by Lisa Fox
Suddenly the room seemed very hot, and Grace sat up in her chair, blinking away the foggy blanket of her thoughts. Now was not the time to fly off on that particular fancy. She looked at the computer clock. Two hours until her appointment with him. Two hours until she saw him again. She wanted to shiver and giggle, but she set her spine instead. Two hours to work. She lightly tapped the keys beneath her fingertips, not hard enough to actually type anything, and willed herself back into the story.
Mia spotted Seth sitting on a bench across the lake. A breeze ruffled his dark hair and her heart picked up a bit. She was only vaguely aware of the goofy smile on her face when she raised her hand to call out to him, but paused, the smile dying on her lips when a man she knew all too well sat down beside him. Colin Mayor was rich, handsome, and had the blackest heart of anyone she had ever met—which was saying a lot since she used to work on Wall Street. The men put their heads together, and Mia frowned. Now what could those two be talking about?
Grace nodded to herself. Mia liked Seth—there was no doubt about that—but she didn’t quite trust him yet. Seth was firmly on Mia’s side, but she couldn’t see it because she was too busy being suspicious. Mia would continue to doubt him throughout this book, but Grace had already plotted it out that Seth would prove his devotion when Mia needed him most. Of course, she was going to be less than thrilled with his interference, but her heroine was just going to have to deal with the dashing new man in town, no matter how much he annoyed her.
Mia and Seth had a real future together. She could already imagine them in the next book, forced to work together to solve the blackout mystery. Seth was in the Hamptons to stay. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, giving life to the voices in her head.
Her palms were clammy as she rode the subway downtown to Ryan’s SoHo office. The train stopped at Columbus Circle, the doors opened, people exited and entered the car, the doors slid shut. Grace took a deep breath and smoothed down the front of her summer dress. She needed to be professional. This was a business meeting. She could swoon all she wanted when they went to dinner later.
Dinner. A date. The words made her smile. She’d done her work for the day, and she had earned this reward. She loved writing about Seth, loved imagining his developing relationship with Mia. This book was turning out to be one of her favorites. Maybe even her most favorite. It wasn’t even finished yet, and she was already thinking about the contests she wanted to enter it in. She wanted to believe that this was the book she had been dreaming about writing, the breakthrough novel that would put her name on all the best seller lists. Even if it wasn’t, the joy of writing it was enough to alleviate some of the pressure she’d felt recently, and that alone was a miracle.
She headed out of the subway at Spring Street and strolled down the couple of blocks to the brownstone, happily lost in her plans for future chapters, future books. When she entered the office, the receptionist greeted her and escorted her to the meeting room. Ryan was already there, seated at the conference table. Their eyes met, and her heart did a funky little skip-thump in her chest.
“Hi,” she said, grinning like a lunatic. How was it possible for him to look better every time she saw him? No man had a right to be this sexy. Today he was wearing a periwinkle button-down shirt that flattered him beyond belief, bringing out the twinkle in his hazel eyes. His tight jeans left very little to her imagination, and she had to pry her gaze away from all that he had to offer and force herself to focus on his face.
He returned her grin. “Hi.” He walked over and drew her into his arms for a big hug. “I missed you.”
His body was warm, firm, just as good as she remembered it, and a wild blush spread over her cheeks. “You’re ridiculous.”
“You keep telling me that,” he said, and escorted her to the open laptop. He held out a chair for her and rolled it under the table when she sat. “But I’m only telling you the truth.”
Flirting with him was fun, but no matter how much she enjoyed it, she took it all with a grain of salt. He was smooth, a total charmer, and she was certain he’d told many other women much the same nonsense in the past. She just had to remind herself not to take him all that seriously, otherwise he’d be very dangerous indeed. She gave him one last smile and then nodded her chin toward the laptop. “What do you have for me?”
His glance almost melted her panties. “I think you’re going to like it.”
She moved her chair closer to his. She could smell his cologne, his shampoo, and she breathed in a little deeper. He was intoxicating. “Show me.”
He touched the mouse, and the computer screen came to life.
Grace gasped. The header rested on the top of the page in all its dark and welcoming glory. The front page featured a glossy image of her latest release coupled with the blurb and some quotes from her better reviews. The fonts were bold and stylized, easy to read and classy. It was better than anything she could have ever imagined. She reached over and placed her hand over his. “Show me everything.”
He did as she asked, giving her an in-depth tour of all that he’d created for her. He was like a kid as he clicked through the pages, and she only liked him more for it. His excitement was contagious, and she was ecstatic with everything he showed her, listening to him explain all the details of how and why he decided to add what he did, even though she only understood about half of it. When she called Ron for an appointment, all she’d wanted was something to help her sell some books. But Ryan had given her books life. He’d given her something of real beauty.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“Ryan, it’s outstanding.”
“I’m glad.”
“Thank you so much.” She met his gaze. A simple thanks wasn’t enough to convey how grateful she was to him, how moved she was by the quality of his work, and the effort he’d put into making the site for her. It was a shame she was so much more eloquent in text than she was in real life. If this had been a scene in one of her books, she’d be able to express her feelings with elegant grace. Sadly, thank you was going to have to do. “So, what happens now?”
“I need to do some final coding, and then we’ll get you set up on a host. Once that happens, your new site goes live. It’ll come up in all the various search engines and people will start visiting it. We’ll send you quarterly reports so you can see how much traffic your site is getting and where it’s coming from. Marketing has a whole plan set up for you, so expect a lot of hits. Your agent will send us any events or appearances you’re doing and your new release information, and we’ll keep that all up to date for you. Ideally, every three months or so, I’d like you to send me some new free content for your readers so the site stays fresh.” He smiled at her. “And that’s pretty much it.”
She did an excited little chair dance squirm. “I have a website.”
He nodded. “You do.”
She laughed. “You know, when I started writing seriously a few years ago, I never thought I’d be here.”
“No?”
“No. I mean, I have a website. I sell books. People I’ve never met read my work. And they enjoy it! It’s beyond a dream. I’m so lucky.” She looked at him and shook her head, once again at a loss for the right words to express herself. “Do you ever feel that way?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “My wildest dream when I was a kid was to have a house on an ocean somewhere and be able to eat takeout every day.” He laughed. “Now that I think of it, I’m actually living that dream right now. My life is insanely good.” He reached over and took her hand. “And it’s only gotten better since I met you.”
A blush scorched her cheeks. “You’re—”
“Ridiculous?” he finished.
“Yes,” she said, twisting her fingers around his. Warmth spread through her chest, making her limbs feel tingly and light. This was a brand-new feeling for her, and she rather enjoyed it. “Where are we going to dinner tonight?”
“Something in the area maybe?” His brow furrowed, and he glanced a
t his wristwatch. “I have to meet with my supervisor and tell him you approve, and then—”
She touched his shoulder, halting his tumble of words. “It’s okay. I understand. I have stuff I need to do while I’m down here. What time should I come back?”
He hesitated. “Can you give me an hour and a half?”
She rose to her feet. “That’s perfect.”
He walked her to the door, but instead of opening it for her, he thumbed the lock.
“What are you doing?” she asked, a smile creeping across her lips.
Her breath caught as he stepped closer, the heat of his body on hers. “Do I get a goodbye kiss?”
She decided to tease him a little bit. “This isn’t goodbye. I’ll be seeing you again in about an hour.”
He dipped his head and caught her lower lip between both of his, a light though thoroughly sensual peck. “But I’ll miss you so much.” He nuzzled her cheek. “I need something to hold me over until I get to see you again.”
Helpless, she was completely helpless against him, against this…this thing they had. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers twining in his hair. “I’d hate for you to be depressed while I’m gone.”
He touched his nose to hers, his breath warm on her lips. “I’ll be very depressed. Practically inconsolable.”
God, he set her on fire. Being with him was fun, but her physical need for him was out of control. Her body craved his, her thoughts consumed with being close to him. And though she knew it was a bad idea, completely insane, she lifted her chin and brushed her lips over his. The light touch of the kiss made her shiver. “Now that would be tragic.”
He cupped her face in his palm. “You have to help me, Grace. Only you can save me.”
She sighed dramatically. “Well, if I must…” she said, and pressed her mouth to his.
Their playful kisses quickly turned heated, and she keened softly when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He growled in response, a low hum deep in the back of his throat, and parted her lips with his tongue. Her knees went weak when she tasted him, her toes curling in her sensible sandals. His kiss resonated in every fiber of her body, slow and deep, his tongue stroking hers. The taste of him was dark and sweet, and even as she let him go deeper, take more, she knew she’d made a mistake even starting this because she never wanted him to stop.
They parted for a breath, and he looked down into her eyes, smoothing the hair off her face. “This probably isn’t a good idea.”
He was right of course, but that didn’t mean she was in any mood to listen to reason. “It’s probably a very bad idea indeed.” Contrary to her words, she moved even closer to him, her breasts pressed hard against his chest.
She felt his sharp intake of breath, saw the desire darken his eyes. “Definitely morally objectionable. You are my client after all.”
She giggled. She couldn’t help it. She never knew how much fun it was to be wanton. “Good thing you’re not a nice guy then.”
He pulled her roughly against him. “You’re absolutely right.”
He kissed her again, hard and long and deep. She was tangled up in him, her body melded to his. Hunger overtook her sense, and she clung to him while he ravaged her mouth. She was swept up, carried away, and she let him guide her backwards to wherever he wanted to take her. He bit down on her lower lip and lifted her, sitting her down on top of the table that was suddenly behind her. Without thought, ruled by pure, animal need, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in. She gasped into his kiss when their bodies met, desire pulsing between her legs.
His hands immediately went to her thighs, rough and urgent, pushing her dress up. Her mouth fell away from his when he grabbed her, tugging her closer. His lips were on her throat, kissing and licking her sensitive skin. For now, right here, she wanted to forget who she was, forget every responsibility, every panic-inducing dilemma, and simply be with him. She grabbed his ass and pulled him in, the heat of him pressing into where she needed him most. Her thighs relaxed and let him in a little more. With a strangled cry, she bit down on his shoulder when he rocked against her.
He tore his mouth from her throat, took her hand, and brought it down to the bulge in his jeans. He was hot against her palm, hard and throbbing. She didn’t care where she was, didn’t care about what she was supposed to be doing, didn’t care about rules or decorum or her own hang-ups. For once in her life, all she cared about was the moment. She ached for him, and all that mattered was that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. She reached for his belt and fumbled with the buckle.
His hands came off her, hovering in the air over her as she pushed the belt aside and curled her fingers around the top button of his jeans. She saw raw lust in his dark eyes, felt it pumping hot through her own veins. She held his gaze and unbuttoned the second button. Tension electrified the air, and she was very aware of the sound of her own panting breath, the heat in her core. One more button, and he was all hers.
“Hello?” a voice she recognized as Kat’s called out, coupled with a knock on the door.
For one incredible second, all time stopped, and they were completely frozen. They looked at one another, and Grace had to fight back a wild urge to laugh.
“Yeah, Kat. Just a second,” Ryan called back, hastily buttoning up his jeans.
She leapt to her feet, pulled her dress straight, and quickly ran her fingers through her hair. It was all so insane giggles erupted out of her, and she slapped her hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet. He grinned back at her and then asked if she was ready with a single raised eyebrow. She smoothed her hair one more time and nodded.
“Okay,” he whispered and then opened the door.
Kat stood on the threshold. Her gaze went from Grace, to Ryan, and then back to Grace again.
She knows, Grace thought, and bit down on her lower lip.
Kat stepped inside, amusement playing on her lips. She focused on Grace. “I heard you were here, and I wanted to stop by and say hi. See what you thought of the site.”
Grace smiled brightly. “I love it. Thank you so much.”
“I’m glad.” She gave them each a searching look. “We like to keep our clients…satisfied.”
Grace’s cheeks went scarlet, and she chewed on her tongue to keep from laughing. “I think I’ll be very satisfied.”
Kat’s smile only got wider. Her gaze flicked to Ryan and then back to Grace. “Yes, I can see how you would be.”
“The site is beautiful,” Grace answered, unable to think of anything else to say.
“Well,” Kat said, spinning on her very high heel. “I need to get back to work myself. Will I see you at Ryan’s fight on Friday?”
Grace nodded. “I’ll be there.”
“Great,” Kat said, and headed for the door. Ryan held it open for her. “Oh, and Ryan?” Kat spoke softly, but Grace could still hear her. “Your belt’s unbuckled.” She looked back over her shoulder at Grace, gave her a wink, and then left the room.
Grace let herself laugh as Ryan scrambled to buckle his belt. She shook her head and leaned back against the table. “That was totally inappropriate.”
He smiled. “Yes, it was. We should do it again immediately.”
He reached for her, but her cell phone rang, shrill and insistent. She fumbled through her bag for it, and her heart stopped when she saw the caller ID.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Ms. Betancourt?” that cool, professional voice she hated so much asked.
“Yes?” Grace asked, dread and fear making her heart thud.
“Ms. Betancourt, this is Andrea Wilcox. I’m afraid your father’s taken a bit of a tumble and accidently hit his head. He’s being taken to Brookhaven Hospital now.”
All the air went out of her lungs. “How bad?”
“He’s going to require some stitches, and they will admit him for the night to make sure he isn’t suffering from any other injuries. The doctor on duty will give you the f
ull picture when you arrive at the hospital.”
“Thank you.” Her lips were numb. Everything was numb. “I’ll be there shortly.” She took the phone away from her ear and pressed the end button.
“Grace, what’s wrong?” Ryan asked, standing close by her side. She hadn’t even realized he was beside her.
She roused herself enough to look over at him. “I have to go.”
She pushed herself off the table and brushed by him, heading for the exit. He grabbed her elbow before she could make it to the door.
“Grace,” he said, gripping her biceps, forcing her to meet his gaze. “What’s wrong?”
The command in his voice make her blink, forced her back to the present. “I have to go. My dad.” She shook her head. Too many thoughts. “I have to get to the hospital.”
His grip tightened on her. “What hospital?”
She was seeing everything through a daze. “Brookhaven. On Long Island.”
“Okay,” he said. “Sit down.” He guided her to a chair. “I’ll get you to Long Island.”
“No,” she said, popping back up. “I have to leave now.”
“I understand.” His voice was calm, soothing. He gently pushed her back into the chair. “Let me arrange a few things.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and made a call. “Jodi, this is Ryan. Please arrange for me to have a car.” He paused, his hand never leaving her shoulder. “I need it now.” Pause. “Thanks.” He hung up and looked back at Grace. “Just one more call and we’re good to go.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have to do this. I can get there fine.”
“I know,” he said. “I want to.” He stood by her side, gently stroking her back while he made another call. He seemed to wait longer this time before finally speaking. “Dean, this is Ryan. I’m going to have to miss our meeting today. Something’s come up. An emergency. Sorry. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.” He ended the call and jammed the phone into his back pocket. “Okay, let’s go.”