Page 123 of Grease Monkey
“That’s true,” he says, kissing my shoulder again.
“Besides, I still have the bonus money C&A gave me for having to relocate for the audit in my savings, so it’s not as if I need to find a job right now,” I say. “But twelve grand won’t last forever.”
“Still can’t believe your mom cut you off.”
I snort. “Why? Weren’t you the one who said that’s what all us “rich folk” do?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t actually think she would go through it.”
“Just one less thing to bind me to them, I guess.”
Had it hurt when I found out I no longer had access to my trust fund? Yes. But there was also something so unbelievably liberating. I might be poor ass broke with no job prospects, but I couldn’t be happier.
Leaning around me, Teddy points to another browser page. “Hey, what’s this?”
I drag the laptop closer and scroll down the page. “I, um, wanted to see if there was a way to get my curls back.”
Teddy combs his fingers through my hair. “Any luck?”
I shake my head. “No, apparently, once you’ve chemically straightened the curls out, you’ve broken the bonds. And because I got it done regularly… unless I cut my hair off and let it grow back, I’m pretty much stuck.”
“So why don’t you do that?” he asks. “Not that I mind whatever you want to do, but I know you miss the curls.”
I reach up and twist a strand around my finger. “I do, but if I cut it short and it grows in with my ringlets, I’ll look like a poodle.”
“A sexy poodle,” Teddy says.
I laugh. “You’re an idiot.”
“Yeah, but you’re the one who agreed to marry me, so who’s therealidiot?”
I lift my left hand and let the sun glint against the gorgeous cushion-cut with a halo engagement ring Teddy gave me. Sure, it might be fast, but we’ve missed out on seven years together.
I swivel on the bed and press my lips to his, moaning when his tongue pushes into my mouth and tangles with mine for the quickest of kisses in the history of kisses.
“What the hell, Teddy?” I complain as he shifts from the bed and grabs my hand with a laugh.
“Oh, no, you can’t distract me with your tempting mouth, Ana Banana. We’ve got a family zoom call to join.”
I groan. “Do we have to? Your family still hates me after what I done.”
He tuts and lifts the laptop from the bed and carries it to the kitchen table. “That’s not true. I told you, Mom and Dad get why you did what you felt you had to. I swear Dad had to almost lock Mom in their room, she was so mad. She wanted to go tear your mom a new one.” Teddy pulls out a chair for me, and I slump down. “And my brothers are assholes who just like to stir shit. They don’t hate you, baby.”
Teddy pulls up the call and the faces of the entire Grant family shine back at us.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” says Bowie.
“What do you mean “dragged”? You look like you’ve not seen a shower or a razor in weeks, bro,” Teddy snaps back.
“Me? What about our douchebag older brother over there in his designer suit?”
“Now, now, children, maybe if you two were half as good looking as me, you’d pull off a suit too,” Wyatt says, making a show of fixing his cuff links.
“Does the stick for your ass come with the suit, or do you order that in special?” Bowie asks.
“Oh, Bowie is on form tonight.” Teddy laughs.
“Shocker, considering he’s usually the slowest in the family for comebacks.” Wyatt grins, and Bowie flips him off.
