Page 44 of Grizz

“Sounds good.”

We hang up.

The silence that fills the corridor afterward is thick and alive, echoing down the dark concrete hall.

I stand there for a long moment, replaying everything… my father, the game, the hit, the non-reaction, Eliza’s words, Daisy’s mouth on mine, her voice saying “Shut up,” the way she didn’t flinch when I told her the worst parts of my past.

Maybe sheisa mistake.

But maybe she’s the kind I can’t afford to walk away from.

Or maybe I need to excise her from my life.She’s fucking up my game, and I think if Julian Langley knew the reason behind my shitty performance tonight, he’d fire her without a second thought.

I don’t know what the answer is, but I know that Daisy is absolutely the problem.It’s a problem that needs to be rectified.

I pull out my phone and scroll to Daisy’s name.My thumb hovers only a second before typing:Meet me at my place in an hour.

Chapter 13

Grizz

IgethomefasterthanI should.I’m not speeding, but every yellow light registers as a suggestion not a requirement, so I race through them.By the time I step into my apartment, I’m wired, restless, standing in the entryway, having halfway forgotten what I came here to do.

Daisy.

That’s right.She’s what I came to do.

Even though I have no regrets at telling her to come over, I’m pissed off at myself for needing to.Because I feel like I might explode if I don’t expend some of this energy, I make myself move.I don’t want to impress her—hell no—but I’m crawling out of my skin.

I kick off my shoes, straighten the stack of mail I’ve been ignoring, and wipe down the kitchen island even though there’s nothing on it.I fix the throw blanket on the couch, move the remote so it’s perfectly aligned, open a window for fresh air, then worry that it’s too cold and close it again.

I don’t do this.I don’t straighten things.I don’t fuss or overprepare.I sure as hell don’t lose my mind over a woman.

I’ve never done any of this for anyone.Hell, I’ve never had anyone in this apartment at all.

And tonight, Daisy’s coming here because I told her to.I’m not even sure why, but the demand went straight from my brain to a text before I had time to think what it meant.I hit send before I could stop myself.

I glance at the time.She should be here—

A knock.

My heart jumps.I roll my shoulders, trying to look casual, like I didn’t just reorganize my entire life out of sheer frustration, and then I open the door.

She’s standing there in the hallway, her hair loose, cheeks pink from the cold, wrapped in a dark coat that makes her eyes stand out even more than usual.

“Hi,” she says, lifting her hand in a small wave.

We stare at each other a long moment, then my hands are on her waist, pulling her into me hard.My mouth slams onto hers and the kiss is instant, hungry, burning up every inch of space between us.She gasps into my mouth, fingers already curling into the front of my shirt, pulling me closer as if we’re picking up exactly where we left off in her apartment.And maybe we are.

I drag her inside, slam the door, and back her into it.I press my body into hers and she responds by anchoring my hips to her hips.Christ… zero to sixty in two seconds flat.My mind whirls… do I fuck her here against the door or on the couch, which is only slightly farther, or haul her up over my shoulder and carry her to my room?

“Wait!”she gasps against my mouth and I go perfectly still.I raise my head, peer down at her.“We need to talk.”

Four words that no man wants to hear.“Talk about what?”

“About rules,” she says, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

“Rules?”I echo.