And all I had was a cheesy gift.
I tempered his expectations. “This is just a little something.”
“Give it over.”
I didn’t. I held it tighter. “And it’s kind of stupid.”
“Greer.”
“And by kind of, I mean a lot.”
His biting tone was firm. “I don’t like to repeat myself.”
I hurriedly passed it to him, babbling away because my filter was in bed for the night. “It’s very corny and nowhere near as good as what you got me. Which you didn’t even have to get me anything, but I appreciate it. And I’m totally not expecting you to do anything with this, it was just a dumb idea I had.”
As I rambled, Tripp unwrapped the paper to reveal a hardcover book. He flipped open the pages before freezing.
His muscular shoulders bunched as he stared down at the picture.
The silence stretched and stretched until I couldn’t take it anymore.
My words came out stilted as I reiterated, “Like I said, it was just a dumb idea I had, but you don’t have to keep it or anything.”
His gaze finally rose to meet mine, and for the second time in the short span, I lost my breath. There was so much intensity in his stare, it was almost hard to look at.
But I couldn’t tear my focus away.
“This is the best present I’ve ever received,” Tripp said with nothing but unbridled truth in his voice. “Greer, this is… Wow.”
He looked back down at the coffee table book I’d had printed of his photography, flipping through before pausing on the picture of me on the roof. I’d also included the one in his living room. I’d left out the one from my interview since it wasn’t exactly my best angle. But even I had to admit that the rooftop one in the dim lighting was beautiful.
I fidgeted with my hair. “I honestly think you can publish that. I mean, not that specific one. The quick print service I used isn’t the best quality, but your photographs are so good, it makes up for it.”
“Come here.”
“And I can always have it printed with a better?—”
“Now, Greer.”
I hurried over and climbed into bed. Tripp didn’t give me the chance to settle before pulling me to straddle him. Unlike mine, his kiss wasn’t fast. It was brutal and bruising and lengthy until I was a writhing mess. I whimpered as he pulled away to push myhair from my face. “I meant what I said. This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten. Thank you, siren.”
“You’re welcome, Sir.”
I was hoping he would continue touching me to ease some of the need that he’d built, but he didn’t.
After carefully setting the book on the side table, he turned off the lamp and positioned me with my restless body tight to his. My exhaustion turned my limbs to heavy weights as I sank into the comfortable bed.
Into him.
But sleep was hard to find. My brain was a whirl of activity, bouncing between what had happened and what I’dthoughthad happened. It’d taken everything in me to tell myself I was okay with it. That it was his lies that angered me. I was relieved that he hadn’t been lying. But I was more relieved that he also wasn’t talking to other women. Deep down, I knew the clock on our arrangement was running down.
He would move on.
And I needed to do better at remembering what we were.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
WE THOUGHT THERE WAS A SCOOP TO BE HAD, BUT NOTHING? NO INFO AT ALL? YOU GOSSIP WHORES HAVE LET US DOWN.
