Page 14 of Bread By the Grim
He says nothing. He just shakes his head, his face buried in the crook of my neck.
“It’s not—” He pauses for a long moment just as the elevator opens. The ding of the door seems to pull him out of whatever mood he’s in. He steps back abruptly and looks away. He’s hunched over, and his breathing is heavy.
“Phil, you cannot be around me when I’m like this.”
Chapter 8
Grim
The words come out between gulps of air. I walk past the truck, across the road to where the land is undeveloped, hoping to get away. She follows me of course, because I’m being weird.
“Grim, I’m not leaving you alone when you’re in pain.”
“Phil, I’m not in pain. I’m shifting.”
“Okay. Then shift. I’ll keep watch over you.”
“Can’t…be…around you.” It’s almost impossible for me to get the words out. I stop and lean against a tree as she catches up. She turns me to face her, meeting my gaze with her bright eyes.
Her eyes study me. “Why not?”
“Can’t…control…urges.”
Strangely, she looks unphased. “What kind of urges? Hunger? Murder?”
“Fuckkkkk.” I’m becoming more and more of an outsider in my own body. She misunderstands my meaning and pulls me to her instead of backing away. Tenderly, a hand presses my head against her shoulder, and she holds me tight, her natural vanilla scent filling my lungs.
“What hurts? Is it the swelling on your back? That’s got to hurt like hell when that happens.” Her voice is calm as her hands move up my back without hesitation. Carefully, she begins to rub the skin where the spikes have begun to form.
The motion is so soothing I find myself calming down and the shift doing something it’s never done before—reversing course before it has a chance to fully take hold. I’m usually stuck in my gremlin for at least a day, but as Phil’s hands knead my back, the spikes slowly retreat. Breathing becomes easier as I’m able to stand straight once again. It feels like a miracle. I can hardly believe it’s real.
“Phil, you did it!” I laugh. “I’ve never been able to stop a shift.” I don’t even think. I cup her face in both my hands and press my lips to hers. I mean it to be quick, but she leans into me, those soft pink lips opening. I don’t even think. I just react. Her vanilla scent is everywhere, and I can’t fight my desire for her any longer.
Her tongue brushes mine, and soon she’s on tiptoe, pushing me into the tree, her body pressed hard against mine. I can feel all of her—her breastsagainst my chest, her thighs locked against mine, and I’m sure she can feel all of me as my cock hardens between us. I fully expect her to pull away, horrified. Instead, she presses her hips harder into mine as her lips work hard to take my breath away.
I’ve kissed and been kissed, but those times are nothing compared to what Phil does to me. I cannot even think when her lips are on mine. She’s an absolute goddess, and I’d die happy right this second knowing I got to spend these few moments in her presence.
Eventually, she has to come up for air. Her eyes meet mine for a moment, uncertain. She licks her lips as she studies me.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t—I’m sure I just made things weird…”
I can’t help but run my thumb along her bottom lip. “I kissed you first.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure you just meant it in a friendly–”
“Do you want it to just be friendly?” I ask, suddenly uncertain.
She meets my eyes. “Truthfully?”
“Truthfully.”
She shakes her head. So, I do the only thing I can do and pull her back into my arms. Her lips are on mine before I can even bend down. She pulls at the bottom of my shirt until it’s untucked from my slacks and runs her hands up and down my chest as ourtongues war for dominance. I want to run my hands over her—we’re well hidden here in the trees—but she’s on a mission, and I will not get in her way.
Her hands drift down to my belt buckle. She undoes it without breaking our kiss and begins to open the front of my slacks. “Can I touch you?” she stops to ask before reaching for my cock.
“You don’t have to–”
She laughs as she lifts my shirt and begins to kiss down my stomach. “Are you kidding, Grim? I have dreams about this cock.”
