Standing His Ground: Greer (Porter Brothers Trilogy 2)

“You sure?” Knox’s voice came through the speakerphone.

“I’m sure. Thank you, anyway.”

Greer disconnected the phone without another word.

“Why’d he call?”

Greer pulled his belt out of his belt loops then placed his phone and the belt on the nightstand. “I guess someone saw you running from my truck.”

“Oh.”

He sat down on the side of the bed, toeing off his boots. Then he stood up and pulled down his underwear and pants.

“I’m not going to force you to get in that bed; that’s on you. You agreed to marry me, engaged couples fuck. Are you going to change your mind?”

“No, I said I would.”

“Then get naked.”

“I need to go to the restroom first.” With that, she rushed into the bathroom.

Taking out her phone, she set it down on the sink. Then she sat down on the side of the bathtub and tried to decide what she was going to do.

She could call Diamond, but she really didn’t want to drag her friend further into her mess. She knew Rachel would be mad, but she would take her side. She could go out there and tell Greer she wouldn’t marry him and take her chances that the Porters wouldn’t hate her. Or, she could do what she had dreamed about doing—being with Greer.

Was he forcing her hand? Yes. Was he blackmailing her? Definitely.

He was everything she didn’t want in a man and everything she did want. He was strong, didn’t take anyone’s bull, loved Logan as much as she did, and had never treated her like a body with big boobs. However, he did have a lot of faults. He sold pot, had a vicious temper, and he didn’t care when he made her cry.

She had dreamed of one day finding a man who would do anything to alleviate her tears. Greer would call it being a pussy, but she thought it would make them sensitive to her needs. Something that, unless Greer got a brain transplant, he wouldn’t be capable of.

What ultimately got her off the side of the tub was his good qualities outweighing his bad. She wasn’t going to lie to herself, either. The sight of him naked was like throwing kerosene on the lust she had tried to fan out since she had met him.

His body was solidly built without being overly muscular like Knox’s. His chest tapered down to a six-pack she didn’t know how he maintained, since she knew he didn’t go to the gym or watch what he ate.

Taking off her clothes, she put on her nightgown and housecoat that was hanging on the back of the bathroom door. Then she brushed out her hair again before going toward the door, whispering a low prayer before opening it.

“Jesus, I know this isn’t the thing I should pray to you for, but please … please let this be good.”

As she stepped out of the bathroom, she watched as Greer’s face dropped when he saw her wearing her nightgown.

“Woman, I didn’t tell you to get dressed when you were in there,” he complained.

Holly came to a stop, her hands going to her hips. “Let’s get one thing straight; when we’re in the bedroom, being a jerk stops at the door.”

His lips tightened, but he nodded in agreement.

“And another thing; I want in writing before we get married that if you cheat on me, I get custody of any children we have and your truck.” She wanted him to hurt if he ever cheated on her.

“I ain’t no cheater. Besides, what if you get tired of doing your wifely duty in twenty years?”

“The children will be grown by then and it won’t matter.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Well?”

“Fine,” he snapped. “But I want it in writing that if you don’t keep your wifely obligations, I get to keep my truck.”

Unable to put it off any longer, she unbelted her housecoat and took it off, laying it across the bottom of the bed.

Greer lowered his lashes when she shyly lifted up her nightgown, letting it slip from her fingers to the floor.

“Holy mother of God,” he said, lifting his eyes to hers.

Embarrassed, she started to lift her hands to cover her breasts, but he snapped his hands out, catching her wrists and pulling her toward him. She self-consciously put her hands on his shoulders.

“This is so strange.”

“What’s so strange about it?” He didn’t lift his eyes to hers, staring at her breasts fixedly.

Holly buried one of her hands in his hair that reached his shoulder, tugging it backward and forcing his eyes to rise. “Us doing this. It seems strange to me. I keep waiting for you to tell me you’re doing this to pay me back for pretending to be someone on the Internet.”

“It’s called catfishing.” Greer brought his hands to her hips. Lifting her, he twisted his body until she was lying on the mattress with him over her. “A man could get whiplash from those.”