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“Believe me, I wanted it to be different too, but I tried, because you asked, and you were right to.” This time when our fingers brush, it’s intentional on Griffin’s part. He stops walking and takes my hand, hesitant. There are people everywhere and pigeons crapping by our feet, but we might as well be alone with the way the entire universe narrows down to him. “I wish I could’ve saved us both from that pain.”
“My heart still feels raw.”
“Same.”
I smile at how oddly right that sounds coming out of his mostly sophisticated billionaire mouth. We stare at each other for several long seconds. I want to run away from this feeling. I want to staple the armor back over my heart to protect it, just in case he’s full of more shit than a septic tank.
“Can I—”
“Is this—”
We both stop and start. Griffin steps in closer until the tips of his blue shoes touch the tips of my flip-flops. Mine are dumb shoes to walk around in.
“Griffin.” I think it’s a warning. I want him to kiss me, but I don’t.
I’m still trying to catch my breath and digest this new information. That he’s not tied to someone else for the rest of his life. That she abused his trust in such a horrible, selfish way. That he was supposed to be a father and now he’s not. I can’t even begin to imagine the emotional whiplash that would cause. I’m reeling and I’m not the one directly affected.
He doesn’t heed the warning in my eyes that this is too much for me to handle too soon. But he also doesn’t kiss me, which is both a relief and a disappointment.
Instead, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me against him. And I melt, like ice cream in the sun. The ache in my chest eases for the first time since he walked out of my apartment, and my life, all those weeks ago.
It’s terrifying to find comfort so easily in another human being. It makes me acutely aware of how vulnerable I am and how much power he has. I hope he doesn’t plan to use it to his advantage. But as that one thought slaps me in the brain, I also realize if it’s like that for me, maybe it’s exactly the same for him. Why else would he fly all the way here—economy, with two layovers in the middle freaking seat, which everyone knows is the absolute worst—to tell me he’s not a baby daddy.
“I missed you so much,” he mumbles into my hair.
There’s a good chance he’s eating it with the way he keeps burrowing deeper. His hold on me tightens, as if he’s trying to absorb me into him. I almost feel like he could.
“I missed you too.” The rest of the world is a buzz in the background as I sink into this embrace and let it heal the parts of my heart that are bruised. I hope he doesn’t crush it again, because I’m not so sure it will survive another blow from this man.
Eventually he releases me, lips brushing my cheek when he pulls back. His pinkie stays linked with mine as I lead him up the gangplank—sort of symbolic that we’re not walking the plank into an endless black ocean.
I shouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised when it turns out Griffin knows the captain of the ship, and the management, and one of the guys at the security checkpoint. It’s actually a good thing he had no idea where I was until my sister sold me out, otherwise he might have yachted his ass out to sea like a real crazy stalker.
Once he has his pass, I consider taking him down to the bowels of the ship—it’s not that bad—but I’m sure when Griffin travels, it’s usually first class with the best rooms in the entire place. I’m lucky enough to have an exterior room with a view of the ocean, but that’s as classy as I get as an intern. I have a six-pack of girly coolers and nothing Griffin would be remotely interested in consuming. “We can grab a drink and go to the staff lounge or the upper deck if you want?” I suggest.
“Sure. That sounds good.”
It’s a gorgeous day. The ship is quiet, and I’m only kind of freaking out that Griffin is here. We find a private corner and settle in with drinks. I considered a sex on the beach because I like them a lot, but I felt like it would give the wrong message, so I went with a margarita instead, double shot, though.
“So. You’re here.” Way to state the ridiculously obvious.
A faint grin appears on his stupidly gorgeous, pillowy lips. “I am.”
I stare into my drink. “For how long?”
“I fly back out late tonight. I have meetings in the morning that I can’t miss in Vegas, or I would stay longer.”
