the steps toward us. "Thought about you all god… all night. You're too tempting to resist."

"What's tempting mean, Mommy?" The little boy cranes his neck to peer up at his mom as they pass us by.

The little boy's mom shoots me a hard look.

Morgan's lips twitch.

"We'll find a dictionary and look it up," the mom says.

"Shit." I run a hand over my head, grimacing. "Guess I should learn to watch my mouth if I'm going to be spending time around here, huh?"

Morgan's eyes grow comically wide. "You plan to spend time around here?"

"You're here, little bookworm. I intend to spend a whole lotta time wherever you are."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh." I hold out the paper bag and cup of coffee I picked up for her from The Golden Mug, the best coffee shop in town. "Here. Breakfast."

"You brought me breakfast?"

"Stop looking at me like that, Temptation," I groan, my dick imprinting on my zipper as her eyes grow even wider. Fuck me. I need to get the fuck out of here before I bend her over the nearest library table and fuck my kid into her. She's too beautiful and far too sweet.

"I'm just looking at you."

"Yeah, and the longer you look, the more I want to back you up against that wall and eat you for breakfast."

"You can't talk to me like that," she whispers.

"Yeah?" I grin as her cheeks turn bright pink. "I just did."

She juggles the bag and coffee in one hand to press the other to her forehead. Her dazed eyes meet mine, her expression slightly accusatory. "Are you sure you aren't a stripper?"

"Positive," I growl. And then, just because I can't resist teasing her when she looks so fucking off-balance and cute as hell, I add, "But I'll play the role for you. Just name the time and place."

She whimpers. Actually fucking whimpers.

It's the single sexiest sound I've ever heard.

And that's my cue to get the fuck out of here before I really do fuck her over the nearest flat surface because she's making it hard as hell to behave.

Real hard. As in… zipper indentions all up and down my shaft.

I lean down, brushing my lips across her forehead. "I have shit to do today. Behave, little bookworm. I'll see you tomorrow."

"What? No, you won't! Our date isn't until Friday."

"See you tomorrow." I chuckle.

When I show up on Thursday, she's just as surprised as she was Wednesday. I don't make it in time to bring her breakfast. Instead, I bring her lunch.

"Temptation."

"Ah!" She drops the stack of books in her arms, spinning around to face me like she's doing a pirouette.

I grin from ear to ear.

"Grizz! Good grief, you scared me half to death!

" Her gaze drifts down my body, her cheeks heating.

Is she remembering what I feel like all over her?

Fuck, I hope she is. That's certainly what I'm remembering right now.

How she feels in my arms. The sounds she makes when she's kissing me back. The way she tastes.

How goddamn badly I want to kiss her again right now.

"What are you doing here?"

"You're here," I remind her, holding out the container from the Trust Fund Café. "I brought you lunch."

She glances at the container and then at the clock behind her. "Do you… I don't suppose you have time to eat with me?"

I suddenly want to kick my own ass for not considering the possibility that she might want me to eat with her. I'm an asshole.

"I wish I did, little bookworm," I say regretfully. "But I actually have an appointment."

"Oh." Her face falls into an adorable pout. "Well, thank you for bringing me lunch. It was really thoughtful, Grizz."

"I'll make it up to you tomorrow, Temptation. I promise." I lean across the counter, unable to resist touching her. I run my fingers down the side of her cheek. She's so damn soft. "You'll see."

"See what?"

"What my appointment is all about."

"Huh?" She blinks at me, her eyes glassy and out of focus.

Jesus. She makes it impossible to behave when she looks at me like that. I don't think she even knows she does it either, looks at me like I just stepped out of one of her books. It's the same damn way she looked at me when she looked up from the steps at the bachelorette party.

Speaking of which…

"Who is your date to the wedding next weekend?"

She blinks again. "What wedding?"

"Camden's wedding."

"Oh, um, I was just going to go alone, I guess." She shrugs. "I didn't have a date lined up."

"You do now."

"Did you just invite yourself to the wedding?" Her lips curve slightly, letting me know she isn't actually mad about it.

"The Bride Tribe kicked my ass. Camden owes me." I shrug unapologetically. "You can tell her I'm calling in my favor."

Her smile grows as her gaze drops to my split lip. "I wondered who beat you up." She tries miserably to fight a laugh. "I'm so sorry, Grizz. I didn't know they were going to assault you on my behalf."

"It's all good, Temptation. I'm glad you have friends willing to fight a fucking stripper for your honor." I shake my head, bemused. "They're terrifying."

Her laughter peals out across the library, loud and clear this time. "I can't believe you actually let them beat you up."

"Let them?" I arch a brow. "Uh, it was six against one. They were kicking my ass right and proper, Temptation. There was no letting involved. Giant has told the whole town at this point."

"Is that how my brother knew?" She laughs again. "He wouldn't reveal his sources."

I freeze, my eyes locking on her. "You told your brother about me."

"I… no… I mean… no."

"You did."

"Did not," she lies, blushing bright red.

I lean over the counter, getting all up in her personal space. "Did you tell him that I'm the man you're going to marry, little bookworm?" I growl, hooking my finger into her shirt to pull her closer. "Because if you left out that part, you didn't tell him the whole story."

"Grizz," she whispers, her voice little more than a soft breath.

I skim my nose along hers before pressing my lips against hers in a soft kiss.

"You're mine. You wouldn't have told your brother about me if you didn't know it, too.

" Unable to resist taking a little taste of her, I flick my tongue against the seam of her lips and then pull back. "See you tomorrow."

I'm halfway to the door before she manages to pull herself together enough to respond. "You're banned from the library until our date, Grizz!"

"See you tomorrow, Temptation," I call back, grinning.

"Grizz." Morgan takes one look at me standing at the front desk and shakes her head in exasperation. "I thought we agreed yesterday that you were banned from the library. You showing up here is bad for my hips."

I narrow my eyes on her, raking my eyes down her body. "Your hips look fucking perfect to me."

She presses her hands to her cheeks, her eyes wide. "You're shameless, you know that?"

"You made me that way." I shrug, not denying it. "Besides, I'm not here with food this time."

"Really?"

I don't miss the hint of disappointment in her eyes. She likes being spoiled. I make a mental note of that with every intention of showing up every damn day with treats if it makes her happy. Whatever it takes to make her fall in love with me.

"I'm here to kidnap you."

"It's not time for our date yet," she says, laughing. "I don't even get off until three."

"Which is ten minutes from now, Temptation. I have a surprise for you, but we need to leave as soon as you get off if we're going to make it in time."

She gapes at me. "I'm not even dressed for a date!"

"You look perfect, but I called in a favor with the Bride Tribe. They have clothes, shoes, and all the girly shit you could ever possibly want waiting in my truck."

"Where are we going?"

"You do not understand the definition of surprise, do you, little bookworm?"

Her scowl is sexy as hell. Whatever irritation she feels dies a quick, painless death, though. Avid curiosity sparks in her gaze, and the scowl melts. "You're a hard man to say no to, Grizz Delacorte."

"Then that puts us on equal footing, Temptation." I crook her chin up with a finger. "Because I already know I'll do whatever the fuck you want if it keeps you looking at me like you do."

"H-how do I look at you?" she whispers, her expression dazed and glassy again.

"Just like that," I growl, touching my mouth to hers. "I'll wait outside."

"Holy cow," Morgan whispers for the fifteenth time since we boarded Cash Montoya's private plane half an hour ago. She's seated across from me, peering around like she's never been on a plane before. It's cute as hell.

She's fucking adorable.

"You got a plane for our date, Grizz."

"I borrowed it, Temptation."

"Are you trying to impress me?"

"Is it working?"

She holds her forefinger and thumb a quarter of an inch apart, making me grin from ear to ear. And then she sobers. "You know you didn't have to do all of this, right? I would have been happy doing anything."

"You're worth it, Morgan." I slide forward in my seat and unlatch her belt before picking her up. She squeaks in protest but quickly settles down when I place her on my lap. "You've lived a thousand lives in your books. Now, you get to live one big one with me."

I have a feeling she hasn't done much of that. Living, I mean. She's spent most of her life with her nose in a book, living other people's adventures. I want her to have her own starting right now.

"You're trying to sweep me off my feet, aren't you?"

"Fuck yeah," I growl, nuzzling her neck. She smells like orange blossoms and vanilla. I want to spread her out and find the source of that scent. "You better stop me if you aren't ready to be mine because I'm on a mission, Temptation."

"In that case, maybe I won't stop you."

I groan, pressing my face to her skin. "Don't tempt me, little bookworm. This plane has bedrooms, and we have a two-hour flight."

"Really?" She wriggles on my lap until she's able to look at me. "Where are we going, Grizz? And how many bedrooms?"

"Reach into my pocket."

Her eyes narrow.

"I'm not trying to get you to touch my cock, Temptation," I say, laughing. "I meant my suit pocket."

"Oh." She blushes and delves her hand into my pocket. The fact that she feels me up before grabbing the envelope stashed in the pocket doesn't go unnoticed. My girl likes my body.

"Open it."

"Bossy." Her smile lets me know she doesn't mind.

She takes her sweet ass time peeling the envelope open. And even longer reaching inside to pull out the two tickets nestled inside.

"Holy cow." Her mouth pops open, her gaze flying to mine. Her soft expression makes my cock throb. "Les Misérables? Seriously? We're going to see it?"

"Yep." I tap the tickets. "I had to do shameless shit to get my hands on these, but I knew as soon as you agreed to go out with me that I’d be taking you to see the musical while it's in Memphis."

Giant called in a favor with Cash to get me the plane. I worried it might be overkill, but he just kept telling me to trust him.

She carefully tucks the tickets back into the envelope and then slips it back into my pocket. When she looks up at me again, it takes everything I have not to drag her down to the floor. Her eyes practically glow. No. She glows. Like a fucking angel.

"Grizz? I think I want to see those bedrooms now," she whispers.

"Yeah?"

"Yes, definitely."

Fuck me. Giant may be a goddamn genius after all.