Chapter 34

We came home toolate to install the mirror. Especially after Remy’s noise complaints. But it’s my first project of the day. We’d gone to sleep after some extremely quiet snuggle-fucking.

My room’s eerily quiet.

And chilly.

I pry my eyes open. Barely any light filters through the small, high window.

Molly’s side is empty.

I sit up, listening for any sounds. She must be in the bathroom.

I lie back down, waiting for her to return. My eyes close briefly, then snap back open.

Throwing off the covers, I roll out of bed and yawn, scrubbing my hand over my face. My girl said she had a very specific way she wanted to wake up this morning.

And she has to go back to school later tonight.

Nope, don’t think about that now.

The hallway’s dark. “Molly?” She’s not on the couch.

The bathroom door’s open and it’s dark inside.

Where the fuck did she go?

I return to my room and grab a pair of gym shorts from my dresser. If Remy didn’t want to hear us, I’m pretty sure that means he doesn’t want to run into me with my balls swinging in the breeze either.

Is she having second thoughts? Oh, fuck, I hope she’s not upset about going back to campus tonight. She’s going if I have to drop her off myself. I will not be the reason she starts skipping classes.

I open the back door and peer outside. The porch is clear. Her car’s in the driveway.

Moving through the dark house, I check the couch, and the laundry room. It’s a big house but there are only a handful of spots where Molly spends a lot of time.

Only place left to check is her room upstairs.

Molly

My door squeaks but I’m in too much pain to bother opening my eyes to see who it is. If it’s a murderer, then this is how my story ends.

“Molly?” Griff whispers.

I groan and tighten into a ball.

“Why’re you up here? I thought we said we were waking each other up in a certain way?” His voice is light at first, then concern bleeds into his words. “Molly? You okay?”

Bright light floods my room. I shriek and pull the comforter over my face. “No lights,” I moan.

“What’s wrong?” Darkness returns. I sigh in relief and push the comforter off my face.

The door clicks shut. I open my eyes and Griff’s hurrying to my side of the bed. He kneels next to me, resting his hand over my forehead. “Shit, you’re kinda clammy. What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Embarrassment scalds my skin. I pull my covers up higher, tucking my arms under them.

“No.” My mouth screws into an annoyed pout. How mortifying to have to explain this to my boyfriend. “My body decided that early this morning was the appropriate time to make its monthly sacrifice to the moon goddess.”

Griff blinks, then frowns and finally lifts his chin with understanding. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

Huh?“To do what?”

“To tell me you didn’t feel well?” Exasperation colors his words.

I vaguely point my chin in the direction of the bathroom. “All my stuff’s up here. I wanted to spare you the horror of waking up to a crime scene in your bed.”

He bites his lip and shakes his head.

“Don’t laugh at me.”

“I’m not,” he says calmly. “I don’t like you feeling that you have to sneak away because of something totally normal. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“You don’t understand.”

“No, not exactly. But I know what it feels like to be in pain. What do you need?”

I flop my arm to the side and point at the nightstand. “My heating pad. And some Advil. There’s none up here and I didn’t think I’d make it downstairs again.”

“Okay.” He crouches next to the nightstand and pulls out my old, plaid heating pad. Thankfully it’s here and not in my dorm room. “Did you eat something?”

My stomach lurches, rejecting the idea of food. “Ugh, no.”

He unwinds the cord and plugs in the heating pad. “Come here.” He gently tugs the covers down. My teeth chatter from the rush of cool air. His concerned frown returns. “Are you sure this is normal?”

“Yes.” I slide the heating pad out of his hands and arrange it over my stomach. “It got a little better when I was on the pill, but…” I shrug, too tired to talk.

He tucks the blanket around me again. “I’ll be right back.” He ducks down and kisses my forehead.

“Thank you.”

I close my eyes and drift through the red, misty clouds of agony. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I should’ve taken something earlier. I know the longer I wait, the worse it gets.

“Can you sit up for me?” Griff’s urgent voice pulls my eyes open.

I groan and throw my legs over the side of the bed. Griff holds out a peeled banana. “Eat that first.”

I wrinkle my nose but take it from him and bite off a piece. When I’m done chewing, he hands me a glass of milk.

“Eat a little more,” he encourages.

I finish about half then push it into his hands. “I can’t.”

He pops the rest of the banana in his mouth, chews it quickly, and shakes a few round pills out of the bottle into my hand. I toss them back and he passes me the glass of milk again.

“I’ll be right back,” he says.

I sit up for a few minutes, letting my stomach settle. Ugh, I want to claw my way out of my skin. Everything hurts so bad. I flop against my pillows and groan. This is the worst timing. I wanted to spend my last day home doing stuff with Griff, not have my uterus throw an unauthorized fiesta.

“Any better?” Griff asks as he opens my door. He sets a water bottle on my nightstand.

“No.” I reach over and take a sip of water, then groan and press the heating pad to my stomach.

He peels the covers back and climbs into my bed.

“What’re you doing?” I ask.

“I’m still sleepy.” He shifts his body closer. “And I want to be near you.”

“Are you sure about that because it’s like volcano week in here.” I rub my hand over my stomach.

He frowns at the description for a second, then it seems to sink in. “I’ll be fine.”

“Well, I tried to warn you.” I turn away from him, moving to the edge of the bed.

“Come here.” He pulls me against his chest and curls his body around mine, resting his hand over my stomach.

“Seriously, I don’t think you understand.” I shift my lower body away from him. “Sometimes all the protection in the house doesn’t cut it.”

“Would you stop.”

“Thank God it didn’t come earlier. Last night when we were…um, you know.”

He shakes with a quick huff of laughter. “Uh, you’ve seen me fight. I end up covered in someone’s blood all the time.” He kisses my shoulder. “Yours would be preferable, really.”

“Grossss,” I whine, but wiggle closer to him.

“That’s my girl.” He rubs his hand from my hip to belly button, lower, then back. “Where’s it hurt?”

“Everywhere,” I mumble.

He rubs slow, gentle circles over my stomach. Maybe it’s the Advil kicking in, but the pain seems to slip away with every caress of his big, warm hand. “That actually feels better,” I murmur.

“Good.” He kisses my shoulder again. “Go back to sleep. I’m right here. You need anything, just tell me.”

“Okay,” I murmur, already retreating into sleep.

Griff

The door creaks.

“Bro, what the fuck?” Remy’s harsh whisper pulls me out of sleep.

I untangle myself from Molly, brushing strands of her hair out of my face. “Shh,” I hush him.

As lightly as possible, I roll out of her bed, careful not to disturb her. I wave him into the hallway, follow him out, and close the door behind me.

Remy stands outside the door and glares at my bare chest and the gym shorts I threw on earlier.

“I know I said I was fine with you two together. But seriously?” He gestures wildly toward Molly’s door. “Can’t you two go spoon in your room so I can at least pretend you’re not violating my little sister every chance you get?”

I roll my eyes and blow out a long, slow, annoyed breath. “She didn’t feel well and wanted to be in her own bed.”

He drops the aggrieved brother routine. “Is she sick? She need to go to the doctor?”

“No.” Will Molly be upset if I tell him? She didn’t want me to know. But they’ve lived together for years. He can’t be that clueless. I rub my hand over my stomach. “Girl stuff.”

“Ohhh.” He nods in understanding. “Yeah, she has it rough sometimes. I’m glad she’s home then, instead of at the dorm.”

I stare at him. Why don’t I know this?

He seems to understand my unspoken question. “Why would I talk to you about that?”

Good point. I still feel shitty I had no idea.

“Does she need anything?” he asks.

“I think I got everything for her. It was like pulling teeth, though.”

“She’s very…private about that stuff.”

“Why?”

Remy shrugs. “I love Nana but she was kinda past that point when Molly was going through it. I don’t know how much she talked to her, other than the basics.”

Fuck. Molly’s mom had already passed away, so Molly only had her shitbag father, Remy, or her grandparents to help her. Knowing Molly, she just figured things out on her own and suffered in silence. Like she wanted to do today.

Remy glances at her closed bedroom door. “I usually make sure there’s cookie dough ice cream in the freezer, ask her if she needs anything else, and she tells me to let her die in peace.”

Sounds about right. “Cookie dough, huh?”

“Ben and Jerry’s or Stewart’s are the only acceptable brands,” he warns me.

“Noted.” I chuckle. “Thanks.”

He lifts his eyebrows. “You’re okay?”

“I’m not easily spooked.”

“Good.” He pats my shoulder. “I’m going for my run, but I’ll make waffles when I get back. Tell her I brought strawberries and whipped cream home last night.”

“I’ll let her know.”

Molly’s still asleep when I return to her room. At least she seems peaceful now. Do I get back into bed and risk waking her?

Before I make a decision, she moans, stretches, and flips onto her side. Her eyes flutter open. A soft smile curves her lips. “Hey,” she mumbles.

I cross the room and sit on the edge of the bed. “Feeling any better?”

“Lots.”

“Good.” I pull the now-cold heating pad out from under her comforter, unplug it, and tuck it back in the drawer. “Are you hungry? I ran into Remy in the hallway. He left for his run but he said he’d make waffles when he gets back.”

She purses her lips and frowns. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”

“I…he wanted to know why I was up here. Something about it’s easier to pretend we’re not knocking boots if we’re downstairs.” I lift my shoulders in an exaggerated shrug and pull a silly face.

She sighs. “I guess I could eat some period day pity waffles.”

I snort and shake my head.

“I need to take a shower first,” she says, tugging at her shirt. “I feel gross.”

One corner of my mouth slides up. “I can help you with that.”

She drops her gaze to my crotch. The thin, shiny material does fuck-all to conceal what’s happening in my shorts. I lift my hands, pleading for mercy. “I can’t help it. You said shower, I pictured you wet and naked.” I point to my dick. “And here we are.”

She bursts into giggles. “Well, tell him to settle down. It’s shark week.”

I close my eyes briefly. “Yeah, that’s not a deterrent.”

“Really?” She slips out of bed and comes closer. “But I can’t…”

I grab her hand and tug her toward me. “I think it’s because there’s very little chance of you getting pregnant if we go without a condom now,” I whisper in her ear.

She bites her lip. Her eyes light with curiosity but she shakes her head. “That’s going to be messy.” She wrinkles her nose.

“Probably.” I tilt my head toward the door. “Shower’s a perfect place for messy situations.”

“Aren’t you kind of…disgusted?—”

“No.” I cut her off. “Nothing about you is disgusting. Ever.”

She bites her lip again.

“We don’t have to do anything. Soaping up my girlfriend’s beautiful, naked body isn’t a hardship.”

“Maybe.” Her eyes dart to the door again. “Just give me a couple of minutes? When I start the water you can come in.”

My heart pounds with satisfaction. “Got it.”

She reaches between us and curls her hand around my erection through my shorts.

“Ah, fuck.” I squeeze my eyes shut.

“You’re really not bothered?” She strokes me harder.

“Not even a little,” I rasp.

She releases me and I groan.

“When did Remy leave for his run?”

Who? What? My body’s humming and throbbing with need. My mind’s already in the shower with Molly and she wants to know where her brother is? “Uh, a couple of minutes ago.”

“I’ll be quick.”

So will I.

I’m like a hound dog with my ear cocked toward the door, waiting for the sound of the shower blasting on.

Maybe I should check to be sure Remy’s gone.

I head into the hallway and walk to the top of the stairs. Silence.

The shower screeches on and water patters against the tub, calling me into the bathroom.

Molly’s already behind the shower curtain. I drop my shorts, take two steps, and push it back a few inches.

Beautiful. Molly’s facing the water, but she turns and her wide eyes meet mine.

“Can I join you?” I lift my eyebrows a few times, hoping to pull some laughter from her.

But tension lines her face as she nods and angles her arms in front of her body, like she’s trying to hide herself from me.

Can’t have that.

I step in and reach up to adjust the showerhead so it reaches me. Then I wrap my arms around her semi-wet body and draw her closer.

“Griff.” She presses her palm against my chest.

“Just kiss me.”

She tilts her head back. I lean down and lazily drag my lips over hers.

“Mmm,” she sighs with pleasure, her body relaxing against mine.

“That’s it.” I move my hands to her hips while we keep slowly sliding our mouths together. She opens and I gently stroke my tongue against hers.

Another sigh eases out of her. I move her closer to the spray and rub my hands over her back, down to her ass.

She tilts her hips away from me.

“Get over here.” I firmly plant both hands on her ass and pull her flush against me, trapping my hard cock between us. She reaches for me with both hands, curling them around me and squeezing.

Fuuuck. I hiss in a breath.

“Can I?” She braces one hand on the shower wall, like she’s trying to lower herself to the floor.

I grab her arm to stop her. “Absolutely not.”

“Why?”

“You know my rule.”

She tilts her head and stares at me while her maddening little fingers keep rubbing up and down my length.

“Molly comes first.”

She frowns. “But I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because…”

“So, you don’t actually know?”

She opens her mouth and I press my finger to her lips. “Do not utter the words gross or disgusting.”

Her mouth closes.

“That’s what I thought. Turn around for me.”

She gives me one last, long twisty stroke, then turns to face the water. I grab the shower gel, pour some into my hands and lather it up, then rub her shoulders.

“Relax.” I slide my soapy hands down her arms, up her sides, over her breasts and down her stomach, then reverse the same path. The water beats down hard, chasing the suds away.

She reaches behind her, curls her fingers around me, and tugs at a slow, maddening pace. I groan against her ear and suck at her neck, while thrusting my hands under the spray, washing off the remaining soap.

“Give me your hands.” I nip her earlobe.

“You don’t like this?” She squeezes gently.

“I love it. But I need your hands for a minute.”

She releases me. I take a breath. Clear my head. She holds her hands in front of her. I gather her wrists in one hand and press them between her breasts. With my free hand I pinch and roll one of her nipples between my fingers. I nuzzle and kiss her neck while teasing her nipples.

She gasps and wiggles against me.

“Do you like that?” I ask.

“Yes,” she whispers.

“Does it feel good?”

She nods quickly.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” She tilts her head back to see my face. “You know I do.”

“Good.” I crush my lips to hers and slide my hand between her thighs.

She squeezes her legs tight and breaks our kiss. “What are you doing?”

“Open.” I kiss behind her ear again. “I want to play with your clit. I won’t go any further unless you ask me to.”

Her breathing picks up. She inches her feet apart.

“Good.” I slide two fingers down, gently rubbing and circling until I find the way she responds the most. She circles her hips and arches her back, stretching her arms over her head and looping them around my neck. “That’s better,” I praise. “Nothing to be shy about with me.”

Now I’m free to run one hand over every little curvy inch of her while I keep stimulating her clit.

Her body jerks. “Griff.”

“Shhh.” I kiss her temple. “I’ve got you.”

She starts moaning low in her throat and rocking her hips in time with my fingers. “Oh! There.”

“That’s it.”

Her body shakes. She gasps and pants. Louder moans pour out of her, and she arches her back more. I tap my finger directly on her clit and she goes off.

Fuck, I hope Remy’s not back from that run yet.

There’s no containing her wild little noises.

Breathing hard, she opens her eyes. Drops of water cling to her lashes. Amazement and uncertainty play over her face. “I want you,” she whispers, almost like she’s afraid to admit it.

My cock’s already rock hard and just waiting for the invitation. “Tell me more.”

She reaches down, wrapping her fingers around me and slides her palm up and down the length of my dick. “I want you inside me.”

“As you wish.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “Brace your hands against the wall for me.”

She moves so fast, it’s like she never had any reservation at all.

“This isn’t going to take long,” I warn her.

She arches her back, as if encouraging me.

Careful not to slip in the tub, I grab her hips and pull her closer. “Molly, you’re absolutely gorgeous like this.”

She hums a needy little sound.

Spikes of heat prickle down my spine as I slowly drive myself inside her. So hot, tight, and wet. Fucking bliss. I grip her hips tighter, piston myself in and out of her, quickly increasing the pace. Our wet bodies slap together under the warm spray. An overload of sensations.

She moans and pushes back against me, asking for more.

“That’s my good girl,” I praise. “You like this?”

“Yes,” she whimpers, clenching tight around me. She dips lower, resting her hands on the edge of the tub, angling her ass up even higher.

“Fuck yes.” I drive in even deeper.

“Oh my God!” she whimpers. “Right there.”

Pressure tightens at the base of my spine, but I keep grinding into her until she lets out a sharp cry. Her body unleashes a violent orgasm, convulsing and squeezing my dick so hard, I follow two seconds later.

My vision blurs but I hold on tight, working us both through the storm. Sweat pops up on my forehead but quickly washes away.

When we’re finished, I pull her up and closer, bending at the knees so I can nuzzle against her neck.

“Oh my God,” she whispers. “That was so…intense?” Her nose wrinkles. “Was it okay?”

“Baby.” I stroke her cheek, her neck and down to her chest. “Okay doesn’t even begin to describe how good you feel wrapped around me. No matter what.”

She glances up into my eyes and slides her hands up over my wet chest. “I can’t believe I was worried.”

I can’t tease her with an I told you so. I kiss the tip of her nose. “Thank you for trusting me.” I spin her to face the shower again. “Now let me clean you up. And let’s pray your brother isn’t back from his run yet.”

“Oh my God!” She laughs and covers her face with her hands as I push her back under the spray. “I guess we’re done, then.”

I slide my hands over every inch of her body. “Impossible. I’m never, ever done with you.”