Gifted To His Dad: Chapter 16

I snuggle deeper into the warmth, face pressed against something both hard and soft, breathing in the scent of sandalwood. Exhaling, I open my eyes to see Cole already looking down at me.

“Morning. Merry Christmas”

“Merry Christmas.” Warmth builds in my chest just as a yawn takes over. “I think I could’ve slept another six hours.”

“Were we too rough on you yesterday?” Griffin’s hot breath fans along the back of my neck as he places gentle kisses along the tender skin.

Cole brushes his knuckles over my cheeks. “Look at you blushing so pretty for us.”

A very naked Griffin presses his length against my back. “Let us help get you back to sleep.”

Cole kisses me while Griffin’s hands explore, lighting up every cell of my body. I’m gasping for breath by the time Cole takes my nipple into his mouth, and one of their hands descends between my thighs.

A phone rings on the night table, and I turn to get it.

Griffin gently bites my shoulder. “Just ignore it.”

I try. I really do, but after the call ends, they just call again, finally breaking all of my concentration.

Griffin groans, turning over, and grabs his phone. “Something better be on fire.”

Cole’s soft chuckle reverberates through me as he tucks me against his chest. “I’d hate to be whoever’s on the other end of that call.”

It’s not until Griffin goes quiet, listening carefully, that I realize something is really happening. I check his face, praying nothing tragic happened, but he looks frustrated, not sad.

“I’ll be there in a few hours. Don’t fuck it up before I get there,” he says and hangs up the phone.

Griffin leans over and places a gentle kiss on my temple. “I’ve got to go to work, Baby Girl. There’s a critical emergency at work I have to take care of.”

My ribs constrict around my lungs, but I put on a smile, not wanting either man to see how I’m feeling. This has always been the plan. It’s just happening a day early.

It doesn’t take long for Griffin to pack up his stuff and drop his bags at the door before turning to me. His brows are pulled low over his eyes, his mouth together in a thin line.

My throat grows thick, and the back of my eyes sting as I fight down this growing feeling.

He reaches out to me. “Come here.”

I take a step toward him, and he wraps me in a bear hug, tucking my head into his chest.

“I hate leaving you, Baby Girl. I don’t want to say goodbye.”

A small sob escapes my mouth before I can stop it, and he cups my face, pulling it back so he can see me. He swipes his thumbs under my eyes, catching my tears. “Don’t cry. I promise it’ll be okay.”

For his reassurance, he doesn’t let me go for several minutes, as if he doesn’t want to leave as much as I want him to stay. His lips take mine in a deep kiss that takes over my every thought.

It’s Cole who finally breaks us up, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into his chest. “I’ve got her.”

“You better,” Griffin replies, then takes one last look at me before walking out the door.

Pain radiates through my chest, stealing my ability to breathe properly. I just want to curl up into a ball and pull the covers over my head.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.” Cole sits me up and takes his time helping me dress. My legs feel weak as he lifts me off the ground, cradling me in his arms, and sits us on the living room couch. He runs his hands through my hair quietly until I’ve calmed down.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m reacting this way.” I sniff and stare up at the light, trying to stop the tears that threaten to overflow my lashes.

Cole kisses my forehead. “I’m sad too. What do you say if we head home tonight instead?”

I nod, half hating that it’s over, half glad that I don’t have to spend any more time here. How can it feel like everything just clicked into place to have it all snap apart a moment later?

I need to pull myself together before Cole’s feelings get hurt. It’s not like he offered to open up our relationship permanently.

I wipe my face with my sleeves and force a smile. “I’m just being sappy after we’ve been doing so much. A little fresh air and my own bed will make everything better.”

Cole hums low in his throat, then lifts me onto my feet. “First, let’s start packing, then we can grab breakfast on the way out. Get you back before you know it.”

He looks worried as he watches me with soft eyes.

“Sounds perfect.” I lift on my toes and kiss him. The absolute last thing I want is for him to feel bad about anything that happened this weekend. I’ll always hold it as a special memory, something to think of now and then, but I won’t let him be sad about how things turned out.

The drive’s slow and quiet. Soft music playing through the radio keeps us company. I’d be worried there was something wrong if it wasn’t for the way Cole’s hand cups my thigh and his thumb draws small, soothing circles against my skin. We’ve been off the mountain roads for a while, and I already miss the giant evergreens that take up the sky.

Now the freeway I’ve never really noticed feels cold and sterile in comparison. I’m watching cars pass by when Cole turns off at an unexpected exit.

“My stop’s not for another two overpasses. Did you go on autopilot? This one goes to the school.” I laugh under my breath, the first bit of lightness since this morning.

Cole squeezes my thigh. “I thought we’d go somewhere else first.”

Streets pass by, then turn to residential until we’re pulling in front of a multistory brick home.

My gaze flashes to Cole. “Whose house is this?”

He turns off the engine and smiles at me. “This is where I stay when I’m not at my apartment.”

Embarrassment forms in my gut. Why did we spend so much time at my low-income apartment when he had this place so close to school?

“What are we doing here?” I ask, intimidated by the size and the grandeur of his home but also not wanting to go home by myself. Exhaustion has been hanging over me for hours, and I’m barely holding on.

“Come on. Trust me.” Cole gets out and walks around the car, opening the door, and holds out his hand to me. “I promise this is a good thing.”

Taking his hand, I let him lead me up to the front door, punching in the code like he’s done this a million times before.

Cole smiles at me, and the warmth washes my worries away. If I just keep following him, everything will be alright.

The space is nicer than I even imagined. Towering ceilings, with a large chandelier hanging in the middle. The furniture is masculine, with tan leather couches and charcoal paneled walls. The darker color palette somehow makes the large space feel cozy. I’m still gazing at the open-concept layout when a low, deep voice rumbles from the other room. There’s a familiarity to it that draws my attention, my heart skipping in my chest. I tamp it down, knowing that there’s no way it can be who I’m thinking of. That Griffin’s gone to some meeting he couldn’t escape, but I can’t help the way the air catches in my lungs as the man draws nearer.

Griffin’s enormous frame enters through the hallway, head tilted down as he looks over paperwork while talking on the phone, and time stands still. He looks different from what he did on the mountain, his hair styled back, dressed in a black knitted sweater over charcoal dress pants. Gone is my rough-around-the-edges man, replaced with the crispness of professionalism. It feels like there’s a distance between us now that we’re here. Like that was all play, and this is reality. I blink away the tears pooling in my eyes. This is how it was always supposed to be.

“You really not going to say hi?” Cole says from behind me. His voice is as playful as ever.

I almost turn to him, snuggle into his chest where I’m always safe, but Griffin’s attention snaps to us. A smile pulls at his lips, filled with the warmth I’ve grown to love. Love sticks in my throat, but even now, I can’t deny it. This man standing in front of me is the same person I’ve spent the last few days with. The one I never wanted to let go of.

“I’ve got to go,” he says into his phone and doesn’t wait for the reply, dropping it onto the table, then stalks toward me.

My breath squeezes from my lungs with the force of his hug. He kisses my forehead. “How can I already miss you this much?”

I try to keep myself together, even though his words crash into me. I can’t let myself hope for something more. I can’t assume he feels the way that I do.

He doesn’t let go of me when he asks Cole, “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home early?”

“What? Don’t you like your surprise? Turnabout is fair play.” His voice is closer, only inches behind me.

Griffin runs his hand up my back, circling his rough fingers around my neck, and swipes his thumb back and forth. The motion is so comforting I can’t help but collapse into him.

“Best surprise I’ve ever received,” he murmurs into my hair, refusing to let me slip even an inch. He’s holding me so close, like he’s afraid to let me go.

I ball the thick woven fabric of his sweater in my palms, afraid if I let him go, I’ll wake up in the car, still driving away from him. I close my eyes, letting Griffin’s forest scent consume me, and the world fades away. The only thing missing is Cole’s heat pressing against my back.

As if summoned by my thoughts, a warm kiss is placed just above Griffin’s hand on my neck. “As much as I hate to break you two up, we have a few things to discuss.”

Griffin’s chest inflates, and his arms tense around me before letting me go. He cups my jaw. “Remember this feeling, Baby Girl.”

“There’s no way I could forget.” Uncertainty fills me, and I don’t want to let him go, suddenly uneasy about what’s going to happen next.

Griffin leads me to Cole, where he’s sitting on the sofa, a glass of wine held out to me in his hand. I sit next to him, tucking my legs to my chest, and down it in one gulp.

He smirks. “There’s no need for that. Just promise to hear us out.”

Unease settles into me, and wishing I had another drink, I nod. There are a million things tumbling through my mind about what they’re going to propose. Some kind of sharing situation where they pass me between them like I’m some sort of object? I know Cole loves me, but would he actually share me?

“We want you to move in with us,” Griffin says matter-of-factly, like he didn’t just flip the world upside down.

I’m hesitant to hope for what this can mean. “I can’t just move in with you. Why would you even want that?”

Cole stiffens, and a muscle ticks in his jaw. The playful gleam is missing in his eyes as he says, “I’ve put a lot of thought into this, and it’s the perfect solution. You’ll be closer to school. I can drive you back and forth. You won’t have to live in your shitty apartment. No more forty-minute bus ride each way.”

Everything he’s saying makes sense, but I hate it. I hate that these are the reasons that he wants me to move in. That it’s some rational thought process where the answers are simple but cold. I shake my head no when he pulls my hands into his and kisses my knuckles.

“Please, Eve. I’m not above begging. Please stay with us.” His voice cracks around the vowels, none of the cool reasoning present.

My heart swells as he watches me. There’s still a band wrapped around my chest, the one that says I could never be wanted. Never be anything more than a burden. I need to be honest about my feelings. There’s no surviving this if there’s any doubt remaining. I have to know if they want this for the same reasons I do.

I lean back, and Griffin’s chest warms me. The rapid beating of his heart matching my own gives me the confidence to say, “It was hard for me when we left the cabin. When it was all over. I can’t do that again. If I have you, I won’t survive losing you.”

Tears well as I wait for their response, desperately trying to build a wall before they reply, steadying myself for their answer.

Griffin wraps his hands around my middle, holding me tight as Cole leans in and kisses me softly. “Listen to me, Eve. Hear my words clearly. We don’t want to let you go. Ever. We want you to be a part of our family.”

I turn to Griffin, needing to see his reaction. “It fucking killed me to leave you in that cabin. I’m pretty sure my entire office stayed away from me when I got there.” He grips my chin. “There’s nothing I want more than to come home to you both every night. Live with us. Be our family.”

There’s something I need to know. Something that will gnaw on me if I don’t. “Do you love me?”

Griffin’s laugh travels up my spine. “You have no idea how much I fucking love you. I think I fell the second I heard you speak.”

This time, I can’t stop my tears from welling over and traveling down my cheeks. “I love you. I…I love you both.”

Cole’s mouth is hot on my neck. “Good, it’s settled. You’ll move in.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with that?” I don’t want to let either of them go, but I need to know how he feels.

“You kidding me? I couldn’t be happier.” He lifts me so my legs wrap around his waist and captures my mouth with his. “Promise us forever.”

“I promise.”