Page 29 of Love Me Back
“Who the fuck were you talking to?”
“You were eavesdropping on my phone call?” She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive move.
“Don’t answer my question with a question. Who were you talking to?”
“That’s none of your business.” She tried to move past me, but I reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into my lap.
“Grayson!”
The feel of her in my lap, despite not being able to feel her weight on my legs, muddled my brain. As I looked into her wide, shocked eyes, every question I had, hell, every thought I had about the phone call I overheard disappeared. My hand went to the back of her head, and I pulled her closer and slammed my lipsonto hers.
She fought me at first, but the moment my tongue slid along the seam of her lips, her body slumped against mine and she opened her mouth to me. Her surrender didn’t have quite the impact I thought it would. I did want her to surrender; however, what I wanted more was for her to want me the way I wanted her.
I pulled back and held her away from me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
For the briefest moment, I thought I saw something in her eyes that looked like sadness before she cleared her face of any emotion. I wondered if her social awkwardness was a ruse. That maybe it was a game she played. My mind went to the phone call again and who was on the other line.
“Who were you talking to?”
She scrambled off my lap and glared at me. “Who I speak to is none of your business. It’s rude to hover in the hallway listening to private conversations.” She turned and stomped down the hall.
“Jessie!” I wheeled the chair as fast as I could, but her two legs, short as they were, moved faster than my two fucking wheels. I heard the backdoor slam and knew I couldn’t follow her wherever she went. I quickly sent a text to Hudson and Emerson to keep an eye on her.
“What did you do?”
Closing my eyes, I dropped my head in defeat. I turned around and found Addie glaring at me. I was batting a thousand this morning on pissing off the women in my life.
“Nothing,” I said, wheeling up to the table.
“It’s not nothing. Why is Jessie pissed at you?”
“What happens between me and Jessie is none of your business.” I wouldn’t tell my family about the phone call. I didn’t want them to aim any mistrust Jessie’s way. I had enough for all of us.
Did I really think Jessie could have something to do with the attempt on my life? No. Did I think she was involved withsomeone? Maybe. Either way, I wanted to know who the fuck she saidI love youto. That bothered me a hell of a lot more than her talking about my accident.
Maybe Hudson was right. Maybe I was missing an opportunity here. Maybe this was just the situation I needed to get Jessie in my bed, and in my life.
What kind of life can you offer her?
That was the million-dollar question. I had the money to pamper her. My dick wasn’t broken. And I loved her. But was that enough to compensate for the loss of my legs? Would she be happy taking care of me for the rest of her life? Knowing there would be things I would never be able to do again?
I wasn’t sure what I had to offer was enough.
Chapter Eleven
Jessie
I let the door slam behind me as I stomped out of the house and down the steps, knowing he couldn’t follow me.
Was it childish?
Maybe.
He caught me talking to my uncle, and I didn’t know how much he heard. And then he kissed me. It wasn’t the moment I had worked up in my mind. It wasn’t anything like the moments Ellie wrote in her books.
I expected... I didn’t know what I expected, but I sure as hell didn’t expect it to feel the way it did. It was magical. And I didn’t use that word lightly. I wasn’t a flowery, rainbows and unicorns person like Ellie. Any time she described anything, it was with flourish and imagination.
I was literal. I was black and white. There was very little gray in my life.Ha! I think I made a pun. I’ll have to ask Ellie about it later.
