Page 89 of Grease Monkey
My Grease Monkey.
I turn and tiptoe toward the door, trying not to wake him.
“I didn’t think you were awalk-of-shamekind of girl.” His voice is groggy but tinted with amusement. “Come back to bed.”
“I can’t,” I say, turning to face him and instantly wishing I hadn’t. His hair has that just-fucked dishevelment, and his eyes look unfocused as the edges of his lips tilt upward.
He pats the space I vacated not that long ago. “C’mon, Ana. It’s too early to be up.”
I thumb toward the door. “I need to go back to my apartment. I’ve got work in the morning.”
“So? You’ve got your car back now,” he says and, shit, I dropped my keys in his office. “You can shower here while I make you breakfast, and then you can go home to get changed before heading to the office.”
I open and close my mouth, wincing as I say, “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
He sighs, dramatically dropping his head to his pillow, the sheet bunched around his hips, making it ridiculously hard to remember that I need to put his safety first.
“Fine,” he drawls, turning onto his side and propping his head against his hand, his impressive muscles taunting me. He grins, knowing exactly what he’s doing as he rubs a hand up and down his chest. “Will I see you after work?”
I frown. “Why?”
His frown matches mine. “Because I’d like to?”
“I thought you were a once-and-done kind of guy?”
He chuckles. “You are not someone I’d ever bedonewith after one time.”
“Shame you’ll have to make do with the memories, then,” I say, trying to be funny, but when his soft smile falls and he sits up in bed, I’m suddenly hit with the thought that we hadn’t been on the same page last night. My palms sweat as I watch every painful emotion cross his face, his dark orbs freezing me in place as he slashes me open, leaving me to bleed out. But it’s not my blood I’m covered in. It’s his, because my words are like knives, cutting and cutting agonizingly slowly as he realizes what last night meant to me. Bile rises in my throat, but I have to know. “Teddy, you know this was a one-time thing?”
He cocks his head, his brows furrowing, causing deep lines to appear on his forehead. “No. I didn’t.”
He shoves out of bed, and I can’t help looking at his naked body as he grabs his boxers and roughly shoves them up his legs. Even limp, his dick is still the most impressive one I’ve ever seen.
“So what the fuck was that?” he asks, throwing his arms wide. “A revenge fuck because the princess is being forced to sell her apartment to move into a mansion?”
“Teddy…”
“No. What now? Huh? You gonna go run back home and play happy family with a guy you don’t love? Go home and live your mundane life with your mundane husband and have mundane children?” My stomach clenches like it’s actively protesting the idea of carrying Richard’s child, and my brain stupidly pictures a little boy and girl withTeddyas their father instead. My throat tightens and my lungs burn as it feels like I’m being starved of breath. The image suddenly disappears as Teddy thrusts his hand into his hair and tugs on the ends, pacing with such anger, the floorboards vibrate. I clutch my neck, trying to breathe, as he growls to himself, and then he’s on me again, spitting fire in my direction. “Fuck. I’m such a fucking idiot. All of you people from Greenwich are the fucking same. Rich assholes who don’t care who they use as long as it makes them happy. Did he even upset you? Or was that all an act to make me feel sorry for you?”
My hand drops off my stomach as if he struck me. Every part of me aching as I watch my horrible mistake of giving in to last night tear him apart. This is why my happiness isn’t worth more than someone else’s. This right here. Watching the man I love—loved—torment himself because of me.
“That’s not fair, Teddy,” I say, my voice shaking.
“What’s not fair,Morgana”—I cringe at the sound of my name—“is you coming here after all these years and fucking with my head. I was fine without you. Fine living my life trying to forget you, and then you show up just as I was socloseto doing that.”
I step forward, but he raises his hand.
“Get out.”
“Please, Teddy…” I beg.
“Save it. Do you know I canceled adatetonight all because I heard the crack in your voice when I called to tell you about your car, and I feltbadfor you? Worried something happened, and against all better thoughts, I wanted to check you were okay.”
“You shouldn’t have—”
“Too fucking right, I shouldn’t have.” He picks up his Henley and tugs it over his head, his eyes like ice as they stare at me. “But once again, I’m that fucking idiot who believed every word that came out of your mouth.I want to be your Ana again…” He scoffs, shaking his head angrily. “Do you know how many women I’ve fucked because they wanted revenge on their partners?” I flinch because I don’t want to hear about the others he’s been with and to know that he does this regularly… it makes my insides pinch with regret and sorrow for him. Did he never want to find someone he could settle down with?
“Don’t give me that pitying look, Morgana. If they didn’t care, why should I? It’s not likeIsought them out. They came to me, begged me to fuck them like their husbands couldn’t.” His laugh is cold as he takes measured steps toward me. “I never would have thought you’d have done that too.”
