Take Me with You (Take Me #2)(43)

She softly poked me in the stomach, and I groaned.

“You can barely stand up. We shouldn’t have even done anything earlier.”

I smirked down at her. “And here I thought you liked it.”

She rolled her eyes and prodded me toward the door. “How about we get you home?”

I laughed but relented. I actually felt a lot shittier than I was letting on. After all the adrenaline had worn off, I completely crashed. As much as I’d claimed to want to take Ari home and f*ck her all over again, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to more than crawl into bed and pass out—if I could even make it to the bed.

Spending my birthday night in the ER hadn’t exactly been what I had in mind. But I wouldn’t have traded it for the world.

It felt ridiculous to me to be so happy in a stale sterile environment full of sick people, but it was the first time in a long time that things were right with Grant. Sure, we had a lot to talk about, but at least it felt as if we were getting somewhere. The complications that had been brought up with the return of his dad and the motorcycle accident seemed to have brought us closer. And I wasn’t about to let that slip away.

I drove Grant home from the hospital, and despite his protests, he fell asleep as soon as he got into bed. I crawled in next to him, trailing my fingers over the mottled bruises on his bare skin. I fell asleep listening to his even breathing, thanks to the painkillers the doctor had given him for his ribs.

Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, Grant rolled over, wrapped an arm around my waist, and rested his chest flush against my back. My eyes slid open in surprise at the feel of his dick pressing through his thin cotton shorts and into the small amount of space between us.

“Ari,” he groaned through his half-asleep daze.

His lips landed lightly on my collarbone. My body molded to his, and I felt the intensity in his desire. How had I ever been too afraid to succumb to this? How had I ever thought that by saying no, when I’d really wanted to say yes, we’d somehow be able to talk more? I didn’t want to stop, not anymore.

Scrounging up some courage, I pressed my butt back against him and made teasing circular motions with my hips. He mumbled something incoherent in the crook of my neck and nipped at the sensitive skin. I arched back toward him, and then he grabbed my hip in his hand and pulled me back even harder against him.

I was fully awake at that point. Desperate to go further, our bodies rocked against each other, waking up the deep-seated desire coursing between us. Grant slipped his hand from my hip and moved it down between my legs. I was already hot and pulsing with anticipation. He squeezed his hand into the tight space and then massaged up and down, flicking his finger against my clit through the material, while I bucked against him.

A fiery inferno rose up all around us. We were barely doing anything, yet at any moment, I was going to combust. The room was so dark, and our bodies were so connected. The tension of the previous months stretched between us, snapping and pushing us over the edge.

I couldn’t wait another minute. I rolled over onto my back and crushed my lips to his. “Fuck me,” I breathed. I didn’t even feel ridiculous requesting it of him. I’d come so far in such a short period of time.

Our clothes were quickly strewn across the bedroom floor. Grant eased himself over my body, pressing my legs open for him. My grinding against him had lengthened his dick, and I could tell he was already rock-hard as he slipped into my opening. My wetness coated the tip, drawing him deeper. I expanded and tightened all around him as he filled me.

Our breathing quickened in time with his measured thrusts. I buried my hands into his hair and tugged his lips back down to mine. I couldn’t get enough of this moment. Grant made me feel alive as if I could conquer the world.

And I came apart while telling him how much I loved him.

I lay back, satiated and content. Grant fell back onto the bed and pulled me into him. He struggled to get his breathing back to normal.

I nuzzled closer to him. “Are you okay? Do you need medicine?” I whispered. I hadn’t meant for things to get so out of hand, and I didn’t want him to get worse because we couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves.

He kissed the top of my head. “I’m okay, Princess. Just lie here with me.”

I complied and closed my eyes. This was pure magic right here.

My nails scratched lightly down his chest. He sighed pleasurably, and goose bumps rose on his arms.

“That feels nice,” he whispered into my hair.

“Good.”

After ten minutes of silence, I thought Grant had finally fallen back asleep. I was about to hop out of bed and use the bathroom before trying to shut my brain down and getting some more sleep myself.

Then, Grant spoke again, “I still have nightmares.”

I remained very still, unsure whether he was talking to me or to himself.

“After hearing his voice again, I don’t want to go back to sleep.”

His dad.

Grant was talking to me about his dad.

I didn’t say anything. I just slowly reached out and twined our fingers together. If he wanted to talk about it, then I would be here. I would always be here for him.

“He wanted me to listen to what he was saying. But how could he f*cking ask that of me? I don’t want a relationship with him. I’ve spent my life escaping what he did, escaping him. I would be fine if it f*cking stayed that way.”