by Zane Morrow
My head hung as I started to make my way out of the reception hall. I couldn’t meet anyone’s face on my way out of the room. After all, I’d acted completely out of character, and while I’d like to pretend it was all alcohol induced, the truth was Grace had a lot to do with it too. Obviously, I needed to stay far away from her or she’d completely ruin me. I’d taken no more than half a dozen steps when a delicate hand slid into mine. I paused only to discover Grace had laced our fingers. It felt natural, nice, until I noted the disappointment on her face…and something else.
“Why?” Her browns knit together.
“Confused?” I stuffed the garter in my pocket so I could cup her cheek. “Me too.”
Her face fell. Finally, she threw her shoulders back and stuck out her chin. “Let’s go. You’re in no condition to drive.”
I studied her eyes, feeling helpless, lost. “But the wedding.”
Grace inhaled deeply. “I think we’ve done enough damage for one day, don’t you?”
After I nodded, we strode calmly out of the room and straight to the valet.
4
“What do you want to do?” I watched her for a reaction while we waited on the valet. He couldn’t return soon enough. I kept glancing behind us nervously. For some reason, I imagined the residents of Harper’s Island gathering their pitch forks and lighting torches to chase after us. Forget that most of them had never worked a day in their lives, having been born into money. The point here: I was some kind of beast. I eyed Grace. She was certainly my beauty. How had I ever managed to gain her attention? How could someone like me ever hope to keep it? Hell, no matter what I did, I somehow managed to foul it all up.
Grace shook her head. “Nothing. I think we need to get you home.”
I grinned. “Ah, coming back to my place. And I thought I was going to have to be all slick. You surprise me, Princess.”
She grimaced. “I never said I was coming up.”
“So, you don’t want to see the family estate?” I tugged at my chin. “Oh, you may already have seen it with your mother.”
“You really want to go back there?” Grace gave me the side-eye.
“Ah.” I considered her implication. “I see where you’re going with this. Good thinking. Let’s go back to the city then.”
Her car came to a halt beside the curb where we stood. I opened the passenger side door and stepped aside for her to take a seat. She shook her head at me and laughed. “What?”
“How drunk are you?” She held the door and pushed me toward the interior. “You ride, I drive.” I opened my mouth, but she silenced me. “You had more drinks than I can count on one hand.” I started to mentally tally in the hopes I could argue, but she didn’t even give me a chance. “Plus, it’s my vehicle.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Fine.” I looked over her shoulder from my position in the seat and saw Trent walking toward us. “Get in.” I gritted out.
She peeked, realized we were about to be set upon by my mortal enemy, and rushed toward her door. Hopping in the vehicle she tossed her bouquet in the backseat and settled in behind the steering wheel. Grace even managed to get her seatbelt latched before the tapping on my window began. She ignored him a second, one hand on the gear shift, her foot on the brake pedal. I could feel her conflict. Finally, she sighed and her hand found the electric window button. “Sorry,” she muttered as she pasted a serene look on her face. The she looked past me to Trent, who was already leaning in the window. “Yes?” Grace blinked a few times while she waited for his response.
“Leaving so soon?” He smiled at her, but I ignored his face and studied his body language. His knuckles were white as they gripped the door frame.
I relaxed into the seat. Trent was pissed. Ever so casually, I wrapped my hand around hers on the gear shifter and grinned at him. “We’re going back to my place.”
For a split second his façade faltered. “I’ll see you when you get done dropping him off.”
Slowly, I raised her hand and brought it to my lips without taking my eyes from her face. Then I planted a kiss in the center of her palm and watched with satisfaction as her breathing quickened and she bit her lower lip. “Whatever. I plan to take my time.” My lids fluttered shut as I focused my affections on her wrist. I could feel her pulse racing and soon she gasped. While she was distracted, I reached over with my free hand and pushed the button to raise the window.
Immediately, Trent drew back and yanked his hands off the frame. Though the closed window now muffled this sound, I swear I heard him growl. I opened my eyes and smiled at Grace. “Drive, Princess,” I whispered as I gave her hand one final squeeze before laying it back on the shifter. To my surprise, without saying a word, she did as I suggested.
The drive to the city took over an hour, including the ferry ride. I dozed during most of it. At first, Grace was nervous and more than a little uptight. Then as her confidence grew and her nerves settled, once she was certain I was passed out, she began to sing along with the radio and something happened inside me. I don’t know how to describe it. All I know is one minute, I was simply feeling possessive, the next minute I was feeling warm and fuzzy. Images began to play out inside my mind, I could absolutely imagine a life with her.
Grace reached out and pet my hair. It took everything in me to not move, to not lean into her touch. Her voice, as she sang along with the radio, started softly and then when she knew the words, she belted out the tune. I could see it, me coming home from the office to find her rocking our baby. She’d be down the hall in the nursery and I’d enter the penthouse to hear her voice on the monitor. Oh, and we’d have one of those video ones, so I’d soon see her. The idea of it made my heart swell. We’d give our children the kind of life I never had. I’d be madly, deeply, hopelessly in love with my wife. My children would never need a nanny while their mother volunteered to help every cause and everyone, but them. We’d tuck them in together, reading them stories. Our place would be filled with joy and love, the perfect environment for children to flourish. This would be a complete opposite from the museum I grew up in, with the cold stone and marble finishes, where we weren’t allowed to touch anything and our parents barely touched each other. Was it any wonder I was so standoffish, so detached? Was there any doubt why I wanted nothing to do with marriage?
She roused me with a gentle squeeze of my hand. “Blake, I’m not sure where you live.” Then when I didn’t move, she started mumbling under her breath. “Why didn’t I ask him before he fell asleep?” She sighed heavily. “Now we’ll be lost in the city.”
Stretching slightly, I moved my stiff neck to glance at her. “Relax, my sweet. We’ll be at my place in less than thirty minutes.” I sat up straighter in the seat and helped direct her the rest of the way.
Finally, we pulled into the parking garage. I directed her to my assigned spot. She hesitated before pulling in and I struggled to maintain my cool. “I can’t come in.” Grace shook her head.
“Oh, you’d rather rush back to the Island? You wanted to answer questions from your mother and stepfather all night?” I watched her shoulders sag some. “Oh, maybe you wanted to see those disapproving stares? Those are my favorite.”
“It won’t be like that,” she objected. “I’m sure they have forgotten all about the garter belt scuffle already.” Grace peeked at me and offered a lopsided grin.
“Of course, I’m sure there are far more interesting things to discuss…like how we left together, how the Princess is behaving badly, or maybe about the company she’s keeping.” I tugged at my chin. I’d been around long enough to know how this worked. “Those old bitties will be talking about us for weeks. It’s not like they have anything else to take their minds off their otherwise empty existences.” I watched her head drop onto her chest.
“I could spend the night at the camp. After all, I’ll be going back there for the summer after the board meeting Monday morning anyway.” She brightened some, thinking she’d found a solution.
&n
bsp; I nodded. “It’s not a bad idea, Grace.” She turned to look at me wide-eyed. “Still, I would rather you wait until daylight to drive those dark country roads though. Please. For your safety.” I shrugged. “Just come in. I’ll feed you. I’ll give you a change of clothes. And tomorrow, we’ll go back to the island while everyone is in church. You can drop me at the club to get my car and then you’ll be rid of me.”
“I’ll still have to see you on Monday.” Grace leaned back in her seat and stared at me. I wondered what she was thinking. Was she as upset as I was that I’d run out of excuses to spend time with her?
I decided to test her a little. “Yes, but word will probably be out that you’re able to date anyone you please. I mean, after the wedding, no way would Miss Milly want us tied together.” I tried to smile, but this time, even as the alcohol was wearing off and the feeling was returning to my face, I knew I’d failed miserably.
“Right.” Her nostrils flared and I swear her eyes grew shiny. “So you’ll be free.”
I swallowed hard. “What makes you think I want to be free of you?”
She looked away and stared out the window. Apparently, she needed a moment to collect herself. When she faced me again her mood had changed entirely. Grace glared at me. “Well, I think the other night proved you don’t want to be tied to me. You offered to treat me like a damn whore, so you sure as hell don’t respect me.” She huffed. “So why the fuck would I want to be tied to you?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Come on. Admit it. I’ve grown on you, Princess.” My smile was genuine. This Grace was the one I loved…er, the one I knew how to handle.
“Like a fungus.” She leaned over the console. “Luckily, there’s a cure.”
“Oh? And how do you propose to forget me? I’m pretty memorable you know.” I reached out and wound my finger in a loose wisp of hair near her face.
She laughed. “A summer at Camp Hope will fix everything. By the end of August, I’ll be saying, ‘Blake who?’ And you’ll simply be some guy I spent a drunken night with.”
“You’d stay with me sober, Grace. Don’t lie.” I grew serious. The idea of being so easily forgotten wounded my pride. The memory of her already haunted me whenever we were apart.
“Well, I guess we’ll never know, will we? On account of you’re always drunk!” She growled as she unhooked her seat belt. “Let’s get this over with.”
I followed her lead and stepped out of the vehicle. “That’s not the attitude I’d hoped for when you finally spent the night at my place. Where’s the excitement and enthusiasm?”
“Where’s the guy worthy of my interest and attention?” Her brow shot up in challenge.
I pointed to my chest. “Right here, Princess. Miss Milly was right to link us. No one else will challenge you like this.”
“Please.” She stomped toward the elevator then paused and whirled around, a smirk on her face. “I bet Trent would challenge me.”
I could barely speak. Luckily the elevator doors opened and a couple exited. “Get in,” I grumbled.
“You don’t think he would? I bet he could be a lot of fun. I bet he might even be the marrying kind.” Her lips pursed as she eyed me.
I grabbed her bicep. “Elevator,” I gritted out as I tugged her inside with me. Once the doors shut, I released her arm and stuffed my hands in my pocket. Standing there, I stared at our reflections in the shiny metal door while flexing my fingers and struggling to control my emotions. She’d found my Achilles heel and was using it against me. This sucked balls.
“I’m sorry,” Grace whispered.
I refused to look at her. Instead, I nodded tersely. I couldn’t even speak yet.
Her head hung. “I don’t know why I did that any more than I know why you have such a problem with Trent.” She bit her quivering lower lip. “Sometimes I think I just like to get a reaction because then, at least, I know you care.”
The elevator opened on my floor and we stepped out, only feet from entering my penthouse. I pulled out my key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open for her to enter. When she didn’t move, I gestured for her to go inside.
Grace stopped less than five feet inside my sanctum. “Say something, please.” Her voice was hoarse.
I shut the door and strode past her, through the living area, into my bedroom. I listened for the sound of her footsteps behind me, but there were none. So, I focused on picking out a t-shirt and gym shorts for her to wear. When I left my room and sought her out, she seemed to have disappeared, until I looked down. Grace was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, her face buried in her hands. As I neared, I realized she was crying. Without thinking, I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the couch where I sat hard. I cradled her against my chest. “Don’t cry, my sweet.” I buried my face in her hair. I swear I could actually feel her pain and it was wrecking me.
“We should stay away from each other.” She spoke in between sniffles.
“Funny, I was thinking the exact opposite.” I drew her even closer to my chest. I couldn’t get her near enough for my liking.
Grace pulled back and stared at me aghast. “How can you think that? All we do is hurt each other.”
Shaking my head, I grinned. “That’s not all we do. As I recall, we make each other feel pretty good too. We make each other happy.”
“When?” She studied my face and I knew she wanted to me to convince her.
Pulling her close, I pressed my lips to her temple. “Sweet Grace,” I murmured. “Growing pains. That’s what this is. Give it a chance.” I closed my eyes. How quickly I’d gone from wanting an out to wanting more. What was it about this woman? Maybe in time, I’d figure it out. “Now dry those tears. Get changed. Would you like a hot tea?”
Her head tilted. “You’re making me tea?”
“Of course. It’s water and a tea bag, not rocket science.” I shrugged. Her reaction had the tips of my ears turning pink.
“Okay.” She smiled shyly, slipped off my lap onto the floor, and grabbed the clothes I’d gathered. “I’ll be right back.” Then she disappeared into my bedroom.
I heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, something was going right. Slowly, I pried myself off the couch and wandered into the kitchen. I opened the cabinet door and pulled out my favorite mug for Grace. After filling it with water, I stuck it in the microwave for two minutes, then I leaned against the counter and tried not to think about the woman changing her clothes in my room when I wanted to be the one to undress her while planting kisses over every square inch of her skin.
My thoughts were interrupted by my phone. For some reason, I answered without even glancing at the screen. Fine. Grace was the reason, my distraction. Now, I was about to learn a lesson.
“I’m actually surprised you picked up,” my mother growled.
I blew out a breath. “Mother.”
“So what do you have to say for yourself?” She sat silent for half a second. “Well?”
The microwave beeped and I turned to pull the mug out and drop a tea bag in it to steep. “What would you like me to say, mother?” My annoyance was obvious. She was interrupting my night.
“Well, how about you start with an apology? Of course, you should be speaking to Brett, since you ruined his wedding.” She sighed angrily.
“I think that might be a bit of an exaggeration, don’t you? Did the wedding actually end because of me? Or is it more likely I simply gave all the little people something to talk about?” My bedroom door opened and Grace emerged looking positively adorable in my clothes. All I wanted to do was take them off her.
My mother gasped. “How could I raise a child with so little compassion? How could you care so little about your brother and his happiness?” I could hear her shoe tapping angrily on the floor.
‘Here,’ I mouthed as I passed the mug to Grace.
She smiled weakly and nodded. Then she signed a ‘thank you’ bringing her hand to her lips.
I passed her the sugar dish and a sp
oon from the drawer. ‘Mom,’ I mouthed.
Again, she nodded her understanding. I watched her pour ridiculous amounts of sugar into the mug. With each spoonful, my brows arched. I could tell she was struggling to hold back a giggle. It made my heart light despite the pressures from the other end of the phone.
“Are you even listening to me?” My mother shrieked.
“Of course,” I responded smoothly.
“Then answer. Give me something. Show me you care about someone other than yourself.” She hiccupped and I imagined this as the precursor for tears.
I rolled my eyes. Grace waved as she took the mug and disappeared into my bedroom again. “I care about Grace,” I admitted quietly.
“How can you even say this after you humiliated her in front of the entire island? Her mother must be heartbroken, after the way you behaved.” She sniffled. “I bet Miss Milly is regretting that she ever suggested you and Grace might make a great match.”
“I doubt it,” I grumbled. All I wanted was to get off the phone and go spend time with the beautiful woman waiting for me in my bedroom.
“Was that your plan?” Oh crap. Mother was angry again. “Did you want Miss Milly to change her mind? Are you really that devious, that deceitful?”
“Of course not, Mother. I’d never hurt Grace.” I meant it. I meant every word.
“You say this even as you try to close down the camp, the first love of her life.” She sighed. “Sometimes you disgust me. Too much of your father in you.”
I stiffened. I was nothing like my father, but I knew better than to argue. This was a time when I’d simply have to ride the wave and hang on for dear life.
“Be at the office Monday morning, 9am. No excuses. Things are changing, son. I’m gonna rock your miserable little world.” She practically spit the last words. Then without saying so much as ‘goodbye,’ she ended the call.
I set my phone on the counter and stepped away from it as if it might explode. For a minute, I looked at it warily while I tried to calm down. She had a terrible way of getting under my skin, of making me feel badly about my life and choices. If she only knew how many choices I made, which were dictated by my need to protect her. She had no idea the sacrifices I’d made for her sanity, her peace of mind, mostly in an effort not to rock her…miserable big world. For a moment, I closed my eyes and tried to shut out the fear. Then I straightened. This time was different. I wasn’t alone. I could walk into my room and find the relief I needed. Grace would make it all better. When I was with her, I forgot all the bad stuff.