Pretty Dirty (Dirty Bad Things Book 2)(33)

“No, but you’re mine,” he growls.

“Let go of me!”

Gray just grumbles, and before I know it, I’m gasping as he lifts me up and throws me over his shoulder.

“Gray!”

He strides through his bedroom and into the large master bathroom, setting me on the big marble vanity. He turns and starts to run a bath in the huge, deep tub.

“I’m not a fucking child,” I mutter.

“I never said you were, but I am going to take care of you.”

“Why?” I sass back.

“Because.”

“Why?”

“Because I like you!” he snaps, sending a bolt of heat right into my heart. “Because I really fucking like you.”

“Like you liked the girl with the little boy?”

I wish I hadn’t said it the moment it leaves my lips. Gray freezes, and slowly turns to me.

“Looking through my stuff?”

I shrug. “That your secret family?”

He laughs bitterly. “No.”

“Fine, its none of my business anyway—”

“Her name is Michelle,” he says quietly, standing and turning to train his gaze on me.

“Gray, it’s really none of my—”

“Well I’m going to tell you anyways,” he says flatly. “Her name is Michelle, and the boy is Jason. No, he’s not mine.”

A weight lifts from my chest, and I hide a smile by chewing on my lip.

“When I got back from the Marines…” His shoulders slump and he shakes his head. “I was pretty fucked up when I got back, Zoe. Me head was still back there in fucking Kandahar, I was jumping every time I heard a door slam or a car backfire, and I hadn’t slept through the night in fucking months. Michelle was…fuck, I don’t know. Normalcy. She was what I was supposed to do after war. The perfect little Christmas card family. Hell, Jason even looks like me.”

He lifts his eyes to mine.

“It wasn’t real, Zoe. It was a bandaid for me and a pretend fantasy for her. Michelle was still seeing her ex, Jason’s dad. I didn’t not care for her, and I did care a lot for her son, but...” He shakes his head. “Like I said, it wasn’t real.”

He moves towards me, his eyes burning right into me.

“It wasn’t one shred as real as what I feel for you. It wasn’t even a pale imitation of what I feel when I’m with you, Zoe.”

I look away as he comes closer, but suddenly he’s right in front of me. His hand cups my jaw, and he gently tilts my head back to him, lifting my gaze to his fierce eyes.

“You are everything I’ve ever been looking for, pretty girl,” he murmurs. “You are everything I’ve ever wanted. You’re it,” he says softly, his thumb tracing my lips. “You’re it for me.”

“I’m not perfect,” I whisper.

“Join the party.”

“I’m fucked up, Gray.”

He smiles, and it melts me.

“No, you’re not,” he purrs. “You can keep trying to tell yourself that if you want, but I’ve seen the real you, and it’s not fucked up at all.”

He leans in, and as his lips brush mine. I whimper.

“I’ve seen the real you, Zoe,” he whispers. “And it’s fucking perfect.”

I gasp as I crush my lips to his, my arms flinging around his neck as he kisses me fiercely and passionately, until I’m gasping for air.

“I was looking for normalcy,” he says quietly. “Turns out, me and normal don’t exactly click.”

“Me and normal aren’t on speaking terms,” I say with a small grin.

“Good,” he growls, winking at me as he kisses me softly. “I think we’re going to do just fine without normal.”

His lips press to mine, and I melt into the kiss. I open my mouth for his tongue, moaning into him as mine swirls with his and as my whole body comes alive for him.

“Water’s getting cold,” he murmurs, pulling back.

“You going to give me a bath or something?”

“Yep.”

I bite my lip, shivering under that heated look of his as I slowly nod.

“Okay,” I whisper.

“Strip,” he growls, his eyes flashing as he pulls away from me.

I shiver, the heat teasing through my body as I slip off the vanity and start to tug my shirt off. It drops away, and my jeans follow. I swallow thickly, reaching back and slipping my bra off before I slide my hands down my body to my panties.

“Show me,” he purrs, his eyes tracing over my skin. “Show me everything, pretty girl.”

I whimper as I slip the panties down my legs, stepping out of them and then padding past him to the bath. Gray holds my hand, helping me in, and when his hand brushes the small of my back, my whole body aches for more.

I sink into the water, trying to push away the thoughts of him with that woman. I don’t want to think about him with her. Or anyone, really. God, I’ve never been the jealous type before either, but whatever it is about Gray makes it ignite inside of me.

“You’re jealous.”

I glance up sharply. “Am not.”

He grins. “Yes you are.”

I pout. “I just…I don’t want to think about you with another girl.”