Page 78 of A Kingpin's Weakness
She turned her back to me, and that pissed me off more than her words did. But I had to remind myself she wasn’t being dramatic. She was scared. Hurt Fuck. I had to get used to having a real woman.
Other chicks? They didn’t care if I came or went just as long as they got theirs when I showed up. Stormi cared. Too much. And that shit scared me. Made me feel more than I was used to. I pressed my chest to her back anyway and kissed her neck.
“I’m sorry, baby,” I whispered. “I needed to focus. Handle shit. So I could come back to you.”
She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t pull away either. That was enough for now.
I smiled against her skin. “Let’s go to Greece for a few days.”
“I have to get back to work.”
“Just give me five days Out the country No phones No stress. Just us.”
She rolled over and looked at me. Her eyes searched mine, like she was trying to decide if I was worth the risk.
“Okay,” she finally said.
“And you’ll go to Lia’s funeral with me?” I asked
She nodded. That meant more than she knew.
“You know Jo would be proud,” I joked, and she laughed. That soft Stormi laugh I didn’t know I missed so much till I heard it again.
Then she hit me with it. “You know I don’t want your money, right?” Her eyes held mine. Serious. Real.
I cupped her cheek. “I know. That’s why I wanna give you the world.” And I meant it. I was already trying to figure out how the hell I could get her to stay here permanently, because this girl… She was already home.
CHAPTER 17
Seth
One thingI noticed about Stormi’s crazy ass, she loved a damn piggyback ride.
It didn’t matter if we were leaving a five-star restaurant or walking through cobblestone streets in the middle of Athens, she’d look at me with those big brown eyes and hit me with that“Bae, my feet hurt…”and before I knew it, her ass was on my back like a damn backpack.
Tonight was no different. After a full day of touring Greece, hitting local shops, eating everything in sight, and laughing like we ain't got real life waiting back home her arms were wrapped around my neck and her head rested on my shoulder while I carried her through the resort, back to our suite.
And I didn’t mind it one bit. She was light as hell, and her laugh was even lighter floating behind me every time I joked or shifted my arms to adjust her legs. We both needed this trip. But me, I needed it in a different way. Today was my father’s birthday.
And usually on this day, I’d drown in a bottle. Post up with Rich, ride through the city playing his favorite old-school shit.Maybe stay at the crib with moms and sit in silence with her over dinner that didn’t get touched.
But not this time. This time, I was here halfway across the world, carrying a woman who somehow, in just a few weeks, became my peace. And she didn’t even know what she was doing for me.
She had let her guard down on this trip. Told me things I knew didn’t come easy for her. About her mom. Her childhood. Her fears. Shit she never told a soul, probably. And I ain’t push I just listened. She needed that. And the truth was, so did I.
“Bae, you tired of carrying me?” she mumbled against my shoulder, her voice soft and sleepy.
“Nah,” I said, smirking. “I carry you any day. You light as hell anyway.”
“Lies,” she giggled, pressing a kiss to the back of my neck. “I’ve been eating like crazy.”
I shrugged. “You eat good, you look good. It’s giving grown woman.”
She laughed again, and that sound man.That laugh had healing in it. Shit hit my chest like a prayer.
We reached the suite, and I gently let her down, keeping one arm around her waist so she didn’t wobble. Her bare feet hit the marble floor, and she leaned into me, eyes already sleepy.
"Do I get a bath ran tonight too?" She asked me with that playful smirk, right as I laid her soft ass down on the bed. Her eyes were low, but full of that kind of trust I’d kill to keep. A trust I didn’t take lightly.
