Page 88 of Whispered Warnings: Part Two

We walk further into the room and dump our bags on my bed. “I think I would still like to look into it at some point. Not right now, obviously, we’ve got too much going on, but maybe when we’ve finally put this case to bed, we could come back and have a vacation here and figure it out then. I’m going to have to save up to buy it anyway, goodness knows how much a place like this is worth.”

Griff nods, “Yeah, I can definitely help with that. It would be nice to come back and actually enjoy the place rather than just be working.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure that I have been here for anything other than work or something stressful,” I reply. Changing the subject I add, “The shower is through there, you can go ahead, and I will use the one in the hallway. I’m going to fall asleep pretty fucking quickly, but do you want to put something on the TV?”

He shrugs, “I don’t mind. I’m probably going to fall asleep just as quickly. I think I only managed to get an hour last night, and it’s not exactly early.”

I nod and he grabs some stuff out of his bag and then heads into the bathroom. I do the same and go back out of my room to the main bathroom for this floor. I’m not really sure why it’s here since all of the rooms have bathrooms attached.

I rush through my shower, the tiredness pressing down on me now that I am finally winding down for the day and beginning to relax. When I get into the bedroom, the TV is on a show that is light-hearted and that we have watched before at the guys place, and Griff is already under the covers—his arm behind his head and the covers sitting at his waist, revealing his broad and naked chest. I’m surprised that he has a couple of tattoos. The patterns that appear on his arms are only there when he’s in full gargoyle mode. I want to get a closer look, but I know that probably wouldn’t be a good idea.

Climbing under the covers and turning the light out so that only the glow of the TV illuminates us, I realize that I should probably warn him.

“Griff?” I ask, just in case he’s asleep.

“Yeah?”

“I’m probably going to have nightmares tonight because of Dimitri,” I try to explain. “I’m hoping that it will be better because I’m not alone, but just in case it’s not, I tend to start fighting, and I might scream.”

Griff growls, “I hate that you have nightmares about him. I hate that he’s affected you enough to cause that reaction.”

“Me too,” I admit. The darkness making me braver, “I think it’s worse because I remember who he used to be.”

Griff grunts, and then lifts up his arm, “Come here. I’ll keep the nightmares away, and if I can’t I’ll remind you that you are here with me and not there.”

My eyes prick with tears, as scout closer and lay my head on his chest. “Thank you, for being there for me.”

“Always, Neith.” He mutters softly.

∞∞∞

I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but he did it. He kept the nightmares from consuming me.

I remember a nightmare starting, but before it could properly take hold, Griff was there. He woke me up, spoke softly, stroked my hair, and kissed my forehead. He made me feel safe, so incredibly safe, and it chased the nightmares away. I can’t even begin to describe how much it meant to me, and my feelings for him have changed from he’s super hot, and I would happily get down and dirty with him, to something more than that. Something more meaningful, and if I’m being completely honest, he’s not the only one who my feelings toward them have shifted.

Van said not to overthink it, but I wonder if he realized that I’m starting to feel more than just friendly and casual hook-up emotions for them.

I push up onto my elbow, looking down at him, my body still pressed tightly against his side. Griff’s alarm has gone off several times now and his hand is rubbing soothingly up and down my back, he looks up at me curiously.

“Thank you,” I say, and then feeling brave especially since I haven’t brushed my teeth yet. I lean forward and gently brush my lips against his.

His arm wraps around me tightly as his other hand comes to cradle my face gently. The kiss is soft, and meaningful and Idon’t think I have ever been kissed like this before. The whole world disappears, as I lose myself in Griff.

“We should probably get downstairs before everyone comes looking for us,” Griff says as we pull apart.

I grin, “Yeah. I suppose you’re right. Come on, let’s go. I need coffee.”

He smiles, pulling me close one more time and kissing me again, making me sigh happily. I could definitely get used to waking up like this every morning.

Griff and I both get up and get dressed, ready for the day, and I don’t even try to hide the fact that I’m checking him out. I mean, his jeans are doing him a massive disservice in hiding the absolutely biteable ass that he has. How the fuck haven’t I noticed before?

“If you don’t stop looking at me like that, I’m going to have to do something about it,” Griff says as he catches me watching him and biting my lip.

We both know that it’s, unfortunately, an empty threat because I’m still practically human, and he could break me. Literally, they all could. My vagina however thinks that she’s up to the challenge and it’s definitely worth the risk, so I bitch slap her back, grimace at the image that thought conjures, and then grin at Griff.

Shrugging, I say, “It’s not my fault, your ass fucking biteable.”

His eyes heat, and he takes a step toward me before he remembers and then growls instead.

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