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Griffin

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“Dude, put on some pants.” I toss my keys on the small table in the foyer of my apartment. “I’ve already seen too much naked cock the past few weeks.”

Sebastian’s hand darts down to cover his groin. “Shit, man. I thought you’d be at work.”

“I thought you’d be at your apartment.” I stalk past him on my way to my home office. “Were you here all night?”

I ask because I crashed as soon as I got home. I dropped my clothes on a chair in my room and hit the sheets. I was out within two minutes.

It wasn’t until I woke up in a cold sweat at two a.m that I remembered the conversation Piper and I had about her need to be an artist.

I got out of bed, took a shower and worked until I dressed for my early meeting.

I noticed the door to the guest room was closed, but I didn’t think twice about it.

“Brad had his kids last night.” Sebastian rounds the corner to my office with a pair of black sweatpants on. His chest is still uncovered displaying the tattoo that covers his shoulder. I fucking hate that thing. It’s a reminder of the night he was shot.

“Put on a shirt.”

“No shirt.” He shakes his head. “You know I don’t like hanging around when Brad has his daughters for the night. He only sees them one night a week right now. I want to give him space and time with them.”

Sebastian has a heart of gold. When Brad, one of his buddies from work, was going through a painful divorce, Sebastian let him move to the extra bedroom in his apartment. It’s a good arrangement until the guy’s daughters show up.

Those are the nights when Sebastian uses the key I gave him to crash here. I don’t have a problem with it, unless he’s walking around in the nude.

“Is there a woman here?” I look past him to the hallway. “I’m not going to stumble on some big-titted blonde on my way out, am I?”

He raises a dark brow. “Once, Griffin. That happened once.”

Once was enough.

I came home from work and found a beautiful blonde in my bed.

I’m not the type to turn down a gift, so I undressed while she spoke some language that I couldn’t understand. French, maybe?

It didn’t matter.

My cock understands the language of love.

By the time I was down to my boxer briefs, I could hear Sebastian calling out to her.

It seems ‘the first door on the left’ doesn’t translate well. She hopped into my bed expecting Sebastian. I almost hopped in right after her expecting a good fuck.

She left before either of us got a taste.

“I don’t bring women here anymore.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m done fucking random women. I’m too old for that shit.”

He’s thirty-two.

“You and me both.” I pat him on the bicep. “I have a girlfriend.”

“The art teacher?”

I turn back to look at my desk. “Piper. Her name is Piper.”

“I want to meet her.”

I pick up a file folder that I forgot to take with me to my office this morning. “We just started going steady last night so give it a day or two.”

He laughs. “Cute, Griffin. So you’re off the market? First Julian and now you?”

Julian Bishop, our mutual friend since high school, got engaged to the love of his life, Maya, mere months ago. I made a bet with Sebastian that night that I’d be the last of the three of us to fall in love. I’m headed toward losing that wager.

I pivot to face him again. “I’m not getting hitched, Sebastian. We’re hanging out and having fun.”

“It’s more than that. You’ve been different since you met her.“

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Fine. I’m falling in love with this woman. I want her but I’m scared shitless that I’ll mess it up.”

“Why? You think your demons are going to tear the two of you apart?” He inches forward. “You’ve got to trust in what she feels for you. If you can’t do that, you two won’t make it.”

“I trust her. I told her about my family,” I say, leaving out the details of what I shared with Piper.

“Good.” He pats me on the shoulder. “I’m glad to hear you’re opening up.”

I close my eyes. “How is it fair for me to feel this good? I don’t deserve it.”

“You’re allowed to be happy, Griffin. Don’t fuck yourself over by thinking you don’t deserve a good life.”

I don’t want to go over the reasons why I’ve never felt worthy of happiness. Not now. I’m about to go to the gallery to see Piper so I change the subject. “You deserve a good life as much as I do. Have you met Maya’s sister yet? Wasn’t Julian supposed to set you two up?”

“I haven’t met her.” He huffs out a laugh. “Maya told her I was NYPD. Apparently, Matilda draws a hard line at dating a cop.”

“You’ll charm the panties off of her at their wedding.” I brush past him. “You know Julian’s going to pick me to be the best man, so get ready for that.”

“Fuck you,” he calls after me. “I’m the best man you know.”

He is. He’s the one who pulled me back from the brink of despair years ago. I’ll never be able to repay him for that.

***

“We have to stop meeting like this.” I press up against her from behind. “Feel that? That’s what happens the second I see you.”

Piper wiggles her ass against my erection. Thank God we’re the only two people in the gallery. “I take it that means you’re happy to see me?”

“Happy?” I echo her tone. “I’m hard as hell here, Piper. I’d call that happy.”

She turns to face me, her brilliant green eyes lock on my mouth. “Kiss me, Griffin.”

I’ll never deny her a request, so I slide my lips over hers for a sweet, soft kiss. “You look beautiful. You smell fucking incredible and you kiss almost as good as you fuck.”

She laughs. “Thank you, I think?”

I arch a brow. “Show me what you’ve got, baby. I need to be in court in thirty minutes, so this visit has to be quick.”

“Oh damn. I was going to offer to blow you in the back room,” she pouts.

I look down at my watch. “If you keep talking like that I may have to leave my client to fend for herself in front of the judge.”

A laugh bubbles up from her. “I’ll let you go this time.”

I let her lead me by the hand to the back of the gallery where three of her sketches are now hanging next to Bridget’s portraits. “You’re taking up more real estate back here I see. Your boss knows what’s selling.”

Her gaze scans the frames. “Bridget’s the best. She offered to give me more space for my work. I jumped at the chance.”

I look at the sketches. They’re all uniquely beautiful, but one stands out. It’s a woman. The angles of her body are compelling. She’s been drawn from her side, her hair down around her shoulders, partially obscuring her face. It’s a larger piece than the others that I’ve purchased, but it would look amazing in my apartment.

I point at it. “That one.”

“This one?” Her finger skims the edge of the frame. “It’s more expensive, Griffin. You don’t have to buy it.”

“I want to buy it.” I inch closer to get a better look. “I want this in my home. You can have it delivered there, can’t you?”

“Of course,” she answers quickly. “I’ll arrange that today. I can have the delivery person call you to confirm the best time.”

“I have a doorman.” I turn to face her. “He’ll hold it until I get home so anytime will work.”

“I’ll need your address.”

I tug my wallet from my pocket before I shove my credit card and driver’s license in her hand. “I’ll wait here and admire my girlfriend’s work.”

She laughs. “I’ll ring it up and be right back.”

I stop her by the elbow before she can move, tugging her closer to me. I press my lips against hers for a deep kiss. “You’re everything, Piper. You’re becoming my everything.”

Her breath races over my skin as she tilts her head back to look into my eyes. “You’re becoming mine.”