Page 36 of Greed
Lilo’s messages were unsettling, and both he and Mary agreed he should forgo his patrolling tonight in favor of assisting Lilo with her investigation of the fake vigilante. Mary would also conduct her own investigation and discuss the incident with the rest of the family at their weekly dinner tomorrow night.
It presented the perfect opportunity to gather evidence in relation to Lilo and her effect on his internal balance.
He entered his office and found Lilo waiting, staring out the window to the city below. Excellent. He could start his study immediately.
Quickly, he checked his tattoo, then his watch. First, he would measure how long it took for his equilibrium to equalize after touching her. After spending the afternoon away from her, his tattoo had begun to tilt off balance. Letting Mary train his magnetic skills had been a generous act on his behalf because he had done it to appease her. Now his tattoo was more white than black.
Lilo hugged her denim jacket tight across her front as though it were as cold inside as out. But that was not true. Outside it snowed gently. Inside the building’s internal heating kept the temperature at a cozy ambience no matter what room you walked into. If anything, she should have her jacket removed. That would make it easier for him to find a spot of skin to touch.
His tongue pressed against his teeth and he fiddled with his watch until he set the timer. A loud beep announced his arrival.
“Hello, Lilo,” he said.
“Griffin.” Lilo slipped off the desk and came over to him, stopping just a foot away.
He inhaled and wished he hadn’t. Common sense fled, and he had to close his eyes to rein in his emotions, but all he could smell was her and it was more intoxicating than ever. No bubblegum this time—just raw, pure woman.
“I’m so glad I caught you.” She sounded strained.
“Is something wrong?” Griffin opened his eyes.
“Donnie was there this morning. He claimed people witnessed the attacker’s costume and confirmed it was Greed.”
“Doppenger was there?”
Something sparked within Griffin, recollections almost fitting together. It was a fleeting feeling, as though he almost remembered, but it remained out of reach. He shook it off. Usually thoughts like that resolved themselves when he otherwise occupied himself.
“Yes,” she continued, “but I told them I only saw a man wearing a black hoodie. I’m sorry if that puts you in a terrible position. I hate lying, and I just want you to know that if you feel you have to tell the truth, then that’s okay. Well, it’s not okay really, but I respect your opinion, but if you hold off for a wee bit, we can investigate properly.” She gasped as though she hadn’t taken breath the entire time she spoke.
Hopeful brown eyes blinked up at him.
This was clearly causing her anxiety. She wrung her hands together until her knuckles whitened. Chagrined, she noticed what she did and shook them out at her side.
Perhaps this was a good opportunity to make contact. He took hold of her left hand and squeezed firmly, mentally counting the seconds. He figured five would count for prolonged contact, then he could check his tattoo.
“I only saw a man in a black hoodie too,” he confirmed.
“Oh, thank God.” She sighed and covered his hand with her right.
But it was a light touch. He flinched.
“I’m sorry.” Lilo let go and looked pointedly at his hands. “You’re sensitive, aren’t you?”
In those few short words, he felt exposed. Open. As though she’d cut into his mind and pried out his innermost secret. It even felt more of an intrusion than if she’d discovered he were one of the Deadly Seven. She saw straight through to his vulnerability. Lilo didn’t look at him as though he were some odd creature, or with pity, she noticed the ropy scar on the back of his hand and stared at him with all-seeing eyes, smiling gently.
Sensitive.
His mouth went dry. “Correct.”
“Again, I’m sorry.” She shook her head, admonishing herself. “I can be so handsy sometimes. I will be careful not to touch you in the future.”
That he would never again feel the warmth of her skin was not a thought he enjoyed entertaining, and it had nothing to do with his study. Her heat echoed on his hand, a ghost of her touch. He was sensitive, yes, but not immune to wanting that human connection. In fact, he felt it more acutely than most people.
“I hope that’s not true.” He swallowed. “It’s just, sometimes firm is better than soft. Like this.” Griffin kept his eyes locked with hers and lifted his hand toward her neck. He paused, realizing that earlier he too had touched her without permission. “May I?”
She tipped her chin in consent.
As his hand lifted toward her, he hesitated. Every fiber in his body wanted to reach out to her. It was so natural and, yet, it was unlike anything he’d experienced before. After his tactile trauma, he’d hand picked his sexual experiences to be brief encounters, wary of what would happen if he exposed his vulnerabilities to the wrong person. But Lilo watched patiently. She waited for him. He knew that she’d never call him weird, freak or anything else.
