Grim Offerings (Aisling Grimlock Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

pizza for me?”
    “No,” Aidan said.
    “Yes,” Jerry said. He prodded me with his hip. “Don’t you have something you want to say to him, Bug?”
    “Like what?” Aidan was still incensed.
    “Like she’s sorry for overreacting,” Jerry supplied. “And she’s sorry her brother is such a … tool.”
    “Hey!”
    I couldn’t help but smile. I was sorry. Kind of. I still blamed Griffin for keeping me in the dark.
    Griffin strode over to the couch and nudged Aidan with his knee. “Move over.”
    “No,” Aidan said. “I was here first.”
    “And I haven’t seen my girl in two weeks,” Griffin said. “I want pizza, and I’m even willing to watch The Golden Girls . I am not willing, however, to put up with your crap.”
    “You’re kicked out.”
    “You can’t kick someone out,” Griffin said. “It’s not your place.”
    “He’s right,” Jerry said. He patted the couch on the other side of him. “Come sit here with me. Let Griffin sit next to Aisling.”
    Aidan was furious, but he did as he was told. After a few minutes of quiet munching and television watching, I could feel Griffin’s eyes on me. I finally found the courage to meet them.
    “Are you okay?” he asked.
    “I’m not sure,” I said.
    “Do you want to expand on that?”
    “I feel a little … stupid.”
    “It was an honest mistake,” Griffin said, resting his hand on my knee. He was testing me. He wanted to see if I would pull away.
    “I feel a little pathetic, too.”
    “Because you pouted all afternoon and look like you should be at a slumber party instead of on a date?”
    I scowled.
    “Don’t worry about it,” Griffin said. “I grew up with sisters. I’m used to stuff like this.”
    “Shh.” Aidan pressed his finger to his lips and pointed to the television.
    Griffin shot him a dark look and then held his hand out to me. “How about we get some sleep and start over with a fresh perspective tomorrow morning?”
    It was a gracious offer. He was letting me off the hook. I just had one thing to make clear to him. “If you ever cheat on me, I’ll burn your letterman’s jacket.” Griffin looked confused.
    “And your car,” Jerry said.
    Griffin shook his head, nonplussed. “Duly noted.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me to a standing position. “Not that this isn’t fun, but I haven’t slept in thirty-six hours and I can’t take much more of … this.”
    Despite the harsh looks Aidan flashed me as I crossed the room, I followed Griffin. Maybe some sleep would do us both good. It certainly couldn’t hurt.

Four
    I woke up the next morning, for the first time in two weeks, with a warm body draped over mine.
    “Morning, baby.” Griffin pressed his lips to my neck as he cuddled me. “Feeling better?”
    That was a loaded question. Unfortunately, I am not a morning person. It takes me time to digest anything before I’ve had a cup of something caffeinated. “I’m fine,” I murmured.
    Griffin’s hands were on my waist, and he forced me to roll over so he could study my face in the early morning light. “You look better,” he said. “Your hair is out of control, though.”
    “It always is.”
    “You usually braid it before you go to sleep.”
    “I’m surprised you remembered that.”
    “I was gone two weeks, Aisling,” he said. “I didn’t fall off the face of the Earth.”
    “That’s not how it felt to me,” I grumbled.
    Griffin snuggled closer. “I know. I didn’t know I would be out of touch that long. I’m sorry. The assignment was only supposed to last a few days, a week tops. Once I was in, though, I had to stick it out. I wanted to call you, but every time I got a chance it was in the middle of the night. I didn’t want to wake you.
    “If it’s any consolation, I dreamed about that braid every night,” he said.
    It was some consolation. Good grief, when I did I become the kind of girl who gets a thrill out of a boy saying gooey things?
    “I missed you, Aisling.”
    I sighed. Here