Chapter 13

Grant

When I heard Lacey’s car pull up the driveway in the morning, I could finally breathe easy. I know I shouldn’t have been worried about her, it wasn’t my place, but when she was meeting up with some random guy from the Internet, I always worried.

I wasn’t jealous. I was used to her staying out all night with guys. I just worried sometimes. Especially when she went all the way into the city and didn’t call anyone.

I should have let her get home in peace but something made me go downstairs and into the kitchen.

“I just made coffee,” I called when I heard her open the front door. “You want some?”

She seemed a little sheepish, like she usually did when she got home in the morning. It wasn’t even seven-thirty yet. It was obvious she’d spent the night with her date.

“I’ll have a cup,” she said, almost apologetically. “Thank you.”

I looked up at her. She was being surprisingly nice, which was rare since our escapade at the wedding. It made me wonder what had happened. She usually softened up like this when something bad happened. Had that asshole from her date tried something? If he did, I’d kill him. I’d nail his fucking guts to the wall, so help me God.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. If there was one thing I knew about Lacey, it was that she valued her privacy. In fact, when it came to her romantic life, she was positively secretive. She never told me or the other brothers a thing.

I poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to her. She seemed shaky. Something had definitely happened on her date. I was certain of it.

“How was your date?” I said, trying to sound as natural as possible.

She caught my eye. “I didn’t think you’d be interested in something as mundane as a woman’s personal life. Aren’t you more interested in freedom and the like?”

“Come on, that’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it? Isn’t that what you said?”

“I never said that.”

“You’re the one who’s all about the one night stands. Never let a chick tie you down.”

“Lacey, where’s all this coming from?”

I knew she was still sore about what had happened in the barn. I hadn’t handled that as well as I should have, and I owed her better. I’d never have talked her into it if I’d thought for a second it would leave her feeling this upset. I’d been selfish. I’d wanted her body. I’d craved her. And I took what I wanted without considering the consequences.

But that had been weeks ago, and she’d mostly gotten over it. It didn’t explain why she was so upset now. Something bad had definitely happened on this date.

I’ll admit, it might not have been as serious as I was thinking. It could have been something perfectly normal. A difference of opinion, a simple argument, any one of the million things that can go wrong on a normal date between two nice people. But if I found even a hint that this guy she’d met up with had done something untoward, I’d cut his fucking cock off and feed it back to him.

“Did something happen last night, Lacey?”

“Oh, so now you’re interested?”

“Come on, Lacey. I’m just trying to look out for you.”

“Oh, really. By prying into my love life? You know, Grant, if you hadn’t fucked me so recently, I might believe that you were just looking out for me. But now I know better. You’re just like all the rest of them. All you want is a taste of pussy, and nothing else. No strings attached. They should tattoo it on men when they’re babies, just so that there’s no confusion later on in life.”

Shit. She was really mad. Maybe it was just me she was mad at, and not her date? One thing was clear, I wasn’t going to get anything even remotely resembling an honest answer from her. She was so mad at me she could hardly stand to be in the same room.

“I just wanted to make sure the guy you met up with was okay. I didn’t know you were planning on staying out all night.”

“Oh, excuse me, Grant. I didn’t realize I needed your permission. You want to know the truth? You want to know where I was all night? I was having the night of my life. Rob fucked me so hard, in so many ways, that I can’t even remember any of the other fucks I’ve had in my life, including yours. Rob is all I can remember. He erased the memory of you.”

I slammed my coffee on the counter and made to leave the room.

“That’s right,” she called out after me. “Run off, just like you did last time. Just know this. Rob’s cock is twice as big as yours, and I let him come everywhere. I mean, everywhere, Grant. He fucked me so hard in the ass I won’t be able to walk straight for a month.”

As I left the room, Grady and Forrester passed me. They were both wearing the wife beaters they’d slept in, rubbing their eyes, surprised to have been woken up by a fight in the kitchen.

“Glad you had a fun night,” Grady said.

“Maybe we don’t need all the gory details, Lacey,” Forrester said.

I turned back to look at Lacey. I felt so bad about the way things had turned out. I’d messed up, I’d hurt her, and there was nothing I could do about it. She was so mad she looked like she was about to burst out crying.