Page 62 of Where You Go (Whisper Lake 5)

He stilled and she opened her heavy lids to find him staring down at her. The intensity in his gaze stole her breath.

“I love you,” he growled.

His statement spread through her like a shot of whiskey, heating her from the inside out. She felt tears prick her eyes. This man, this perfect hero of a man loved her. Their relationship wasn’t fake. It was real. Just like her feelings for him.

“I love you, too,” she whispered sincerely.

He leaned down and kissed her lightly then rose back up, so he was hovering above her. He began to move when her phone rang and he once again stilled.

“Ignore it,” she panted.

He did as she asked and as soon as he thrust into her again the rest of the world disappeared, and it was just the two of them once again. She was vaguely aware of the phone as it stopped ringing. But a second later it started again.

He began to lean over to grab her purse, but she tightened her hold on his shoulders.

“No, leave it, please,” she pleaded.

“You’re going to be worrying if you don’t check.”

She closed her eyes and released her grip on him, knowing that he was right. He moved off of her and she sat up as he handed her purse to her. She pulled out her phone and saw that it was Anna.

Shit. She’d been so swept away with Grady she could have missed her call.

As soon as she answered it, Liv could hear shouting in the background. She plugged her other ear to try and hear better. “Anna—"

“I’m sorry, Liv! I’ve been trying to calm him down for hours, but it’s just getting worse.”

“I’ll be right there. I’m leaving now!” She hung up the phone and scrambled to her feet, grabbing her bra and underwear. “I have to go. It’s my grandad, he’s upset.”

Grady stood up as well.

“You can stay here.” She tugged up her panties and fastened her bra. “I might be able to come back, but if not, I have the room until the morning.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw him pull on his slacks as she slipped into her dress.

“You don’t have to leave,” she assured him as she fumbled with her zipper.

His hand covered hers. “Where you go, I go,” he repeated what he’d said the first night they’d met as he zipped her up.

She turned to face him and lifted her gaze to meet his. His eyes were clear and filled with concern and affection. There was no irritation, no frustration, just genuine care and support. Jordan had never been understanding of things with her grandad. She felt herself welling up again, but she blinked back her emotion.

Now was not the time to think about that. If she did, she might have the breakdown that she’d been successfully holding at bay.

“Okay, let’s go.”

The drive home was short thanks to there being no traffic this time of night. They were silent but Grady held Liv’s hand. It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to her. She felt supported, cared for, loved.

Grady had told her that he loved her, but it had been during sex. She knew that people said things they didn’t mean in the throes of passion, but in her heart she knew he meant it. She looked over at him to ask but then her phone rang again.

She picked it up without looking at the screen thinking it was Anna.

“I’m almost there.”

“Oh good becaussse I loss my keys.” Her mother’s words were slurred.

“Mom?!”

“I told you not to call me that.”

She had told her not to call her that when she was ten. She wanted people to think they were sisters, not mother and daughter. Which, in fairness, did more aptly reflect their relationship.

---