Page 10 of Baring it All (Men in Charge)

“Thanks, baby. I’ll walk you out there, then eat real quick.” He guides me through the living room. I’m barely able to take it all in. The only light he has on is a lamp on the side table, and with the way Finn is moving, I’ll have to take a look on my way.

“Go eat. I’m sure I won’t get lost in the twenty or so feet I’ll be away from you.” This man, he doesn’t turn off for a minute. Not even when he needs to take care of himself.

“I will. I’m just making sure everything is good in the backyard. We can’t have a lot of lights on while it’s nesting season for the turtles.” When he puts it like that, it’s kind of hard to say much else.

“Oh, well, okay.” He unlocks the back door. Finn takes off, not a care in the world. Meanwhile, I stand on the concrete, face turned up toward the moon, enjoying the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore.

“Everything’s good. I’ll leave the door open. Come in whenever.” I feel his finger graze along the outside of my arm. My flesh pebbles in his wake, making me want more of his tantalizing touch.

“Alright.” My voice is breathless, and I realize just how stupid I was to stay with Zach. Especially when there’s a man like Griff who is willing to put in the effort and work to make me believe there’s something real out there and maybe I finally found it.

12

GRIFFIN

“Shower,” I tell Stormy when she finally reappears with Finn at her heels. True to my words, my boy kept her out there for as long as he could. I grabbed my sandwich, walked back to the glass doors, and watched. Stormy never tired from throwing the ball back and forth with Finn. It was my boy who finally gave her mercy.

“Yes, please.” A yawn escapes as she tries to cover it up with her hand.

“Come on, you’re dead on your feet. I’m tired, and morning is going to come faster than either of us want. Finn doesn’t care if he goes to sleep at nine at night or two in the morning. He’s up like clockwork for his breakfast at eight o’clock.” I lock the back door. My hand moves to her lower back, and I guide her through the house. My place is a one-story, three-bedroom, two-bath older style home with a few upgrades I’ve managed to do with my hectic schedule. I got lucky, managing to get grandfathered in with this location. A moratorium was put in place shortly after I purchased my home, stating nothing more than a two-story could be built in our neighborhood. Which means no fucking high-rise condominiums and no damn hotels.

“Well, I can’t say I’ll wake up with him after only a few hours of sleep.” Can’t say that I blame her. Finn also isn’t her responsibility. I’ll get up with him, let him out, feed him, and then slide back in bed. This time with Stormy wrapped around me.

“Not worried about that at all.” I flip the switch to my bedroom light, and the wall lamps illuminate the room, each situated on either side of the king-size bed. The bed isn’t made, which is the norm for me, but today I kind of wish I had the forethought to at least pick up a bit. The walls are beige, much like the rest of the house. Having it all one color was not only cheaper, it was also easier when painting. My bedroom set was handed down to me from my grandparents. Jack got other shit that I didn’t see a need for. I got the better end of the stick, especially in the form of real wood furniture, while he got a collectable beer stein set. The fucking irony, I own a bar and would rather have the furniture. Meanwhile, Jack is a businessman through and through.

“Wow, this is beautiful.” Stormy drifts away, running her fingers along the dresser. A dresser that took me far too long to sand and refinish.

“Thanks. Let me grab you a shirt, and I’ll show you the bathroom.” She moves away from the dresser, meandering around the room, landing at another set of sliding glass doors that lead out to the backyard. I make a mental note to close the blackout curtains. Maybe tomorrow, Finn will pull a solid and let me sleep in an hour or so longer than his usual. I move to where she was standing, pull open a drawer, and grab one of my well-worn shirts for Stormy.

“Stormy,” I try to get her attention. She’s lost in a daze, watching the moon illuminate the ocean. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to have this as my backyard.

“Oh, sorry, what did you say?” This woman is forever in her own head, it seems, unless my hands are on her body.

“You ready for that shower?” She walks toward me in a slow gait, and damn it all to hell, I’m going to curse myself up and fucking down for what I’m about to say.

“Yes. You don’t happen to have a spare toothbrush, do you?”

“Yeah, I got a spare. Not that I would mind you using mine,” I reply. She follows me to one of the two doors in the same wall. The one to the left is the walk-in closet; the one on the right leads to the bathroom. I open the door, hopeful that it’s not too much of a mess, and flip on another switch until the fan and light combo comes on together.

“Uhh, that’s nice of you and all, to offer to use your toothbrush, but I’ll take the spare.” Her nose wrinkles.

“Baby girl, I’ve had my fingers on you, you’ve soaked me and my clothes. My mouth is going to be on you, and my dick is going to be inside you soon. Sharing a toothbrush isn’t a bad thing.” Towels are hanging up, toilet seat is down, and it’s cleaner than I thought it would be.

“Well, when you put it like that…” She doesn’t finish her thought. My hand wraps in her hair, tipping her head back. My head descends, lips sliding along the corner of her mouth.

“Take a shower. I’ll meet you in the bedroom when you’re done.” I nip at her lower lip, licking it when I’m done to soothe away the bite.

“You’re not showering with me?” There’s disappointment in her tone, and damn if the invite isn’t tempting.

“Not this time. I get in the shower with you, and we’re not going to make it to bed for hours. We’re both tired, and while I want nothing more than to slide into my baby girl’s body, we both need rest. Tomorrow, I’ll take you in the shower, in my bed, on the damn kitchen counter, and I promise you it’ll be worth the wait.” Stormy’s body sways toward me, melts against me, and damn if this isn’t harder than I thought it would be. My cock is mourning the loss even though it’s never even been inside her.

“Oh, okay.” Her eyes shutter, and she’s looking downward and no longer at me. Fuck, the last thing I want is for her to think I don’t want her or for her to revert inside herself and think this is a Zach situation.

“Stormy, I’m not half-assing this. Take your sweet-as-fuck ass in the shower. I’ll meet you in my bed. It means something to me. It means everything to me, especially given what you’ve told me about your past. So, take that sweet ass in the shower. I’ll use the one down the hall. Get in my bed and wait for me.” I hand her a shirt again. The woman is going to have half my wardrobe soon.

“Well, when you put it like that, it makes more sense. Do you have a pair of shorts or boxers to go along with this?” She holds up the gray shirt.

“When you’re in my bed with me in it, no panties, no shorts. I don’t want anything hindering me from having you.” I dip my hips, letting her feel what the thought of having her in my bed with nothing but my shirt on does to me.

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