Page 52 of Counterfeit Connection

My weekends usually consist of the usual chores, sometimes extra research for work, and maybe the occasional meet up with friends. I spent nearly the entirety of it with Griffin in places…and positions…I never thought possible.

I needed a night to myself once he left. I thought a bubble bath and a self-pedicure whileSunday Night Footballwas on in the background would be a great backdrop to bring myself out of the Griffin clouds and back to reality. In that reality, I discovered it was going to be harder than I could’ve imagined.

He was on my mind constantly, along with a flood of questions I couldn’t reason my way through. How could I so easily cross every boundary I put in place? What does that say about me? Should I back out of our deal? If I do, also, what does that say about me? I’ve never run from something I agreed to, but the emotions running around inside me are confusing as hell and aren’t able to be untangled by me, even after nearly a dozen hours, asleep and awake, obsessing over them.

I was up at five, even though my alarm was set for six thirty. I made it to the office even after an early morning workout by seven. Most of the partners and staff won’t even be here until nine. The sun is rising behind the buildings as I stare out my office window. I need to walk through the messy ball of twine that represents my thoughts with someone. I need Gilly.

I know it’s early, but I also know my sister. She’s already been awake for a couple of hours, just like me. The Logan sisters aren’t big on sleeping in, it would seem.

I make sure my office door is closed and sit at my desk, slipping out of the heels I know will be killing my feet before the end of the day, and press her name in my contacts list.

She answers almost immediately. “I was just thinking about you.”

“Uh oh. Should I be worried?”

“No, I don’t think so.” She giggles. “I was just thinking I should check in on you. I didn’t hear from you all weekend.”

“I know, I’m sorry about that. I was a little preoccupied, and honestly, that’s why I’m calling you now. I need to sort through something that’s happened.”

“Oh God. Are you all right? Do I need to come to you?”

“Calm down. I appreciate your willingness to drop everything, but no, I don’t need you to come here. I’m fine. It’s about Griffin Shaw,” I say, bracing myself for the “I told you so.”

“What did he do, Pixie? I’ll kill him.”

“You and Jason don’t need to come up here with guns blazing. Gilly, listen. I want you to really listen then help me sort out my head. Can you do that?”

My sister does what she always does, comes in hot then takes a deep cleansing breath before coming back to me. “Yes, I can do that. You know I have a bit of gangster in me when it comes to you.”

“Yes, I know. It’s grown ten times larger since you have Jason behind you like a lion.”

“He’s only a lion when he has to be. Other than that, he’s got black cat energy.”

I laugh. “Okay, fine. No wonder Marilyn doesn’t like him.”

“Start at the beginning, Kait.”

“Honestly, there’s nothing really wrong. We spent the whole weekend together. We had a nice dinner on Friday and while we were out at this super swanky restaurant, I met a friend of his, Julian Stone.”

“Wait, the actor? Like award winner and Hollywood darling?”

“Yep. That’s the one. Oh, Gilly, he was just like you hoped he would be. He was a perfect gentleman in that James Dean kind of way and gushed over his wife and kids.”

“Well, that alone sounds amazing.”

“Griffin is a gentleman like that too, only he’s a lot like Jason in many ways. He does that thing I watch Jason do with you. It’s like he guides you like a precious doll or something. I used to gag watching him do that to you all the time, but now I get it. It’s like he cares so much and it’s how he can show it.”

“Uh-oh,” Gillian breathes.

“There’s that judgy uh-oh again.”

“I have a feeling I know right where this is going, but carry on. I’m assuming he took you home? I’m going to ask this straight out. Did he stay the night?”

I contemplate fibbing. Part of me wants to keep what happened between us private. It felt so… sacred, but I know my sister. She’ll smell bullshit from a mile away.

“Not Friday night, but we went to a charity event together Saturday night and he did sleep over after that.”

“Did you use protection? He’s a very famous man, and he gets around. I looked him up. I know all about him. I have already had to talk Dad down. His friends are sending him links and he doesn’t even know how to open them, thankfully.”

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