Page 92 of Snow Bound

“Unfortunately not,” Simon said cheerfully, and handed Grant the bag of frozen peas he’d liberated from Anna’s freezer. “Here.”

Grant took it with ill grace and limped over to the chair Simon had vacated. “I am not a shitty Dom.”

“That remains to be seen.” Lola patted Henry on the head, then turned on one needle-thin heel and stalked over to Grant. He barely suppressed the urge to flinch when she stopped three feet in front of his chair and planted her hands on her hips.

“Brain working yet?” she asked.

His eyes narrowed. “Enough to realize I could have you arrested on assault charges.”

She snorted, unimpressed. “Sure, we can do that. Right after I have you and your buddy arrested for breaking and entering.”

“Anna gave me a key,” he said, lying without compunction.

“You popped the lock with a set of illegal picks that Big Dick Hastings here pulled out of his back pocket,” she corrected.

“What did you call me?” Simon choked out.

“There’s a doorbell camera, asshole,” Lola continued and, ignoring Simon’s indignant sputtering, pulled a phone out of her coat pocket and shoved it in Grant’s face. “How do you think I knew you were here?”

Grant stared at the screen, where he could clearly be seen taking the lock picks from Simon, then crouching to pop the lock. Disgusted with himself—how could he have missed something as basic as a damn doorbell camera?—he said nothing as Lola perched on the edge of the coffee table. She crossed her legs in a smooth, elegant motion and aimed those whiskey eyes at him.

“Anna’s fine, in case you were wondering. She’s at my place, and no,” she said before he could heave himself out of the chair, "you cannot go see her there.”

Grant scowled. “Why not?”

“Because you and I need to get a few things straight.” She angled her head. “You seem a little agitated, Grant. A little angry. Why is that?”

“You mean besides the fact you just kicked my nuts into my nostrils?” he snarled.

She waved an elegant hand with nails that matched her lipstick. A ring with a rock the size of his thumbnail flashed. “Besides that.”

“I don’t know,” he drawled, sarcasm dripping from every word. “It might have something to do with the fact that the woman I love skipped out in the middle of the night, stole my truck, then told me she loved me in a damn text.”

“She stole your truck?” Simon asked politely.

Grant ignored him. “I’m running on three hours of sleep, nine cups of gas station coffee, and a questionable breakfast sandwich I picked up outside Michigan City. My back hurts, my balls hurt, and I don’t see how any of this is your fucking business.”

“You couldn’t see water in the middle of Lake Michigan,” Lola replied evenly. “But Anna loves you, so I guess we’re just going to have to put up with each other.”

“I want to see her,” he said stubbornly.

“No,” she said calmly. “You need to decide if you just want a convenient fuck or if you love her.”

“I just said I did,” Grant all but snarled.

“Then act like it, and start thinking about why a woman who loves you would be too afraid to tell you so in person,” she shot back.

Grant started to snap back, then paused when something tickled the back of his brain. “Does this have something to do with her mother?”

Lola smiled. “Maybe you’re not such a shitty Dom, after all. You can see her tonight at Odyssey.”

“Odyssey?” he repeated.

“Odyssey’s closed on Sundays,” Simon interjected helpfully.

“Yes, but I bet you could make a few calls and get it opened up.” She pulled a card out of her coat pocket and laid it on the coffee table. “There’s my number. Let me know if you can’t pull it off.”

“I’ll pull it off,” he vowed. He’d call in every favor Michael owed him. Hell, he’d blackmail him if he had to.

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