Page 75 of Fish out of Water
“I know.” That wasn’t a big deal. “Neither am I.”
Grant eased the car into his driveway. He pressed the button to open the garage and turned to me while it lifted. “My family doesn’t always follow the rules when it comes to how they make their money.”
His expression was so serious that it made me feel bad for having no idea what he was trying to say. “I’m not following.”
The door finished its upward path but Grant didn’t seem to notice. “They do illegal things, Jules.”
Oh.
OH.
“Like the mafia?”
“No.” The answer was sharp as he turned to the windshield and pulled into the garage, shutting off the engine before lowering the door. “Maybe.”
“So these people…” I tried to swallow the saliva collecting in my mouth. “Those guys…” I leaned away from the smell of food wafting up through the open top of the bag as my stomach turned. “They were going to—”
“No.” He reached for me, his fingers sliding over one side of my face. “They just want the money Vito owes them.”
“Then why don’t we give it to them?” It seemed like the simplest solution to this problem. “Then we don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
“He’ll just do this again.” Grant’s voice was calm. “This isn’t the first time this has happened, Jules. I’m tired of dealing with it.”
“Why do you have to deal with it at all? Just let Vito deal with his own problems.” I was fiercely protective of my neighbors, but it turned out I had a limit.
And maybe that limit was being attacked in a coat closet while—
My skin went hot.
Grant’s eyes dipped to my mouth, lingering for a second before lifting to hold my gaze.
I was supposed to be thinking about his mother the mobster. Vito’s poor life choices and how they were fucking mine all up.
Instead, all my brain wanted to occupy it was the memory of what happened in that closet before we were interrupted.
Maybe that was the real reason I was feeling more than a little pissy.
Orgasm interruptus.
Grant shoved his door open, the heat of his dark gaze burning into my skin as he stepped free, continuing to watch me as he walked around the front of the car to yank the bag off my lap, dropping it onto the hood before hefting me up and out, hauling my body against his. His lips nearly came to mine. “You made me proud tonight, Jules.” Grant’s hands came to my hair, fingers sliding along my scalp.
“I think my shoe is ruined.” I still hadn’t looked at the heel. Probably never would.
“I’ll buy you all the shoes you want.” One arm banded around my waist, pinning my body to his as he started to walk toward the door.
“You can add it to my tab. Right under the panties.”
A low growl rumbled through his chest. “All those fucking panties.” He moved a little faster, dragging me along as he ripped open the door. “And you couldn’t find a single pair that worked under that damn dress.”
I maybe could have, but I wasn’t going to tell him that right now.
Grant got me through the door and slammed it shut behind us. “You make me fucking crazy, Jules.” He gripped me tighter, lifting me up a little more so my toes barely touched the ground. “First the goddamn banana pants. Now this damn dress. It doesn’t matter what in the hell you put on. All I can think about is getting it off you.”
He twisted the knob on the door at the end of the opposite side of the hall from the room where I stayed last night and shoved it open. In two long strides we were going down, hitting a mattress just as perfectly soft and solid as the one I slept on the night before.
“Are these beds expensive?”
“Yes.” He dragged my body up the mattress. “I’d offer to buy you one, but right now I want to keep you in this one.”
