More Than Need You (More Than Words 2)

Any wonder I’m now determined to have her back?

“What are you doing here?” she demands.

How did I find her house or why did I choose this moment to invade her life again? I’ll spare her the boring details of both and focus on my first priority. “Somewhere in the back of your head, you must have known this day would come. I want to see my son. Where’s Jamie?”

Her eyes widen in shock. Her chest caves in, as if my words are more of a battering ram than a question. She braces her left hand over her heart. She’s wearing a round diamond solitaire on a simple gold band. The sight of another man’s ring on her finger enrages me.

Someday, somehow, someway, I’m going to replace it with my own.

“Griff…”

When her face goes taut, I know she’s fighting worry. And maybe tears. I want to do something—hold her, reassure her I don’t mean to take Jamie away, wrap her in my arms and kiss her until she forgets about the world.

But when I reach for her, she jerks away. “Don’t. Why would I know this day would come? He’s two and a half, and before tonight you never showed any interest—”

“I found out he exists an hour ago. It took me three minutes to coax your address out of my brother and fifty-two minutes to drive here.”

She stares at me in blinking shock. “You and Maxon…talked?”

“Yeah. Face to face. We buried the hatchet. Starting tomorrow, we’re co-listing the Stowe estate.”

She gapes at me. Ah, yes. Clearly, my brother’s assistant has just realized we’ll likely be seeing each other every day for weeks—potentially even months.

“Oh.” She doesn’t sound thrilled.

I don’t expect her to be. I’ll make everything between us right as soon as she lets me. But I doubt she wants to hear that now.

“So…” Her voice warbles. “Maxon told you about Jamie?”

“He seemed to think I knew. You wrote me a letter when you found out you were pregnant?”

“Eventually. As a last resort.”

I want to curse. “I didn’t get it.”

Britta flattens her full lips into a grim line. I can tell she’s not sure whether to believe me. “Well, I-I…tried. I—”

“I know. I’m not blaming you.”

On the far side of the yard, I see the woman she was talking to earlier tapping a man on the shoulder. He turns. It’s the suit I saw Britta with last month. A glance tells me that he and the brunette are related. Siblings? She’s speaking rapidly, trying to discreetly point my way. The man looks over, seeking Britta out with a stare. His eyes zero in on us. The fiancé. He’s a complication I don’t need, but I’ll deal with him in due course.

One problem at a time.

“It doesn’t matter now.” She sounds wary. “You don’t need to get involved. Jamie is happy and healthy and—”

“It does matter, Britta. He’s my son. I am going to get involved.”

“What kind of father will you be?” she challenges. “I know yours way too well. And you’re so much like him…”

Dear ol’ dad is a prick and a half, banging my teachers and knocking up his secretaries, treating everyone in his life like second-class citizens whose existence should revolve around him. That’s not me. Well, not anymore.

“I’ve stopped having anything to do with that bastard.”

“Good for you. But you still don’t know anything about being a parent.” She shakes her head at me as if willing me to understand. “Leave us alone, Griff. Makaio is good with Jamie. He’s patient. He makes time. He—”

“Isn’t Jamie’s biological father. I am. I want to see him. I have the right to my own son.”

What little bit of color flushed her face during our exchange drains out again. “You don’t. He’s not yours legally. Your name isn’t on his birth certificate.”

I intend to right that wrong ASAP. “His first name is my middle name. He’s mine. We both know it. You’ve admitted it. Let me see him.”

Behind her, the fiancé hustles across the yard, looking determined to figure out who I am and why I’ve come.

A vertical furrow appears between her brows, which slash down as she scowls. Yeah, she’s pissed. But I also see her eyes watering. Her hands are shaking. “No.”

“You’re really going to keep him from me?”

Unaware that in a few seconds three will become a crowd, she glares at me. “You can’t barge in now. I’m finally happy. I have a good future in front of me. You shattered me once, and now you’re going to crash back in and ruin everything? Go shack up with another of your brother’s ex-girlfriends and leave me the hell alone.”

I deserve that. Tiffanii was a giant mistake.

She tries to turn away. I grab her wrist. God, touching her again is everything. No way am I letting her go. But the boyfriend is bearing down. I only have a few seconds alone with her. “Britta—”

“Hey.” Her fiancé tries to act casual as he approaches. He’s my height, similar build. He’s good-looking in a Hawaiian calendar boy sort of way. “Is everything all right?” He plants beside her and lays his hand on the small of her back, claiming his territory as he sends her a questioning glance.

I let her go—for the moment.

“I’m fine.” She drags in a breath and manages to compose herself. Most people would be fooled. But her voice shakes.

I wonder if he notices. I wonder if he has any idea she’s lying.

“Griffin Reed,” I finally say. I don’t extend my hand for him to shake. I won’t pretend to be his friend when I already know he’s my enemy.

He stiffens slightly. Yeah, he knows who I am. But the guy doesn’t look at me as if I’m a threat or silently warn me that if I lay a finger on Britta he’ll take me apart limb from limb without an ounce of remorse. Stupid bastard. That’s how I’d be looking at me if I stood in his shoes.

“Makaio Kale.” He doesn’t hold out his hand to me, either. “Why are you here?”

“To see my son.”

He frowns. Obviously, he’s not thrilled. But I also see the moment he realizes he doesn’t want to step into the middle of a matter between Jamie’s biological parents.

“Can you give us a few minutes?” Britta asks, flipping her blue eyes up at him. I see the pleading there.

I hate the thought that she would silently beg this man for anything. She’s only supposed to look at me like that when we’re naked and I’m deep inside her and I’m fucking her so slowly she can’t quite come but she can no longer contain the need, so she bites her lip to beg me with needy whimpers.

“All right. I’m going to say good-bye to my sister,” Makaio says reluctantly. “I’ll be nearby if you need me.”

I smile at him. Don’t worry. She won’t need you for anything ever again, pal.

“Thanks, babe,” she says softly. “I’m going to walk Griff out, too.”

The endearment she speaks to him wrenches my heart. So does her proclamation that she intends to get rid of me. I know she said both to put me on notice. She wants me t

o believe she’s invested in this guy. And maybe she is on some level. But I’d bet every dime I have that if we were alone, I could make her melt.

With a nod, Makaio walks away. Her stare lingers. I see the