Page 77 of Grissom
“I love you, Grissom,” she told him, her heart in her throat. “I love you so much that—”
One moment she was upside down. The next she was wrapped in a delicious bear hug, her chin against his burly chest, staring up at the most beautifully tortured man in the world.
“Say it again,” he ordered gruffly. “Please, Tuesday. Tell me what you just said again.”
Gazing up at the strongest man in her world, she ran her fingers through the water-blackened bangs dripping in his eyes like ink. This hulky giant of a man was still so much that desperate little boy who never should’ve had to fight to be loved. All of his life, he’d needed to hear those four simple words. Which was why he’d fought so hard for Tanner and Luke, to keep them from living the shallow life he’d lived.
And she was the thief who’d held her love back from him. Talk about a rude awakening. She’d treated him just like his mother and his wife.
“I said I love you, honey,” Tuesday repeated, smoothing those floppy bangs back over his head. Tipping up on her toes, she kissed the end of his nose. “I think it was love at first sight, but I…” How could she explain the fear she’d harbored, that she’d believed she was a curse? A jinx? That just knowing her might’ve wrecked his dear little family?
“Good, because I love you so damned much it hurts,” he growled, his breath hot on her throat as he slathered his tongue over her sensitive skin. “I have for days.”
“I should’ve told you sooner, but everything happened so fast between us, and I—” She couldn’t finish, not the way his hands were squeezing her backside. Grissom was possessive as hell, and those thick fingers were branding her as his. Only his.
When he finally eased off, she dropped her gaze to where their bellies pressed together, damming a tiny pool of water between them. “It’s just that” —she couldn’t risk looking at him— “everyone I’ve ever loved is dead, Grissom. Mom and Dad. Freddie. Atchison Bremmer. His babies, Toby and Betsy. Everlee Yeager almost died in the gunfight with Maeve Astor. If I’d stayed with Shane or Heston, they’d probably be dead now too. I couldn’t do that to you or your boys. I was… I was afraid.”
Grissom’s fingers tightened on her hips. “Survivor’s guilt, that’s what you’re feeling. You’re no more to blame for those deaths than I am for what happened the day in Syria when I… when I…”
Tuesday molded her wet body to Grissom’s as the story of that tragic day unfolded. She watched his expression change as he relived the death of those poor boys. By the time it ended, his warm hazel eyes were cold, staring through her. Not seeing, and that just wasn’t good enough.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she whispered, gently drawing his attention back into the steamy shower with her. “It’s not fair what happened, Grissom, but you would’ve died for yourmen that day. That’s why you defended them. You didn’t know who was shooting at you and your men. You had to take care of your guys. You’re a protector. It’s who you are. The first thing I ever noticed about you was that you’d die for Tanner and Luke.”
“So would you,” he murmured, his whiskey eyes so sad, his palm tenderly cradling her cheek.
“Exactly. That’s what people who love each other do, honey. On our best days, we’re all just doing the best we can, with what we’ve been given to work with.”
“We’re a couple jokers, is what we are.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because look at us. You’re telling me the same thing I just told you, only in a different way. We both sound like my counselor. She’s been telling me to let the past go and live in the present moment for weeks.”
Tuesday couldn’t hold back a grin. “Then let’s live, Grissom. Together. Let’s build that sanctuary for abused men, maybe build a few safe homes for unwed mothers and motherless children, and—”
Grissom’s mouth covered hers with heat and passion, ending her crazy dreams for their future. Tuesday wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on. By the time they extracted themselves from the shower, they were prunes. Happy prunes.
Now this… was living.
The next morning, Tuesday woke to an empty bed. The delicious aroma of bacon in the air and the noisy chatter coming from the kitchen told her the men of the household were making breakfast.
She hurried through her shower, then dressed in her last clean pair of skinny jeans, a thin red cashmere sweater top, white anklets, and the adorable red Converse tennis shoes Smoke Montoya, another rough and ready guy, had given her last year, in Texas of all places.
The minute she stepped into the kitchen doorway, she smiled to herself. Grissom had his back to her, as she settled stealthily on one of three barstools at the butcher block island. Tanner stood at his side, but Luke was nowhere in sight. Three plates of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and French toast, with glasses of orange juice, lined her side of the island.
Forget about this kitchen needing bigger windows. The man at the coffeemaker more than made up for that oversight. Pure bliss. She’d seen Grissom at his worst and was now drinking in the sight of him at his masculine best. He was a magnificent mass of muscle, from those long, lean legs, to his tight, round ass, to his narrow waist, and on up to those wide shoulders that completed the perfect inverted triangle of male perfection. To top it off, those muscular shoulders were wrapped in a black polo shirt that looked painted on. Twin leather holsters criss-crossed his back. A sheathed knife hung in the center of that leather X. This man was dressed for work. So soon?
“Good morning,” she said brightly, trying not to let it show that she was crushing on Tanner’s dad. At least, to not look like a star-struck teenager. Last night, Grissom had been all cowboy, but today? Weaponized, strong, and deadly? Drool-worthy. Utterly drool-worthy.
He shot a quick but serious glance at her over his shoulder. “Sorry, but Murphy called earlier, and I’ve got to leave. Haven’t needed a sitter since we moved. Might be gone for a couple days. I was wondering—”
“Ask Robin, Dad,” Tanner whined. “Please? She’ll come, I know she will.”
Tuesday didn’t care who Robin was. “But I’m already here, sweetheart, and I’d love to stay with you boys while your dad goes to work.”
“You’ll stay? Really?” Tanner asked, wringing his fingers. He looked back up to his dad. “Kin Tuesday watch us instead of Robin until you get back?”
Grissom turned around with two steaming mugs in his hands. “Robin’s the teenager who lived next door at our old place. She used to watch Tanner and Luke for me when” —he shrugged— “well, you know. When no one else was around.”
