Page 30 of The Grump I Loathe (The Lockhart Brothers #3)

EDDIE

“ G et back here,” Connor grumbled from his side of the bed. He had one arm tossed over his eyes, shielding his face from the soft afternoon light that spilled past the condo blinds, the other thrown out, fingers wiggling for my attention. “When I said naked in my bed, I meant that literally.”

“I’ve been naked in your bed for hours,” I said, crouching on the floor to find my phone charger. My phone had died sometime between rounds two and three, though I supposed if we were counting the entire weekend, we were now on round…I’d lost count.

“I had you booked out for the whole weekend,” Connor said. “It’s only Sunday afternoon. My time isn’t up yet.”

“And what if I had other things to do with my time?” I asked, knowing damn well the only place I wanted to be was curled up next to him. We were currently occupying the downtown condo he’d bought right after his divorce.

He and Grace had lived here for a short time before he’d bought their fancy-schmancy mansion—though Connor kept insisting it wasn’t a mansion.

Unlike the house-that-was-definitely-a-mansion, which was done up to suit Grace’s tastes, the condo looked like a model home except for the splashes of color I’d added this past week.

“Impossible,” he said. “What could be as important as this?”

My pulse raced. Nothing . He wriggled his arm again, silently demanding my presence, and I slid into bed, curling up against his side, fitting myself into the grooves of his lean, muscled body.

We’d been together almost every moment outside of work while Grace was at her mom’s for her August summer visit.

“That’s better,” he hummed, and my heart flip-flopped in my chest.

I snuggled closer. “Did you message Grace?”

“Yeah, when you were on one of your many snack breaks.”

I poked him in the side. “I need fuel.”

“I’m going to order us dinner and get you a proper meal. No more M&M’s.”

I grumbled.

He bussed my temple, eyes closed. “You cannot survive on chocolate alone.”

“I can try.” I kissed his shoulder. “What are Grace and Ali up to today?”

“She said they’re going to a waterpark.”

“Fun! And what about Sawyer?”

“He’s agreed to sit in a lounger and watch the towels.”

I snorted. “Gotta make sure those towels don’t walk away.” I nudged him. “But hey, that sounds like progress.”

“It’s something,” he muttered .

From the look in his eye, I could tell he was fretting over the Sawyer of it all, and I couldn’t really blame him. He was protective of Grace, and it’s not exactly like she had the option not to be around Sawyer if that’s who Ali had chosen to build her new life with.

I’d probably react with the same concern if Valentina started dating again, potentially bringing someone new into Alannah’s life.

But despite all Connor’s worries, the visit with Ali was going better than anticipated.

Which meant I’d gotten Connor all to myself for one perfect week—I’d even gotten my own drawer in the condo.

Connor had offered me an entire dresser, but the drawer had been plenty. “What’s happening after the waterpark?”

His lips flattened into a thin line. “Some sort of wedding something. Grace sounded less excited about that.”

“Well, I guess Ali really only has what, like six weeks?” The end of September was hurtling toward us, and I only knew that because Leigh was frantically crossing days off the calendar in the conference room counting down to Shadow ’s release. “She’s probably getting stressed.”

Connor sighed next to me. “Organization isn’t her strong suit. Which wouldn’t be a problem if this wedding was like her first one. It was very much a quick courthouse affair with me. But this time, it’s a whole big production.”

I hugged him close. “I think planning a wedding would unravel even the best of us.” I ran my fingers over his ribs. “But speaking of the wedding…”

His head turned, his eyes narrowing slightly. “What about it?”

I propped myself up on my elbow. “So remember when I set Leigh up with my friend Aidan?”

“Yes… ”

“Well, they’re doing this casual thing, and he was supposed to be her plus-one, but he’s got a family event he can’t get out of. Anyway, she’s asked me to go with her.”

Connor frowned. “As her plus-one?”

I nodded. “It started as a joke, but yeah, now she’s actually asking.” He grew still next to me, and I caught my bottom lip between my teeth. “I want to say yes…”

Connor dropped his head against his pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

“Because Leigh is my friend and I want to do her a solid. And I think it could be a good networking opportunity because Ali is really well-connected in the industry,” I hurried to explain.

“I honestly have no desire to crash your ex’s day, but it’s not like it would matter to her. She doesn’t know me from a hole in the wall.” I sucked in a heavy breath and held it. “But obviously I wanted to clear it with you first.”

Connor’s brow furrowed. He continued to stare at the ceiling, refusing to look at me. “You want to go to Ali’s wedding,” he said. It was a statement, not a question.

“I’m looking at it as a career opportunity.” I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t fully Team Connor when it came to him and Grace and the divorce.

His jaw clenched and unclenched. “You’re talking about Ali’s wedding . My ex.”

“I realize that,” I started, “but it’s not like I’ll be the only LockMill employee there. Half the office is going.”

“Exactly,” he said, running his hand through his hair, tugging at the strands. “Grace will be there and so will nearly all our coworkers.” He gestured between us. “Could you really pretend like we have nothing but a professional relationship in that kind of environment?”

I hated the idea that we would have to pretend at all.

That we had to hide it in the first place to save us from dealing with the ramifications of the no-dating policy.

But that’s what I’d signed up for, hadn’t I?

Darius’s warning rang in my ears: You’ve got a great career ahead of you, Eddie. Don’t throw it away for a good time.

But this was more than a good time now, wasn’t it?

I had a drawer. Connor knew my exact matcha order.

He’d made me his Grace-approved grilled cheese.

I swallowed hard, glancing at him, unable to shake the worry that I embarrassed him.

Dread coiled inside me, but I stamped it down, plunging forward with a smile on my face like I always did.

“I hear your concern, but I think we do a pretty good job drawing that boundary at the office—you know, separating the business from the pleasure.”

“The business,” he echoed, an edge to his voice.

I ran my hand down his chest, finding his arm and linking our fingers.

“And Ali’s venue is literally down the street from Alannah’s regional competition, so I’m going to be around anyway.

Again, I didn’t want to upset you with any of this.

” I gave him an apologetic smile. “It was just a cool opportunity. But if the idea really makes you that uncomfortable, I can stay in my lane and focus on Alannah instead.”

Connor rolled onto his side and caught my lips in a kiss, tangling his other hand in my hair. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get so grumpy.”

“It’s okay,” I whispered against his mouth. He nipped at my lower lip, his hand drifting down my back. “It’s your default.”

He pinched my ass and I gasped. “I’ve just really been enjoying living in the bubble of us right now. Not overthinking everything. ”

“I get it,” I said, throwing my leg over his hip. He drew me closer, and his cock twitched against my belly. “We’re supposed to be discreet.”

He smiled softly, his dark eyes boring into mine. “Is it so bad that I just want you all to myself?”

“No,” I whispered, sinking into another kiss.

This one lingered, one kiss rolling into the next, and when Connor’s hand disappeared between my legs, it was all I could do to keep up a coherent thought as he stroked my clit, milking sounds of pleasure from my throat.

I moaned against him, and in the spotlight of his attention, wanting this bubble of just us didn’t sound so bad.

Because I wanted that too—wanted him —with a desire that had been deepening for weeks.

I whined, rolling against him as his fingers left my clit.

Connor grinned. “Did you need something?”

“I am naked in your bed,” I said, pouting.

“You are. Tell me what you want,” he husked against my ear, one arm reaching across the bed to rifle in the side table drawer for a condom. He snagged it and opened the package, rolling it on his hardening length before he pinned me to the bed. I groaned, rocking beneath his delicious weight.

“Fuck me,” I begged. “Put your cock inside me and fuck me until?—”

He brushed his cock against my entrance, and my eyes rolled back in my head.

“Until you’re moaning my name?” he said, sinking inside me with one smooth motion.

I breathed hard as he rocked in and out, driving my needy panting up to eleven.

He worked his hand in between us, and it only took a few well-placed circles on my clit before I was coming undone beneath him, trembling through my orgasm and his .

He rolled off me when it was done, pulling me close. I curled up against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat pulsing in my ear.

“You should go to the wedding,” he said after several long minutes, his words soft as he drew patterns against my shoulder.

I propped my head up, blissed out and now confused. “Really?”

He kissed my forehead. “You’re right. It’s an amazing chance to network. You’ll be rubbing shoulders with tons of industry people. Your next big opportunity could be there.”

“And what about us?” I asked with a teasing grin. “Think you can keep your hands off me all night?”

“We’ll just have to stay out of each other’s way,” he said. “Pretend to be spies all night or something.”

God, I love him , I thought, chuckling at that image.

An immediate rush of panic washed through me as I realized what I’d just thought. I shivered and Connor pulled me even closer, tucking the blanket around me. It didn’t do a thing to touch the chill deep inside.

I’d gotten involved with someone I worked with. Again.

Even after telling myself I’d never make that mistake after Ryker. And not only that, but this time I’d picked someone with infinitely more power than me and a massive foothold in the industry. Connor could destroy everything I’d worked so hard for with a snap of his fingers.

The red flags were waving hard. I looked up at his face, studying each piece of stubble along his jaw, each eyelash, and the anxiety settled, the panic fading.

Connor was nothing like Ryker. Dependable was his middle name. He wouldn’t pivot on a dime, and he wouldn’t leave me hanging. That just wasn’t the kind of man he was. Right ?

After Ryker, I wasn’t prepared to compromise my worth again, but as I stared into Connor’s eyes, breathing in the warmth and spice of his skin, I knew he wouldn’t ask me to make those kinds of compromises.

This time things would be different.