Page 110 of Boost

“You know what it’s like to…” He trailed off, and his initial confusion shifted to surprise, then darkened alarmingly. Heat radiated from his body to mine when he stepped closer. “You…?”

I let out a shaky breath. “Not here.”

Understanding registered and his shoulders slumped. He nodded once and tenderly rubbed his hands up and down my torso, before pulling me into his arms.

“Alright. I’ll listen. I’ll follow you home,” he whispered into my hair.

Chapter 45

-Raf-

My stomach churned violently as fury rose, creating another blinding rage that made me want to punch something. Ironic really, since Greer had just implied that she’d experienced violence at some point in her life. I just hoped to God that she hadn’t suffered as bad as my mamá had; that thought alone physically sickened me.

Instead of letting the monsters rise, I pressed my lips into her hair and blocked out the world.

“Alright. I’ll listen. I’ll follow you home,” I found myself saying. After all, it was the least I could do.

I carefully controlled an exhale in the hopes to mask each hard kick of my pulse. I could barely see straight through the agitation mixing with dread in my gut and had to consciously ease my grip on Greer. Despite the fear of hurting her again, I couldn’t bring myself to let go altogether. Not when I’d ached for her for two days.

Now that she was in my arms again, Greer seemed as reluctant as I did to lose our connection.

The torment written throughout the lines on her face hit the softest places within my heart, and her gaze searched mine as if locating my vulnerable spots. Little did she know, my biggest weakness was her.

“You ready?” I didn’t want to pressure her, but fuck I needed answers.

She nodded and forced a shaky smile. “Are you?”

I smirked and dropped my sunglasses back into place. “No, but lead the way.”

Unwillingly letting her slip from my grasp, I hovered close as she slid behind the wheel of her car. Once buckled, she looked at me from under her thick lashes and forced a smile.

“This isn’t a race, slick, but you might want to start your engine already.”

Dipping my chin when I felt my mouth tug, I took a moment, then gave her a devilish smirk.

“You wanna be careful challenging a God to his own game.”

With a press of the start button, her Maserati purred to life. “I’m not scared of betting against the odds, Ortiz.”

Greer’s expression shut down and her humor slid away. She eyed me as if I’d suddenly become a stranger. And then I twigged; in her eyes, parts of mewerea stranger now.

“I’m still the Raf I’ve always been, mamacita.”

A nervous lip-roll pressed her lips together before her tongue dashed out to moisten them.

“I know. It’s just… there’s questions…”

“For us both.”

Shutting the driver’s door and rounding the hood, I was a jumble of thoughts and erratic heartbeats by the time I slid into my car. I eased forward as Greer cruised through the parking lot, then I fell into place behind her on the street.

I struggled not to tailgate or wring the leather off the steering wheel as I drove. I was torn, so fucking torn, between pushing her away and pulling her closer where I’d never let her go.

The barred gate on the underground parking of her building rolled up as soon as Greer got close, and I tailgated her through before it rolled closed behind us. Her brake lights flashed and illuminated the dim surroundings as she eased into her designated parking spot. Idling slowly through the sporadically parked cars, I found the spaces reserved for visitors and pulled in.

The click of Greer’s high-heels echoed off the concrete floor and walls as soon as I popped my door open. I climbed out and waited for her determined strides to halt, right in front of me, as predicted.

Neither of us said a word as I followed her to the elevator and waited. When it dinged, I guided her in by the small of her back, but pulled away as soon as the doors sealed us inside.

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