A flash of hurt crossed his face before he dropped his gaze, staring at the floor. He heaved a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. He looked at her. She looked steadily back.
“We’re going to visit your brother tomorrow,” he said. “You and me. His family.”
Her stomach twisted. “Joey’s not your family. Not anymore.”
“Last time I visited, he told everyone I was his big brother.”
Her jaw dropped. “You visited him? When?”
“Last year when I was on the East Coast.”
Griff was an only child. It must have meant a lot to him to have a little brother, even if it was only by marriage. She suddenly found herself choked up.
“I didn’t know you visited,” she said over the lump in her throat. “How long have you been doing that?”
“I never stopped.”
Steph blinked, suddenly hurt. Griff had visited her brother for years, and not her? Joey only lived two hours away from her.
“If I’d known, I would’ve met up with you guys,” she said softly.
Griff shoved his hands in his pockets. “I knew I didn’t deserve you. I’m sorry, Steph. For everything.”
She studied him for a moment. “Okay.”
He met her eyes with a pained expression. “I never really gave our marriage a chance. I regret that. Very much. It was all my fault.”
She softened at his words. “It was all your fault.”
“So will you come with me tomorrow? Joey always asks about you when I visit. What does he know about how complicated relationships are? As far as he knows, we’re married, so that makes us all family.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’ll go.”
“Go where?” a voice asked from behind Griff.
“Dave!” Steph exclaimed. “I didn’t hear the buzzer.” One of her neighbors must've been Team Dave and let him up.
Dave took in her blanket, still showing lots of leg because she had to cover her cleavage and the blanket only stretched so far, took in Griff, and narrowed his eyes. “Your neighbor let me in. What’s going on here?”
“Griff was just leaving,” she said.
Griff inclined his head. “See you tomorrow, sweetheart.” He smiled smugly at Dave, who scowled back.
Steph followed Griff to the door, locked it behind him, and turned to face Dave. His jaw was clenched tight as he took in her nearly naked state. She wasn’t sure if he was going to yell at her or tear the blanket off and have his way with her. She knew which one she wanted.
She dropped the blanket.
~ ~ ~
Dave closed his eyes, torn between his baser urges and the need to find out what the hell Steph was doing with Griff just now and what she was planning to do with Griff tomorrow. He rubbed his temples hard. Think. All the blood had drained from his brain. But he was still seeing red. Their first time shouldn’t be angry sex. Right?
Her arms wrapped around his waist as she pressed herself against him. Instinct took over. He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hard, forcing her mouth open to his invasion. He kissed her long and deep, nearly out of his mind to have her. To claim her. He shoved the coffee table out of the way. Within seconds, he had her on the floor, his pants halfway down. He felt like an animal, but he couldn’t stop, and he couldn’t slow down. He thrust his hand between her legs, felt the wetness there, heard her moan dimly in the roar of blood rushing in his ears just before he settled between her thighs and drove deep.
The feel of her so hot, so tight around him broke the last of his control. He slammed into her, taking what was his, vaguely aware of her legs wrapping around him, her nails digging into his shoulders. Their bodies, slick with sweat, slammed together again and again, until he thrust deep one final time as he exploded inside her with a roar. He collapsed on top of her, spent.
She was pushing at his shoulders, and he belatedly realized he was crushing her. He propped his weight up on his elbows and looked down at her. Her lips were rosy, swollen from his kisses. He wanted to apologize for the way he took her, so fast, too rough, but what came out was the truth.
“You’re mine,” he said. He was still buried deep inside her, half hard.
She stared at him in wonder. “I didn't know you had it in you. That was so…intense.”