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Piper

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I’ve been debating whether to invite Griffin up to my apartment since we got in the Uber outside the studio. He called for it while I locked up and said goodnight to one of the students who was waiting outside for her ride.

Once we were in the car, the driver started talking about his favorite New York City landmarks. I sat quietly, but Griffin jumped right into a conversation with him. He tossed me a wink when the driver told him that he could recommend some of the best restaurants in Manhattan. It was obvious that he labeled both of us as tourists even though Griffin kept telling him which route to take to get to my apartment the quickest way possible.

I slide out of the car once Griffin exits on the sidewalk. I look up at my building, wishing I had taken a few minutes before I left for work to tidy up. I wasn’t expecting any company since the only person who has seen the interior of my place since I moved in is Jo and she doesn’t care if it’s not in immaculate condition.

“Do you want me to come up?” Griffin straightens his coat.

I study his face. There’s no reason for me not to jump at the chance to sleep with him. I’ve been trying to convince myself that sex with Griffin will distract me from my career, but it won’t.

He’ll go to work tomorrow. I’ll do the same.

We’ll see each other in class on Wednesday and if things get awkward, I know he’ll quit.

“I’d like that.” I gesture toward the front door of the townhouse. “I hope you don’t mind the stairs. The elevator hasn’t worked since I moved in.”

He glances at the building. From the exterior, it looks charming and elegant. It’s a pre-war building with a red brick façade but that’s where it’s allure ends. The foyer has cracked floor tiles, peeling wallpaper and the pungent odor of mold.

“I can handle a few flights of stairs. “He takes my hand to lead me toward a night I sense will be burned into my memory for a very long time.

***

Griffin removes his tie before he takes another sip of the red wine I gave him when we first arrived. I bought the bottle yesterday with the intention of splitting it with Jo since she mentioned wanting to order pizza again one night this week.

I was tempted to go to my bedroom to change my clothes but I don’t want to assume anything by getting more comfortable.

“Do you like living here?” He gazes around the living room. “I used to live two blocks over. The neighborhood is great.”

The small talk is welcome. My hands have been shaking since I unlocked the door to my apartment. I thought the wine would help calm me down. It hasn’t yet.

“So far it’s been great.” I place my wine glass on the distressed wooden coffee table. “It’s pretty quiet and I feel safe here.”

That’s a bigger deal to me than I’ll willingly admit. After what happened with Marco, I double and triple-checked the locks on my door every night before I went to bed. I even slept with most of the lights on for a week after the robbery.

I’ve been able to let go of the anxiety and now that I know that Marco will be facing a policeman tomorrow, I’ll sleep like a baby tonight, unless Griffin has other plans for me.

I feel a blush creep up my neck, so I bow my head and look at the area rug that covers the hardwood floor.

“You saved Marco’s life tonight.” The wine in his glass sloshes as he places it down on the table next to mine.

I brace my hands next to me on the sofa as I look at his face. “You weren’t seriously going to kill him.”

He huffs out a laugh. “Not kill, but I would have given him shit before I dragged him down to the police station by the hair on his balls.”

“There’s a visual I don’t want to have stuck in my mind. “ I shake my head as I giggle. “If I never see that man again, I’ll be happy.”

He leans back on the sofa. “What he did to you was fucked up.”

I nod. “It was. The entire night was a mistake. I picked the wrong guy out of the crowd.”

The worn leather of the sofa groans as he moves slightly closer to me. “Don’t beat yourself up, Piper. There’s no way in hell that you could have known he’s a bastard.”

He’s right. I couldn’t have predicted what would happen that night but I didn’t have to hook up with anyone. It was enough that I ventured out to a club alone. That was a big step for me. Once I was there and I had two vodkas with cranberry juice, I made the hasty decision to have a one-night stand.

It was the most spontaneous thing I’ve ever done.

“I know,” I admit with a sigh. “But as I said, there were warning signs and I completely ignored them and went through with it.”

“The kiss.” His gaze drops to my lips. “You said back at your studio that you can tell a lot from the way a man kisses.”

I stare at his mouth. There’s no way in hell that he’s not an incredible kisser. His lips are shaped perfectly. They’re full without being too plump and I can sense how soft they are.

“You want to kiss me,” he growls as he moves closer. “Test your theory.”

“My theory?” I drag my gaze from his mouth to his eyes.

He moves quickly, bunching my hair in his fist as his other hand circles my waist. “For the record, I fuck even better than I kiss.”

With that, his lips crash down on mine.