Page 69 of Billionaire Retreat

The sun peaking in through the blinds woke me up and I slowly slid Griffin out of me. I realized that we’d spent the whole night connected and not just physically.

I immediately missed the way he filled me and apparently, he missed it too. He promptly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.

“We have to get up,” I said softly as he buried his head in the crook of my neck and started to nuzzle me.

I gasped. “Griffin, don’t start...”

“But you smell so good, so sweet. And your skin... it’s so smooth.” He continued to nuzzle my neck and I curled my body around his, loving the feel of him.

I could feel him hardening against my thigh and couldn’t help rubbing against it as I brought his face to mine and kissed him warmly on the mouth.

“Good morning to you too, Griffin.”

He gave me a big smile and then said, “Do I have morning breath?”

I giggled, “I’m pretending not to notice.”

He surprised me by sitting up abruptly and turning me so that I was now sitting up in his lap. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me briefly on the lips.

“I know I spent the night inside of you, but the part I enjoyed the most was just holding you.” I looked into his brown eyes and knew he meant every word of it. “I missed holding you so much.”

“I missed being in your arms,” I said wanting him to know the truth. “I missed being with you.”

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” he asked.

“I just wanted to know, to be sure that you respected me, that you took me seriously. That you cared about me.”

He shook his head as if he didn’t understand me. “Don’t ever doubt that I respect and care about you. Our time together has been colored by a series of mistakes on my part, I know that now. But I want you to understand I never only wanted your body. Yes, you’ve always been a great lover... but you’re also caring, and quirky, and smart. You’re a great daughter, friend and mother. You made me a better man, Nina, and overall just a better person. Knowing you has made me better. I owe my happiness to you.”

Tears clouded my eyes and I wiped them away. His words moved me, as if they had touched my soul.

He brushed my tears away with small kisses under my eyes. I felt self-conscious and vulnerable all of a sudden, but I wasn’t sure why.

“Don’t shy away from me,” he said as he turned my face to his and looked me straight in the eyes. “You’re a wonderful person and everyone loves you. It’s impossible not to love you. And I love you.”

I didn’t know what to say. I was speechless. And so, I said the only thing that came to mind, “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“That was yesterday,” he said.

“Ok then, how about this? I love you too, Grant ‘Griffin’ Wallace.”

He laughed and brought my head down to his for another long, blissful kiss.