Page 56 of Forbidden

“You know, there’s a perfectly good sofa over there,” I say as I hand him one of the cups.

He squints at the sofa and looks away, taking a sip of the coffee without a word of thanks. Not that I expected it. I lower myself down beside him and he huffs softly as though annoyed I’m not leaving. Honestly, at this point, even I’m not sure whether I’m staying because it’s the right thing to do or because I know it’ll piss him off.

We sit there in silence drinking our coffees as though nothing just happened, but curiosity eventually gets the better of me. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

A small noise sounds in the back of Doug’s throat, and his head drops, hanging between his knees. It makes my heart ache so acutely that I reach out and rest a hand on his shoulder before I can worry about it getting bitten off.

If he’s pissed about it, he doesn’t say as he draws a shaky breath. “My nan died.”

My chest tightens. “Your nan?”

“Grandmother.” He places the coffee down on the carpet and threads his fingers through his hair. “She was the only fucking decent family I had.”

“Fuck.” I squeeze his shoulder, rubbing slightly. “I’m so sorry.”

He draws another breath, but it catches, and when a sob bursts from him, I don’t think twice before closing the gap between us and pulling him into my arms. He doesn’t resist, and I rub his back, murmuring soothing words as his tears soak through my shirt.

Disgust crawls in my gut. Not at Doug. At myself. I let him goad me into sex before I knew what was wrong. I should have had more restraint. He’s grieving his goddamn grandmother and I fucked him into the carpet with barely a moment’s hesitation.

“I can’t believe she’s gone,” he says, pushing out of my arms and swiping at his eyes.

I don’t know what to say, so I say nothing. Doug sniffs, then growls in frustration, pushing the heels of his hands into his eyes as though it might stop the tears.

“How did she die?” I ask.

“Her heart gave out. She was only seventy-three, but she smoked most of her life so it’s a miracle she made it that long.”

“She’s in the UK?” I ask.

“Yeah.” He sighs deeply. “I’ll speak to Drew about some time off. I’ll have to fly back.Fuck.”

“Don’t worry about the team,” I say, gripping his shoulder again and trying not to think about the warmth of his skin against my palm. “I’ll keep things running until you get back.”

He nods, dropping his head back against the desk. He looks younger. Vulnerable. It’s hard to believe that the man beside me is the same arrogant prick who’s been making my life hell since I arrived. I wrap my arm around his shoulders, exhaling when he sinks against me without resistance. He smells nice. Something fresh and beach-like mixed with chlorine. I wonder if it’s just from being around the pool or whether he swam before practice. Which would mean he got here at four a.m. Surely not.

“She was the only person in my entire fucking life who actually cared about me,” he says quietly.

I rub my hand up and down his arm, frowning into the darkness. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

Doug’s snort is warm against my chest. “It really is. My parents are knobs.”

“Wow.” I chuckle and move my hand up to stroke his hair. My heart races as I pause, wondering if I’ve gone too far, but he doesn’t move. Doesn’t push me away. So, I carry on. My fingers card through the thick strands, brushing his neck, as my other hand rubs soothing circles on his back. It feels nice. Even if there’s a risk he’s going to end up punching me when he finally realizes what’s happening.

“Tell me about them,” I say.

“Who?” he asks, the stubble of his short beard scraping against my polo. “My parents?”

I squeeze his arm a little. “Yeah. Why are they, what did you call them? Knobs? Talk to me.”

He stills in my arms, and I wonder if I’ve pushed too far. This moment of peace between us over already.

“Why?” he asks. “You fucking hate me.”

Closing my eyes, I rest my chin on top of his head. “Yeah. Clearly.”

“I don’t understand,” he says quietly. “I get the pity, but why are you still here? You can leave, you know. I got what I needed from you.”

I roll my eyes at his defensive words. “I don’t want to leave. And I don’t hate you. It’s all in your damn head, Doug. Ever since I arrived, I’ve tried to be your friend. You’re the one who keeps throwing shit between us.”

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