His breathing was ragged, his chest heaving against my cheek. I fisted my hands in his t-shirt. “You’ve given me just as much. And Will, Ava, and Mia. We adore you. And we want you to be happy.” Adore wasn’t the word I wanted to use. It wasn’t close. Love was the only thing that came close. Because I’d done the thing I’d promised myself I wouldn’t do. I’d fallen in love with the broody man and his heart of gold. But I didn’t care anymore. I was going to let myself love him. Even if he never loved me back.

Griffin pulled back slightly, his large, callused hands framing my face. He moved so slowly, his eyes searching mine as his head bent. I couldn’t breathe. The air refused to enter my lungs no matter how much my brain urged it to do so.

The kiss was so tender, a complete juxtaposition of the man who ate up the space around him. His mouth was the same, soft lips and a bite from the stubble that surrounded them. My hands gripped his shirt tighter. I needed more of everything that was this man in front of me.

Griffin’s tongue parted my lips. A teasing caress mixed with insatiable hunger. My body pressed harder against his, seeking more of the fire that flickered to life between us. In an instant, I was lifted to the desk, Griffin hovering over me. He trailed kisses down my neck and across my shoulder.

As he pulled away, a heat I’d never seen in the depths of his blue eyes before shone. His hands framed my face again. “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I heard you laugh. The first time I came into the store.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. “What?”

His stare got even more intense, evidence of a battle I’d been blind to. “I tried to stay away. I didn’t trust myself. Or anyone else. But I’ve wanted to kiss you since that day. Wondered what it would feel like to swallow that laugh.”

Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. “Why now?” It was the only thing I needed to know. Was this simply satisfying a curiosity? One kiss, and then we would go back to the way things were? The thought burned.