Page 20 of Barely Breathing
“I can’t shake the feeling I was meant to overhear the conversation.It was perfect timing.I think he wanted me to hear and call my dad for help.I think Vince expected it.”
“But he wouldn’t expect you to run.”Jack gave her a contemplative look.
“No, he wouldn’t.I’m predictable it seems.It galls me to think of someone putting together a file on me.”She caught their grins and heaved a sigh.“I know.Funny coming from me.He would know I lived in that cabin for years.That I don’t veer far from it, and my dad keeps in constant contact with me.I think Vince expected me to tell my dad about him right away.When I didn’t, he pushed my hand.Or at least, he thought he did.”
“How long did you know him before the call?”Chetan again.She seriously wanted to kick him under the table as she felt Griff’s tension.She shook it off.She had no control over how Griff felt or what he thought, and she’d drive herself crazy if she tried to read into his nonverbal cues.
“A month.”
Griff relaxed, and she knew what he was thinking.She’d known Vince for a month and hadn’t slept with him.She’d known Griff less than a day and had sex with him three times.That would go to his head.
“Did you bring the information with you?”Roman stood and pushed in his chair.
“What?”She forced her mind back to the conversation and off the man far too close to her side.
“Your research?”Roman asked.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the little flash drive she’d slipped in before leaving Griff’s.“It’s all on here.”
Roman took it from her.His hand dropped to her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.“I’ll take a look.”
She should be offended he planned to dig in to doublecheck her work, but she’d do the same thing in his shoes.It was hard to fault him for it.So, she nodded and sat still while he left the room.
“I’d like you to lie low for a while.”Jack stood and looked at her.“Chetan checked the hotel room this morning.No one’s been there.He made sure the room was paid for the rest of the week.If Mr.Giordano comes after you, hopefully, he’ll follow the trail there.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Whatever you did last night.”Jack shrugged.She knew Griff was grinning, even without looking his way.She would not fucking blush.No way Jack knew what they’d done.No fucking way.
“Yeah,” Chetan added.“Let Griff entertain you.I’m sure he can come up with some stuff to keep you from being bored.”
Her gaze jerked toward him.He couldn’t know she and Griff had indulged in sex, but the look on his face said he might.That he might know exactly what she and Griff had been doing.
There was no holding back her blush now.The heat of it rose up her neck to her cheeks.When did she start blushing?Griff squeezed her thigh, letting his fingers slip inward to rub.Since him and only with him.
Her face heated as they exited the room.Chetan was the last to leave.He smiled, stood, and after a shared look with Griff she wouldn’t try to interpret, he left them alone.She finally turned to look at Griff.His smile was exactly as she’d imagined.He leaned in and nipped her bottom lip right there in the conference room where anyone could walk in and see them.
“I can think of a number of things we could do to keep you busy and entertained.”
She sighed.She’d enjoy every fucking one of them, she was sure.“I guess I’m not supposed to see Stace yet?”She hadn’t missed the fact Shep and Stace hadn’t been involved in the meeting.
“They left last night to check on her sister.Chloe’s been having some bad nightmares since she was rescued.She doesn’t leave the house much anymore.It worries Stace.”
“It has to be hard on Stace.She loves her sister.”
That didn’t sound like Chloe at all.She’d always been happy and outgoing.Always smiling and chatting a mile a minute whenever Honor had seen or spoken to her.Honor hadn’t seen Chloe often, but still, it had left an impression.She hoped Chloe found a way to deal with things and move forward.
“So, are you ready to head home?”Griff pushed back his chair and stood, holding out his hand to her.Her heart caught at his careless use of the wordhome.It was his home, but the way he’d said it made her think about something else entirely.Something that couldn’t be.
“I’m not having sex with you again, right now.”
Someone cleared their throat by the door, and she flushed.Looking up, she cringed to find Jack standing there.
“We’ll talk again later.I’ll see what we can find out between now and then.And I was going to tell you to stay off the computer.I’m guessing Griff will take care of that.”With those words, he turned to leave, firmly shutting the door behind him.
Honor groaned, closing her eyes as she dropped her head into her hands.Griff laughed.He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.She was damned if it didn’t feel almost perfect.
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