Grace sat on the sofa. If her head hadn’t chimed in, she would’ve allowed him to make love to her. She exhaled, remembering the feel of his chiseled body against hers.
“Grace!” her mother yelled, bringing Grace’s thoughts back to the present.
“I’m listening, Mom.”
“Who’d you meet?”
“Nobody.”
“Well, Sister Ina’s nephew is coming in for church. You’ll be back by then, right? He’s an insurance salesman.”
Grace rolled her eyes. She really wasn’t interested in being set up with anyone from her mother’s church, again. As her mother rattled on about this guy, Grace walked into the kitchen to fix herself some coffee and noticed a piece of paper on the counter. A simple white daisy sat next to the page. In the note, Evander thanked her for her hospitality. He wished her well and signed the note with a simple E.
How hard could it be to track down someone as fine as Evander? Since she had his number, she could simply call him. Grace closed her eyes. What was she doing? She’d just met the guy. Maybe she could call him when she went to Athens since she had planned to visit the ancient city. However, her plans fell through when she received another warning from her agent to finish her novel and have it in her e-mail by the beginning of the month. This was a working vacation, Grace reminded herself. Chasing after Evander wasn’t work. Maybe.
“Well, I’m gonna go back to bed,” her mother announced, jolting Grace from her rambling thoughts.
“Okay, Mama.”
“Be careful. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
While leaning her elbows on the counter, Grace read Evander’s note three times, and she studied his neat handwriting. The mix of cursive and print suggested his creative nature. It’s just as well, she reminded herself as she picked up the daisy and sniffed it. She’d be leaving the day after tomorrow. Nothing could happen between them. In the cabinet, she found a glass that she could use as a vase and filled it with water. On her way to the bathroom, she set the vase on the dining room table.
She showered and changed into a white tank and tan Capri pants before settling down to concentrate on her novel. About an hour into developing the final love scene, a knock sounded at her door. Grace’s heart fluttered, but she didn’t dare hope it could be Evander. Then she opened the door, and Evander smiled at her as he held a bouquet of daisies.
“Mia bella,” he said. “I want to thank you for letting me sleep over.”
Grace stepped to the side to allow him to enter. Evander paused to kiss her on her cheek before giving her the flowers. They moved to the kitchen, where she added the six fresh daisies to the one he gave her last night. When she turned back around, her breath caught in her throat. He stood less than an inch from her. Her eyes gazed at the strip of bare skin that peeked out of his open blue shirt.
Resting his hands on either side of the counter behind her, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. It was the kind of kiss that she’d been dreaming of her whole life. All too soon, it was over. When he pulled away, his blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight that streamed through the window.
“If you’re trying to get another sneak peek at my book, it’s not working,” Grace teased.
“That’s not all I’m trying to get.”
She removed herself from his arms. “I knew it. So, where did you go?”
“My friend Stephano came by this morning. He gave me a jump. I went back to my parents’ house to change, and here I am.”
“Are you going back to Athens?”
Evander shook his head. “I was thinking that I’d take you to lunch at Stephano’s inn. Then we can go to the harbor and I can show you around.”
“I have a lot to do,” Grace stalled as she looked at her laptop.
“I promise to have you back by nightfall so that you can work.”
As she stared at him, she searched her head for a reason to say no and found none. “You paying?”
He chuckled. “Of course. Your check cleared.”
She smirked at him. “Great. I can order the most expensive thing on the menu.”
Evander made a face. “Considering how cheap Stephano is, I don’t think that’s wise.”
Laughing, she touched his forearm. “Duly noted. I’ll go change.”
“Can I watch?”
Grace grinned as she made her way to the bedroom. “No.”
Chapter Seven
Evander left the cottage to put the top down on the car. It was a warm August day, perfect for a ride through the countryside. He’d just finished his task when he heard the front door close. When he looked behind him, his breath stilled. Grace was a vision in an orange sundress. Her dark curls were up in a loose bun. She turned to lock the door, and then joined him at the car. He smiled at her while she slid on a pair of sunglasses.
“You look amazing,” he said while holding open the passenger’s side door of the car.
“Thank you.” She appraised his car before she got in. “Is this the same car that broke down last night?”
“Yes.”
Grace frowned. “How far is the inn?”
“About forty-five minutes from here.”
Evander closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side. After climbing into the seat, he put the key in the ignition. He put on his own sunglasses and fastened his seat belt. When he heard Grace’s seat belt click into place, he turned the switch.
“Is it going to make it there?” she asked with concern in her voice.
Evander looked at her and said, “Keep your fingers crossed.”
He was relieved when the car started on cue. Truthfully, he was due for a new car, but hadn’t found the heart to part with the battered two-seater convertible he’d had since college. After driving onto the road, he pointed the car north toward the mountains. Most visitors thought that Rhodes was a quiet island. Not so. The area around the harbor was a tourist trap where most mainlanders came on holiday. Evander was happy to be heading away from the crowds, though he promised to show it to Grace later.
Miles away from the harbor, one could find the tranquility of rolling green hills along a rocky landscape. Animals meandered untethered, and no one was in a hurry. This was the Rhodes he loved. He took specific pleasure in showing this side of his home to Grace. Yet nervousness also nagged at him. What would she think? He was, in his mind, a simple farmer’s boy at heart.
“What was it like growing up here?” Grace asked him.
“It was peaceful,” he said as he draped his arm across the back of her seat. “Hard work. I had to be up every day at four to feed the sheep and cows. Then I had to walk to school.”
“How far away was it?”
“Six miles.”
“Wow.” She shook her head and twisted in her seat to face him. “I wouldn’t have made it.”
Evander chuckled. “I had no choice. It was go to school or risk my father’s wrath if I didn’t. He wanted better for me.”
“He sounds like a proud man.”
“He is.”
Evander slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting a cow that wandered in the road. She giggled as he cursed at the animal in a mix of Italian and Greek. Her laughter was contagious and soon, he was laughing instead of cursing as he drove around the cow to continue on their way.
“What about your family?” he asked.
“My mom is a nurse. My father is a cop.”
“Ah, so I shouldn’t get on your bad side.”
“No, you don’t. My brother followed in his footsteps.”
“Were you always a writer?”
“Yes and no. I taught sixth grade before my first book was published. I didn’t quit until after the second book came out, and then I left teaching to focus on my writing. I had published short stories here and there.”
“I’ve always admired a person’s ability to make something out of nothing. To turn a blank page into a work of art.”
Grace smiled brightly. “Thank you.”
Evander glanced at her. “You’re welcome.”
Forty-five minutes later, they reached the village. After passing by a row of shops and bars, Stephano’s inn came into view. It was renovated from an abandoned estate and housed six rooms, along with a restaurant. However, the nondescript inn looked like a pile of rumble instead of the fully functioning place that it was.
“It’s beautiful,” Grace said when he parked in front of it.
Evander snorted. “He doesn’t even have a sign.”
“How long has it been open?”
“Two years.”
Evander unfastened his seat belt and climbed out of the car. While he reached to open Grace’s door, he noticed the white sidewalk sign that announced the Welcome Inn with hand-printed letters. It wasn’t the bronze one that Evander had suggested Stephano get. He sighed.
“How long have you known Stephano?” Grace asked as she climbed out of the car.
“We grew up together. His family lived a mile from mine.”
He closed the door and took her hand. When they entered the building, the scent of fresh herb greeted them. Stephano looked up from his place behind the desk and smiled. Standing the same height as Evander, Stephano’s blond hair, tanned skin and green eyes drew many women to him. Evander stiffened. Would Grace be one of them?
Stephano rounded the desk and shook Evander’s hand. “Evan! As I live and breathe!” he said.
Evander rolled his eyes. He’d just seen Stephano less than two hours ago and told him that he was coming back with Grace.
“This is Grace,” Evander said.
“Ah, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman,” Stephano said as he swept up Grace’s hand and kissed the back of it.
Grace giggled. “Thank you. You have a nice place.”
Stephano brought Grace’s hand to his chest. “It warms my heart that you think so. I worked hard to get it the way I like.”
“Cheapness is not a design style,” Evander snorted as he removed Grace’s hand from Stephano’s.
Switching to Greek, he warned Stephano to back off. Chuckling, Stephano replied that he was just having fun but relented when he must have seen the serious look on Evander’s face. Stephano lead them to the dining area and left them alone to look over the menu. The dining area was full but not crowded.
“Well,” Grace said. “He lays it on thick, doesn’t he?”
He chuckled. “That’s one word for it.”
She laughed. Stephano returned to their table and snatched the menus from their hands.
“I will prepare something special for you,” Stephano announced with a flourish and then left.
“Don’t worry,” Evander said. “He studied at the Sorbonne and cooked at the best French restaurants. He knows his way around a kitchen.”
“Can you cook?” she asked.
“Stephano taught me a few recipes.”
A server appeared with a bottle of wine and a platter of cheese and fruit. She poured each of them a glass before leaving them alone. Grace nibbled on the appetizers as she looked around.
“You’re right,” she commented. “He is cheap.”
“Creative genius, yes. Businessman, no.” Evander paused to sip his wine, and then he took one of her hands in his. “But enough about him.” Evander picked up a red grape and fed it to her. “Tell me why you chose Rhodes to visit.”
“Back in college, I saw a picture of the island in a travel magazine,” she confessed. “I knew I was going to visit as soon as I could afford it.”
“And here you are.” He fed her a square of cheese.
“Here I am.”
Her eyes lit up and he became lost in them. He fed her a slice of pear. When she bit into it, juice squirted on to her chin. Grace reached for her napkin, but he beat her to it, using his tongue to sop up the sweet nectar. Picking up an olive, she held it to his lips. Evander captured it, as well as her fingers, in his mouth. She giggled while he suckled on the combined sweetness of the fruit and her skin. Would her essence taste as sweet on his tongue? A sharp clearing of a throat broke into Evander’s thoughts.
“Should I come back?” Stephano asked.
When Evander leaned back, Stephano set a plate in front of each of them and began refilling their wineglasses.
“What is it?” Evander asked.
“Grilled lamb in pomegranate sauce. Couscous with raisins and grilled assorted veggies.”
“It looks delicious,” Grace said.
Stephano began to pull up a chair to their table, but stopped when Evander warned him with a glance.
“Well,” Stephano said. “I’ll leave you to your meal. Enjoy.”
As soon as Stephano left, Evander picked up his glass.
“A toast,” he announced and waited for Grace to raise her glass. “To new adventures.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
They touched their glasses together and took a sip. While they ate, Evander discovered that he was enjoying Grace’s company. It was different being with her than with previous women. For starters, his heart never beat so rapidly for anyone else. Could this be what love felt like? His mouth suddenly went dry and he sipped more of his wine. This was, indeed, going to be a new adventure.
Chapter Eight
It was late when they left the inn, so late that Evander wasn’t able to show her around the harbor without breaking his promise to have her back at the cottage before nightfall. Grace didn’t care. She enjoyed being with him and was realizing that he was just what she needed on this trip. During the drive back, he rested his hand on her thigh. Her heart fluttered.
“So, who is this ass who broke your heart?” he asked her out of the blue.
Grace blinked. Was she that transparent? “That’s a long story, remember?”
“It’s a long drive.”
She inhaled sharply. “I met him on a business trip. He lived in Atlanta but I lived in Virginia. It was one of those instant connections where you question if it’s moving too fast, but I decided to go with it. We had a long-distance relationship for six months before his wife called.”
“Damn.” He whistled.
“Yeah. I should’ve known, but hindsight is twenty-twenty. So, I ended it without further to-do and here I am.”
“But with walls around your heart.”
Grace turned her gaze out of the window when she felt tears well in her eyes. How could Evander know her so well in such short time?
“That’s part of the reason I came here. To work on tearing them down,” she admitted.
“Maybe I can help.”
She covered his hand with hers. “Maybe.”
It was well after dark when they parked in front of the cottage. Evander got out of the car and walked to her side to open the door. There had to be something wrong with him, she thought. How could someone so gorgeous and attentive be single? When she climbed out of the car, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. That fluttery feeling returned to her heart. So did the voice that told her it was way too soon to be feeling like this.
“Thank you,” Grace said. “I had a good time.”
“You’re welcome. Perhaps, tomorrow, we can tour the harbor.”
She stood on her toes and kissed him quickly. “What are your plans for tonight?”
“I’ll probably go to my parents’ house, watch the paint peel on the walls.”
“You’re subtle.”
“I try.”
This time, he kissed her and she didn’t want him to stop.
“You can stay,” Grace said.
“You need to work.”
“True, but you can watch the paint peel here while I do.”
Evander released her. Taking her hand, he walked her to the front door and unlocked it. He went inside first and turned on the lights.
“I’ll put the top up on the car,” he said. “You get started.”
“Deal.”
Grace kissed him to seal it. He winked at her before he went back outside. Excite
ment raged through her as she went into the bedroom, where she changed into a white T-shirt and yoga pants. When she walked back into the living room, Evander was walking through the front door with an overnight bag in his hand.
“I see you came prepared,” she teased him.
“Of course.” He grinned as he locked the door and walked toward her. Evander swatted her on her ass while she waited for her computer to turn on, and then he disappeared into the bedroom. When her file opened, Grace settled behind her laptop to continue her novel. He emerged from the bedroom, clad in a pair of sweatpants, and flopped on the sofa to watch soccer on the television.
After two hours of her fingers flying across the keyboard, Grace’s brain came grinding to a halt. She cradled her head in her hands and exhaled. Her eyes were closed when she felt two strong hands on her shoulders. Evander massaged the kinks out of her muscles. Moaning, she melted into his touch.
“Hit the wall?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He kissed her on the crown of her head. “What do you need?”
“This...” Grace sighed.
“I can do better than this.”
Was there anything that could top this? Grace didn’t think so, but she suspected she was about to find out. Evander left her to go into the bathroom. Moments later, she heard the water running and the scent of her strawberry bath gel drifted around her.
“What are you doing?” she asked when he emerged from the bathroom.
“A bath will help stir your creative juices.”
Her juices were already flowing, she thought as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bathroom, where he put her down again. After turning off the water, he reached for the hem of her T-shirt. She put her hand on his to stop him.
“I can take it from here,” she said.
“You’ve already seen me naked,” he reminded her. “It’s only fair.”
Midnight Muse Page 3