Page 16 of Let Go My Gargoyle
“I don’t have any whisky. I have rum and tequila.”
“Tequila? How did I miss that last night?”
She shrugged. “It’s in the freezer.”
“You drink tequila?”
“I like tequila sunrises. And margaritas.”
With his eyes closed, he nodded. “That makes way more sense. Had a feeling it had to be fruity. Yes, tequila would be great. Minus the mixers.”
She hurried to the kitchen, grabbed the bottle and a lowball glass, and poured a couple of fingers before handing it to him.
He put it back in one swallow and then grimaced before opening one eye. “You have good taste in tequila.” And then he held out the glass, apparently wanting another shot.
“So what’s the story with you and your brother?” he asked after the second drink.
“Ahhh…” She cleared her throat. “There isn’t really one to tell.” That was a lie. It was a long, convoluted story, and if she were to ever tell it, she’d better start hoarding the tequila left in that bottle because she would definitely need it.
“You were clearly surprised by his presence, and equally as scared by it. Which is totally out of character for you. And that headbutt pretty much came out of nowhere. I’d say there is definitely a story there.”
She poured him another drink. Maybe he’d pass out before he pressured her too much into divulging information she could not share.
“I’m not a lightweight,” he informed her. “You can hand me the bottle if you want, but I’m still going to demand you tell me what the hell is going on.”
“The thing is…” She glanced at Penelope, who was still parked on the couch next to him but appeared engrossed in the picture book she was flipping through, one arm wrapped around Pinky. Sofia recognized the signs; the child was due for her nap soon.
“I need to put her down.” She pointed at the quiet little girl.
Griffin glanced down at her and his face brightened with a soft smile that stole Sofia’s breath away. If only he’d stayed or, at the very least, made contact sooner than four years later. And on his own, instead of at the behest of his boss.
Wait, what was she thinking? He hadn’t confirmed her accusation that he’d slept with her as insurance to make sure she took on the role of parent for Penelope, but neither did he deny it, and based on her experiences whenever her brother came around, a lack of denial was as good as admitting one’s guilt.
“Can I help?”
Sofia shook her head. “I’m lucky. She goes down pretty easy.”
He pushed off the couch, wincing only a little and not wobbling at all. “Then let me do it. You relax.” He pointed at her. “And figure out how you’re going to tell me about your brother.”
She opened her mouth, but he turned his back and reached for Penelope, who, without hesitation, allowed herself to be scooped into his arms. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and gave Sofia a little wave as Griffin carried her down the hall toward her bedroom.
Sofia was so distracted by the sweetness of that moment that she totally didn’t prepare for his inevitable return to the living room, and was startled out of her reverie when he said, “Okay, I’m ready to hear the story now.”
“I can’t.” She headed into the kitchen to retrieve a second lowball glass. Unlike him, she wasn’t accustomed to drinking tequila straight, so she added mixers and ice before turning to return to the living room.
Except he’d followed her into the kitchen and was now leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes glittering with determination. Four years ago, when she’d willingly and happily fallen into bed with him, he’d had that same look on his face, laced with lust. This version was no less compelling, unfortunately.
“I said I can’t.” She skirted around him so that she could snag the bottle of tequila from the coffee table and then returned to drop into a chair at the kitchen table. “I signed a contract. I’m not allowed to talk about it.”
He stalked over and sat down across from her. “Well, if that doesn’t provoke serious curiosity, I cannot imagine what would. So, you signed a contract with your own brother, who you are obviously afraid of. What did you get out of this contract?”
“His promise to stay away from me. And Penelope. Although he doesn’t know she exists, which is why I agreed to the contract.”
“Why would it be bad for your brother to know he has a niece, adopted or otherwise? Or is the fact that she is not a dragon the issue?”
Sofia shook her head. “I don’t even know if that would matter. I just…I can’t tell you, Griffin. Please don’t pressure me.”
He sat back in his chair, as if her words alone were enough for him to back off. “Okay.”
