Page 58 of Safe Place

I drop my head to her neck. Her arms tighten around me, and I think: I need to move this to my room. Our first time is not going to be on the sofa.

But then the elevator dings.

“Fuck.” I freeze, forehead dropping to her shoulder. “I need to take back the penthouse cards immediately.”

I quickly shift her back beside me, tugging her shirt and pants into place and smoothing her hair, then run a hand through my own, trying—and failing—to look remotely put together. My heart’s still hammering, my body aching from how close we were, and stopping now feels like torture.

Sophie doesn’t help either—her cheeks are flushed, her lips kiss-swollen, and her hair’s a little messy. She looks like we just had sex, and fuck, if that elevator didn’t ding, we probably would have. Fuck.

The elevator doors slide open, and Grant strolls in.

“Hey, man, we need to talk—” He stops dead the second his eyes land on us, and a slow, infuriating smirk spreads across his face.

“Oh,” he drawls, clearly enjoying himself. “Sorry, am I interrupting something?”

Sophie jerks upright so fast it almost makes me laugh, her face practically on fire. “No! No,” she blurts, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Hi, Grant. It’s, uh, it’s been a while. We were just, uh, hanging out.”

Grant’s smile widens as he crosses his arms, leaning against the wall like he’s settling in to watch a show. “Uh-huh. Sure. Just two friends sitting very close together, both looking like they ran a marathon. Totally believable.”

Sophie groans, covering her face with her hands. “Grant…”

He laughs, clearly loving every second of this. “Relax, Soph, I’m not judging. Actually—good for you both. Really didn’t think Mic had it in him to get all domestic like this.”

That makes two of us.

SIXTEEN

But God, he’s like Ken-doll hot

MICAH

“So, a Genesis, huh?” Grant asks, cautious, though I can see the tease in his eyes.

He said he needed to talk, so we’re in the study while Sophie’s still on the sofa, watching television. I can’t stop thinking about how close we were—right up until he showed up.

“How did you even know about that?” I ask.

“That’s what I need to talk to you about.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Listen, Pops Vale is like a dad to me, but you’re my best friend. You have my loyalty.”

Fuck. What did my dad do this time? And to drag Grant, of all people, into it? Fuck him.

“Just say it, Grant.”

“He knows about Sophie. He knows about the Genesis you got her. He probably knows more than even Sophie does. She’s on his radar, man.”

My jaw locks so hard it aches. I already knew he’d been snooping, asking Nico to dig into her past. Normally I wouldn’t care—he can dig all he wants. I need him until I graduate, but he needs me more. I’m the only son willing to take this role. But this is different. If he knows her past, he knows her weaknesses—and if he even thinks about using that against her, I swear to God I’ll burn every bridge to the Vale name before he can even speak to her.

“Have you been slacking at work? Skipping meetings and events?” Grant presses.

“Well, yeah. I have class. I’m a junior,” I say flatly.

Grant gives me a look. “That’s bullshit, Micah, and you know it. Your dad knows it, too. He told me to keep an eye on you—and on Sophie. He’s saying she’s a distraction, and he hopes he doesn’t have to handle it himself.”

“Fuck,” I mutter, my hands curling into fists at my sides.

“Yeah. Fuck,” he echoes. Then his tone softens. “Listen, I like her. You know I want you to be happy—I’ve never seen you like this before. You’re like a puppy, for God’s sake.” He cracks a small smile. “But you need to play it smart in front of the company. I don’t want to see either of you getting hurt.”

I take a slow breath, some of the tension easing. “Seriously, Grant—thanks for telling me and having my back.” I give him a look. “You know you’re more like a brother to me than a friend, right?”