Page 188 of Rush of Jealousy

Graham nods. “It’s never a problem.”

Penny turns to me and gives me a hug. “Nice meeting you, Angie.” I squeeze her back and feel the pang of sadness in my chest. “Take care of my brother, please,” she whispers so only I can hear. “He is a softy underneath his rough exterior.”

“Of course,” I say. And I agree with her. “I hope our paths cross again soon.”

Graham and Nic say goodbye to their baby sister and walk out with Donna and Germain. I pad upstairs and get a head start on a much-needed shower. It only takes a few minutes for Graham to enter the bathroom and start undressing.

“Did you have fun today?” he asks, sliding the glass door to join me under the steamy spray of the water.

I wrap my arms around his back and lean my body into his. “I had the best day. Your family is terrific and fun.”

“They really like you,” he admits. I barely hear his words, and I wonder if they were meant for me or just himself.

I smile anyway. “I’m glad.”

Graham washes my body tenderly and thoroughly before taking care of his own needs. He shuts off the water and wraps me in a giant towel. I brush my hair and wrap it up into a smaller towel to dry some more before I mess with it.

“We need to leave early in the morning,” he says. His mind is elsewhere. Like he is here physically but mentally in a different place.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, even though I know it’s not. Not at all. I slip on a comfortable pajama set and look at him for a reaction, searching for any indication of his plan.

“It will be.”

“You have no intention of telling me what is going on?”

“No.”

I don’t argue. What is the point? His mind is already made up. With choosing to be his girlfriend, I have to learn when to fight and when to let things be. And right now, I know I cannot win.

When I get back into the bedroom, I see Graham’s retreating back out the door. “Where are you going?” I call out.

“I need to check in with my men outside.”

“Have they been out there the entire time?”

“Yes,” he says flatly.

“What about Thanksgiving?”

He turns to look at me, propping his hand up on the door frame. “What about it?”

“I know we celebrated it a day early, but what about tomorrow? Don’t they want to spend time with their own families?”

“Angela, they’re getting paid well to do their jobs. And sometimes their jobs fall over a holiday.” He shrugs. “So be it.”

I frown over his words. Why do they need to be out there anyway? Is he really worried that Mark is going to jump out from behind a tree and scare us? Surely we are safe here, of all places.

“Go lie down,” he says passively. “Take a nap. Relax. I’ll be back soon.”

I nod and climb up into bed, pulling the comforter over me for warmth.

My eyes grow heavy from the activity of the day, and I close them just for a second until Graham comes back.

33

I wake up the next morning naked, with the sun beaming rays of warmth over the bed. I roll to my side and feel hands wrap around my midsection.

“Good morning.” His voice is full of need. “How did you sleep?”

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