17. Cora

Itilt my head to the sun and inhale the fresh air as we climb a rolling hill in the countryside. Wildflowers scent the air, and the ruins of a castle sit just ahead of us.

The wind tugs at my hair, sending it flying around my face.

Griffin laughs as I run back to him and fling myself into his arms. He catches me and spins me in a circle before putting me back down on the ground.

He grabs the water bottle from his backpack and hands it to me. "I think this is the most relaxed I've ever seen you," he says.

I shrug and tuck my hands into the pockets of my linen shorts. "There's something about being here and exploring castles with you… it's putting me in a good mood."

As we approach the castle, the sun starts to dip toward the horizon.

Griffin holds out his hand for my phone, and I give it to him. He takes a couple of pictures of me in front of the castle before snapping one of us.

He hands the phone back, and I take a few more pictures of the scenery before putting it away.

Streaks of pink and orange cross the sky as we explore the exterior of the crumbling stone.

Cracks and chips climb up the castle. Wooden doors are covered with moss and vines, nearly falling off the hinges.

I take another picture of some of the flowers crawling up the vines. "It's hard to believe this was home to somebody once upon a time. I couldn't imagine living in a castle."

Griffin plucks a flower and then tucks it into my hair. "You'd love living in a castle. I can see you wandering the halls now with a book in your hand and those flowing pants you wear all the time."

I take a picture of him with the setting sun in the background. "Hmm… I'm not sure about that. I think I'd be worried about keeping the stone floors warm."

"True, what you like the most about my house are the heated floors."

I click my tongue and nod cheerfully. "You've got that right."

Griffin laughs and shakes his head. "You're absolutely off your rocker today, Cora."

My stomach growls loudly in response, and I burst out laughing. "I think it's time we go back to the house and get something to eat."

"My chef is making dinner as we speak. We can sit out on that little balcony off the bedroom to eat." Griffin takes my hand as we head down the path to the road.

The drive back to the house is short. Green pastures surround us, and clouds roll in overhead.

I lean back in the seat, watching the sheep roam on either side of the road.

"It's so beautiful here. It might be nice to retire to Ireland one day." I glance over at Griffin, trying to gauge his reaction.

If I'm planning for a future, I want Griffin to be part of it…

Griffin looks out his side of the window at the cows in a pasture before glancing back at me. "Sounds like a nice retirement spot. We could get a castle. Or a farm."

I grin and tie my hair back, tired of the wind whipping it around my face. "We could have both. There has to be a castle with a farm for sale somewhere."

Griffin laughs and pulls into the driveway at the house we're staying. "I'm going to get cleaned up before dinner."

"Okay. I'm going to chill here for a bit and then take a rinse." I stretch as I get out of the car before sinking into one of the chairs outside.

Griffin heads into the house while I take some time to answer work emails. Sophie and Kaleigh have a stream of messages that I reply with quick, short responses.

I would rather talk about the trip with them in person—though I'll have to play it off as a work trip to Kaleigh.

As much as I wish I could send her the cute pictures I've taken with Griffin, I still don't want the news getting around the office.

Not until Griffin and I are ready to go public with our relationship... and certainly not before we tell my brother.

After I take a shower, I pull on the dress I've been saving for a date night.

The dress is a stunning shade of midnight blue. Its off-the-shoulder neckline adds a touch of elegance, while the flowing skirt brings a sense of movement—the fabric shimmers subtly in the light.

When I step out onto the balcony, stars linger in the sky, and Griffin is pouring a bottle of white wine into the glasses.

He looks up with a big smile and puts down the bottle to pull out one of the chairs. "You look beautiful tonight."

"You clean up nicely yourself, Griff." My gaze drags down the dark shirt and jeans he wears before my gaze meets his. "This is still surreal."

Griffin sits down in the chair beside mine and lifts the silver lids off the plates to reveal plates of lobster fettuccine. "I know. Honestly, the last several weeks have been surreal."

Butterflies erupt in my stomach as I take a sip of the wine. "I keep thinking about what this means for us and our future. And then I start thinking about having to tell Jake."

Griffin twirls some of the pasta around his fork before popping the bite into his mouth. "I'm worried about telling him too. We know he's going to be upset. He knows my track record, and he isn't going to think the best of my intentions with you."

I give him a teasing smile even as my stomach ties into knots. "And what are your intentions for me?"

Griffin looks up at the stars, sipping his wine as I eat some of my food.

The silence stretches between us, warming my whole body as he looks back at me.

A shiver runs up my spine as he gets up from his seat. He slowly takes my chin and gently pulls me closer to him.

Griffin brushes his lips across mine. "My intention for you is for us to spend a very long time loving each other."

"You… you love me?" I trace my fingers along his jaw as my heart pounds against my ribcage.

Griffin nods, warmth shining in his eyes. "I love you, Cora. I've been in love with you since the moment you walked into my office and made my life hell. Everything else we can figure out together."

Blood rushes in my ears as I lean closer, kissing him quickly. "I love you too."

Griffin's arms wrap around my waist, and he hauls me into his lap. "Good because my intentions for you also include fucking your brains out every day."

I laugh, my head falling back as his lips trace my jaw. "I don't know if that's possible. You'd have to grow tired of that eventually."

"I never would get tired of you, Cora. Not in a million years with your pussy."

When he kisses me, the world around us fades away.

Griffin's mouth moves against mine, the soft pressure of his lips permanently etched into my mind.

My fingers weave through his hair, pulling him closer as his hardened cock presses against me.

Griffin nips at my bottom lip, and I moan.

His tongue tangles with mine as his hands slide up and down my waist. Griffin's hands roam over my hips before he cups my ass.

He lifts me and carries me back into the bedroom, his lips still on mine. I moan as he puts me down on the bed, my back pressing into the soft mattress.

I run my hands up his torso beneath his shirt. His muscles flex against my hands as he kisses his way down my neck. I hook one leg over his hip, pulling him closer to me.

Griffin nips and sucks at my skin as he travels along the collarbone. My back arches off the bed as he pushes up the dress around my waist.

He pulls back to look down at me before pulling his shirt over his head. "You're stunning, Cora."

"Take me, Griff." I sit up and pull my dress off, tossing the garment to one side of the room. I rake my nails down his chest before unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans.

Griffin gets off the bed long enough to kick off the rest of his clothing before kneeling between my legs again.

"Not yet," he says firmly. His tongue traces patterns on my inner thigh, just shy of where I need him to be.

Heat pools in my core, making me impatient. "You're being a tease."

He hooks his fingers into the sides of my lace thong and pulls it down my body.

I lift my hips off the bed as his tongue drags along my wet pussy. He sucks my clit into his mouth, teasing it softly with his teeth before he stops.

Griffin chuckles as I glare at him. "Patience, Cora. I want to spend my time worshipping your body tonight."

"Worship it later." I hook my leg over his shoulder, and he nips at my inner thigh. "I need you now. Please."

Griffin chuckles, his mouth returning to my pussy.

Desire rushes through me as he flattens his tongue against my clit before flicking his tongue over it.

His finger slides into me, massaging my inner walls. I moan, my hips bucking against his hand.

"Fuck," he says, his voice hoarse. He slides a second finger into me, stretching me open. I gasp, my body arching as his fingers thrust faster and deeper.

My fingers weave through his hair, tugging on it as Griffin sucks on my clit at the same time.

I rock my hips in time with his fingers, my pussy pulsing around him. My moans fill the room as Griffin crooks his fingers and presses against the spot that drives me wild.

He presses his free hand down on my lower stomach, keeping me in place.

My inner walls clench tighter around him as my legs start to shake. My orgasm crashes through me as his fingers keep pumping.

Griffin's tongue flicks over my clit as my legs stop shaking.

"Fuck, Cora," he says, his voice low and husky. He pulls his fingers out of me and brings them to my mouth. I open my mouth and suck on them, tasting myself on him.

"You're so fucking sexy," he says. He then moves lower, his tongue replacing his fingers as he continues to tease me.

"Griff—I need your cock now." I tug at his shoulders, trying to pull him up to me.

Griffin grins and kisses his way up my body. His mouth closes over one nipple, sucking on it until I'm writhing beneath him.

He nips and sucks his way to the other nipple. The bite of his teeth against the sensitive skin has me wrapping my legs around his waist and arching off the bed.

My nails rake down his back as I pull him closer to me. His cock slides against my clit, creating a delicious friction that leaves me aching for more.

I push on his shoulders, and Griffin rolls over. I straddle his hips, hovering just above his cock.

He groans as I lean down, my pussy running up and down his cock. I rock my hips as I nip at his pulse.

Griffin's hands roam up and down my body, leaving fire everywhere he touches. "If you keep this up, I'm not going to last long."

"It's my turn to tease."

I kiss my way down his chest, tracing his muscles with my tongue.

Griffin wraps my hair around his fist, holding it back while my tongue slides over the head of his cock.

His gaze is fixed on me as I lick my way from base to tip, tracing the vein on the underside.

"Cora, if you still want me to fuck you, better stop now."

I smirk at him before hollowing my cheeks and taking his cock into my mouth. He throbs as I take him deeper, my tongue teasing the underside.

My head continues to bob, tongue flicking over the tip with each pass. Griffin's grip on my hair tightens, guiding me faster before he pulls me off him.

Griffin flips us back over, his body hovering above mine. Fire burns in his eyes, sending waves of lust rolling through me.

"Tell me you want this, Cora."

"Yes, fuck, yes, I want you inside me now. Please." My body's practically screaming for him to enter me.

The head of his cock presses against my pussy before he slams into me.

I lock my legs around his waist, meeting him thrust for thrust. My nails rake down his back as he rolls his hips and drives himself deeper into me.

"Fuck, Cora. I want you to come all over my cock." Griffin drags my earlobe between his teeth, his hips rocking faster.

His cock throbs as he slams into me. The bed rocks against the wall with each thrust, the sensation only making me wetter.

"Oh my god, Griff." I arch off the bed, holding onto him as my pussy clamps down hard around his cock. "You feel so good. I love it when you fuck me."

"Fuck, Cora… you're mine. Say it." Griffin commands.

"I'm yours, Griff. I'm all yours," Griffin captures my mouth in a searing kiss as I come. My moans are swallowed by him as his cock stiffens.

His thrusts are slow as he comes soon after.

When Griffin falls to the bed beside me, his chest is heaving, and a sheen of sweat covers his skin.

He wraps an arm around me and pulls me into his chest. His fingers drift up and down my spine as I listen to the beating of his heart.

I trace patterns on his skin with my fingertips. "I love you, Griff."

"I love you too." He kisses my temple, his hand stilling again. When we go back, I think we should tell Jake. Maybe not during the work week, but we could invite him over for dinner next weekend."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" My heart races as I look up at him. "He's going to be mad at you… us."

"I don't care. Facing his anger so I can be with you is more than worth it."

Even though conviction laces through his words, doubt creeps through my mind.

I love Griffin and want to be with him, but Jake is just one obstacle of many that stands in our way.

Please let dinner with Jake go well.

If it doesn't, I don't know what I'm going to do.

Can I forsake my happiness for my brother?

After all that he's done for me, I would be an ass not to. But then there's Griffin. I can't disappoint him either.

Right now, it feels like I'm going to be the only real loser in our messed-up situation.