Bound to Submit

“Griffin,” Kenna said. She leaned forward and buried her face against his neck.

His arms wrapped her up tight. “I want everything for you, too. At least, I’d like the shot at the right to give it to you. If you’ll let me.”

She lifted her gaze to his, the conversation making her head spin and her heart hammer and her stomach flip. “What are you saying?” she asked, dangerous, dangerous hope snaking through her veins.

“I want us to start over. To try again. To see if we can get back what we had, what I screwed up five years ago,” he said with a fierce conviction.

“Part of me wants that, too. Part of me thinks that sounds so amazing.”

“But...?” he asked.

“But I’m a mess, Griffin. Obviously. That’s why I ran. You make me feel so much, maybe too much. I’ve been running from my feelings for the past two years, and now feeling all this, it hurts. Even the good feelings,” she said, stunned at her own admission. “That’s not fair to you—”

“Hey,” he said, cupping her cheek with his hand. “Let me decide what’s fair to me. I can handle whatever you throw at me, Kenna. I’m not going anywhere. I’m a different man than I was five years ago. I know what we had and I know what it could’ve meant. And I’m mature enough to know what I want—and that it’s you. However you are. Right now.”

“Oh, Griffin,” she said, so badly wanting to take a leap of faith with him, and so scared that it would leave them both broken again.

“Say yes,” he said. He brought their faces close, and his was filled with an intensity that reached right into her chest. “Let me help you feel good again. Say yes, baby.”

God help her. What was she going to do?

CHAPTER TEN

“Yes,” Kenna said, the room threatening to spin around her. Of all the things she thought might’ve happened after returning to Blasphemy, this hadn’t even been on the list.

“Aw, Christ. Thank you,” Griffin said just before his mouth came down on hers. The kiss was tenderness and passion, forgiveness and desire. It was everything.

Slowly, they pulled apart, their foreheads resting together. “I’m kinda scared shitless,” she whispered. “But I’d like to try again. With you.”

They both chuckled, and it was a sound filled with humor and relief and a little euphoria. At least for her.

“That makes me so damn happy, Kenna. You don’t have anything to be scared of. I won’t let you down this time, I promise,” he said.

She could see in his face that he meant it, too. But she didn’t want them to get ahead of themselves. Because though she was in this now, she still had doubts—about herself. “Let’s not make promises. Not yet. Let’s just get to know each other again. Spend time. Have fun. See what feels right.”

He studied her for a long moment, then nodded. “You feel right to me. But, okay. As long as it involves you and me together, I can do that. Whatever you want.”

Kenna smiled and a shiver raced over her skin. “Okay.” She sagged back against the couch, suddenly tired but feeling so much better than before. “I didn’t expect this when I went back to Blasphemy. I was just happy you didn’t turn me away.”

Griffin relaxed next to her, his fingers lacing with hers. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Aw, Kenna. Never. I didn’t expect to see you again at all. So this is so much more than I ever hoped for.”

They sat quietly for a moment, and Kenna yawned. “Sorry,” she whispered.

He quirked a little smile. “Don’t be. I should let you get some sleep,” he said. “When can I see you again?”

“Um, I do some public speaking, and I think I have talks to give on Wednesday afternoon and Friday evening, but otherwise my schedule is pretty open right now,” she said. But what she really wanted to say was, “Don’t go.”

“Good,” he winked. “Then pencil me in for Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday night, all day Thursday, Friday afternoon, and Saturday and Sunday.”

She laughed, basking in his eagerness and his good humor. Glancing at the clock on the cable box, she saw that it was 12:03 a.m. “It’s Monday now, you know.”