Even though Magan hadn’t come today, I’d had a wonderful day with Josie and her friends. They ranged in age from early twenties to possibly late sixties. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d put Josie at about sixty-five.
“Sophia.” I turned to find Josie watching me from the door. “I’m making tea and coffee, dear. Would you like a drink?”
I stood and smoothed my dress. “I’ll help you make them.”
Smiling, she nodded. “Thank you.”
I followed her into the kitchen and we worked together to make the drinks. When we carried them to the dining table, my gaze met Griff’s briefly. He sat eating the lunch Josie had put aside for him, and as I gave everyone their drinks, I felt his eyes on me, but when I looked back at him, his attention was on his food.
“Sophia, sit,” Josie said, motioning for me to take the seat next to Griff instead of returning to the kitchen to help her.
“No, I’ll help you clean up.”
She tsked me, and Griff chuckled. My head snapped around to look at him. I’d never seen him smile, let alone laugh. He raised his brows. “There’s no point arguing with Josie,” he explained. “No one wins against her.”
Fixed to the spot, I stared at him like an idiot. He’d surprised the shit out of me when he chuckled.
He reached for my chair and pulled it out. “Take a seat, woman, and stop staring at me like you’ve just seen a unicorn,” he muttered.
I did as he said. “Who would have known you had a sense of humour underneath all that?”
“Underneath all what?” he asked as he finished his lunch, and sat back in his chair.
I waved my hand at him. “All that armour you wear.”
“You’d be surprised what shit I’ve got buried underneath all that.” He raised a bottle of beer to his mouth and took a long drink, his eyes never leaving mine.
“No, I don’t think I would.” At his look of doubt, I continued. “I may not have a clue what it is, but you fascinate me enough to know you’re not a simple man by any stretch of the imagination. I’m fairly sure you’re the most complex man I’ve ever met.”
“It may seem that way, but when it all boils down, I’m fairly simple.”
I leant towards him. “Tell me about that. Like, in what way are you simple?” He was deluding himself if he thought he was a simple man. I’d had simple men, and Griff was nowhere near any of them.
“I’m your average guy, Sophia. I like booze, women, and the occasional fight. Not sure how much more simpler you can get.”
“I call bullshit. If you were an average guy, you’d have slept with me by now. You’d have sweet talked your way into making me think you were offering me more than a one-night-stand, and you may have even come back for seconds, not even caring that I thought it was headed somewhere. If you were an average guy, you wouldn’t have turned up at my house last night to apologise for being a dick, and you sure as hell wouldn’t have stuck around and shared parts of your life with me after working out there would be no sex on offer. If you were an average guy, you wouldn’t have quietly dealt with the thieving bastard who tried to steal my neighbour’s car, for nothing in return. Don’t kid yourself, Griff, you’re not a simple man. I think you’ve got a lot to offer a woman, and I hope one day you decide to put yourself back out there.” I leant back into my chair and watched as he thought about everything I’d just said. The thing about Griff was that while he wore some of his emotions, he hid most of them, so I struggled to read him. That both frustrated me and excited me.
Finally, he said, “You saw that? The thing with the car?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I saw you beat the dude up and threaten him so he’d never come back. I also know that you made him pay the owner for the damage he’d done, and that when my neighbour put the call out in the neighbourhood to give a reward to whoever helped, you never stepped up.”
“Don’t give me too much credit. I may not have known about that reward.”
“Something tells me you know everything. I bet Mrs. Jones down the road could sneeze and you’d know.”
The corners of his lips twitched as if he was about to smile, but he didn’t. Instead, he moved his face closer to mine, and murmured, “Something tells me you’re very good at reading people.”
I stared at him in silence for a moment. “Everyone but you.”
His chest rose as he took a deep breath. “You wanna get out of here?”
My eyes widened. I hadn’t seen that question coming. “Depends where you’re going.”
“I feel the need for a long ride today.”
“I’ve never been on a bike and I suck at balance so maybe it’s not the best idea.” Even as the words came out, I felt disappointment move through me. Spending time with Griff today would round out an amazing day.
He stood and reached for my hand. “You’ll be fine. All you gotta do is hold on tight.”
With slight hesitation, I placed my hand in his and let him pull me up. “Let the record show, I’m still not convinced. You can’t get upset with me if I fall off.”
“Sweetheart, the only person I’d get upset with if you fall off is myself. Trust me when I say, I’m not going to let you do that.”
Josie appeared in front of us, her eyes betraying their excitement to see Griff and I talking. “Are you two leaving?”
“Sophia.” I turned to find Josie watching me from the door. “I’m making tea and coffee, dear. Would you like a drink?”
I stood and smoothed my dress. “I’ll help you make them.”
Smiling, she nodded. “Thank you.”
I followed her into the kitchen and we worked together to make the drinks. When we carried them to the dining table, my gaze met Griff’s briefly. He sat eating the lunch Josie had put aside for him, and as I gave everyone their drinks, I felt his eyes on me, but when I looked back at him, his attention was on his food.
“Sophia, sit,” Josie said, motioning for me to take the seat next to Griff instead of returning to the kitchen to help her.
“No, I’ll help you clean up.”
She tsked me, and Griff chuckled. My head snapped around to look at him. I’d never seen him smile, let alone laugh. He raised his brows. “There’s no point arguing with Josie,” he explained. “No one wins against her.”
Fixed to the spot, I stared at him like an idiot. He’d surprised the shit out of me when he chuckled.
He reached for my chair and pulled it out. “Take a seat, woman, and stop staring at me like you’ve just seen a unicorn,” he muttered.
I did as he said. “Who would have known you had a sense of humour underneath all that?”
“Underneath all what?” he asked as he finished his lunch, and sat back in his chair.
I waved my hand at him. “All that armour you wear.”
“You’d be surprised what shit I’ve got buried underneath all that.” He raised a bottle of beer to his mouth and took a long drink, his eyes never leaving mine.
“No, I don’t think I would.” At his look of doubt, I continued. “I may not have a clue what it is, but you fascinate me enough to know you’re not a simple man by any stretch of the imagination. I’m fairly sure you’re the most complex man I’ve ever met.”
“It may seem that way, but when it all boils down, I’m fairly simple.”
I leant towards him. “Tell me about that. Like, in what way are you simple?” He was deluding himself if he thought he was a simple man. I’d had simple men, and Griff was nowhere near any of them.
“I’m your average guy, Sophia. I like booze, women, and the occasional fight. Not sure how much more simpler you can get.”
“I call bullshit. If you were an average guy, you’d have slept with me by now. You’d have sweet talked your way into making me think you were offering me more than a one-night-stand, and you may have even come back for seconds, not even caring that I thought it was headed somewhere. If you were an average guy, you wouldn’t have turned up at my house last night to apologise for being a dick, and you sure as hell wouldn’t have stuck around and shared parts of your life with me after working out there would be no sex on offer. If you were an average guy, you wouldn’t have quietly dealt with the thieving bastard who tried to steal my neighbour’s car, for nothing in return. Don’t kid yourself, Griff, you’re not a simple man. I think you’ve got a lot to offer a woman, and I hope one day you decide to put yourself back out there.” I leant back into my chair and watched as he thought about everything I’d just said. The thing about Griff was that while he wore some of his emotions, he hid most of them, so I struggled to read him. That both frustrated me and excited me.
Finally, he said, “You saw that? The thing with the car?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I saw you beat the dude up and threaten him so he’d never come back. I also know that you made him pay the owner for the damage he’d done, and that when my neighbour put the call out in the neighbourhood to give a reward to whoever helped, you never stepped up.”
“Don’t give me too much credit. I may not have known about that reward.”
“Something tells me you know everything. I bet Mrs. Jones down the road could sneeze and you’d know.”
The corners of his lips twitched as if he was about to smile, but he didn’t. Instead, he moved his face closer to mine, and murmured, “Something tells me you’re very good at reading people.”
I stared at him in silence for a moment. “Everyone but you.”
His chest rose as he took a deep breath. “You wanna get out of here?”
My eyes widened. I hadn’t seen that question coming. “Depends where you’re going.”
“I feel the need for a long ride today.”
“I’ve never been on a bike and I suck at balance so maybe it’s not the best idea.” Even as the words came out, I felt disappointment move through me. Spending time with Griff today would round out an amazing day.
He stood and reached for my hand. “You’ll be fine. All you gotta do is hold on tight.”
With slight hesitation, I placed my hand in his and let him pull me up. “Let the record show, I’m still not convinced. You can’t get upset with me if I fall off.”
“Sweetheart, the only person I’d get upset with if you fall off is myself. Trust me when I say, I’m not going to let you do that.”
Josie appeared in front of us, her eyes betraying their excitement to see Griff and I talking. “Are you two leaving?”
