Page 64 of Outlaw Ridge: Griff
But for now, it was enough.
Lily had just broken off another piece of chocolate when Griff’s phone buzzed on the counter beside his glass. He picked it up, glanced at the screen, and held it out so she could see. It was from Jesse.
Everett is due in a half hour for his interview with Hallie and me. We’ll let you know what he says.
She swallowed the chocolate, a bitter edge creeping into her chest despite the sweetness. “That should be us in that room questioning Everett.”
Griff nodded, his expression unreadable, but she could tell he felt the same way. Being sidelined after a shooting, even when it was by the book, was like standing just outside the fire, knowing the whole thing could still burn down and you couldn’t stop it.
She put the rest of the chocolate aside and got a glass of water. “Maybe Everett will spill something. Rhett and Margo sure did.”
Griff’s mouth tugged into a small, dry smile. “That’s one way to describe it.”
“Half-truths. Panic attacks. Hidden kids. Blackmail payments.” She drank some of the water. “Nothing like a few interviews to blow everything wide open.”
He chuckled quietly, and she saw the tension ease slightly in his shoulders. It was the first time in hours he hadn’t looked like he was carrying the whole investigation on his back.
“Let’s hope Everett’s feeling chatty,” she muttered.
Griff took another sip of his scotch, his gaze thoughtful as he swirled the glass. “You know,” he said, his voice low and casual, “I’ve got a jet tub in the master bath. You should take a long soak. Might help loosen up some of those tight muscles.”
Lily raised an eyebrow, the offer sending a flicker of temptation through her—until her imagination took it further.
She saw it in a flash: the water steaming, her bare skin beneath the surface, and Griff sliding in behind her, just as bare. His hands on her shoulders. His mouth at her neck. The heat didn’t stop at the edges of her mind. It tore through her body with a sharp, slow burn.
She licked her lips and stepped away from the counter, toward him. One step. Then another. Her pulse beat harder with every inch that closed between them.
“I’ve got a better way to loosen tight muscles,” she said softly.
Griff didn’t move. He just watched her, eyes dark and steady, like he already knew what was coming.
She reached for his shirt, curled her fingers around the front, and tugged him to her.
Then she kissed him.
It wasn’t tentative.
It was deep and hungry and full of all the pressure they’d both been carrying. All the near-misses, the danger, the long hours of working side by side while trying not to give in. There was nothing restrained about it now.
And neither one of them wanted it to stop.
Griff’s mouth moved over hers with a hunger that stole Lily’s breath. The warmth of the scotch still lingered on his lips, but it was quickly replaced by something far more intoxicating. Need. His hands settled on her hips, fingers firm, grounding her and igniting her in the same motion.
She gripped his shirt, fisting the fabric as if it were the only thing keeping her upright. The kiss deepened, and she let herself get lost in it, in him. It had been building for days. Through tension, danger, near-death moments, and those stolen glances that lasted just a second too long.
Now there was no pause.
No room for second-guessing.
Her hands slid up his chest, tracing the hard line of muscle beneath his shirt. She could feel the tight control in him, the way he held back. Barely. But when she pressed herself closer, molding against him, he broke just enough to let out a low groan.
Griff’s hands roamed up her back, one of them slipping beneath the hem of her top, his palm hot against her skin. The contact sent a rush through her so fast and sharp she nearly gasped. She arched into him, needing more. More of his hands, more of his mouth, more of the escape only he could offer in this moment.
Her fingers threaded into his hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss, and his hand splayed across her lower back, anchoring her to him like he had no intention of letting her go.
The heat between them wasn’t simmering anymore.
It was a full-on blaze.
